niche history research topics

Cool History Topics: 151 Great Historical Events & Ideas

History is one of the most fascinating and influential fields of study. It’s not merely a narration of the events of the past but a constant search for answers. It’s a re-examination of our human experience and understanding of how far we have come.

There are thousands of interesting history topics that a student can write an essay about. From ancient tribes to the modern world issues, there are plenty of things to explore. However, you might still find it challenging to work on your history project, presentation, or research paper.

There are a few reasons why:

First of all, there are too many choices to pick one. Secondly, when it comes to history, saying something new and genuinely original is tough. A lot of people try to find a research topic that will be fun to write about. You can feel as if all the ideas were already examined.

This is why our team has come together to provide you with this list of cool history topics to write about. Find some unique and fresh ideas on our page!

For some students, picking a popular topic in history is not enough. They want something unique and cool. If you are one of these students, this list can give you some fresh ideas on cool history topics to write about.

• ✨ Top Interesting Topics
• 😎 What Idea is Cool?
• 🥇 Important Events
• 📌 10 Cool Events
• ✨ Popular Topics
• 💡 American History
• 🌍 World History
• 🏺 Ancient History

✨ 15 Interesting History Topics

• World Wonders.
• Chernobyl Disaster.
• Ancient Egypt.
• The Cold War.
• The Red Scare.
• The Holocaust.
• Edo Period.
• Famous Italian Painters.
• The Civil War.
• The 20 th Century.
• Thirty Years’ War.
• South African Apartheid.
• Modern World History.
• Eiffel Tower.
• The Great Depression.

😎 What Is a Cool History Topic?

You may still wonder whether the topic you chose to talk about is cool enough. Well, you can ask people around you to determine. Don’t settle for a random history topic. Make sure it is worth your time.

Talk to your friends, your family, and people you know. Question them about the most important event in world history. It is a good topic to talk about with your friends and learn about exciting events in history. Another great option would be looking up free college essays collected in a samples database. They usually cover a variety of topics and include numerous paper types.

If you don’t have time, this list will give you ideas about some cool history topics to write about. Consider the options, pick the most engaging one, and start your paper.

🥇 Most Important Historical Events

Selecting one of the events that changed the world is a daunting task for anyone. You might ask, with everything that has happened in the past 5000 years, how can you choose what was the most important?

Here is our list of the most important historical events ever:

• Alexander the Great: the political and cultural impact of Alexander the Great’s Conquest . Alexander the Great was one of the most influential kings of the ancient world. In the essay about his political and cultural impact, talk about his military campaigns. How did he, by the age of 30, create one of the biggest Empires in the world? Allow the readers to see how big and powerful the empire was. Elaborate on the legacy that Alexander the Great left after his death.
• The Factors that contributed to the dissolution of the Roman Empire . Historians agree on several factors that contributed to it. At the beginning of the essay, identify them. You can also decide to focus on several factors that seem the most important.
• Islam and Christianity Impact on the Middle Ages
• Nudity in the paintings of the Italian Renaissance
• Leonardo Da Vinci: Artist, Scientist, Inventor . An essay about this person is destined to be intriguing. Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the most captivating figures in the history of humankind. Just imagine: he was an artist, a scientist, and an inventor at the same time. You can pick several most important paintings to talk about. How about The Mona Lisa or The Last Supper?
• Could World War II be prevented?
• How will historians remember the 2010s?
• Heroes after the Middle Ages
• Impact of the Black Death: the greatest population disaster
• American family’s changes since the 20th century
• Racism and Education in the United States . In this essay, students should focus on the history of discrimination in the United States. You can talk about Brown versus The Board of Education but try to go a bit further. Think about disproportionate funding in the public education sector. See if there is a connection with the minorities. Where do they live and go to school?
• Was there a need to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
• The Fall of Constantinople – the greatest capital in the world. Your tutor will most probably expect you to write about the greatness of the city. But this essay topic should focus on the fall of it. Talk about the last decades of the city and about the most important factors that contributed to the fall of it.
• What were the effects of Gutenberg’s Printing Press? The printing revolutions started after Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. It’s another transformational event in world history. It was crucial in the development of the Renaissance, Reformation, and the Age of Enlightenment. This topic has a lot of things you can talk about.
• The Ideology of Colonialism
• Paradoxicality of Christianity and Slavery. Not many people know, but Christian slaveholders used religion to justify slavery. They usually picked up verses from the book of Genesis and interpreted them in the manner that served their needs. Sometimes they used the New Testament to justify slavery. You could compare the attitude early Christians had towards slaves and how it changed.
• The scar of colonialism and the presence of post-colonialism
• Impact of the American revolution on women. Women played an integral part during the revolution. Depending on their social status, their involvement varied. They affected the revolution a lot, but also the revolution had a great impact on them. Women did not have any political voice in Colonial America. So, see how it changed after the American Revolution was over.

• The Rise and Fall of Napoleon
• Culture, work, and social change after the Industrial Revolution
• Why was the Declaration of Independence written?
• French Revolution: why Marie Antoinette lost her head?
• The importance of the Berlin Wall in the Cold War
• Communism Collapse in the USSR . Write about what caused the collapse of the Soviet Union. Discuss Gorbachev’s decision to democratize the Soviet Union and how people reacted to it. Write about the impact that the collapse of the Soviet Union had around the world.

📌 10 Cool Events in History to Write About

• The Apollo 11 Landing – 1969.
• Formation of the UN – 1945.
• The Suffrage Movement – 1847-1920.
• The American Revolution – 1775-1783.
• Fall of the Wall – 1989.
• The Gunpowder Plot – 1605.
• Discover of DNA – 1860s.
• 20th Century Space Race – 1955-1975.
• The Trojan War – 12th Century BCE.
• The Renaissance – 15th-16th Century.

✨ Most Popular History Topics

This list is great if those who want to pick one of the famous topics in history. The selected ideas have a great depth to them. They are relevant and will be excellent to write about. You will be able to find information in history encyclopedias, journals, articles, and podcasts.

Moreover, your classmates and teacher will like your research too. Here’s our list of popular history essay topic:

• The Industrial Revolution and how did it change England
• The Civil Rights Movement in the United States . Elaborate on the political climate before the civil rights movements. Discuss the events that triggered it in the United States. What was the movement able to achieve? If you choose this essay topic, be ready to have a strong opinion about it.
• Martin Luther King: the life and death. Another idea that, in a way, relates to the civil rights movement essay topic. It’s impossible to explore race relationships without talking about Martin Luther King. He was a bright and influential individual. For sure, this essay topic is among the most popular ones.
• The autobiography of Malcolm X
• French Revolution and the Napoleonic Era
• Causes of the 1812 war . Write about the immediate causes and the remote causes of the 1812 war. You can also talk about the groups that opposed the war and the groups that supported it.
• Why did William win the battle of Hastings?
• Mongol’s Conquest Causes, Battles, and Results
• Music and paintings during the Renaissance in Italy
• Compare British and American slavery. Examine the differences and similarities between British and American slavery. For a very long time, historians believed that the Southern type of slavery was harsher. Think about it and examine the evidence that you have. You can use slave diaries and the novels they wrote about their experiences.
• Dehumanizing psychology of slavery: does it still exist?
• Transatlantic Slave Trade: from West Africa to the Americas
• African-American cultural identity
• The history of Buddhism
• The lasting impact of Karl Marx’s works. Karl Marx was not a politician, nor he ever considered implementing his ideas. However, not that long after his death, his works were picked up. They were interpreted and revolutionized. This is a great essay topic for everyone who is looking for an engaging theme to write about.

• The history of math
• The fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of feudalism
• When did Pearl Harbor become a naval base?
• Economic Recession in the United States in the 2000s
• Mental Illness in America: Nellie Bly, Kate Chopin, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman
• Canadian history through sports. Canada is all about sports. In this essay, write about how the image of Canada was continuously shaped by sports victories. It’s a fascinating and cool topic to explore.
• The space race during the Cold War
• Positive and Negative Effects of the Cold War. The Cold War was a different type of conflict. While it created a lot of calamity and negativity, there were some positive sides to it as well. Talk about those effects. For instance, focus on political stability, or economic growth, or the space race.
• The history of aviation
• Post-Civil war reconstruction in American history
• The role of Capitalism and the life of workers
• Arab-Israeli conflict

🔥 Top 76 Coolest History Topics

If you are looking for the coolest history topic, you are in the right place. Find a title that interests you personally and start writing. Be sure the process of writing won’t be tedious. Instead, it should make you curious about more historical events of the past.

We combined this list of topics to help you get inspired.

💡 Cool American History Topics

• How did the Civil War affect the distribution of wealth in the United States?
• The 1992 Los Angeles Riots
• African Communities in America . African Communities in America have a long history. It’s full of discrimination, slavery, the oppression. Despite all of that, African communities in the United States are among the fastest-growing.
• Condition of Women and Minorities During the War
• The first wave of immigration to the United States
• Racism and segregation in the US
• The first civilizations of the Native Americans
• Did Barack Obama change America? Barack Obama was the first African American President in the United States. Look at the political reforms, foreign and immigration policies implemented during his presidency. Then, try to answer this question for yourself.
• A bill of rights and an amendment
• The origins of automobile drag racing in the U.S.

• How did the highway system change US culture? America has one of the best highways in the world. All thanks to the 1921 Federal-Aid Highway Act and 1956 Federal-Aid Highway Acts. They led to a highway system to become faster and even more efficient. It allowed America to be interconnected. Talk about the effects it had on economic, political, cultural life.
• Events after the Pearl Harbor invasion
• The American red and blue state divide . Every single state had both conservative and liberal voters. However, since the 2000 United States Presidential elections, blue and red states were referred. The respective voters predominantly choose the Democratic party or the Republican party. In this essay, write about this divide. Talk about the differences between both groups of voters.
• The development of clinical psychology in America
• The founders of clinical psychology in the United States. In this essay, talk about the founders of clinical psychology in the United States. Discuss what is clinical psychology and what makes it different from general psychology. Explore how this field evolved in the world and how it started in the United States.
• African American soldiers during the Vietnam War
• Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War
• How did the media shape Americans’ perceptions of the Vietnam War?
• Native American Weaponry
• History of American Stock Market
• How did the Great Depression end?

🌍 Cool World History Topics

• How Capitalism beat Communism
• The Cold war and its consequences for the world
• How Genghis Khan conquered Persia
• How Aborigines made Australia
• The history of the Mayan Civilization
• How did women’s rights in America change over the last century. In this essay, talk about how far women’s rights advanced in the previous century. Look at the 1920 and 2020 to see what actual steps were taken and what has been changed.

• The most important events in the history of the Ottoman Empire.
• Enlightening and Revolution: Europe and India
• Gender Inequality and Socio-Economic Development
• The Decolonization of Africa. The road to independence for African countries was paved with blood and tears. The decolonization of Africa is a period between 1950 and 1975. During this time, African countries fought for independence. Examine the external and internal causes. Elaborate on the economic and political effects of decolonization.
• The influences between Greece, Egypt, and Rome.
• Nuclear Arms Race between the US and the USSR
• Chairman Mao and the Great Chinese Revolution
• History of Modern South Africa. This beautiful Southern African nation had extremely upsetting pages in its modern history. From nationalism to apartheid, terrorism, and racial segregation and oppression. Nowadays, South Africa is among one of the strongest economies in Africa. In this essay topic, you have a lot to talk about.
• The importance of teaching boys and girls about gender equality
• The social psychology of gender inequality
• Women in World War II
• China in Revolution
• History of Jews and the Holocaust
• European Image of the African 1400-1600
• American and French Revolution
• What happened at the Nuremberg trials? Talk about the Nuremberg trials and what is the importance of it. Gladly, we have the trials recorded, so you can just see it for yourself.
• History of the Cuban Missile Crisis. This moment during the Cold War is crucial. The confrontation is considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a nuclear war. Comment on the blockade, the international response. How did the crisis end? What effect did this event have for the people of Cuba?
• The European Union and the European crisis
• East versus West
• Totalitarian regimes in Germany and USSR

🏺 Cool Ancient History Topics

• Mesopotamian influence on the Oman Peninsula
• Why were the pyramids built? This essay will be fun to write about. Who isn’t intrigued by the Egyptian pyramids? There are plenty of legends, stories, and myths that surround the architectural monuments. We suggest you look into the facts. Make your arguments based on proven historical findings and evidence.
• The kings of Ancient Egypt
• Alexander the Great’s Reign
• Fall of the Ancient Roman Empire. The fall of the Ancient Roman Empire, without any doubt, is one of the most important historical topics. Explore how gradual the process of decline was. Discuss the military, political, and financial reasons for the fall.
• The culture of Ancient Greece
• Race in Ancient Egypt
• Religion in Ancient Greece
• The government organization of Ancient Rome
• Life of Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar wasn’t only an Emperor. He was a writer, philosopher, and historian. In this essay, talk about military victories of the Roman leader. Explore his influence on the rise of the Roman empire and the demise of the Roman Republic.
• Agricultural aspects of ancient Egypt
• Social issues of ancient Egyptians
• History of Athenian democracy
• Factors that influenced the development of human civilizations
• The military forces of the Roman Empire
• Famous scholars of Ancient Greece. Some of the most influential and prominent philosophers of all time were from Ancient Greece. Socrates, Sophocles, Plato, Aristotle, and many others. Don’t try to write about each one of them. Instead, elaborate on the position the poets and the philosophers had in the Ancient Greek Society.
• Evolution of Greek Acropolis

• The societies of Ancient Mesoamerica
• Romans and Barbarians: the decline of the Roman Empire
• The daily life of the ancient Maya
• Maya, Aztec, and Inca collapse
• Civilization in Mesopotamia and Egypt
• Historical analysis of Sparta and its pop-culture depiction. Do you have a favorite movie or a book about Sparta? Compare the depiction with historical facts. Write about the differences and similarities between these two representations. Think about why it is so frequently used in pop culture.
• Hunting and gathering societies in the Americas
• The fall of Pompeii. Pompeii was an ancient city buried under the ashes left after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Due to this sudden event, historians can examine the life of the people of Pompeii. It remained almost untouched. Several historians recorded first-hand accounts of Mount Vesuvius’ eruption. Read them to have a vivid picture of what was going on in the city before the tragedy.
• The battle of Pharsalus
• The Western Roman Empire: the significance of its collapse
• The Great Wall of China: cultural and historical analysis

Being able to select your essay topic can seem like a lot of fun at the beginning. However, it is also a big responsibility and a challenge at times. Hopefully, one of these essay topics will help you with the ideas for your essay.

Thank you for reading it, and the best of luck with your assignment! Leave a comment below and share the article with those who may need it.

🔗 References

• The 10 Most Important Moments and Events in History: Rebecca Graf for Owlcation
• Psychology Research Paper Topics, 50+ Great Ideas: Kendra Cherry for Verywell Mind
• Historical Topics: In-Depth Articles from HistoryExtra
• History Topics: National Women’s History Museum
• Hot Topics in World History: World History Center, University of Pittsburgh
• World History Topic: Newspapers.com
• Effective Writing: Grammar Rules
• Cliché, Examples and Definition of Cliché: Literary Devices
• Writing Guides: Colorado State University
• What Good Writers Know: Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning
• Resources: University of Alberta
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40 Interesting Historical Research Topics

• Last modified 2024-05-28
• Published on 2021-03-17

History is typically a required course in high school, under the umbrella of social science. History is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea; however, understanding American, European, and World History will give you an opportunity to escape your little bubble of life and gain broader perspectives about historical events and how they influence current and future events. History repeats itself, is often said. Learning about history will not only give you knowledge of the past but also predictions  for  the future.   

History may sound boring at first, but historical events were influenced by numerous factors, ranging from politics, technological advancement, and social circumstances. Especially, when you dive deeper into history with historical research, you will develop critical analysis and technical analysis skills by uncovering events and analyz ing  how they have impacted the future through convincing arguments.     

Enhance Your Research Skills with Aralia’s Research Scholar Classes

So now, you’re very interested in doing historical research, but you don’t know where to start. Every research paper starts with an interesting topic. So, ask yourself, what topic is of the most interest to you and most unique and interesting to readers? Maybe you are interested in learning more about European History during the Renaissance period, or the decolonization of Asia under the event of the Second World War .  Depending on the topic, you will be able to integrate and discuss multiple perspectives that contribute to the events or incidents. Examples include: the economy, education, politics, social life, etc. While brainstorming a topic, you should also look for reliable resources. Reliable resources can come from your school’s library, scholarly and peer-reviewed articles, etc. For more details about steps in the research process, we’ve written in detail  8 critical steps while doing research  you should check out.   

Before going into the list, we recommend that you should have a clear direction of what historical aspect you should focus on. There are 5 main aspects when it comes to historical events:   

• Religion/Philosophy: belief, creator, place of worship, ideas  
• Politics: government, laws, leaders, crimes, war, military, democracy  
• Economics: currency, jobs, bank, trade, stocks, gold, production  
• Society: communication, personality, age, nationality, gender, religion  
• Culture: traditions, clothing, appearance, festivals, food, language, sports, education, architecture  

You can write  any  one of those  preceding  aspects, or  a  combination of two or three aspects in relation to  each historical event. We’ve compiled and categorized topics to guide you in your historical research paper writing process. Using the topics, you can dive deeper into exploring which topics you’re most interested in writing about, and should be most relevant to your history career in high school and college.  Now, let’s get started!   

1. World History 

World History is a broad and diverse research topic that covers a wide period of time: from civilization to social movement. Therefore, there are multiple topics students can choose from. Remember, world history discusses the development in the world in response to interchanges among significant countries in the world.   

