Writing a First Draft

Your draft should include an introduction with a clear thesis statement, at least five paragraphs supporting your thesis, and a strong conclusion that summarizes your argument. It is not required to include your final bibliography, though you should if you want feedback on it.

Each paragraph of support should have at least one quote from your research. Primary sources provide the best evidence, and a variety of sources provide better evidence than heavy reliance on one or two sources. Never end a paragraph with a quote; always follow a quote with your own analysis or comment.

Quotes should not be more than about two lines long, as people tend to skip over longer quotes. All quotes should be followed by a footnote or endnote that gives not only the source, but also a page number (see the sample research paper and the Writing Guides). Even though quotes are important, the majority of your paper (roughly 85%) should be your own words of analysis. A good rule of thumb is for every sentence of quotation, you need at least two sentences of your own thoughts – one sentence to introduce the quote and one sentence to connect its importance to your argument.

Any illustrations should be captioned. The paper should be 5-7 pages in length, not including a title page and the notes and bibliography, or roughly 1500-2100 words. Hamilton College provides some excellent guidance on writing a good history paper.

History Department of Hamilton College, “Writing a Good History Paper”

What Is a Thesis?

A thesis statement . . .

• Tries to tell the reader what happened in a particular event in history, and why.
• It is generally a single sentence, or is very concisely stated, especially in a short paper such as you are writing for this class.
• It takes a stand — THIS happened in THIS way for THIS reason. If you do not take a stand, if you are stating a truth so obvious that you don’t have to take a stand, then you may have a statement of fact and not a thesis.
• Answers a historical question. WHY did this happen this way? What were the causes, effects, influences on — the answer to such questions is the embryo of your thesis.
• Is focused and specific enough to be “proven” within the boundaries of your paper.

A thesis involving a single person or country or region for a single event or decade or life is likely better than a thesis which tries to describe all people or countries for centuries on end. It is also best located near the end of the introduction in a short paper. Please avoid sweeping generalities; your thesis should be specific and limited. Words like “all,” “always,” “every” will usually make a thesis too general. Time periods discussed in a thesis should be very limited for the same reason, as should the number of people discussed. For your Rough Draft assignment, you need only have the first DRAFT of a thesis. The purpose of the draft is to demonstrate to your audience that you know how to make a thesis and to organize your thoughts as you finish up your research. Your FINAL thesis will likely be formed only as you finish the last page of your paper, and will differ from your draft – which is okay!

“How to Write a Killer Thesis Statement by Shmoop.” YouTube. September 6, 2013. Accessed October 31, 2020. https://youtu.be/8wxE8R_x5I0. 5:04.

Tips for Writing a Thesis

Consider these tips when writing your thesis:

Tip 1. One way to think of a thesis: it is the answer to the single most important historical question you have about your subject.

Think of a question. Think of the answer. You have a thesis.

Example: Who was the most common victim of the witch hunts in Salem?
Answer: The most common victim of the witch hunts was an older woman, usually a widow or someone without male protector or family.

She was a woman who could easily be feared, and victimized, because she did not fit in. Then, the rest of the paper must prove the answer, that the most common victim was an older woman on the outs with society, with evidence from sources.

Tip 2. Unless a reasonable person can argue against your statement, you do not have a thesis.

If there is only one possible way to argue, you may have a statement of fact or a topic rather than a thesis statement.

Example: In 1492, Columbus sailed to America.

Why this is not a thesis: unless you can reasonably argue that Columbus sailed during a different year, you have a statement of fact.

Tip 3. You most likely need to concede something and make your argument complex and fact filled.

Using words like “although” will help make your argument appear sophisticated rather than simplistic or dictatorial.

Example: compare “King Tut was not murdered,” to “Although there is evidence of injury on his body, when the entire mummy is examined, it is more likely that King Tut died of natural causes than of murder.” The first is a thesis, but it really doesn’t tell the reader much, and doesn’t give you much to talk about in your paper. The second tells the reader that you are going to examine the entire mummy, and you are going to discuss the possibility of murder, but your thesis, your main argument, is that Tut died of natural causes.

Tip 4. You need to tell the reader why something happened.

Use words like “because” to describe the causes of the phenomenon you are discussing.

For example, instead of just saying “Patton was a great general at the Battle of the Bulge,” if you say “Patton was a great general because of his acute understanding of the terrain, his unflinching courage in the face of controversy, and his willingness to take chances,” you give yourself more to work with.

Tip 5. Remember that your purpose is to convince, not just to educate.

You need to let your reader know why they should care, why the issue is important. “Just the facts, ma’am” is both boring and not a thesis, because it does not give your opinion, does not attempt to persuade, does not take a stand on the historical issue. You can revise your thesis statement whenever you want while you are writing your essay. Historians generally develop complex and convincing arguments as they work with their sources and after they have described how events unfolded. When you get to the end of the paper, you MUST go back and review the introduction, and adjust the thesis to reflect the history you have just discussed.

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.

References

History Department of Hamilton College. “Writing a Good History Paper.” Clinton, NY: Trustees of Hamilton College, 2008. Accessed August 20, 2018. https://www.hamilton.edu/documents/writing-center/WritingGoodHistoryPaper.pdf.

Shmoop. “How To Write a Killer Thesis Statement.” YouTube. Accessed August 20, 2018. https://youtu.be/8wxE8R_x5I0.

“Thesis Generator.” University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center. Accessed July 24, 2021. https://writingcenter.uagc.edu/thesis-generator.

“Writing a Thesis Statement.” University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center. Accessed July 24, 2021. https://writingcenter.uagc.edu/writing-a-thesis#:~:text=An%20expository%20thesis%20statement%20states,be%20discussed%20in%20the%20paper.