a thesis statement for slavery

Slavery - Essay Examples And Topic Ideas For Free

Slavery involves the ownership and forced labor of one person by another. Essays on slavery could explore its historical occurrences, the impact of slavery on contemporary racial relations, or discuss the legacies and traumas of slavery. It could also delve into the various forms of modern-day slavery and human trafficking. A vast selection of complimentary essay illustrations pertaining to Slavery you can find in Papersowl database. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

What is Worse than Slavery

Worse than Slavery , by David Oshinsky tells a sensitive and graphic storyline about the South. My first impression from just looking at the book made me think, what could be worse than slavery? Is it even possible for something to be just as gruesome as slavery? To be completely honest, before reading this book, I didn't know all the ins and outs about slavery, let alone about the Parchman State Penitentiary but reading this book really opened my eyes […]

The Development of America and the Impact of Slavery

In the time that Slavery was happening before the years of the Civil War era, America had continued to develop into their own independent country from the British. Even though many factors had been involved in the growth of America, Slavery had a major role in the development of America itself. The pronounced economy, idea of liberty, and culture would develop as slavery took place in the new land. Lonnie Bunch III, director of the Smithsonian quotes, African Americans helped […]

History: the Fall of the Roman Empire

Introduction The Roman Empire is said to have crumpled when the German brutes toppled the last Emperor, Romulus Augustus in 476 and presented a more equitable type of government which was fleeting. There exist many reasons regarding the fall of the Roman Empire. Every reason seemed to be intertwined with the other. Some of those who try and explain the fall of this empire blamed the initiation of Christianity. Constantine the Great initiated Christianity in 337 AD. Some people place […]

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A History of Slavery in the United States

The number of slaves being held in the United States increased significantly during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Up to this point, slavery was primarily an institution limited to white men and few women. However, as whites became more prosperous, they began importing large numbers of free or indentured servants from Africa who were brought over as slaves for economic gain (El Hame). The public developed an increasing dislike for both these newcomers and their descendants - termed “mulattos” […]

Legacy of Slavery: from Juneteenth to Modern-Day Mass Incarceration

Some slaves new they were slaves and some didn't.Though President Abraham Lincoln put an end to slavery, slaves in Texas had no knowledge of their freedom until two and a half years later. On June 19, 1865 Union soldiers came to Galveston and declared the end of the Civil War, with General granger reading a lou a special declaration that ordered the freeing of 200,000 slaves in the state. Because of the major set back, many African Americans started a […]

The Definition of Racism

Racism has many definitions. However, in the past, people were identified by their country's geographic place, not by their skin color. This essay about the definition of racism will explore how it has changed over time. Racism can appear in many ways. The most common racism definition is that of a system of dominance, power, and privilege that is rooted in the historical oppression of subordinated groups that the dominant group views as inferior, deviant, or undesirable. The dominant group […]

How did Music Enhance the Experience of Slavery

African American slavery is remembered for its constant abuse and brutality towards African Americans. One aspect that is less known is the music. The music used during slavery and in the context of slavery enhanced the experience for both slave and slave master. Music in slavery came from different sources. There were many famous slave songs such as “Roll Jordan Roll” and “Follow The Drunkin’ Gourd”. As well as slaves who had musical talent, expressing their talent to their master […]

Sharecropping Better than Slavery

The historical fiction story Roll of Thunder hear my cry provides us with adequate information about sharecropping. It goes into detail about the poverty prevalent in sharecropping families and the struggle to escape its grasp. Take the quote, A tall, emaciated-looking boy popped suddenly from a forest trail and swung a thin arm around Stacey. It was T.J. Avery. His younger brother Claude emerged a moment later, smiling weakly as if it pained him to do so. Neither boy had […]

