thesis statement examples civil war

Thesis Statements

What is a thesis statement.

Your thesis statement is one of the most important parts of your paper.  It expresses your main argument succinctly and explains why your argument is historically significant.  Think of your thesis as a promise you make to your reader about what your paper will argue.  Then, spend the rest of your paper–each body paragraph–fulfilling that promise.

Your thesis should be between one and three sentences long and is placed at the end of your introduction.  Just because the thesis comes towards the beginning of your paper does not mean you can write it first and then forget about it.  View your thesis as a work in progress while you write your paper.  Once you are satisfied with the overall argument your paper makes, go back to your thesis and see if it captures what you have argued.  If it does not, then revise it.  Crafting a good thesis is one of the most challenging parts of the writing process, so do not expect to perfect it on the first few tries.  Successful writers revise their thesis statements again and again.

A successful thesis statement:

• makes an historical argument
• takes a position that requires defending
• is historically specific
• is focused and precise
• answers the question, “so what?”

How to write a thesis statement:

Suppose you are taking an early American history class and your professor has distributed the following essay prompt:

“Historians have debated the American Revolution’s effect on women.  Some argue that the Revolution had a positive effect because it increased women’s authority in the family.  Others argue that it had a negative effect because it excluded women from politics.  Still others argue that the Revolution changed very little for women, as they remained ensconced in the home.  Write a paper in which you pose your own answer to the question of whether the American Revolution had a positive, negative, or limited effect on women.”

Using this prompt, we will look at both weak and strong thesis statements to see how successful thesis statements work.

While this thesis does take a position, it is problematic because it simply restates the prompt.  It needs to be more specific about how  the Revolution had a limited effect on women and  why it mattered that women remained in the home.

Revised Thesis:  The Revolution wrought little political change in the lives of women because they did not gain the right to vote or run for office.  Instead, women remained firmly in the home, just as they had before the war, making their day-to-day lives look much the same.

This revision is an improvement over the first attempt because it states what standards the writer is using to measure change (the right to vote and run for office) and it shows why women remaining in the home serves as evidence of limited change (because their day-to-day lives looked the same before and after the war).  However, it still relies too heavily on the information given in the prompt, simply saying that women remained in the home.  It needs to make an argument about some element of the war’s limited effect on women.  This thesis requires further revision.

Strong Thesis: While the Revolution presented women unprecedented opportunities to participate in protest movements and manage their family’s farms and businesses, it ultimately did not offer lasting political change, excluding women from the right to vote and serve in office.

Few would argue with the idea that war brings upheaval.  Your thesis needs to be debatable:  it needs to make a claim against which someone could argue.  Your job throughout the paper is to provide evidence in support of your own case.  Here is a revised version:

Strong Thesis: The Revolution caused particular upheaval in the lives of women.  With men away at war, women took on full responsibility for running households, farms, and businesses.  As a result of their increased involvement during the war, many women were reluctant to give up their new-found responsibilities after the fighting ended.

Sexism is a vague word that can mean different things in different times and places.  In order to answer the question and make a compelling argument, this thesis needs to explain exactly what  attitudes toward women were in early America, and  how those attitudes negatively affected women in the Revolutionary period.

Strong Thesis: The Revolution had a negative impact on women because of the belief that women lacked the rational faculties of men. In a nation that was to be guided by reasonable republican citizens, women were imagined to have no place in politics and were thus firmly relegated to the home.

This thesis addresses too large of a topic for an undergraduate paper.  The terms “social,” “political,” and “economic” are too broad and vague for the writer to analyze them thoroughly in a limited number of pages.  The thesis might focus on one of those concepts, or it might narrow the emphasis to some specific features of social, political, and economic change.

Strong Thesis: The Revolution paved the way for important political changes for women.  As “Republican Mothers,” women contributed to the polity by raising future citizens and nurturing virtuous husbands.  Consequently, women played a far more important role in the new nation’s politics than they had under British rule.

This thesis is off to a strong start, but it needs to go one step further by telling the reader why changes in these three areas mattered.  How did the lives of women improve because of developments in education, law, and economics?  What were women able to do with these advantages?  Obviously the rest of the paper will answer these questions, but the thesis statement needs to give some indication of why these particular changes mattered.

Strong Thesis: The Revolution had a positive impact on women because it ushered in improvements in female education, legal standing, and economic opportunity.  Progress in these three areas gave women the tools they needed to carve out lives beyond the home, laying the foundation for the cohesive feminist movement that would emerge in the mid-nineteenth century.

Thesis Checklist

When revising your thesis, check it against the following guidelines:

• Does my thesis make an historical argument?
• Does my thesis take a position that requires defending?
• Is my thesis historically specific?
• Is my thesis focused and precise?
• Does my thesis answer the question, “so what?”

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Letters About the Civil War

Source:  Letters About the Civil War retrieved 4/3/2012 from http://www.civilwarhome.com/letters.htm

What makes a good thesis statement?

The Thesis Statement

A thesis statement identifies a specific part of your writing topic.  The statement declares your unique perspective on the topic.  It gives you the necessary focus and direction to develop your essay.  As your ideas evolve, you may find it necessary to revise your thesis once or twice.  The following informtion will help you write clear, effective thesis statements.

A thesis statement:

• is usually a single sentence and appears in the opening part of an essay
• may be based on a feature of the topic or on a particular stand that you want to defend

The Process

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Research Project Ideas

54th Massachusetts Regiment

Abolitionists

Abraham Lincoln

African Americans in the war

Andersonville Prison

Appomattox Court House

Battle of Shiloh

Battle of the Wilderness

Causes of death in the Civil War

Civil War foods

Civil War weapons

Clara Barton

Emancipation Proclamation

Frederick Douglass

George McClellan

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Harriet Tubman

Jefferson Davis

John Wilkes Booth

Medical Personnel of the Civil War

Medical Practices during the Civil War

Navy's role

Railroads in the war

Robert E. Lee

Rose Greenhow

Slavery in America

Sojourner Truth

Southern plantation life & buying slaves

Stonewall Jackson

Transportation during the Civil War

Ulysses S. Grant

Underground Railroad

William Tecumseh Sherman

Women in the war

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American Civil War - List of Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

The American Civil War, waged from 1861 to 1865, was a seminal event in the United States’ history that stemmed from long-standing regional differences and disputes over slavery. Essays could delve into the political, economic, and social factors that led to the conflict, exploring the disputes between the North and the South regarding states’ rights, slavery, and economic policies. The discourse might extend to the significant battles, military strategies, and the leadership on both sides of the conflict. Discussions could also focus on the Emancipation Proclamation and its implications on the war and the broader struggle for civil rights. Moreover, essays could explore the reconstruction era that followed the war, examining the efforts to reunite the nation, address the legacies of slavery, and establish civil rights for freed slaves. The enduring impact of the American Civil War on the national identity, racial relations, and historical narrative could provide a captivating exploration of this pivotal period in American history. A vast selection of complimentary essay illustrations pertaining to American Civil War you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

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Module 4: Imperial Reforms and Colonial Protests (1763-1774)

Historical thesis statements, learning objectives.

• Recognize and create high-quality historical thesis statements

Some consider all writing a form of argument—or at least of persuasion. After all, even if you’re writing a letter or an informative essay, you’re implicitly trying to persuade your audience to care about what you’re saying. Your thesis statement represents the main idea—or point—about a topic or issue that you make in an argument. For example, let’s say that your topic is social media. A thesis statement about social media could look like one of the following sentences:

• Social media are hurting the communication skills of young Americans.
• Social media are useful tools for social movements.

A basic thesis sentence has two main parts: a claim  and support for that claim.

• The Immigration Act of 1965 effectively restructured the United States’ immigration policies in such a way that no group, minority or majority, was singled out by being discriminated against or given preferential treatment in terms of its ability to immigrate to America.

Identifying the Thesis Statement

A thesis consists of a specific topic and an angle on the topic. All of the other ideas in the text support and develop the thesis. The thesis statement is often found in the introduction, sometimes after an initial “hook” or interesting story; sometimes, however, the thesis is not explicitly stated until the end of an essay, and sometimes it is not stated at all. In those instances, there is an implied thesis statement. You can generally extract the thesis statement by looking for a few key sentences and ideas.

