120+ Easy History Research Paper Topics

History is an interesting and revealing course until you have to sort through myriads of books for a research paper. The fact that one has to read lots of books is why most students find writing a history research paper challenging. What is often more challenging is when you have to choose topics for history research paper yourself. Considering how broad history is, with many things to talk about, choosing the best topic can be confusing.

However, although history research paper writing can be challenging, you can view that challenge as a good thing. Being well-versed in history writing is a skill you will find beneficial in school and even beyond school. You may wonder how writing a history paper can help you in other areas apart from academics. When you write a history paper, you develop essential skills like critical thinking and researching skills that you’ll find useful later.

Choosing good history research paper topics is equivalent to writing a distinction-worthy paper. You often need to do a lot of reading and brainstorming to decide what topic is the best for you. If you have a history research paper due but aren’t sure how to choose a topic, we’ve got something that might help. Meanwhile, if inspiration still isn’t coming, we’ve included some topics you can use for your paper.

What Makes a Good History Research Paper Topic?

Choosing history research paper topics for college students is tough, especially when there’s a tight deadline. There are hundreds of things to write about in a history paper, but not every topic is a good fit. So, what characterizes a good history topic, and how can you know that’s what you should research?

This question is very important because what you may call quality research might be entirely different from what your supervisor sees as one. Many students get into writing research before even understanding what makes one quality. A history research paper topic is considered quality when:

• It doesn’t carry too much information; it is short but concise, direct but not telling the reader too much about the paper.
• It is specific and not generic; this helps you do in-depth justice to the paper. When you choose a generic paper, you won’t be able to provide sufficient information on each aspect. Also, you’ll be able to avoid vague arguments, and your paper will focus on specific issues and events.
• It is chosen after reading through prior literature and papers with facts and sources supporting those facts.
• You’ve considered the topic’s why, how, and what before deciding on it. You’re clear on why the topic matters, how it relates to the period being discussed, and its contemporary importance. Finally, you’ve considered the context of the history paper and why the topic mattered to people then.

Simple Steps for Choosing a Good History Research Paper Topic

The steps involved in choosing the best history research paper topics are straightforward, but it is also technical. Each step is important because it decides the level of difficulty you will encounter in the next step. When writing a history paper, the first thing to do is research; you can only get a good topic after thorough research. Then, when you’ve chosen the topic, you need to do more research on it, ensuring you focus on the topic.

If you want your paper to stand out, you must avoid choosing the too-common and easy topics. At the same time, choose a simple history topic, not a complicated one to which you won’t be able to do justice. Understand that “simple” doesn’t mean “easy;” it means unique, inspiring, and relatable. History is time-consuming, but you can choose a topic and get started with writing your paper with these simple steps.

Brainstorm

You will need to brainstorm on at least twenty different existing history research topics to choose a good topic. Write them down somewhere you can easily access them later; you will come back to choose the most inspiring. You can also go through your history lecture notes, assignments, and textbooks; they are also good sources of inspiration.

Brainstorming can also involve liaising with your colleagues and professors for ideas for a great history research topic. For example, if there are textbooks on that topic, you can review the authors and determine whether they are authorities in that field.

Research

Conduct thorough research on the list of topics you settled on for enough information to support crucial facts. Focus on reading as many research papers and journals related to the topics as possible. The more papers you review, the more you’ll understand the topic, and you’ll likely avoid plagiarism.

The quality of every work is always in the research process because that is where you will get all the necessary information to do a great job. At this point, you’ll sift through the topics you chose; let those with insufficient information go.

Outline

As you research your chosen topic, list salient points and outline your main and supporting ideas. You’ll also need to create a keyword list which you will use in your paper. A keyword list helps you stay focused on the topic under consideration and on the issues of your interest. Likewise, creating an outline helps you organize your thoughts and ideas, making the actual paper writing easier. When you have an outline, you can always link words, sentences, paragraphs, chapters, and ideas with themselves. That way, you will achieve a research work that flows, making it easy for the readers to understand.

