Choosing a Topic for Your Paper
Rule #1: Your basic topic should be SPECIFIC, not general
                    Bad Idea for a Basic Topic: The Revolutionary War
                    Good Idea for a Basic Topic: The Battle of Yorktown in the Revolutionary War

Rule #2: Use your topic to MAKE A CHOICE
                    Bad Idea for a Topic: The Effects of the Great Depression
                    Good Idea for a Topic: The Most Enduring Effect of the Great Depression
Rule #3: MAKE YOUR CASE
                    State your case in your THESIS STATEMENT
                    Example: George Washington was the most influential American President because
                                        he set the tone for the conduct and behavior of the executive branch
                                        of the United States government.
The Thesis Statement shown above is done well because...
Your research will PROVE or DEMONSTRATE the points that MAKE YOUR CASE.
Like a lawyer defending a client at a trial,
your research will convince us, your jury, that your thesis statement is correct.
Some Basic Ideas for Your Topic
Begin with this list to narrow your topic to something more specific...
American Wars
  • French and Indian War
  • Revolutionary War
  • War of 1812
  • Civil War
  • Mexican War
  • Indian Wars
  • Spanish American War
  • World Wars I and II
  • Vietnam War
  • Gulf War
  • Iraq War
International Relations
  • The League of Nations
  • The United Nations
  • The Cold War
  • 9/11
Important Documents
  • Pamphlets like "Common Sense"
  • The Declaration of Independence
  • The Constitution
  • The Bill of Rights
  • Amendments to the Constitution
American Government
  • Branches of Government
  • Government agencies like the FBI and CIA
  • Supreme Court decisions
  • Elections
The Arts
  • American artists like Winslow Homer
  • American art movements like Abstract Expressionism
  • American music like jazz
  • American musicians like Elvis Presley
  • American writers like Walt Whitman
  • American theater like "A Streetcar Named Desire"
  • American filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock
  • American films
  • American TV and news reporting
  • American newspapers and magazines
  • Sports in America
Social Issues
  • Slavery
  • Immigration
  • Unions
  • Civil Rights
  • Women's Rights
  • Crime, drugs
  • Censorship
  • Urban, suburban, and rural problems
  • The military and the draft
American Innovators and Innovations
  • Airplanes and manned flight
  • Automobiles
  • Computers and computing
  • Atomic energy and atomic weapons
  • Space exploration and travel
  • Medical advances and cures
Begin with a Topic - Narrow it to something More Specific
Make a Choice - Make Your Case

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