Most readers expect to see the point of your argument (the thesis statement) within the first few paragraphs. This does not mean that it has to be placed there every time. Some writers place it at the very end, slowly building up to it throughout their work, to explain a point after the fact. For history essays, most professors will expect to see a clearly discernible thesis sentence in the introduction. Note that many history papers also include a topic sentence, which clearly state what the paper is about

Thesis statements vary based on the rhetorical strategy of the essay, but thesis statements typically share the following characteristics:

• Presents the main idea
• Most often is one sentence
• Tells the reader what to expect
• Is a summary of the essay topic
• Usually worded to have an argumentative edge
• Written in the third person

This video explains thesis statements and gives a few clear examples of how a good thesis should both make a claim and forecast specific ways that the essay will support that claim.

You can view the  transcript for “Thesis Statement – Writing Tutorials, US History, Dr. Robert Scafe” here (opens in new window) .

Writing a Thesis Statement

A good basic structure for a thesis statement is “they say, I say.” What is the prevailing view, and how does your position differ from it? However, avoid limiting the scope of your writing with an either/or thesis under the assumption that your view must be strictly contrary to their view.

Following are some typical thesis statements:

• Although many readers believe Romeo and Juliet to be a tale about the ill fate of two star-crossed lovers, it can also be read as an allegory concerning a playwright and his audience.
• The “War on Drugs” has not only failed to reduce the frequency of drug-related crimes in America but actually enhanced the popular image of dope peddlers by romanticizing them as desperate rebels fighting for a cause.
• The bulk of modern copyright law was conceived in the age of commercial printing, long before the Internet made it so easy for the public to compose and distribute its own texts. Therefore, these laws should be reviewed and revised to better accommodate modern readers and writers.
• The usual moral justification for capital punishment is that it deters crime by frightening would-be criminals. However, the statistics tell a different story.
• If students really want to improve their writing, they must read often, practice writing, and receive quality feedback from their peers.
• Plato’s dialectical method has much to offer those engaged in online writing, which is far more conversational in nature than print.

Thesis Problems to Avoid

Although you have creative control over your thesis sentence, you still should try to avoid the following problems, not for stylistic reasons, but because they indicate a problem in the thinking that underlies the thesis sentence.

• Hospice workers need support. This is a thesis sentence; it has a topic (hospice workers) and an argument (need support). But the argument is very broad. When the argument in a thesis sentence is too broad, the writer may not have carefully thought through the specific support for the rest of the writing. A thesis argument that’s too broad makes it easy to fall into the trap of offering information that deviates from that argument.
• Hospice workers have a 55% turnover rate compared to the general health care population’s 25% turnover rate.  This sentence really isn’t a thesis sentence at all, because there’s no argument to support it. A narrow statistic, or a narrow statement of fact, doesn’t offer the writer’s own ideas or analysis about a topic.

Let’s see some examples of potential theses related to the following prompt:

• Bad thesis : The relationship between the American colonists and the British government changed after the French & Indian War.
• Better thesis : The relationship between the American colonists and the British government was strained following the Revolutionary war.
• Best thesis : Due to the heavy debt acquired by the British government during the French & Indian War, the British government increased efforts to tax the colonists, causing American opposition and resistance that strained the relationship between the colonists and the crown.

Practice identifying strong thesis statements in the following interactive.

Supporting Evidence for Thesis Statements

A thesis statement doesn’t mean much without supporting evidence. Oftentimes in a history class, you’ll be expected to defend your thesis, or your argument, using primary source documents. Sometimes these documents are provided to you, and sometimes you’ll need to go find evidence on your own. When the documents are provided for you and you are asked to answer questions about them, it is called a document-based question, or DBQ. You can think of a DBQ like a miniature research paper, where the research has been done for you. DBQs are often used on standardized tests, like this DBQ from the 2004 U.S. History AP exam , which asked students about the altered political, economic, and ideological relations between Britain and the colonies because of the French & Indian War. In this question, students were given 8 documents (A through H) and expected to use these documents to defend and support their argument. For example, here is a possible thesis statement for this essay:

• The French & Indian War altered the political, economic, and ideological relations between the colonists and the British government because it changed the nature of British rule over the colonies, sowed the seeds of discontent, and led to increased taxation from the British.

Now, to defend this thesis statement, you would add evidence from the documents. The thesis statement can also help structure your argument. With the thesis statement above, we could expect the essay to follow this general outline:

• Introduction—introduce how the French and Indian War altered political, economic, and ideological relations between the colonists and the British
• Show the changing map from Doc A and greater administrative responsibility and increased westward expansion
• Discuss Doc B, frustrations from the Iroquois Confederacy and encroachment onto Native lands
• Could also mention Doc F and the result in greater administrative costs
• Use Doc D and explain how a colonial soldier notices disparities between how they are treated when compared to the British
• Use General Washington’s sentiments in Doc C to discuss how these attitudes of reverence shifted after the war. Could mention how the war created leadership opportunities and gave military experience to colonists.
• Use Doc E to highlight how the sermon showed optimism about Britain ruling the colonies after the war
• Highlight some of the political, economic, and ideological differences related to increased taxation caused by the War
• Use Doc F, the British Order in Council Statement, to indicate the need for more funding to pay for the cost of war
• Explain Doc G, frustration from Benjamin Franklin about the Stamp Act and efforts to repeal it
• Use Doc H, the newspaper masthead saying “farewell to liberty”, to highlight the change in sentiments and colonial anger over the Stamp Act

As an example, to argue that the French & Indian War sowed the seeds of discontent, you could mention Document D, from a Massachusetts soldier diary, who wrote, “And we, being here within stone walls, are not likely to get liquors or clothes at this time of the year; and though we be Englishmen born, we are debarred [denied] Englishmen’s liberty.” This shows how colonists began to see their identity as Americans as distinct from those from the British mainland.

Remember, a strong thesis statement is one that supports the argument of your writing. It should have a clear purpose and objective, and although you may revise it as you write, it’s a good idea to start with a strong thesis statement the give your essay direction and organization. You can check the quality of your thesis statement by answering the following questions:

• If a specific prompt was provided, does the thesis statement answer the question prompt?
• Does the thesis statement make sense?
• Is the thesis statement historically accurate?
• Does the thesis statement provide clear and cohesive reasoning?
• Is the thesis supportable by evidence?

thesis statement : a statement of the topic of the piece of writing and the angle the writer has on that topic

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Home — Essay Samples — War — American Civil War

Essays on American Civil War

This pivotal event in American history is a goldmine for essay topics, offering a wealth of material to explore and analyze, whether you're a history buff or just looking to boost your grades, writing an essay about the American Civil War is a great way to sharpen your research and writing skills.

Choosing a topic for your American Civil War essay

The possibilities are endless. You could explore the causes and effects of the war, analyze the different perspectives of key figures, or even delve into the impact of the war on American society. Whichever topic you choose, make sure it's something you're passionate about and eager to learn more about.

Argumentative essay topics

If you're considering writing an argumentative essay about the American Civil War, you'll need to take a clear stance on a specific aspect of the war and provide evidence to support your position. Some potential topics for an argumentative essay could include the role of slavery in causing the war, the impact of key battles, or the significance of key figures in the war.

Cause and effect essay topics

For a cause and effect essay, you'll need to examine the reasons behind the war and the consequences that followed. Potential topics could include the economic, social, and political factors that led to the war, as well as the long-term effects on American society and culture.

Opinion essay topics

If you're more interested in expressing your personal opinions and beliefs, an opinion essay on the American Civil War could be the perfect fit. You could explore the moral implications of the war, the legacy of key figures, or the relevance of the war to modern American society.

Informative essay topics

For an informative essay, you'll need to present a comprehensive overview of a specific aspect of the American Civil War. Potential topics could include key events and battles, the impact of the war on different regions, or the experiences of soldiers and civilians.

Examples to inspire your own writing

For a thesis statement, you could consider topics such as "The role of slavery in causing the American Civil War" or "The impact of key battles on the outcome of the war."

In your , you could set the stage for your essay by providing historical context, defining key terms, and outlining the main points you'll be discussing. For example, you could start with a powerful quote from a key figure or a gripping description of a pivotal battle.

When it comes to wrapping up your essay, your should reiterate your main points and leave the reader with a thought-provoking final statement. You could reflect on the broader significance of the war, call for further research, or challenge the reader to consider the implications of your findings.

