essay topics on 20th century

25 Moments That Changed America

O n the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, TIME proclaimed that his death was “the moment that changed America.” “There is little doubt that his death and its circumstances set loose the darker instincts of the American psyche,” TIME’s editor Nancy Gibbs wrote then.

And, looking back on the 20th century—the epoch that TIME founder Henry Luce dubbed “the American century”—it’s clear that there were many such moments of change, instances big and small that cleared the way for something greater to come after. Many of those moments are easy to name: the assassinations, the invasions, the elections. Many are more subtle, their impact visible only in hindsight.

With that in mind, TIME invited experts to nominate 20th-century moments that changed the United States. Taken together, those moments create a chronology of an evolving country—and a century in which any moment might be the next big one.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Catches Fire (Mar. 25, 1911)

By Michele Anderson

The Triangle Shirtwaist Company’s fire resulted in the tragic loss of nearly 150 young women and girls on March 25, 1911, in New York City. The garment workers at the company had been attempting to unionize to gain better wages and improved working conditions. The factory’s management responded by locking the workers into the building. Fabric scraps, oil and hot machines crammed into rooms on the upper floors of the ten-story building quickly unleashed an inferno within the building. With the exits blocked, girls attempted to use the rusted fire escape or jump from windows into the fire department’s dry-rotted nets, only to plunge onto the pavement in front of bystanders below. The tragedy was exasperated by the failure of the U.S. government to protect its citizens who were working in deplorable conditions, but it was difficult for anyone who saw the corpses lined up on sidewalks waiting for identification to deny the need for labor reform and improved fire safety equipment. The deaths unified female labor reformers of the Progressive era.

Michele Anderson, a teacher at John Glenn High School near Detroit, was named 2014 National History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and HISTORY.

Read more about the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire here in the TIME Vault

The Great Migration Begins (1915)

By Isabel Wilkerson

In today’s world African Americans are viewed as urban people, but that’s a very new phenomenon: The vast majority of time that African Americans have been on this continent, they’ve been primarily Southern and rural. That changed with the Great Migration, a mass relocation of 6 million African Americans from the Jim Crow South to the North and West, starting in 1915.

This leaderless revolution, a response to oppression in the South, was set in motion by the labor shortage in the North during World War I. And once the door opened, a flood of people came. Those who migrated became the advance guard of the Civil Rights movement; they shaped our culture, from music to sports. On the other hand, one of the responses to their presence was fear and hostility. In these big cities that they had hoped would be refuges, they were still blocked from the American dream. The Great Migration was a watershed demographic change in our country’s history—and we’re still living with its effects today. (As told to Lily Rothman)

Isabel Wilkerson is the Pulitzer-Prize-winning writer of The Warmth of Other Suns, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Lynton History Prize from Harvard and Columbia universities and the Stephen Ambrose Oral History Prize, among other honors. The book is currently being developed into a TV adaption to be executive produced by Shonda Rhimes.

Read more about the Great Migration here in the TIME Vault

The Prophet Is Published (Sept. 23, 1923)

By Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen

In the aftermath of World War I, the Lebanese-born, Boston-based poet-philosopher Kahlil Gibran wrote what would become one of the world’s most translated works of philosophy: The Prophet . This collection of inspirational sermons delivered by a fictional prophet—on love, marriage, work, reason, self-knowledge and ethics—challenged tired orthodoxies and oppressive ideologies. Though Gibran’s exaltation of human individuality, creativity and difference was not entirely original, the book’s success lay in his ability to make his insights feel like revelations. Ever since its publication in 1923, The Prophet has been a salve for readers who tried—in good American fashion—to break from conformity. Gibran readers include Woodrow Wilson and American soldiers during World War II (thanks to its selection for the American Services Editions in 1943); Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash; members of the 1960s counterculture and now Salma Hayek . The Prophet taught self-trust amid the buzzing, blooming confusion of modern America. Sometimes it takes a foreigner to speak the voice of Americans’ inner conscience.

Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen is the Merle Curti Associate Professor of History and the founder of the Intellectual History Group at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her book, American Nietzsche: A History of an Icon and His Ideas , won the John H. Dunning Prize, an award for an outstanding monograph in a subject in U.S. history, from the American Historical Association.

Read more about the ongoing influence of The Prophet, here in the TIME Vault

The KKK Marches in Washington (Aug. 8, 1925)

By James Loewen

When the KKK paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., the headline in the New York Times declared “Sight Astonishes Capital: Robed, but Unmasked Hosts in White Move Along Avenue.” The marchers, the article noted, received “a warm reception.” The parade took place in broad daylight, in the nation’s capital, and most of the participants were from the north. This event symbolizes the Nadir of Race Relations, a terrible era from 1890 to about 1940, when race relations grew worse and worse. During this period white Americans became more racist than at any other point in our history, even during slavery. Also during the Nadir, the phenomenon of sundown towns swept the North. These are towns that were for decades—and in some cases still are—all-white on purpose.

Among the other terrible legacies of that period are its inaccurate white supremacist histories of everything from Christopher Columbus and U.S. Grant to Woodrow Wilson, and the astounding gap between black and white media family wealth— problems that we are still trying to transcend.

James Loewen is professor emeritus at the University of Vermont and the best-selling author of Lies My Teacher Told Me. He has received the Spirit of America Award from the National Council for the Social Studies and was the first white recipient of the American Sociological Association’s Cox-Johnson-Frazier Award for scholarship in service to social justice.

Read original 1925 coverage of the parade, here in the TIME Vault

Thomas Dorsey Invents the Gospel Blues (1932)

By Jon Butler

In Chicago in 1932, an African American composer named Thomas A. Dorsey, who had been a nightclub jazz pianist, wrote a song inspired by his wife’s death in childbirth. The song, “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” unexpectedly became the foundation for the modern African American gospel music tradition. Its success stimulated an entirely new music industry—the gospel blues. It became a touchstone for the dramatic role that music played in sustaining and forwarding America’s Civil Rights movement; Martin Luther King Jr. often asked supporters to sing it before they marched, including the night before his assassination. The gospel blues also brought singers such as Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharp, and the Golden Gate Quartet to prominence and was later foundational for Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston, among many others. That tiny, inauspicious moment in 1932 created a subtle yet profound change in American life, ultimately producing musical anthems of powerful personal, moral, and political transformation.

Jon Butler is Howard R. Lamar Emeritus Professor of American Studies, History & Religious Studies at Yale University, and the current president of the Organization of American Historians.

Read TIME’s 1968 coverage of Aretha Franklin singing “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” here in the TIME Vault

Harry Hopkins Starts Work (May 22, 1933)

By Linda Gordon

About two months after he took office, Franklin Roosevelt appointed a former social worker to head an emergency program of aid to the unemployed. The moment Harry Hopkins started work, on May 22, 1933 —before he even had an office—he dragged a desk into the hall of the building where he was located and immediately began sending out money. Some critics disapproved of his haste and wanted longer consideration of this federal expenditure. Hopkins responded, famously, “People don’t eat in the long run; they eat every day.” In two hours he spent $5 million dollars, the equivalent of about $70 million today. In addition to putting money into the hands of consumers, it was also a tremendous confidence-raising gesture that said, ‘This administration is not going to allow our economy to go completely under.’ Emergency relief was the most popular of the New Deal programs and has been called a major step in saving capitalism. It inaugurated a pattern of government action in crises that would otherwise spin out of control. ( As told to Lily Rothman )

Linda Gordon is a professor of history at New York University and a two-time winner of the Bancroft prize for the best book in U.S. history.

Read a 1934 cover story about Harry Hopkins and his work, here in the TIME Vault

FDR Accepts the 1936 Democratic Presidential Nomination (June 27, 1936)

By Jefferson Cowie

The “political equality we once had won,” FDR boomed as he accepted the Democratic nomination for a second presidential term in 1936, had been rendered “meaningless in the face of economic inequality.” The government no longer belonged to the people but had been taken hostage by “privileged princes of these new economic dynasties, thirsty for power.” Deep in the Great Depression , Roosevelt promised that his New Deal would recalibrate the balance of power between the people and the “economic royalists.” It was some of the most extraordinary—and fleeting—rhetoric in American presidential history. Yet as a result, working people flocked to the Democratic Party, fostering not only an electoral landslide but also a political coalition that governed the nation for decades to come.

Jefferson Cowie teaches at Cornell University. His book Stayin’ Alive: The 1970’s and the Last Days of the Working Class received the Parkman Prize for the Best Book in American History. His forthcoming book is The Great Exception: The New Deal and the Limits of American Politics.

Read original 1936 coverage of Roosevelt’s decision, here in the TIME Vault

Hugo Black Is Appointed to the Supreme Court (Aug. 19, 1937)

By Akhil Reed Amar

Hugo L. Black of Alabama, FDR’s first appointment to the Supreme Court, defined the American judicial scene for three and a half decades. Black first defined and then implemented a reformist agenda that would revolutionize modern American constitutional law. For his first 15 years, Black set the table with new ideas—often presented in dissent, at first. In his last two decades on the Court, Black would watch his reformist agenda become the supreme law of the land, moving from dissenting opinions to majority opinions on issues of voting rights, speech rights, religious rights, criminal procedure rights and the Bill of Rights more generally.

Akhil Reed Amar is Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University, and the author of several books about the Constitution and its history. His latest book, The Law of the Land, was released in April.

Read 1937 coverage of Black’s confirmation, here in the TIME Vault

Truman Replaces Wallace (July 21, 1944)

By William Chafe

The Cold War seems inevitable, but few things are. Rather, that road diverged in July of 1944, when Harry S. Truman took the place of incumbent vice-president Henry Wallace on the Democratic ticket.

After World War II, President Roosevelt had a secret plan for how he would work things out with Stalin, but he died before sharing it. Truman entered the White House with almost no experience in foreign policy. The State Department told him that action must be taken on the Russian threat. The result was the Truman Doctrine: good against evil, communism against democracy, the Cold War.

Meanwhile, Wallace — named Secretary of Commerce by FDR after the election — became the leading voice of progressive politics in the Cabinet. He thought there was a way of working out an agreement with the USSR. When he made a speech to that effect, Truman dismissed him from the Cabinet. What a different world there might have been if Wallace, not Truman, occupied the position of Vice-President when Franklin Roosevelt died.

William Chafe is professor emeritus of history at Duke University, author of The Unfinished Journey: America Since 1945 (8th edition ), and a past president of the Organization of American Historians.

Read 1944 coverage of Truman’s nomination, here in the TIME Vault

The North Atlantic Treaty Is Signed (April 4, 1949)

By Richard Stewart

The signing of the North Atlantic Treaty meant that, after intervening twice in the previous 32 years to restore peace in Europe, the U.S. was finally committed to an international alliance in peacetime, focused on preventing war in the first place. That act shaped our foreign policy, politics, military spending, military structure, doctrine, equipment and military ethos for the years to come. It had a remarkable and salutary effect on helping to bring a shattered Europe together as a group of free and democratic states. Today it is our continuing commitment to NATO that prevents any further spillover of conflict as the Russian bear sharpens his claws, again, this time on Ukraine. NATO was created because of the wars of the 20th century, but it has kept the peace in Europe for longer than any time in the previous several centuries.

Richard W. Stewart is acting director at the Center of Military History in Washington, D.C., and chief historian of the U.S. Army. He is also president of the U.S. Commission on Military History, the U.S. arm of the International Commission on Military History. (These remarks are his own opinion, not the views of the U.S. Army, Department of Defense or the United States Government.)

Read 1949 coverage of the signing of the treaty, here in the TIME Vault

Barbara Johns Walks Out (April 23, 1951)

By Clayborne Carson

On April 23, 1951, sixteen-year-old Barbara Johns led a walkout by four hundred black students to protest inadequate facilities at segregated Robert R. Moton High School in Farmville, Virginia. Vowing to boycott classes until the local all-white School Board addressed their complaints, Johns and another student wrote to an NAACP attorney, who agreed to file a lawsuit seeking desegregation instead of just improved facilities. This suit was eventually consolidated with four similar cases including Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka , Kansas. Johns never became famous, but her protest prompted the Supreme Court’s historic 1954 decision outlawing public school segregation.

Clayborne Carson is Martin Luther King, Jr., Centennial Professor and founding director of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute at Stanford University.

Read more about school desegregation and the Brown case, here in the TIME Vault

Emmett Till Is Murdered (Aug. 28, 1955)

By Jacqueline Jones

In September of 1955, Mose Wright took the witness stand in a Mississippi courtroom. Rising from his chair, he pointed a finger at one of the two men who had murdered his niece’s son, Emmett Till. “There he is,” said Wright, in an extraordinary act of personal courage. Till’s killers were not convicted in 1955, but Till—a teenager who his killers thought had flirted with a white woman—still changed the country. In Chicago, Till’s mother, Mamie Bradley Till, insisted on an open casket at her son’s funeral: She said she “wanted the world to see” her son’s mutilated corpse, battered beyond recognition. Magazines and newspapers ran the photo, signaling the power of shocking images as a new weapon in the generations-long struggle for black rights.

Jacqueline Jones is chair of the History department at the University of Texas at Austin and a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in history.

Read 1955 coverage of the trial, here in the TIME Vault

The Birth Control Pill Is Approved (May 9, 1960)

By Annette Gordon-Reed

The birth control pill was one of the most significant achievements of the 20th century. Contraception wasn’t new: From ancient times, women have used methods of varying degrees of reliability to prevent getting pregnant. But the Pill, which was much more effective, transformed society. Americans began to think differently about sex, contraception and about women’s capacity to control their own bodies and participate as truly equal members of society. Sex uncoupled from procreation, the freedom to choose when and if to become a mother, the ability for a woman to plan her life without fear of an unwanted pregnancy getting in the way—these opened the door for the liberation of women.

Annette Gordon-Reed is Charles Warren Professor of American Legal History at Harvard Law School, a Professor of History at Harvard University, Carol K. Pforzheimer Professor at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and a winner of the Pulitzer Prize in history.

Read TIME’s 1967 cover story about the Pill, here in the TIME Vault

The Children March in Birmingham (May 2, 1963)

By Taylor Branch

The civil rights breakthrough in the 1960s required galvanizing the whole country, not just through rational arguments but by really breaking down people’s emotional resistance and making citizens across the country see they needed to do something. The children’s march really was the single event most responsible for inducing faraway people in Montana and Maine to say, “I need to do something about this.” Demonstrations spread like wildfire all across the country. It led to the March on Washington and it really pushed President Kennedy to propose what became the Civil Rights Act basically a month after those demonstrations.

I myself distinctly and vividly remember seeing those pictures and how deeply it affected me. I was thinking, ‘Gosh, when I get old and responsible maybe I’d do something about civil rights,’—and the next thing I know I see these little kids marching right through fire hoses. It’s a big emotional turning point that’s still not widely analyzed, in part because it’s embarrassing to adults to say that it took these pictures to make us finally do something. (As told to Lily Rothman)

Taylor Branch is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the America in the King Years books.

Read 1963 coverage of the march, here in the TIME Vault

Thich Quang Duc’s Self-Immolation Is Broadcast (June 11, 1963)

By Mary Frances Berry

The international newspaper and TV coverage of Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức burning himself to death during a demonstration in Saigon changed the course of the Vietnam War and of American life. In the immediate aftermath, it caused horror and a reassessment of policy, which eventually led to more American troops on the ground and in the air but also to more media coverage in which Americans could actually see the war. It encouraged draft dodging and antiwar protests, some of which led to violence. Its effects have been residual as well. It sparked a so-far-permanent distrust of our government, which said we were winning the war when the media showed we were actually not. It caused polarization in our society between those who thought we should support the war and those who didn’t. In addition, the War on Poverty was interrupted because funds went to supporting the war, and it has never been restarted.

Mary Frances Berry is Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania. She has also served as a member and as chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and as the United States’ Assistant Secretary for Education. She is a past president of the Organization of American Historians and a fellow of the Society of American Historians.

Read 1963 coverage of the self-immolation, here in the TIME Vault

Howard Smith Amends the Civil Rights Act (Feb. 8, 1964)

By Stephanie Coontz

By 1964, little headway had been made in the women’s movement since winning the vote in 1920. So women’s rights supporters were delighted that year when Representative Howard Smith of Virginia offered a one-word amendment to Civil Rights Act, adding sex to the list of forms of discrimination prohibited by the act. Smith, a segregationist, opposed the bill—but he argued that if it passed, white women should get the same protections being extended to black men and women.

Many legislators hoped, and others feared, that adding gender equality would kill the entire bill. Even after its passage, the director of the newly-formed Equal Employment Opportunity Commission refused to enforce the sex clause, calling it “a fluke…conceived out of wedlock.”

Women’s fury at that refusal jump-started a wave of legal and political activism that forever changed the roles of women (and men) at work and at home.

Stephanie Coontz teaches at The Evergreen State College in Olympia Washington and is Director of Research at the Council on Contemporary Families . Recent books include Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage and A Strange Stirring: The Feminine Mystique and American Women at the Dawn of the 1960s.

Read more about the inclusion of sex in the Civil Rights Bill, from 1964, here in the TIME Vault

Ronald Reagan Speaks to Conservatives (Oct. 27, 1964)

By H.W. Brands

Barry Goldwater’s campaign was floundering a week before the 1964 election. The candidate inspired none but the truest of believers; the Republican regulars were dejectedly heading for the exits. In a desperate effort to energize donors, the campaign put a political unknown on television—and Ronald Reagan proceeded to electrify the country. His 30-minute address, labeled “A Time for Choosing,” transformed the washed-up actor into the darling of conservatives and launched a political career that would carry Reagan to White House, revive American conservatism and push Soviet communism to the brink of dissolution.

H.W. Brands holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin, and is the author of two Pulitzer-finalist works of history. He is also currently writing, on Twitter , the history of the United States in haiku.

Read coverage of Reagan’s roll in the 1964 elections, here in the TIME Vault

The Immigration and Nationality Act Is Signed (Oct. 3, 1965)

By Vicki Ruiz

In a dramatic ceremony at the Statue of Liberty, President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, catalyzing an increase in cultural diversity in the United States. In the wake of the civil rights movement, the old restrictive quotas from the 1920s, which favored northern Europeans over southern Europeans, struck many Americans as anachronistic. President John F. Kennedy called this quota system “intolerable.” The 1965 act was meant to promote family unification, level the field for lawful entry and ease the way for foreign-born professionals. Fifty years later, its impact can be seen at all levels of society. Today over 40 million foreign-born individuals live in the United States, about three-quarters of whom have legal status. They and their American-born children comprise nearly 25% of the U.S. population. “The lady with the light”—to quote one Cambodian refugee—continues to burn bright.

Vicki L. Ruiz is Distinguished Professor of History and Chicano/Latino Studies at the University of California, Irvine, and the author of Cannery Women, Cannery Lives and From Out of the Shadows: Mexican Women in Twentieth- Century America . A fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, she is currently president of the American Historical Association.

Read 1965 coverage of the lifting of the quotas, here in the TIME Vault

Alcatraz Is Occupied (Nov. 20, 1969)

By Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

While organizing for self-determination within Native Americans communities and nations had proceeded throughout the 1960s, few in the general public were aware until the November 1969 seizure and 18-month occupation of Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. The occupation grabbed world-wide media attention. An alliance known as Indians of All Tribes was initiated by Native American students and relocated Natives living in the Bay Area. They built a thriving village on the island, which drew Indigenous pilgrimages from all over the continent and radicalized thousands, especially the youth. Treaties, self-determination, and land restitution returned to the national agenda, as the occupiers demanded implementation of international law. Negotiations ended the occupation when the Nixon administration agreed to amnesty for those involved.

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz is author of An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States.

Read original coverage of the occupation, here in the TIME Vault

Affirmative Action Goes Unchallenged (Oct. 12, 1971)

By Khalil Gibran Muhammad

For much of the 20th century, unions, private employers and government agencies affirmatively discriminated based on race—until, through workplace protests, public demonstrations and political negotiation, African Americans compelled Congress and President Richard Nixon to adopt affirmative action policies. In the late 1960s, the “Philadelphia Plan,” inspired by a set of local initiatives in that city, set federal hiring benchmarks for proportional representation of African Americans in many skilled and white-collar jobs generated by government contracts. Though the idea was challenged, in 1971 the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal, thus allowing the policy to stand and encouraging the growth of affirmative action.

Every sphere of American life transformed as a result. From college classrooms to corporate boardrooms, African Americans entered the middle-class in record numbers. White women and immigrants of color from around the globe also moved from the margins to the center of U.S. corporate culture. And the immediate and lasting impact of affirmative action has fueled nearly 40 years of conservative opposition and cries of “reverse discrimination” which remain at the heart of American political culture today.

