so since i really really like history and think writing about history is fun (like… as fun as writing about anything for a grade gets, but), i thought i’d share my overall writing process with you guys to help out anyone who needs it!!
1. ask yourself: what are you even writing about? there are two main types of history essays: one where you’re examining some sort of shift, or change over time, usually a shift in how people view a certain thing/topic/issue, and one where you’re looking at the effects of one cultural/economic/social element, and how it affected/presented itself in only the time when it took place. i’m gonna call these the shift and the isolated occurrence, respectively. your first step is to identify which type of essay you’re writing.
how to approach the shift: ask yourself what changes, what stays the same, when do the changes occur, and why. you can think of this essay as a cause and effect essay. you’re going to look at the overall shift over a long period of time, and several turning points for that shift. overall, what changed and why? in those specific moments, what changed and why?
how to approach the isolated occurrence: figure out what social, political, or economic phenomenon you’re looking at. ask yourself how that occurrence manifests itself in different populations (by age groups, gender, race, region, socioeconomic class, etc). in a nutshell, your essay is going to be about what the shift meant in general for EVERYONE it affected, and what it meant for the different populations you chose to examine.
2. gather your sources. i’m gonna assume you’re writing your academic history for school, so these are gonna be “course” centric.
textbook. probably the least “respected” source, but you just want to get this essay done, and you don’t particularly care about being respected by historians, so you can use your textbook for anytime you’re talking about dates or really general, really vague background information.
extra readings. most history teachers tend to print stuff out and give it to you to read. those are fair game. use ‘em, but be careful - if they’re excerpts from another textbook, use them like you’d use your textbook. if they’re from something more specific (i.e. an entire book on the subject, instead of a paragraph on the subject from your textbook), you rely more heavily on the source.
other primary sources. your textbooks and readings are probably going to quote some people who were there. you want to quote some people who were there, too! diary entries, journals, and letters are all incredibly helpful, and you can google that sort of thing pretty easily to get great sources!
things historians have written. that thing you’re writing about? someone probably writes about that for a living. it’s always a good idea to use historians and their works.
works from the period. art, literature, prose, music - we use them to express ourselves and our ideas. if its from the period you’re writing about, it will tell you something about people/people’s feelings on things from the period, and is a primary source!
major legal writings. if the government is based on it or wrote it, it’s a solid source.
3. write your thesis. you’ve read step 1. you know what you’re talking about. so tell everyone what your talking about, and, most importantly, what it did/what it means for us now, in a broad, broad sense. for example, roe v. wade literally made abortions legal in the us. but what roe v. wade REALLy did was allow women to have greater ownership of their own bodies and choices, and greater independence. see? your thesis is where you should be broad.
introduction. add some historical context. basically, explain what events or movements led up to the thing you’re talking about. then give ‘em your thesis. then do that thing your english teacher probably doesn’t want you to do where you list how you’re going to prove your thesis. then hit enter.
body paragraphs. with shifts, it’s best to organize them chronologically. with the isolated occurrence, it’s best to organize them based on population group. in these paragraphs, you’re providing evidence that will justify your thesis, so each paragraph should work to make a point that strengthens/supports your BIG point (thesis). make sure you have some cold-hard facts or sources and interpretations of those facts and sources in each paragraph.
conclusion. restate the thesis. and LET PEOPLE KNOW WHY THE THING YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT IS RELEVANT TODAY. that’s the biggest part of your whole essay, trust me. history is essentially the study of what got us where we are. if you don’t talk about the present in your essay about the past, you’re doing it wrong. (NOTE: if you’re writing about something that you can’t make relevant to anything today, connect it to something major that happens after the times you talk about in your essay.)
5. turn it in. you done. you did it.
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