With these examples in mind, you're well on your way to crafting a captivating and insightful essay about the American Civil War. So grab your pen and paper, and get ready to bring history to life through your writing!

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Developing a Thesis Statement

Many papers you write require developing a thesis statement. In this section you’ll learn what a thesis statement is and how to write one.

Keep in mind that not all papers require thesis statements . If in doubt, please consult your instructor for assistance.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement . . .

• Makes an argumentative assertion about a topic; it states the conclusions that you have reached about your topic.
• Makes a promise to the reader about the scope, purpose, and direction of your paper.
• Is focused and specific enough to be “proven” within the boundaries of your paper.
• Is generally located near the end of the introduction ; sometimes, in a long paper, the thesis will be expressed in several sentences or in an entire paragraph.
• Identifies the relationships between the pieces of evidence that you are using to support your argument.

Not all papers require thesis statements! Ask your instructor if you’re in doubt whether you need one.

Identify a topic

Your topic is the subject about which you will write. Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic; or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper.

Consider what your assignment asks you to do

Inform yourself about your topic, focus on one aspect of your topic, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts, generate a topic from an assignment.

Below are some possible topics based on sample assignments.

Sample assignment 1

Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II.

Identified topic

Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis

This topic avoids generalities such as “Spain” and “World War II,” addressing instead on Franco’s role (a specific aspect of “Spain”) and the diplomatic relations between the Allies and Axis (a specific aspect of World War II).

Sample assignment 2

Analyze one of Homer’s epic similes in the Iliad.

The relationship between the portrayal of warfare and the epic simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64.

This topic focuses on a single simile and relates it to a single aspect of the Iliad ( warfare being a major theme in that work).

Developing a Thesis Statement–Additional information

Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic, or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper. You’ll want to read your assignment carefully, looking for key terms that you can use to focus your topic.

Sample assignment: Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II Key terms: analyze, Spain’s neutrality, World War II

After you’ve identified the key words in your topic, the next step is to read about them in several sources, or generate as much information as possible through an analysis of your topic. Obviously, the more material or knowledge you have, the more possibilities will be available for a strong argument. For the sample assignment above, you’ll want to look at books and articles on World War II in general, and Spain’s neutrality in particular.

As you consider your options, you must decide to focus on one aspect of your topic. This means that you cannot include everything you’ve learned about your topic, nor should you go off in several directions. If you end up covering too many different aspects of a topic, your paper will sprawl and be unconvincing in its argument, and it most likely will not fulfull the assignment requirements.

For the sample assignment above, both Spain’s neutrality and World War II are topics far too broad to explore in a paper. You may instead decide to focus on Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis , which narrows down what aspects of Spain’s neutrality and World War II you want to discuss, as well as establishes a specific link between those two aspects.

Before you go too far, however, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts. Try to avoid topics that already have too much written about them (i.e., “eating disorders and body image among adolescent women”) or that simply are not important (i.e. “why I like ice cream”). These topics may lead to a thesis that is either dry fact or a weird claim that cannot be supported. A good thesis falls somewhere between the two extremes. To arrive at this point, ask yourself what is new, interesting, contestable, or controversial about your topic.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times . Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Derive a main point from topic

Once you have a topic, you will have to decide what the main point of your paper will be. This point, the “controlling idea,” becomes the core of your argument (thesis statement) and it is the unifying idea to which you will relate all your sub-theses. You can then turn this “controlling idea” into a purpose statement about what you intend to do in your paper.

Look for patterns in your evidence

Compose a purpose statement.

Consult the examples below for suggestions on how to look for patterns in your evidence and construct a purpose statement.

• Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis
• Franco turned to the Allies when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from the Axis

Possible conclusion:

Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: Franco’s desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power.

Purpose statement

This paper will analyze Franco’s diplomacy during World War II to see how it contributed to Spain’s neutrality.

• The simile compares Simoisius to a tree, which is a peaceful, natural image.
• The tree in the simile is chopped down to make wheels for a chariot, which is an object used in warfare.

At first, the simile seems to take the reader away from the world of warfare, but we end up back in that world by the end.

This paper will analyze the way the simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64 moves in and out of the world of warfare.

Derive purpose statement from topic

To find out what your “controlling idea” is, you have to examine and evaluate your evidence . As you consider your evidence, you may notice patterns emerging, data repeated in more than one source, or facts that favor one view more than another. These patterns or data may then lead you to some conclusions about your topic and suggest that you can successfully argue for one idea better than another.

For instance, you might find out that Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis, but when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from them, he turned to the Allies. As you read more about Franco’s decisions, you may conclude that Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: his desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power. Based on this conclusion, you can then write a trial thesis statement to help you decide what material belongs in your paper.

Sometimes you won’t be able to find a focus or identify your “spin” or specific argument immediately. Like some writers, you might begin with a purpose statement just to get yourself going. A purpose statement is one or more sentences that announce your topic and indicate the structure of the paper but do not state the conclusions you have drawn . Thus, you might begin with something like this:

• This paper will look at modern language to see if it reflects male dominance or female oppression.
• I plan to analyze anger and derision in offensive language to see if they represent a challenge of society’s authority.

At some point, you can turn a purpose statement into a thesis statement. As you think and write about your topic, you can restrict, clarify, and refine your argument, crafting your thesis statement to reflect your thinking.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Compose a draft thesis statement

If you are writing a paper that will have an argumentative thesis and are having trouble getting started, the techniques in the table below may help you develop a temporary or “working” thesis statement.

Begin with a purpose statement that you will later turn into a thesis statement.

Assignment: Discuss the history of the Reform Party and explain its influence on the 1990 presidential and Congressional election.

Purpose Statement: This paper briefly sketches the history of the grassroots, conservative, Perot-led Reform Party and analyzes how it influenced the economic and social ideologies of the two mainstream parties.

Question-to-Assertion

If your assignment asks a specific question(s), turn the question(s) into an assertion and give reasons why it is true or reasons for your opinion.

Assignment : What do Aylmer and Rappaccini have to be proud of? Why aren’t they satisfied with these things? How does pride, as demonstrated in “The Birthmark” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” lead to unexpected problems?

Beginning thesis statement: Alymer and Rappaccinni are proud of their great knowledge; however, they are also very greedy and are driven to use their knowledge to alter some aspect of nature as a test of their ability. Evil results when they try to “play God.”

Write a sentence that summarizes the main idea of the essay you plan to write.

Main idea: The reason some toys succeed in the market is that they appeal to the consumers’ sense of the ridiculous and their basic desire to laugh at themselves.

Make a list of the ideas that you want to include; consider the ideas and try to group them.

• nature = peaceful
• war matériel = violent (competes with 1?)
• need for time and space to mourn the dead
• war is inescapable (competes with 3?)

Use a formula to arrive at a working thesis statement (you will revise this later).

• although most readers of _______ have argued that _______, closer examination shows that _______.
• _______ uses _______ and _____ to prove that ________.
• phenomenon x is a result of the combination of __________, __________, and _________.

What to keep in mind as you draft an initial thesis statement

Beginning statements obtained through the methods illustrated above can serve as a framework for planning or drafting your paper, but remember they’re not yet the specific, argumentative thesis you want for the final version of your paper. In fact, in its first stages, a thesis statement usually is ill-formed or rough and serves only as a planning tool.

As you write, you may discover evidence that does not fit your temporary or “working” thesis. Or you may reach deeper insights about your topic as you do more research, and you will find that your thesis statement has to be more complicated to match the evidence that you want to use.

You must be willing to reject or omit some evidence in order to keep your paper cohesive and your reader focused. Or you may have to revise your thesis to match the evidence and insights that you want to discuss. Read your draft carefully, noting the conclusions you have drawn and the major ideas which support or prove those conclusions. These will be the elements of your final thesis statement.

Sometimes you will not be able to identify these elements in your early drafts, but as you consider how your argument is developing and how your evidence supports your main idea, ask yourself, “ What is the main point that I want to prove/discuss? ” and “ How will I convince the reader that this is true? ” When you can answer these questions, then you can begin to refine the thesis statement.

Refine and polish the thesis statement

To get to your final thesis, you’ll need to refine your draft thesis so that it’s specific and arguable.

