The Art of the Essay
All writing, including the writing of historical essays, is both an art and a process. It therefore requires
both technique and practice. Since this course includes two essays as homework assignments, as well as
essays in both the midterm and final exams, I’ve put together this brief guide to help you master the
technique portion of the writing.
What is an essay?
For the purposes of this course, an essay is an argument in written form. Perhaps the best way to
envision it is to think of a lawyer making closing arguments to a jury. He (or she) will first state his case,
then lead the jury through the arguments and evidence that prove his case, and finally close by restating
the case and asking for a verdict in his favor. An historical essay is similar: you state your answer to a
question, provide arguments and evidence to prove your answer, and conclude by wrapping up the
argument and restating your case so that your reader accepts your answer as the “verdict.” To craft an
essay you have three main steps: examining a question and coming up with an answer; investigating to
gather evidence and confirm or change your answer; and converting the evidence into an argument that
supports your answer.
State Your Case: The Thesis
You will receive your essay prompt in the form of a question, such as “Was George Washington the
best choice for commander in chief of the Continental Army?” Your starting point is your answer to the
question, which is your thesis. Consider the question in light of knowledge you already have and make a
provisional answer. If you don’t feel like you can make even a provisional answer, read up a bit first and
then write your answer. This will guide the rest of your research.
There are two important things to keep in mind when forming your thesis statement. First, the thesis
must actually make an arguable point – do not try to stay on the fence. Consider the following three
answers to the above question regarding Washington:
“The choice of Washington as commander in chief was an important event in American military
history.” This is a statement that no one would debate, however it does not answer the question.
“George Washington was not the best choice for commander in chief of the Continental Army.”
Satisfactory, in that it answers the question and presents an arguable point.
“George Washington was not the best choice available: Horatio Gates had superior experience and
professional skill as well as better understanding of the British foe.” This is an even better thesis
statement in that it not only answers the question, it sets the stage for the argument to come.
Second, remain flexible, since in your research you may discover that the preponderance of the
evidence actually contradicts your thesis. All research is ultimately a search for truth – go where the
evidence leads.
Make Your Case: The Body of the Essay
As you go about your research, keep track of the evidence you discover and see what key points
emerge. These key points become the initial of the outline of the argument. Making an outline is an
absolutely crucial step in the process of building an essay. In the research process, it shows you where
your gaps are. In the writing process, it keeps your argument organized and connected to the thesis.
Whether in the process of writing an essay for a homework assignment, or preparing notes for an exam,
a good outline is indispensable.
Once you have enough evidence to form your key points (your research need not be complete yet),
you can approach the outline in two stages . First, underneath your thesis statement, list the key points
by which you think you will prove it. Second, under each key point, write out sub-points and the
evidence (in bullet form) that supports each key point. These sub-points will become the topic
sentences of the paragraphs of your essay – the first sentence in each paragraph. The evidence bullets
are the start of the remaining sentences in each paragraph. It is possible that a key point will stand
alone as just one paragraph, but do not just assume that it will be so.
Once you’ve completed the outline, read it over and think about whether or not it makes a
reasonably complete argument (it is rarely possible to make an absolutely complete argument in less
than full book length). Consider also whether you have the points in a logical sequence so that they
build up your case from beginning to end.
You are now ready to begin writing the essay itself. Make sure your thesis statement is in your
introductory paragraph. This makes the essay much more clear for the reader, and helps your writing
on track. Then, craft your outline into an argument with paragraphs and sentences. There are many
ways to build a good argument. Some examples include:
1. Start with a paragraph or two stating the arguments against your thesis, and then use the
remainder of the essay to refute that argument and prove your point instead.
2. Raise each counter-argument to your thesis and then refute each in turn point by point. Your
essay will thus have something of a back-and-forth or dialog flavor to it, each round advancing your
thesis further.
3. Prove your thesis without counter-argument by bringing up your points in succession and backing
them with evidence. This can be simpler but your arguments have to be so solid that no effective
counterarguments come up in your reader’s mind.
Using counter-argumentation (1 and 2 above) can make for a strong essay, however there are two
risks: 1) setting up a “straw man,” meaning using intentionally weak opposing points in order to make
your argument appear stronger than it really is; and 2) defeating yourself, meaning you bring up
opposing arguments that you then fail to refute. Be honest with yourself and with the evidence. If you
find you cannot escape one of these two failings, you probably need to change your thesis.
Restate Your Case: The Conclusion
The minimum requirement for a conclusion is to restate your thesis and key points, now as a
“therefore” type statement, to nail your point home. It should take only a few sentences. Even better,
one can also be creative and include some reflection or speculative thinking. Does your conclusion, now
proven, raise additional questions you consider worthy of exploration? Did you gain a greater
appreciation for some aspect of the subject, or some person involved in the events you covered? Are
there things you will think about or do differently as a result of this experience? Don’t get carried away
– your conclusion still needs to fit in a paragraph or two – but as the writer you have the right to go a bit
beyond the confines of the argument that took up the rest of the essay.
One thing you absolutely do not want to do in the conclusion is to introduce additional evidence or
arguments for your thesis that you did not bring up in the main body. The conclusion is for summing up
and handing the case to the jury, not for a last-minute attempt to shore up a weak argument.
Pitfalls
Aside from the risks already mentioned above, here are a few other things I’ve seen over the past five
semesters that cause problems in student essays:
1. Attempting to sound “academic” via the thesaurus method. Don’t use bigger words or longer
sentences than you need to make your point. Clarity is key – aim to be understood in one reading.
Also make certain you know the actual meaning of every word you use – nothing is more
embarrassing than using a fancy word incorrectly. I promise you I will catch it.
2. Run-on sentences and paragraphs. If you have a sentence that takes more than two lines, look at
it carefully. There is no specific length for a “good” sentence, but longer ones are often harder to
follow than shorter ones. Try reading it out loud to yourself, or have someone read it to you, and
see if it still seems clear. As for paragraphs, if you find yourself with more than one main idea in a
given paragraph, break it into two. Each paragraph should have one guiding idea – and a paragraph
that fills an entire page is probably too long.
3. Citations. I don’t demand that you cite every fact you use, but if you quote someone else’s work
cite it properly, even if it is a close paraphrase rather than a direct quote. If you use facts that are
not common knowledge, it is also a good idea to cite them. I’m not concerned whether you use
Turabian, Chicago, or MLA style, just be consistent.
4. Precision with basic facts. Since we all know that the American Civil War ended in 1865, saying
“the Civil War ended in the mid-1860s” is just plain silly. If you have the more precise fact ready to
hand or easy to find, use it. Being vague in such cases seems like laziness.
5. Slang. Don’t.
6. Proofread!!! Misspellings, missing words, and basic grammar errors distract your reader from
your argument. Don’t rely solely on automation to do it for you. “I’m not going into that dark ally”
gets through the checkers in Microsoft Word, but of course an ally is a friend or helper, while an
alley is a narrow passageway between buildings.
Hopefully this guide will prove useful to you as you complete the two homework essays, and as you
prepare your notes for the midterm and final exams. A well-crafted and thought out thesis, a solid
outline, and a bit of creativity will get you through these requirements with no problems.