Jamaican Culture

The fashion industry is one which is evident in all areas in the world. In Jamaica, for instance, modern day fashion is encompassed within the ordinary dress code of people all over the country. Most of the clothes worn by people in Jamaica reflect a significant part of their cultural and religious beliefs. However, this fashion sense grows from their connection with one fashionably renowned African country, Ghana. Fashion design and contemporary wear in Jamaica is closely related to the […]

Slavery and Racism in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is absolutely relating a message to readers about the ills of slavery but this is a complex matter. On the one hand, the only truly good and reliable character is Jim who, a slave, is subhuman. Also, twain wrote this book after slavery had been abolished, therefore, the fact that is significant. There are still several traces of some degree of racism in the novel, including the use of the n word and his tendency […]

Modern Slavery

Imagine stopping at the red light, you see this youthful face, standing at the corner of the street. You notice her high heels and rather skimpy clothes and you immediately and consciously register her as a streetwalker. All of a sudden, all the wrongdoings in the world and lack of character notions develop in your head pertaining to her. You see her low morals screaming loud and clear, you see the whore she is. All this thought process going on […]

The American Revolution

Role of slaves and Native Americans in the RevolutionThousands of African slaves and the Native American involvement in the fight for independence against the British colonial masters. Most of them were actively involved in the forefront of the war. They refused to stand aside and took the side of the war that they felt had an upper arm in winning and of course the one that offered better terms of their freedom when the war is won. The war was […]

The Impact of Slavery

The participation of England in the slave-trade began in the early 16th century, with the country, on par with Portugal, being the most successful in the trading business until the abolishment of Slavery in the UK in 1807. The original interest of the British traders was more-so with the produce from within Africa, such as ivory and gold, rather than the people of Africa itself. The interest shifted however when the demand for labourers increased and rich British figures became […]

Why Slavery was the Engine of American Economic Growth

America views slavery in a negative perspective. It's not very known that there were some positives aspects that benefited America's economy. From the years 1619 to 1865, slavery became very important to the South because it supported the economic side of agriculture. The slave-based economy was somewhat separate from the market revolution. If it wasn't for slavery, the North wouldn't have been able to grow when industrializing the cotton textile. Cotton textile was one of the first industrially producing businesses […]

The Reformation Evangelicalism and the British Anti-Slavery Movement

Throughout the last 500 years, there have been several great revivals of Christian evangelism, specifically with regards to human rights. Christians, particularly evangelicals, have been at the forefront of many social movements that would in the modern parlance be deemed social justice movements, such as the anti-slavery movement, Prohibition, and the broad, all encompassing poor relief of the Victorian Era. One of the most notable “ and most well documented “ of the aforementioned Christian humanitarian movements was the anti-slavery […]

The Issues of Slavery: Reflection in Literature

The age of Romanticism is characterized not only by the growth of cultural development of human society but also by the ongoing debates about the maintenance of the slave market and promotion of abolition ideas. There is much evidence that advocates on both sides of the issue relied on the moral and economic arguments for their positions. Different authors like, Mary Prince and Maria Edgeworth, take different positions on slavery because they view slavery in different ways and discuss different […]

Slave Narrative to the Black Lives Matter Movement

Black lives matter can be considered as an international movement, which has its origin in the African-American community. The primary objective of this movement is to campaign against systematic racism and violence towards the black people (Richardson, Elaine, and Alice 30). Most of these cases of violence and systematic racism were most evident among the slaves. Therefore, black lives matter movement was formed to help address some of the problems that slaves undergo. There were protests, which were held by […]

Slavery and Immigration

Life in the 16th century was tough mostly if you were a slave or servant. The world came a long way from when slave start to the end of it. It caused a bloody war where many people lost their lives, fighting for their right and believes. The North was a big attribute to this whole situation. It all started when a ship brought over 20 African slaves to America. People started noticing the New World, and they all wanted […]

What is Modern Slavery?