• World Wars I and II, the links between them, and how they could have been  prevented   
• American Revolution – Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1783   
• Trade in the Roman World designed by The Romans created one of the most impressive road networks of the ancient world.  
• The rise and fall of empires, in relation to conflicts, protests, and riots against corporate globalization, and the threat of worldwide terrorism against the West.  
• Cradle of civilization: Ancient Discoveries of China, Egypt, Mesoamerica, or India, or any other civilization that le d  to a high level of craft specialization and artistic production from each civilization, creating opportunities for trade   
• Architecture through the ages: the changes in architecture through various traditions, regions, and dates, growing from human’s basic needs of shelter and protection.   
• Women’s rights movement around the world. To see the overall timeline of women’s rights movements, you can explore women’s activism from generations past and present on  the UN Women’s website .   
• Math and Science discoveries throughout ancient history that contribute to how we apply math and science today  
• Ancient conquests and their influence on the modern world map formation  
• Nuclear warfare, a military conflict or political strategy which deploys nuclear weaponry.   

2. United States History

For students studying in the US, United States History has always been fascinating, given its Declaration of Independence in 1776. American History ranges from prehistory, European colonization, the American Revolution, the Federal period, the Gilded Age, the Great Depression, and the Cold War. Below are some examples for U.S. historical Research paper:  

• Attack on Pearl Harbor, the military strike by Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii.  
• The Vietnam War: Social consequences and  treatment of  veterans   returning from the war  
• Immigration in the late 1800s: the “melting pot” and “salad bowl” metaphors  
• Gold Rush and its development of  the  California state  
• Civil War and the participation of women and African America ns  
• JFK Presidency, Policy and Assassination   
• My Lai Massacre, incident of American violence committed against unarmed civilians during the Vietnam War  
• Sept 11, 2001 attacks and  their  impact on American security policies, foreign policy, and views on Islam through media and movies  
• Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, its tactics, movements, and outcomes  
• Yellow journalism and its impact on the Spanish-American War  

3. European History

The history of Europe began with the first appearance of anatomically modern humans in Europe. European History is considered the best-documented history  compared to that of other regions  in the world of history. Through conducting European studies, you will be able to understand its people, culture, and the way they saw the world.   

• The Nude in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance: religious or erotic?   
• Italian unification   
• The relationship between Turkey and the European Union, and its impact on the position that Turkey has today  
• Black Death, cause, symptoms and impact   
• Religious crisis in the 16th century: the birth of Protestantism  
• The Agricultural Revolution and the development of market economies  
• The spread of Christianity: the political aspects  
• European imperialism, in relation to the economic and political power overseas  
• The Industrial Revolution and societal consequences  
• The influence of Locke and French philosophies on the rise of liberal political thought in Europe in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries  

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4. asian history.

Asian History  remains unknown to many people in the Western world . However, in the discussion of world history, the civilizations of Asia display a preeminence prior to the age of Western civilization.  

• Western imperialism in Asia and Asia n  transformation in  the areas of  religion, economy, and society   
• The Story of Viet n am: From Prehistory to the Present  
• Open Door policy and its impact on  the economies in the  US and  China  
• Ancient Korean & Chinese Relations   
• The Forgotten History of South Korean Massacres in Vietnam  
• Invasions of the Korean Peninsula and its struggle for unification   
• Yasuke  and its defense on Japan’s Greatest Warlord  
• British Malaya: British involvement in Malay Politics  
• The Great Game: a political and diplomatic confrontation between the British Empire and the Russian Empire over Afghanistan and neighboring territories in Central and South Asia.  
• The Indus Valley Civilization, one of the world’s earliest civilizations  

History is a topic of great breadth and depth. Historians today are fascinated by the new findings of history through the examination of archaeology and anthropology. The above are the few examples we hope will inspire you to take the next step to conduct historical research. If you are passionate about history and would like to conduct a research project in preparation for history or other liberal arts majors in college or a history career in the future, we are here to help! We recently launched a new Historical Research project, along with the long-standing American, European, and World History courses.

Aralia’s History tutors are inspired teachers and professors who are committed to student success. They are recognized in their field or are currently teaching at top high schools and colleges/universities in the US.

5. Take History classes with Aralia

Through Historical Research and Writing, students will learn about choosing a topic, composing research questions, effective research methods, drafting, composing, and revising. These skills will be taught with an emphasis on historical research, allowing students to engage in analysis of primary and secondary sources, discover interesting insights in history, and partake in the active pursuit of understanding the importance of the historical study.

In AP United States History (APUSH), students will review key content concepts and course objectives found in the APUSH course description through writing long essay questions (LEQ), document-based question essays (DBQs), and short answer questions (SAQs). Furthermore, students will practice using historical thinking skills tested on the exam by answering stimuli-based multiple-choice questions and through their written responses.

In this course, we will cover a period from the height of Ancient Greece to the middle of the sixteenth century, as we study the emergence of the first civilizations around modern day Europe and the trajectory of their development into Western society. We will examine the contributions of Greece and Rome and how they expanded their empires; how ideas are conceived, put into practice, and have social consequences; how and why their empires collapsed; how people and societies existed during the Middle Ages; how numerous cultures developed values and coexisted/clashed with others; and how a broken Europe, after several starts, reinvigorated itself with the Renaissance, and split again in the Reformation.

This course will allow students to discover important moments in World History while developing academic, writing, and communication skills. By studying, reading, and writing about World History, students will gain a better understanding of how the modern world came to be and how past events dictate current ones.

Explore the rise and fall of empires, the clash, and encounter of cultures, plagues, religious fervor, and political intrigue and war. This course aims to discover the complex interactions between Native Americans, Europeans, and Africans in different regions of North America across more than 500 years of history​.

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60+ History Research Paper Topics From Our Top Writers

Finding that fascinating topic for history research paper can be a pain in some students’ necks. In this article, we reveal our only suggestions of ideas for good history research topics.

Whether you need United States history research paper topics, Europe and across the world, we have you covered. We have selected relevant topics with a clear statement to jumpstart your writing process. Check out our ultimate list of American history research paper topics for college students:

US History Research Paper Topics

• What was the history and culture of Native Americans before the invasion by Europeans?
• How did 9/11 change the US foreign policy?
• Why did Japan target Pearl Harbor and how significant was it to the US?
• Why did American Revolution leaders fail to achieve equality for everyone?
• What traditions define Independence Day in the US?
• What events led to the abolishment of slavery?
• Who were the initial inhabitants of the US, and how was it found?
• Did the US have to use two atomic bombs on Japan?

World History Research Paper Topics

• What happened in Germany after the fall of Hitler and the Nazis?
• Communism and why it is considered it is considered a lousy system historically.
• Explain why nationalism is a primary source of identity everywhere else but has failed among the Arab States
• In what ways did the assassination of John F. Kennedy change the course of US politics?
• Who was Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, and what were the impacts of his ideas on the Islam world?
• What was the primary intention of the US dropping atomic bombs on Japan? Was it to end the war or to prevent the Soviet Union from amassing influence in Asia?
• Why is the fall of Constantinople in 1453 perceived as the saddest moment in the history of humankind?

European History Research Paper Topics

• Why Eastern Europe has always trailed Western Europe in terms of development
• Which other country used women in World War Two other than Russia?
• What was Hitler’s reasoning for attacking the Soviets during WWII?
• What European nation has the most influential culture in history?
• What are some of the events that shifted France and England’s relationship from enemies to allies?
• Point out some of the differences between feudalism in Eastern Europe and Western Europe
• How were European countries affected by the Industrial Revolution?
• Define the factors the led to the mass degradation of French women in the aftermath of WWII

Ancient History Research Paper Topics

• Explain how philosophy became so popular in Ancient Greece
• What are some of the similarities between Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome?
• Alexander the Great; who was he, and why is he considered one of the most outstanding leaders in history?
• In what way was ancient Egypt unique from Ancient Rome and Greece?
• Point out the difference and similarities between Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome
• What is the origin of democracy in Ancient Greece, and how did it come to be in general?
• What is the story of Theagenes of Thasos, the strongest fighter in Ancient Rome?

Modern World History Research Topics

• What was the status of women in the USSR through the 20th century?
• Why didn’t any western countries intervene in Communist China in the mid-20th century?
• What was the necessity of using an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
• What are some of the reasons behind US policies towards immigrants in the 21st century?
• What is the price of industrialization to the American nation?
• What are some of the most prominent inventors and industrialists in the modern-day world?
• How did industrialization influence social movements in the USA?
• Explain American foreign policy from the start of the 21st century

History Topics To Write About Africa

• How Idi Amin did change the world’s attitude to Uganda
• In what ways is the Democratic Republic of Congo different from its neighboring countries?
• Why did it take until the 19th century for European powers to start colonizing Sub-Saharan Africa?
• How were oil and petroleum discovered in Ethiopia?
• Explain why North Africa went from the wealthiest regions during times of the Roman Empire to a regional backwater
• Historically speaking, what are the wealthiest countries in Africa, and what contributed to the wealth in those counties?
• What are some of the post-colonial drawbacks that Africa has had to deal with in recent times?
• What was the African continent’s state in the 1600s? Was it similar to Asia and Europe?
• What religions were practiced in Africa before being influenced by Europe and Asia?
• What were some of the most potent African empires between the 6th and the 8th century?
• What were the consequences of German Warfare in Africa in 1884?

Middle East Historical Research Paper Topics

• The Sumerians; what made the first great civilization of humankind?
• What are some of the less known facts about the Byzantine Empire?
• Explain how the Ottoman Empire spread to the Middle East
• Which countries in the Middle East have been powerful economically throughout history?
• In what ways were the Byzantine and Roman cultures adapted to and incorporated in the Middle East?
• What are the main events that altered the Middle East in modern history?

African American History

• What were some of the impacts of Martin Luther King’s speech on the African American community?
• What was the position of black Americans during the industrial age?
• What were the struggles of the African American population after the Civil War?
• What are some of the beliefs and traditions of African American culture?
• In what way did the African American women help during WWII?
• What did the 14th amendment have to offer the black community?
• What are some of the legends and cultural traits in black history?

Music History Research Paper Topics

• What is the history of the film industry and classical composers?
• How Classical German composers influenced further music development
• How classical melody has been impacted by technology
• Discuss the origins of classical composing
• Analyzing Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony
• A study of early music history and the evolution of musical instruments

History papers carry a lot of weight, allowing college students to learn the culture, traditions, and past of other nations. With our vast range of ideas, you should have a smooth time selecting an ideal topic.

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People often say that time travel is impossible. I beg to differ. Did you know that researching historical events can be regarded as time traveling? Because you will get more information about events as if you were there. Most university and college students in the United States consider writing history papers uninteresting. Some of their negative opinions stem from inability to come up with unique and fascinating historical research topics. If you have a history assignment and are stuck on finding a suitable title that can guarantee you success, you are in the right place. Our research paper writers for hire have compiled various history research paper topics that can inspire your essays. Select from different interesting topics in history to research and write on. Apart from giving you 250 research themes, this article also explains what these topics are, their characteristics, and how to choose them.

What Are History Research Paper Topics?

History research paper topics refer to titles that explore past times, events, and the evolution of cultures and traditions. As a branch of more broad  social science research topics , they evaluate social, political, scientific, and economic developments that humans have made since the beginning of time. History research topics majorly focus on recorded and unrecorded past events and times. The theme you choose for your research paper or thesis will guide your overall content. You may be provided with history paper topics by lecturers or professors in your school or required to come up with one of your own. In this case, we have got a huge list for your selection.

Characteristics of Good History Research Topics

Before writing any history paper, you should come up with or select a suitable title. Choosing good history topics to research is a challenging task. As a scholar, you may falter at this stage and pick a topic that is unsuitable for your paper, which eventually affects your grade. Since we want to make it easy for you, we will provide a checklist of characteristics to look out for when selecting titles for your essay. Good topics for a history research paper should be: 

• Meaningful.
• Unambiguous.
• Attractive.
• Expressive.
• Well-defined.

How to Choose a History Research Topic?

Unless you are provided with a title to write on, most times, you will be required to come up with your research topics in history. Generally, this is a broad subject covering different areas. As a result, it may be a tedious task for you to try and select a suitable research topic for history paper. However, do not worry because we will present a series of steps to guide you in choosing a title for your essay. Follow this procedure when you want to pick historical topics to write about:

• Brainstorm ideas and determine the best one.
• Evaluate all background information that has been provided.
• Focus on issues that are interesting to you.
• Create a keyword list or an outline for your topic.
• Be flexible in your research.
• Ensure all titles meet assignment requirements.

List of History Topics to Research

To succeed in your essays, it is vital to come up with good research topics for history. Therefore, you should select unique and interesting historical topics to research. Below are examples of best history research paper topics:

• What were major impacts of slave trade in Europe?
• Historical development of the industrial revolution.
• Factors that promoted construction of pyramids in Egypt.
• Negative consequences of World Wars on the global economy.
• Effects of the American Civil War on people’s ways of life.
• Historical origin of the American Revolution.
• Impacts of European scramble for and partition of Africa.
• Factors that led to the US-Mexico war in 1846.
• Major reasons why the Soviet Union collapsed.
• Expressionist movement and its impacts on modern art.

The following list offers everyone what they need. If not, ask our experts for a piece of advice or generate a title to your liking with our Topic Generator .

Interesting History Topics to Research

There are many interesting history research paper topics that you can write on. However, we strive to provide you with the best. We have compiled a list of most interesting history topics for you to pick:  

• What processes were taken in abolishing slave trade?
• Queen Elizabeth: A historical background of how she came to power.
• Factors that led to Americans going into Civil War.
• Main uses of money in ancient Greece.
• Science that led to discovery of polio vaccines.
• Key facts about the American Revolution.
• Assassination attempts on US Presidents in the last 70 years.
• Effects of child labor during the Puritan era.
• Major roles played by America during World War I.
• What factors made the Titanic sink?
• Environmental impacts of industrial revolution.
• What economic role did women play during the Great Depression?
• How did the Germantown Battle start?
• What influenced the Spanish-American War ?
• Roles played by religious leaders during the Aztec era.

Good History Research Paper Topics

Apart from interesting titles, there are also good topics for history research paper that can guarantee you high grades in your paper. Below is a list of good history paper topics: 

• Historical origin of the Roman Empire.
• What tactics were used by Greeks in their win against Persians?
• Famous war strategies employed by Alexander the Great in his conquest of Egypt.
• What lesson can we learn from construction and implementation of the Great Wall of China?
• Most successful attacks by Julius Caesar on Great Britain.
• Hun's first invasion of Europe: An analysis of its success.
• Challenges faced by Mohammed in his journey from Mecca to Medina.
• Impacts of Aristotle’s philosophical ideas in today’s world.
• First Greek Olympiad and its legacy.
• Famous African American soldiers during the Civil War.
• Achievements of Genghis Khan in Asia.
• Russia-Ukraine war: Origin of this conflict.
• Challenges faced by the American army in Vietnam.
• Economic implications of Versailles Treaty on European nations.
• Major causes of World War II.

Unique Historical Research Topics

To stand out from other scholars, you ought to have unique history research topics. To get you there, we have provided history topics to write about:

• Historiography of reasons that led to World War I.
• Adoption of Rococo artistic style in architecture.
• Major environmental impacts of late Warthe retreat in central Europe.
• What political impacts did cartoons and propaganda experts have during World War II?
• What vital religious roles did sculptures play in ancient Greece?
• History of famous Christian symbols and their significance.
• Psychological significance of Kazimir Malevich's artworks.
• Origin and political importance of Dalits in India.
• How did Julius Caesar and Cleopatra’s relationship affect his leadership?
• Famous medics who played a crucial role during World War II.
• What key implications did Balkan Wars have on the European map?
• Achievements of Queen Victoria’s first year in office.
• Discovery of X-Rays: How and by who?
• Spanish Civil War: An analysis of first 100 days during the war.
• Key events that followed after Pearl Harbor was attacked.

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Popular History Research Topics

Your selection of research topics on history may also be driven by popularity. If that is the case, we have a list of history research paper topics for you below: 

• What factors triggered the Great Depression?
• History of the Cold War.
• Black Death: Separating facts from myths.
• Greatest scientific inventions that have shaped how we communicate.
• Islamic Empire: Its origin and positive impacts.
• Hundred Year War: Economic impacts on French and English kingdoms.
• What key weapons were used during medieval warfare?
• What was life like during the Dark Ages?
• Significant events that took place during the Crusades.
• What caused the American Revolution?
• Similarities between the current economic recession and the Great Depression.
• Significance of French Revolution.
• Factors that led to slavery abolition in America.
• Roles played by women during the Civil War.
• Consequences of the Cold War in the Soviet Union.

Easy History Topics to Write About

Sometimes you are striving to beat deadlines for submitting your paper. Such times call for easy history topics to research. When you find yourself in such a situation, look at these easy historical events to write about for your inspiration: 

• Major impacts of World War I.
• Key achievements of the Women's Rights Movement in the past century.
• Economic impacts of the biggest earthquake in America.
• Salem Witch Trials: Causes and impacts.
• How did the European invasion of Africa affect levels of education on the continent?
• Achievements of the Ottoman Empire.
• Apartheid in South Africa: Its social and political impacts.
• Causes of rise and fall of Roman Empire.
• Significant inventions during the Middle Ages.
• How Native Americans reacted to European invasions of their lands.
• Strategies used by the American government to overcome the Great Depression.
• How important was Pearl Harbor during World War II?
• Consequences brought by nuclear weapons in Europe.
• Common effects of Greek culture in Europe.
• Major roles played by Shogun in Japanese history.

History Research Paper Topics for Students

Most students always encounter challenges when it comes to selecting historical topics to research. Choosing the right title can make a difference between success and failure in your paper. This is why you need to have various history research questions to help you in selecting your focus area. It does not matter whether you are in middle school, high school, or college because we have a list of topics that will help you get good grades .