• Ask if your draft thesis addresses the assignment
• Question each part of your draft thesis
• Clarify vague phrases and assertions
• Investigate alternatives to your draft thesis

Consult the example below for suggestions on how to refine your draft thesis statement.

Sample Assignment

Choose an activity and define it as a symbol of American culture. Your essay should cause the reader to think critically about the society which produces and enjoys that activity.

• Ask The phenomenon of drive-in facilities is an interesting symbol of american culture, and these facilities demonstrate significant characteristics of our society.This statement does not fulfill the assignment because it does not require the reader to think critically about society.

Drive-ins are an interesting symbol of American culture because they represent Americans’ significant creativity and business ingenuity.

Among the types of drive-in facilities familiar during the twentieth century, drive-in movie theaters best represent American creativity, not merely because they were the forerunner of later drive-ins and drive-throughs, but because of their impact on our culture: they changed our relationship to the automobile, changed the way people experienced movies, and changed movie-going into a family activity.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast-food establishments, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize America’s economic ingenuity, they also have affected our personal standards.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast- food restaurants, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize (1) Americans’ business ingenuity, they also have contributed (2) to an increasing homogenization of our culture, (3) a willingness to depersonalize relationships with others, and (4) a tendency to sacrifice quality for convenience.

This statement is now specific and fulfills all parts of the assignment. This version, like any good thesis, is not self-evident; its points, 1-4, will have to be proven with evidence in the body of the paper. The numbers in this statement indicate the order in which the points will be presented. Depending on the length of the paper, there could be one paragraph for each numbered item or there could be blocks of paragraph for even pages for each one.

Complete the final thesis statement

The bottom line.

As you move through the process of crafting a thesis, you’ll need to remember four things:

• Context matters! Think about your course materials and lectures. Try to relate your thesis to the ideas your instructor is discussing.
• As you go through the process described in this section, always keep your assignment in mind . You will be more successful when your thesis (and paper) responds to the assignment than if it argues a semi-related idea.
• Your thesis statement should be precise, focused, and contestable ; it should predict the sub-theses or blocks of information that you will use to prove your argument.
• Make sure that you keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Change your thesis as your paper evolves, because you do not want your thesis to promise more than your paper actually delivers.

In the beginning, the thesis statement was a tool to help you sharpen your focus, limit material and establish the paper’s purpose. When your paper is finished, however, the thesis statement becomes a tool for your reader. It tells the reader what you have learned about your topic and what evidence led you to your conclusion. It keeps the reader on track–well able to understand and appreciate your argument.

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• How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . It usually comes near the end of your introduction .

Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.

You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:

• Start with a question
• Write your initial answer
• Develop your answer
• Refine your thesis statement

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Table of contents

What is a thesis statement, placement of the thesis statement, step 1: start with a question, step 2: write your initial answer, step 3: develop your answer, step 4: refine your thesis statement, types of thesis statements, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis statements.

A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.

The best thesis statements are:

• Concise: A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences.
• Contentious: Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that requires further evidence or analysis to back it up.
• Coherent: Everything mentioned in your thesis statement must be supported and explained in the rest of your paper.

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The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.

You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.

You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?

For example, you might ask:

After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .

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Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.

In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.

The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.

In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.

The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.

A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:

• Why you hold this position
• What they’ll learn from your essay
• The key points of your argument or narrative

The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.

These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.

Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:

• In an argumentative essay , your thesis statement should take a strong position. Your aim in the essay is to convince your reader of this thesis based on evidence and logical reasoning.
• In an expository essay , you’ll aim to explain the facts of a topic or process. Your thesis statement doesn’t have to include a strong opinion in this case, but it should clearly state the central point you want to make, and mention the key elements you’ll explain.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :

• Ask a question about your topic .
• Write your initial answer.
• Develop your answer by including reasons.
• Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.

The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .

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248 Civil War Essay Topics & Examples

In case you’re looking for original Civil War research topics, you are on the right page.

• 📃 7 Tips for Writing Civil War Essay

☝️ 10 Best Civil War Argumentative Essay Topics

🏆 best civil war topic ideas & essay examples, 🥇 most interesting civil war topics to write about, 📑 creative civil war essay topics, 🎓 good civil war research topics, ⭐ simple & easy civil war essay titles, ✍️ civil war essay topics for college, ❓ civil war research questions.

Our team has collected a list of ideas for various assignments and complexity levels. Besides, you will find tips on writing a paper, be it for social studies course or a school project. So, get your Civil War topic to write about, and good luck!

📃 7 Tips for Writing a Civil War Essay

Every student of politics or history has to write a Civil War essay at some point. To make the process easier, we have collected the best tips on nailing the content, research, and structure! Here is how to earn an excellent mark on your paper:

Tip 1: Check the instructions carefully. You would be surprised to know how many students earn a C or less because they missed something in the instructions.

To avoid making this mistake, check all the materials provided by your tutor, including civil war essay topics, titles, and the grading rubric. Highlight the most important parts of the instructions to memorize them better.

Tip 2: Select a particular topic. Obviously, you will be focusing on the Civil War for this assignment. However, to make your paper stand out, try digging deeper and examining a specific aspect of the Civil War that interests you.

Would you be interested to evaluate how slavery impacted the Civil War? Or would you like to examine the causes and effects of this period? Pursuing your interests will aid you in adding more depth to your essay, and your tutor will certainly appreciate the effort!

Tip 3: Browse sample papers on the Civil War. Whether or not you are struggling with the first two tips, this process will be beneficial. There are plenty of resources on the Internet that you could search to find Civil War essay prompts and examples.

Reading those will aid you in defining the focus of your paper and structuring it well. Make sure to note what works well and what doesn’t in each paper you read. This way, you’ll know how to avoid making the same mistakes while writing your essay.

Tip 4: Do extensive research before you start writing. While you may have some basic information about the Civil War in your textbook, your tutor probably expects you to go beyond that and add more details.

In order to do that, you should search online resources or your institution’s library for books and articles about the Civil War. Be creative about your search! Try to examine all possible keywords and their combinations.

For instance, instead of merely typing in “civil war,” consider other search phrases, such as “civil war causes and effects,” “civil war politics,” and more. The more topics you include in your research, the more high-quality resources you will be able to find.

Tip 5: Avoid using unverified sources. While you may find a lot of useful information about the Civil War on various web pages, don’t be tempted to use them in the paper. The information contained in a blogs, non-academic website, or a civil war essay example may be unverified, false, or biased.

Don’t worry, the Internet still has a great selection of reputable articles and publications that you could rely on.

Hence, try limiting your search to peer-review journals, publications by universities, museums, or government entities, and history books. Doing so will help you to show your proficiency in secondary research while also preventing your tutor from taking away the deserved marks.

Tip 6: Structure your essay well. Each paragraph of your essay should have one central idea, and all of your statements should follow in a logical sequence.

For instance, if you are writing a paragraph on the events that led to emancipation proclamation, you should not mention the Great Depression there. Re-read each paragraph after completion to ensure that its content is relevant and there are no gaps.

Tip 7: Cite your sources correctly. Whenever you write down ideas that are not your own, include an in-text citation. Make sure to check the instructions to see which citation format is acceptable with your tutor!

If you are unfamiliar with a particular citation style, you can always search out website for formatting tips and guidelines, as well as for Civil War essay titles.