Many corporations today rely on the forced-employment of American prison inmates as a source of inexpensive labor. Most people believe the United States abolished slavery through the enactment of the thirteenth amendment, although this article clearly states that people can be subjugated into what would otherwise be unjust working-conditions if they have been sentenced to prison-time. The 13th Amendment states: Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall […]

How did Slavery Shape Modern Society?

Slavery has never been abolished from America's way of thinking. (Nina Simone) Slavery still exist till this day, from forced labor, sex trafficking, debt bondage, child soldiers, and domestic servitude. Although slavery was abolished in 1865 in the United States, slavery continues to be a worldwide issue from forced child labor, sex trafficking, and debt bondage. Thousands of people suffer every year resulting in injury, kidnapping, and even death so the question remains does slavery still exist to this day? […]

Was Slavery the Cause of the Civil War Essay

The Civil War is a war that is taught about in every school throughout the United States of America, no matter if it’s the first grade or your senior year of college, you’ve heard about it every year in school since kindergarten in some form or another. The nation split into two parts. the Union also known as “the North” and the Confederate States of American, or just “The South”. It was a war that shaped history, the nation could […]

Making Racism Obsolete

Does racism still exist? Some would say no?, but some would agree that racism is a cut that won't heal. Molefi Kete Asante is a professor at Temple University and has written many books during his career. In this analysis I will dissect Asante's work covering racism from the past, present and the future moving forward. Asante argues that America is divided between two divisions, the Promise and the Wilderness. Historically, African Americans has been at a disadvantage politically, socially, […]

Racism and Slavery

During the colonial period, Americans came up with the idea to bring African men and women overseas and use them as slaves. The effects of slavery on African Americans were enormous, and the white men got higher ranked in the hierarchy than the back men because of the colour of their skin. In order to discuss the impact that slavery has had on today’s society, you need to first address why it actually occurred. During the 17th and 18th century, […]

Why is Slavery Wrong

Allow me to express to you why slavery was, is, and always will be wrong. Slaves went through drastic living conditions, treated as less than human, and even had no rights compared to whites during this time. Slavery is one of the foulest works of the 17th century as it is made very clear through the many novels and narratives about slavery as well as the African Americans who lived through it. Slavery should have never transpired at all and […]

Slavery in the South Vs North

Whether America is being praised or looked down upon, one indisputable fact is America has done great things. Some good and some bad, but great. It is also indisputable that every decision has made America what it is today. Especially in terms of slavery. Even though it may have been one of the most unethical practices America has ever partaken in, it is also without a doubt the most contributing factor to the foundation of the US. Back when the […]

Slavery Codes and Laws

Slavery in the American history is both clear and ambiguous. Enslaved people were property owned by white people, treated as property and traded regularly. Although this marked a tragedy in the American history, the story of slavery still affects a lot of US resident till today. With the growth of slaves' numbers there emerged the need to legalize, control and keep track of all slaves in America, thus our topic for this research paper. The Slavery Laws designed to keep […]

Racism in the United States of America

Racism is a common theme seen throughout history. Throughout history several groups of people have been affected by racism. Throughout history it hasn’t been just one group but many groups if not all have experienced it. In Contemporary Literature we explored topics of racism along with sexual assault. We learned that Racism is prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior;and that throughout history there have been […]

Slavery in Beloved

Modern American culture has largely forgotten about the establishment of slavery and the disturbing, psychological pain that Africans and African Americans had to endure. The history of black people in America has been filled with traumatic experiences, which has had a large impact on their personalities and their connection with themselves and others. In order to overcome the trauma of slavery requires remembering the atrocities faced by slaves rather than forgetting them.     Toni Morrison's novel Beloved extends the examination […]

The Legacy of Slavery

Slavery is when one person owning another person. The effects that slavery has had on the nation is something many people still struggle to understand. A recent article by Rochelle Riley for USA Today describes slavery as America's open wound, the painful injury that a third of America lives with and the rest of the country attempts to ignore because, for them, it is an ancient scar and, well, hasn't it healed by now? Slavery has left a very noticeable […]

Frederick Douglass Slavery

In 1845 nonfiction book Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, written and told by Frederick Douglass himself, Douglass tells the true story of the cold, harsh, unsettling conditions he was forced to experience as a slave in the 1800’s. Frederick reveals the transformation that took him from a boy slave into manhood and how he had to rely on his own intellect to make his cruel conditions just even the slightest bit better. This autobiography gives insight into an […]

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How To Write an Essay About Slavery

Understanding the history and impact of slavery.

