History Research Paper Topics and Tips for Writing

A history research paper is an important part of the educational process which allows students to gain a full understanding of the topic being studied and develop their competence in critically analyzing information. Writing a history research paper helps students improve their ability to independently work with literature, collect and systematize material, and reflect it in a structured and logical form. This process is a necessary stage of education which helps in the acquisition of knowledge in the subject.

Our history research paper topics and tips for writing will help you succeed in your project.

A History Research Paper: What Is It and What Are Its Features?

A history research paper is a written work in which you will need to express your thoughts and views on a historical process, analyze certain events, identify cause-and-effect relationships, and assess the influence of certain figures and events on the course of history.

To write a history paper that will receive a good grade, it is worth considering certain features of the subject and the work itself.

The teacher will pay attention to the following when making their assessment:

1. Argumentation. When exploring certain history research paper topics, you will express your point of view and your vision of the events and processes involved. But you should support all your statements with clear arguments and facts.
2. Historical perspective. A history paper involves describing certain events and eras from different points of view. In your work, you should evaluate their influence on the historical process and their significance for the present time.
3. Integrity. A paper on history should be a complete and finished work reflecting your position and view on the past. At the same time, when expressing your point of view, you should strive for objectivity.
4. Diversity of sources. When writing a paper on history, it is worth using various sources of information: textbooks, scientific articles, memoirs, archival documents, and much more. This will allow you to not only broaden your horizons but also enrich your work with new facts and ideas.
5. Creativity. A research paper involves not only studying historical facts but also creatively interpreting them. Show in your work how you can analyze, generalize, compare, and draw conclusions from historical data. All this requires developed creative thinking that the teacher will highly appreciate.

If you consider these features and choose one of the many interesting history topics available, you have more chances to succeed in writing. But if this sounds difficult for you, you can always turn to us for help.

How to Choose a History Research Topic

Choosing a history research topic is an important process that requires attention and awareness of the criteria that will determine how relevant, interesting, and researchable it will be.

What to Pay Attention to When Choosing a History Research Topic

The first thing you should do when choosing a history research topic is to think about your interests and preferences. This could be a topic that you like or a historical period that particularly interests you. Perhaps it will be related to your future profession or personal beliefs.

Read the assignment carefully before you start choosing a history research topic. This will help you understand what aspects of history will be covered in your paper and what the teacher will pay special attention to.

Before choosing a specific history research topic, it would be a good idea to study at least some of the materials that are available. This will help you understand whether there is enough information to write a full-fledged paper. If there is little literature to explore, it is better to abandon this topic and choose another, more studied one.

It is important to choose a history research topic for which there are sufficiently reputable sources. These can be books, articles, archival materials, or documents available in the library or on the Internet.

The topic should be relevant to modern contexts. Studying events that affect modern society or raise important issues is always interesting for both the student and the teacher.

How to Narrow Your History Research Topic

There are several ways to narrow your topic:

1. Choose a specific period. For example, instead of studying the entirety of World War II, you might focus on a specific battle or event, such as the Normandy landings.
2. Limit yourself to a particular geographic area. Instead of general events, you might focus on a specific country or region. For example, studying France’s role in the Cold War.
3. Focus on a specific group of people. Choose a specific social or ethnic group, such as studying the lives and influence of women on the Industrial Revolution.
4. Develop a specific question. Formulating a clear question will help you focus on a specific aspect of your history research topic.

Before proceeding to our interesting history topics, it is worth mentioning that AffordablePapers is a service that is always ready to help you with writing quickly! Moreover, our prices are reasonable, and we deliver well-researched papers.

Examples of Good History Research Paper Topics

Choosing a topic for a history research paper is not only an important stage of preparation but also an excellent opportunity to delve into the study of interesting and significant historical events. We have divided the potential topics into categories for your convenience.

