A Writing Guide
Thesis statements are part of all good academic writing. This guide focuses on history topics. For more on thesis statements and other writing style tricks, browse this playlist. We highly recommend watching the Argumentative Thesis video as a companion to this guide:
In some history courses, you will be asked to create a research question. Once you have conducted research and found information to answer the question, you will create a thesis statement. It is important to create this thesis from research rather than finding evidence to support a thesis.
Let’s move through three example thesis statements covering the American Revolutionary War and analyze them:
Thesis Example 1
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest by the Sons of Liberty.
This thesis statement needs improvement because it is a fact rather than a position. While it has a topic, it does not provide a direction for the paper. It answers the question “Was the Boston Tea Party a political protest?” A yes/no question creates an answer that is too simple to be a thesis statement.
Thesis Example 2
The United States became its own nation in 1776 because of the Boston Tea Party.
This thesis statement is better than the first because it has a clear position that can be debated It also states a direction and a cause-and-effect relationship—The Boston Tea Party caused the U.S. to become its own nation. However, it does not clearly indicate how or why this direction will be taken. The question answered here is too broad, covering not only a large period of time, but also a large scope of information that would have to be covered in the essay.
Thesis Example 3
The events of the Boston Tea Party helped encourage the beginning of the American Revolution by creating a public face of colonial discontent and establishing a pattern of rebellious activities by those opposed to the British Empire.
This thesis is strong because it provides a topic, a direction, and indicates how or why that direction will be taken. The reader will be able to see that this paper will show the connection between the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution, with specifics as to what some of the key points of the essay might be.
Here’s a good “formula” to remember when building a thesis:
A (our assertion) + B (our key points) = C (our thesis statement)
This thesis example has our assertion: The Boston Tea Party led to the American Revolution and our key points: colonial discontent and rebellious activities; to create a full thesis statement.
A written piece’s thesis is incredibly important, and it serves as a focus to keep you on track. If you find yourself stuck while writing, check on your thesis: is it specific, debatable, and clear? Browse our other guides on thesis or book coaching, tutoring, or a workshop to learn more.
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