Before you begin writing an essay about slavery, it is essential to have a comprehensive understanding of its history and impact. Slavery, the practice of owning and exploiting humans as property, has existed in various forms throughout history and across cultures. In your essay, focus on a specific era or type of slavery, such as the transatlantic slave trade, ancient slavery in Rome or Greece, or modern forms of slavery. Research the socio-economic and political contexts in which slavery existed, the life and treatment of slaves, and the long-term impacts on societies. Understanding the complexities and nuances of slavery will provide a solid foundation for your essay.

Formulating a Thesis Statement

A strong essay on slavery should be centered around a clear, concise thesis statement. This statement should present a specific angle or argument about slavery. For example, you might focus on the economic reasons behind the transatlantic slave trade, the psychological effects of slavery on individuals and communities, or the resistance and rebellion by slaves. Your thesis will guide the direction of your essay and ensure that your analysis is focused and coherent.

Gathering and Analyzing Historical Evidence

To support your thesis, gather historical evidence from credible sources. This may include primary sources like slave narratives, letters, and legal documents, or secondary sources like scholarly articles and history books. Analyze this evidence critically, considering the context, perspective, and purpose of each source. Use this evidence to support your arguments and provide depth to your analysis of slavery.

Discussing the Legacy and Contemporary Relevance

In your essay, discuss the legacy of slavery and its contemporary relevance. This could include its impact on racial relations, economic structures, and cultural practices. Consider how the history of slavery continues to influence current social and political issues. This discussion will add depth to your essay, connecting historical analysis with present-day implications.

Concluding Your Essay

Conclude your essay by summarizing the main points of your analysis and restating your thesis in light of the evidence presented. Your conclusion should tie together your arguments and emphasize the significance of understanding slavery's history and impact. Reflect on the broader implications of your findings, such as the importance of historical memory and the need for ongoing dialogue and education about slavery.

Reviewing and Refining Your Essay

After completing your essay, take the time to review and refine it. Ensure that your arguments are clearly articulated and supported by evidence. Check for grammatical accuracy and ensure that your essay flows logically from one point to the next. Consider seeking feedback from peers, teachers, or historians to further refine your essay. A well-written essay on slavery will not only reflect your understanding of the topic but also demonstrate your ability to engage critically with complex historical subjects.

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The institution of slavery was central to the economy and politics of the United States from the colonial era to the Civil War, and its demise was connected to almost every significant development of the country’s history. That demise came in two broad waves of reform—one gradual, largely peaceful, in areas with relatively few slaves; the other climaxing in a violent clash of sections resulting in the liberation of four million slaves. A confluence of changing ideological currents, resistance by both slaves and their free allies (black and white), and political developments that were, at first, not directly related to slavery, brought about its end. (Its demise was also part of broader, Atlantic-wide movement, but developments outside the U. S. are beyond the scope of this essay.)

The first wave of emancipation was prepared by new ideas and convictions from both secular (“Enlightenment”) and religious sources in the eighteenth century. Political thinkers such as Montesquieu began to argue that slavery violated basic rights belonging by nature (“natural rights”) to all human beings—most obviously, the rights to liberty of person. Other Enlightenment writers, especially in Scotland, condemned slavery on humanitarian grounds—that is, for its cruelty more than its violation of rights. At about the same time, a separate stream of antislavery thought sprang from adherents of certain religious denominations. Writers such as the Quaker John Woolman became convinced that holding slaves was a serious sin; his concern for slaves spread first to other Quakers, and then beyond. By the 1770s, much polite opinion in both Britain and British America had become at least nominally antislavery.