Khalil Gibran Muhammad is director of the Schomburg Center For Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library. He previously taught history at Indiana University and was an associate editor at the Journal of American History.

Read 1970 coverage of the birth of the Philadelphia Plan, here in the TIME Vault

California Passes Proposition 13 (June 6, 1978)

By Lizabeth Cohen

In June of 1978 the voters of California overwhelmingly passed Proposition 13, limiting local property taxes and making it harder for communities to raise them in the future. This 20th-century tax revolt opened the floodgates to other anti-tax ballot measures at the state level and initiated a general shift in popular opinion. This anti-tax reorientation has decreased the amount and quality of public services; led to increases in alternative, regressive sources of taxation such as the sales tax; and encouraged new kinds of inequalities such as between old and new homeowners, between residents able to afford privatized services and those not, and between communities with other sources of revenue to support schools and services and those without. On a broader scale, Proposition 13 represented a new unwillingness to view government as a provider of positive benefits to all members of a community and an embrace of more consumerist and individualized ways of securing services.

Lizabeth Cohen is dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and Howard Mumford Jones Professor of American Studies at Harvard University.

Read 1978 coverage of Proposition 13, here in the TIME Vault

The Embassy in Tehran Is Occupied (Nov. 4, 1979)

By Tony Horwitz

The takeover of the U.S. embassy in Tehran set us down the track we’re still on in the Middle East. Iranian militants held Americans hostage for 444 days while decrying the U.S. and demanding the return of the Shah and his riches. The crisis cemented Iran, a former ally, as our greatest foe in the region. It bound us more closely to Saudi Arabia and other Sunni regimes. It led us to build up Saddam Hussein’s power as a bulwark against Iran—and we know how that turned out. Thirty-six years after the takeover, Americans still regard Iranians as treacherous and cast Shi’ites in general as extremists. U.S. impotence during the hostage crisis—including a disastrous rescue attempt—also helped sink Jimmy Carter in the 1980 election. There’s an intriguing what-if: had events played out differently in Iran, we might not have had Ronald Reagan as president.

Tony Horwitz is a winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the William Henry Seward Award for Excellence in Civil War Biography. He is currently the vice president of the Society of American Historians.

Read more about embassy takeover, as described in 1979, here in the TIME Vault

The Pneumocystis Pneumonia Report (June 5, 1981)

By Elizabeth Fenn

June 5, 1981. That’s the date that the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report ( MMWR ) published an article titled “ Pneumocystis Pneumonia–Los Angeles.” This succinct, two-page essay turned out to be the first published account of the AIDS epidemic. It described Pneumocystis carinii , a rare protozoan infection that exploits weak immune systems, as it had developed in five gay men. The years that followed brought untold suffering. But AIDS also ushered in a revolution in attitudes that has allowed us to talk about sexuality more frankly than ever before. In the end, ironically, this helped open the door to gay marriage.

Elizabeth Fenn is department chair and associate professor of history at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her book Encounters at the Heart of the World was awarded the 2015 Pulitzer Prize in History.

Read 1981 coverage of the mysterious disease, here in the TIME Vault

The Americans With Disabilities Act Is Signed (July 26, 1990)

By Akira Iriye

The Americans With Disabilities Act formally recognized the fact that people who are disabled, physically as well as mentally, are part of society. Toward the end of the 20th century, the United States came face to face with the fact these people cannot simply be ignored. This is a very personal observation, because we have a daughter who was born with some brain damage. Just as racial desegregation was important, it’s important that people with handicaps be recognized as full-fledged members of society. It’s a progression toward recognizing all people of all categories. The idea that some people are different, we are much more tolerant about that, and that’s one of the most major achievements of the 20th century. ( As told to Lily Rothman )

Akira Iriye, a historian with interest in global, transnational affairs, is Charles Warren Research Professor of American History at Harvard.

Read 1990 coverage of the ADA, here in the TIME Vault

The 1994 Midterm Elections Go to the Republicans (Nov. 8, 1994)

By Julian Zelizer

In the 1994 midterm elections, Republicans—led by Newt Gingrich—took control of Congress for the first time since 1954. Gingrich and his allies ran a masterful campaign that revolved around “The Contract with America,” ten promises that the GOP vowed to enact if they took power. Their victory opened up the Republican Party to more conservative elements, and shaped the generations of Republicans who have dominated Capitol Hill since that time, even during the period of Democratic control. But the outcome of that election was not just important in terms of who controlled the majority of Congress, but also because it launched an era when conservatism would make the legislative branch, rather than the White House, the base of their power. Through legislative control and partisan tactics that had once been considered impermissible, the post-1994 congressional Republicans made it much more difficult for liberal ideas to succeed in the United States.

Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, is the author and editor of numerous books on American political history. His most recent book is The Fierce Urgency of Now: Lyndon Johnson, Congress, and the Battle for the Great Society.

Read a 1994 cover story about the election results, here in the TIME Vault

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Home — Essay Samples — History — Contemporary History — 20Th Century

Essays on 20th Century

The 20th century: a time of immense change.

The 20th century was a time of immense change and upheaval, with significant events and movements that shaped the world we live in today. As such, there are a plethora of essay topics to choose from when exploring this fascinating period of history. Whether you're interested in politics, culture, or technology, the 20th century offers a wealth of material to explore.

World War I: Causes and Consequences

One of the most significant events of the 20th century was World War I. This global conflict had a profound impact on the world, leading to the collapse of empires, the redrawing of national boundaries, and the rise of new ideologies such as communism and fascism. A compelling essay topic could be the causes and consequences of World War I, including the Treaty of Versailles and the impact of the war on the global balance of power.

World War II: Far-Reaching Consequences

Similarly, World War II was a defining event of the 20th century, with far-reaching consequences that continue to be felt today. Essay topics related to World War II could include the rise of totalitarian regimes, the Holocaust, and the development and use of atomic weapons. You could also explore the impact of the war on the global economy and the establishment of the United Nations.

The Cold War: Dominating Global Politics

The Cold War, which dominated much of the latter half of the 20th century, is another rich topic for exploration. You could write an essay on the origins of the Cold War, the arms race, or the impact of the conflict on global politics and culture. The Cuban Missile Crisis, in particular, is a fascinating event that offers plenty of material for an in-depth analysis.

Social and Cultural Change

In addition to these major global events, the 20th century was a time of significant social and cultural change. The civil rights movement in the United States, for example, is a rich topic for exploration. You could write about the leaders of the movement, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, or the impact of the movement on American society and politics. Similarly, the women's rights movement and the LGBTQ rights movement offer plenty of material for thought-provoking essays.

Advancements in Science and Technology

The 20th century also saw significant advancements in science and technology, which have had a profound impact on the world. You could write an essay on the development of the internet, for example, or the impact of medical advancements such as antibiotics and vaccines. The space race between the United States and the Soviet Union is another compelling topic, offering insights into the political and technological competition that characterized the Cold War era.

The Impact of Globalization

Another interesting topic for exploration is the impact of globalization on the world in the 20th century. You could write about the rise of multinational corporations, the spread of Western culture, or the impact of global trade on developing countries. The end of the 20th century also saw the rise of the internet and the digital revolution, which has fundamentally changed the way we communicate, work, and interact with the world around us.

The 20th century offers a wealth of material for thought-provoking and engaging essays. Whether you're interested in history, politics, culture, or technology, there are plenty of topics to choose from that will allow you to explore the fascinating and complex events and movements that shaped the world we live in today. By choosing an essay topic related to the 20th century, you'll have the opportunity to delve into a rich and dynamic period of history that continues to influence our world in profound ways.

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Defining Moments in Canadian History

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The 20th century was dominated by significant events that defined the era. The first half of the century was the age of the World Wars and the start of the Cold War. The second half saw the replacement, largely as the result of those wars.

Spanish flu pandemic, World War I and World War II, the Great Depression, nuclear power, space exploration, decolonization, technological advances and the Cold War.

The World War I and World War II were the first global-scale total wars. In the 20th century nationalism became a major political issue in the world. During the century, the number of people killed by government actions was in the hundreds of millions. The deaths from acts of wars have been estimated at between 50 and 80 million.

At the beginning of the century, strong racial and sexual discrimination was significant in most societies. By the end of the 20th century, in many parts of the world, women had the same legal rights as men.

There were new developments in the physical, life and human sciences, that led to advancement in the fields of communication, electronics, engineering, travel, medicine, and war. The century was opened with amazing scientific and technological feats: the first flight by the Wright brothers, Henry Ford's first Model-T, and Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity.

The world population increased from about 1.6 billion people in 1901 to 6.1 billion at the century's end.

Most countries abandoned the gold standard for their currency. The Great Depression was a worldwide economic slowdown that lasted throughout the early 1930s.

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World History Edu

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10 Events in the 20th Century that Changed the World

by World History Edu · January 16, 2024

The 20th century was marked by numerous transformative events that significantly shaped the course of history.

Below, World History Edu’s team of world historians have compiled a list of 10 major events that had a profound impact on the world:

1. World War I (1914-1918)

The first global conflict of the 20th century, World War I, led to unprecedented destruction and loss of life. It also contributed to the downfall of empires, the redrawing of national boundaries, and set the stage for future conflicts.

World War I, spanning from 1914 to 1918, was the inaugural global conflict of the 20th century, leaving an indelible mark on world history.

Also called the War to End All Wars, the war’s scale resulted in unparalleled destruction and loss of life. Its aftermath witnessed the collapse of major empires, including the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, Russian, and German empires.

The redrawing of national boundaries through treaties like Versailles reflected a new geopolitical order, fostering instability and resentment. The punitive measures imposed on Germany contributed to economic strife, paving the way for the rise of totalitarian regimes and ultimately setting the stage for World War II.

Undoubtedly, World War I’s far-reaching consequences reshaped the global political landscape, challenging traditional power structures and laying the groundwork for the turbulent events that would follow in the 20th century.

Read More:  Reasons why the United States declared war against Germany in April 1917

2. Russian Revolution (1917)

The Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, led by Vladimir Lenin, resulted in the establishment of the first communist state. This event had far-reaching consequences, influencing the course of the 20th century and shaping ideological and geopolitical dynamics.

The  Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 , spearheaded by Vladimir Lenin, gave rise to the world’s first communist state, the Soviet Union.

This transformative event had profound and lasting implications, significantly shaping the trajectory of the 20th century. It introduced an alternative ideological paradigm that challenged prevailing political systems and ignited global debates on communism versus capitalism.

Nicholas II – The Last Czar of Russia

Furthermore, the geopolitical repercussions of the Russian Revolution in 1917 were substantial, leading to the Cold War rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States. The Bolshevik Revolution’s ideological and geopolitical impact reverberated across continents, inspiring movements and influencing the dynamics of international relations for decades to come.

10 Most Influential Russian Emperors and Empresses (Tsars and Tsarinas of Imperial Russia)

3. Great Depression (1929-1939)

The Wall Street Crash of 1929 triggered a worldwide economic downturn known as the Great Depression. It caused widespread unemployment, poverty, and social upheaval, and had a profound impact on economic policies and international relations.

The Wall Street Crash of 1929, a pivotal event in financial history, precipitated the  Great Depression , a global economic crisis lasting throughout the 1930s.

This catastrophic downturn resulted in widespread unemployment, poverty, and societal upheaval. The severe economic hardships fueled political unrest and contributed to the rise of authoritarian regimes. Governments worldwide responded with various economic policies, including the New Deal in the United States, aiming to mitigate the effects of the Depression.

Internationally, the economic upheaval altered the dynamics of international relations, fostering protectionism and contributing to the conditions that eventually led to World War II, marking the Great Depression as a transformative period with far-reaching consequences.

Cold War Timeline: When Did the Cold War Start and End?

4. World War II (1939-1945)

World War II, spanning from 1939 to 1945, stands as a devastating global conflict that altered the course of history. With millions of lives lost, it reshaped the geopolitical landscape.

The war’s aftermath marked the ascent of the United States and the Soviet Union as superpowers, setting the stage for the  Cold War . This ideological and geopolitical rivalry between the two superpowers defined international relations for decades.

Timeline of Important Events during World War Two

The onset of the nuclear age, demonstrated by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, added a new dimension to global politics. World War II’s profound consequences extended beyond its immediate aftermath, influencing the formation of alliances, the establishment of international organizations, and shaping the post-war world order.

Major events that facilitated Adolf Hitler’s rise to power

5. The Holocaust (1941-1945)

The systematic genocide perpetrated by Nazi Germany during World War II resulted in the mass murder of six million Jews. The Holocaust had a profound impact on human rights, international law, and the collective conscience of the world.

Nazi Germany’s systematic genocide during World War II, known as the Holocaust, led to the horrific mass murder of six million Jews.

This atrocity left an indelible mark on history, profoundly impacting human rights, international law, and global conscience.

The Holocaust spurred the development of international laws and institutions aimed at preventing such atrocities in the future. It stands as a stark reminder of the consequences of unchecked hatred and discrimination, emphasizing the importance of promoting tolerance, understanding, and vigilance against genocide.

The Holocaust’s legacy serves as a constant call to uphold human dignity and prevent the recurrence of such heinous crimes against humanity.

Why Did Adolf Hitler Hate Jewish People?

6. Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945)

The use of atomic bombs by the United States on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki marked the beginning of the nuclear age. It had immediate devastating effects and led to the arms race during the Cold War.

The deployment of atomic bombs by the United States on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 marked a pivotal moment in history, initiating the nuclear age.

The immediate and devastating impact of these bombings highlighted the unprecedented destructive power of nuclear weapons. Subsequently, the fear of nuclear conflict intensified, contributing significantly to the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. This nuclear arms race defined much of global geopolitics for decades, with both superpowers stockpiling and refining their nuclear arsenals.

The events at Hiroshima and Nagasaki underscored the ethical and geopolitical complexities surrounding nuclear weapons, influencing international relations and arms control efforts.

READ MORE:  How did Hiroo Onoda survive for three decades without surrendering after the end of WWII

7. Decolonization (1940s-1960s)

In the post-World War II era, European colonial empires in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East underwent a transformative process of decolonization. This marked the end of imperial rule as numerous colonies gained independence.

Decolonization, driven by various factors including nationalist movements and changing global attitudes, significantly reshaped global power dynamics. The emergence of new nations resulted in a more diverse and multipolar world. However, the process was complex, involving challenges such as political instability and socio-economic adjustments.

Scramble For Africa: History, Berlin Conference, Outcome, & Facts

8. Rights Movement (1950s-1960s)

The mid-20th-century struggle for racial equality in the United States, epitomized by leaders such as  Martin Luther King Jr.  and  Rosa Parks , spearheaded the Civil Rights Movement, bringing about substantial social and legal transformations.

Advocating for justice and equality, the movement challenged deeply entrenched racial segregation and discrimination.  Landmark events  like the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 contributed to the dismantling of institutionalized racism. These efforts paved the way for desegregation in schools, public spaces, and workplaces, fostering a more inclusive society.

While challenges persist, the Civil Rights Movement stands as a pivotal chapter in American history, inspiring subsequent social justice movements and shaping ongoing conversations about equality and human rights.

Greatest African-American Civil Rights Activists of All Time and their Achievements

9. Space Race (1957-1969)

The Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union extended into space exploration, marked by key milestones like the launch of Sputnik and the Moon landing.

The space race was emblematic of the superpowers’ technological capabilities, each seeking to demonstrate superiority. Beyond scientific achievement, it held profound implications for national prestige and security.

The successful landing of Apollo 11 on the Moon in 1969 not only represented a monumental leap in human achievement but also underscored the strategic and geopolitical dimensions of space exploration during this era of intense ideological competition.

Who was the First Person in Space?

10. End of the Cold War (1989-1991)

The fall of the  Berlin Wall  in 1989 and the subsequent disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 symbolized the conclusion of the Cold War.

This epochal event reshaped the global political order, ushering in a unipolar world with the United States emerging as the predominant superpower. The demise of the Cold War-era divisions between East and West transformed international relations, fostering a period characterized by increased globalization and shifts in geopolitical dynamics.

The collapse of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union not only marked the end of a long-standing ideological confrontation but also set the stage for new geopolitical challenges and opportunities in the post-Cold War era.

The Collapse of the Berlin Wall: When and Why Did It Fall?

10 Biggest Wars of All Time

Tags: 20th century Atomic bombings Civil Rights Movement Cold War Decolonization End of the Cold War Great Depression Holocaust Russian Revolution Space Race World War I World War II

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Exploring Twentieth-Century History

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For a long time, history curricula on the 20th century prioritised the narrative of a slide from World War I to World War II and fascism above many other topics. But the history of the 20th century is both far more complicated and far more interesting than that. For the historians writing here, the century was defined by the explosive global impact of World War I; by the global consequences of the 1917 revolution; by persistent ideas about empire, civilisation and race; by the spread of decolonisation and economic nationalism across the globe; by the transformation of China; by new ideas about human rights; by the radical transformation of attitudes towards gender, religion, money, consumption, sexuality, leisure and the environment; by a synthesis of new and old models of international co-operation; and by the mass movement of people.

Part and parcel of 20th-century history as presented here is an ever-evolving historiography that tries to narrate and explain it. Influential works such as Eric Hobsbawm’s Age of Extremes , first published in 1994, were shaped by the authors’ responses to the ideas and assumptions of their era. This is not to suggest they were wrong; but what seemed important and obvious to the authors of the pre-1990s histories of the century often looked rather different to later eyes. Historical interpretations develop as contexts change and new perspectives are brought to bear on familiar material. Now, almost two decades into the twenty-first century, new features of the twentieth century are coming into focus, as ongoing debates in the present are spilling into interpretations of the past.

This collection of articles by academic historians includes five overview essays – one talks about ways to conceive of the twentieth century as a whole, while the other four each introduce a specific period or ‘chapter’ of the century, juxtaposing both older and newer ways to think about chronology, periodisation, and some of the latest developments in the historiography. These are followed by two articles on 20th-century sources. 

The changing shapes of Europe's 20th century - Martin Conway

What is interesting about the World Wars? - Robert Gildea

What is interesting about the interwar period?  -  Daniel Laqua

When was the post-war? - Jessica Reinisch

What is interesting about the Cold War? -  Eirini Karamouzi

Twentieth-century sources

How is the source base of the 20th century different from that of other periods? - Julia Laite

What difference has the opening (and closing) of archives after 1991 made to the historiography of the Cold War? - Sarah Marks

  These articles are extracted from  Exploring and Teaching Twentieth Century History .

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100 History Research Paper and Essay Topics

15 August, 2021

13 minutes read

Author:  Richard Pircher

History is reasonably one of the most important subjects every student encounters in their school, college, or university life. Some students adore it and prioritize history among all other subjects, while others hate it and find it ultimately boring. The truth is, history class is quite essential: it teaches you how to think critically, reflect on the events, find links between cases and occasions, and gives you a valuable opportunity to develop analytical skills. Indeed, studying what happened in the past is critical for understanding the future and being able to interpret current events. Moreover, learning history can make us capable of controlling the things happening around us and contributing to the better quality of our own lives.

As a history student, you are certainly expected to compose sound essays on world history topics as well as elaborate on any American history topic. To make sure you write quality essays , you need to learn how to process history essay topics, outline your arguments, and depict historical events in a convincing and accurate way. All in all, keeping some pieces of advice in mind can do you good if your goal is to come up with interesting history topics and craft excellent essays. In the following guide, we will talk about the key features of a history research paper, discuss how to choose history topics to write about, and provide you with sample history topics.

What Is a History Research Paper?

A history research paper challenges students with analyzing literature sources that are relevant to a particular historical event or historical era. Writing such a paper requires thorough preparation as well as in-depth research. Just like other types of college essays, a history essay follows a standard structure, where you need to develop a thesis statement and support it with relevant arguments and respective data. Thus, the only difference between a history research paper and other types of academic essays is that the first one analyzes solely historical events.

When writing a history research paper, it is critical to keep several points in mind, namely:

• Relevance of the topic: why is it worth being discussed these days?
• How is the topic related to the current times?
• Why was the topic critical in the past?
• How can a topic contribute to solving current economic and social issues?

Once you consider all the tips outlined above, you’ll become a pro at mastering any subject, from United States history research paper topics to the history of the middle ages.

Problems with writing Your History Research Paper ? Try our Essay Writer Service!