Be Flexible

As you research issues, you might want to stay flexible; expect that you will need to change topics a few times. For example, if you find that there aren’t enough supporting facts for one topic, be willing to change it for another. Also, ensure the sources you chose are reliable; you can give your professor a check to be sure.

120+ Top-Rated Topics for a History Paper

As promised, here is a list of some of the top-rated topics for a history research paper you can write. We sorted them into categories for specificity and made choosing easier for you. From US history topics to modern world history, find the best topics to make writing a great paper possible.

American History Research Paper Topics

1. The origins of the civil war in the United States of America
2. What role did women play in the American Revolution?
3. The American Revolution: what are the global implications?
4. Assimilation resistance by Native Americans: true or false?
5. Who profited from the Stock Market Crash that occurred in 1929?
6. How did Michael Collins contribute to space exploration?
7. Did the United States benefit from the Bracero Program: how?
8. How did Brigham Young contribute to the development of the West?
9. The Missouri Compromise: what are the cause and effect?
10. Black Panthers: what is the ideology behind them?
11. What role did women play during the Great Depression?

US History Research Paper Topics for College Students

1. The Red Scare: the causes and consequences
2. Understanding the reasons behind the justification of the Boston Tea Party
3. What contribution(s) did Frederic Douglass make to abolishing slavery?
4. The Battle of Bunker Hill: what was the aftermath?
5. The level of literacy in the Puritan times
6. The roles played by the development of railroads in the US Industrial Evolution
7. The Loyalists: what did they fight for?
8. The Great Awakening: establishing its cause and effects
9. Significant causes of the United States economic recession in the 1780s
10. The main reasons why presidential reconstruction was a failure
11. Understanding how people lived in the US in the 17th century

20th Century Interesting History Research Paper Topics

1. The earthquake and fire that occurred in San Francisco in 1906
2. What factors led to the Great Depression in the 1920s
3. John F. Kennedy Assassination in 1963: details and consequences
4. Why did Iraq invade the United States after 9/11
5. Oil discovery in Persia in 1908: what came after?
6. Military roles played by women in World War II
7. The concept of fast foods in the early 1900s
8. Women in the 20th century vs women now
9. The start of prohibition in the US: reasons, causes, and effects
10. Imperialism in the late 19th and early 20th century: were they justified?
11. Martin Luther King’s speeches

World History Research Paper Topics

1. How sports helped to promote equality for African Americans in the 20th century
2. Before the 1900s: what were the gender roles in the Sioux tribe?
3. The effects of industrialization on American social movements: a critical analysis
4. Britain and Spain’s Battle of the Sea
5. Social relationships in medieval Europe and now
6. Apartheid affects children in South Africa: who suffered more, black or white?
7. Bridal ceremonies in Ancient Rome vs modern-day Rome
8. The Mexican-US war: a defining moment for American and Mexican relations?
9. Factors that contributed to the Thirty Years’ War
10. Weapon use in ancient civilizations: has it always been this bad?
11. Christopher Columbus’s role in colonizing South America in 1494

Art History Research paper Topics

1. Greek theatre: then vs now
2. The Petrarchan madrigals in the 16th century: a thorough examination
3. What impacts did expressionists make on modern art?
4. The vitality of the feminist movement for modern art
5. The history of Paris becoming a centre of art in the 20th century: contributing factors
6. Printmaking techniques used in the world history
7. Goya’s prints and French caricatures in the 19th century: what is the connection?
8. The development and rise of Cubism in the early 20th century: a discussion
9. How did Jay Hambidge’s ideas influence the history of art?
10. Frank Stella: the contemporary artist and author
11. Art history and religion

Music History Research Paper Topics for a Great Paper

1. Country music: examining its origins and major characteristics
2. Capitalistic perception of art in the music industry: the pros and cons
3. Rational vs irrational branches of the 20th century
4. Pop and folk melodies: what are the connections?
5. The influence of technology on new sounds of the 20th century
6. Music as a means of expression: the performer’s freedom to express
7. Rock music: its aspects and styles
8. Popular songs: what are their key features, and what message do they bring?
9. The contribution of radio to pop songs
10. How was melody developed between World War I and World War II?
11. Psychedelic rock: how did drugs contribute to its development?