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• Why the Reconstruction After the Civil War Was a Failure The reconstruction era refers to the period following the civil war whereby the numerous different affiliations in the government intended to find a solution to the socio-economic and political problems imposed by the civil war, […]
• First Fitna: Islamic Civil War Evaluating the situation, it appears that the First Islamic Civil war led to the split in the Muslim religion caused by the effects of the Arbitration Agreement developed after the battle of Siffin.
• Underlying Causes of the Sierra Leone Civil War The unfortunate outcomes of the war, both in numbers and in the reality of the situation, raise the question of what other factors may have further contributed to the war.
• Impacts of English Civil War This was as a result of the growth of the colonies in terms of strength and liberty due to the authority Cromwell and the Puritans had bestowed to them which were against England’s laws3.
• Freedom in Antebellum America: Civil War and Abolishment of Slavery The American Civil War, which led to the abolishment of slavery, was one of the most important events in the history of the United States.
• The Battle of Chickamauga in the American Civil War The topic that is the focus of this paper is the battle of Chickamauga and its influence on the course of the Civil War.
• Yugoslav Wars: Ethnic Conflicts and the Collapse of Power However, the collapse of the Soviet Union meant the end of this era and the start of the post-Cold War period, with its unique peculiarities of the international discourse.
• The Chinese Civil War in the 20th Century The Chinese Civil War was one of the key conflicts in the 20th century and had a lasting impact on the development of the country and the lives of future generations of Chinese.
• The English Civil War: Causes, Costs and Benefits The final stage occurred in 1649 1651 and involved the Rump Legislature and the Royal leadership under King Charles the second.
• Fort Sumter, South Carolina – Civil War The 1812 war spurred the need for construction of a fort to strengthen the United States military along the coast which led to construction of fort Sumter.
• World Cultures: Somali Civil War The Somali National Movement gained control of the north, while in the capital of Mogadishu and most of southern Somalia the United Somali Congress achieved control.
• Was the Civil War Inevitable? The Civil War in the United States continues to attract the interest of many historians who want to discuss the underlying causes of this conflict and its effects.
• American History: The Road to Civil War Though the Civil War occurred in the 19th century, the roadmap to the war began back in the 17th century. In 1807, the United States senate passed a law that led to the abolition of […]
• Civil War Paper: Valley of the Shadow The valley of the shadow explains the history the citizens especially the blacks had to go. The free blacks got involved in farming as this constituted a large part of the valley prosperity and wealth.
• The American Civil War Causes and Outcomes In this deadly war, the Northern States went into battle against the Southern States for the sake of preserving the unity of the Union of States.
• Illustrations After the American Civil War The underlying argument of this paper is that illustrations were used to shape the opinion of the public towards the support of the American civil war.
• Causes of the Civil War: Battle on the Bay The central issue in the Civil War was the question of the spread of slavery. The growing discontent of the southerners and the abolition of slavery in the country prompted them to take extreme measures.
• The Factors That Led to the Outbreak of the Yemeni Civil War Saudi Arabia borders it to the north, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden to the west and south. Terror groups such as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the Islamic State have […]
• The Spanish Civil War in Picasso’s, Siqueiros’, Dali’s Paintings The piece conveys the horrors and losses of the event dead adults and children, a horse in agony as an important symbol in Spain, and the suffering of survivors are present here. In various ways, […]
• The Post-Civil War Era in the Lives of African Americans In the post-Civil War era, African Americans faced significant barriers to homeownership, as they were often denied access to mortgages and other forms of financing.
• The Role of Women in the Civil War However, the Civil War was a major turning point for women, as they were allowed into new professions and helped the front from both sides of the conflict.
• The American Civil War Period The overall worth of all the farms and outbuildings in the South was equivalent to the capital invested in enslaved individuals.
• The Civil War by K. Burns Film Review The Civil War is now considered one of the landmark events in the history of the United States that established the foundation for the country’s principles of equality of opportunity and democracy.
• The American Civil War and Its Main Stages On the other hand, the army of the North was precisely to overthrow the power of the Confederacy, eliminate the system of slavery and seize the territories of the South under the rule of the […]
• Women Who Fought in the American Civil War The generally accepted point of view is the idea of the American Civil War as a war of men. The American Civil War was one of the major armed conflicts in the history of the […]
• Civil War in Shaara’s The Killer Angels and Glory Film 1 The film Glory links the Civil War to slavery, on the other hand, The Killer Angels defines the war as an event to gain control.
• The American Civil War: Pro- & Anti-Slavery Forces The pro-slavery forces argued that slavery was the right thing to do, promoting abolitionists and the anti-slavery forces as terrible villains because they wanted to abolish slavery.
• The Election of 1860: The Final Step to Civil War However, the presidential election of 1860 was the last spark that fuelled the flames of the Civil War. The 1860 election outcome revealed that the opposition had no hope of beating Lincoln and the Republicans […]
• The Life of the US After the Civil War Such ideas were able to change in the future but speaking of the time when the events of the Civil War took place, the economy, tired of the war, was in horrible shape and needed […]
• American Cities and Urbanization After the Civil War American cities’ central development and urbanization occurred in the years after the end of the Civil War. Firstly, the active development of urbanization was caused by the fact that people began to move to cities […]
• African American Soldiers in the Civil War The intensity of the War led to the collisions that led to the enslavement of many black soldiers until President Lincoln had to pass a General Order 233, which barred any threat that would lead […]
• Lincoln’s Views on Ending the Civil War The Emancipation Proclamation brought about by the Civil War led to important milestones in ending slavery in the US. He decided to transform from the extension of slavery to the eradication of the Peculiar Institution.
• The American Civil War’s Causes and Inevitability Using the example of a deceived and suffering enslaved person, the author showed the cowardice, hypocrisy, and lies of the entire system and its defenders in particular.
• Emory Upton in the Battle of Columbus in the Civil War From this point of view it is necessary to conduct a detailed analysis of his strategy, and to identify the reasons for the failure of the most significant battle in the history of the general.
• A Civil War with Former Ethiopian Rulers The aim of this paper is to analyze the reasons and possible ways to end this conflict regarding the concepts of peacemaking and peacebuilding.
• Civil War: Causes, Technology, and Justification The factors that contributed to the war were multi-varied and complex, mostly stemming from the fact that the Southern economy was dependent on agricultural slave labor and thus protested the federal abolition of slavery as […]
• Generals of the American Civil War Ulysses Grant and Robert Lee They made major contributions to the period as military commanders Lee leading the Army of Northern Virginia and Grant commanding various forces in the Western theater and then the Army of the Potomac.
• Stepping Stones to the American Civil War Due to the obvious huge enslavement, Scott and several others were compelled to migrate, and he was transferred to Missouri. Douglas sided with the original founders and their work, claiming that Lincoln was harm to […]
• Kongo’s Fourteen-Year Civil War Two of the threats that are recognized as most important are disease and climate change. Considering the facts mentioned above, it is possible to suggest that humans and their actions are the major underlying issue […]
• Civil War and Horton’s Review It became the bloodiest in history and led to the consolidation of the 13th amendment to the US Constitution and the abolition of slavery.
• American History From Civil War to 20th Century The weakness of the federal government is regarded as the major reason behind the hardships of the nation during the post-war decades.
• Social Aspect in the Attitude Towards the American Civil War The analysis of the American Civil War requires the observation of various views to understand how different scientists regard the causes, progress, and the consequences of the conflict.
• Online Resources on the American Civil War Topic The website mainly publishes information about the American battlegrounds of the Civil War, the Revolutionary War and the 1812 War. Also, the website design is appealing and appears captivating to the reader, and it meets […]
• A Turning Point During the Civil War True to his words, President Lincoln signed the Proclamation of Emancipation on January 1, 1863, which changed the cause of the war in favor of the Union.
• Researching of Civil War Causes In addition, in the modern world, it is challenging to accept that the consequences of the war regarded the death of numerous people.
• The Early Republic and the American Civil War The main reason for the rise of the first parties in the Early Republic was the establishment of the central government by the declaration of the Constitution in 1787.
• The American Civil War: Key Points It was actually a civil war between the states of the United States of America. The republicans had been fighting for the stop of the expansion of slave trade that was in existence in some […]
• Slaves in the Civil War and Free Blacks After It The Compromise of 1850 was a set of five bills the Congress passed to solve political confrontations between the free states and the states promoting slavery.
• Brigadier-General Mosby Monroe Parsons in the Civil War As an experienced army commander who fought in the Mexican-American War, Parsons was given the command of the Sixth Division of the Missouri State Guard. Under the higher command of General Price, Parsons was involved […]
• Effects of the Civil War in Western North Carolina Communities in Appalachian Mountains The political and social life of people inhabiting the western North Carolina communities in Appalachian Mountains was also considerably affected by the Civil War, and this paper focuses at the specific analysis of the Civil […]
• Not Set in Stone: Ethnicity and Civil War Thus, when analyzing civil wars or other conflicts in split ethnic homelands, one should pay careful attention to the dynamics of ethnic identity rather than presume that ethnicity is non-malleable and set in stone.
• American Civil War and Fiji Coups Historically, civil war and revolutions are intertwined with one following the other. However, there are substantial differences.
