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If you're a student pursuing history and its related fields, you've likely encountered assignments and essays about past events and developments, be they political, social, economic, scientific, technological, medical, cultural, intellectual, religious, or military. Such academic exercises offer a great opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of historical facts and to contribute to the growth of critical thinking, analytical skills, and communication. Despite their importance, the writing process can be both tedious and demanding. In this short article, we'll provide basic information on creating a strong history essay.

Master your history essay: 7 tips to writing a perfect paper

1. Understand the assignment
The first step in any writing exercise is understanding its requirements. You must take your time to go through the provisions of the task to stay on track. Remember that a nicely written essay that's off-topic will earn you no marks. As such, pay attention to the prompt or question you need to address. Is it specific or open-ended? What is the expected length? What kind of sources are you allowed to use – primary, secondary, or both? What's the deadline? And how is the completed assignment supposed to be submitted for grading, i.e., via an online dashboard or printed papers? When you understand these elements, you're likely to produce a top-notch paper that meets all requirements.

2. Conduct thorough research
Unlike other types of papers, a history essay requires strict adherence to facts and verifiable evidence. Making a single false claim can not only dent your reputation but also make your entire project look cheap. Therefore, you must dedicate enough time to researching and gathering relevant and updated information on your topic. While both primary and secondary sources are essential for well-crafted papers, dwell on the former as they're likely to provide more accurate and balanced perspectives. Prioritize original documents or artifacts such as letters, photographs, government documents, or diaries. You might consider ordering online essay writing help if you have no access to such vital materials. Professionals always know where to look!

The purpose of your research should be to establish facts. This means you shouldn't over-rely on a single source. Therefore, consult other secondary materials, e.g. books, articles, and documentaries, to provide additional interpretation and context. Don't forget that many 'factual' claims in primary materials, e.g. memoirs, have been debunked by witnesses and professional historians.

3. Create a strong thesis statement
A thesis statement is a roadmap that guides an essay's course. It's the backbone or pillar upon which the entire writing is anchored. Traditionally, it should be the last one or two sentences in the first paragraph that clearly expresses your main argument or perspective. The focus here isn't on length, but on specificity, 'debatability' and evidential support. Ask yourself these two vital questions after crafting your thesis: Can it tell someone else my exact point or argument? Does it sound open for debate?

Have a look at the two examples below:

Prompt 1: 'The Industrial Revolution changed society.'
Prompt 2: 'The Industrial Revolution significantly altered social structures in Europe by creating a new working class while displacing traditional agriculture-based lifestyles.'

Prompt 1 is an example of a bad thesis statement. Apart from being too general, it doesn't show the author's stand on the subject matter. Prompt 2 is a much better version. Apart from being specific, it allows for debate and creates room for evidence. The author shows that they intend to explore the impact of the Industrial Revolution on European lifestyles. This makes the paper to appear focused and researchable.

4. Create an outline
Even for seasoned professionals, writing without an outline could easily get you off the track. It's like walking blindfolded or starting a journey without a roadmap. Ironically, some writers insist that an outline often stifles their creativity and stops the flow of good ideas. People are different, especially in their approach to storytelling. However, when it comes to a historical essay, you can bet that an outline is mandatory. It will help you organize your thoughts logically and save you a lot of hours that could've otherwise been wasted in getting lost. Your typical history essay structure includes:

Introduction – This is where you provide background info and other relevant details about your paper. Don't forget to top it off with a strong thesis statement.

Body paragraphs – Depending on the length of your paper, you can have three or more body paragraphs, each focusing on a single idea that supports your argument.

Conclusion – This is the last paragraph of your essay. It summarizes your main points and restates the significance of your thesis in light of the evidence presented. Here, don't make the mistake of simply regurgitating your intro in this section. Make it unique and concise.

5. Write the paper
While this is an important stage in your essay writing process, its success is highly dependent on the preliminary work done, i.e., researching and outlining. Create your first draft using the resources you've gathered, making sure to capture the readers' attention in the introduction. Traditionally, most teachers insist on a hook—an interesting fact, quote, or question—to engage readers, but it's all up to you!

Move to the body paragraphs and ensure that they're factual, relevant, and with leading sentences that set their tone and contexts. Most importantly, don't forget to support all your claims with credible and updated evidence. Ensure that your in-text citations adhere to the referencing style chosen, e.g. APA, MLA, Harvard, etc.

6. Revise and edit
Even with decades of writing experience, mistakes remain an inherent part of the process. Whether yours is a short or long essay, the probability of having typos, grammar, and structural mistakes is always high. This is where editing and revision comes in. Use your first draft as a stepping stone to a more solid paper. You can achieve this objective in three ways.

In the first phase, focus on content review where you check out if each point in your paper supports your thesis and that all arguments are well-developed. In the second phase, check out for clarity and cohesion. Is there a logical flow between your paragraphs? Lastly, you can use grammar checkers to proofread the work for potential grammatical errors.

7. Submit on time
Writing a perfect history essay isn't enough if you can't beat the deadline. Students have failed classes for missing the submission timeline by minutes. Don't be a victim. Plan ahead of time and complete your essay with hours, if not days, to spare.

Focus on facts for a winning history essay!

Writing a history essay paper can be demanding, especially for young learners. However, as discussed in the article, you can get around it with a few tricks. For example, you must plan well, do thorough research, and be organized. However, no matter what you do, ensure that your claims are factual and supported by solid, relevant, and updated sources. Every great history paper begins with curiosity about the past. Harness it to create something truly remarkable!

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