All the information you need to put together
a great essay that will win over the reader.
The Purpose
Persuade the reader that your answer is
correct.
 Use analytical reasoning supported by facts
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The Goal
Write a literate, organized essay
 Begin with an introduction and a thesis
statement.
 This introduction should clearly announce
your answer and intentions.
 Support the thesis with several paragraphs
of reasoning and factual evidence.
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Essay Format
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Write in complete sentences. Do not use
fragments or run-ons.
Divide thoughts into paragraphs.
Use standard English, not slang terms or
profanity.
Do not use first person (I, my, we, our, etc.)
unless the question demands it.
Write legibly so that the reader can read it.
You may cross out sentences and passages, no
need to erase.
Use proper grammar. Some grammatical
errors will be overlooked, but too many
becomes distracting.
The Reader
The reader is your audience.
 Many are college professors who are
experts in the area of US History.
 The reader knows more than you do about
the subject.
 You are trying to make your essay stand out
from the many other essays that they will
read!
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The Question
Read the question very carefully and
understand all the parts.
 Do what the question says:

 “Compare”-explain how 2 things are alike.
Usually means “compare and contrast”. Explain
similarities and differences.
 Comparison Words- both, each, neither/nor,
either/or, also, and, likewise, yet, is comparable to,
is different from, on the other hand, despite, is
similar to, however, etc.
The Question
Read the question very carefully and
understand all the parts.
 Do what the question says:
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 “Evaluate the importance”-explain how multiple
things were important. Rank causes or items.
 “Evaluate to what extent”-explain whether
something is or is not, and how much it is
The Question
Read the question very carefully and
understand all the parts.
 Do what the question says:
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 “Assess the validity of this statement”-explain
whether the statement is true or false and for
what reasons you believe this.
The Question
Observe Numbers-If you are to reference 2
people, issues, etc., stick to them. You don’t
get extra points for discussing more.
 Observe Boundaries-If you are to reference
a particular geographical area, stick to it.
 Observe Time Frames-If you are given a
time frame, reference it and stick to it.
 Observe Categories-If you are given
categories (political, social, economic, etc.)
reference them and stick to them.
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The Question
Answer the Question!!!!!
 Do not ramble. You are given direction by
the question. Take that direction and go.
 Take a Stand!! Do no be a fence-rider! Do
not be soft! Make sure the reader knows
clearly which side of the issue you are on.
 You must use outside information in your
essay!!
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The Plan
Make a Plan for the essay.
 A quick outline should serve as a blueprint
for the essay.
 Refer to the outline when you write. This is
the most important step to keep you from
rambling or veering off course.
 Brainstorm ideas that could be of use. Make
lists of important information.
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The Plan
If the question does not provide structure
(categories, people, issues) you need to
create it here.
 Categorize your ideas so that you can
present them with confidence.
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The Thesis
An acceptable thesis statement does not
just restate the question, it states the
answer.
 If there is not a clear thesis, the reader will
likely grade the essay a 0.
 Make it exceptionally obvious what your
answer is from the beginning. If it isn’t
there, the reader will not waste their time.
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The Thesis
The Thesis should address all parts of the
answer clearly.
 The Thesis should reflect your categories
and structure.
 The Thesis can incorporate outside
information.
 The Thesis must clearly grab the reader’s
attention and let them know where the
argument is going!!
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The Thesis-Examples
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Question: “Slavery was the principal cause
of the U.S. Civil War. Assess the validity of
this statement.”
A simple (and low scoring) thesis: “The
Civil War had many causes.”
 A better (but mediocre) thesis: “Slavery
was the principal cause of the Civil War.”
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The Thesis-Examples
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Question: “Slavery was the principal cause of
the U.S. Civil War. Assess the validity of this
statement.”
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A high scoring thesis is complex and
shows direction: “Although slavery was a
significant factor in the coming of the Civil War,
the primary causes were the political,
economic, and moral implications of the
extension of slavery to the territories.”
The Thesis-Examples
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Question: “How did independence from
Great Britain change gender and race relations
in the U.S.? Confine your answer to the period
1750 to 1789.”
A simple (and low scoring) thesis:
“Independence changed gender and race
relations.”
 A better (but mediocre) thesis: “Independence
changed gender and race relations somewhat.”
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The Thesis-Examples
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Question: “How did independence from Great Britain change
gender and race relations in the U.S.? Confine your answer to
the period 1750 to 1789.”
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High scoring thesis: “ The American Revolution was
premised on radical ideals of equality. Although
independence brought little change to gender relations,
it did bring somewhat greater change to some aspects
of racial relations. It brought small, although real, gains
to blacks in the North, but little improvements for
accommodating Native Americans and blacks in the
South. Aside from a new role as Republican mothers,
women generally remained legally and socially
embedded in traditional patriarchy.”
The Thesis
Avoid Fluff and Generalizations
 Essays that begin with the following phrases
make the reader think you have no idea
what you are talking about:
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 “Since the dawn of time…”
 “Throughout American History…”
 “American History is…”
 “In this time there was lots of change..”
The Points
Clearly address all of the points outlined in
your thesis. If you address 5 things in your
thesis, you must develop them all.
 ***You must support all of your statements
with facts***
 Be specific about the facts. Use dates,
names, places, etc. If you don’t know any,
you are in trouble. Don’t try to fake it.
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The Points
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Avoid:
 Generalizations-You must be specific.
○ “The British taxed the colonists”-Duh.
○ “The Great Depression was a rough time”-Duh
○ “World War II changed the world”-Duh
 Repetition-They heard it the first time, no need
to say it over and over to fill up space.
 Storytelling-Don’t just spout facts. The facts
must be relevant to your point and support the
argument.
The Conclusion
One of the most overlooked parts, but it is
as important as your introduction.
 You must wrap up the argument and remind
the reader what you have said.
 Restate your points and thesis while
persuading your reader.
 Finish with gusto! Make the reader believe
what you have written.
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The Conclusion
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Avoid:
 Fluffy, Flowery, statements like
○ “The nation has never been the same…”
○ “Who knows what would have happened…”
○ “This was a major time in history…”
○ “This made us what we are today…”
 These are all Duh statements. If it weren’t
important, or influential, you wouldn’t have been
asked about it.
Grammar
Write legibly
 Write with decent grammar.
 Theoretically, you are not graded on
grammar. Too many spelling and
grammatical mistakes become distracting to
the reader.
 Properly written sentences may please the
reader and help you when your facts are
not perfect.
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Historical Information
You must include facts to support your
points.
 Small slip-ups will not cost you, but mixing
up Washington and Lincoln will.
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 Small-Jefferson was only 37 when he wrote the
Declaration
 Small-The Meat Inspection Act was passed in
1910
 Small-Dwight Eisenhower won the election of
1954
Historical Information
You must include facts to support your
points.
 Small slip-ups will not cost you, but mixing
up Washington and Lincoln will.
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 Large-Abraham Lincoln was a threat to the
South because he was an abolitionist.
 Large-John Kennedy’s Great Society helped to
address the problems of poverty in the U.S.
Grading-What are they
looking for?
Thesis
 Facts, Supporting information
 Analysis-Did you understand and answer
the question? Did you show cause and
effect? Is your argument logical?
 Organization-Did you group, categorize, etc?
 Continuity-Did you stick to your argument?
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Length-How long should
the Essay be?
There is no set length.
 Must confine the essay to the time allotted.
 2.5 page is a good general rule. 1page
essays can be great and 4 page essays can be
terrible.
 The key is to get the job done!
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