• States’ Rights as the Main Cause of the Civil War The presentation offers an overview of the main causes of the Civil War of 1861–1865 in America. The war was the main disaster breaking up the successful history of the USA.
• Abolition vs. Equality in the American Civil War The Resolution was signed by Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States who believed the annihilation of slavery and preserving the Union to be the core targets of the war.
• Generals and Technological Advancements in Civil War This makes it paramount to review the approaches to the war of two major war generals such as Gant and McClellan and comment on the use of technology on and off the battlefield.
• The U.S. Medicine During the Civil War: A Response to the Discussion The vast amount of the soldiers who became victims of such a treatment can be visible on the pictures of the exhibition.
• Civil War Effect on Medicine and Public Health Firstly, one should mention that the Civil War reshaped the role of nurses. In conclusion, it is possible to mention that the Civil War has a controversial impact on medicine and public health.
• Horace Greeley’s Significance to the U.S. Civil War Era The purpose of this paper is to describe the biography of Horace Greeley from birth to death and analyze his influence and significance to the U.S.
• Divergences Between North and South as Major Causes of the American Civil War The inequalities in the labor market and in the spread of democracy are some of the initial divergences between the southern and northern states.
• The Main Cause of the Civil War Texas, upon separating, has deemed the notion of abolition to be “the debasing doctrine of the equality of all men, irrespective of race and color a doctrine at war with nature, in opposition to the […]
• “Prelude to the Civil War” by William Freehling: America’s Historic Legacy There is no limit to perfection; therefore, we can hardly stop the historical researches and the search of the essence and the grounds of all the historical events that humanity has been through.
• Slavery, Civil War, and Abolitionist Movement in 1850-1865 They knew they were free only they had to show the colonists that they were aware of that.[1] The slaves were determined and in the unfreed state they still were in rebellion and protested all […]
• Individualism as an Ideal of Civil War in America Most of the Americans believe that James town is the birth place of the distinctive, secular and unique ideals of America that led to America’s freedom and prosperity.
• Soldiers’ Letters From American Civil War Even before the war, the South or the confederates had wanted to secede from the Union or the United States of America.
• The China Civil War: Key Aspects This civil war was mainly a conflict between the nationalists and the communists and led to the formation of the People’s Republic of China.
• Civil War and Reconstruction: War Strategy and Economic Policy The War resulted in the Reconstruction of the whole economic system of the United States with the indispensable condition of slavery abolition.
• How Was the Economy of New York Transformed by the Civil War? The economy in the post-Civil War was favored by the construction of railroads which connected the industrial cities of the northeast and the agricultural areas of the Midwest and the plains.
• Civil Rights in America From the Civil War to 1974 Energized and encouraged by the successes of the civil rights movement, activists worked to reverse the discriminatory laws restricting the influx of darker-skinned peoples into the U.S.
• American Civil War: Brief Retrospective This resulted in the divide between the free territory in the North and the practice of slavery in the South, an issue which the federal authority was unable to resolve hence, creating a boundary between […]
• Culture Shock: Civil War in Bosnia This can b described as the state of emotional, physical and psychological discomfort one undergoes when interacts with new culture as opposed to the old culture which comes about as a result in the change […]
• Civil War and Reconstruction After the Civil War, the country faced problems in the economy, politics, and social sphere but the changes which occurred during the period of Reconstruction alleviated these problems and influenced positively the overall situation in […]
• The Spanish Civil War, Franco vs. Hitler, Juan Pujol, Double Agents The war ended with the conquest of the revolutionaries and the dawning of the authoritarianism led by General Francisco Franco, a fascist.
• American Civil War as a Historical Topic The Southern faction’s worries of relinquishing control of the federal administration to antislavery groups, and the Northern faction’s qualms relating to the power of the slaveholding states of the south in the regime, amplified the […]
• American Civil War Causes Analysis The first position was formulated by David Wilmot who opined that the Congress had the power to abolish slavery leading to the declaration of the Ordinance of 1787, also known as the Wilmot Proviso stating […]
• Civil War and Strategy in Lebanon Egypt was considered to be a powerful supporter of the front which is located on the left wing in the area.
• English Civil War and Glorious Revolution This war led to the introduction of the parliamentary democracy system of governance in England and the abolition of absolute power by the monarch.
• Why Germany and Italy Supported Nationalists During the Spanish Civil War The Republican government won by narrow margins which lead to the emergence of the Spanish Civil war. The war also weakened the power of the countries which were considered to be superpowers.
• The Civil War: The Course of Events and Reasons This paper also hypothesizes that due to the differences and political conflict between the North and the South, the Civil War erupted.
• “Victims: A True Story of the Civil War” by Phillip Shaw Paludan The course of this war and the way it affected the people who suffered from it presents the main concern for the author of the book.
• ”Drawn With the Sword: Reflections on the American Civil War” by McPherson It also deconstructs assumptions made about the battles that took place and the consequences of the war for the United States and the world in general.
• Civil War in USA: The North and the South The differences in the lifestyles and ethics of the North and the South are one of the main reasons for the start of the Civil War.
• The Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939 The main reasons were the reformist and the conservatives. This was the Spanish Confederation of the Autonomous Right.
• The Black Confederate Soldier in the Civil War The free blacks of New Orleans who created a regiment of “Native Guards” for the Louisiana armed force and the Confederate effort late in the war were to employ slaves as soldiers”.
• Civil War Effect on American Industrialization The “Beard-Hacker Thesis” had become the most widely accepted interpretation of the economic impact of the Civil War which believed that the impact of the war on American industrialization was profound.
• Climate Change and the Syrian Civil War Revisited The authors note that the purpose of their paper is to explore the quality of the evidence provided by the supporters of the thesis. Selby et al.note that there is no relationship between climate change […]
• Military Conflicts at the Civil War With regard to the case of humanitarian assistance to the people of Somalia, it is important to consider the factor of the effectiveness of the measures taken in terms of their impact on the domestic […]
• “The Civil War” Documentary: Strengths and Weaknesses Therefore, the attention to detail and the inclusion of a vast variety of documentary items may be considered as the biggest advantage of the movie.
• Civil War in Mississippi. “Free State of Jones” Film He narrates about the deportations of Mexicans from the USA in the first half of the 19th century that was organized to foster Euro-American colonization of the Texas territory. One of the differences between the […]
• General Meigs’ Role in Civil War Often referred to as America’s Quartermaster, Meigs is now considered the epitome of a strategic leader that took upon the logistical challenges that the Union Army faced and refused to give up even during the […]
• American History, the Civil War and Reconstruction In this context, his first inaugural address can be seen as a call for the South to avoid civil war, as opposed to a call upon the North to start one, and the second inaugural […]
• American Civil War Chapter of Deloria’s “This Land” Importantly, the Confederates sustained more attacks on the Union forces of the North, and in July 1861, under the command of General Thomas J.
• Private Security Strategy in the US Since the Civil War Based on the factors provided above, it could be concluded that the modern definition of security and its purposes as defined by the consequences of the Civil War due to the presence of the accumulation […]
• The United States Since the Civil War During the ‘roaring twenties’ people were seeking at least a decent life devoid of war as a way of escaping from the trauma that emanated from the ‘Great War.’ The worst thing to have happened […]
• History of the United States Since the Civil War Basically, the student touched on entirely every aspect that was a thorn in the flesh of Americans: social, economical, and political.
• Cooperative Learning at American Civil War Lesson I will introduce the questions after giving the following short statement, “Having heard some of the causes and consequences of the war, you are required to answer some short questions to determine your current level […]
• Battle of Chancellorsville in American Civil War Although the Confederate Army was outnumbered two to one, General Robert Lee’s ability to devise a simple plan and accept risk by splitting his force to counterattack his opponent’s flank, resulted in the significant defeat […]
• Medicine During the American Civil War The reason why the disease was prevalent among the army was partly because of the lax recruitment processes that admitted underage and overage men into the army. The most common treatment during the Civil War […]
• American Industrialization, Romanticism and Civil War In the article, the Romantic Movement Romantic impulse meant the liberation of the Americans to a point of freedom regarding respect and love.
• Pre-Civil War Antislavery Movement and Debates The first one was the introduction of a newspaper by the name The Liberator that was against any form of servitude.
• Sri Lankan Civil War as 20th-Century’s Inhumanity The 20th century is considered one of the worst centuries in human history in terms of human-made atrocities that resulted in the deaths of millions of people.
• Industrial Revolution Influence on US Civil War Furthermore, both sides, the Union and the Confederacy had to mobilize their economies and engage business in the war due to their dependency on different industries and suppliers.ii The industrial revolution changed warfare by introducing […]
• Reconstruction Era After American Civil War The Reconstruction Era in the US refers to the period after the Union victory in the Civil War when slaves were freed and given the opportunity to change their future.
• Post-Civil War America: Political and Economic Changes The main objective of the act was to eliminate the social and cultural traditions of native residents and make them a part of an established system.
• American People II: Post Civil War Era In most of the wars associated with the United States, it is evident that the ultimate objective has always been to pursue its national interests.
• Civil War in the Film “Gone With the Wind” The American Civil War and Reconstruction era together had a significant impact on the entire history of the USA and a number of major changes that happened in the states of the Old South.
