Writing history essays educates both you and your readers.
American writer Pearl Buck once said, "If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday." Whether you search yesterday for your family's genealogy or the origin of board games, you are looking to the past to find answers. As you research history essay topics, guide your discussion by considering questions that you want answered or explained.
War
Wars have significantly shaped society since the beginning of humankind. In some wars, opposing sides fight over religion, others fight for freedom and others fight against terrorism. Examples of wars that you may want to write about include the American Revolution, World Wars I and II, the Vietnam War and any contemporary wars such as the war on terrorism in the Middle East. Aside from general discussions of events that occurred during specific wars, you may want to discuss the evolution of weapons, the financial burden of wars and famous leaders during wartime.
Technology
Technology provides a wide list of topics for history essays, especially when considering the functionality and feats of modern technology. Choose any technology that most interests you such as television, cellular phones, computers, radios, medical equipment or automobiles. Most likely, whatever piece of technology you choose once had a prototype that eventually became what now sits in your living room, driveway, kitchen or the palm of your hand. Additionally, you may want to write a discussion on the history of the Internet and how its availability has shaped the way we work, shop and play.
Environmental Disasters
The environment plays a critical role in the way we live every day because we depend on it to survive. Consider natural and human-made disasters that have occurred and what communities or countries have done to reconstruct their lives in the aftermath and to prevent the severity of future impact. Examples of natural disasters that you can write about include Hurricane Katrina, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the 1918 influenza outbreak. In addition to natural disasters, discuss human-made disasters such as the 2010 Gulf Coast oil spill or the world's worst nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, Ukraine in 1986.
Health and Medicine
Advances in medicine have increased life expectancy and improved the overall quality of life over the course of human history. In 1950, the average American lived 68 years compared to 78 years in 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although the reasons for longevity vary, improved medicines help to extend lives. You may want to write about the discovery of penicillin, the polio vaccination and the advancement of treatments for cancer, AIDS, organ transplants, heart attacks and paralysis. You may also want to write your essay on the advancement of prosthetic limbs for athletes, the history of service dogs or the development of high-tech motorized wheelchairs.
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