AP US History
Guidelines for Thesis Statements
I.
Thesis Paragraphs
1.
Avoid the Passive voice; use the Active voice.
Passive Voice: “The barn was struck by lightning.”
Active Voice: “Lighting struck the barn.”
The use of the Active voice allows for concise and compact essays.
2.
Use commas; complex and compound sentences. Avoid a series of short sentences.
3.
Use short quotes; preferably a phrase and never longer than a sentence. Often a phrase
can sum up an author’s thesis.
4.
Capitalization needs emphasis.
5.
Subject / Verb agreement must mesh.
6.
Avoid over use of indefinite pronouns it, they and you. Avoid general pronoun problems
such as the ambiguous reference he.
7.
DO NOT re-write the article; deal with the author’s main point.
8.
Factually support your contentions. “For example,……
9.
Use transition words to move from one position to another; however, moreover,
furthermore, etc.
10. Write your statement in one paragraph.
11. Write in the third person.
12. Store thesis statements on a computer disk.
II.
Thesis Note Cards
1.
Use a 3x5 note card
2.
Follow aforementioned writing techniques
3. Limit the statement to one or two sentences.
III.
Editing
1.
Edit your thesis note cards prior to turning them in. Use classmates to assist you in your
editing.
2.
Early on we will devote time to this in class. However, as the year progresses we will
spend less time on this. Eventually this should be a short and easy exercise.
3.
Be patient with yourself and remember that constant improvement should be your goal.
IV.
Thesis Paragraph Example:
“The Puritans and Sex” by Edmund S. Morgan
In his article, “The Puritans and Sex,” Edmund S. Morgan focuses on the fact that the Puritans
did not view all earthly pleasures as sinful, and they realized it was within man’s nature to sin.
Not only did the Puritans find no fault in sexual intercourse within marriage, they deemed it
an essential part of a healthy relationship. Abstinence in marriage was never viewed as
virtuous, and Samuel Willard, author of a textbook on Puritan divinity, was horrified at “that
Popish conceit of the Excellency of Virginity.” As long as sex didn’t hinder one’s religion
(intercourse was strictly forbidden during times of fasting) it was viewed largely as an
incidental matter. Extra-marital affairs, however, were not met with such indifference because
God forbid them. While strict laws were passed for the consequences of such offenses, the
Puritans understood man’s sinful tendencies; therefore, cases of illicit sex were rarely greeted
with the maximum penalty. To keep such cases from occurring they incorporated preventive
measures to help the colonists abide by the moral code. In an attempt to reverse the trend of
premarital relations, Puritan parents provided suitable spouses for their children at an early
age. Once they wed, authorities insisted husbands and wives respect each other, for successful
marriage was seen as the best method of combating adultery. The Puritans of the sixteenth
century, contrary to current opinion, were not a perfect, sinless community. While they never
justified extra-marital sex, they were capable of forgiving those who engaged in it.
V.
Thesis Note Card Examples:
“A New Kind of Revolution” by Carl N. Degler
During the latter half of the 18th Century, colonial unity, coupled with national pride, created an
atmosphere of revolution in the colonies resulting in myriad grievances from social to economic to
the most revolutionary of all: political.
“Were the Puritans Puritanical?” by Carl N. Degler
Contrary to popular belief, the 17th Century Puritans were not an obsessively religious and moral
population, but rather a society focused on achieving reasonable standards through a continuous
pursuit of moral education and the discovery of God’s will.
VI. Finished Product: Developed Thesis Statements in Timed Essays
From Louisiana to Nullification, to failed compromise, territorial expansion of the early 19th
Century invigorated two conflicting views of America’s future; viewpoints and ideologies which
ultimately tore the nation apart.
Ultimately the sound beliefs and intentions of the 17th Century Puritans could not overshadow the
ever-present blunder in their ways, frequently evidenced in their social, political and economic
wrongdoing.