Still, even if antislavery ideas were in the air, not until the American Revolution was there any actual movement to outlaw slavery or emancipate slaves. From 1765, American resistance to British policies was framed as resistance to “enslavement,” and Americans appealed to natural rights philosophy, eloquently summarized by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence, to justify their rebellion. If Americans had failed to notice the contradiction between resisting their own “enslavement” and holding hundreds of thousands of slaves, British critics were ready to point it out to them. As Samuel Johnson put it, “How is it that we hear the loudest yelps for liberty among the drivers of Negroes?” Even before 1776, some Americans denounced slaveholding, and African American slaves in Massachusetts petitioned the legislature to abolish slavery.

The coming of war dramatically escalated the movement against slavery by involving the slaves themselves. Virginia’s royal governor, Lord Dunmore, promised freedom to slaves who fought with the British, and General Henry Clinton made a similar promise to slaves of “rebels” in South Carolina. Tens of thousands of slaves, from New York to Georgia, fled their owners, including slaves owned by Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. In New Hampshire and Massachusetts, new state constitutions in the 1780s effectively outlawed slavery. Pennsylvania became the first state to end slavery legislatively, freeing all children (though only at the age of 28) born of slaves after March 1, 1780. This kind of post-natal emancipation (preserving for owners much of their economic stake in slaveholding) was copied by Connecticut and Rhode Island in 1784, New York in 1799, and New Jersey in 1804, although there were still a few slaves in New Jersey as late as 1850. The Northwest Ordinance in 1787 extended this area of “free soil” to the territories north of the Ohio River.

From Maryland to Georgia, though, slavery persisted. Some state laws did make it easier for individual masters to emancipate, and thousands of slaves became free in Virginia and Maryland. Beyond this, though, moves to free slaves stalled. One reason was economic—slavery was far more important to the rice and tobacco economies of the southern states than in the North. Secondly, most whites in both the North and South could scarcely conceive of a society in which blacks and whites lived peacefully as equals. In northern states, where the black population was small, this did not matter so much, but further south, where slaves formed one-third or even two-thirds (in South Carolina), whites feared the consequences of a large, free, African-descendant population. The violent overthrow of slavery in Haiti in a huge slave rebellion in the 1790s seemed to confirm southern whites’ fears, and after 1800 most southern states made it harder to free slaves and passed harsh restrictions on the rights of the free blacks. (Most northern states also discriminated sharply against free African Americans.)

This division of the country into a slave section and a non-slave section was affirmed by the Constitution. The Constitution allowed for the ending of the Atlantic slave trade after 20 years—which was accomplished in 1808. It forbade states to interfere with the recovery of fugitive slaves from other states, and it counted 3/5 of slaves in the formulas for representation and electoral votes. The language of the Constitution was ambiguous enough that later antislavery writers sometimes argued that it was fundamentally antislavery (for example, the document referred not to “slaves” or “slavery,” but instead to “other persons,” or “such persons,” or persons “held to service or labour”). It is perhaps most accurate to say that the authors of the Constitution put off a solution to the problem of slavery to a later day. Certainly, any frankly antislavery clause would have prevented its ratification in Georgia and South Carolina.

As the first wave of antislavery reform waned, slavery grew more entrenched in the southern states, especially after the perfection of a cotton gin in 1793 added another great staple crop based on slave labor. After 1800, cotton and slavery moved together into the old southwest. A faint echo of earlier antislavery views appeared in the form of the American Colonization Society in 1816, supported by some as a way to make emancipation possible by sending former slaves to distant colonies. The ACS, however, had virtually no impact on the number of slaves in the U.S.