History Research Paper Topics on World War II

 

1. The factors of domestic and global politics that contributed to the Nazis coming to power in Germany.
2. National Socialist ideology in Germany, its essence, and how it led to World War II.
3. The economic and military potential of Germany and the Soviet Union at the onset of World War II: A comparative analysis.
4. Germany’s military strategy: Its essence and results (based on military operations in European countries during World War II).
5. The military doctrine of the Soviet Union during World War II: Its essence and practical implementation.
6. Comparative technical characteristics of the armored vehicles of Germany and the USSR during World War II.
7. Comparative technical characteristics of the aviation of Germany and the USSR during the Second World War.
8. The “blitzkrieg” strategy, its essence, and its practical implementation (using the example of the combat operations of German troops during the Second World War).
9. What were the reasons for the Red Army’s failures in the initial period of the Second World War?
10. An assessment of the possible military potential of the Wehrmacht in terms of heavy weapons (guns, mortars, armored vehicles, etc.), tanks, and aircraft by the end of the Second World War, based on the industrial potential of Germany and the countries it had conquered.

History Research Paper Topics on the Cold War

1. Causes and preconditions of the Cold War (1944–1946).
2. The beginning of the Cold War and its main results (1946 – 1953).
3. The height of the Cold War (1954 – 1972).
4. The end of the Cold War (1972 – 1991).
5. The Cold War: Its essence, mechanism, and significance in the coverage of historiography.
6. The origin and main stages of the Cold War.
7. Superpowers and their role in the Cold War.
8. Grand strategies in the Cold War.
9. The Cold War as an ideological conflict.
10. The nuclear factor in the history of the Cold War and the modern world order.
11. The economic dimension of the Cold War.
12. Power and diplomacy in the history of the Cold War.

History Research Paper Topics on the American Civil War

1. The lives of slaves on plantations in the American South before the Civil War (based on electronic databases).
2. The USA on the path to Civil War: North vs. South.
3. Phenomenology of the American Civil War.
4. The American Civil War in visual images.
5. The role of the political life of the United States during the Civil War.
6. The rights of black people in the United States after the Civil War.
7. Why was the start of the Civil War unsuccessful for the North?
8. What actions did Abraham Lincoln take to change the course of the Civil War?
9. How did the North defeat the South in the Civil War?
10. What did the North do with the defeated South after the Civil War?
11. What were the main fronts during the American Civil War, and why?
12. Problems of the American Civil War in modern historiography.
13. War as a revolutionary transition: The historical experience of the United States (based on the Civil War of 1861-1865).

History Research Paper Topics on the Industrial Revolution

1. What were the main factors leading to the first Industrial Revolution?
2. The concept of the Industrial Revolution from its inception to the present day.
3. The Industrial Revolution and its features in England.
4. Features of the Industrial Revolution in France.
5. The Industrial Revolution in Germany: Its stages and features.

Research Paper Topics on World History

1. The background to the Vietnam War.
2. The precarious balance of power during the Vietnam War.
3. Key events that caused the fall of the Roman Empire.
4. The role of the Roman Empire in world history.
5. The economic implications of the Russian Revolution.
6. Holidays, traditions, and life in Ancient Greece.
7. The mysteries of Dionysus in the culture of Ancient Greece.
8. Great playwrights of Ancient Greece (Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles, Aristophanes).
9. Olympic Games: Their role in world history.
10. The system of education and upbringing in ancient history.
11. The role of spectacles in ancient history.

Outstanding History Research Paper Topics on the American Revolution

1. Key events during the American Revolution.
2. The influence of global politics on the American Revolution.
3. The role of the American Revolution in world history.
4. The American Revolution: The first steps in the US’s modernization (1775–1861).
5. Ideological origins of the American Revolution.
6. The American Revolution and the French Revolution of the late 18th century in a comparative context.
7. Diplomacy in the American Revolution.
8. Reasons for and prerequisites of the American Revolution.
9. The military position of the British during the American Revolution.
10. What caused the end of the American Revolution?