History Research Topics for Middle School

There are times when middle school students are required to select historical events to write about. If you find yourself in this situation, we have interesting topics in history suggested for you:

• European Middle Ages: Major challenges that were witnessed during that era.
• Gender bias roles and how they have changed over time in Britain.
• How many soldiers did America lose during World War I?
• In what ways have nuclear weapons changed the military?
• What measures were taken to abolish slavery in America?
• History of the United Kingdom monarch.
• How were enslaved people transported to America?
• Impacts of the Cold War on the European economy.
• Who were the first settlers in America?
• Agrarian revolution: Origin and impact in Europe.
• Evolution of man according to Darwin.
• Positive impacts brought by the Ottoman Empire .
• Significance of Shakespearean plays to modern theaters.
• Factors that facilitated the growth of the industrial revolution.
• How the motor industry developed in America.

History Research Topics for High School

If you are a high school student looking for research topics in history, you have arrived at the right place. Below we have compiled history project topics for you to choose from: 

• Factors that promoted growth of the Byzantine Empire.
• Repercussions brought by World War II to Britain.
• History and growth of Civil Rights Movement in America.
• How did World War I cripple Germany's military power?
• Major factors that made it easy for colonies to win the American Revolution.
• Challenges faced by China in its space exploration attempts.
• Why was America reluctant to participate in World War II?
• Key benefits of the Cold War to Russia.
• Factors that led to eradicating most Native Americans’ cultural practices.
• American Wild West: Analysis of myths as portrayed by popular culture.
• History of the American constitution.
• Fight against terrorism: Its origin and development.
• Berlin Wall: Its social impacts on the people of Germany.
• Major social revolutions in Britain.
• Revolution of the internet.

History Research Paper Topics for College Students

There is a wide range of history research topics for college students. However, to achieve the highest grade, you must find the best history thesis topics for your term paper. The following is a list of the most popular American history research paper topics for college students: 

• A comparison between Crusaders and Jihadists.
• Most effective farming tools that were used in Mesopotamia.
• In what ways has Japanese art influenced European cultures?
• Impacts of racial segregation on development of music industry in America.
• Major racial events that have plagued American society in the past 50 years.
• Key constitutional amendments that have taken place in the US over the last 100 years.
• How did Europeans use religion to conquer countries?
• Origin and benefits of vaccines to people.
• Significance of Marie Antoinette during the American Revolution.
• In what ways did the Medici family influence the Renaissance?
• How did communist manifesto influence European countries?
• Controversial issues surrounding Pope Alexander VI.
• Roles played by women during the Vietnam War.
• Manson family: Truths and myths surrounding them.
• Historical account of first space exploration by America.

Historical Events to Write About

Writing a history paper should be a fun affair. To make your experience worthwhile, we have different cool history topics for research papers. Selecting a theme from these classifications will make it easy for you to write a unique and interesting essay for your research. Go through these topics for history project and use any of them as sources of inspiration for your paper. When you decide on the idea, make sure to check how to write a research paper properly. 

World History Research Paper Topics

One of the most fun titles to write on is interesting world history topics. Although this category is broad, you should not be confused about what to research and write because we have got you covered. Below are world history topics for research paper that you can choose: 

• Significant environmental consequences of Persian Gulf War.
• Factors that contributed greatly to the fall of Aztec Civilization.
• What were the economic impacts brought by the rise of the Qing Dynasty?
• Key chain of events that led to the Russian Revolution and rise of communism.
• How did the Samurai culture greatly impact nations around Japan?
• Life and achievements of Nelson Mandela and his struggle to liberate South Africa from colonial rule.
• Major reasons why the Great Wall of China was constructed.
• Factors that contributed to Babylon collapsing.
• Economic significance of Constantinople in the Byzantine Empire.
• Mughal architectural influences in constructing Taj Mahal.

US History Research Paper Topics

There are a lot of American history research paper topics that you can select. However, to guarantee your success in this process, we have provided the best US history topics for research paper below: 

• Ways in which early settlers in America learned to coexist together.
• Major factors that contributed to Witch Trials in Salem.
• What laws were put in place to control enslaved people in America?
• Key reasons why Boston Massacres occurred.
• What factors led to the American Revolution?
• Reasons why George Washington is regarded as one of the greatest leaders in American history.
• New roles for women after the American Revolution.
• Key events that took place in creating the American Constitution.
• Conflicts between British and Native Americans in the 19th century.
• Modern activism groups. Their origin and development in the USA.

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European History Research Topics

Finding the best European history research paper topics may be difficult because of European countries' different historical and cultural backgrounds. Nevertheless, below we have created interesting European history topics that will make it easy for you:

• Niccolo Machiavelli's philosophy and its impacts.
• Most renowned artist of the Renaissance period.
• Maximillian Robespierre: Impacts brought by his reign of terror during the French Revolution.
• Factors that led to creation of Austria-Hungary.
• Rise and fall of the Viking era.
• Characteristics that are associated with Gothic art.
• Origin and impacts of Romanticism.
• A comparison of great works by Mozart and Bach in the 18th century.
• How Cubism revolutionized the art movement in Europe.
• Military role played by British women in World War II.

European history has various events described in literature. If you want to focus on how any event is depicted in literary works, don't hesitate to browse for literature research paper topics.  

French Revolution Research Topics for History

The French Revolution is a significant historical period. If you are searching for the best historical topics to research about this period, look no further. Below are best history topics ideas for you to start with: 

• Achievements of King Louis IV.
• Factors that contributed to Napoleon losing the Waterloo battle.
• Major causes of the French Revolution.
• How has the French Revolution affected modern France?
• Major roles played by the French Revolution in Europe.
• What was the significance of Robespierre during the French Revolution?
• How did the French Revolution influence music and French operas?
• How was Napoleon’s conquest affected by the French Revolution?
• Key societal transformation after the French Revolution.
• Causes and impacts brought by Champ De Mars Massacre.

American Revolution History Research Paper Topics

Another popular category to write on is American history research topics. When asked to write about the American Revolution, do not be confused. The following are interesting American history research paper topics for your ideas: 

• Social consequences caused by the American Revolution.
• What role did women play during the revolution?
• How did the American Revolution impact Europe?
• How did typical Americans live during this revolution?
• Famous female writers during the American Revolution.
• Negative social impacts of the American Revolution.
• Similarities between the Trenton and Princeton Battles.
• Significant achievements of Alexander Hamilton during the American Revolution.
• How did the revolution change the perception of America by British?
• How did George Washington affect the outcome of the American Revolution?

History Research Paper Topics on US Civil War

When looking for popular US history topics to write about, you should consider the Civil War. If that is the case, we have good US history research topics about the Civil War for your inspiration: 

• What factors led to the American Civil War?
• How is the American Civil War represented in popular culture?
• What were the roles played by African Americans during this period?
• Impact of Civil War on American society.
• Effects brought by the Civil War on ending slavery in America.
• Key roles played by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War.
• Major roles played by women during the Civil War.
• Major course of American Civil War.
• What are the key advantages of the American Civil War?
• How did the Civil War impact distribution of wealth in America?

Cold War History Research Topics

The Cold War has some of the most interesting history topics to research. If you want to be inspired by the Cold War historical investigation topics, we have a list for you below:

• What key roles did America play during the Cold War?
• What interventions were made by the UN during the Cold War?
• How were popular cultures affected by the Cold War?
• Why is the Cold War described as an era characterized by fear?
• Key events that led to discussions to end the Cold War.
• What impacts did the Cold War have on European economic development?
• Key events that led to the Cold War.
• What major countries were involved in the Cold War?
• What was the aftermath of the Cold War?
• Cultural shifts during the Cold War.

20th Century Research Paper Topics

Are you searching for 20th-century history paper ideas? Look no further. Below are interesting research topics about history and development witnessed in the 20th century:

• Successful tactics used by Gandhi to revolt against British oppression.
• Reasons why the assassination of King Carlos of Portugal failed to provoke a revolution.
• How the Marne Battle made it easy to stop advancement of German forces.
• Factors that facilitated the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
• How did the attack on Pearl Harbor change the course of the war?
• Methods used to spread and promote Communism ideologies in Europe.
• How did the relationship between the Soviet Union and America change over time after 1945?
• Factors that led to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
• Friendship treaties signed between Fidel Castro and the USSR.
• Cuban missile crisis: Origin and consequences.

Modern History Research Paper Topics

You may be asked to write a paper on modern history topics. When you find yourself in this situation, go through the following history topics for research paper to get your inspiration: 

• Columbian Exchange: Its origin and consequences.
• Foods taken by people during the Industrial Revolution.
• How was it living in the Wild West?
• Aftermath of the Great Famine in Ireland and how people coped.
• Negative impacts brought by David Livingstone's exploration in Africa.
• Russia's expansion of its territories and how they annexed Siberia.
• Characteristics associated with the Commercial Revolution and its impact on world finances.
• Positive consequences brought by spice trade in shaping the modern world.
• Key inventions that facilitated the Age of Exploration.
• Why was Alexander II assassinated?

Extra History Research Paper Topics

You can never fully exhaust historical titles because history is constantly changing and being written. But, by now, we hope you have a clear picture of interesting history research paper topics you can write on. But if you still need more inspiration for your essay, we will provide you with extra history research paper topic ideas classified in the following different categories.

History Research Paper Topics for Exam

Do you wish to study for your history exam and are looking for US history research topics to get you going? Not only do we have various topics on American history to aid you, but we also have interesting world history research topics. Below is a list that can jump-start your revision:

• Gender roles in 19th century England.
• Economic repercussions brought by World War II in France.
• Major people who fought for abolition of apartheid rule in South Africa.
• How Roosevelt contributed to ending World War II.
• How Alabama's claim impacted America.
• Factors that contributed to the rise of communism in China.
• Origin and development of the Syrian crisis.
• University education in Europe: Its origin and development.
• How colonization of America impacted the Natives.
• History and development of Veteran’s Day.

>> Read more: How to Write a DBQ

History Research Paper Topics for Academics

There are many interesting things to learn about in history. All you have to do is seek a fascinating historical topic to investigate and learn about. To start you off, we have topics you can look at below:

• Similarities between European and American industrial revolutions.
• Negative effects brought by the industrial revolution on the working class.
• Reasons why Black Death spread rapidly in Europe.
• Origin and development of poetry.
• Islamic architecture’s influence on modern structures.
• Negative environmental effects brought by World War II.
• Importance of Mathematics in ancient Egypt.
• Major roles played by women during the Great Depression.
• Why was iron important during the industrial revolution?

History Research Paper Topics for Experts

Scholars should not be the only ones looking for stimulating ancient history research paper topics. Experts can also find inspiration in various US history paper topics that we have provided for you below: 

• Origin of the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
• Gulf War: Its causes and social effects on the people.
• Social impacts of conflicts witnessed in Syria.
• Most respected general during the Roman Empire's rule.
• Negative consequences of the Cold War on global politics and direction.
• Social and political impacts brought by racism in America.
• History of education development in Europe.
• What causes the Mexican-American wars?
• Factors that facilitated the rise of the Dutch Republic?
• Controversial issues surrounding the American Civil War.

Need more ideas? We have a full assortment of titles in different fields. From education research topics or philosophy paper topics to business research topics , you are sure to choose the one you need. 

Bottom Line on History Research Topics

As a history scholar, choosing a title for your essay can seem both daunting and exciting. There are many interesting topics of history you can select to write on. However, picking the right one can be challenging. This article has provided various ideas on the US and world history topics to research and write argumentative essays on. We hope that the above list makes it easy for you to choose a title or inspire you to come up with your own. There are many good historical events to write about. All you need is to go through the list we have provided and make your choice. 

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List of 100 U.S. and World History Topics Available for Free

Are you searching for history topics to use for an assignment? Sometimes it seems like developing great history essay topics can take several days. On the one hand, you want to research an idea that is challenging but on the other hand, you don’t want to make the assignment any harder than it has to be. Here is the best method for choosing great US history topics as well as a list of 100 great ideas for your consideration.

How Do I Choose A History Topic?

Students ask us this question all the time. The skills needed to develop history topics is difficult unless your teacher provides you with a pre-set from which to choose. Some of the techniques you can try are brainstorming, reading, and browsing blogs. You can also consider different approaches to answering the assignment prompt. All of these techniques can help you narrow your options to one or two U.S. history topics that can be used for a project of any length.

What Are Interesting History Topics?

Most United States history research paper topics that are interesting have common features: they push students to explore new areas or different theories and they thoroughly present an argument that makes a contribution to academic research. Students can spend years trying to figure out what makes for interesting history topics. We help to cut through this effort by putting together this list of 100 ideas to use for a research project or essay in a variety of subjects:

Topics To Write About For Black History Month

Here is a group of History research paper topics that should capture your audience’s attention. They are pulled from some of the most reputable history sites on the web:

• Why did it take so long for the American public to elect an African American President?
• Why do people still celebrate Black History Month when it should be a natural part of American History?
• Why is Harriet Tubman such an important person in American History?
• What role would you have played to help slaves escape?
• Why is Frederick Douglass such an important person in American History?
• How did the American Civil Rights movement improve race relations around the world?
• What role did George Washington Carver play in American History?
• What was it like to go to public schools before desegregation?
• What impact did President Obama’s election have on other countries?
• What can American’s learn by celebrating Black History Month?

American History Argumentative Essay Topics

Most American history research paper topics are for students that are more likely to be interested and invested in good topics for history research paper for a thesis project:

• What impact did the European colonization have on Native Americans in North America?
• How did the Indian Removal Act change the way the U.S. move toward Native Americans?
• Describe the reasons why taking a stand in history topics is still a necessary activity.
• What was the relationship Native Americans had with the environment?
• Explain the biggest theories behind the disappearance of the Colony of Roanoke.
• Describe the major arguments made between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists.
• What were the methods and goals of the early Utopian colonies?
• How did Manifest Destiny affect the way westward expansion became violent?
• Why did the American Congress pass the Indian Removal Act?
• How did the United States manage to provoke the Mexican War?

World History Topics For College-Aged Students

This list of World history research paper topics is meant for students that are learning interested in areas of the discipline that have not been studied commonly. Choosing a good topic is important for how to write a history thesis :

• How did the Salem Witch Trials affect religions around the world?
• Describe the reasons imperialism led to modern economic prosperity.
• How did the Mexican and American War affect global trade?
• What were the major causes of the 100 Years War?
• How did Medieval Crusades shape modern histories?
• Explain the South American colonization and its global impact.
• How did the Apartheid period impact global politics?
• Describe the events and causes that led to the Thirty Years War.
• What were the biggest military innovations between WWI and WWII?
• How European gender bias of the 1600s affect modern politics?

Conflict And Compromise History Topics

This list of conflict and compromise in history topics deals with issues currently in discussion on the web:

• Discuss how the Federalists and Anti-Federalists came to an agreement.
• What impact did John Brown’s attack on Harpers Ferry have in US history?
• The US and Mexican borders have shifted as a result of which agricultural conflict?
• How did the Battle of Pearl Harbor lead to U.S. and European relations?
• How was the Bush administration to blame for the damage Hurricane Katrina caused?
• What compromises did the Allies make at the Geneva Convention?
• What were the biggest reasons behind US involvement in Vietnam?
• Describe what the US had to concede after using atomic bombs.
• How did the Cotton Gin make it harder for the US to abolish slavery?
• How did British and American disagreements lead to military conflicts?

Triumph And Tragedy In History Topics

Do you need Interesting topics in history for a high school course? These ideas should be fine:

• How did some European countries rise to grow empires while others didn’t?
• Compare and contrast the military efforts of Churchill and Patton.
• Can Napoleon’s defeat in Russia be characterized as a tragedy?
• What were the major contributions to the U.S.’s victory over England?
• What were the possible causes of the Salem Witch Trials in the U.S.?
• What were the events leading to the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794?
• How did the Catholic Church contribute to the Spanish Inquisition?
• What was the U.S.’s reaction to the Jewish Holocaust?
• How did the Abolitionist Movement pave the way for the U.S. Depression?
• How did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 help today’s BLM movement?

Art History Research Paper Topics

History project topics dealing with the art throughout the centuries and their impact on culture:

• What does the art of Ancient Egypt symbolize about its culture?
• Are illuminated texts from the Middle Ages a form of art?
• Describe the influence medical science had on ancient sculptures.
• Explain the history of dramatic costumes in China and Japan.
• What impact did Christianity have on Renaissance art?
• How were Leonardo da Vinci’s early works influenced by the Bible?
• Is classical music the last veritable form of art?
• Why is Monet’s use of light in paintings influential?
• How does Salvador Dali inspire modern-day sculpture?
• Explain the modern architectural works of a major US city.

US History Regents Thematic Essay Topics

US history regents essay topics that are being discussed on the web today:

• What impact did the War of 1812 have on European diplomacy?
• What role did Ben Franklin have on the American Revolution?
• How did the War in Vietnam improve the living standards of its citizens?
• How did the American culture of the 60s inspire counter-culture in Europe?
• In what ways has American Foreign Policy changed in the last decade?
• How has President Trump affected the U.S.’s foreign relationships?
• What role did Alexander Hamilton play in the U.S.’s early government?
• What are the main reasons behind the dictatorships?
• What effects did the Cold War have on international diplomacy?
• How did the Russian Revolution influence labor movements in the U.S.?

Breaking Barriers in History Topics

Ten history paper topics that push the limits and are for a college or graduate-level course:

• How have political cartoons affected U.S. perception of movements?
• What does closing borders do to influence international perception?
• How has the urban experience been affected by labor laws?
• Discuss the impact the transcontinental railroad had on U.S. expansion.
• How has the American Indian Movement changed U.S. politics?
• Explain how the Kent State shootings created on-campus security.
• How did the Settlement House Movement in the U.S. affect neighborhoods?
• How did the Muckrakes change American journalism?
• How did the S.F. earthquake and fire in 1906 impact the Chinese community?
• What were the causes of the Springfield Race Riot of 1908?