A Quick Guide to Choosing the Right Topic

If your goal is to craft an amazing history research paper with a strong thesis statement and not a less strong argument, there is a lot of effort to be made. A huge component of success lies in choosing the right topic. If you select a good and interesting one, you facilitate the writing process for yourself as well as make sure you will ultimately grab the reader’s attention. You might need to step out of your comfort zone and avoid limiting yourself to typical topics that have already been discussed thousands of times. Take a look at some tips that will help you come up with interesting but at the same time controversial topics in history:

It is always helpful if you take a look at existing, ongoing research topics. Coming up with your topic might be quite a challenge if you have no idea of what is going on in History research. For instance, find 20-30 US history topics, take a look at them, and think for a while. Which one has grabbed your interest the most? Which topic has the most potential  and the biggest importance to you?

Do some prior research

Once you know the approximate direction of your research, go to the Internet and discover what others write about it. Try to search for some evidence you might need to apply in your paper. Once you find enough support and information, you will be able to narrow down the research topic and come up with your arguments for an essay.

Select the best sources

Writing a history research paper has a lot to do with literature research. You will need to find a bunch of online sources and select only the ones that are most relevant to your research topic. Make sure you use only the most reliable sources and always apply appropriate citations to avoid plagiarism.

Start outlining

Once you’re all set with a research paper topic, don’t forget to structure your history paper. Outlining is the key to writing a proficient, coherent, well-argumented paper. You will need to follow standard outlining: introduction, main body paragraphs, and a summary paragraph at the end. Make sure you have reasonable arguments and evidence for each point of your outline.

Develop multiple thesis statements

A thesis statement plays a critical role when we talk about history research papers. First, it gives the reader an idea of what you will be talking about in the essay. Additionally, it does let the reader know which line of arguments you will follow later on and helps them understand why you decided to talk about a specific historical event. To make it easier for you to structure body paragraphs, develop several statements. If you do so, you will develop several different arguments and finally choose the best ones.

Without further ado, take a look at 100 history research paper topics that will serve you as a basis for your own piece of writing:

Ancient History

• Ancient Rome vs. ancient Greece: which one had more power in the past, and whose impact can be traced better today?
• The philosophy of ancient greeks and its impact today
• How the voting system of ancient Greece was organized
• Protests in the ancient era: how demonstrations were organized in the past
• The political system of ancient Rome
• The military forces in ancient Greece
• How Gladiator games were organized and which goal they pursued?
• The society organization in ancient Egypt
• Alexander the Great as one of the most leading figures in ancient History
• Ancient Rome and civilian life

Middle Ages History Research Paper Topics

• Crimes in the middle ages and how criminal behavior was treated
• European Cities’ infrastructure during the medieval times
• Philosophers of Medieval times and their impact on life today
• The role of interfaith marriages in Medieval Europe
• The most meaningful discoveries during the Middle Times and their contribution to the world economy
• Revival of the Byzantine: the role and importance of the notion
• Quran and its role in Medieval Europe
• Middle Ages and the impact on the history of Europe
• Why do some historians associate the Middle Ages with the era of discoveries?

Modern History

• The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: the reasons and possible prevention mechanisms
• Native Americans in the US today
• US immigrant policy: the challenges that are being put on the foreign residents
• Social movements and the role of the industrialization
• Social movements in the US today
• The notion of Westward Expansion
• The most prominent inventions of the 21st century and their inventors
• Industrialization and its consequences for the US
• Great Recession: tracing the adverse consequence of the crisis today
• The role of NATO in the modern society

World History Research Paper Topics

• The war between the United States and Mexico: the reasons and outcomes
• The colonization of South America
• The famous battle at sea Spain and Great Britain
• How Medieval Europe shaped and perceived social interactions and personal relationships
• The long-term consequences of the Cold War between the countries of the Soviet Bloc and the United States
• The Chernobyl explosion: one of the biggest nuclear catastrophes of the mankind
• 1968 student revolts
•  Formation of the European Union and the key events that contributed to it

European History

• French revolution and the force distribution that followed
• The history of the European economy
• Early Modern Europe
• Muslims of Europe
• The propaganda of western theories in the 20th century
• England of the 17th century and the problem of gender bias
• The analysis of Mid-Tudor Crises in Europe
• The history of Nazi Germany: comparing German government of the past to the government of today

World War I

• The Treaty of Versailles and its impact on the events of World War I
• The Gallipoli campaign and the World War I
• The image of eastern and western fronts in ​​World War I
• Chemical Weapon in World War I: economic necessity or a hazard?
• The entrance of America into the World War
• Most influential alliances during the times of World War I
• World War I and the Russian revolution
• Battle at sea vs battle in the air: which countries used which strategies and why?
• People and World War I: the cost of lives

World War II

• How the Soviet army entered World War II and why its entry was critical for the World history
• Child labor during the times of World War II
• Africa and the World War II
• Why did America decide to take a neutral role during World War II?
• The fate of Germany after the end of the World War II
• The state of diplomacy during World War II
• The occupation of Japan
• The events of the final year of World War II
•  Resistance towards Hitler in Germany during the times of World War II

African American History Research Paper Topics

• The role of the 14th Amendment in the lives of African American society
• Attempts to end slavery via Abolitionist Movement: success and failure factors
• Angela Davis – one of the greatest civil rights activists in African American society
• How Black Codes were designed to limit the freedoms of African Americans
• Black History month: the roots of an opportunity to fight racism and learn the history of African Americans
• Dr. Martin Luther King and his impact that finds reflection in the African American society today
• Malcolm X and the rights of the people of color
• How cultural movements of African Americans contributed to the cultural diversity of the United States
• Robert F. Kennedy and the success of his speech

United States History

• The causes of civil war in the United States
• 1776: the years of independence declaration
• The key personalities during the times of revolutionary war
• American social movements and the consequences that industrialization has had on the first
• The history of slavery and human rights deprivation in the United States
• The role of indigenous people: how is modern culture shaped by the impact of native Americans?
• Analyzing the period between the wars
• Emancipation Proclamation of 1863
• Alcohol prohibition in the US: the roots and long-term consequences for the economy
• Some of the most prominent historical events that took place during the times of Cold War
• The Image of the United States during the Cold War
• Cold War ar the period of uncertainty, fear, and resilience
• The reason why Europe’s impact has been constantly shrinking at the times of cold war
• Countries involved in the cold war and their role in it
• Was it possible to prevent the Cold War or reduce its duration?
• The influence of the Cold War in the current era: comparison of Russian vs. American pop cultures
• The culture of the Soviet Union at the times of the Cold War
• Chinese Communist Revolution during the Cold War

20th Century History Topics

• American history of the 21st century
• Ronald Reagan and the impact of the Mixed Legacies
• The Holocaust and Roosevelt’s administration
• Vietnam war: the role of females
• Political Risks in American History during the reign of Harry Truman
• Dictatorship in North Korea: the reasons behind it
• The uprising of democratic movements
• The history of organized crime in the 1920s in America
• The greatest causes and consequences of the Great Depression
• The death of the Soviet Union: how the world’s biggest country came to an end

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Due to human nature, we draw conclusions only when life gives us a lesson since the experience of others is not so effective and powerful. Therefore, when analyzing and sorting out common problems we face, we may trace a parallel with well-known book characters or real historical figures. Moreover, we often compare our situations with […]

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Writing a research paper on ethics is not an easy task, especially if you do not possess excellent writing skills and do not like to contemplate controversial questions. But an ethics course is obligatory in all higher education institutions, and students have to look for a way out and be creative. When you find an […]

Art Research Paper Topics

Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […]

30 Most Popular World History Essay Topics in 2020-2021

Essay topics may surprise everyone. Some are assigned by professors, while some are figments of the students’ imagination. However, when it comes to World History, one doesn’t have a very broad pool for choosing something non-trite. That’s where students feel bored and aren’t interested in writing.

Students who don’t like writing about World History tend to buy essays online written from scratch to minimize the burden of studying. Yet, if you still believe in mastering the essay DIY, this article covers the 30 most popular World History essay topics of 2020-2021 as well as tips on how to choose one for your preferences.

How to Choose the Essay Topic in World History

Even though this article may hint you at the topic, you should start by researching which one goes over well with your mood.

• Brainstorm the World History areas or fields that you find the most interesting ones . It means a topic that will get you hooked on the research. You won’t be bored but eager to learn something new and deliver it to the audience or your professor. Note, if you choose a topic that seems a burden to yourself, success is unlikely to happen, especially with your potential grade;
• Research the chosen topic . Learn how much evidence and facts you may find to make your essay interesting. Ask a professor for advice since they may tell you about the fields not covered by other students previously;
• Prepare sources . Once done with the choice, ensure to collect as many reliable sources as possible to show your dedication to writing.

By following these three steps, you are half of the way until submitting an interesting World History essay.

Note, some students may also play smart and find an essay sample online. They rewrite it and submit it as the original one. Such intentions are better to avoid since 1) you don’t practice and work out your brain but get a ready paper; 2) a professor may still find it plagiarized with designated tools. Moreover, feel free to check the standard evaluation of World History essays.

Now, the topics. Off we go!

Top 30 World History Topics for Essays

• Comparison of slavery in ancient times with modern times in African regions;
• Plaques that managed to destroy populations in Europe and Asia;
• Egyptians have hidden goals while building pyramids;
• Chinese Great Wall - convict-built protection;
• Indigenous tribes of America;
• How did World War 2 change the world?
• What could have been done to prevent World War 2?
• Japanese Yakuza - ancient and modern traditions;
• The best inventions of history that don’t have alternatives;
• Cuban history - Revolutions and Freedom;
• Cold War - positive and negative outcomes;
• The bloody history of the British Empire;
• Roman military forces - What made them be one of the greatest warriors?
• Islam beliefs in the modern world;
• Post-war in Vietnam outcomes for the population;
• Fashion history:  Women clothes in the 18th century;
• Roman vs British Empires comparison;
• Pol Pot’s cruelty in Cambodia;
• The Nazi mission to change the world;
• Top 3 historical figures that changed the world;
• Bizzare medicine in ancient times;
• Hippie culture - Do we need one now?
• Iran and Iraq war - What are the positive outcomes if there are any?
• Gender roles in American government in the 19th century;
• Pirates in Somali - Why and at What Cost?
• Colonization of Africa - Why African people struggle with basics until now?
• Soviet countries technology in 2021;
• Russia - Why is everyone scared of the country?
• Conquering space - American and Russian outcomes;
• Covid-19 - Is there any hope for a total cure?

These are examples. Based on any above-mentioned topic, you may find alternative topics. For instance, “Bizzare medicine in ancient times” - you may take Asian medicine or European medicine to write about. Otherwise, you may generally speak of the diseases of ancient times, and how people managed to survive them with holistic treatments.

How to Make World History Writing Interesting?

To help you discover as many inspirational moods as possible, think about turning to the following platforms:

Another method to make your essay flawless if you have enough time is to use social media. Don’t be surprised. For instance, you write about Hippie Culture in America, and you want more facts or interesting stories. Find the designated groups online where people share their love for this culture. These groups might be followed by senior representatives of the hippie movement, and you may directly ask them for some interesting stories. Such an approach to writing will be much appreciated by your professor. Beyond that, it is a non-trite way of writing that other students might not even think of.

Note, every fact that you add to your history essay should have a solid backup. If you cannot double-check the veracity of the fact, don’t add it. It concerns the dates, names, and outcomes. If you are not sure about one even specific date, round it or use the century just. However, it is always better to fill your paper with traceable facts that your professor may check anytime.

Finally, prior to submitting your essay in World History, ensure to check it with plagiarism tools. Even though you could write it on your own, some statements may look like the borrowed ones. Especially, it concerns the quotes. If so, you cannot prove after the professor that it is your creation written from scratch.

Feel free to choose any topic and master it until it is tasty to read. World History is not always a happy or interesting matter, however, you may change your audience’s opinion once and forever.

A Timeline of the 20th Century

• Invention Timelines
• Famous Inventions
• Famous Inventors
• Patents & Trademarks
• Computers & The Internet
• American History
• African American History
• African History
• Ancient History and Culture
• Asian History
• European History
• Latin American History
• Medieval & Renaissance History
• Military History
• The 20th Century
• Women's History
• B.A., History, University of California at Davis

The 20th century began without planes, televisions, and of course, computers. These inventions radically transformed the lives of people around the globe, with many changes originating in the United States. This century witnessed two world wars, the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Holocaust in Europe, the Cold War, revolutionary social equality movements, and the exploration of space. Get the details in this decade-by-decade timeline of the 20th century.

Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images

This opened the 20th century with some amazing scientific and technological feats: the first flight by the Wright brothers, Henry Ford's first Model-T, and Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity. It also included hardships like the Boxer Rebellion and the San Francisco Earthquake.

The 1900s also saw the burgeoning of the silent movie industry (Georges Melies' 400th film "A Trip to the Moon" was made in 1903) and the teddy bear. In 1908, there was a massive and mysterious explosion in Siberia called the Tunguska event, today generally thought to have been caused by an air burst from an asteroid.

This decade was dominated by the first "total war"—World War I. It also saw other huge changes during the Russian Revolution and the beginning of Prohibition in the United States. Tragedy struck when a fire rampaged through New York City's Triangle Shirtwaist Factory (1911); the "unsinkable" Titanic hit an iceberg and sank (1912), taking the lives of more than 1,500; and the Flu Pandemic of 1918 killed millions around the world.

On a more positive note, the Armory show of 1913 rocked the art world with its shocking innovations climaxing in the Dada movement. People in the 1910s also got their first taste of an Oreo cookie and could fill out their first crossword.

The Roaring '20s were a time of a booming stock market, speakeasies, short skirts, the Charleston, and jazz. The '20s also showed great strides in women's suffrage —women got the vote in 1920. Archaeology hit the mainstream with the discovery of King Tut's Tomb.

There were an amazing number of cultural firsts of the 20th century, including the first talking film, Babe Ruth hitting his home-run record of 60 home runs in a season, and the first Mickey Mouse cartoon. 

The Great Depression hit the world hard in the 1930s . The Nazis took advantage of this situation and came to power in Germany, established their first concentration camp, and began a systematic persecution of Jews in Europe. In 1939, they invaded Poland and sparked the beginning of World War II.

Other news in the 1930s included the disappearance of aviator Amelia Earhart over the Pacific, a wild and murderous crime spree by Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, and the imprisonment of Chicago mobster Al Capone for income tax evasion.

World War II was already underway by the time the 1940s began, and it was definitely the big event of the first half of the decade. The Nazis established death camps in their effort to murder millions of Jews during the Holocaust, who were eventually liberated as the Allies  conquered Germany and the war ended in 1945.

Shortly after World War II ended, the Cold War began between the West and the Soviet Union. The 1940s also witnessed the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and the beginning of apartheid in South Africa, which continued long into the 20th century.

The 1950s are sometimes referred to as the Golden Age. Color TV was invented, the polio vaccine was discovered, Disneyland opened in California, and Elvis Presley gyrated his hips on "The Ed Sullivan Show ."  The Cold War continued as the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union heated up.

The 1950s also saw segregation ruled illegal in the U.S. and the beginning of the civil rights movement.

To many, the 1960s can be summed up as the Vietnam War , hippies, drugs, protests, and rock 'n roll. A common joke goes, "If you remember the '60s, you weren't there." Other revolutionary movements of the decade included the Stonewall Riots and the beginnings of LGBTQ+ rights, the Women's Lib movement, and the continuing and growing civil rights movement. The Beatles became popular, and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made his "I Have a Dream" speech.

Alongside these revolutionary cultural changes, geopolitics was equally dramatic: The U.S. entered the Vietnam War, the Berlin Wall was built, and the Soviets launched the first man into space. President John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Robert Kennedy were all assassinated. 

The Vietnam War was still a major event in the early 1970s. Tragic events dominated the era, including the deadliest earthquake of the century, the Jonestown massacre , the Munich Olympics massacre, the taking of American hostages in Iran, and the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island.

Culturally, disco became extremely popular, M*A*S*H* premiered on television, and Star Wars hit theaters—one of the biggest films of the 20th century. In the landmark case Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court made abortion legal, and the Watergate scandal reached its climax when President Richard Nixon resigned.

Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev's policies of glasnost and perestroika began the end of the Cold War. This was soon followed by the surprising fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

There were also some disasters this decade, including the eruption of Mount St. Helens, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Ethiopian famine, a huge poison gas leak in Bhopal, and the scourge of AIDS.

Culturally, the 1980s saw the introduction of the mesmerizing Rubik's Cube, the Pac-Man video game, and Michael Jackson's Thriller video. CNN, the first 24-hour cable news network debuted.

In the last decade of the 20th century, the Cold War ended, Nelson Mandela was released from prison, and the internet changed life as everyone knew it. In many ways, the 1990s seemed a decade of both hope and relief.

But the decade also saw its fair share of tragedy, including the Oklahoma City bombing, the Columbine High School massacre, and the genocide in Rwanda.

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History Research Paper Topics

200 History Research Paper Topics

Welcome to the comprehensive list of history research paper topics. In this section, we have curated a diverse collection of topics covering various periods, regions, and themes in history. Whether you are a student seeking inspiration or a researcher looking for new avenues of exploration, these topics will provide you with a wealth of possibilities for your research. We have organized the topics into 20 categories, each representing a distinct aspect of human history. From the 20th century to ancient civilizations, from political movements to cultural developments, and from scientific advancements to the experiences of marginalized groups, this list encompasses a wide range of historical subjects. Let us embark on this fascinating journey through time and uncover captivating research paper topics in history.

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20th Century History

• The World Wars: Causes, Consequences, and Lessons Learned
• The Cold War: Superpower Rivalry and Global Implications
• The Civil Rights Movement: Struggles for Equality and Social Justice
• The Rise and Fall of Fascism: Hitler, Mussolini, and Totalitarian Regimes
• The Space Race: Exploration, Innovation, and the Moon Landing
• The Women’s Suffrage Movement: Empowerment and Political Activism
• The Great Depression: Socioeconomic Impact and Recovery Efforts
• The Vietnam War: Perspectives, Protests, and the Anti-war Movement
• Decolonization: Nationalism, Independence Movements, and Postcolonial Realities
• The Digital Age: Technological Advancements and the Information Revolution

African History

• Ancient Egypt: Pharaohs, Pyramids, and Civilization
• The Transatlantic Slave Trade: Origins, Impact, and Resistance
• Pan-Africanism: Identity, Unity, and Liberation Movements
• Apartheid in South Africa: Struggles for Equality and Nelson Mandela’s Legacy
• Colonialism and Independence Movements in Africa
• African Traditional Religion: Beliefs, Rituals, and Cultural Practices
• African Art and Cultural Expressions: Masks, Sculptures, and Textiles
• The Rwandan Genocide: Causes, Consequences, and Reconciliation
• African Literature: Identity, Postcolonialism, and Representation
• Economic Development and Challenges in Contemporary Africa

Ancient History

• The Rise and Fall of Ancient Civilizations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome
• Alexander the Great: Conquests, Empire, and Legacy
• The Persian Empire: Expansion, Administration, and Cultural Exchange
• Ancient Chinese Dynasties: Politics, Philosophy, and Inventions
• The Maya Civilization: Religion, Mathematics, and Architecture
• The Byzantine Empire: Politics, Religion, and Artistic Achievements
• The Aztec Empire: Society, Warfare, and Cultural Practices
• Ancient Indian History: Indus Valley Civilization, Mauryan Empire, Gupta Empire
• The Phoenicians: Seafaring, Trade, and Cultural Influences
• Ancient African Civilizations: Ghana, Mali, Songhai

American History

• The American Revolution: Causes, Battles, and the Birth of a Nation
• The Founding Fathers: Contributions, Ideals, and the Constitution
• Westward Expansion: Manifest Destiny, Frontier Life, and Native American Relations
• The Civil War: Causes, Consequences, and the Abolition of Slavery
• The Roaring Twenties: Jazz Age, Prohibition, and Changing Social Norms
• The Civil Rights Movement: Leaders, Events, and Achievements
• The Great Depression: Economic Crisis and the New Deal
• The Cold War and America’s Global Role
• Women’s Rights Movement: Suffrage, Feminism, and Gender Equality
• The 21st Century: Challenges, Progress, and Future Perspectives

Art History

• Renaissance Art: Masters, Techniques, and Cultural Context
• Impressionism: Origins, Techniques, and Influential Artists
• Modernism and Avant-garde Movements: Cubism, Surrealism, and Abstract Expressionism
• Renaissance Architecture: Cathedrals, Palaces, and Urban Planning
• Ancient Greek and Roman Art: Sculptures, Mosaics, and Temples
• Islamic Art and Architecture: Calligraphy, Mosques, and Geometric Patterns
• African Art: Masks, Sculptures, and Symbolism
• Asian Art Traditions: Chinese, Japanese, and Indian Art
• Indigenous Art: Cultural Significance and Contemporary Expression
• Contemporary Art: Installations, Performance Art, and Digital Media