Not until the late 1820s did a second great wave of antislavery reform grow. The most important ideological development was the Second Great Awakening, which led many thousands into evangelical Christian denominations. Many of these converts set out to improve the world so as to prepare for Christ’s second coming, and among the improvements sought was the end of slavery. As in the first wave of emancipation, the actions of African Americans were crucial. Most northern blacks emphatically opposed colonization, insisting that they were as “American” as whites were. Meeting some of these free African Americans helped turn William Lloyd Garrison from a supporter of colonization into a crusader for an immediate end, not only of slavery, but of racial discrimination. Garrison was only the most famous of the new style of antislavery activists, soon known as “abolitionists.” They denounced slave owners as un-Christian sinners whose cruelties—from whippings to separation of families—must be ended immediately, but they also blamed northerners for toleration slavery. Some abolitionists adopted rather paternalist attitudes toward blacks, but others welcomed African Americans such as Frederick Douglass into their movement. Abolitionists formed societies, hired professional lecturers to spread the word, published and distributed hundreds of thousands of pamphlets, and collected tens of thousands of names on petitions to Congress. Many of these activists were women, who were brought in large numbers into public debates.

Nonetheless, abolitionists were a tiny and unpopular minority, and not just in the South; mobs attacked abolitionist meetings in northern cities and burned their meeting halls. Elijah Lovejoy, an abolitionist editor in Illinois, was killed by a mob in 1837. Politicians denounced abolitionists as a threat to the Union, and the new Democratic and Whig parties, just being formed, tried to keep the entire subject of slavery out of political discourse. Frustrated with a seeming lack of progress in their cause, some abolitionists, most famously John Brown later turned to violence.

Southern resistance, however, helped to spread antislavery sentiment. White southerners claimed that abolitionist agitation would do nothing but produce slave insurrections—like the one led by Nat Turner in Virginia in 1831, which took the lives of about 60 whites. Southerners burned abolitionist pamphlets mailed to the South, and southern representatives succeeded in having Congress ban all discussion of antislavery petitions. These actions, for many northerners, turned the issue from one of slavery for blacks to one of civil liberties for whites. Another political conflict was provoked by slaves who resisted by running away from their masters. Southerners insisted on a new, more powerful Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, but many northerners were outraged that the Act potentially made them personally responsible for the capture and return of fugitive slaves. (Harriet Beecher Stowe’s sensational 1852 novel, , stoked this outrage.) Ultimately the most divisive political issue was whether slavery should be allowed in new territories. While most northern whites were content to see slavery continue in the South, by the 1850s a substantial majority were opposed (sometimes for moral reasons, sometimes for racist ones) to slavery’s expansion. The issue was first confronted in 1819, when the Missouri Compromise divided territories into “free” and “slave” areas, but this compromise broke down after new territory was taken from Mexico in 1848, and many southerners began to insist that they had the right to carry their slaves into any territory. By 1860, a substantial majority of northerners supported the policy of the new Republican Party, to exclude slavery totally from all territories.

The election of Republican Abraham Lincoln in 1860 prompted the secession of seven southern states even before he took office, and his refusal to recognize the legitimacy of their Confederacy led four more states to secede. The resulting Civil War eventually produced a decision by Lincoln to issue his Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in the Confederacy. The freedom of other slaves—including those held in the Union states of Kentucky and Delaware—was not insured until passage of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865.

Guiding Student Discussion

These are complex developments, but they will be covered in more or less straightforward chronological fashion in any good U.S. history text. The barriers to interesting and lively discussion with students—at least based on my own experience—are that many will think they already know the “why” of slavery’s demise. Not uncommonly, students will think in narrow terms: “Lincoln freed the slaves.” Students who think more broadly may argue that slavery’s end was an inevitable by-product of moral progress—a simple triumph of good over evil. More “realistic” (or cynical) students may believe that northerners wanted to end slavery because they thought it endangered their own industrial system, or that slavery was doomed because it was inefficient and unprofitable.