Interesting History Topics For College Students

Interested in interesting us history topics? We’ve found that these ideas from discussions currently being held on the web:

• How did Abraham Lincoln’s assassination affect private security in the U.S.?
• How have relations between the U.S. and Russia changed in the 21 st century?
• Should people in the U.S. be allowed to place bans on historical enemies?
• Which events led to the Mexican-American War?
• Describe the legacy the American Civil War has had on domestic movements.
• What are the effects of the use of Agent Orange in the Vietnam War?
• What were the major factors leading to the U.S.’s entry to WWI?
• What were the reasons behind the passage of the Espionage Act of 1917?
• How did the Zimmermann Telegram affect U.S.-Mexican relations?
• How did the treatment of war prisoners in WWII lead to human rights movements?

More Interesting History Research Paper Topics

This list of interesting topics in US history is for younger students in college. They are simple enough for students at learning about this discipline:

• How did the relations between the two major parties change after the Reconstruction Era?
• Describe the major restorations made by the Union to improve Southern conditions.
• Explain the role women played during the American Civil War.
• What was the economic impact of the American Civil War?
• How did the U.S. manage to recover from the Great Depression of the 1930s?
• What has the rise in entrepreneurship meant to the U.S. economy?
• How did the Spanish Flu affect the way the U.S. takes care of its citizens?
• What were the major characteristics of the Hams and Eggs Movement?
• What caused the division in Christian values of the 20 th century?
• Why do monarchies still exist around the globe?

Get History Thesis Help Today

After looking at this list of US history research paper topics, it’s quite simple to see that the discipline is wide-ranging and incorporates a lot of diverse issues to discuss. While our US history essay topics can make it easier for you to find an idea that piques your interest, it can still be hard to settle on history research topics that fit your needs. This is why we recommend you give us a call so that one of our academic thesis writing experts can custom-write a list of topics to fit your needs. And we can do not just topics: we handle everything from one page essays to master thesis help . We’re available 24/7 all year round, so don’t hesitate to ask.

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506 Interesting History Topics to Research

Did you know that time travel is possible? Researching historical topics allows us to do that. It not only reveals the origins of our existence. It also tells us who we are, and even enables us to glimpse into the future!

The process of investigating a topic in history is called a historical inquiry. Here are some recommendations on how to get started:

• Select an interesting history topic. It can be focused on an event, a person, or an idea.
• Define a research question within that topic. Make it narrow and manageable.
• Analyze historical data from different sources.
• Create a historical narrative using the data you’ve found. Use evidence to support your ideas.

Remember: working on a history project can be easy and fun if you find a research idea that excites you! Custom-writing.org experts are here to help in case you’re stuck when choosing a history topic. In our collection below, you can find cool historical events to write about. There are numerous topics on ancient and modern history of the US & the world. Go on reading to find the most inspiring idea! After you’re done but still not sure about a suitable variant, you can try a history topic generator with all the keyword options from our list.

• 🔝 Top 10 Topics
• 🇺🇸 US History
• 🌎 World History
• 🏰 European History
• 💂 British History
• 📜 History before 1500
• 🏭 Modern History
• 📡 20th Century History
• 🔝 20 Research Questions
• 🔍 References

🔝 Top 10 Interesting History Topics

• The US’s role in World War I
• Child labor during the Puritan era
• Religion during the Aztec times
• Causes of the Battle of Germantown
• Economic impact of the Titanic ’s sinking
• Bracero Program’s economic effect
• Cultural impact of the Spanish-American War
• Industrial Revolution’s impact on the environment
• The goal of Protestors at the 1968 Democratic Convention
• Women’s employment during the Great Depression

🇺🇸 Interesting US History Topics

The history of the United States starts before the European colonization . Then it follows a turbulent period of building an entirely new nation. In a short time, America became a global superpower. From the first colonies to Roaring Twenties and the Cold War – discover the highlights of American history!

• What were the relations between the first American colonies? That is a fascinating historical question for a research paper. See how the early settlements co-existed before the 1760s. Learn how their alliances were used for asserting defense and control. 
• Alternatively, you could study the Stamp Act crisis of 1765. See how it helped to unite the colonies and set the basis for future partnerships. 
• The society of Puritans: truth and myths is a fascinating topic for those who are interested in people’s psychology and motivations. Puritans were a rigorous and highly religious society rooted in misogyny. See if they were really as prudent as today’s media portrays them. 
• Tobacco Trade in early American colonies is another great US history topic. Tobacco plantations in Virginia became a way for laborers to be granted freedom. This caused a rapid expansion of the New World colonies. 
• What are the reasons behind the Salem witch trials? That is one of the best US history research topics. A group of girls caused mass hysteria in superstitious Puritan society. Learn about their possible motives and the gruesome consequences of their actions. 
• In the early colonies, there existed laws aimed at restricting slaves’ behaviors. Choose Slave Codes and their influence on society as your essay topic and learn about the ruinous consequences of this practice. 
• The Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party were the culmination of the growing tension between the colonists and the British authorities. You can write an excellent paper about the reasons behind these events. 
• One of the iconic documents in US history, the Declaration of Independence , can be the subject of your essay. See how different colonies contributed to the drafts of the Declaration. 
• The American Revolution was a conflict between America and Britain. You can write about the way the two countries perceived each other and how it influenced the outcome of the revolt. 
• You can choose to write about an important person in US history. What made George Washington a key figure in Revolutionary America? That is a fascinating paper topic. One of the greatest leaders in US history, he proved that he could be trusted with power. 
• How the Battle of Saratoga changed the course of the war? This one is another excellent history research essay topic. The victory in this battle provided Americans with much-needed confidence and gave them a new ally – France. 
• What factors helped Americans win the revolutionary war? That is an exciting topic for high school students who want to understand early American history. You can mention the difficulties faced by the British, as well as the most prominent advantages of the American army. 
• You can write a fascinating argumentative essay on the American Revolution and its effects on society.  
• Another topic is life after the Revolution. Discover how life in America changed for women, African Americans, and Native Americans after the Revolution. 
• The creation of the American constitution is full of twists and turns. Americans had many different views on how their country should be governed. See how they managed to reach a compromise. 
• Southern society before the Revolution is a topic that includes the analysis of the most prominent features of the Old South, such as its conservatism and emphasis on honor. 
• Closely connected to it is the topic of the American South as a slave society before 1865.  
• See how the early Americans justified slavery from the Biblical, historical, and economic points of view. 
• The American North before the revolution had many intriguing features, such as Manifest Destiny , progressiveness, and a riotous optimism… you can discuss it in an essay! 
• Reconstruction of the South took place after the Revolution. See how it was planned and carried out over the course of 12 years. (You can focus on a particularly interesting aspect, such as the lives of African American people during the Reconstruction.) 
• How the US became the world’s largest industrial nation? That is an interesting history research paper idea. During the second half of the 19th century, the US developed very rapidly. See how the Industrialization led to the birth of Capitalism as we know it today! 
• Women in American society of the late 19th century were on the way of transforming the old values. They didn’t like the cult of domesticity and wanted to take an active part in society. Learn how the traditional female roles were changing during that epoch. 
• The cowboy era: truth and myths is an exciting topic about one of the quintessential American images. Discover how the cowboys really lived, and what led to the decline of the cattle industry. 
• The conflicts with Native Americans in the late 19th century is an important controversial topic. The closure of the final frontier was achieved through bloodshed and horrifying violence. Learn about the reasons behind these events. 
• An exciting essay can be written about urbanization and immigration of the early 20th century. The glamour of American big city life was alluring to many people from different countries. Unfortunately, the reality was not all that glamorous… 
• If you choose the Progressive Era of the USA as your essay topic, you can learn about the origins of modern activism groups. See how they were fighting with organized crime, inequality, and many other vital issues. 
• A closely connected topic is women’s suffrage movement. The long struggle for women’s right to vote resulted in the Nineteenth Amendment. It was an essential step towards equality. 
• The preservation movement of the early XX century is another topic concerning activism. President Roosevelt recognized that industrialization damages America’s wildlife. See how his policies gave rise to nature conservation and even Scouting! 
• You can write a great essay on what caused the financial panic of 1907. The financial panic rocked Wall Street and exposed many problems with the American economy at the time. 
• The Spanish-American war: causes and consequences is an intriguing essay topic. Learn how the United States managed to win the war while not being prepared for it at all. 
• Write an essay about American expansion after 1877 and see how America was stretching its boundaries overseas. There were many reasons for it, including nationalist, economic, and religious. 
• USA and Asia: the Boxer Rebellion is a topic closely connected to the expansion policies. In 1900, an attempt to occupy China resulted in disaster. Discuss the conflict and its consequences in an essay. 
• An essential part of American history is wars. When Germany sank the ship Lusitania, killing many Americans, the country stopped being neutral. Choose the USA in World War I as your essay topic and see where it led. 
• One of the most fascinating United States history research paper topics is Roaring Twenties : the culmination of the industrial era. During that epoch, the standard of living increased like never before. See how the country changed in just ten years. 
• Prohibition era: the rise of organized crime is a topic that includes many interesting aspects, such as highly romanticized gangsters. However, the reality was not all that romantic. You can write about the reasons why Prohibition era turned out to be a disaster. 
• The birth of mass media: radio, cinema, early television is one of fun and easy history topics for research paper for middle school students. Learn about the origins of the entertainment culture and mass media stars in times of great uncertainty. 
• Alternatively, you can focus on the question of what led to the birth of consumerism? Back in the 1920s, there were many technological advances for the middle-class people. This gave rise to advertising as we know it today. 
• When America seemed to be at the peak of its triumph, everything fell apart. The beginning of the Great Depression is an intriguing subject. Learn about the chain of events that plunged the US into the longest and deepest crisis in its history. 
• Write about the role of the USA in World War II and see how unresolved tension left after World War I influenced the political decisions of the Allies. 
• The Vietnam War has left many scars on the American nation. Learn about the causes and consequences of the war that kept influencing US foreign policy for many decades. 
• Watergate scandal and its lasting legacy is one of the most interesting American history topics. Discuss how the scandal led to paranoia and disillusionment in the US government. 
• You may like to explore the question: who won the Cold War? While no one actually won the Cold War, it did influence ex-Soviet countries and the US in many negative ways. Discuss them in your essay! 

Here are some other samples of American history research paper topics:

• Quakers: their views and legacy.
• Survival in the Jamestown colony.
• French intervention in the American revolution .
• The true story of Pocahontas.
• Eleanor Roosevelt and her role in American history .
• How did Valley Forge change the course of the Revolutionary war?
• What is Manifest destiny as a concept?
• American political and economic history.
• Daniel Boone and the Wilderness Road.
• Donner party: the true story of survival.
• American revolutions in Early 19th century
• The historical significance of the Oregon Trail.
• Californian Gold Rush: outcomes and consequences.
• Why and how did the US get involved in the Korean war?
• The Lewis and Clark expedition.
• Railroads and their impact on the US economy.
• Social welfare history in the USA
• What were the relations between America and France during the revolutionary war?
• The Underground Railroad: history and impact.
• Colonial unrest in Virginia, New York and Massachusetts .
• African Americans in the Civil War.
• The Civil War. The letters from the soldiers .
• How did the Federalist Party create the basis for the national economy and foreign policy?
• In what ways was the Whiskey Rebellion important?
• Benjamin Franklin’s biography.
• The American identity during Revolution: Loyalists vs. Patriots.
• James Madison and his role im shaping the American Constitution .
• Founding Fathers and republicanism.
• In what ways does the Constitution reflect the principles of both republican and democratic forms of government ?
• Shay’s rebellion and its aftermath.
• What is the legacy of the Amistad Case?
• Malcolm X as civil rights activist.
• Women in the Civil War.
• Racism in America between 1783 and 1836.
• Alexander Hamilton and the foundation of American government.
• The legacy of John Brown.
• The civil rights movement in USA.
• Roger Sherman and the Connecticut Compromise.
• How did the Missouri Compromise trigger the Civil War?
• Dunmore Proclamation and its impact.
• What was the controversy around the Tenure of Office Act?
• How did the Mexican-American war help to shape the geographical boundaries of the USA?
• How did Black Laws affect the lives of African Americans?
• Ulysses S. Grant as a military leader and as a president.
• The true story of the notorious Wyatt Earp.
• Frederick Douglass’ fight for freedom.
• What are the reasons behind the lasting legacy of the Monroe doctrine ?
• Indian reservations: truth and myths.
• Native Americans in the 19th century: assimilation and resistance.
• Outstanding Native American leaders: Sitting Bull, Tecumseh, Geronimo.
• What was the impact of the Great Chicago Fire?
• Muckrakers and the birth of investigative journalism.
• Rockefeller, Carnegie, Vanderbilt : the first tycoons.
• Why did the Homestead Strike fail?
• Child labor in the 19th century US.
• The 19th century nationalism in America.
• World War I and the Christmas Truce.
• The Battle of the Somme and its legacy.
• How did the building of the Panama Canal affect world trade?
• San Francisco earthquake: immediate and long-term effects.
• The history of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency.
• The reaction of the American citizens to the US entry into World War I.
• What was the impact of the Spanish flu epidemic in the US?
• Outstanding women: Dorothea Dix, Ida B. Wells , Alice Paul.
• The controversy of the Scopes Monkey Trial.
• The beginning of the Hollywood industry.
• Woodrow Wilson’s first and second administrations.
• Presidency and post-presidency of Theodore Roosevelt .
• What factors fuelled the rise of the Ku Klux Klan?
• Dust Bowl: causes and consequences.
• Harlem Renaissance and its impact on art and culture.
• What was the role of women in World War II ?
• The American Dream in the postwar US.
• Howard Hughes: magnate, aviator, eccentric.
• Mississippi Freedom Summer in 1964: whites in the movement .
• How did the 1968 Democratic Convention change America’s political landscape?
• Orangeburg Massacre: reasons, backlash, and the aftermath.
• 1969 Moon landing and the Space Race.
• The legacy of the Woodstock Music Festival.
• What was the cultural impact of the Kennedy assassinations ?
• The Freedom of Information Act: pros and cons.
• Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society.
• Women in the Vietnam War.
• Manson family : truth and myths.
• The changing attitudes of the 60s.
• The history and legacy of Pop Art.
• Three Mile Island: the worst commercial nuclear accident in the history of the USA.
• The global nuclear arms race and the anti-nuclear movement.
• What were the lasting effects of the energy crisis ?
• McCarthyism and Red Scare.
• Richard Nixon: presidency and impeachment.
• Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy.
• How did the Exxon Valdez oil spill change the oil industry?
• Bill Clinton’s New Economy.
• The aftermath of 9/11: Ground Zero.

🌎 Interesting World History Topics

World history studies past, present, and future from a global perspective. It includes many cultures and nations, each with their unique qualities. You can focus on differences or common features between cultures. Choose a global history research paper topic that you find particularly interesting and write an excellent world history research paper!

• Genghis Khan is an outstanding Mongol leader who can be the subject of your essay. Learn how he managed to establish the largest land empire in history while bringing together the East and the West.
• Or you can choose to write about an extraordinary woman, such as the Empress Dowager Cixi. She has been called a ruthless despot for many years, but currently, her legacy is being re-evaluated.
• An exciting period in the history of China, the fall of the Qing Dynasty , marked the end of the Chinese Empire. A study of these events could be a great essay subject.
• Alternatively, you can write about the fall of the Aztec civilization. It’s one of the most interesting world history research paper topics. Discover what led to the end of the most intricate civilization in Mesoamerica.
• Persian Gulf War is one of the most significant military operations of the past 50 years. What started as a “limited” war turned into a decades-long conflict and had severe environmental consequences, which you can discuss in your essay.
• Alternatively, you can choose the Korean War . The conflict between Soviet-backed North Korean and pro-Western South Korean countries was the first military manifestation of the Cold War . The peninsula remains divided to this day.
• Or you can write about the Russo-Japanese war. It is sometimes called World War Zero because the consequences of this conflict influenced both subsequent World Wars.
• You can also choose a significant event from the Vietnam War, such as the fall of Saigon. It marked the end of the war and the unification of Vietnam into the Socialist Republic we know today.
• The Russian Revolution lasted for ten days in the 1900s. It shook the world and led to the rise of communism. You can write about the chain of events that triggered it or discuss its long-lasting consequences.
• Samurai culture is a fascinating world history topic for those interested in Japanese history. The influence of samurai and their philosophy – bushido still manifests itself in Japanese culture.
• The political activism of Dalits in India is a great and inspiring topic. See how the activism of a minority group formerly known as “untouchables” led to drastic changes in Indian politics and mentality.
• Another topic concerning human rights activism is Nelson Mandela. The first president of South Africa and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, he is considered to be an icon of democracy.
• Yet another outstanding person who influenced human rights activism, Mahatma Gandhi . See how his philosophy of nonviolent resistance shaped the ideas of Martin Luther King and others.
• The Great Wall of China is an excellent topic for an essay. See who and why built the longest wall in the world, and learn about its legends and myths.
• Taj Mahal is one of the world’s most beautiful and majestic buildings. You can discuss the history of Mughal architecture and the Taj Mahal in particular in your essay.

