Crafting Your Historical Argument

What is a Historical Argument?

Historical arguments state the central point or focus of your project. Historians create historical arguments after carefully analyzing evidence from the past. The evidence that supports your argument will come from the primary and secondary sources that you discover during your research. Your argument should reflect your analysis of the historical evidence that you gathered. Your historical argument must make a meaningful connection to the theme and show why your topic is significant in history. It must be incorporated into your project and be clear to those who read or view it.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement is a specific statement to the reader or viewer of your project about what you will be trying to argue. Your thesis can be a few sentences long. All projects, no matter which category, should have a thesis statement. Here are some suggestions for placement by category:

• Historical Papers - Your thesis is typically found in your introductory first paragraph.

• Exhibits - You want to make sure you place your thesis front and center for the viewer. On a traditional tri-fold exhibit, this is typically at the top of the center panel.

• Websites - Depending on your website's layout, you typically want to place your thesis on the homepage or the first page the reader will encounter after the homepage.

• Performances and Documentaries - Even though you may not have a written thesis in your project, it is still crucial to present the viewer with a thesis statement. A narrator can introduce at the start it in either category. Or, in a performance, it can also fall in the opening lines of a character.

The thesis statement helps you determine your focus and clarify your ideas. It can (and should) be revised as you further refine your evidence and arguments. New evidence often requires you to change your thesis. It helps give your project a unified structure and point. For the reader or viewer of your project, it serves as a "map" to your project and keeps them focused on your argument.

Going Beyond Narrative and Descriptive Writing

When you are writing your History Day project’s content, it is crucial to go beyond just narrating and describing what happened. Narrative or descriptive writing merely communicates the “who, what, when, and where” of your topic. In other words, it only tells the basic facts and doesn’t consider anything beyond that. On the other hand, analytical writing communicates the “so what?”, why, and how by providing the historical context and historical significance or impact of your topic.

Though you may need to include some descriptive writing to introduce your topic’s history, it is essential to provide analysis throughout the project as well. So whether you are writing a script for your performance or documentary’s narration or writing the text for your paper, website, or exhibit, be sure to go beyond just stating the facts. Take a look at the chart below to see the different key points between narrative and analytical writing.

Quick Tip Videos to Assist with Creating Your Historical Argument

To create a strong historical argument, you need to be sure to establish historical context, find your "student voice," present multiple perspectives or viewpoints, and demonstrate historical significance. Check out the videos below to learn about each!