American History Research Paper Topics

1. Who led the civil rights movement?
2. The role of the civil rights movement in American history.
3. The bourgeoisie of the Western World at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
4. Muckrakers and their impact on democratic development in American history.
5. The policy of bourgeois reformism in American history.
6. The emergence of modern art in the USA.
7. The impact of cultural shifts in the USA.
8. How did the British Empire treat America?
9. The emergence of modern activism groups in the USA.
10. When was the child labor law passed in the USA?

Great History Research Paper Topics on the Middle Ages

1. The origins and forms of folk literature in the Middle Ages.
2. The antique heritage and literature of the Middle Ages.
3. Features of archaic folk poetry in the early Middle Ages.
4. Courtly romance in the Middle Ages.
5. Theater in Medieval Europe: The origins, genres, and nature of performance.
6. Unrecorded past events in the Middle Ages.
7. The impact of the witch craze in Medieval Europe on the Salem witch trials.
8. Economic developments in Europe during the Middle Ages.
9. Significant events during the Middle Ages.
10. What was the major turning point in the Middle Ages?
11. The cultural heritage of the Byzantine Empire.

French Revolution Topics for Your History Research Paper

1. How did Europe greet the French Revolution?
2. What were the consequences of French Revolution events in the 18th century?
3. What were the attitudes of the European powers towards the French Revolution?
4. Why was the French Revolution welcomed by supporters of the Enlightenment?
5. Why did Great Britain look at the French Revolution with poorly concealed pleasure?
6. The causes behind the creation of the states’ alliance that wanted to strangle the French Revolution.
7. The social and political impact of the French Revolution.
8. The role of the French Revolution in European history.
9. The social consequences of the French Revolution.
10. The political importance of the French Revolution.

European History Research Paper Topics

1. What is the oldest civilization in European history?
2. The art history of Germany.
3. The art history of France.
4. The art history of Italy.
5. The specifics of the development of politics in the Ancient world.
6. How did modern science develop in Europe?
7. The historical context of the Enlightenment in Europe.
8. The historical origin of the European Union.
9. Does global history count as European history?
10. Why did the Black Death spread rapidly in Britain?

Interesting History Research Paper Topics

1. The cultures of Native Americans.
2. Are Native Americans US citizens?
3. Where did Native Americans come from?
4. What were the early space exploration attempts?
5. What was the real reason for the Salem witch trials?
6. The story of the youngest girl killed in the Salem witch trials.
7. What was the relationship between the British and Native Americans?
8. Who were the important people in the Trenton and Princeton battles?
9. Why did the Islamic empire fall?

Great Depression Research Topics for Your History Paper

1. What was the American economy and society like before the Great Depression?
2. What caused the Great Depression?
3. Why was the depression called “The Great”?
4. How was the Great Depression “treated”?
5. What were the consequences of the Great Depression?

History Research Paper Topics for College Students

1. The influence of the Great French Revolution on the development of world history.
2. The role of personality in history: Alexander the Great and his conquests.
3. Ancient Greek democracy: Its formation, features, and influence on modern political systems.
4. Culture and art in medieval Europe: The interaction of Christianity and paganism.
5. The Reformation and Counter-Reformation: Causes, main events, and results.
6. Colonialism and imperialism in world history: Examples and consequences.
7. The Age of Enlightenment and its influence on the development of human thought and social relations.
8. The American Civil War: The causes, course of events, and consequences for American society.
9. World War I: Causes, key battles, and results.
10. The Battle of Stalingrad: A turning point in World War II.
11. The Cold War: Causes, main stages, and results of the conflict.
12. The Cultural Revolution in China: Its causes, essence, and consequences.
13. The collapse of the USSR: Its causes, stages, and consequences for world history.
14. Globalization: The history of its origin and development, and its positive and negative sides.
15. Modern conflicts: Causes, examples, and prospects for resolution.

If you have studied our history research paper topics and chosen one but don’t know where to start, don’t despair. Our writers will help you with your assignment. We have experts in the subject who can write impeccable papers on all history project topics.

What’s Next? In-Depth Research!

