- Written Essays
How to write source-based history essays
The biggest assessment task you will be required to complete is a written research essay which develops an argument and uses a range of sources.
All types of assessment tasks will need you to use essay-writing skills in some form, but their fundamental structure and purpose remains the same.
Therefore, learning how to write essays well is central to achieving high marks in History.
What is an 'essay'?
A History essay is a structured argument that provides historical evidence to substantiate its points.
To achieve the correct structure for your argument, it is crucial to understand the separate parts that make up a written essay.
If you understand how each part works and fits into the overall essay, you are well on the way to creating a great assessment piece.
Most essays will require you to write:
- 1 Introduction Paragraph
- 3 Body Paragraphs
- 1 Concluding Paragraph
Explanations for how to structure and write each of these paragraphs can be found below, along with examples of each:
Essay paragraph writing advice
How to write an Introductory Paragraph
This page explains the purpose of an introduction, how to structure one and provides examples for you to read.
How to write Body Paragraphs
This page explains the purpose of body paragraphs, how to structure them and provides examples for you to read.
How to write a Conclusion
This page explains the purpose of conclusions, how to structure them and provides examples for you to read.
More essay resources
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A History essay is a structured argument that provides historical evidence to substantiate its points. To achieve the correct structure for your argument, it is crucial to understand the separate parts that make up a written essay.
3 Sources for Historical Analysis Whatever the assignment, all historical writing depends on sources. Once scholars have located a topic and formulated a set of historical questions, they turn to sources to begin answering them. Sources essentially come in two varieties: sPrimary sources are materials produced in the time
History (from the Greek ἱστορία, meaning 'a learning or knowing by inquiry') can be broadly taken to indicate the past in general but is usually defined as the study of the past from the point at which there were written sources onwards.
Historiography and Historical Methods (History 394), you study the secondary sources; in Research and Writing, you craft an interpretation predominantly drawing upon primary sources.
Good historical writers carefully evaluate and interpret their sources; they link causes and effects; they assign significance to actors, ideas, and events; and they weigh competing explanations for all of these. The analysis in your history essays can take a number of forms.
History & Literature emphasizes primary source texts such as novels, films, songs, monuments, speeches, poems, archival documents, and other first-hand or original works.
Writing a history paper is your opportunity to do the real work of historians, to roll up your sleeves and dig deep into the past. What is a History paper? History papers are driven by arguments. In a history class, even if you are not writing a paper based on outside research, you are still writing a paper that requires some form of argument.
Whatever the assignment, all historical writing depends on sources. Once scholars have located a topic and formulated a set of historical questions, they turn to sources to begin answering them. Sources essentially come in two varieties: • Primary sources are materials produced in the time period under study; they reflect the
What is a history paper? History papers are driven by arguments. In a history class, even if you are not writing a paper based on outside research, you are still writing a paper that requires some form of argument.
Writing a history essay. An essay is a piece of sustained writing in response to a question, topic or issue. Essays are commonly used for assessing and evaluating student progress in history. History essays test a range of skills including historical understanding, interpretation and analysis, planning, research and writing.