Taking these arguments in reverse order: While contemporary critics of slavery believed that it was, indeed, economically backward, it is important for your students to understand that slavery was a quite profitable economic system for slave owners, and that it was, in narrow, technical terms, quite efficient in the production of valuable commodities. Furthermore, the slave states—especially the cotton states—were flourishing economically in the 1850s. Whatever the long-term prospects for slave labor, there is no reason whatsoever to think that slavery was in danger of economic collapse on the eve of the Civil War.

As for a conflict between slave and free labor societies, challenge your students to explain just why such a conflict was inevitable. Cotton, for example, provided profits not only for southerners, but also for northern merchants who sold the cotton (the most valuable commodity in U.S. foreign trade) and factory owners who used it to make cloth that they then sold back to the South. Or, ask why farmers in Illinois and Ohio—mainly agricultural states—should have any reason to oppose slavery in Kentucky or Mississippi. If they bring up the issue of tariffs, a source of real disagreement at times, point out that conflict over tariffs had almost disappeared by the 1850s, just when sectional disputes intensified.

The argument based on moral progress raises different sorts of questions. Students, for example, may believe that the main historical problem is to decide why slavery, a self-evidently immoral system, existed at all, rather than why it was ended. Here, the challenge is to get them to understand that the existence of , not slavery, is the greater historical problem. New World slavery is no historical anomaly. Slavery is one of the most widespread institutions in human history, familiar to the Hebrews of the Old Testament, central in ancient Greece and Rome, and accepted without controversy by early Christians. To be sure, slaves in all systems have resisted their own enslavement in a variety of ways, but it was not until the middle of the eighteenth century that a broad spectrum of intellectual and religious leaders began to argue that slavery itself, and as a system, was wrong, and should be abolished. Historian David Brion Davis, for example, has written that the eight years between 1746 and 1754, which saw a series of classic antislavery publications, “represented a turning point in the history of Western culture.” If students are puzzled by this lack of recognition that slavery was immoral, you might introduce them to a clever analogy suggested by historian Thomas L. Haskell. Suppose that, 200 years from now, the eating of meat has been completely banned and the killing of animals for meat is seen as a heinous crime. Would that give future historians the right to look back on us, in the twenty-first century, as hopelessly evil and immoral people? The goal is to get students to see that even some of their most powerful moral perceptions may be time-bound, that moral perception itself can undergo historical change. Thinking about it this way may also help them to understand what the abolitionists were up against as they campaigned against this powerful and profitable institution, and why they were seen, as they so often were, as mere cranks and troublemakers.

For the U.S. story, easily available documents can help. Passages from Jefferson’s (1784) can demonstrate how powerful moral condemnations of slavery could coexist with racial fears and prejudices, to the extent that Jefferson was paralyzed when it came to any actual, practical policies designed to end slavery. Garrison’s denunciations of the Constitution as a pact with the devil, or Frederick Douglass’s notable address, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?,” or a consideration of John Brown’s use of violence, may explain why many northerners saw abolitionists as unpatriotic subversives, as dangerous as Communists would appear in the 1950s. Discussion of this point may open the way to a consideration of the benefits and costs of radical vs. gradual reforms, especially when improvement in one area may endanger a “good” in a different area.

Such issues are relevant also to any discussion of Lincoln’s role in ending slavery. Give your students a few pages of the exchanges on slavery and race from the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858. These pages should disabuse them of making the easy and mistaken equations, South = Slavery = Racism; North = Freedom = Racial Equality. To judge from my own classes, perhaps no other document will provoke such sharp discussions as Lincoln’s straightforward statement that “I have no purpose to introduce political and social equality between the white and black races. There is a physical difference between the two, which in my judgment will probably forever forbid their living together upon the footing of perfect equality, and inasmuch as it becomes a necessity, that there must be a difference, I, as well as Judge Douglas, am in favor of the race to which I belong, having the superior position.” Some will be shocked, and others may dismiss Lincoln as just another typical politician. This is not unreasonable, but try to get them to go beyond initial outrage to read, carefully, Lincoln’s equally consistent statements that “there is no reason in the world why the negro is not entitled to all the natural rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, the right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” and that “in the right to eat the bread, without leave of anybody else, which his own hand earns, he is my equal and the equal of Judge Douglas, and the equal of every living man.” To Lincoln, the Union was the highest good, and since slavery was protected by the Constitution, those opposed to slavery must be patient until history worked things out. In the meantime, though, the nation should do nothing to prolong slavery’s life or, even worse, to give it the stamp of moral approval. Hence the policy of no slavery in the territories, but also Lincoln’s insistence, even in the secession crisis, that “I have no purpose directly or indirectly to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists.”