Asian History

• The Silk Road: Trade, Cultural Exchange, and the Spread of Ideas
• Ancient Chinese Dynasties: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Imperial Rule
• The Samurai: Warriors, Codes of Conduct, and Feudal Japan
• The Mughal Empire: Cultural Flourishing and Architectural Marvels
• The Opium Wars: Imperialism and China’s Transformation
• Colonialism and Independence Movements in India and Southeast Asia
• Confucianism and Taoism: Philosophical Foundations and Social Values
• The Korean War: Origins, Conflict, and Divided Nations
• The Vietnam War: Regional Dynamics and Global Implications
• Economic Development and Technological Advancements in East Asia

British History

• The Tudor Dynasty: Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, and Religious Reformation
• The British Empire: Colonization, Trade, and Global Impact
• The Industrial Revolution in Britain: Innovations, Urbanization, and Social Change
• The Suffragette Movement: Women’s Rights and the Fight for Representation
• The Victorian Era: Society, Culture, and Technological Advancements
• World War I and II: Britain’s Role and Resilience
• The Irish Troubles: Nationalism, Conflict, and Peace Process
• The British Welfare State: Social Policies, Healthcare, and Education
• The Falklands War: Sovereignty, Conflict, and National Identity
• The Brexit Saga: Referendum, Negotiations, and Future of the United Kingdom

Cultural History

• Cultural Revolutions: Societal Transformations and New Norms
• The Renaissance: Revival of Arts, Literature, and Humanism
• Counter-Culture Movements: Beat Generation, Hippies, and Punk
• Cultural Exchange and Cross-Cultural Encounters
• Language and Identity: Linguistic Diversity and Cultural Preservation
• Music and Society: Impact of Genres, Artists, and Movements
• Fashion and Style: Trends, Symbolism, and Cultural Significance
• The History of Food: Culinary Traditions and Cultural Identity
• Performing Arts: Theater, Dance, and the Evolution of Entertainment
• Visual Culture and Media: Advertising, Photography, and Propaganda

Economic History

• The Industrial Revolution: Economic Transformation and Labor Conditions
• Mercantilism and Colonial Economies: Trade, Exploitation, and Economic Development
• The Great Depression: Causes, Effects, and Recovery Efforts
• Economic Systems: Capitalism, Socialism, and Mixed Economies
• Globalization and the World Economy: Trade, Finance, and Multinational Corporations
• Economic Inequality and Income Distribution: Historical Perspectives
• Economic Effects of Technological Advancements: From the Steam Engine to Artificial Intelligence
• Economic Impacts of Wars and Conflicts: Reconstruction, Boom, or Bust
• Agricultural Revolutions: Shifts in Farming Techniques and Food Production
• Economic Development in Developing Countries: Challenges and Strategies

Environmental History

• Industrialization and Environmental Impact: Pollution, Resource Depletion, and Climate Change
• Conservation Movements and National Parks: Preservation of Natural Spaces
• Environmental Disasters and Their Consequences: Chernobyl, Deepwater Horizon, and more
• Environmental Policy and Regulation: Historical Approaches and Current Debates
• Deforestation and Land Use Changes: Historical Patterns and Ecological Consequences
• Indigenous Ecological Knowledge and Practices: Sustainable Resource Management
• Environmental Justice Movements: Advocacy for Marginalized Communities
• Pollution and Public Health: Historical Perspectives and Environmental Health Policies
• Environmental Movements: Greenpeace, Earth Day, and Activism
• Sustainable Development and Historical Lessons: Balancing Economic Growth and Environmental Protection

European History

• The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire
• The French Revolution and Its Impact on Europe
• The Renaissance: Cultural and Intellectual Awakening in Europe
• The Industrial Revolution and its Consequences in Europe
• The World Wars: Causes, Impacts, and Legacies in Europe
• The Cold War and the Division of Europe
• European Colonialism and its Effects on Indigenous Peoples
• The European Union: Integration and Challenges
• Nationalism and Nation-Building in Europe
• The Fall of the Berlin Wall and the Reunification of Germany

History of Science and Technology

• The Scientific Revolution and its Influence on Society
• The Development of Modern Medicine: Breakthroughs and Ethical Dilemmas
• The Space Race: Exploring the Final Frontier
• The Internet Revolution: Transforming Communication and Information Exchange
• The Impact of the Printing Press on the Spread of Knowledge
• The Industrial Revolution and Technological Advancements
• The Discovery and Understanding of DNA: Revolutionizing Genetics
• Innovations in Transportation: From Horse-drawn Carriages to Automobiles
• The Green Revolution: Agricultural Advances and Challenges
• The Evolution of Computers: From Mainframes to Personal Devices

Indigenous History

• Indigenous Cultures and Traditions: Preservation and Revitalization Efforts
• Colonization and its Impact on Indigenous Peoples
• Land Rights and Indigenous Sovereignty Movements
• Indigenous Resistance and Activism: Struggles for Autonomy and Recognition
• Indigenous Healing Practices and Traditional Medicine
• Oral History and Indigenous Knowledge Systems
• Indigenous Art and Cultural Expressions
• Indigenous Languages: Revitalization and Preservation Efforts
• The Impact of Western Education on Indigenous Communities
• Indigenous Rights and Environmental Conservation

Intellectual History

• The Enlightenment and the Age of Reason
• The Influence of Philosophers: Locke, Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu
• The Impact of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution on Intellectual Thought
• Marxism and Socialism: Ideas and Movements
• The Feminist Movement and the Quest for Gender Equality
• Existentialism and its Influence on Modern Philosophy
• Postmodernism: Challenging Traditional Notions of Knowledge and Truth
• The Rise of Human Rights Discourse
• The Role of Intellectuals in Political and Social Change
• Intellectual Responses to Globalization and the Digital Age

Medieval History

• Feudalism and the Social Structure of Medieval Europe
• The Crusades: Religious Conflict and Cultural Exchange
• Knights, Chivalry, and the Code of Honor
• Medieval Castles and their Role in Society
• The Black Death: Causes, Impact, and Responses
• The Magna Carta and the Evolution of Legal Systems
• The Hundred Years’ War: Power Struggles and National Identity
• The Inquisition: Religious Orthodoxy and Persecution
• Medieval Trade Routes and the Rise of Merchant Guilds
• Medieval Manuscripts and the Preservation of Knowledge

Military History

• Ancient Warfare: Strategies and Tactics
• The Art of War: Sun Tzu’s Influence on Military Thought
• The Battle of Waterloo: Turning Point in European History
• World War I: The Great War and its Consequences
• The Battle of Stalingrad: The Turning Point of World War II
• Nuclear Weapons and the Cold War Arms Race
• Guerrilla Warfare: Tactics and Impact in Modern Conflicts
• Military Leaders and their Influence on History
• The Role of Technology in Modern Warfare
• The Ethics of War and the Just War Theory

Political History

• The Rise and Fall of Ancient Empires: Egypt, Greece, Rome
• The American Revolution: Independence and the Birth of a Nation
• The French Revolution: Causes, Events, and Consequences
• The Women’s Suffrage Movement: Gaining Political Rights
• Decolonization and the End of European Imperialism
• The Cold War: Ideological Conflict and Global Power Struggles
• The Collapse of the Soviet Union: End of the Communist Era
• Apartheid in South Africa: Racial Segregation and Resistance
• The Arab Spring: Political Transformations in the Middle East

Renaissance History

• The Italian Renaissance: Art, Architecture, and Humanism
• The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment
• The Printing Press and the Spread of Knowledge
• Renaissance Literature: Shakespeare and his Contemporaries
• The Medici Family: Patrons of the Arts and Political Power
• The Reformation: Religious Reform and the Rise of Protestantism
• The Age of Exploration: Navigating New Worlds
• Women in the Renaissance: Challenges and Contributions
• The Impact of Renaissance Ideas on European Society
• The Legacy of Renaissance Thinkers: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and More

Social History

• The Industrial Revolution and its Impact on Society
• Urbanization and the Growth of Cities
• Social Movements: Civil Rights, Feminism, LGBTQ+ Rights
• The Evolution of Family Structures and Gender Roles
• Immigration and the Formation of Ethnic Communities
• The Welfare State: Social Policies and their Impact
• The Rise of Consumer Culture: Advertising and Mass Media
• The Evolution of Education Systems
• Sports and Leisure: Changing Social Dynamics
• Social Class and Inequality: Past and Present

Women’s History

• Women’s Suffrage Movements: Struggles for Political Rights
• Women in Ancient Civilizations: Contributions and Limitations
• Feminism and the Second Wave: Challenging Patriarchy
• Women’s Role in World War II: From Home Front to Frontlines
• The Women’s Liberation Movement: Redefining Gender Roles
• Women in Science: Breaking Barriers and Achieving Recognition
• Gender and Sexuality: Historical Perspectives and Activism
• Women’s Health and Reproductive Rights: Challenges and Advances
• Women in Leadership: Pioneers and Trailblazers
• Women’s Rights and Empowerment in the 21st Century

In conclusion, this comprehensive list of history research paper topics provides a broad and diverse range of subjects for exploration and investigation. From ancient civilizations to modern events, from cultural developments to economic transformations, and from political movements to social struggles, these topics offer endless possibilities for historical research. Whether you are interested in a specific era, region, or theme, you will find a wealth of captivating research paper topics to delve into. So, choose a topic that resonates with your interests and embark on a journey of discovery and understanding through the rich tapestry of human history.

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History and its Range of Research Paper Topics

In the vast realm of history, there is an incredible diversity of topics to explore and research. From the tumultuous events of the 20th century to the intricate civilizations of ancient times, the field of history offers a wide range of fascinating subjects for research papers. In this article, we will delve into the rich tapestry of history and explore the captivating themes and topics that researchers can explore within various categories.

• 20th Century History : The 20th century witnessed significant upheavals and transformations that shaped the modern world. Topics within this category could include the World Wars, the Cold War, decolonization movements, the civil rights movement, and the effects of globalization on the world order. These topics offer opportunities to examine the causes, impacts, and legacies of major historical events and their lasting significance.
• African History : The history of Africa is filled with rich narratives, ancient civilizations, and struggles for independence. Research topics in this category might encompass precolonial kingdoms, the transatlantic slave trade, decolonization movements, postcolonial challenges, and the cultural impact of the African diaspora. Exploring African history provides a deeper understanding of the continent’s diverse cultures, achievements, and challenges throughout different time periods.
• Ancient History : Ancient civilizations have left an indelible mark on human history. Within this category, one can explore topics such as ancient Egypt with its religious practices and monumental structures, the rise and fall of classical Greece, the Roman Empire’s expansion and decline, the captivating civilizations of Mesopotamia, and the enigmatic Indus Valley Civilization. Studying ancient history allows us to unravel the mysteries of our distant past and understand the foundations of modern society.
• American History : The history of the United States is a fascinating tapestry of triumphs, struggles, and transformations. Research paper topics in American history can encompass pivotal events such as the American Revolution, the institution of slavery and the abolitionist movement, the Civil War and Reconstruction era, the Great Depression and the New Deal, and the civil rights movement. Exploring American history provides insights into the nation’s identity, values, and ongoing pursuit of equality.
• Art History : Art has always been an integral part of human expression and cultural identity. Art history offers a vast array of topics to explore, from the Renaissance and its impact on art and culture, to movements such as impressionism, cubism, and surrealism. Additionally, studying contemporary art trends provides a deeper understanding of the evolving nature of artistic expression and its relevance to society.
• Asian History : Asia is a continent steeped in rich history and diverse cultures. Topics within Asian history may include ancient China with its dynasties, philosophies, and Confucianism, the profound influence of Buddhism and Hinduism in the region, the development of unique art forms and architectural marvels, and the socio-political dynamics of different Asian societies. Exploring Asian history allows us to appreciate the depth and breadth of this vibrant continent.
• British History : The history of Britain spans centuries and includes topics such as the Roman occupation, the Norman Conquest, the Tudor and Stuart dynasties, the British Empire, the Industrial Revolution, and modern British society. Researching British history provides insights into the development of constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy, and the cultural contributions of the British Isles.
• Cultural History : Cultural history explores the beliefs, values, practices, and expressions of different societies. Topics within this category can include the study of rituals, folklore, music, literature, and other cultural artifacts. Exploring cultural history allows us to understand how societies evolve, adapt, and shape their identity through shared customs and traditions.
• Economic History : Economic history examines the development of economic systems, trade, and financial practices throughout different time periods. Topics within this category may include the rise of capitalism, mercantilism, the industrial revolution’s impact on economies, economic policies during times of crisis, and globalization’s effects on national economies. Understanding economic history provides insights into the forces that have shaped societies and influenced their development.
• Environmental History : Environmental history focuses on the interactions between human societies and the natural world. Research topics within this category could include the impact of human activity on the environment, conservation efforts, the history of resource exploitation, and environmental movements. Exploring environmental history helps us understand humanity’s relationship with nature and the consequences of our actions.
• European History : Europe’s history is vast and diverse, spanning multiple regions, cultures, and time periods. Topics within European history might include the Renaissance and its intellectual and artistic achievements, the Age of Enlightenment, the French Revolution, the World Wars, the fall of communism, and the European Union’s formation. Studying European history offers a comprehensive view of the continent’s political, social, and cultural evolution.
• History of Science and Technology : The history of science and technology explores the advancements and discoveries that have shaped human knowledge and transformed societies. Research topics within this category could include the scientific revolution, the impact of the Industrial Revolution, the development of medical breakthroughs, the history of computing, and the influence of technology on everyday life. Exploring the history of science and technology allows us to understand the progression of human innovation and its impact on society.
• Indigenous History : Indigenous history focuses on the experiences, cultures, and contributions of indigenous peoples across different regions of the world. Topics within this category may include the impact of colonization, indigenous resistance movements, cultural preservation efforts, and the recognition of indigenous rights. Exploring indigenous history provides a perspective that challenges dominant narratives and highlights the resilience and richness of indigenous cultures.
• Intellectual History : Intellectual history examines the evolution of ideas, philosophies, and intellectual movements throughout history. Topics within this category might include the Enlightenment and its impact on political thought, the rise of scientific theories, the development of social and political ideologies, and the contributions of influential thinkers and philosophers. Exploring intellectual history helps us understand the shaping of human thought and the progression of ideas.
• Medieval History : The Middle Ages encompass a significant period in European history, characterized by feudalism, the rise of Christianity, knights, castles, and the Crusades. Topics within medieval history may include the Byzantine Empire, the Viking Age, the Norman Conquest of England, the Hundred Years’ War, and the influence of medieval literature and art. Studying medieval history offers insights into the political, social, and cultural dynamics of this fascinating era.
• Military History : Military history examines the wars, conflicts, and military strategies throughout different time periods. Topics within this category could include specific battles, military leaders, the impact of technological advancements on warfare, the role of warfare in shaping societies, and the study of military tactics and doctrines. Exploring military history provides insights into the complexities of armed conflict and its influence on societies.
• Political History : Political history explores the development of political systems, governance structures, and the exercise of power. Topics within this category might include the rise and fall of empires, the formation of nation-states, the study of political ideologies, revolutions and political movements, and the analysis of political leaders and their impact. Understanding political history helps us grasp the dynamics of governance and the forces that have shaped political structures.
• Renaissance History : The Renaissance was a period of cultural, intellectual, and artistic revival in Europe. Topics within Renaissance history may include the works of influential artists and thinkers such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, the impact of humanism, the scientific advancements of the era, and the spread of Renaissance ideas beyond Italy. Studying Renaissance history provides insights into the birth of modernity and the flourishing of arts and sciences.
• Social History : Social history focuses on the everyday lives, experiences, and interactions of people throughout history. Topics within this category could include the study of social classes, gender roles, family structures, education systems, labor movements, and social reforms. Exploring social history allows us to understand the lived experiences of individuals and groups and sheds light on social inequalities and societal changes.
• Women’s History : Women’s history examines the contributions, experiences, and struggles of women throughout history. Topics within this category might include women’s suffrage movements, the role of women in society, women’s achievements in various fields, the impact of feminism, and the study of influential women in history. Exploring women’s history provides a broader understanding of the significant role women have played in shaping societies.

These 20 categories encompass a vast array of research topics within the field of history. Each category offers a wealth of possibilities for exploration and discovery, providing students with the opportunity to delve into specific aspects of human experience and gain a deeper understanding of the past. Whether your interests lie in political history, cultural history, or the lives of remarkable individuals, history provides a captivating canvas for research and analysis.

Choosing History Research Paper Topics

Choosing the right research paper topic in history can be an exciting yet challenging task. The field of history offers a vast array of subjects to explore, but selecting a topic that is engaging, significant, and manageable can make a difference in the success of your research. In this section, we will provide you with expert advice on how to choose history research paper topics that will captivate your readers and allow you to delve into the depths of the past.

• Identify Your Interests : Begin by reflecting on your personal interests and passions within the field of history. Consider the time periods, regions, or themes that intrigue you the most. Engaging with a topic that genuinely captivates your interest will make the research process more enjoyable and rewarding.
• Narrow Down Your Focus : Once you have identified your general area of interest, it is essential to narrow down your focus. History is a vast subject, so selecting a specific aspect within your chosen field will enable you to delve deeper into the subject matter. For example, if you are interested in American history, you can narrow your focus to a particular era, event, or individual that sparks your curiosity.
• Consider Significance and Relevance : When choosing a history research paper topic, it is crucial to consider its significance and relevance. Select a topic that contributes to the existing body of historical knowledge, addresses an important historical question, or sheds light on lesser-known aspects of history. Researching and writing about a topic that has historical significance will make your paper more compelling and valuable.
• Consult Secondary Sources : Before finalizing your research topic, consult secondary sources such as textbooks, scholarly articles, and reputable websites. This will help you gain a broader understanding of the existing research and identify any gaps or areas that need further exploration. Secondary sources will also provide you with valuable insights and potential leads for your research topic.
• Explore Primary Sources : Engaging with primary sources is an essential aspect of historical research. Primary sources include documents, artifacts, eyewitness accounts, and other sources that provide firsthand information about the time period or event you are studying. Exploring primary sources will not only enrich your understanding of the topic but also allow you to bring unique perspectives to your research paper.
• Consider Multidisciplinary Approaches : History is an interdisciplinary field, and incorporating different perspectives and approaches can enhance the depth and breadth of your research. Consider integrating insights from related disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, literature, or political science into your historical analysis. This multidisciplinary approach will add richness and complexity to your research paper.
• Discuss with Your Instructor or Advisor : Engaging in a conversation with your instructor or research advisor can provide valuable guidance and insights. They can help you refine your research topic, suggest relevant sources, and offer feedback on the feasibility and scope of your project. Their expertise and experience can be instrumental in choosing a compelling and manageable research paper topic.
• Assess Available Resources : Before finalizing your research topic, assess the availability of resources, both physical and digital. Ensure that there are ample primary and secondary sources accessible to support your research. If specific sources are scarce, consider alternative approaches or adjust the scope of your topic accordingly.
• Stay Updated with Current Research : Keep yourself informed about the latest trends and developments in historical research. Attend conferences, read scholarly journals, and follow reputable historians in your area of interest. Staying updated with current research will not only inspire new research paper topics but also enable you to situate your work within the broader historical discourse.
• Choose a Manageable Scope : Finally, when choosing a history research paper topic, consider the scope and time frame that you can realistically cover within the given constraints. Be mindful of the length of your paper, the available resources, and the time you have for research and writing. Select a topic that is manageable and allows you to conduct in-depth analysis without becoming overwhelmed.

In conclusion, choosing a history research paper topic requires careful consideration and thoughtful decision-making. By identifying your interests, narrowing down your focus, considering significance and relevance, consulting both secondary and primary sources, engaging with multidisciplinary approaches, seeking guidance from instructors or advisors, assessing available resources, staying updated with current research, and choosing a manageable scope, you can select a compelling and enriching topic for your history research paper. Remember to enjoy the process of exploration and embrace the opportunity to contribute to the vast field of historical knowledge.

How to Write a History Research Paper

Writing a history research paper can be a rewarding and intellectually stimulating experience. It allows you to dive deep into the past, analyze historical evidence, and present your findings in a coherent and persuasive manner. In this section, we will guide you through the process of writing a history research paper, from choosing a thesis statement to organizing your content and crafting a compelling argument.