Here are some other ideas of interesting world history research paper topics:

• Korea in the Middle Ages. 
• History of Aztec music  
• Unification of China: the “warring states” period. 
• How did the Han dynasty develop its highly efficient civil service? 
• India’s first empire and the rise of Buddhism. 
• The revival of Persia: the period of Sassanid rule. 
• What were the key reforms during the Song dynasty? 
• Lost empires: Khmer, Pagan, Dai Viet. 
• The Persian war and Athenian progress. 
• The rise of the Ottoman Empire . 
• The age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent . 
• Why was the Tang dynasty considered China’s golden age? 
• The tribes of the steppes: Scythians and Kushans. 
• Prominent figures of Classical Antiquity. 
• What were the major trading centers south of Sahara? 
• Palestine and the Crusades . 
• Women empowerment: role of women in Chinese society . 
• Constantinople: the capital of the Byzantine Empire. 
• The rise and fall of Babylonia. 
• Baghdad as the Islamic world in 8th-11th centuries  
• The cities and civilization in the Indus Valley . 
• The cultures of South America and Mesoamerica: Maya , Zapotec, and Nazca. 
• What were the three kingdoms of ancient Egypt ? 
• How did the Islamic faith spread around the world? 
• How were the islands of the South Pacific colonized? 
• Bastet the Goddess and her role in Egyptian history . 
• Japan’s “great peace”: the Edo period. 
• Japan’s development of a unique cultural identity during the period of isolation. 
• The “prosperous age” of China and the tree emperors. 
• India: the jewel in the crown of the British Empire. 
• What were the high and low points of the Byzantine Empire under the Palaiologan dynasty? 
• The Seven Years War: the first global conflict. 
• How did Europeans colonize the African continent? 
• The Young Turks revolt. 
• How and why were Africans sent to work in colonial plantations? 
• The rise and fall of Assyrian civilization. 
• The Soviet rule: collectivization, industrialization, and oppression. 
• How did the former colonies in the Middle East and Southeast Asia assert their independent rule? 
• The State of Israel: its foundation and effects on the Middle East. 
• The foundation of the Islamic state of Iran. 
• The end of the system of Apartheid. 
• Tiger economy and the economic boom in Asia. 
• What are the reasons behind Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Over Jerusalem? 
• How did the Soviet satellite states become independent? 
• The Hanging Gardens of Babylon – truth or myth? 
• Delhi Sultanate: the great Islamic state in India. 
• Pre-Columbian Americas: Aztecs and Incas. 
• The struggle for freedom in the Spanish and Portuguese colonies. 
• Opium Wars and other conflicts between Britain and China. 
• Mikhail Gorbachev and the collapse of the USSR.  
• Protests Theatre role in Apartheid South Africa . 
• What factors led to the Yugoslav wars? 
• The colonization process of New France . 
• Oil crisis in the Middle East. 

🏰 European History Research Topics

Europe is the cradle of modern civilization. From the Roman Empire to the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution – the history of Europe is vibrant and colorful. The countries of Europe are very diverse, yet many leaders attempted to unify them. Discover how geography and definition of Europe changed over time!

• The philosophy of Niccolo Machiavelli is an excellent topic for history students. Discover the individual whose name inspired the term “Machiavellian.” You can also include the analysis of some “machiavellian” characters.
• Great artists of the Renaissance period is a fun history topic to research. It can be even better if you make a presentation to accompany your essay!
• Marie-Antoinette is a fascinating person. You can choose to study her public image or her role in the Revolution.
• Another topic related to the French Revolution is Maximillian Robespierre and the Terror. The Reign of Terror was a period of massacres and executions. It’s an example of what fear and paranoia can lead to.
• Or you can research the question why was Louis IV known as the Sun King? Learn how he transformed France into one of the most powerful countries in Europe. You could also discuss Versailles in your essay.
• Choose “ How did Bismarck unite Germany ?” as the topic of your essay and discuss the policies of the Iron Chancellor. See how his policies influenced both World Wars.
• Alternatively, you could write about Napoleon’s campaign in Egypt. Learn how it influenced Egyptian language studies and more!
• Bastille Day is an essential date in the history of France. Discuss how the Bastille fortress became a symbol of Liberty.
• What was the role of Joan of Arc in the Hundred Years War? is one of the best history research paper topics. Joan of Arc ‘s charisma helped her lead the French army to victory. Despite her tragic demise, she continues to be celebrated today.
• Voyages of Ferdinand Magellan can be an exciting topic for your essay. Discuss the impact of Magellan’s explorations, his background, and more!

Here are some other ideas of European history research topics:

• The policies of Cesare Borgia. 
• Mercantilism in Europe  
• Medici family and their impact on the Renaissance. 
• What philosophical movements triggered the Renaissance? 
• What were the characteristics of the Third French Republic? 
• The effects of French Revolution on European peasantry . 
• What was the influence of the Communist Manifesto ? 
• Scientific discoveries of the Renaissance period. 
• Why was Galileo Galilei accused of heresy? 
• What made Pope Alexander VI controversial? 
• The War of 1812 . 
• Torquemada: the great inquisitor. 
• What was the legacy of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile ? 
• The creation of Austria-Hungary. 
• Rise and fall of the Carolingian Empire. 
• Great Viking leaders: Leif Erickson and Eric the Red. 
• What are the characteristics of Gothic art and architecture? 
• Renaissance and Ancient Greece: a comparison. 
• What were the first universities in Europe? 
• Why is Charlemagne considered “the father of Europe”? 
• Feudalism and social hierarchy in medieval Europe. 
• What were the achievements of St. Thomas Aquinas ? 
• Enlightenment in philosophy, politics, and art. 
• What led to the emergence of Romanticism ? 
• Ludwig II of Bavaria: the Fairy Tale king. 
• Great composers of the 18th century: Mozart, Bach, Beethoven . 
• Peter the Great and Catherine II: cultural revolution of the Russian Empire. 
• Legacy of the Crusades. 
• How was printing invented? 
• Spain under the reign of the Bourbon kings. 
• How Prussia influenced the history of Germany? 
• Turkish war: background and consequences. 
• Why did Napoleon lose the battle of Waterloo? 

💂 British History Research Topics

The history of the United Kingdom begins in 1707. However, the nations have existed on the British Isles long before that. Many invasions, wars, and revolutions have shaped Britain as we know it today. There is plenty of interesting research topics in the history of the UK. Learn about major events or study the lives of extraordinary people – the choice is yours!

• Paston family letters is a fascinating topic for a history research paper. The first-hand account of a family surviving the Plague offers a unique glimpse into the past.
• Alternatively, you can study Henry V: myth and facts. See how literary works and propaganda shaped the public’s perception of the king.
• Perhaps you would like to learn about the origins of everyday things. The King’s Posts is an interesting topic concerning the beginning of the English Mail and postage system as we know it.
• Another great topic is the marriages of King Henry VIII. Learn the fate of all six wives: from Catherine of Aragon to Catherine Parr.
• Or you can write an essay about one of Henry VIII’s wives. For example, Anne Boleyn in popular culture is an interesting topic that lets you explore the real person behind the myths.
• Princess Diana’s influence on British culture is an intriguing topic. Explore the legacy of Diana and charitable acts that made her a legend.
• > What if the Gunpowder Plot didn’t fail? can be the theme of an exciting essay for college students. Study the available theories and formulate a what-if scenario.
• Highland Clearances is an important and controversial topic. See why many people were dispossessed of their land, and what is the cultural impact of the evictions.
• Another good history topic for a research paper about Scotland is Edinburg: the Athens of the North. See how Edinburg grew from a small town into one of the most important cities in Britain.
• Margaret Thatcher’s influence in 20th century Britain was immense. Still, her legacy remains controversial. Present your point of view on the Iron Lady in an essay!

Here are some other ideas of British history research paper topics:

• What is the difference between the English Law before and after Henry II? 
• Normans and their reforms. 
• Humanities and justice in Britain during 18th century
• What tactics were used by William of Normandy during the Battle of Hastings ? 
• The creation of Magna Carta. 
• King John and Richard I : the “good” king and the “bad” king. 
• How did the Hundred Years War change England? 
• Political influence of William Shakespeare in XVI century in England . 
• What led the crisis of authority during the reign of Richard II? 
• Marriage of Margaret Tudor and James IV: what were the long-term consequences? 
• How and why did England become Protestant? 
• English colonization in the 18th century . 
• How did Mary I earn the nickname “Bloody Mary”? 
• What was Elizabeth I’s approach to religion? 
• Characteristics of the Elizabethan Era. 
• What makes Oliver Cromwell a pivotal figure in the history of England?  
• The public’s reaction to the execution of Charles I. 
• The Great London Fire and its aftermath. 
• What caused the Glorious Revolution? 
• What were the tactics used by the commanders of three armies at the battle of Waterloo? 
• Admiral Nelson and Battle of Trafalgar: consequences and legacy. 
• Britain’s reaction to the French Revolution. 
• British Empire in the East. 
• How did the industrial revolution cause social reforms in Britain? 
• Industrial revolution and its effects on British workers’ lives . 
• British Naval supremacy during the Victorian Era. 
• What caused the Potato Famine in Ireland? 
• How did the Crimean War influence World War I? 
• The Home Rule movement in Ireland. 
• Urbanization and rural exodus in Victorian England. 
• How did women’s status in Britain change after World War I ? 
• Winston Churchill: a politician, a soldier, a hero. 
• The role of Britain in World War II. 
• Britain as a member of EU. 

📜 Topics in History of Ancient World (before 1500)

This section includes ideas for history research papers starting from ancient civilizations up to the pre-modern era. At that time, many cultures had their “golden age” epochs. Ancient Greece and Egypt, the Roman Empire, Mesoamerica, and the Byzantine Empire still fascinate us today. Discover for yourself some of the greatest civilizations of the past!

• Probably the most interesting subject in ancient history is Egypt. For example, you can write about the Old Kingdom of Egypt – an epoch known as the “Age of Pyramids.”
• Or you can write about the iconic personalities of ancient Egypt, such as Imhotep. He was not only an outstanding architect, but also a priest, a poet, a physician, and an astronomer!
• Science and technology of ancient Egypt is a great essay topic in itself. The inventions and scientific achievements of ancient Egyptians continue to fascinate us even today.
• Besides, their civilization was very progressive when it comes to gender roles. Write an essay about women in ancient Egypt and discover it for yourself!
• Another iconic civilization of that period is ancient Greece. You can choose to write about the beginning of Greek culture – the Mycenaean civilization and its mythology.
• Or you can discuss the Golden Age of Greece: science and philosophy in your essay. Democracy, drama, history, atomic universe theory – ancient Greece is the birthplace it all!
• Sparta and its fighters is a fascinating essay topic. Learn about the legendary Spartans, their society, and their military.
• Or perhaps you would like to learn about another great civilization, the Roman Empire. Choose several great leaders of ancient Rome (for example, Julius Caesar , Pompey the Great, and Marcus Antonius) and compare their policies.
• In an essay about Pompeii before the volcano eruption, you can discuss the daily life of ancient Romans . See what discoveries were made on the richest archaeological site in the world.
• There were also other civilizations with an exciting history in the ancient world. Hammurabi: the conqueror of Mesopotamia is an excellent topic for high school history essay. Learn about his Code that served as a blueprint for many civilizations.
• Or you can write about Phoenicians as traders. See what helped Phoenicia become one of the greatest trading powers of its time!
• You could even write an essay about the production and trading of chocolate in Mesoamerica! Chocolate was immensely popular across the Americas. It was often enjoyed as a drink and even used as a form of currency.
• Tartessos and its culture is a fascinating history essay topic. Discover the place that gave rise to the legend of El Dorado.
• You could also write about the Akkadian Empire during the reign of Sargon the Great. Sargon came from a humble background. Learn how he rose to power and created the first multinational empire in history.
• Women rulers of the ancient world can be the topic of an excellent essay. Hatshepsut , Cleopatra, Semiramis – these outstanding women changed history and became legendary.

Here are some other ideas of history research paper topics before 1500:

• Ancient Rome: economy and trade. 
• The murder of Caligula: what were the circumstances? 
• Who were the five “Good Emperors” of Rome?  
• What was the role of trade contacts in Greek colonization? 
• Women in ancient Greek society . 
• Ancient explorers: Hanno, Polybius, and others. 
• The fall of Jerusalem and its consequences. 
• Antiquity: the Golden Age . 
• Akhenaten and the Amarna Period. 
• How did Amenhotep IV reform Egyptian religion? 
• Wari civilization and their art. 
• The Lost City of Atlantis . 
• Vandals and the fall of Rome. 
• Battle of AlQadisiyyah  
• How and where did the Vikings travel? 
• What were the main attributes of ancient Chinese philosophy? 
• What was the importance of the Olympic Games ? 
• First Punic war: causes and consequences. 
• The foundation of the Caliphate . 
• The destruction and re-development of Carthage. 
• Achaemenid Empire under the reign of Cyrus II. 
• The Arab conquest of Egypt. 
• Cambodia: the Angkor period. 
• How did Harold I unify Norway? 
• Rurik and the founding of Russia. 
• How did Boleslav I turn Poland into one of the most powerful nations at the time? 
• What was the origin of Christianity? 
• Alexius I and the First Crusade. 
• Who was Leonidas I of Sparta? 
• The amazing life of Telemachus  
• The rise and fall of Gauda Kingdom. 
• What was the role of Corinth in the ancient world? 
• The Koryo Dynasty and the unification of Korea. 
• Why did the Second Crusade end in a disaster? 
• Valdemar II: the expansion of the Danish Empire. 
• What were the possible causes of the Bronze Age Collapse? 
• Korea: the Three Kingdoms period. 
• Confucius and his philosophy. 
• The Umayyad-Hashemite civil war and the birth of the Sunni-Shiite islamic schism . 
• What did Alexander the Great do for the popularization of Greek culture? 
• The architecture of Toltec civilization. 
• What is “the great migration”? 
• What was the usage of Circus Maximus? 
• Ptolemaic dynasty: Greek monarchs in Egypt. 
• Sumerian religion and mythology. 
• The early history of Franks. 
• The Hatti and their culture. 
• Why is Justinian I considered one of the greatest Byzantine emperors? 
• The Lombard kingdom under the reign of Alboin. 
• How did the Roman Republic become the Roman Empire? 
• Rome from 140 BCE to the reign of Octavian
• Octavian : the first and greatest Roman emperor. 
• Etruscan society, religion, and art. 

🏭 Topics in History of Modern World

From the late medieval period up to the 19th century – modern history covers a period of intense development and industrialization. Old civilization fell, and new ones replaced them. Almost every major country faced a revolution, and the standard of living around the world started to grow rapidly. There are many good history topics to research – choose one for yourself!

• How the Aztec military compared to the Spanish army? is an interesting essay question that can help you in better understanding Mesoamerican culture. Aztecs had a complex military structure and tactics specific only to them.
• Witch hunts in England and America is an interesting essay topic. You can also include your opinions on why witches were usually women.
• Discussion of positive and negative outcomes of the Columbian Exchange can be a basis for an excellent essay.
• Re-evaluation or Greek and Roman texts by Humanist authors is a topic concerned with philosophy and art. You can include an analysis of authors such as Petrarch and Machiavelli and discuss the influence if classical texts in their works.
• Or you can focus on the daily lives of people from the past. Food and diet during the Industrial Revolution can be an interesting health topic. (This includes changes in people’s health.)
• You can choose to write about the Golden age of piracy and learn the truth about one of the most romanticized periods in the history of early modern Europe.
• Or choose life in the Wild West as the topic of your history essay and see if the popular perception of the era is accurate.
• Thomas More’s Utopia and its legacy is an interesting topic for history research paper. Learn about the origins of Utopia and how it influenced the Communism in the 20th century.
• The Great Famine was a turning point in Irish history. Study the aftermath of the Great Famine and see how it influenced rebel movements in Ireland.
• Alternatively, you can write about extraordinary people from the modern era. For example, the childhood of Elizabeth I includes the education and upbringing of the future Queen, as well as the development of her qualities as the nation’s leader.
• Lucrezia Borgia is a prominent historical figure whose legacy is now being reevaluated. You can explore popular myths about Lucrezia Borgia and see if they have any factual basis.
• You can focus your research on great explorers, such as David Livingstone : a missionary in Africa . He greatly influenced the popular perception of Africa in positive as well as negative ways.
• Another good topic for a history research paper is the social impact of the Little Ice Age . Learn how emerging cultures survived in a colder climate, and what psychological effects the Little Ice Age had on people.
• The Dutch East India Company is an interesting example of an early corporation. See how it pioneered business practices that we still use today. It’s a good topic for International Studies students.
• Russia in the 17th century was a multiconfessional and multiethnic country. You can write about the exploration of Siberia and other ways by which Russia was expanding its territory.

Here are some other ideas of modern world history research paper topics:

• The history of London Underground.
• What factors brought about the Age of Enlightenment ?
• Mona Lisa and Renaissance humanism
• Muhammad Ali of Egypt and his modernizing reforms.
• Nationalism in 18th century Europe
• The French in Vietnam: reasons and aftermath of the conquest.
• Key features of the Commercial Revolution.
• History: the decline of Rome in the 3rd century
• How did the spice trade shape the modern world?
• The impacts of war on social development in Europe between 1500 and 1815 .
• Technology that influenced the Age of Exploration.
• The impacts of peinted press on European society .
• Isolation policies of Ming Dynasty: causes and consequences.
• What’s the difference between shogunates and the “Tokugawa period” in Japan?
• Culture and science in the Mughal Empire.
• Patriots: The rebellions in Lower Canada 1837-38
• The use of elephantry during the battle of Plassey.
• What caused the Protestant Reformation ?
• The role of gunpowder in wars during the modern period.
• Inquisition and censorship.
• The role of indulgences in religious life during the Middle Ages.
• Abolition of slavery in the US.
• Characteristics of serfdom in Russia.
• Ivan the Terrible : the first Tsar of Russia.
• What were the reasons behind Alexander II’s assassination?
• Frankfurt Parliament and the concept of Germania.
• What led to the decline of Spain in the 17th century?
• What caused the economic and social decline of Venice?
• What was the role of merchants in Europe’s development?
• The Paris Commune: the world’s first socialist government.
• The reforms of Maria Theresa.
• The assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
• What caused the Russian peasant uprising of 1773?
• How did Martin Luther influence the Great Peasant Revolt of 1525?
• How did Darwin’s theory of evolution affect society?
• How was the Spanish Armada defeated?
• The fall of the Habsburg dynasty.
• Cromwell and the Puritan Revolution.
• The consequences of the serfdom abolition in Russia.
• Russian anarchism and its legacy.
• Absolute monarchy in Germany and its decline.