• Industrialization Period After the American Civil War The leadership roles of authority, through the government, took the responsibility of promoting peaceful relationship and mobilization among the Americans. The introduction of the new business opportunities from the traders were affected by the disruption […]
• Industrial Revolution After the Civil War The cause of America’s industrial revolution can be attributed to the creation of the first factories in the country, its westward expansion in the territory, the rise of the railroad industry as well as the […]
• Union Soldiers in the Civil War In this way, it was hoped to assure the popular support of the army, which was consistent with the decentralized nature of the country of the time.
• Reconstruction After the Civil War: Enforcement Acts The analysis of the reactions to the acts adopted throughout the Reconstruction Era helps to reveal the views and societal beliefs that prevailed during that time in the country and complicated the attempts to improve […]
• The Civil War in the History of the USA First of all, one should realize the fact that the representatives of the southern and northern states had different mentalities and perspectives on the way the USA should evolve.
• The American Civil War’ Issues There are a lot of reasons why the North won the Civil War and the South lost. The North had a strong merchant marine fleet and a lot of naval ships that managed to blockade […]
• Post Civil War: The Bay of Pigs Invasion It strengthened the positions of the Castro’s government, as well as the relations between Cuba and the Soviet Union, which eventually led to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
• Poverty as a Cause of the Sudanese Civil War The connection between poverty and conflict has been analyzed in the West African region where “11 of the world’s 25 poorest countries are contained and is currently one of the most unstable regions of the […]
• American Civil War in “Glory” and “Lincoln” Films The movie Glory is a biography drama film reflecting the events during the Civil War between 1861 and 1865, as well as the contribution of the Captain Robert Gould Shaw to the abolition of slavery […]
• American Civil War in the “Glory” Movie Glory is a movie that depicts the story of the very first troop to fight in the Civil War for the Northern America.
• Great Awakening, American Civil War, and Feminism In this regard, the anti-federalists implied that the bill of rights was not added to the original text of the constitution.
• Syrian Civil War and Need for Mediation With this in mind, it is possible to say that the conflict is very tensed as a great number of countries are involved in it.
• Military Technology in the American Civil War During this time, victory largely depended on the size of the army, the effectiveness of the generals to plan and execute ambush, and the morale of the military unit.
• US Army’s Challenges After the American Civil War The problem was caused by the use of contaminated water, poor sanitation at the camps, and general lack of hygiene among the soldiers because of the nature of the battle.
• Battle of Antietam in the American Civil War It emphasized the legitimacy of the Union forces in the country. It meant that the Union forces achieved their primary aim of going to war.
• Reconstruction in the US After the Civil War It was rather hard to implement the Reconstruction, as the Congress and presidents had different views on the situation and saw different ways of reaching the goal.
• American Civil War in “Classmates Divided” This article covers the story of the soldiers before, during and after the war, “the cadets were almost completely dependent on their classmates for companionship, and the friendships they formed would last a lifetime of […]
• Industrialization After the American Civil War Industrialization that occurred in the USA in the 19th-20th centuries changed the face of the country. At the same time, development of business, unfair practices of entrepreneurs and various deadly accidents led to creation of […]
• The Civil War’s Real Causes: McPherson’s View In his essays McPherson studies various views of the causes of the Civil War and namely the role of slavery as one of the reasons of rupture of the armed conflict.
• Syrian Uprisings and Civil War Breaking out in the city of Deraa, the uprising preaching the ideals of nonviolence and social justice and democracy in Syria has evolved to spread across the territory of the country and become an organized […]
• Libya Civil War Since 2011 Until Today Following the ouster of the Tunisian and Egyptian presidents, Libya reported small political revolts in some parts of the country. However, experts believe that France was at the forefront in demanding a forceful intervention of […]
• American Civil War: Factors and Compromises By the end of the eighteenth century, the southern states of the country had already acquired the status of pro-slavery ones.
• The Inner Civil War: The Lost Cause System The Lost Cause was a mechanism that they developed to make sense of the aftermath of the U.S. The Lost Cause grew in the soil of a Southern culture that was steeped in the admixture […]
• American Civil War Issues In the following weeks after the capture, both the Union army and the Union navy worked together, gaining ground upstream till the clash that later would be named the Battle of Shilloh.
• Slavery Arguments and American Civil War On the other hand, Lincoln argued that he was against the act of slavery even though the constitution was in support of the law.
• Industrialisation After the Civil War In other words, industrialisation shaped political and economic aspects in the country, as the country’s leadership was forced to allow some openness in the way public affairs were conducted.
• Syrian Civil War: Origins and Geopolitical Consequences Instead, much attention should be paid to the combination of factors that are related to the political landscape of the country, its religious tensions, economic recession, and geographic peculiarities.
• US Progress in Freedom, Equality and Power Since Civil War When it comes to the pursuit of freedom and ideals of democracy, progress since the Civil War can be seen in the establishment of a sufficiently capable Federal government, efficient judiciary and presidency systems with […]
• American Foreign Policy on Syrian Civil War Further, it is important for business people to understand countries that actively fight cyber-crime in order to predict the success of their investment.
• North Carolina’s Role in the Civil War This research paper focuses on the role that the state of North Carolina played during the Civil War to ensure victory against the adversary. Firstly, North Carolina provided close to 134,000 personnel to help in […]
• Slavery and the Civil War Relationship In the era of the revolution, the black man presence in the American society had become a pivot point in the argument over slavery.
• The Civil War in America The main origin of the civil war in America was the declaration of seven states that had split from the U.
• Modern Civil War in Ukraine
• The Coming Civil War Predict Reasons
• How to End the Syrian Civil War?
• United States History Since the Civil War
• Slavery and the Civil War
• Role of the Woman During the Spanish Civil War
• Causes of Civil War in America
• Effect of Civil War on Economic Growth
• Ethnic Polarization and the Duration of Civil War
• Effect of Civil War on Economic Growth: Evidence From Sudan
• Post-Civil War Reconstruction in the American History
• Bosnia and Herzegovina: Civil War or Religious Conflict and the Role of Women
• Syrian Civil War and Its Possible Ramification on Turkey’s National Security Interests
• How Did Reconstruction Change the United States After the Civil War?
• The U.S. Civil War and Its Aftermath
• Reconstructing the United States After the Civil War
• Religious Ethnic Factions of Syrian Civil War
• “Reconstruction: The Second Civil War, Parts I and II”: Revealing Narratives and Lesser-Known Lives
• The United States in the Aftermath of 1860-1870’s Civil War
• Sierra Leone’s 1991 Civil War
• Civil War and Poverty: “The Bottom Billion” by Paul Collier
• The Main Impacts of the Civil War in the Democratic Republic of Congo
• Blood Diamonds and Financing Civil Wars in West and Central Africa
• Causes of Civil War in the USA
• The Political Aftermath of the Sri Lankan Civil War
• The Civil War and Its Aftermath
• The American Civil War as the Turning Point in American History
• Gone With Wind: The Ideas of the Civil War in the Movie
• The Civil War Dilemmas: Slave-Owner Relations
• The American Civil War: Rules, Chronology and Turning Points
• Racial Injustices and the Cost of Civil War: The African American Perspective
• Ghost of Civil War Past 1850-1859
• American Civil War Strategy and Leadership
• The American Civil War: Causes and Aftermath
• How and Why the Union Was the Civil War
• Civil War in United States
• What Led up to the Civil War and Could It Have Been Prevented?
• Period of Civil War in the American History
• Civil War in America: “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce
• Causes of Civil War
• The Role That the Northern and Southern Women Played in the Civil War
• Liberia: A Country Struggling From the Effects of Civil War
• Racism in America After the Civil War up to 1900
• Why Confederate and Union Soldiers Fought?
• The United States Civil War
• The Most Disastrous Civil Conflict in American History
• The Aftermath of the American Civil War
• Slavery, the Civil War & Reconstruction
• Letters From the Civil War
• Industrialization After the Civil War
• Why Should the United States Intervene in the Syrian Civil War?
• Why Did the English Civil War Begin?
• How Did the 1975 Lebanese Civil War Start?
• How Did the Civil War Affect African Americans?
• Why Did North America Win the Civil War?
• Which Was the Most Important Reason for the Outbreak of the English Civil War?
• What Is the Role of Women During the Civil War?
• What Degree Did Slavery Really Play in the Civil War?
• Why Did the Bolsheviks Win the Russian Civil War?
• Was the Irish Civil War a “Natural” Conclusion to Previous Years Events?
• Could the South Have Won the Civil War?
• Why Did the Communists Win the Chinese Civil War?
• Why Was the Civil War So Long and So Bloody?
• Who Caused the English Civil War?
• Which Ethnicity Factors Can Explain the Escalation of an Ethnic Conflict to a Civil War?
• Why Did the Communists Win the Civil War?
• How Close Did Britain Come to Civil War in 1912-1914?
• How Did the Constitution Set the Precedent for the Civil War?
• What Are the Reasons for the Success of the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil War 1918-1920?
• Was Slavery the Only Cause of the Civil War?
• Why Did the Reds Win the Russian Civil War?
• Why Did Great Britain and France Pursue a Policy of Non-intervention During the Spanish Civil War?
• Who Controlled the Mississippi River During the Civil War?
• Why the American Civil War Lasted for Longer Than 90 Days?
• Can the United States Justify the Civil War?
• Syrian Civil War: Could It Have Been Avoided and How Vast Did the Conflict Become?
• Was the English Civil War a War of Religion?
• Why Did the Union North Win the Civil War?
• The Problems That America Faced During the Reconstruction Period After the Civil War?
• Why Could the South Not Win the Civil War?
• American Revolution Topics
• Cuban Revolution Ideas
• World History Topics
• Rwandan Genocide Research Ideas
• Vietnam War Paper Topics
• Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Research Topics
• International Politics Questions
• French Revolution Paper Topics
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The Causes of the American Civil War: Trends in Historical Interpretation, 1950-1976

