History Essay/Paper Tips
*The following is just a quick reference guide to remind you how to write an essay/paper. If you are having difficulties please see/contact me immediately
Structure of the Essay
Answer the question! It may seem a bit obvious, but many history essays simply do not answer the question posed.
Introduction. Probably the key to any History Essay. It should state what you will do in the essay. Have a Thesis Statement that directly answers the question. The rest of the introduction should explain what to expect in the coming paragraphs. A strong introduction shows that you already know what you are doing before you start to write.
Body. Here you offer historical evidence that supports what you were saying in the introduction. Each new paragraph should have a topic sentence which supports your Thesis Statement. The sentences in the paragraph should then support the paragraph's topic sentence.
Summary. For goodness' sake do not skim here. This is where you quickly remind the reader of the points you have made and how they support your Thesis Statement which answers the Question. A good way to remember how to do a summary is to ask yourself, "So, what was the point I was trying to make."
Tips
Make sure your facts are relevant, and they support your claims and statements.
Use evidence and examples to support statements.
Avoid
Irrelevant facts. They should all directly relate to the points you make.
Strong and highly opinionated statements without adequate factual support.
Dumping huge amounts of information rather than reasoning historically.