📡 Historical Topics on the 20 th Century

The last century of the second millennium saw many drastic changes. They directly influenced our contemporary world. On the one hand, there were the World Wars, revolutions, pandemics, and nuclear disasters. On the other hand, we had new technology, human rights activism, and a high standard of living. Choose the best 20th century research topic for your essay!

• During the Gandhi-led revolt against British rule, the police attacked the unarmed crowd. See how Mahatma Gandhi and his followers managed to emerge victoriously.
• Stalin’s collectivization policy was aimed at increasing of the food supply. It turned out to be a disaster that severely damaged Soviet agriculture. Discuss why it happened in your essay.
• The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the event that triggered World War I. You can write about the reasons and the consequences of the murder in your essay.
• Similarly, the assassination of King Carlos of Portugal was carried out in hopes of provoking a revolution. See why it didn’t work out as planned.
• World War I was a devastating conflict that forever changed Europe. Its course was strongly influenced by the first battle of Marne. Write an essay about how it stopped the advance of Germany.
• Or you can choose another battle, such as the Second battle of Ypres, during which poison gas was used for the first time.
• One of the best 20th century European history research paper topics is the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Learn about the reasons behind these conflicts. (You can include the definition of IRA and “low-level war.”)
• History department students can write a great essay on the aftermath of Pearl Harbor . Initially, Japan considered the attack a successful move. In reality, it doomed them to defeat.
• Juan Peron and Evita is a very interesting topic. See how Evita helped her husband become immensely popular, and discuss the influence of Peronism.
• Communism propaganda is another fascinating topic. The promotion of communist ideology was carried out in many forms. Discuss its influence on society. Use a presentation to illustrate your points.
• Instead, you could write about anti-communist propaganda. Discuss where it comes from and its effects on Western society.
• Another topic closely connected with the Cold War is the contacts between USSR and the USA after 1945. Study the events when the leaders of the two countries visited each other. Describe how the relations changed over time.
• The Cuban missile crisis was an event that almost triggered a nuclear war. Write an essay about it and learn how the conflict was resolved.
• The most notable atomic bomb explosion is an important topic connected with the current issues. Trinity test, Operation Crossroads, and Japan explosions changed the world forever. Discuss if it’s possible to justify these events.
• A closely connected topic is the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl . Learn about the factors that led to the tragedy, and discuss its long-term consequences.

Here are some other ideas of 20th century research topics:

• How did the union between Norway and Sweden end? 
• The Senkaku islands territorial disputes . 
• What were the consequences of Fidel Castro signing a friendship treaty with the USSR? 
• The policies of Nikita Khrushchev. 
• The art of the Weimar Republic. 
• The “watershed” history moments between 1960 and 1990 . 
• History of postmodernism . 
• What were the consequences of Germany’s invasion of Belgium? 
• The Velvet Revolution and the aftermath of Communism. 
• Why are the Nuremberg Trials considered to be the greatest trials in history? 
• Che Guevara’s biography and revolutionary path . 
• The legacy of Che Guevara. 
• History of post WWII. 
• India’s nuclear weapons program. 
• How did the US react to the launch of Sputnik? 
• Cuban missile crisis and its aftermath. 
• The Arab defeat reasons in the 1967 War
• What were the ambitions of the Nazi party during World War II? 
• Zionism and anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany. 
• Nazi propaganda in cinematography. 
• How was the European Union formed? 
• Invasion of Poland: the beginning of World War II. 
• Social and economic Life in the Soviet Union during the 1930s. 
• How did the dissatisfaction with the Treaty of Versailles impact Mussolini’s rise to power? 
• What’s the difference between the Red and White Russian Army? 
• Concentration camps and “Death Camps”: a comparison. 
• What caused the Beer Hall Putsch? 
• U.S atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 
• What factors helped spread Communist ideology across the world? 
• Night of the Long Knives and Hitler‘s rise to power. 
• Mao Zedong and Maoism. 
• What events led to the Kashmir Crisis? 
• Fall of the Berlin Wall : what was the immediate effect? 
• Kosovo war and propaganda. 
• South Pole expeditions: Roald Amundsen. 
• The invention of the PC and the Internet . 
• What was the role of Lawrence of Arabia in the Arab Revolt? 
• Francois Mitterrand: legacy and controversies. 
• What was the political atmosphere during the 1936 Olympic Games? 
• What factors led to the Communist victory in China? 
• The consequences of civil war in El Salvador. 
• 1968 student revolts. 
• Kristallnacht and the world’s response to it. 
• What is the difference between Fascism and National Socialism? 

🔝 20 History Research Questions

Research questions are derived from research topics. You answer the research question in an essay or paper.

Broad questions can be used for theses, Ph.D. dissertations, and proposals. Narrow questions fit better for essays. You can also use them to prepare for AP US essays. Research questions can be focused on different aspects:

• What caused a historical event,
• The consequences of an event,
• The origin of something,
• The role of a particular person in history,
• The cultural context of an event, etc.

Here is the list of top 20 history research questions for you to choose from:

• What was the role of Alexander the Great in the creation of the modern world? 
• What was the importance of Roman Peace? 
• What impact has Christianity had on Western culture? 
• How did the Plague influence European society? 
• How was Constantinople conquered? 
• In what ways did the Renaissance improve life in Europe? 
• Why is the Printing Press considered one of the greatest inventions? 
• What were the positive and negative sides of the Protestant Reformation? 
• Why did Europe eventually lose control over its colonies? 
• In what ways did the American Revolution inspire other countries? 
• How did the French Revolution influence the Enlightenment? 
• What would have happened in the North lost the Civil War? 
• What challenges did the Industrial Revolution provide for lower classes? 
• How did the Medical Revolution change the world? 
• What aspects of the industrial Revolution triggered World War I? 
• What factors led to the popularity of Communism in Russia? 
• How did the Great Depression influence World War II? 
• Why was Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party popular in 1930s Germany ? 
• What is the Iron Curtain , and why was it created? 
• In what ways did Space Race advance technology? 

🤔 Historical Topics FAQ

The importance of history can’t be underestimated. It plays a crucial in understanding other cultures as well as our own. It teaches us to think, compare, and draw conclusions. It provides us with role models and examples of how to manage societies. Besides, it covers every single facet of life, from art and television to sports and video games. That’s why history is not only important but also relatable and fun.

• Choose a topic that will be interesting for you to research.
• Decide on a solid historical argument.
• Formulate a thesis statement.
• Find reliable sources and study them from a critical standpoint.
• Make an outline for your paper.
• Write the first draft.
• When you quote, cite your sources correctly.
• Proofread and write the final draft.
• Find reliable resources and analyze them.
• Describe the imagery of the artwork
• Provide a brief analysis of imagery or symbolism.
• Describe the stylistic category to which the artwork belongs.
• Write about the time in which the artwork was created.
• Discuss how it relates to the author’s life.
• Discuss the place of the artwork in a broader historical context.
• Choose your subject.
• Formulate your thesis statement.
• Find credible sources, biographies, and articles.
• Write a draft plan.
• Describe the formative years of the historical person.
• Discuss their most important achievements that relate to your thesis statement.
• Include particularly interesting lesser-known facts about them.
• Describe their legacy and impact.
• Write a conclusion.
• Proofread your paper.

Primary sources relate directly to the subject of the study. This includes art, literature, and documents from that period. Primary sources are created at the time of the event, usually by people who participated in the event. The best examples of primary source documents would be diaries, interviews, and letters.

Secondary sources are the sources created after the time of the event. They are usually scientific, written from a historical point of view, and include evaluation of the information derived from the primary sources. The best examples of secondary source documents would include academic analyses, research papers, reviews, critiques, scientific journals, biographies, and encyclopedias.

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🔎 References

• Databases for Research & Education: Gale
• Topics: History
• Historical Research Capabilities: UCLA History
• 25 Most Important Events In History: List 25
• How to Write a History Research Paper: Carleton
• Historic Places and the Inquiry Method: National Park Service
• Historical narrative: Britannica
• Historical Research: Oxford Academic
• Introduction to Historical Research: UW Libraries
• Tools and techniques for historical research: University of Cambridge
• Historical Research – Checklist: History Detectives
• Studies in History: SAGE Journals
• History Research: Science PG
• History: Academia
• Databases for History & Culture Research: Smithsonian Libraries
• Writing a Good History Paper: Hamilton
• Research: Cornell, the Department of History
• History Research Areas: McGill
• Research Areas: History Department, Vanderbilt University
• Areas od Study: Department of History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine, Indiana University Bloomington
• U.S. History and Historical Documents: US Government
• Colonial North America: Harvard Library
• United States of America: Topics (Colorado State University)
• European History: ThoughtCo.
• The history of the European Union: EU Official Website
• The history of British slave ownership has been buried: now its scale can be revealed (The Guardian)
• Women Creating Change (Before 1500): Albany
• The 20th century: Khan Academy
• Timeline of 20th and 21th century wars: Imperial War Museum
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Princeton University Library

Finding scholarly literature on a topic in history.

• Finding out what other historians think
• Finding bibliographies

Finding historiographic essays -- first steps

• Finding book reviews

For topics that are of wide interest, you may be able to find an essay that reviews the literature on that topic, and that sets it in context by discussing how other historians have approached that topic. This kind of essay is invaluable when you are starting a research project. There are two easy ways to find them:

History Compass is an online journal that publishes historiographic essays. If there is an essay on your topic, it can be an excellent place to start. Caution: if you do not find what you need with your first search, don't choose Edit Search, because you will then be searching all the publisher's online journals. Return to the starting point for History Compass to continue searching just within this journal.

If your topic is covered, check Oxford Bibliographies Online (currently, covers African Studies, Atlantic History, Medieval Studies, Military History, Classics, Criminology, Islamic Studies, Philosophy, and Renaissance and the Reformation, and many other fields)

America: History & Life and Historical Abstracts In both of these bibliographic databases, "historiography" is a Subject. For example, in AHL, to find historiography on the American Civil war, do a Subject search for: civil war historiography

Annual bulletin of historical literature History Reference (SH). Firestone Z6205 .H65 and online

The "Blackwell Companions" are a series published both in print and online in Blackwell Reference Online . If there is one on your topic, it can be an exceptionally useful place to start reading. Note: to find print copies of the Blackwell Companions, do a keyword search in the Main Catalog for " Blackwell companions to history," "Blackwell companions to American history," " Blackwell companions to British history," " Blackwell companions to world history," or " Blackwell companions to European history " to see if there is a volume in this series that covers your topic. Some copies circulate, and others are in the History Reference room on A floor.

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• Last Updated: Dec 19, 2023 1:33 PM
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21st CENTURY

Great depression, asian history, world war i, world war ii, immigration.

undergraduate

General history

Best schools with general history

Yale University

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• · Rating 4.02 out of 5   1,057

Stanford University

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• · Rating 4.1 out of 5   1,284

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What is a general history major?

Students majoring in history generally focus on the study and interpretation of past events, institutions, issues, and cultures. Subtopics include American history, European history, history and philosophy of science and technology, public/applied history, Asian history as well as Canadian history, among many others. Specific courses include historiography, historical research methods, studies of specific periods, issues and cultures, and applications to areas such as historic preservation, concepts and methods of philosophical inquiry, historiography of science, history of science, medicine, and technology, and research methods in the history of the scientific and engineering disciplines, including mathematics.

of students said great professors were a highlight of this major.

of students found this major to be difficult.

of students said they were motivated to select this major because it fit their passion & interest.

of students and alumni plan on being or are currently employed in an occupation related to this major.

of students said limited career opportunities were a challenging aspect of the major.

How much do general history majors make?

Median average salary.

The national average salary for general history graduates in the United States is $71,000 per year. Those in the top 10 percent make over $200,000 a year, while the bottom 10 percent make under $25,000 a year. While salary ranges can vary by role, industry, and location, general history graduates typically make between $45,000 and $118,000 per year.

How popular is general history as a major?

Each year, around 26,500 students obtain a bachelor’s degree and around 2,220 students obtain an associate degree in general history. In 2021, 25,703 students received a bachelor's degree and 2,559 students received an associate degree. This is 3% fewer general history majors than there were in 2020. General history is one of the most popular majors within history.

Advice from general history majors

I chose History as a major because most of my professors in history were open to diverse opinions. They were more professional about their work and were by far the most fair graders. Study smarter, not harder, and get balance your own opinions and perspectives with your writing and you should do just fine.

Have fun with it!! You’ll enjoy it more if you stress less.

Get really good at time management because the better you pace yourself the more successful you are.

Make sure you balance your work and social life with your academics because it requires a lot of attention and work. Plan your days ahead of time in order to be on top of your academics

Make sure you have a plan, it can be hard to find a history job

Related majors

• Art history
• Historic preservation and conservation
• Music history and literature

Suggestions or feedback?

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• Q&A: The power of tiny gardens and their role in addressing climate change

Q&A: The power of tiny gardens and their role in addressing climate change

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To address the climate crisis, one must understand environmental history. MIT Professor Kate Brown’s research has typically focused on environmental catastrophes. More recently, Brown has been exploring a more hopeful topic: tiny gardens.

Brown is the Thomas M. Siebel Distinguished Professor in History of Science in the MIT Program in Science, Technology, and Society. In this Q&A, Brown discusses her research, and how she believes her current project could help put power into the hands of everyday people.

This is part of an ongoing series exploring how the MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences is addressing the climate crisis.

Q: You have created an unusual niche for yourself as an historian of environmental catastrophes. What drew you to such a dismal beat?

A: Historians often study New York, Warsaw, Moscow, Berlin, but if you go to these little towns that nobody's ever heard of, that's where you see the destruction in the wake of progress. This is likely because I grew up in a manufacturing town in the Midwestern Rust Belt, watching stores go bankrupt and houses sit empty. I became very interested in the people who were the last to turn off the lights.

Q: Did this interest in places devastated by technological and economic change eventually lead to your investigation of Chernobyl?

A: I first studied the health and environmental consequences of radioactive waste on communities near nuclear weapons facilities in the U.S. and Russia, and then decided to focus on the health and environmental impacts of fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear energy plant disaster. After gaining access to the KGB records in Kiev, I realized that there was a Klondike of records describing what Soviet officials at the time called a “public health disaster.” People on the ground recognized the saturation of radioactivity into environments and food supplies not with any with sensitive devices, but by noticing the changes in ecologies and on human bodies. I documented how Moscow leaders historically and decades later engaged in a coverup, and that even international bodies charged with examining nuclear issues were reluctant to acknowledge this ongoing public health disaster due to liabilities in their own countries from the production and testing of nuclear weapons during the Cold War.

Q: Why did you turn from detailed studies of what you call “modernist wastelands” to the subject of climate change?

A: Journalists and scholars have worked hard in the last two decades to get people to understand the scope and the scale and the verisimilitude of climate change. And that’s great, but some of these catastrophic stories we tell don’t make people feel very safe or secure. They have a paralyzing effect on us. Climate change is one of many problems that are too big for any one person to tackle, or any one entity, whether it’s a huge nation like the United States or an international body like the U.N.

So I thought I would start to work on something that is very small scale that puts action in the hands of just regular people to try to tell a more hopeful story. I am finishing a new book about working-class people who got pushed off their farms in the 19th century, and ended up in mega cities like London, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Washington D.C., find land on the periphery of the cities. They start digging, growing their own food, cooperating together. They basically recreated forms of the commons in cities. And in so doing, they generate the most productive agriculture in recorded history.

Q: What are some highlights of this extraordinary city-based food generation?

A: In Paris circa 1900, 5,000 urban farmers grew fruits and vegetables and fresh produce for 2 million Parisians with a surplus left over to sell to London. They would plant three to six crops a year on one tract of land using horse manure to heat up soils from below to push the season and grow spring crops in winter and summer crops in spring.

An agricultural economist looked at the inputs and the outputs from these Parisian farms. He found there was no comparison to the Green Revolution fields of the 1970s. These urban gardeners were producing far more per acre, with no petroleum-based fertilizers.

Q: What is the connection between little gardens like these and the global climate crisis, where individuals can feel at loss facing the scale of the problems?

A: You can think of a tiny city garden like a coral reef, where one little worm comes and builds its cave. And then another one attaches itself to the first, and so on. Pretty soon you have a great coral reef with a platform to support hundreds of different species — a rich biodiversity. Tiny gardens work that way in cities, which is one reason cities are now surprising hotspots of biodiversity.

Transforming urban green space into tiny gardens doesn’t take an act of God, the U.N., or the U.S. Congress to make a change. You could just go to your municipality and say, “Listen, right now we have a zoning code that says every time there's a new condo, you have to have one or two parking spaces, but we’d rather see one or two garden spaces.”

And if you don't want a garden, you’ll have a neighbor who does. So people are outside and they have their hands in the soil and then they start to exchange produce with one another. As they share carrots and zucchini, they exchange soil and human microbes as well. We know that when people share microbiomes, they get along better, have more in common. It comes as no surprise that humans have organized societies around shaking hands, kissing on the cheek, producing food together and sharing meals. That’s what I think we've lost in our remote worlds.

Q: So can we address or mitigate the impacts of climate change on a community-by-community basis?