• Understand the Assignment Requirements : Before you begin writing, carefully read and understand the assignment requirements. Take note of the specific topic, formatting guidelines, length requirements, and any other instructions provided by your instructor. Understanding the expectations will help you stay focused and meet the objectives of the research paper.
• Choose a Clear and Concise Thesis Statement : The thesis statement is the central argument of your research paper. It should be clear, concise, and specific, conveying the main idea or argument you will be exploring in your paper. Take time to formulate a strong thesis statement that reflects your research question and provides a roadmap for your paper.
• Conduct In-Depth Research : A successful history research paper relies on thorough and comprehensive research. Engage with a variety of primary and secondary sources to gather evidence and support your thesis. Visit libraries, consult scholarly databases, explore archival materials, and use reputable online resources to access a wide range of historical information.
• Organize Your Research and Create an Outline : Once you have gathered sufficient research material, organize your findings and create an outline for your paper. An outline provides a structure for your writing and helps you maintain a logical flow of ideas. Divide your paper into sections based on your research, and arrange your main points and supporting evidence in a coherent manner.
• Develop a Strong Introduction : Your introduction sets the stage for your research paper and grabs the reader’s attention. Start with a compelling opening sentence to pique the reader’s interest, provide background information on the topic, and end with a clear and concise thesis statement. The introduction should give readers a sense of the historical context and the significance of your research.
• Present Well-Structured Body Paragraphs : The body paragraphs of your research paper should present and analyze your supporting evidence in a well-structured manner. Each paragraph should focus on a single idea or argument and provide relevant historical evidence to support it. Use topic sentences to introduce the main point of each paragraph and ensure a smooth transition between paragraphs.
• Analyze and Interpret the Evidence : As a historian, your role is to analyze and interpret the evidence you have gathered. Avoid simply presenting facts and dates; instead, critically analyze the evidence to uncover historical patterns, causes, and consequences. Use historical methodologies and theories to support your analysis and provide a nuanced understanding of the topic.
• Engage with Counterarguments : To strengthen your argument and demonstrate your understanding of the topic, engage with counterarguments. Address opposing viewpoints or interpretations and provide evidence to refute them or offer alternative perspectives. This shows your ability to critically evaluate different historical perspectives and strengthen your own argument.
• Craft a Cohesive Conclusion : In your conclusion, summarize the main points of your research paper and restate your thesis statement. Avoid introducing new information but instead, provide a thoughtful reflection on the significance and implications of your research findings. End with a strong closing statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.
• Revise, Edit, and Proofread : After completing your initial draft, take time to revise, edit, and proofread your research paper. Pay attention to the clarity of your writing, the coherence of your arguments, and the accuracy of your historical facts. Check for grammatical and spelling errors, and ensure proper citation of your sources using the appropriate citation style (such as APA, MLA, or Chicago).

By following these steps and adhering to the principles of historical research and writing, you can produce a well-crafted history research paper. Remember to maintain a clear thesis statement, support your arguments with relevant evidence, engage with different perspectives, and present your findings in a logical and compelling manner. Writing a history research paper allows you to contribute to the field of historical knowledge and develop your skills as a critical thinker and researcher.

iResearchNet’s Writing Services

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• Expert Degree-Holding Writers : Our team consists of experienced writers with advanced degrees in history. They have in-depth knowledge of various historical periods, regions, and topics. When you entrust your history research paper to us, you can be confident that it will be handled by a knowledgeable professional in the field.
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Navigating US History: A Student’s Guide to Research Paper Topics

As a student of history, you’re on a constant journey through time. Writing a research paper is more than just an assignment—it’s an opportunity to delve deeper into the events and periods that shaped the world we live in today. Whether you’re just beginning your journey or looking for fresh perspectives on well-trodden paths, this guide will provide a comprehensive list of US history research paper topics.

Table of content

The Importance of History Learning

Studying history provides a deeper understanding of societies, cultures, and the human condition. History shapes our collective memory, instilling a sense of identity and understanding of our place in the world. Exploring different eras helps us comprehend the consequences of certain actions, understand patterns, and better anticipate the future. Writing research papers on US history equips us with an analytical lens to critically assess the past, promoting empathy and encouraging informed citizenship.

The Art of Research Writing

Research writing requires a careful synthesis of existing knowledge with original thought. As a historical researcher, you act as a detective, deciphering mysteries, drawing connections, and unveiling the truths hidden in the annals of time. Your research paper is an exploration of your chosen topic and a demonstration of your analytical skills, critical thinking, and the ability to articulate complex ideas coherently.

Crafting your Research Paper Topic

Selecting an engaging and manageable topic is crucial in the research process. Your topic should be both broad enough to offer plenty of study sources and narrow enough to allow in-depth exploration. Below is a list of possible US history research paper topics.

Colonial Period

The Colonial Period, from the late 15th Century to the late 18th Century, marked the beginning of European settlement in what is now the United States. This era saw significant events such as the arrival of the Pilgrims, the establishment of the thirteen colonies, and the interactions between the settlers and the Native American tribes. This period set the stage for America’s diverse cultural, political, and social foundation.

Research Paper Topics for the Colonial Period

• Role of the Church in Colonial Society.
• Jamestown: Successes and Failures.
• Impact of Tobacco Cultivation on Colonial Economy.
• Life of Indigenous Tribes Pre-Colonization.
• The Salem Witch Trials: Causes and Consequences.
• The Role of Women in Colonial America.
• Early Forms of Democracy: The Mayflower Compact.
• Slavery in the Early Colonies.
• The Transatlantic Trade: Its Impact on the Colonies.
• Comparison of Northern and Southern Colonies.
• Analysis of Colonial Laws and Their Impact on Society.
• Evolution of Education in Colonial America.
• The Great Awakening and Its Impact on American Society.
• Indentured Servitude vs. Slavery: A Comparative Study.
• Navigation Acts and Their Influence on the Colonies.
• Impact of European Diseases on Native American Population.
• The Role of the Dutch in New Amsterdam (New York).
• The French and Indian War: Causes and Consequences.
• The Influence of the Enlightenment in the Colonies.
• Colonial Architecture: A Reflection of Cultural Identity.
• The Pennsylvania Colony: A Quaker Experiment.
• Cultural Exchange between Colonists and Native Americans.
• The Evolution of Colonial Economies: From Mercantilism to Capitalism.

Revolutionary Era

The Revolutionary Era, roughly from the 1760s to the 1780s, marked a period of political upheaval and radical change. It included events such as the American Revolution and the drafting of the US Constitution. This period represents America’s struggle for independence and the nation’s birth.

Research Paper Topics for the Revolutionary Era

• The Impact of the Stamp Act on the Colonies.
• The Boston Massacre: An Analysis.
• Role of Women in the American Revolution.
• The Philosophical Underpinnings of the Declaration of Independence.
• The Continental Congress: Achievements and Challenges.
• The Role of Propaganda in the American Revolution.
• Significance of the Battle of Saratoga.
• Comparative Analysis of the American and Haitian Revolutions.
• The Treaty of Paris (1783): Implications for America.
• Founding Fathers: Contributions and Controversies.
• The Federalist vs. Anti-Federalist Debate.
• The Role of African Americans in the Revolutionary War.
• The Impact of the Revolutionary War on Native Americans.
• Influence of the Enlightenment on the US Constitution.
• George Washington was a Military Leader.
• The Articles of Confederation: Strengths and Weaknesses.
• The Legacy of Thomas Jefferson.
• The Formation and Influence of the Sons of Liberty.
• Impact of the American Revolution on French Political Thought.
• The Bill of Rights: A Study in Civil Liberties.
• The Northwest Ordinance and Its Impact on American Expansion.
• Impact of the Revolutionary Era on American Literature.
• Loyalists during the American Revolution: Their Experiences and Contributions.

Nineteenth Century

The 19th Century was a time of dramatic transformation in America. From the expansion westward to the abolition of slavery and from the Industrial Revolution to the Civil War, these changes forged a new nation. It was an era defined by innovation, conflict, and expansion.

• The Impact of the Cotton Gin on the Southern Economy.
• The Missouri Compromise: An Analysis.
• The Role of Women in the 19th Century.
• Manifest Destiny and Its Impact on American Identity.
• The Abolitionist Movement: Key Figures and Contributions.
• The Mexican-American War: Causes and Consequences.
• The Impact of the Industrial Revolution on American Society.
• Analysis of the Compromise of 1850.
• The Fugitive Slave Act and Its Implications.
• The Influence of Transcendentalism on American Thought.
• The Homestead Act and Westward Expansion.
• Causes and Consequences of the Civil War.
• The Reconstruction Era: Successes and Failures.
• Role of African Americans in the Civil War.
• The Trail of Tears: Causes and Implications.
• The Emancipation Proclamation: Its Impact and Legacy.
• The Indian Removal Act: An Analysis.
• The Influence of the Gold Rush on American Society.
• The Formation of Labor Unions and Workers’ Rights.
• The Women’s Suffrage Movement: Key Events and Figures.
• The Dred Scott Decision and Its Impact on American Politics.
• The Impact of Railroads on Economic and Social Change.
• The Gilded Age: An Analysis of Social and Economic Disparities.

Twentieth Century

Monumental changes in technology, culture, politics, and social norms marked the 20th Century. The US emerged as a global superpower through its involvement in two World Wars, the Cold War, and numerous other international conflicts. This era also witnessed significant social changes, including the Civil Rights Movement, Women’s Liberation, and the Gay Rights Movement.

Research Paper Topics for the Twentieth Century

• Impact of World War I on American Society.
• The Harlem Renaissance: A Cultural Revolution.
• Causes and Consequences of the Great Depression.
• The Influence of the New Deal on American Government.
• Role of Women in World War II.
• The Atomic Bomb and the End of World War II.
• The Rise of Suburbia in Post-War America.
• The Cold War: An Analysis of US Foreign Policy.
• The Civil Rights Movement: Key Figures and Milestones.
• Impact of the Vietnam War on American Culture.
• The Watergate Scandal and Its Effect on Public Trust.
• The Feminist Movement in the 1960s and 1970s.
• The Space Race and Its Influence on Technology.
• The Impact of Television on American Society.
• The Environmental Movement and the Creation of the EPA.
• The Gay Rights Movement: Key Events and Figures.
• The Cuban Missile Crisis: An Analysis.
• The Immigration Act of 1965 and Its Impact on American Demographics.
• The War on Drugs: Causes and Consequences.
• The AIDS Epidemic and Its Impact on Public Health Policy.
• The Fall of the Berlin Wall and the End of the Cold War.
• The Role of the Internet in the Digital Age.

Final Thoughts

History research can be a challenging but rewarding endeavor. Remember, the best papers reflect your curiosity and passion for the topic. So, pick a topic that resonates with you, immerse yourself in the research, and enjoy the journey through time.

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US History Research Paper Topics: Moments that Shaped a Nation

Table of contents

• 1.1 Interesting US History Topics for Research Paper Before 1877
• 1.2 US History Paper Topics on the Civil War
• 1.3 American History Topics for Research Paper on Industrialization
• 1.4 American History Research Topics on Reconstruction
• 1.5 20th-Century American History Paper Topics
• 1.6 US History Term Paper Topics in World War I and II
• 1.7 American History Paper Topics about the Civil Rights Movement
• 1.8 Native American History Thesis Topics
• 2 Which Topics to Choose for History Research?
• 3 Conclusion: Reflections on America’s Past

Exploring the rich and complex narrative of the United States, this article is designed as a resource for students and researchers embarking on assignments that require a deep dive into American history. Perfect for term papers, thesis projects, and detailed historical analyses, the guide presents a curated selection of interesting US history research paper topics.

• We provide a comprehensive guide for students, researchers, and history enthusiasts seeking engaging and insightful topics for their research papers on American history.
• These topics cover critical eras and events shaping America, from the early days before 1877 to the transformative 20th century.

With these good US history research topics in mind, let’s go over each one in-depth, creating a foundation for smart research and analysis.

List of 160 American History Research Paper Topics

History is a rich and complex subject, ripe for exploration in academic research. Whether you’re a student seeking a topic for an assignment or a history enthusiast looking to delve deeper into America’s past, this list offers a diverse range of subjects. From early colonial times to the modern era, each topic provides a unique lens through which to examine the nation’s history.

Interesting US History Topics for Research Paper Before 1877

• The impact of European colonization on Native American societies.
• The Salem Witch Trials: Causes and effects.
• The role of the Seven Years’ War in shaping early American society.
• The Declaration of Independence: Context and legacy.
• The Articles of Confederation: Strengths and weaknesses.
• The Constitutional Convention of 1787: Key debates and outcomes.
• The Federalist vs. Anti-Federalist debate: Impact on the US Constitution.
• The Louisiana Purchase: Motivations and consequences.
• The War of 1812: Causes, course, and outcomes.
• Manifest Destiny: Ideology and impact on westward expansion.
• The Trail of Tears and Native American Removal Policies.
• The role of slavery in antebellum America.
• The Mexican-American War: Origins and effects.
• The Gold Rush of 1849 and its impact on American expansion.
• The Compromise of 1850 and its role in the lead-up to the Civil War.
• The Dred Scott Decision: Implications and controversy.
• The Underground Railroad: Key figures and operations.
• The election of 1860 and its role in the secession crisis.
• The role of women in antebellum America.
• Early American foreign policy: Principles and practices.

US History Paper Topics on the Civil War

• The causes of the American Civil War: A comprehensive analysis.
• Abraham Lincoln’s presidency and its impact on the Civil War.
• The role of slavery in sparking the Civil War.
• Military strategies of the Union and the Confederacy.
• The Emancipation Proclamation: Intentions and effects.
• Key battles of the Civil War: Gettysburg, Antietam, and others.
• The role of technology in the Civil War.
• The impact of the Civil War on civilian life in the North and South.
• The role of African American soldiers in the Civil War.
• The diplomatic dimensions of the Civil War.
• Reconstruction plans: Lincoln vs. Johnson.
• The assassination of Abraham Lincoln: Impact on post-war America.
• The economic consequences of the Civil War for the South.
• The role of women during the Civil War.
• The Draft Riots of 1863: Causes and impact.
• The impact of the Civil War on American literature and art.
• The role of nurses and medical practices during the Civil War.
• The use of propaganda in the Civil War.
• The transition from slavery to freedom during and after the Civil War.
• The legacy of the Civil War in American memory.

American History Topics for Research Paper on Industrialization

• The Second Industrial Revolution: Key innovations and their impact.
• The rise of American industrial tycoons: Carnegie, Rockefeller, and others.
• The impact of the railroad expansion on American society and economy.
• Urbanization in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
• Labor movements and strikes of the late 19th century.
• The rise of monopolies and antitrust laws in the United States.
• The impact of immigration on American industrial growth.
• The role of women and children in industrial labor.
• Technological advancements and their societal impact during industrialization.
• The emergence of consumer culture in the late 19th century.
• The environmental impact of industrialization.
• Social Darwinism and its influence on American society.
• The rise of organized labor and the American Federation of Labor.
• The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and its aftermath.
• The Homestead Strike: Causes and consequences.
• The impact of the Industrial Revolution on American agriculture.
• The role of education during the Industrial Revolution.
• Transportation innovations and their impact on American life.
• The evolution of American business practices during industrialization.
• The Gilded Age: Wealth, poverty, and social disparity.

American History Research Topics on Reconstruction

• The Reconstruction Amendments: Impact and limitations.
• Presidential vs. Congressional Reconstruction: A comparative analysis.
• The role of the Freedmen’s Bureau in post-Civil War America.
• Sharecropping and tenant farming: Continuation of slavery by another name?
• The rise and impact of the Ku Klux Klan during Reconstruction.
• The Compromise of 1877 and the end of Reconstruction.
• The Black Codes: Purpose and effects.
• The impeachment of President Andrew Johnson: Causes and consequences.
• The role of African Americans in politics during Reconstruction.
• Economic challenges of the South during Reconstruction.
• The establishment of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
• The legacy of Reconstruction in the South.
• The Jim Crow laws: Origins and impact.
• The role of women during Reconstruction.
• The Slaughterhouse Cases and their impact on civil rights.
• The Enforcement Acts and their effectiveness in protecting African American rights.
• The impact of Reconstruction on Northern society and politics.
• Education reform in the South during Reconstruction.
• The role of the U.S. military in enforcing Reconstruction policies.
• The long-term effects of Reconstruction on American race relations.

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20th-Century American History Paper Topics

• The Progressive Era: Reforms and key figures.
• The impact of World War I on American society and politics.
• The Roaring Twenties: Culture, economics, and politics.
• The Great Depression: Causes and the New Deal response.
• The impact of World War II on the American home front.
• The Cold War: Key events and American foreign policy.
• The Civil Rights Movement: Key figures and legislative milestones.
• The Vietnam War: Causes, course, and impact on American society.
• The Women’s Rights Movement of the 1960s and 1970s.
• The Watergate Scandal and its impact on American politics.
• The Space Race: Technological advancements and Cold War implications.
• The rise of environmentalism in the 20th century.
• The impact of the automobile on 20th-century American life.
• The rise of the American suburbs in the post-World War II era.
• The counterculture of the 1960s and its impact on American society.
• The Reagan Era: Policies and impact on the United States.
• The War on Drugs: Origins, strategies, and consequences.
• The impact of technological advancements on late 20th-century life.
• The rise of the internet and its impact on society and culture.
• The 9/11 attacks and their aftermath on American foreign policy.

US History Term Paper Topics in World War I and II

• The causes and consequences of American entry into World War I.
• The impact of the Treaty of Versailles on post-war America.
• American isolationism between World War I and World War II.
• The Lend-Lease Act and American support for the Allies before entering World War II.
• The attack on Pearl Harbor: Causes and immediate effects.
• The home front during World War II: Women, minorities, and the war effort.
• The role of propaganda in American support for World War II.
• The development and use of the atomic bomb.
• The impact of World War II on American foreign policy.
• The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
• The role of African Americans in World War II.
• The D-Day invasion: Planning, execution, and significance.
• The Battle of Midway: Turning point in the Pacific War.
• American military strategy in the European and Pacific theaters.
• The Holocaust and American responses to it.
• The post-war world order and the establishment of the United Nations.
• The GI Bill and its impact on post-war American society.
• The Nuremberg Trials: Legal and moral implications.
• The Marshall Plan and American post-war economic policy.
• The start of the Cold War: Origins and early confrontations.

American History Paper Topics about the Civil Rights Movement

• The Montgomery Bus Boycott: Causes and outcomes.
• The role of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Civil Rights Movement.
• The Little Rock Nine and school desegregation.
• The Freedom Rides: Objectives and impact.
• The Civil Rights Act of 1964: Development and effects.
• The Voting Rights Act of 1965: Importance and consequences.
• The role of women in the Civil Rights Movement.
• The Black Power Movement: Ideals and key figures.
• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on other minority groups.
• The assassination of Malcolm X: Context and aftermath.
• The Selma to Montgomery marches: Significance and outcomes.
• The role of the NAACP in the Civil Rights Movement.
• The Birmingham Campaign and the use of nonviolent protest.
• The role of the media in shaping public perception of the Civil Rights Movement.
• The Civil Rights Movement in the North: Challenges and Achievements.
• The Economic Bill of Rights proposed by the Poor People’s Campaign.
• The role of music in the Civil Rights Movement.
• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on American law and society.
• The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC): Contributions and challenges.
• The legacy of the Civil Rights Movement in contemporary America.

Native American History Thesis Topics

• The impact of European colonization on Native American cultures.
• The Trail of Tears: Causes, course, and consequences.
• Native American resistance movements: King Philip’s War, Pontiac’s Rebellion, and others.
• The impact of the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
• Native American life on reservations in the 19th and 20th centuries.
• The role of Native Americans in American wars.
• The Ghost Dance Movement and the Wounded Knee Massacre.
• Native American boarding schools: Policies and impact on culture.
• The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 and its implications.
• The American Indian Movement (AIM): Goals and major actions.
• The impact of the Dawes Act on tribal land and culture.
• The role of Native American women in their societies.
• Contemporary Native American issues: Sovereignty, land rights, and cultural preservation.
• The Native American Renaissance: A cultural and literary overview.
• The impact of environmental changes on Native American communities.
• The repatriation of Native American artifacts and remains.
• The role of treaties in Native American history.
• Native American spiritual beliefs and practices.
• The impact of the fur trade on Native American societies.
• Contemporary Native American political activism.

Which Topics to Choose for History Research?

Given the breadth and diversity of US history topics, choosing one to write about can be difficult. To reduce your options, think about your interests and the extent of your investigation. Look for themes that provide a balance of available materials and new perspectives to explore.

When choosing a topic, consider its significance in the larger context of American history. Consider how the topic has influenced or reflected societal, political, or economic trends. For example, topics such as the Civil Rights Movement and World War II provide insights into moments of revolutionary change and struggle.

