Skills Exploration: How to Write A Thesis Statement for History
Outcomes
6. Draft argumentative thesis statements for History. (G, J, K)
How to Write A Thesis Statement for History
A thesis statement is one to two sentences that clearly and decisively state your research paper’s main argument or main idea and explains why. If you believe your thesis statement needs three sentences or more, then you probably have not clearly defined the main point of your paper.
A thesis statement is a declarative sentence, not a question. Often it helps to begin with a research question. What do you want to answer with your research? The answer to your research question is your thesis. In the case of the History Detective assignment, most of your thesis statements will be crafted for you simply based on which argument or theory you elect to support. For example, Anne Boleyn was guilty of xxx, based on a, b, and c, and justly executed as a result.
The thesis statement should be the last sentence of your introductory paragraph. Your introductory paragraph is designed to bring the reader into your essay and grab his or her interest. The thesis statement will then act as a key to a map. It will tell your reader what you will be arguing and how you are going to get there. This tells your audience from the very beginning how you have interpreted the history you are discussing.
Don’t be afraid to change your thesis statement. The thesis statement you create for this assignment is a working one. You are going to fill in the various blanks in order to come up with a direction. Your ideas, interpretation or focus may change as you write your essay. Your thesis statement doesn’t need to be static. It’s fine to go back and change your thesis statement to match your final draft.
Mary Lynn Rampolla, in her A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, tells us “A history paper, like many other kinds of academic writing, usually takes the form of an argument in support of a thesis – a statement that reflects the conclusion you have reached about your topic after a careful analysis of the sources.”1 As you develop your thesis, keep these points in mind:
- A thesis is not a description of your topic.
- A thesis is not a question.
- A thesis is not a statement of fact.
- A thesis is not a statement of opinion. It is your interpretation based on evidence from your sources.
So what is a thesis statement? “a thesis is a statement that reflects what you have concluded about the topic of your paper, based on a critical analysis and interpretation of the source materials you have examined.”2
- The thesis is not a question, but it does answer your research question. .
- A thesis is specific. It tries to tell the reader what happened in a particular event in history, and why. It is focused and specific enough to be “proven” within the boundaries of your paper. If you need 12 pages to prove your thesis, then your thesis is not focused enough. .
- The thesis is argumentative or debatable. It takes a stand – THIS happened in THIS way for THIS reason. Someone must be able to disagree with your statement. If you do not take a stand, if you are stating a truth that is so obvious you don’t have a stand, then you probably have a statement of fact, and not a thesis. For example, no one can argue that Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492, so this is not a thesis statement.
- A thesis statement for history answers a historical question. WHY did this happen this way? What were the causes, effects, influences on – the answer to each question is the beginning of your thesis.
- A thesis statement for history should be closed. The thesis should act as the key to the map. The reader knows where the paper is going and how the writer is going to get there.
| If… | Then… |
|---|---|
| Your proposed thesis does no more than repeat the topic you are writing about… | It is not a thesis. |
| Your proposed thesis poses a question without suggesting an answer… | It is not a thesis. |
| Your proposed thesis articulates a fact or a series of facts… | It is not a thesis. |
| Your proposed thesis reflects a personal belief or preference… | It is not a thesis. |
| If… | Then… |
|---|---|
Your proposed thesis:
|
It is a thesis. |
A thesis involving a single person, or region for a single event or decade is likely a better thesis than one that tries to describe all people for centuries on end. For example, a thesis about Nat Turner’s Rebellion would be much more focused than one on slavery in the British colonies. Avoid sweeping generalities. Avoid words like “all,” “always,” “every;” these will make your thesis too general. Don’t exaggerate or use hyperbole. Get rid of terms like “Throughout history” and “everyone knows”. Time periods discussed in a thesis should be very limited as should the number of people discussion, for the same reasons.
These is no one way to write a thesis statement for history, but sometimes it is helpful to begin with a formula. In general, a thesis statement makes a claim and includes the major support or topics to prove your claim. Thus a general formula for a closed argumentative thesis statement is:
Claim, as [seen, illustrated, proven, etc.] by X, Y, and Z.
The verb used in a thesis statement is up to you, but in general you need to connect your support (X, Y, and Z) to your Claim.
Watch the following video for more information on how to create a thesis statement for history:
OWL Purdue also has some helpful tips on how to create various types of thesis statements as well. Make sure you focus on argumentative thesis statements!
Finally, read this explanation of the differences in thesis statement types at the University of Arizona Global Campus and try their Thesis Statement Generator tool. Remember that your thesis statements must be argumentative.
“Writing a Thesis Statement.” University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center. Accessed July 24, 2021.
“Thesis Generator.” University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center. Accessed July 24, 2021.
