What is a thesis?

     Specific topic + angle/argument = Thesis

Types of Theses:

• Causal
  Economic factors caused deterioration in Sino-Soviet relations from 1950-1979.
  
  
• Comparison
  The tactics and philosophy of Martin Luther King were more successful in gaining equality for African-Americans in America during the 1960s than the tactics and philosophy of Malcolm X.
  
  
• Similarities
  There are many similarities between the religious philosophies of Malcolm X after his hajj and those of the Baptist leader Martin Luther King.
  
  
• Finding Differences
  There were many significant differences between the religious and political philosophies of the Puritans and the Pilgrims in their New World colonies.
  
  
• Affirmative
  Kennedy’s handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis was a successful political move because…

• Oppositional
  Kennedy’s handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis was a not successful political move because…
  
• Thematic
  Cynicism was a major theme in the songs of popular music in the early 1970s.

Brainstorming Questions (if you’re stuck)
The answer to any of these brainstorming questions could become an effective thesis:

• What significance did  ____ play?
  
• Why did ____ make the decisions he/she did?
  
• What was the role of ____ in ____’s achievements?
  
• What factors led to, caused, or influenced ____?
  
• What specific contribution(s) did ____ make to this event?
  
• What were the most important factors in causing ____    or   What were the effects of ____?
  
• What were the results of  ____’s actions or decisions?
  
• What qualities did ____ possess that made him/her successful?
  
• How effective was the policy, strategy, or plan used by ____ in achieving his/her/its goals?
  
• What problems did ____  encounter in achieving his/her/its goals?
  
• How did ____’s goals or message change over time?
  
• What was the short term / long term effect of  ____’s action(s) on this event?

Still stumped?  Try this Thesis Generator or this History Question Generator from STHS.

So now you’ve scripted a tentative thesis – How do you know if it’s a solid one?

Try these five tests:

• Does this thesis inspire a reasonable reader to ask, “How?” or “Why?”
• Would a reasonable reader NOT respond with “Duh!” or “Who cares?”
• Does this thesis avoid general phrasing and/or sweeping words such as “all” or “none” or “every”?
• Does this thesis lead the reader toward the topic sentences (the subtopics needed to prove the thesis)?
• Can the thesis be adequately developed in the required length of the paper?

If you cannot answer “YES” to these questions, what changes must you make in order for your thesis to pass these tests? 

Here’s an example of developing a thesis (from a weak one to a stronger one):

1st Try:
The North and South fought the Civil War for many reasons, some of which were the same and some different.

A thesis should provide the reader with a clear path of where you’ll be heading in your paper.  Looking at this thesis, there are still too many unanswered questions:
    1. What “reasons”?
    2. How are they the same?
    3. How are they different?

2nd Try:
While both sides fought the Civil War over the issue of slavery, the North fought for moral reasons while the South fought to preserve its own institutions.

Now you have a working thesis.  Included in this thesis is a reason for the war and some idea of how the two sides disagreed over this reason.  As you research and write your paper, your will probably end up revising this working thesis (maybe you find your working one to be too vague, and you’re now able to make it more specific or precise) until you have a final thesis that really captures the argument in your paper.