Also, examine the availability of primary and secondary sources. A well-documented topic provides for a more thorough study and a stronger argument. Always ensure that your chosen topic adheres to the criteria and objectives of your assignment or research aim.

Conclusion: Reflections on America’s Past

In this journey through American history, we have explored various topics that offer a window into the nation’s complex and multifaceted past. From the struggles and triumphs of early American society to the transformative events of the 20th century, these topics provide a foundation for understanding how the United States has evolved. Engaging with these topics enriches our historical knowledge and deepens our understanding of the present. As students, scholars, or simply curious minds, delving into these aspects of America’s past can provide valuable insights and perspectives on the nation’s journey and its ongoing story.

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Complete List of 200+ Exciting History Research Paper Topics

Updated 08 Jul 2024

Most college and university students across the United States find history assignments way too challenging or even uninteresting. This happens because one has to brainstorm diverse subjects and look through countless lengthy books. Yet, what many fail to consider is finding good history research paper topics that are both interesting and unique. When a correctly chosen assignment topic inspires its author, it automatically becomes interesting for the target audience, increasing the chances of the assignment receiving better grades.

From Economics and Political Science to History & Anthropology, good research paper should include verified sources and correct information. Turning to professional writers at EduBirdie, every student will easily find excellent history research topics ideas and receive all kinds of professional writing help.

Which Research Topic is Considered Good

Defining good history research topic may be challenging when approached without prior outline and topic analysis by novice college students. It makes sense when working with large history projects that involve discussion and arguments. Once applicable topic is found, it should include strong thesis statement or an argument that reveals author’s intention and main idea. Remember that you can always use our thesis statement generator for research paper or turn directly to one of our writing experts when unsure about what kind of an argument should be made in relation to chosen subject.

With an endless amount of diverse topics existing, good idea search should start with the following:

• Topic is relevant, has clear statement
• Vague arguments are avoided, thus allowing author to focus on specific event or issues
• Prior literature, along with facts are checked and supported by sources
• Chronology is included if historic events are mentioned
• Outline with thesis statement & structure
• One idea - one paragraph rule helps define key ideas, connecting them to thesis statement

In most cases, when working on a research paper you are required to choose a particular writing style. It might be either reflective, analytical, argumentative or comparative one. It is essential, as most college professors want to see your personal input in the work. Try consulting our cheap research papers writers in case you encounter difficulties when choosing your own style. 

Choosing Relevant Topic for Research Writing

Unless student is already presented with certain history research paper topics, he or she is left with almost no time until deadline and challenges of narrowing down grand ideas to what fits within word count and research paper rules. This is where choosing relevant bits of information makes it crucial before outline is composed. Since majority of good research assignments include 3-5 body paragraphs, start by checking whether you may find at least 5 key ideas to write about when looking through existing ideas. For example, when writing about Pearl Harbor, the key rule is to outline a thesis statement and proceed with arguments or assumptions that constitute body paragraphs.

The most difficult yet still important part is narrowing down vague ideas to ensure that the information presented is not scattered through all overwritten assignments. In order to avoid trouble, always divide topics into several sections. When choosing Ancient Egypt, it is most likely that task is to write about something specific. A good paper will always make it clear in the Introduction, but even then, one should use topic sentences that help the reader to be aware of the main ideas. Need help with research paper ? We will get you through it.

For example, if it is immortality paradigm, paragraph should start with a sentence like “Immortality in Ancient Egypt played not only religious role, but also controlled social status of each ruler…”

This way, audience knows that author focuses on symbolic significance and importance of chosen idea. Later on, one may use “Immortality & Religion” or “Immortality in Social Relationships” to specify areas of research. This way paper remains structure, also has logical transition between paragraphs.

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Unique History Research Topics Tips

If you want hard work to pay off with success and good grades, ensure you do not limit yourself to what is most popular and easy. Do your best to choose something unique, an inspiring topic that you can relate to because if you do not feel motivated, your audience will feel the same way, too. It is no secret that history work may be time-consuming and impossible to complete with chronology and key figures involved, yet these simple tips will help you make it fun.

Brainstorm existing research topics. What it means is that you should look through at least twenty different topics, then take some rest and come back to it again to see what inspires you the most. Likewise, if you have some ideas or need unique U.S. history research paper topics, message our writing experts and we will do our best to expand on it.

Do prior research of chosen subject. Once settling on good ideas, always continue with searching to make sure that you can find enough information and sources to support crucial facts and ideas. Remember that correct citation helps to avoid plagiarism.

Work out several thesis statements in advance. Since this is what will make the heart of any written assignment, come up with different variations of thesis as it will be easier to adjust it later when you have body paragraphs ready.

Find reliable sources. As you have list of sources ready, ensure that they come from reliable resources or checked by your college professor, if required. Likewise, accurate formatting style is essential for good grades.

Start with an outline. This approach allows keeping information logical and structured. In most cases, it should include an Introduction with a Thesis Statement, 3-5 Body Paragraphs, one of which is a counterargument or opposite opinion, and a Conclusion.  

100 History Research Paper Topics

For your convenience, topics are sorted by relevant categories. From APUSH research paper topics to important figures in U.S. battle campaigns, let experts work and meet even the most urgent deadlines!

Ancient History

• Symbolism in Ancient Egypt
• From Assyria to Byzantium: Study of Power in Empires
• Women Role in Prehistoric Britain
• Responsibilities Distribution in Iron Age
• Sumerian Culture and Traditions
• Near Eastern Civilizations Analysis
• Water Sources Value for Central Anatolia
• Religion and Prophets
• Palestine History
• Death and Immortality in Ancient Egypt

Julius Caesar Topics Ideas

• How Julius Caesar Inspired Loyalty Among His Soldiers
• The Military Genius Of Julius Caesar – Innovative Tactics And Strategies
• The Dictatorship Under Julius Caesar
• Marcus Junius Brutus And His Role In The Assassination Of Julius Caesar
• Julian Calendar As A Major Social Reform
• The Rise And Fall Of Julius Caesar
• The Political Alliance Of Caesar And Cleopatra
• Julius Caesar And His Role In Building The Roman Republic
• The First Triumvirate – Gaius Julius Caesar, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus And Marcus Licinius Crassus
• Lessons Learned From Julius Caesar’s Memoirs

Middle Ages Research Topics

• The Role Of Religion In Everyday Life During The Middle Ages
• Asia During The Middle Ages
• Witch Trials In The Middle Ages – Prosecution Of The Powerless
• Scientific Advancements In The Dark Ages
• Developments Of Weapons And Armor In The Middle Ages
• The Crusades – Cruel Pilgrimage Or A Rightful Holy War?
• The House Of Medici And Its Powerful Role Towards The End Of The Middle Ages
• How The Invention Of Gunpowder Changed The Art Of War In The Middle Ages
• Rise Of Urbanization In Medieval Europe – Cause And Effect
• Chivalry In The Middle Ages

The Age of Exploration

• Navigational Advances: The Tools That Guided Explorers
• Christopher Columbus: Voyages to the New World
• The Impact of Exploration on Indigenous Populations
• Trade Routes and the Spice Trade: Economic Impacts of Exploration
• Colonization and Settlement: The Establishment of New Societies
• Cultural Exchanges and Influences during the Age of Exploration
• The Role of Religion in Motivating and Shaping Exploration
• The Legacy of Exploration: Modern Perspectives and Reevaluations
• Famous Explorers and their Journeys: Stories of Discovery
• The Environmental Impact of Exploration and Colonization

Modern History

• Evolving Role of NATO for the World Community
• Globalization Negative Role
• U.S. Involvement in Afghanistan
• Patriot Act Analysis
• From Ground Zero: Rebuilding United States
• Great Recession
• Social Inequality Reasons
• Chernobyl Explosion
• Reasons for the Syrian Conflict
• Cultural Changes in the Modern World

U.S. Civil War

• Abraham Lincoln's Assassination
• What Lies Behind Alabama Claims
• History Before 1877: Cause & Effect
• Atlanta Campaign Key Figures
• Battle of Chancellorsville
• Civil War and Its Legacy
• Confederate Monuments in the United States
• Homestead Act
• Civil War Facts and Controversies
• Mary Chestnut Personality

World History Research Paper Topics

• Mexican-American War
• Religion and Crusades
• Causes of Thirty Years War
• Use of Weapons in Ancient Civilizations
• Bridal Ceremonies in Ancient Rome
• Apartheid Impact
• South America Colonization
• Social Relationships in Medieval Europe
• Cold War Aftershocks
• Britain and Spain in Battle of the Seas

European History

• Military Innovations Between World War I and World War II
• Europe Nationalistic Trends
• Gender bias in England of 17th century
• Empiricism Rise in Europe
• Catholic Church and Witch Hunts
• Western Theories Propaganda
• French Revolution: Force Distribution
• Women Civil Rights in 18th century France
• Mid-Tudor Crises Analysis
• 19th century European literacy

Salem Witch Trials Research Paper Topics

• Religious And Social Causes Of The Salem Witch Trials
• Smothering Women’s Independence Under The Guise Of The Salem Witch Trials
• The Most Renowned “witches” Of The Salem Witch Trials
• Male Victims Of The Salem Witch Trials
• John Proctor As The First Male Witch
• The Puritan Views Of Women And Their Original Sin
• Tituba’s Trial And Ultimate Confession To Witchcraft
• Hawthorne’s "Young Goodman Brown" – An Analysis Of The Puritan Mindset During The Salem Witch Trials
• Beyond Salem – Witch Hunts Around The World
• The Consequences Of The Salem Witch Trials

Renaissance Topics

• The Birth of Humanism: A New Worldview Emerges
• Renaissance Art: Masters and Their Masterpieces
• The Printing Revolution: The Impact of Gutenberg’s Printing Press
• Exploration and Discovery: Navigating the Globe
• The Medici Family: Patrons of the Renaissance
• Renaissance Architecture: Innovations and Icons
• The Scientific Renaissance: Pioneers and Discoveries
• Literature and Poetry: Voices of the Renaissance
• Political Thought and Philosophy: Machiavelli and Beyond
• The Role of Women: Contributions and Challenges in the Renaissance Era

French Revolution Topics

• The First Phase Of The French Revolution And Le Chapelier Law
• Reveillon Factory And The Start Of The French Revolution
• Louis XVI, The Palace Of Versailles, And The French Revolution
• The Three Estates Of The Realm During The French Revolution
• Political, Economic, And Social Position Of Women Before And After The French Revolution
• The Rise Of Napoleon Bonaparte During The French Revolution
• The Role Of Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès In The French Revolution
• Assessment Of The Champs De Mars Massacre
• The Impact Of Declaration Of The Rights Of The Man And Of The Citizen
• Life And Death Of Louis XVI

Great Depression Research Topics

• The Main Causes Of The Great Depression
• What Did The Great Depression Affected The Most
• Herbert Hoover And His Role In The Great Depression
• Assessment Of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal
• The Great Depression Of The 30s Vs. The Great Recession Of The Aughts
• The Great Depression And Its Impact On International Relations
• The Effects Of The Great Depression On The Average US Household
• The Disproportionate Impact Of The Great Depression On Minorities
• Women In The Workforce During The Great Depression
• Family Life In The Midst Of The Great Depression

World War I

• The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand: Catalyst for War
• Trench Warfare: Life and Combat in the Trenches
• The Role of Women in World War I: Beyond the Home Front
• Technological Advancements and Warfare Strategies in WWI
• The Impact of WWI on Civilian Life in Europe
• Propaganda and Information Warfare in WWI
• The Consequences of the Treaty of Versailles
• The Involvement and Impact of Colonial Troops in WWI
• The Role of the United States in WWI: From Neutrality to Intervention
• The Influence of WWI on Art, Literature, and Music

World War II

• The Rise of Fascism: Preconditions of World War II
• The Holocaust: Atrocities and Lessons
• D-Day: The Turning Point of the War in Europe
• The Pacific Theater: Key Battles and Strategies
• The Manhattan Project: Development and Impact of Nuclear Weapons
• Women in World War II: Roles and Contributions
• The Resistance Movements: Underground Efforts to Defy Oppression
• Economic Aspects of WWII: Financing the War Effort
• The Aftermath: Rebuilding and the Establishment of the United Nations
• War Propaganda: The Role of Media and Art in WWII
• The Iron Curtain: Division of East and West
• The Space Race: Competition Beyond Earth
• The Cuban Missile Crisis: Brink of Nuclear War
• Proxy Wars: Global Impact of the Cold War
• The Role of Propaganda: Influencing Public Opinion
• The Korean War: A Conflict of Ideologies
• Nuclear Arms Race: Strategies and Deterrence
• The Fall of the Berlin Wall: Symbol of the Cold War’s End
• Espionage and Intelligence: Covert Operations
• Diplomacy and Treaties: Efforts to Ease Tensions

African American History Research Paper Topics

• 14th Amendment
• Abolitionist Movement
• Angela Davis
• Black Codes
• Black History Month Origin
• African American Women in Art and Literature
• Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Dr. Martin Luther King
• Black History Legends and Cultural Traits

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United States History

• Declaration of Independence 1776
• Events That Lead To The Creation Of The Declaration Of Independence
• The Declaration Of Independence And Its Persisting Impact On The Modern USA
• “All Men Are Created Equal” – Equality Issues Not Addressed In The Declaration Of Independence
• John Adams And His Movement Towards Independence
• The Role Of The Founding Fathers In Shaping Early American Culture
• United States and Slavery
• Emancipation Proclamation of 1863
• Civil War Causes
• Interwar Period Analysis
• Native American Cultural Impact
• Ethics and Vietnam War
• Industrialization Effects on American Social Movements
• American South Religious Practices
• Revolutionary War Personalities

American Revolution Battles & Key Events

• Bunker Hill Battle
• Camden Battle
• Alexander Hamilton's Role
• Long Island Battle
• Saratoga Battle
• Boston Tea Party
• Charles Cornwallis
• Benedict Arnold
• Trenton and Princeton Battles
• Townshend Acts Analysis

Industrial Revolution Paper Topics

• How The Industrial Revolution Impacted The Environment
• Why Was The Invention Of The Cotton Gin Critical For The Industrial Revolution
• The Production Of Iron Before And After The Industrial Revolution
• The Positive And Negative Impacts Of The Industrial Revolution On The Working Class
• Industrial Revolution In The US Vs. Industrial Revolution In Europe
• Child Labor During The Industrial Revolution
• A Glimpse Into The Working Conditions In Factories During The Industrial Revolution
• The Influence Of The Industrial Revolution On Public Education
• Immigration And Industrialization – The Changing Face Of The USA
• The Effects Of The Industrial Revolution On Agricultural Sectors

20th Century History Topics

• Reasons Behind Dictatorship
• Economic Depression Causes
• Nuclear Age Cause and Effect
• Russian Revolution and Labor Class
• Organized Crime in American Society (1920s)
• Veterans Day History
• McKinley Role for American Imperialism
• Chicano Movement Impact
• Democratic Movements Uprising
• Hiroshima and Nagasaki Events

Of course, these are far from all the existing topics; there are many more. Contact our professional essay writing or ideas help, and you’ll receive more history research paper topics for college students adjusted in accordance with your personal preferences.

Professional & Reliable Research Assistance Made Affordable

We all have been through times when college professors decreased grades for wrong use of chronology or sources that are not academic for otherwise excellent work. It may even be worse when incorrect citation or extra spaces simply ruined all your efforts, which transformed history research into nightmare. An only solution is turning to experts that can help you ensure that final work is flawless. With years of experience in the market, EduBirdie prides itself as affordable and reliable online paper writing services that provide 100% plagiarism-free assignments as all the college papers for sale is written from scratch.

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• Introduction

The era of the great powers

• The nature of the German state
• Patterns of population
• Industry, technology, and trade
• The New Imperialism
• Germany’s new course
• The threats to Britain’s empire
• The Triple Entente
• Anxiety and the arms race
• The peace movements
• Growing tensions and German isolation
• The final crisis
• The search for causes
• The centrality of the Habsburg monarchy
• From grand plans to the trenches
• The war at sea and abroad
• Efforts to break the stalemate
• The invention of total war
• The weapon of morale
• War aims of the belligerents
• Attitude of the United States
• War-weariness and diplomacy
• The Russian Revolution
• Russia’s withdrawal from the war
• The eastern minorities
• Germany’s final battles
• The collapse of the old order
• The idealist vision
• The realist vision
• Hammering out the treaty
• Reaction to the treaty
• Bolshevik diplomacy
• Allied approaches to the Bolsheviks
• Consolidation of the Revolution
• The reorganization of central Europe
• The reorganization of the Middle East
• The three Pacific powers
• The organization of power in the Pacific
• The postwar guilt question
• The failure of democratic consensus
• The search for a new stability
• The continuing problem of Germany
• German politics and reparations
• Allied politics and reparations
• Reparations agreements
• Security and the League of Nations
• Fascism and Italian reality
• Fascist diplomacy
• Lenin’s diplomacy
• Stalin’s diplomacy
• U.S. leverage in world markets
• U.S. leverage in Latin-American affairs
• The Locarno era and the dream of disarmament
• Political consequences of the Depression
• Failures of the League
• Failure of the German Republic
• European responses to Nazism
• Italian aggression
• The first German move
• The rationale of appeasement
• The civil war in Spain
• The return of U.S. isolationism
• Japan’s aggression in China
• The German-Austrian union
• The taking of Czechoslovakia
• Rearmament and tactical planning
• Poland and Soviet anxiety
• Hitler’s war or Chamberlain’s?
• Poland and the northern war
• The Western front
• The Eastern front
• From neutrality to active aid
• Japan’s challenge
• The turning point, 1942
• The German economy and the Jews
• Strategic bombing
• Allied economic management
• Science and technology in wartime
• Allied strategy to the fall of Italy
• Early war-aims agreement
• The Allied invasion of Europe
• Soviet advances in the east
• The final Allied agreements
• The encirclement of Japan
• The atomic decision
• The Cold War guilt question
• The ruin of Europe and Japan
• U.S. vision of reconstruction
• The end of East–West cooperation
• Peace treaties and territorial agreements
• Atomic energy
• The economic battle with Communism
• The division of Europe
• The creation of Israel
• The Chinese civil war
• The Korean War
• Asian wars and the deterrence strategy
• The nature and role of Germany
• Postwar European recovery
• The Suez Crisis
• The race for nuclear arms
• Arms control and defense
• Soviet progress and American reaction
• The Sino-Soviet split
• Soviet diplomatic offensive
• Decolonization and development
• Latin-American problems
• Policies of the Kennedy administration
• The Cuban missile crisis
• Renewed U.S.–Soviet cooperation
• Great Britain and decolonization
• France’s independent course
• The Six-Day War
• China, India, and Pakistan
• Cold War assumptions and the quagmire
• The conduct and cost of the war
• Détente as realism
• Scaling back U.S. commitments
• The opening to China and Ostpolitik
• Arms-limitation negotiations
• End of the Vietnam War
• The distraction of Watergate
• Events in Southeast Asia and Africa
• American uncertainty
• Palestinian terrorism and diplomacy
• The Iranian revolution
• The Soviets in Afghanistan
• The Reagan administration
• Renewal of arms control
• Regional crises
• Marxism and the Cuban role
• Nicaragua and El Salvador
• The world political economy
• Gorbachev and the Soviet “new thinking”
• Liberalization and struggle in Communist countries
• Aftermath of the breakup
• From skepticism to reality
• Why the Soviet retreat?
• The Philippines and Central America
• Afghanistan
• The Middle East
• UN coalition and ultimatum
• Soviet unrest at home and diplomacy abroad
• The ground war
• The collapse of the Soviet Union
• South Africa
• Three tests
• Developments in free trade
• Relations with Russia
• The role of NATO
• The Balkans
• Conflict and peacemaking, 1996–2000
• Tension and cooperation at the turn of the century

20th-century international relations

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• international relations - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
• Table Of Contents

20th-century international relations , history of the relations between states, especially the great powers , from approximately 1900 to 2000.

The history of the 20th century was shaped by the changing relations of the world’s great powers. The first half of the century, the age of the World Wars and the start of the Cold War , was dominated by the rivalries of those powers. The second half saw the replacement, largely through the agency of those wars, of the European state system by a world system with many centres of both power and discord . This article provides a single integrated narrative of the changing context of world politics, from the outbreak of World War I to the 1990s. Because domestic affairs figure heavily in the analysis of each state’s foreign policies , the reader should consult the histories of the individual countries for more detail.

For discussion of the military strategy, tactics, and conduct of the World Wars, see World War I and World War II .