A: I believe that’s probably the best way to do it. When we think of energy we often imagine deposits of oil or gas, but, as our grad student Turner Adornetto points out, every environment has energy running through it. Every environment has its own best solution. If it’s a community that lives along a river, tap into hydropower; or if it’s a community that has tons of organic waste, maybe you want to use microbial power; and if it’s a community that has lots of sun then use different kinds of solar power. The legacy of midcentury modernism is that engineers came up with one-size-fits-all solutions to plug in anywhere in the world, regardless of local culture, traditions, or environment. That is one of the problems that has gotten us into this fix in the first place.

Politically, it’s a good idea to avoid making people feel they’re being pushed around by one set of codes, one set of laws in terms of coming up with solutions that work. There are ways of deriving energy and nutrients that enrich the environment, ways that don’t drain and deplete. You see that so clearly with a plant, which just does nothing but grow and contribute and give, whether it’s in life or in death. It’s just constantly improving its environment.

Q: How do you unleash creativity and propagate widespread local responses to climate change?

A: One of the important things we are trying to accomplish in the humanities is communicating in the most down-to-earth ways possible to our students and the public so that anybody — from a fourth grader to a retired person — can get engaged.

There’s “TECHNOLOGY” in uppercase letters, the kind that is invented and patented in places like MIT. And then there’s technology in lowercase letters, where people are working with things readily at hand. That is the kind of creativity we don’t often pay enough attention to.

Keep in mind that at the end of the 19th century, scientists were sure that the earth was cooling and the earth would all under ice by 2020. In the 1950s, many people feared nuclear warfare. In the 1960s the threat was the “population bomb.” Every generation seems to have its apocalyptic sense of doom. It is helpful to take climate change and the Anthropocene and put them in perspective. These are problems we can solve.

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Florida fossil porcupine solves a prickly dilemma 10-million years in the making

There's a longstanding debate simmering among biologists who study porcupines. There are 16 porcupine species in Central and South America, but only one in the United States and Canada. DNA evidence suggests North America's sole porcupine belongs to a group that originated 10 million years ago, but fossils seem to tell a different story. Some paleontologists think they may have evolved just 2.5 million years ago, at the beginning of the ice ages.

A new study published in the journal Current Biology claims to have reconciled the dispute, thanks to an exceptionally rare, nearly complete porcupine skeleton discovered in Florida. The authors reached their conclusion by studying key differences in bone structure between North and South American porcupines, but getting there wasn't easy. It took an entire class of graduate and undergraduate students and several years of careful preparation and study.

"Even for a seasoned curator with all the necessary expertise, it takes an incredible amount of time to fully study and process an entire skeleton," said lead author Natasha Vitek. While studying as a doctoral student at the Florida Museum of Natural History, Vitek teamed up with vertebrate paleontology curator Jonathan Bloch to create a college course in which students got hands-on research experience by studying porcupine fossils.

Ancient radiation gave rise to world's largest rodents

Porcupines are a type of rodent, and their ancestors likely originated in Africa more than 30 million years ago. Their descendants have since wandered into Asia and parts of Europe by land, but their journey to South America is a particularly defining event in the history of mammals. They crossed the Atlantic Ocean -- likely by rafting -- when Africa and South America were much closer together than they are today. They were the first rodents to ever set foot on the continent, where they evolved into well-known groups like guinea pigs, chinchillas, capybaras and porcupines.

Some took on giant proportions. There were lumbering, rat-like animals up to five feet long, equipped with a tiny brain that weighed less than a plum. Extinct relatives of the capybara grew to the size of cows.

Porcupines remained relatively small and evolved adaptations for life in the treetops of South America's lush rainforests. Today, they travel through the canopy with the aid of long fingers capped with blunt, sickle-shaped claws perfectly angled for gripping branches. Many also have long, prehensile tails capable of bearing their weight, which they use while climbing and reaching for fruit.

Despite their excellent track record of getting around, South America was a dead end for many millions of years. A vast seaway with swift currents separated North and South America, and most animals were unable to cross -- with a few notable exceptions.

Beginning about 5 million years ago, the Isthmus of Panama rose above sea level, cutting off the Pacific from the Atlantic. This land bridge became the ancient equivalent of a congested highway a few million years later, with traffic flowing in both directions.

Prehistoric elephants, saber-toothed cats, jaguars, llamas, peccaries, deer, skunks and bears streamed from North America to South. The reverse trek was made by four different kinds of ground sloths, oversized armadillos, terror birds, capybaras and even a marsupial.

The two groups met with radically different fates. Those mammals migrating south did fairly well; many became successfully established in their new tropical environments and survived to the present. But nearly all lineages that ventured north into colder environments have gone extinct. Today, there are only three survivors: the nine-banded armadillo, the Virginia opossum and the North American porcupine.

New fossils catch evolution in the act

Animals that traveled north had to contend with new environments that bore little resemblance to the ones they left behind. Warm, tropical forests gave way to open grasslands, deserts and cold deciduous forests. For porcupines, this meant coping with brutal winters, fewer resources and coming down from the trees to walk on land. They still haven't quite gotten the hang of the latter; North American porcupines have a maximum ground speed of about 2 mph.

South American porcupines are equipped with a menacing coat of hollow, overlapping quills, which offer a substantial amount of protection but do little to regulate body temperature. North American porcupines replaced these with a mix of insulating fur and long, needle-like quills that can be raised when they feel threatened. They also had to modify their diet, which changed the shape of their jaw.

"In winter, when their favorite foods are not around, they will bite into tree bark to get at the softer tissue underneath. It's not great food, but it's better than nothing," Vitek said. "We think this type of feeding selected for a particular jaw structure that makes them better at grinding."

They also lost their prehensile tails. Although North American porcupines still like climbing, it's not their forte. Museum specimens often show evidence of healed bone fractures, likely caused by falling from trees.

Many of these traits can be observed in fossils. The problem is there aren't many fossils to go around. According to Vitek, most are either individual teeth or jaw fragments, and researchers often lump them in with South American porcupines. Those that are considered to belong to the North American group lack the critical features that would provide paleontologists with clues to how they evolved.

So when Florida Museum paleontologist Art Poyer found an exquisitely preserved porcupine skeleton in a Florida limestone quarry, they were well aware of its significance.

"When they first brought it in, I was amazed," said Bloch, senior author of the study. "It is so rare to get fossil skeletons like this with not only a skull and jaws, but many associated bones from the rest of the body. It allows for a much more complete picture of how this extinct mammal would have interacted with its environment. Right away we noticed that it was different from modern North American porcupines in having a specialized tail for grasping branches."

By comparing the fossil skeleton with bones from modern porcupines, Bloch and Vitek were confident they could determine its identity. But the amount of work this would require was more than one person could do on their own in a short amount of time. So they co-created a paleontology college course, in which the only assignment for the entire semester was studying porcupine bones.

"It's the kind of thing that could only be taught at a place like the Florida Museum, where you have both collections and enough students to study them," Vitek said. "We focused on details of the jaw, limbs, feet and tails. It required a very detailed series of comparisons that you might not even notice on the first pass."

The results were surprising. The fossil lacked the reinforced bark-gnawing jaws and possessed a prehensile tail, making it appear more closely related to South American porcupines. But, Vitek said, other traits bore a stronger similarity to North American porcupines, including the shape of the middle ear bone as well as the shapes of the lower front and back teeth.

With all the data combined, analyses consistently provided the same answer. The fossils belonged to an extinct species of North American porcupine, meaning this group has a long history that likely began before the Isthmus of Panama had formed. But questions remain as to how many species once existed in this group or why they went extinct.

"One thing that isn't resolved by our study is whether these extinct species are direct ancestors of the North American porcupine that is alive today," Vitek said. "It's also possible porcupines got into temperate regions twice, once along the Gulf Coast and once out west. We're not there yet."

Jennifer Hoeflich, Isaac Magallanes, Sean Moran, Rachel Narducci, Victor Perez, Jeanette Pirlo, Mitchell Riegler, Molly Selba, María Vallejo-Pareja, Michael Ziegler, Michael Granatosky and Richard Hulbert of the Florida Museum of Natural History are also authors on the paper.

• New Species
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Story Source:

Materials provided by Florida Museum of Natural History . Original written by Jerald Pinson. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Related Multimedia :

• Fossils and illustrations relating to early porcupines

Journal Reference :

• Natasha S. Vitek, Jennifer C. Hoeflich, Isaac Magallanes, Sean M. Moran, Rachel E. Narducci, Victor J. Perez, Jeanette Pirlo, Mitchell S. Riegler, Molly C. Selba, María C. Vallejo-Pareja, Michael J. Ziegler, Michael C. Granatosky, Richard C. Hulbert, Jonathan I. Bloch. An extinct north American porcupine with a South American tail . Current Biology , 2024; DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.04.069

Cite This Page :

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Economic History Research Paper Topics

Navigating through the realm of economic history research paper topics might seem like a daunting task. Economic history merges economics and history, studying the changes in economies over time and the economic phenomena of the past. By scrutinizing historical events through an economic lens, we can decipher the intricacies of economies that have evolved, declined, or transformed across various eras and societies. The key to crafting a profound and impactful research paper in this field is to choose a topic that resonates with your intellectual curiosity, aligns with your academic objectives, and contributes to the broader understanding of economic history. Whether you are interested in the economic implications of major wars, the influence of trade policies, or the economic transformations throughout different civilizations, there are numerous pathways to explore. Let’s embark on this journey together to uncover a wealth of research possibilities in economic history.

100 Economic History Research Paper Topics

Economic history is a fascinating field that explores the relationship between economies and societies throughout different periods of time. Researching economic history allows us to gain valuable insights into the factors that shaped economies, influenced policies, and impacted the lives of individuals and communities. In this section, we present a comprehensive list of economic history research paper topics, organized into 10 categories, with 10 topics in each. These topics cover a wide range of time periods, regions, and themes, offering students a diverse selection to choose from for their research papers. Whether you are interested in studying economic transformations, trade networks, industrial revolutions, or economic ideologies, this list provides a starting point for exploring the captivating world of economic history.

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Economic Transformations

• The impact of the Agricultural Revolution on European economies
• The role of colonialism in shaping economic structures in Latin America
• The Industrial Revolution and its effects on urbanization and labor markets
• The Great Depression: Causes, consequences, and government responses
• Economic reforms and market transitions in post-Soviet Eastern Europe
• The rise of globalization and its influence on national economies
• Economic consequences of World War II and post-war reconstruction efforts
• The digital revolution and its impact on modern economies
• The economic transformation of China: From planned economy to market-oriented reforms
• The Green Revolution and its implications for agricultural productivity and food security

Trade Networks and Global Exchange

• The Silk Road: Trade routes, cultural exchange, and economic impact
• Mercantilism and the establishment of colonial trade systems
• The Atlantic slave trade and its economic repercussions
• The Spice Trade and its role in shaping European economies
• The Silk Route and the transmission of ideas, technologies, and goods
• The Triangular Trade: Slavery, sugar, and the emergence of capitalist economies
• The impact of the Columbian Exchange on global economic systems
• The East India Company: Trade, colonization, and economic dominance
• The Transatlantic Slave Trade and its legacy on African economies
• The impact of the Opium Trade on China’s economy and society

Economic Ideologies and Systems

• Capitalism vs. socialism: A comparative analysis of economic systems
• The role of economic nationalism in shaping domestic policies
• The Keynesian revolution: Economic theories and government intervention
• The impact of neoliberalism on income inequality and economic growth
• The command economy in the Soviet Union: Successes and failures
• Economic theories of Adam Smith and their influence on modern economics
• The economic consequences of colonialism and imperialism
• Feudalism and its economic structures in medieval Europe
• The welfare state: Social policies and economic stability
• Economic planning and development strategies in emerging economies

Financial Systems and Crises

• The Great Financial Crisis of 2008: Causes, consequences, and policy responses
• The role of central banks in managing monetary policy and financial stability
• The emergence and evolution of stock markets: Historical perspectives
• The impact of the gold standard on international trade and monetary systems
• The Tulip Mania: Lessons from the first recorded speculative bubble
• The history of banking: From ancient civilizations to modern institutions
• Financial innovations and their impact on economic growth
• The Bretton Woods system: Its establishment, operation, and collapse
• The Asian Financial Crisis: Causes, contagion, and policy lessons
• The history of credit and debt: From ancient civilizations to consumer societies

Labor and Working Conditions

• The rise of factory labor and the labor movement in the Industrial Revolution
• Slavery and the economic exploitation of labor in the Americas
• Child labor: Historical perspectives, reforms, and contemporary issues
• The impact of the labor movement on workers’ rights and living conditions
• Women in the workforce: Struggles, advancements, and gender disparities
• Immigration and labor markets: Historical experiences and economic effects
• The history of unions and their role in shaping labor policies
• The gig economy: Historical parallels and contemporary challenges
• The impact of technological advancements on employment patterns
• Worker safety and regulations: From industrial accidents to workplace protections

Economic Policies and Government Interventions

• The New Deal: Economic recovery and the role of government intervention
• Protectionism vs. free trade: Historical debates and economic consequences
• Economic sanctions: Historical cases and their effectiveness
• The role of fiscal policy in managing economic cycles
• The impact of war on economic policies and resource allocation
• Price controls and rationing during times of scarcity and crisis
• Economic nationalism and its impact on trade relations
• The history of taxation: From ancient civilizations to modern systems
• Economic deregulation and its effects on market dynamics
• The history of antitrust policies and their role in promoting competition

Economic History of Specific Regions

• The economic history of the United States: From colonial times to the present
• The economic development of East Asia: Lessons from Japan, South Korea, and China
• Economic history of Africa: Challenges, opportunities, and development strategies
• The economic transformation of post-Soviet Eastern Europe
• The economic history of Latin America: Colonial legacies and contemporary issues
• The economic rise of the Middle East: Oil, wealth, and diversification
• The economic history of India: From ancient civilizations to modern challenges
• The economic development of Western Europe: From feudalism to the European Union
• Economic history of Australia: From colonization to a developed economy
• The economic dynamics of Southeast Asia: Trade, colonization, and regional integration

Economic History and Technology

• The impact of the steam engine on industrialization and economic growth
• The role of transportation innovations in shaping economic systems
• The history of telecommunications: From the telegraph to the internet
• The economic effects of the printing press on knowledge dissemination
• The digital revolution and its impact on industries and labor markets
• The history of energy transitions: From wood to fossil fuels and renewables
• Technological innovations and their influence on productivity and economic development
• The impact of the internet on globalization and global supply chains
• The history of agricultural advancements and their effects on food production
• The role of automation and artificial intelligence in shaping future economies

Economic History and Environment

• The economic consequences of natural disasters and environmental degradation
• The history of resource extraction and its impact on economies and ecosystems
• Environmental regulations and their effects on economic activities
• The economic history of renewable energy: From early adoption to mainstream integration
• The economics of climate change and the transition to a low-carbon economy
• The history of sustainable development and its influence on economic policies
• The economic impact of deforestation and land degradation
• The role of water resources in shaping economic activities and societal development
• The economics of biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services
• Environmental justice and its intersections with economic inequalities

Economic History and Social Change

• The economic consequences of revolutions and political upheavals
• The impact of demographic changes on economic development
• The history of income inequality: Causes, consequences, and policy responses
• The economics of education: Historical perspectives and contemporary challenges
• The economic effects of population migration and urbanization
• The role of social movements in shaping economic policies and practices
• The history of consumerism: From early markets to modern consumer societies
• Economic impacts of cultural shifts and changing societal norms
• The economic consequences of pandemics and public health crises
• The role of entrepreneurship in driving economic innovation and social change

This comprehensive list of economic history research paper topics showcases the diversity and richness of this field of study. From exploring economic transformations and trade networks to analyzing economic ideologies and social change, students have a wide range of options to delve into the fascinating world of economic history. These topics offer opportunities to examine historical events, theories, policies, and their lasting impacts on societies and economies. Whether you are interested in macroeconomic trends, labor history, technological advancements, or environmental factors, this list provides a solid foundation for selecting a research paper topic that aligns with your interests and academic goals. Remember to choose a topic that sparks your curiosity and allows for in-depth exploration.

Economic History: Exploring the Range of Research Paper Topics

Economic history is a fascinating field of study that delves into the intricate relationship between economies, societies, and historical contexts. It allows us to understand how economic systems have evolved, how they have shaped the course of nations, and how they have influenced the lives of individuals throughout history. By examining the economic forces, policies, and transformations that have shaped the past, we gain valuable insights into the present and can make informed predictions about the future. In this section, we explore the vast range of economic history research paper topics, highlighting key themes, periods, and regions that offer rich opportunities for investigation and analysis.