Ancient History Research Paper Topics

1. Ancient Egyptians believe in immortality and death: an interruption in life and not its end?
2. Palestine’s interesting history: in-between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea
3. The Trojan horse: is it real?
4. The influence of prophets and religious leaders on the perception of the spiritual world
5. The culture of Sumerians: was there an intricate relationship with God?
6. The Iron Age: how did it change the world?
7. The role of women in pre-historic Britain
8. The British Empire and Power: an in-depth study
9. The many symbols in ancient Egypt
10. The Great Wall of China: why was it built?
11. Postmodernism history

Easy History Research Paper Topics

1. Thanksgiving origins: why Pilgrims started celebrating it in the first place
2. Exploring Britain’s rivalry with Spain
3. England’s aversion to and the problem with poverty
4. Joint-stock companies’ emergence: who profits from them?
5. The role of joint-stock companies in early settling attempts
6. Jamestown vs Plymouth settlements: religion and government
7. African-American culture then and now
8. The long-term (or immediate) influence of the American Revolution on society
9. 1783 Royal Proclamation: the consequences
10. Nationalism in westward expansion: Americans’ justification of their belief in Manifest Destiny
11. The economic crisis that arose during the drafting process of the Constitution

Modern World History Research Paper Topics

1. Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombing: was it necessary?
2. What are the United States’ policies towards immigrants in the 21st century?
3. Immigrant laws in the 20th century vs the 21st century: have they gotten more lenient?
4. The Great American West Adjustment
5. The impact of the underground railroad on the civil war
6. The impacts of the Negro Leagues on baseball and society
7. The battle of Chancellorsville: examining its historical background
8. The Mormons’ challenges: how did they overcome them?
9. What roles does religion play in a westward expansion?
10. The roles Africa-American women play in art and literature
11. LGBTQ rights movements and the intersection of the civil rights movement

European History Research Paper Topics

1. Britain’s Royal Family
2. The economic history of Europe
3. Islam in Europe
4. European politics in the 18th century
5. Fascism
6. Italy, Germany, and Spain’s Fascist propaganda in the 20th century
7. Stalin: the influential member and ultimate leader of the Bolshevic faction of the RSDP (Russian Social Democratic Party)
8. Gender bias and hunts in early-modern Europe
9. Eastern Powers: their rise
10. Muslim participation in European politics
11. The Seven Years’ War

African American History Research Paper Topics

1. Black popular music genre
2. Expressing culture, race, and identity through music
3. The African American Society: folktales myths, and legends
4. Black intellectuals in the world
5. The black women of the nineteenth century
6. Racial preference
7. The history of the black church in America
8. The rebirth of racial liberalism and black power
9. Black schooling evolution in a community
10. Black aesthetic and cognition in the world
11. How black music interprets the history

World War II History Topics to Research On

1. The impact of the diary of Anne Frank
2. The Holocaust: the targeting of millions for their political and religious beliefs
3. The impact of the World War II on Africa
4. The Neutrality Acts of the 1930s: US’s neutrality in WWII
5. The impact of World War II on African Americans
6. The Japanese-American Internment and how it affected the outcome of the Second World War
7. Poland Invasion: what started World War II?
8. How did World War II impact ordinary people?
9. The most heroic acts of female personalities in the second World War
10. What roles did black women play in the military during WWII?
11. World War II and the Rights of African Americans

Conclusion

We’ve given you at least 120 history topics for research paper, and there are hundreds – even thousands more where those came from. That means the problem isn’t lack of what to talk about but deciding what to talk about. With the tips we’ve included in this article, you can choose a great history research paper topic. Meanwhile, feel free to use any of these topics listed if you’re still unsure of what to write.

The success of an academic paper depends on the quality of its core idea and research validity. Moreover, history is vital because we learn more about ourselves as we understand what shaped our existence. Thus, see writing your history research paper as you learn more about your heritage – and you will enjoy it. However, if the entire writing process gets tasking and you need help with any part of it, you can contact our professional writing services.