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This thesis examines the trends in historical interpretation concerning the coming of the American Civil War. The main body of works examined were written between 1950 and 1976, beginning with Allan Nevins' Ordeal of the Union and concluding with David M. Potter's The Impending Crisis, 1848-1861. It also includes a brief survey of some works written after 1976. The main source for discovering the materials included were the bibliographies of both monographs and general histories published during and after the period 1950-1976. Also, perusal of the contents and book review sections of scholarly journals, in particular the Journal of Southern … continued below

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Tate, Michael Joseph May 1992.

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People and organizations associated with either the creation of this thesis or its content.

• Tate, Michael Joseph
• Hagler, Dorse Harland, 1937- Major professor

Committee Members

• Kobler, J. F. (Jasper Fred), 1928- Minor professor
• Smallwood, J. B.
• Lowe, Richard G.
• University of North Texas Publisher Info: www.unt.edu Place of Publication: Denton, Texas

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Degree Information

• Level: Master's
• Grantor: University of North Texas
• Department: Department of History
• Discipline: American History
• Name: Master of Arts
• PublicationType: Master's Thesis

This thesis examines the trends in historical interpretation concerning the coming of the American Civil War. The main body of works examined were written between 1950 and 1976, beginning with Allan Nevins' Ordeal of the Union and concluding with David M. Potter's The Impending Crisis, 1848-1861. It also includes a brief survey of some works written after 1976. The main source for discovering the materials included were the bibliographies of both monographs and general histories published during and after the period 1950-1976. Also, perusal of the contents and book review sections of scholarly journals, in particular the Journal of Southern History and Civil War History, was helpful in discovering sources and placing works in a time chronology for the thesis narrative.

• American Civil War
• United States history
• historical interpretation

Library of Congress Subject Headings

• United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Causes.
• Thesis or Dissertation

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• Call Number : 379 N81 no. 6915
• Accession or Local Control No : 1002778337-Tate
• UNT Catalog No. : b1762117 | View in Discover
• OCLC : 30656492
• Archival Resource Key : ark:/67531/metadc500242

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• {1861..1865,1950..1976}

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Tate, Michael Joseph. The Causes of the American Civil War: Trends in Historical Interpretation, 1950-1976 , thesis , May 1992; Denton, Texas . ( https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500242/ : accessed July 4, 2024 ), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu ; .

American Civil War

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UT-Tyler Masters Theses in History dealing with Civil War era

These theses are available at the Robert R. Muntz Library: Owens, Jeffrey Alan. “The Civil War in Tensas Parish, Louisiana: A Community History.” 1990. F377.T45 O84 1990. Newsom, James Lynn. “Grand Phalanx of Intrepid Infantry: The Seventh Texas, 1861-1865.” 1993. E580.5 7th .N49 1993. Cowan, Terry. “The Stone Movement and “The Christians in the West” in Texas, 1824-1865.” 1994. BX7316 .C69 1994. McIntyre, Stephanie. “Ties that Bind: Railroads, Sectionalism, and the Civil War.” 2004. HE2751 .M35 2004. Roberson, Bea.  "Domestic Ambivalence:  Elite Southern Women and the Institution of Slavery."  2010. E441 .R63 2010.

The following theses are available online: Harvell, Elle.  " Cope, Cooperate, Combat:  Civilian Responses to Union Occupation in Saline County, Missouri, During the Civil War. "  2012. Hughes, Sharon.  " Isaac Merritt Singer:  A Womanizer who Liberated Women. "  2014.

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Thesis Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:

• tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I create a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :

• Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to  be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.

• Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?

After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.

Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

You begin to analyze your thesis:

• Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.

Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

• Do I answer the question? Yes!
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”

After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.

Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Developing a Thesis Statement

A thesis must be focused (specific and narrow enough for the scope of the assignment) arguable (not commonly accepted, open to debate) researchable (able to be verified or supported by evidence)

An Example Thesis Statement

Topic: World War II

Fancy topic (what might pass for a thesis in high school): World War II caused great economic devastation, affecting millions of people.

THESIS: World War II caused great economic devastation because the war displaced millions of refugees to countries whose post-war economies could not afford to support new citizens.

Notice the "Formula" we have here:

WWII caused economic devastation (assertion/thesis) because WWII (the war) displaced millions of refugees (proof/reason

A THESIS “FORMULA”

1. An assertion (thesis) that is a complete idea answering a question at issue. (CLAIM)

2. A because clause that provides the central reason in support of the assertion. (EVIDENCE)

3. The statement must answer a question at issue in the author's social or academic community. It must address something that the community cares about but does not necessarily agree upon.

4. There should be an unstated assumption behind the thesis. This is the "truth" on which the argument rests. The assumption must be something everyone in the author's audience is likely to agree with as an effective starting point for the argument. In the sample thesis above, the shared assumption might be “Economic devastation is always a result of a refugee crisis.”

5. There should, ideally, be a shared term that appears at the beginning of both the assertion and the because clause. This ensures that there is an obvious logical connection between the two. (The shared term may be implied by use of a pronoun—“it," "they.")

Explain how this thesis statement meets these five criteria of a sound thesis:

After-school jobs are bad for teenagers because they take away study time. After-school jobs are bad for teenagers because they [after-school jobs] take away study time.

1. The assertion is that "after-school jobs are bad for teenagers." (The term "bad" is a bit vague and would probably have to be more specific in a revised thesis.) 2. The reason is "because they take away study time." 3. The assertion has more than one side: Parents, teachers, and students are all likely to have different opinions on the matter, even within the groups.

4. The unstated assumption is that having less study time is bad for teenagers; this is the crux of the argument.

5. There is a shared term: "After-school jobs are bad for teenagers because they (after-school jobs) take away study time."