The roots of World War I , 1871–1914

Forty-three years of peace among the great powers of Europe came to an end in 1914, when an act of political terrorism provoked two great alliance systems into mortal combat. The South Slav campaign against Austrian rule in Bosnia, culminating in the assassination of the Habsburg heir apparent at Sarajevo , was the spark. This local crisis rapidly engulfed all the powers of Europe through the mechanisms of the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente , diplomatic arrangements meant precisely to enhance the security of their members and to deter potential aggressors. The long-term causes of the war can therefore be traced to the forces that impelled the formation of those alliances, increased tensions among the great powers, and made at least some European leaders desperate enough to seek their objectives even at the risk of a general war. These forces included militarism and mass mobilization, instability in domestic and international politics occasioned by rapid industrial growth, global imperialism, popular nationalism , and the rise of a social Darwinist worldview. But the question of why World War I broke out should be considered together with the questions of why peace ended and why in 1914 rather than before or after.

The Bismarckian system, 1871–90

The European map and world politics were less confused in the decades after 1871 than at any time before or since. The unifications of Italy and Germany removed the congeries of central European principalities that dated back to the Holy Roman Empire , while the breakup of eastern and southeastern Europe into small and quarreling states (a process that would yield the term balkanization ) was not far advanced. There the old empires, Russian, Austro-Hungarian, and Ottoman (Turkish), still prevailed. The lesser powers of Europe, including some that once had been great, like the Netherlands , Sweden , and Spain , played little or no role in the affairs of the great powers unless their own interests were directly involved. Both physical size and the economies of scale important in an industrial age rendered smaller and less developed countries impotent, while the residual habits of diplomacy dating from the Congress of Vienna of 1815 made the great powers the sole arbiters of European politics.

In the wider world, a diplomatic system of the European variety existed nowhere else. The outcome of the U.S. Civil War and Anglo-American settlement of the Canadian border ensured that North America would not develop a multilateral balance-of-power system. South and Central America had splintered into 17 independent republics following the final retreat of Spanish rule in 1820, but the new Latin American states were inward-looking, their centres of population and resources isolated by mountains, jungle, and sheer distance, and disputes among them were of mostly local interest. The Monroe Doctrine , promulgated by the United States and enforced by the British navy, sufficed to spare Latin America new European adventures, the only major exception— Napoleon III ’s gambit in Mexico —occurring while the United States was preoccupied with civil war. When the United States purchased Alaska from the Russian tsar and Canada acquired dominion status, both in 1867, European possessions on the American mainland were reduced to three small Guianan colonies in South America and British Honduras ( Belize ). North Africa east of Algeria was still nominally under the aegis of the Ottoman sultan, while sub-Saharan Africa , apart from a few European ports on the coast, was terra incognita. The British had regularized their hold on the Indian subcontinent after putting down the Indian Mutiny of 1857–58, while the Chinese and Japanese empires remained xenophobic and isolationist. Thus, the cabinets of the European great powers were at the zenith of their influence.

Europe itself, by 1871, seemed to be entering an age of political and social progress. Britain’s Second Reform Act (1867), the French Third Republic (1875), the triumph of nationalism in Italy and Germany (1871), the establishment of universal manhood suffrage in Germany (1867), equality for the Hungarians in the Habsburg monarchy (1867), emancipation of the serfs in Russia (1861), and the adoption of free trade by the major European states all seemed to justify faith in the peaceful evolution of Europe toward liberal institutions and prosperity.

International peace also seemed assured once Otto von Bismarck declared the new German Empire a satisfied power and placed his considerable talents at the service of stability. The chancellor knew Germany to be a military match for any rival but feared the possibility of a coalition. Since France would never be reconciled to her reduced status and the loss of Alsace-Lorraine imposed by the treaty ending the Franco-German War , Bismarck strove to keep France isolated. In 1873 he conjured up the ghost of monarchical solidarity and formed a Dreikaiserbund (Three Emperors’ League) with Austria-Hungary and Russia. Such a combination was always vulnerable to Austro-Russian rivalry over the Eastern Question —the problem of how to organize the feuding Balkan nationalities gradually freeing themselves from the decrepit Ottoman Empire .

After the Slavic provinces of Bosnia and Hercegovina rebelled against Ottoman rule in 1875 and Russia made war on the Ottoman Empire two years later, the Dreikaiserbund collapsed. Bismarck achieved a compromise at the Congress of Berlin (1878), but Austro-Russian amity was not restored. In 1879, therefore, Bismarck concluded a permanent peacetime military alliance with Austria, whereupon the tsarist government, to court German favour, agreed to a renewal of the Dreikaiserbund in 1881. Italy, seeking aid for her Mediterranean ambitions, joined Germany and Austria-Hungary to form the Triple Alliance in 1882.

The next Balkan crisis, which erupted in Bulgaria in 1885, again tempted Russia to expand its influence to the gates of Constantinople. Bismarck dared not oppose the Russians lest he push them toward an alliance with vengeful France. So instead he played midwife to an Anglo-Austro-Italian combination called the Second Mediterranean Entente, which blocked Russian ambitions in Bulgaria while Bismarck himself concluded a Reinsurance Treaty with St. Petersburg in 1887. Once more the Eastern Question had been defused and Germany’s alliances preserved.

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• AAPI History
• Women's & LGBTQ+ History

Features the records of the Associated Press’s Saigon Bureau. Over 40 years ago, as Saigon was falling to the communists and the U.S. was evacuating Vietnam, Peter Arnett saved the records of the AP’s Saigon Bureau and brought them back to the United States. Until ProQuest scanned them and digitized them in History Vault, they were never before available to the public. Other key collections in this module include records of the Military Assistance and Advisory Command, Vietnam (MACV); General William Westmoreland Papers, and National Security Files from the Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford administrations.

Collections on the Web:

• Digital Public Library of America "The Digital Public Library of America brings together the riches of America's libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world."
• The Freedom Archives The Freedom Archives primarily "contains over 12,000 hours of audio and video recordings" as well as "pamphlets, journals and other materials" from the 1960s to 1990s. The collections are organized by movement, including Black Liberation, Chican@/Xican@, Gender and Sexuality, and Indigenous/Native American Struggles, among many others.
• HathiTrust Digital Library HathiTrust is a fully digital library of more than 17 million items, mostly books, from academic and research libraries. All books in the public domain are 100% viewable.
• Library of Congress Digital Collections "The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps and manuscripts in its collections. The Library is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office."

To access Tredway Library's collection of historical Black newspapers, including the  Chicago Defender , go to the "Newspapers & Magazines" page of this guide and click the "Black Newspapers" tab.

Includes the following time periods:

• Resistance to Slavery and the Abolitionist Movement (1790-1860)
• The Civil War and the Reconstruction Era (1861-1877)
• Jim Crow Era from 1878 to the Great Depression (1878-1932)
• The New Deal and World War II (1933-1945)
• The Civil Rights and Black Power Movements (1946-1975)
• The Contemporary Era (1976-2000)

Streaming videos featuring award-winning documentaries, newsreels, interviews and archival footage surveying the evolution of black culture in the United States.

All programming includes public performance rights.

• Behind the Veil Oral History Project The Behind the Veil Oral History Project's purpose "was to record and preserve the living memory of African American life during the age of legal segregation in the American South, from the 1890s to the 1950s."
• Civil Rights Digital Library The Civil Rights Digital Library helps users discover primary sources and other educational materials from libraries, archives, museums, public broadcasters, and others on a national scale.
• National Museum of African American History and Culture Images of artifacts from the museum's collection. The NMAAHC is part of the Smithsonian Institution.
• Umbra Search Umbra Search is a database that "brings together hundreds of thousands digitized materials from over 1,000 libraries and archives across the country" to make "African American history more broadly accessible."
• Bracero History Archive "The Bracero History Archive collects and makes available the oral histories and artifacts pertaining to the Bracero program, a guest worker initiative that spanned the years 1942-1964. Millions of Mexican agricultural workers crossed the border under the program to work in more than half of the states in America."
• Center for Puerto Rican Studies Digital Collection "Browse material from throughout the Centro Archive showcasing the history and culture of Puerto Ricans in the diaspora." The Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños is based at Hunter College.
• Farmworker Movement Documentation Project From the University of California San Diego, the Farmworker Movement Documentation Project provides "primary source accounts by the UFW volunteers who built the movement," 1962-1993.
• Hispanic Reading Room (Library of Congress) The Library of Congress's Hispanic Reading Room collects digital exhibits and primary sources related to Latinx history in the U.S.
• Historic Mexican and Mexican-American Press "The Historic Mexican and Mexican American Press collection documents and showcases historic Mexican and Mexican American publications published in Tucson, El Paso, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sonora, Mexico from the mid-1800s to the 1970s." From the University of Arizona.
• 'Ulu'ulu Henry Ku'ualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of Hawai'i 'Ulu'ulu "aims to perpetuate and share the rich moving image heritage of Hawai‘i through the preservation of film and videotape related to the history and culture of Native Hawaiians and the people of Hawai‘i."
• Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center The Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center "aims to develop a comprehensive searchable database of Carlisle Indian School resources."
• National Museum of the American Indian Images of artifacts from the museum's collection. The National Museum of the American Indian is part of the Smithsonian Institution.
• Native American Heritage Month Exhibits and Collections This website is dedicated to compiling primary sources, exhibits, and teaching materials for Native American Heritage Month each year as part of a "collaborative project of the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and U.S. National Archives and Records Administration."
• Native Northeast Portal "Native Northeast Portal contains primary source materials by, on, or about Northeast Indians from repositories around the world. Documents are digitized, transcribed, annotated, reviewed by the appropriate contemporary descendant community representatives, and brought together with scholarly annotations and academic/community commentary into one edited interactive digital collection."
• Asian Voices This page, part of the Digital History website hosted by the University of Houston, links significant primary source documents from 19th- and 20th-century Asian American history.
• Chinese Historical Society of America: Online Exhibits "CHSA has produced these online exhibits to make the social, cultural and political history and contributions of the Chinese in America more widely available to the general public."
• Densho Digital Repository "Hear the story of the Japanese American incarceration experience from those who lived it, and find thousands of historic photographs, documents, newspapers, letters and other primary source materials from immigration to the WWII incarceration and its aftermath." Densho is an educational organization focused on Japanese American incarceration during WWII.
• Japanese American National Museum: Collections and Research This page links a variety of digital collections from the Japanese American National Museum.
• Korean American Digital Archive Digitized primary sources from the University of Southern California.
• SEAAdoc: Documenting the Southeast Asian Experience "SEAAdoc is an educational resource of the Southeast Asian Archive at the UC Irvine Libraries focusing on post-1975 refugees and immigrants from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam and the communities they have developed in the United States. It contains 1,500 visual images and 4,000 pages of searchable text selected from the Archive to represent a cross section of our holdings."
• South Asian American Digital Archive Containing more than 4,000 digitized items, "SAADA digitally documents, preserves, and shares stories of South Asian Americans."

For additional databases and resources related to Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, visit the WGSS Resources Guide here:  https://library.augustana.edu/wgssresources .

• ACT UP Oral History Project "The ACT UP Oral History Project is an archive of 187 interviews with members of ACT UP, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, New York."
• American Women's History Museum " To create a more equitable America, the Smithsonian is researching, disseminating, and amplifying the histories of American women through its American Women’s History Initiative in preparation for the future Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum." With this goal in mind and "with a digital-first mission and focus, the Smithsonian amplifies a diversity of women’s voices in a new museum and throughout the Smithsonian’s museums, research centers, cultural heritage affiliates, and anywhere people are online."
• Digital Transgender Archive "The purpose of the Digital Transgender Archive (DTA) is to increase the accessibility of transgender history by providing an online hub for digitized historical materials, born-digital materials, and information on archival holdings throughout the world." Based at Northeastern University.
• Discovering American Women's History Online Maintained by Middle Tennessee State University's Walker Library, the Discovering American Women's History Online database "provides access to digital collections of primary sources (photos, letters, diaries, artifacts, etc.) that document the history of women in the United States."
• Gerber/Hart Library and Archives "Founded in 1981, Gerber/Hart’s collections focus on the culture and history of LGBTQ peoples and additional marginalized sexual and gender minorities in Chicago and the Midwest. Open to all, Gerber/Hart serves these communities by collecting, preserving, and making accessible collection items of individuals, organizations, and businesses, as well as publicly distributed items. Additionally, Gerber/Hart provides programming and exhibitions related to items in its collections and on other topics in LGBTQ history and culture."
• GLBT Historical Society "The GLBT Historical Society collects, preserves, exhibits and makes accessible to the public materials and knowledge to support and promote understanding of LGBTQ history, culture and arts in all their diversity. Founded in 1985, we are recognized internationally as a leader in the field of LGBTQ public history."
• Iowa Women's Archive "The Iowa Women’s Archives holds more than 1200 manuscript collections that chronicle the lives and work of Iowa women, their families, and their communities. These personal papers and organizational records date from the nineteenth century to the present. Together with oral histories, they document the activities of Iowa women throughout the state and beyond its borders. The Iowa Women’s Archives is open to the public."
• Lesbian Herstory Archives The Lesbian Herstory Archives, a grassroots community-run archives, is "home to the world’s largest collection of materials by and about Lesbians and their communities."
• Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute "The Schlesinger Library illuminates the lives of American women past and present through its collections, research support, public programming, and exhibitions, all while advancing Harvard Radcliffe Institute’s commitment to women, gender, and society."
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• Last Updated: Aug 7, 2024 1:52 PM
• URL: https://library.augustana.edu/ushistory

History Essay Topics

Crafting a Winning Essay with These Outstanding History Essay Topics

18 min read

Published on: May 4, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 31, 2024

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Many students struggle to come up with interesting and original history essay topics that will engage their readers.

It can be frustrating to spend hours brainstorming only to come up with a mediocre topic.

In this blog, we will provide you with a comprehensive list of history essay topics. These topics will not only engage your readers but also stimulate your critical thinking.

By the end of this blog, you will have a wealth of ideas to choose from. 

So buckle up, grab a pen and paper, and get ready to take your history essay to the next level. 

Let's dive in!

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History Essay Topics For Students

History is a fascinating subject with endless possibilities for exploration. Check out these history essay topics for students that are both interesting and engaging.

History Essay Topics For Middle School Students

Middle school is the perfect time to explore different periods of history and discover what interests you the most. 

These history essay topics for middle school students will help you do just that.

• How did the ancient Greeks contribute to modern civilization?
• What was life like for Native Americans before European colonization?
• How did the Industrial Revolution change society and the economy?
• What were the causes and effects of the American Revolution?
• What role did women play in the Civil War?
• How did the Renaissance influence art, science, and culture?
• What were the major accomplishments of the ancient Egyptians?
• How did the Silk Road impact trade and cultural exchange?
• What were the key events and outcomes of the French Revolution?
• What were the causes and consequences of World War I?

History Essay Topics For High School Students

Are you a high school student struggling to come up with a topic that's both interesting and challenging? 

Look no further than these top history essay topics - high school.

History Essay Topics Grade 10

Here are some grade 10 history essay topics:

• The impact of World War II on the world today
• The causes and effects of the French Revolution
• The role of women in the Civil Rights Movement
• The impact of imperialism on Africa
• The rise and fall of the Roman Empire
• The influence of ancient Greece on modern culture
• The causes and consequences of the Industrial Revolution
• The impact of the Cold War on international relations
• The effects of the Great Depression on the world
• The role of nationalism in shaping modern Europe

Grade 11 History Essay Topics

These are some history essay topics - grade 11:

• The impact of World War I on the world order and the rise of fascism
• The role of nationalism in the breakup of colonial empires in Africa and Asia
• The causes and consequences of the Russian Revolution
• The impact of the Great Depression on global politics and society
• The origins and outcomes of the Cold War
• The impact of decolonization on postcolonial societies
• The rise of communism in China and its global impact
• The civil rights movement in the United States and its impact on society
• The impact of the Cuban Revolution on Latin America and the world
• The role of religion in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Grade 12 History Essay Topics

Check out these history essay topics - grade 12:

• The impact of World War II on global politics and society
• The causes and consequences of the Holocaust
• The role of the United Nations in international relations
• The rise of globalization and its impact on world events
• The impact of the Civil Rights movement on the United States and the world
• The Cold War as a global conflict
• The origins and consequences of the Korean War
• The impact of the Vietnam War on American society and foreign policy
• The role of women in social and political change throughout the 20th century
• The Arab-Israeli conflict and its global impact

History Research Paper Topic

• The role of religion in the development of medieval Europe
• The impact of the transatlantic slave trade on African societies
• The causes and consequences of the French Revolution
• The impact of colonialism on indigenous cultures in the Americas
• The historical and cultural significance of the Great Wall of China
• The development of modern democracy in the United States and Europe
• The impact of imperialism on Africa and Asia
• The rise and fall of the British Empire
• The impact of the Renaissance on European art and culture
• The history and evolution of the Olympic Games

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History Essay Topics - American History

American history is filled with triumphs and tragedies, heroes and villains, and moments of great change and conflict. 

Here are a few topics that will help you explore American history:

• The American Revolution and its impact on global politics and society
• The causes and consequences of the Civil War
• The Reconstruction era and its impact on African American rights
• The rise of the Progressive movement and its impact on American society
• The role of the United States in World War I
• The impact of the Great Depression on American society and politics
• The United States' involvement in World War II and its aftermath
• The Civil Rights movement and its impact on American society
• The Vietnam War and its impact on American politics and society
• The rise of conservatism in the late 20th century

19th Century History Topics

Check out these history paper topics after 1877 for your next essay:

• The impact of the Second Industrial Revolution on American society and politics
• The Spanish-American War and its impact on American imperialism
• The Progressive Era and its impact on social reform and politics
• The United States' entry into World War I and its impact on the country
• The Roaring Twenties and its impact on American culture and society
• The Great Depression and its impact on American society and politics
• The New Deal and its impact on social and economic policies in the United States
• The United States' entry into World War II and its impact on American society and politics
• The Civil Rights Movement and its impact on American society and politics
• The Watergate scandal and its impact on American politics and journalism

20th Century History Topics

• The Cold War and its impact on international relations
• The Civil Rights Movement and its impact on American society
• The rise of fascism and totalitarianism in Europe
• The Space Race and the Cold War competition for technological supremacy
• The impact of the Great Depression on global economics and politics
• The rise of globalization and its impact on world economies and cultures
• The feminist movement and its impact on women's rights and gender equality
• The rise of terrorism in the late 20th century and its impact on international security
• The fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War

Ancient History Essay Topics

• The history and mythology of Ancient Egypt
• The impact of Alexander the Great on Greek and world history
• The role of women in Ancient Greek and Roman societies
• The legacy of the Persian Empire
• The historical and cultural significance of the pyramids of Mesoamerica
• The development of democracy in Ancient Athens
• The impact of Confucianism on Ancient Chinese society
• The history of the Indus Valley Civilization
• The impact of the Assyrian Empire on the ancient Near East

World History Argumentative Essay Topics

Here are some potential world history essay topics:

• Was the Age of Exploration ultimately beneficial or harmful to the world?
• Did colonialism have a positive or negative impact on colonized countries?
• Was the French Revolution ultimately a success or failure?
• Was the Industrial Revolution ultimately beneficial or harmful to society?
• Was World War I inevitable, or could it have been prevented?
• Did the Treaty of Versailles contribute to the outbreak of World War II?
• Was the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki justified?
• Was the Cold War an inevitable outcome of post-World War II politics?
• Did the fall of the Soviet Union represent a victory for democracy?
• Was the Arab Spring ultimately successful or a failure?

World War I & II History Topics

• Causes of World War I: Nationalism, Imperialism, and Alliances
• The Role of Technology in World War I: Trench Warfare and Chemical Warfare
• Treaty of Versailles: Effects on Germany and the Beginnings of World War II
• The Rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party
• The Holocaust: Causes, Events, and Aftermath
• The Battle of Stalingrad: Turning Point of World War II
• The Manhattan Project: Development and Use of the Atomic Bomb
• Women's Roles in World War II: From the Homefront to the Front Lines
• The Allied Invasion of Normandy: D-Day and the Liberation of Europe
• The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Justified or Unjustified?