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After you have chosen one of the history research paper topics, it is time to gather information. An important part of this process is identifying primary and secondary sources, formatting properly, and using the data obtained.

Materials from the Internet

Since you hardly want to spend days visiting libraries (and sometimes there is no such physical opportunity), start the research process on the Internet. Since many textbooks are only available online in scanned form, you will not be able to find them using search engines. However, you will be able to find specialized sites where students can post textbooks on various history research paper topics.

The situation with publications is better, so it is on the World Wide Web that you can find a lot of materials on different historical research topics. However, be careful during the research process, since not every site can be trusted. Sometimes, the content of a scientific article is repeatedly retold by different authors and differs greatly from the original. Take only those materials that are posted on the official websites of organizations or written by well-known specialists with the authorship indicated.

History Research Materials from Libraries

You can’t find literature for every research paper in university libraries, but it’s still worth trying. If a library has an electronic catalog, this will simplify the search many times over, but if not, just ask your librarian for help or use the old method of searching through paper catalogs.

In large city libraries, you will find suitable literature on research topics with almost a hundred percent probability, since when new books are published, the so-called mandatory copies are transferred to large libraries. The problem is that going there and working with “live” books takes a lot of time. You will also have to learn how to use library catalogs and card indexes, including electronic ones. If you get confused, contact a librarian-consultant and try to explain the topic and goals of your historical research to them as clearly as possible.

How to Search for Literature

There are so many materials on some history research paper topics that you can easily find individual books dedicated to, for example, Hitler, Abraham Lincoln, or other prominent figures. In other cases, first, find out what section or period your question pertains to. Take a couple of textbooks and quickly look through what is typical for this period, as well as for the subject of the research paper itself.

When looking through textbook materials, pay attention to the lists of recommended literature. Such lists are also found in modern publications and can be of great help to you during your study of history research papers topics.

When searching for information on the Internet, you may be tempted to simply take material from ready-made papers and, at best, retell it in your own words. We strongly advise against this for several reasons.

• First, you do not know who exactly wrote that paper. Students with a low level of preparation, poor literacy, and a lack of knowledge on history research paper topics might write them.
• Secondly, papers on the Internet are so distorted by frequent rewriting that the original author may be horrified by the monstrous copy, and you will become a laughing stock in the eyes of the teacher. That’s why it is better to avoid copying when writing assignments on history research paper topics.
• Thirdly, they very often provide references to non-existent sources or do not provide any references at all.

However, familiarity with other people’s works can still help you formulate goals, objectives, and other elements for history research paper topics.

Not all students know how to research modern history topics. If you are one of them, get our help. Our writer will not only conduct a thorough study but also write a high-quality paper for you.

Structure of a Research Paper

If you want to explore history research paper topics fully, you should follow a certain scheme.

Introduction

Here, college students should formulate the main problems, the purpose of the research, and its relevance. It is important to indicate why their history research paper topics are important for study.

Main Body

These sections analyze the sources, facts, and data that illustrate the research topics. College students should highlight the key points, give examples, and make comparisons where appropriate.

Conclusion

This is the last but not least important component. Here, you need to beautifully summarize everything that has been said on the history research paper topics in question, formulate final conclusions, and generalize key points. The conclusion should be capacious and memorable – it makes the final impression of your paper.

References

References are the list of literary works on specific history paper topics that the student relied on in the process of writing. The format of the bibliography must strictly comply with established standards (for example, APA, MLA, or Chicago).

The list of references strengthens the academic style and seriousness of history research. Enter all the materials involved according to all the style rules.

By following the classical research paper structure, you will build a competent and complete paper on history. The main thing is to focus on quality content and factual filling.

Summing Up

Choosing the right one from among the possible history research paper topics is an important first step in creating a compelling and well-argued project. It is important to focus on your interests, narrow the scope of the subject, and ensure that you have reliable sources available. In this way, you can make your research, and the writing process, more enjoyable.

If you don’t have time to write your assignment, AffordablePapers  research paper writers are ready to help you. They can deal with a wide range of history research paper topics.