• Economic Transformations : One captivating area of economic history is the study of economic transformations. This includes examining the factors that led to significant shifts in economies, such as the Agricultural Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, or the rise of globalization. Economic history research paper topics in this category may explore the causes and consequences of these transformations, the impact on social structures and labor markets, or the long-term effects on economic development and inequality.
• Trade Networks and Global Exchange : Trade networks and global exchange have played a crucial role in shaping economic history. Topics in this category could focus on significant trade routes throughout history, such as the Silk Road or the Atlantic slave trade, and their impact on economic systems, cultural exchange, and geopolitical dynamics. Researchers may also explore the economic consequences of colonization, the role of mercantilism, or the effects of international trade agreements on national economies.
• Economic Ideologies and Systems : The study of economic ideologies and systems allows researchers to examine the different approaches societies have taken in organizing their economies. Economic history research paper topics in this category may explore the historical development of economic systems such as capitalism, socialism, or feudalism and their impact on wealth distribution, market dynamics, and government intervention. Comparisons between different economic ideologies or case studies of specific countries or time periods can provide valuable insights into the successes, failures, and complexities of various economic systems.
• Financial Systems and Crises : The history of financial systems and crises offers a wealth of research opportunities. Topics in this area may include the examination of historical financial crises, such as the Great Depression or the 2008 financial crisis, their causes, and the policy responses that followed. Researchers may also explore the emergence and evolution of financial institutions, the impact of monetary policies on economic stability, or the role of financial innovations in driving economic growth and instability.
• Labor and Working Conditions : The history of labor and working conditions is an important aspect of economic history. Topics in this category may focus on the evolution of labor markets, the impact of industrialization on working conditions, or the role of labor movements in advocating for workers’ rights and improved standards of living. Other research areas could explore the economic consequences of slavery, child labor, gender disparities in the workforce, or the effects of technological advancements on employment patterns.
• Economic Policies and Government Interventions : Government interventions and economic policies have shaped economies throughout history. Economic history research paper topics in this category may examine the role of fiscal and monetary policies in managing economic cycles, the impact of protectionist or free trade policies on national economies, or the consequences of economic nationalism on international relations. Additionally, researchers may analyze the historical development of welfare systems, taxation policies, or the influence of economic ideologies on government interventions.
• Economic History of Specific Regions : The economic history of specific regions provides an opportunity to explore the unique factors that have influenced their economic development. Topics in this category may focus on the economic history of particular countries, continents, or regions, such as the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, or Latin America. Researchers may delve into the colonial legacies, post-colonial challenges, economic transformations, or regional integration efforts that have shaped the economic landscapes of these regions.
• Economic History and Technology : Technological advancements have played a significant role in shaping economic history. Research topics in this category may examine the impact of specific technological innovations, such as the steam engine, the printing press, or the internet, on economic systems, productivity, and labor markets. Additionally, researchers may explore the relationship between energy transitions and economic development, the role of transportation advancements in facilitating trade and economic growth, or the implications of automation and artificial intelligence on future economies.
• Economic History and Environment : The interaction between economic activities and the environment is a crucial area of research within economic history. Topics in this category may explore the economic consequences of natural disasters, environmental regulations, resource extraction, or the economics of renewable energy. Researchers may also examine the historical impact of population growth, deforestation, or climate change on economic systems, resource allocation, and sustainable development.
• Economic History and Social Change : Economic history is intertwined with social change, and studying this intersection provides valuable insights into the dynamics between economies and societies. Economic history research paper topics in this category may examine the economic consequences of revolutions, demographic changes, income inequality, or the role of social movements in influencing economic policies. Additionally, researchers may explore the economic effects of cultural shifts, changing societal norms, pandemics, or the role of entrepreneurship in driving innovation and social progress.

The field of economic history offers a vast array of research opportunities for students studying history and seeking to explore the complex interplay between economies, societies, and historical contexts. From examining economic transformations and trade networks to analyzing economic ideologies, labor dynamics, and environmental factors, economic history research paper topics are both diverse and intellectually stimulating. By selecting a research paper topic within this field, students have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of historical events, economic systems, and the forces that have shaped the world we live in today.

Choosing Economic History Research Paper Topics

Selecting the right research paper topic is crucial for a successful study in economic history. With the vast array of possibilities within this field, it can sometimes be challenging to narrow down your focus and choose a topic that is both engaging and manageable. In this section, we provide expert advice on how to choose economic history research paper topics that align with your interests, meet academic requirements, and offer valuable insights into the subject matter.

• Identify your Interests : Start by reflecting on your personal interests within economic history. Consider the topics or themes that intrigue you the most. Are you drawn to the economic transformations of specific time periods, the study of financial systems, or the economic impact of technological advancements? Identifying your interests will help you choose a topic that you are passionate about and motivated to explore further.
• Review Course Material : Consult your course materials, textbooks, and lecture notes to identify key themes and topics covered in your economic history course. This will give you a solid foundation and help you build upon the concepts you have already learned. Pay attention to any topics that sparked your curiosity during the course and consider further exploring those areas in your research paper.
• Read Widely : Expand your knowledge by reading widely on economic history. Engage with scholarly articles, books, and reputable online sources that delve into different aspects of economic history. This will expose you to various research topics and enable you to gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter. As you read, take note of any topics that resonate with you or inspire further investigation.
• Consult with Your Professor : Seek guidance from your professor or academic advisor. They can provide valuable insights and suggestions based on their expertise in the field. Share your research interests and discuss potential research paper topics with them. They may offer recommendations, point you towards relevant literature, or help you refine your ideas.
• Consider Historical Significance : Choose a topic that has historical significance and relevance. Look for research opportunities that shed light on important economic events, policies, or transformations that have shaped societies and economies. By selecting a topic with historical significance, you can contribute to the existing body of knowledge and offer new insights into the subject matter.
• Scope and Manageability : Ensure that the chosen topic is manageable within the scope of your research paper. Consider the length and time constraints of the assignment. Narrow down your topic to a specific research question or aspect that you can adequately explore within the given parameters. It is better to focus on a specific aspect and delve deep into the analysis rather than attempting to cover a broad topic superficially.
• Consider Available Resources : Evaluate the availability of primary and secondary sources related to your chosen topic. Access to relevant historical documents, data, and scholarly literature is crucial for conducting a comprehensive and evidence-based research paper. Consider whether the necessary resources are accessible and whether you can obtain the data required to support your arguments.
• Analyze Gaps in Existing Literature : Examine the existing literature in economic history and identify any gaps or areas where further research is needed. Look for topics that have not been extensively explored or where contrasting viewpoints exist. By addressing these gaps, you can make a unique contribution to the field and provide fresh insights into economic history.
• Balance Complexity and Manageability : Strike a balance between choosing a topic that is intellectually stimulating and one that is manageable within the given scope and time constraints. Avoid topics that are too broad or complex to address adequately in the context of a research paper. Instead, focus on specific research questions or aspects that allow for in-depth analysis and critical evaluation.
• Stay Updated : Keep abreast of current events, debates, and emerging trends within the field of economic history. This will help you identify contemporary issues that can be explored through a historical lens. Staying updated will also allow you to incorporate recent research findings and scholarly discussions into your research paper, making it relevant and engaging.

Choosing an economic history research paper topic requires careful consideration of your interests, available resources, and the academic requirements of your course. By identifying your interests, consulting with experts, reading widely, and considering historical significance, you can select a topic that is both engaging and feasible to explore. Remember to strike a balance between complexity and manageability, and always stay updated with the latest developments in the field. With these expert tips in mind, you are well-equipped to embark on your research journey and contribute to the fascinating field of economic history.

How to Write an Economic History Research Paper

Writing an economic history research paper requires careful planning, organization, and critical analysis. In this section, we provide a comprehensive guide on how to effectively structure and write your research paper. By following these steps and incorporating best practices, you can produce a well-researched and compelling paper that contributes to the field of economic history.

• Define Your Research Question : Start by defining a clear and focused research question. The research question should be specific, concise, and aligned with your research objectives. It should reflect the main theme or issue you intend to explore in your paper. Consider the historical context, economic factors, and relevant theoretical frameworks that are central to your research question.
• Conduct In-Depth Research : Gather relevant sources and conduct comprehensive research to support your research question and arguments. Consult scholarly books, academic journals, primary sources, and reputable online databases. Take detailed notes and organize your sources to ensure easy reference during the writing process. Evaluate the credibility and relevance of each source to ensure the quality of your research.
• Develop a Strong Thesis Statement : Craft a clear and compelling thesis statement that encapsulates the main argument or hypothesis of your research paper. The thesis statement should be concise, specific, and supported by evidence from your research. It sets the tone for your paper and guides the reader’s understanding of your main objective.
• Outline Your Paper : Create a well-structured outline to organize your thoughts and ideas. An outline provides a roadmap for your research paper, ensuring a logical flow of information and coherence. Divide your paper into sections, including an introduction, literature review, methodology, analysis, findings, and conclusion. Each section should have a clear purpose and contribute to the overall argument of your paper.
• Write a Compelling Introduction : Begin your research paper with an engaging introduction that provides necessary background information, contextualizes the research question, and presents the significance of your study. Capture the reader’s attention and clearly state your thesis statement. Provide an overview of the key arguments and approaches you will use to explore your research question.
• Conduct a Thorough Literature Review : Review the existing literature and scholarly works relevant to your research topic. Identify the key debates, theories, and findings that have shaped the field of economic history. Critically analyze and synthesize the literature to identify gaps, contradictions, or areas that require further investigation. Use the literature review to situate your research within the broader scholarly discourse.
• Choose an Appropriate Methodology : Select an appropriate research methodology to gather and analyze data that supports your research question. Depending on the nature of your research, you may utilize quantitative methods, qualitative approaches, or a combination of both. Clearly explain your chosen methodology, including the data collection methods, sample size, and any ethical considerations.
• Analyze and Interpret Data : If applicable, analyze the collected data using appropriate statistical or qualitative analysis techniques. Interpret the findings within the context of your research question and theoretical framework. Present the results in a clear and concise manner, using tables, charts, or graphs as necessary. Ensure that your analysis aligns with your research objectives and supports your main arguments.
• Provide Critical Analysis : Engage in critical analysis and interpretation of the data, drawing connections between your findings and the existing literature. Evaluate the strengths and limitations of your research, addressing any potential biases or limitations. Consider alternative viewpoints and interpretations, acknowledging the complexities and nuances of the economic history topic you are studying.
• Write a Coherent Conclusion : Summarize your main findings, restate your thesis statement, and provide a concise conclusion that addresses your research question. Highlight the significance of your research and its contribution to the field of economic history. Discuss any implications, recommendations, or areas for further research. Ensure that your conclusion is well-supported by the evidence presented throughout your paper.

Writing an economic history research paper requires careful planning, extensive research, and critical analysis. By defining a clear research question, conducting in-depth research, and organizing your paper with a strong thesis statement and outline, you can effectively present your arguments and findings. Remember to critically analyze the literature, choose an appropriate methodology, and provide a coherent and insightful conclusion. By following these steps and incorporating best practices, you can produce a high-quality research paper that advances our understanding of economic history.

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• Expert Degree-Holding Writers : Our writing team consists of experienced and highly qualified writers who possess advanced degrees in history, specializing in economic history. They have in-depth knowledge of the subject matter and are well-versed in the methodologies, theories, and historical context relevant to economic history research papers. With their expertise, they can craft well-researched and insightful papers that meet the highest academic standards.
• Custom Written Works : At iResearchNet, we believe in the importance of originality and authenticity. All our papers are custom written from scratch, tailored to your specific requirements and instructions. We do not tolerate plagiarism or the use of pre-written content. Our writers conduct thorough research and ensure that every paper is unique, providing you with a one-of-a-kind research paper that stands out.
• In-Depth Research : We understand the significance of comprehensive research in economic history papers. Our writers are skilled in gathering relevant sources, including scholarly articles, books, primary sources, and statistical data, to support your research. They employ effective research strategies and methodologies to ensure that your paper is well-informed and based on a solid foundation of evidence.
• Custom Formatting : Proper formatting is essential in academic writing, and economic history papers often require specific formatting styles such as APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, or Harvard. Our writers are well-versed in these formatting styles and will ensure that your paper adheres to the specified guidelines. You can trust us to deliver a polished and professionally formatted research paper.
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Renowned historian of modern social science Dorothy Ross dies at 87

The first woman to be named chair of the history department, ross's research focused on historical writing in the social sciences, revealing insights that transformed scholars' understanding of the past.

By Rachel Wallach

Dorothy Ross, pioneering historian of the origins of modern social science and a professor emerita in the Johns Hopkins University Department of History , died last week. She was 87.

Ross's research focused on historical writing in the social sciences, revealing insights from the history of fields including psychology, economics, political science, and sociology that transformed scholars' understanding of the past. The depth of her dedication to graduate education was illustrated by her 2023 establishment of the New Directions Fund in the History Department to support graduate student research and conference travel.

Image caption: Dorothy Ross

"Dorothy was an exemplary scholar, a generous mentor, and a kind colleague," said Tobie Meyer-Fong , professor and chair of the Department of History. "She was incredibly supportive of me when I first joined the department and continued to offer wise counsel as recently as this past semester. She was a role model both professionally and personally: She was an ambitious and brilliant historian, an outstanding teacher of graduate students, a loving wife, a devoted mother and grandmother, and a kind and caring friend. She made it seem possible and desirable to have both professional and family commitments."

In her 1991 book, The Origins of American Social Science , Ross examined how American social science modeled itself on natural science and liberal politics, arguing that the field was informed by the ideology of American exceptionalism, and tracing how each discipline responded to change in historical consciousness, political needs, professional structures, and available conceptions of science. As editor of Modernist Impulses in the Human Sciences, 1870-1930 (1994), she explored modernism in the human sciences, philosophy, and natural sciences in the context of the debate at that time—generated by the advent of postmodernism—about modernism in intellectual history and throughout the humanities.

"Dorothy's work was authoritative, wide-ranging, and scrupulously fair, even as she revealed all the problems that emerged as the social sciences became increasingly ahistorical and individualistic," said Angus Burgin , associate professor in the Department of History. "As a teacher and colleague she wore her extraordinary depth of learning lightly, approaching everyone she encountered with respect, honesty, and a seriousness of purpose. Spending time with her was always a reminder of why we chose to become historians." In his role at the SNF Agora's Center for Economy and Society, Burgin recently had the opportunity to name a foundation-funded endowed chair, which he named in Ross's honor.

"Her scholarship was formidable. The sheer erudition in her work is breathtaking," said François Furstenberg , A&S '03 (PhD), professor in the Department of History, who earned his doctorate under Ross's guidance. "Her scholarship was theoretically and indeed philosophically informed and empirically rich. I have read and re-read her work and now, nearly 30 years after first reading it, I still find more to learn and admire."

Deeply committed to outstanding graduate education, Ross was known for intensely engaging with her students' research and for the example of her powerful and questioning intellect. Her ferocious intellect and exacting questions were balanced by her intellectual and personal generosity and wry sense of humor.

"Dorothy was a smart, generous, and very patient person," said Motoe Sasaki, A&S '01 (MA), '09 (PhD), who is now associate professor on the Faculty of Intercultural Communication at Hosei University in Tokyo. "She was not the type of professor who just explained things to students. I recall many times she let students find their own way to make sense of specific academic issues or problems. When I was unsure of things, Dorothy would bombard me with questions from a number of perspectives so that I could realize the direction in which to proceed. This always brought me to a new place."

In 2002, Kenneth Moss met Ross when he presented a paper to the history department as a candidate for a faculty position, quickly learning the level of precise thinking she demanded. "She pointed to a single word in the paper and demanded (in a friendly tone but one that brooked no evasion) that I unpack exactly what I meant to say with it," he said. "The word was 'visceral.' This was in no way a picayune or trivial question, nor an unfair one; in fact, she had zeroed in on the pivotal moment in the paper's argument, and indeed a central moment in the argument of what became my first book."

Moss got the job, serving as a professor of modern Jewish history from 2003 to 2021 and becoming Ross's friend as well as colleague. He is now a professor of Jewish history in the Department of History at the University of Chicago.

"Dorothy had an unfailingly friendly and gracious manner with people," Moss said, "but I think that everyone who met her saw from the very first that she had a razor-sharp mind, demanded intellectual precision—and had a finely tuned bull**** detector. Her acuity, precision, and love of careful thinking will be missed."

Earlier this year, Louis Hyman was named the history department's inaugural Dorothy Ross Professor of Political Economy and Professor at the Agora Institute. In his remarks, he highlighted how Ross's research—especially in The Origins of American Social Science —showed that separating history from social science drastically inhibits what policy is able to accomplish.

Image caption: From left, Louis Hyman, Dorothy Ross, and Angus Burgin on Feb. 22 at Hyman's installation as the inaugural Dorothy Ross Professor of Political Economy in History and Professor at the SNF Agora Institute

"Her work remains as a touchstone because it centered the texts (so many texts!) in her analysis. She didn't celebrate or denounce, for instance, the rise of marginalism in economic thought, but explained it in ways that restored happenstance and social structure to a narrative that had, to that point, just treated its rise as a scientific inevitability," Hyman said. "She historicized. In a time when it was easy to slip into fashionable theories, her combination of close and wide reading created in Origins an enduring classic of American intellectual history, that showed just how American our intellectual history was."

At the same time that she was knocking down barriers in social thinking and blazing historiographic trails, Ross was also doing those things within academia. Having joined the history department in 1990, she was the first woman, in 1993, to be named its chair, serving in that position until 1996. She and several other women hired as full professors at that time had a profound effect on the department, Meyer-Fong said.

A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Ross earned a bachelor's degree at Smith College in 1958, and master's and doctoral degrees at Columbia University in 1959 and 1965, respectively. Before coming to Hopkins, she served as assistant professor of history at Princeton from 1972 to 1978, including a stint as Philip and Beulah Rollins Bicentennial Preceptor from 1973 to 1976; and as associate professor and then professor at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, from 1978 to 1990.

She previously served as a fellow in history and psychiatry at Cornell University Medical College-Payne Whitney Clinic from 1965 to 1967, and as special assistant to the Committee on Women Historians at the American Historical Association from 1971 to 1972.

Ross was a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences, the Society of American Historians, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars; and a member of the American Studies Association, History of Science Society, American History Association, and Organization of American Historians, where she also served on the executive board. She edited the Johns Hopkins University Press series called New Studies in American Intellectual and Cultural History. She served on the editorial boards of the Journal of the History of Ideas , Rethinking History , Modern Intellectual History , and Cambridge University Press's Ideas in Context series. She was a delegate to the American Historical Association to the Consortium of Social Science Associations, and chaired the Organization of American Historians' Ellis Hawley Prize Committee.

Posted in Arts+Culture , Politics+Society

Tagged history , krieger school , obituary

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