US History Essay Topics

• The impact of the American Revolution on the development of American democracy
• The significance of the Louisiana Purchase in the expansion of the United States
• The role of the United States in World War I and its impact on American society 
• The impact of the New Deal on American social and economic policies
• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on American society and politics
• The role of the United States in the Vietnam War 
• The impact of the Watergate scandal on American politics and journalism
• The significance of the 9/11 attacks and their impact on American society and politics
• The impact of the digital age on American society and politics
• The role of social media in shaping American political discourse

Black History Essay Topics

• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on Black Americans and American society 
• The role of slavery in the development of the United States economy and society
• The significance of the Harlem Renaissance in the development of Black culture 
• The impact of Jim Crow laws on Black Americans in the South and beyond
• The legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and his impact on the Civil Rights Movement
• The impact of the Black Panther Party on Black empowerment and political activism
• The significance of the election of Barack Obama as the first Black President 
• The role of Black women in the Civil Rights and feminist movements
• The impact of the Black Lives Matter movement on American society and politics
• The significance of Juneteenth in Black American history and its impact on society

African American History Essay Topics

• The role of African American soldiers in the Civil War
• The impact of the Emancipation Proclamation on African American lives
• The contributions of African American women to the Civil Rights Movement
• The life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
• The Harlem Renaissance and its significance in African American history
• The Tuskegee Airmen and their contributions to World War II
• The effects of redlining and segregation on African American communities
• The role of African American athletes in breaking down racial barriers in sports
• The impact of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on African American voting rights
• The legacy of slavery and its ongoing impact on African American communities

Canadian History Essay Topics

• The impact of European colonization on Indigenous peoples in Canada
• The significance of the War of 1812 on Canadian nationalism and identity
• The role of Sir John A. Macdonald in the formation of the Canadian Confederation
• The impact of the Great Depression on Canadian society and politics
• The significance of the Quiet Revolution in Quebec 
• The role of Canadian soldiers in World War I and World War II
• The significance of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Canadian society and politics
• The impact of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act on Canadian society and identity
• The significance of the October Crisis of 1970 on Canadian politics and civil liberties
• The impact of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on Indigenous-settler relations 

French Revolution Topics

Here are some french revolution topics to spark your curiosity:

• The causes and social conditions leading to the French Revolution
• The role of Enlightenment ideas in the French Revolution
• The rise and fall of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution
• The impact of the French Revolution on the development of modern democracy
• The role of women in the French Revolution and the fight for equal rights
• The significance of the storming of the Bastille in the French Revolution
• The effects of the French Revolution on European politics and society
• The role of Napoleon Bonaparte in the French Revolution and its aftermath
• The cultural and artistic achievements of the French Revolution
• The long-term effects of the French Revolution on French society and culture

Julius Caesar Topics Ideas

• Julius Caesar's rise to power in Rome
• The political and social conditions of the Roman Republic before Julius Caesar
• The motives and consequences of the assassination of Julius Caesar
• Julius Caesar's military conquests and tactics
• Julius Caesar's consolidation of power as a dictator
• Julius Caesar's lasting influence on Roman history
• Julius Caesar's complex relationship with the Roman Senate
• The political reforms of Julius Caesar and their effectiveness
• Julius Caesar's family background and personal relationships
• Analyzing Julius Caesar's speeches and writings for insight into his leadership style

Argumentative History Essay Topics

• Should Confederate monuments be removed?
• Was the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki justified?
• Should reparations be paid to the descendants of enslaved people in the United States?
• Was the colonization of America by Europeans justified?
• Should Columbus Day be replaced with Indigenous Peoples Day?
• Was the American Revolution a justified war?
• Should the United States have entered World War II earlier?
• Was the Cold War a necessary conflict?
• Should the United States have dropped the atomic bomb on Japan in World War II?
• Was the Vietnam War justified?

History Persuasive Essay Topics

• Should the United States have dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
• Was Christopher Columbus a hero or a villain?
• Should Confederate statues and symbols be removed from public spaces?
• Should reparations be paid for the historic injustices suffered by African Americans?
• Should the United States have entered World War I?
• Should the use of torture in interrogations be justified in extreme situations?
• Should the United States have participated in the Vietnam War?
• Should the United States have interned Japanese Americans during World War II?
• Should the electoral college be abolished in favor of a popular vote in U.S. presidential elections?
• Should the United States have continued its policy of neutrality during World War II?

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Good History Essay Topics

• The impact of the Black Death on medieval Europe
• The significance of the French Revolution in shaping modern democracy
• The role of the printing press in the Protestant Reformation
• The impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade on African societies 
• The significance of the Civil Rights Movement in shaping contemporary race relations
• The impact of the Scientific Revolution on modern medicine and technology
• The significance of the Meiji Restoration in modernizing Japan
• The role of propaganda in shaping public opinion during World War II
• The impact of the Green Revolution on global agriculture and food security
• The significance of the fall of the Berlin Wall in ending the Cold War 

Modern History Essay Topics

• The impact of the World Wars on modern society and global politics
• The significance of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States
• The role of globalization in shaping economic development and international relations
• The impact of colonialism on modern post-colonial societies
• The significance of the feminist movement in shaping gender roles and expectations
• The role of technology in shaping modern warfare and international security
• The impact of the digital age on privacy, identity, and democracy
• The significance of the Cold War in shaping global politics and international relations
• The role of environmentalism in shaping public policy and global sustainability efforts
• The impact of the internet and social media on communication, culture, and politics

Famous History Topics

• The fall of the Roman Empire
• The reign of Elizabeth I in Tudor England
• The American Revolution and the birth of the United States
• The French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon
• The Industrial Revolution and its impact on modern society
• The World Wars and their impact on global politics and society
• The Civil Rights Movement in the United States
• The Cold War and the arms race between the United States and Soviet Union
• The Space Race and the first moon landing
• The collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War

Interesting History Essay Topics

• The impact of Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire on world history
• The role of women in ancient civilizations such as Ancient Egypt and Greece
• The historical and cultural significance of the Silk Road
• The Salem witch trials and their impact on American colonial society
• The Viking Age and its impact on European history
• The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire
• The history of the Samurai in feudal Japan
• The impact of the Age of Exploration on world history
• The history of the Ottoman Empire and its legacy in modern-day Europe 

Middle Ages Research Topics

Here are some Middle Ages research topics for your essay:

• The Crusades and their impact on Europe and the Middle East
• The role of the Catholic Church in medieval society
• The development of feudalism and the manorial system
• The Black Death and its impact on medieval society
• The Hundred Years' War and its causes and consequences
• The emergence of chivalry and the knightly code
• The Magna Carta and its significance in medieval England
• The role of women in medieval society and their representation in literature
• The rise and fall of the Byzantine Empire
• The architecture and art of the Middle Ages

Salem Witch Trials  History Essay Topics

• The events leading up to the Salem Witch Trials and their causes
• The role of religion in the Salem Witch Trials and its impact on the community
• The legal proceedings and trials of the accused witches
• The social and political climate of Salem during the witch trials
• The impact of the Salem Witch Trials on American society and culture
• The different interpretations and portrayals of the Salem Witch Trials in literature 
• The significance of the Salem Witch Trials in the history of witchcraft and the occult
• The aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials and the long-term effects on the community
• The role of gender and power in the accusations and trials of the Salem witches
• The lessons gained from studying the Salem Witch Trials in modern times

How to Choose a Good History Essay Topics

Choosing a history essay topic can be a challenging task, especially with number of events and figures to choose from. 

However, selecting the right topic can make all the difference in the success of your essay. 

Here are some tips to help you choose a good history essay topic:

Brainstorm Ideas: Take some time to brainstorm potential topics. Write down any historical events or figures that interest you. 

Consider the themes and messages that you want to convey in your essay.

Research the Topic: Once you have a list of potential topics, conduct some research to ensure that there is enough information available to write a quality essay. 

Look for primary and secondary sources, and consider the perspectives of different historians.

Narrow your Topic: A broad topic can make it difficult to write a focused and well-supported essay. 

Consider narrowing your topic by focusing on a specific time period, geographical location, or theme.

Consider your Audience: Think about who will be reading your essay and tailor your topic accordingly.

If you are writing for a professor or academic audience, choose a topic that is more specialized and in-depth.

If you are writing for a general audience, choose a topic that is more accessible and engaging.

Choose Something that Interests you: You will be spending a lot of time researching and writing your essay. So choose a topic that you are genuinely interested in. 

This will make the writing process more enjoyable and will help you produce a better quality essay.

In conclusion, history is a fascinating subject with an abundance of topics to explore. 

If you're looking for a topic, this blog has provided you with a comprehensive list of ideas to choose from. 

By following the tips, you can select a topic that is not only interesting but also well-suited.

However, if you find yourself struggling with selecting a topic or crafting a well-written history essay, don't worry. 

Our history essay writing service is here to help you!

Contact us to learn more about the professional essay writing service and how we can help you succeed in your history studies.

We also have an AI writing tool to assist you with a wide range of historical subjects and can help you create a custom essay that meets your specific requirements. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i write about a controversial topic in my history essay.

Yes, as long as you present a balanced and well-supported argument. Controversial topics can make for interesting essays. But it's important to maintain objectivity and avoid presenting biased opinions.

How do I research for a history essay?

Start by gathering information from reliable sources such as academic journals, books, and primary sources. Take notes and organize your research to help you develop a clear thesis and supporting arguments.

How important is citing sources in a history essay?

Citing sources is crucial in any academic essay, including history essays. It helps to avoid plagiarism and gives credibility to your arguments. Make sure to use the citation style recommended by your instructor.

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urbanemovies

9.7K Messages

160K Points

Wednesday, August 7th, 2024 5:32 AM

1 PS, 1 LIVE: Favorite Fictional Live-Action Movie Cat Character (Ready)

International Cat Day is celebrated worldwide each year globally on August 8th. #WorldCatDay

Favorite 20th Century Live-Action Movie Cat Character

Which of these selected domesticated live-action cat characters is your favorite from the movies of the twentieth century? 

Live Poll: https://www.imdb.com/poll/Yscu27wIjEc/

Poll List: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls543870218/copy/

Favorite 21st Century Live-Action Movie Cat Character

Which of these selected domesticated live-action cat characters is your favorite from the movies of the twenty-first century? 

Live Poll: TBD

Poll List: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls543803928/copy/

Honorable Mention / Possible Inclusion Live-Action Movie Cat Characters

Twentieth Century

Twenty-First Century

Vulture's Best Cat Acting Performances (under the radar examples)

W orld Cat Day Is August 8th

9.5K Messages

190.6K Points

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078748/mediaviewer/rm3380206593/

Typo #3: Consta n tine

@Jessica ​ Thanks, I was looking for a solo Jonesy picture. Corrected, Typo #3: Consta n tine.

@urbanemovies ​ 

Thanks. 

Chloe from The Secret Life of Pets seems to be animated?

Info to poll makers

All IMDb Poll Board Suggestions, Please Contribute!

@Jessica ​ Sorry, I have another list for animated options and it slipped through. You are correct that option does not belong and has been moved to the correct list.

Although, the characters themselves can be animated, if they are in a live-action movie.

The list is so large, I had to split into:

As of now, the 34-option 20th century list is more complete than the 27-option 21st century list. I would prefer the older and more complete list to go live first.

I have another list for animated options and it slipped through.

FYI, there is a poll about animated cats:

https://www.imdb.com/poll/6qO6tnlHvBI/

@Jessica ​ Thanks, I wasn't aware of that one.

If I do an animated cat poll in the future it will be very different with a narrower scope, different theme, and a much deeper answer pool with more international cat characters. Although, I would expect there would still be a 20% overlap of most well-known cats with the answers from this five-year old poll that has a general focus and asks the favorite question.

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@urbanemovies  😀

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Congratulations, @urbanemovies !

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Happy International Cat Day

My calico cat, Java, insisted that this poll should go live today.

@urbanemovies ,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Cat_Day

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@dan_dassow ​ Thanks.

@dan_dassow ​ If you are marking your calander.

• April 19:  National Cat Lady Day
• Last Friday in April:  Hairball Awareness Day
• June 19:  Take Your Cat to Work Day®
• July 15:  National Pet Fire Safety Day
• August 17:  National Black Cat Appreciation Day
• October 12: National Pet Obesity Awareness Day
• November 1:  National Cook for Your Pets Day

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• History & Culture

HAMPTONS 20TH CENTURY MODERN HOME TOUR 2024

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Hamptons 20th Century Modern Home Tour 2024 in partnership with Hamptons Cottages & Gardens

Get ready to experience some of the most architecturally significant modern homes of the 20th century, right here in the Hamptons! Join us along with HC&G on Sunday August 11th, 2024 from 10:00 am – 3:30 pm (Eastern Time) for an unforgettable tour of the area’s influential modernist properties.

The day will start in East Hampton where you will pick up your tickets from Lumber Lane parking lot for the self-drive tour. From there, we will issue you your wristband and booklet with the address and descriptions of the five singular homes in the Hamptons, all designed in the modern style of the 20th century. The tour is self-guided: after receiving your wristband and booklet, each participant will independently drive to and explore each house (please be mindful of parking).

Whether you’re an architecture buff or just love beautiful spaces you won’t want to miss this special cultural experience. You’ll get to see inside rare sections of the Hamptons, and learn about the history and design of each structure from our knowledgeable docents.

The VIP ticket includes an additional event on Saturday, August 10th (this year we separated the VIP event to give everyone more time to see the 5 homes).

About Hamptons 20th Century Modern

H20CM is a New York State 501 (c) (3) nonprofit and charitable organization that supports local and state preservation organizations and Hamptons neighborhood groups in their efforts to preserve modernist architecture throughout the Hamptons.

The home tour mission is to celebrate and foster an appreciation of midcentury architecture and design, as well as contemporary thinking in these fields, by encouraging education, preservation, and sustainable modern living as represented in the greater Hamptons area. Instagram (@hamptons20centurymodern)

About Hamptons Cottages & Gardens

HC&G (Hamptons Cottages & Gardens) delivers the finest luxury design editorial to residents of one of America’s most affluent communities. This award-winning publication informs and inspires readers with beautifully photographed features on architecture, interior and landscape design, plus insider views of real estate, entertaining and art. The magazines are oversized and well-designed to emphasize superior journalism and photography, inspired by a local “sense of place.” Visit cottagesgardens.com. Like us/follow us: Facebook (cottagesgardens); Twitter (@cottagesgardens), Instagram (@cottagesgardens) and Pinterest (@cottagesgardens).

HC&G & HAMPTONS 20TH CENTURY MODERN VIP TICKET

This is held the day before, on august 10th.

Join us for an evening in Montauk at a home composed entirely of hexagonal rooms, designed by the legendary modernist maestro George Nelson and his partner Gordon Chadwick!

This VIP ticket includes a tour of the George Nelson House, purchased and lovingly restored by famed architect Lauren Rottet, who will be hosting a limited group of people. The home tour will begin at 4:30 pm with an intimate discussion ending at 7:00 pm.

The conversation will include Lauren Rottet and George Smart as they discuss Long Island’s Modernist movement, exploring threats to its legacy, ongoing conservation efforts, and the significance of this heritage in shaping local architecture. Rottet is the Founding Principal of Rottet Studio, an international architecture and interior design firm with an extensive portfolio of projects for the world’s leading companies. As a highly accomplished architect, Rottet is known as an innovator and teacher, dedicated to advancing the field of design. Joining her is George Smart, the founder and CEO of USModernist, the world’s largest nonprofit educational archive of Modernist residential design. Smart is a passionate advocate for Modernism and is one of the nation’s leaders in preserving, documenting, and promoting an appreciation of this movement. Together, with their extensive experience, they will share their perspectives on Modernism and architectural restoration in the Hamptons.

The site of the talk is Rottet’s home in Montauk, a stunning 1962 masterpiece designed by George Nelson—a founder of American modernist design and the lead designer for the Herman Miller furniture company. The home marks one of the rare full-scale residential projects attributed to Nelson. Although the original house was replaced, this home was constructed in 1989 as an exact replica on a neighboring lot to ensure that the structure’s legacy survived. Rottet acquired the house in 2012 and embarked on a series of renovations honoring the integrity of Nelson’s initial design. Both the reconstruction of the home and Rottet’s thoughtful updates represent remarkable efforts to preserve Eastern Long Island’s rich modernist history.

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• Life & Culture

The best books of the 21st century? Fight me.

• Colette Bancroft Times staff

Summer is a slow time in the publishing business. With fewer big, buzzy books coming out and reviewers in the doldrums, come July you’re likely to see exercises like the New York Times’ recent “ The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century .”

Catnip for book lovers, it’s a list the Times created after they “sent a survey to hundreds of literary luminaries, asking them to name the 10 best books published since Jan. 1, 2000.” According to the Times, 503 people responded, including a wide range of novelists, nonfiction writers, poets and critics.

The list was instant clickbait, as was a second list of readers’ Top 100 . They’re both bountiful material for discussion of (or arguments about) the worthiness of books, and I am always glad to see people talking about books. They also brim with suggestions — the Times even included handy check boxes to mark those you’ve read and those you want to read.

But of course I had a few quibbles. (Have you met me?)

First, the idea of “best” is pretty bogus in this context. Unlike scoring a gymnastics routine with measurable parameters, judging a book is deeply personal and infinitely complex.

And the word implies comparison, the idea that these 100 books exceed all others. Given that more than 1 million new books are published in the U.S. every year, nobody, but nobody, has read them all to be able to compare them.

Furthermore, the Times asked those who took its survey to rank books published in English in the United States, which leaves out the majority of all books published across the globe in a plethora of other languages.

So “best” is, at best, relative.

I also detected some curation in both lists, particularly in terms of genre. The lists do include fiction, nonfiction and a smidge of poetry, but almost all of the novels are literary fiction, despite the popularity of genres like romance and science fiction. A handful of fantasy and horror books made it — “The Hunger Games,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” Stephen King’s stellar “11/22/63.”

But not a single book of crime fiction, even though the 21st century has been a golden age for that genre? No Michael Connelly, no Dennis Lehane, no S.A. Cosby ... don’t get me started. I could make a list of 100 best crime fiction books of the 21st century without breaking a sweat. Even the choice of works by single authors reveals this genre snobbery: Kate Atkinson’s splendid historical novel “Life After Life” makes the lists, but none of her equally splendid Jackson Brodie crime novels do.

A number of books appear on both lists, but sometimes with very different rankings. (The only one ranked the same on both lists is Kazuo Ishiguro’s heartbreaking “Never Let Me Go” at No. 9.)

On the luminaries list, Barbara Kingsolver’s stunner “Demon Copperhead” is ranked No. 61. On the readers’ list, it’s No. 1.

Another wide gap is Donna Tartt’s epic “The Goldfinch,” No. 46 on the luminaries list, No. 4 for readers.

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Most surprising to me, though, were some of the books that didn’t make either list that for me are among the most memorable of the century so far.

Not a single book by the mighty Louise Erdrich (”The Round House,” “LaRose,” “The Sentence”) or the electric Lauren Groff (”Florida,” “Fates and Furies,” “Matrix”)? Where are Jim Harrison’s “Brown Dog,” Peter Matthiessen’s “Shadow Country,” Gary Shteyngart’s “Super Sad Love Story”?

Even book critics can’t read everything, but I’ve read about two-thirds of the books on each list. I haven’t loved all of those, but many of them would make my personal list of 21st century standouts.

Here they are. I’m not calling them the best, and I’m not ranking them. (They’re alphabetical by author.)

These are the books that I’ve read in the 21st century that made the New York Times’ lists and that have also resonated for me, that still live in my head. They are wildly different from each other. I recommend them all.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “Americanah”

Kate Atkinson, “Life After Life”

Alison Bechdel, “Fun Home”

Katherine Boo, “Behind the Beautiful Forevers”

Michael Chabon, “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay”

Ta-Nehisi Coates, “Between the World and Me”

Matthew Desmond, “Evicted”

Junot Diaz, “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”

Joan Didion, “The Year of Magical Thinking”

Jennifer Egan, “A Visit From the Goon Squad”

Jeffrey Eugenides, “Middlesex”

Percival Everett, “Erasure,” “James”

David Grann, “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Kazuo Ishiguro, “Never Let Me Go,” “Klara and the Sun”

Edward P. Jones, “The Known World”

Patrick Radden Keefe, “Say Nothing,” “Empire of Pain”

Barbara Kingsolver, “Demon Copperhead”

Helen Macdonald, “H Is for Hawk”

James McBride, “Deacon King Kong,” “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store”

Cormac McCarthy, “The Road”

Ian McEwan, “Atonement”

Toni Morrison, “A Mercy”

Maggie O’Farrell, “Hamnet”

Tommy Orange, “There There”

Ann Patchett, “The Dutch House,” “Tom Lake”

George Saunders, “Tenth of December,” “Lincoln in the Bardo”

Rebecca Skloot, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”

Elizabeth Strout, “Olive Kitteridge”

Donna Tartt, “The Goldfinch”

Amor Towles, “A Gentleman in Moscow”

Colson Whitehead, “The Underground Railroad,” “The Nickel Boys”

Isabel Wilkerson, “The Warmth of Other Suns”

Copy Desk Chief and Books Critic

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