This will present students with yet another important question—why did Lincoln eventually issue an Emancipation Proclamation, and why did the Civil War end slavery in the United States? Here the actions of southern slaves, on the one hand, and the contingencies of war, on the other, proved crucial. Long before the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1863 (the preliminary proclamation in September 1862), tens of thousands of slaves had run away to Union lines, presenting both a practical problem and a potential opportunity. After more than a year of war, northern armies had suffered severe defeats and northern manpower was becoming difficult to tap. Emancipation was a war measure, designed to cripple the southern states economically and militarily and to open the way to recruitment of black soldiers. Eventually about 180,000 African Americans, roughly ten percent of all Union forces but a higher percentage of those engaged in the final year of the war, fought in Union ranks and helped tilt the military balance. Emancipation was thus a complex, often messy, and never purely idealistic process. It was the beginning, not the end, of the long road toward genuine racial equality in the United States.

Historians and the end of slavery

No historian has contributed more than David Brion Davis to our understanding of the rise of antislavery. Davis has published many books, some of them prize-winners, but the best introduction to his work, and to the subject, is his recent (2006). Based on Davis’s undergraduate lectures at Yale, the book not only summarizes what we know, but also introduces the reader to many of the historiographical debates about both slavery and anti-slavery. One of the most important of these debates has concerned the link, if any, between the rise of antislavery in Britain and the simultaneous development of modern capitalism. This debate is carried on at a high level in essays that first appeared in the , and later were edited by Thomas Bender as (1992).

The appearance of a new style of abolitionism in the U.S. about 1830 raises its own set of questions. One recent book that explores the relationship between the first and second waves of antislavery reform is Richard S. Newman, (2002). Newman highlights, among other factors, the influence of free African Americans in the transformation of his title.

Given the unpopularity of the abolitionists and the widespread racism shared by the great majority of northern and southern whites, a central question has been how conflicts over slavery nevertheless entered politics. James Oakes’s recent study, (2007) explores this question through an examination of the relationship between the great African American abolitionist and the president who ultimately issued a proclamation to free slaves. Oakes’s bibliographical essay is also an excellent guide to the historical literature on the antislavery movement of the antebellum and Civil War years.

is Professor of History at the University of New Hampshire. He was a National Humanities Center Fellow in 1992–93. He is the author of (1995) and (2001).

Harris, J. William. “The Demise of Slavery.” Freedom’s Story, TeacherServe©. National Humanities Center. DATE YOU ACCESSED ESSAY. <https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/freedom/1609-1865/essays/demslave.htm>

 

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Slavery Research Paper Topics

Explore the rich history of slavery through our comprehensive guide on slavery research paper topics . This page is designed for history students seeking in-depth insights into various aspects of slavery, including ancient, medieval, Islamic, and modern periods. We present an extensive list of slavery research paper topics categorized into 10 sections, each comprising 10 thought-provoking topics. Additionally, our article on slavery delves into the historical context, impact, and legacies of slavery, offering students a broad perspective for their research endeavors. Furthermore, we provide valuable tips on selecting and crafting compelling research paper topics on slavery, empowering students to develop well-structured and impactful papers. To support students in their academic journey, iResearchNet offers specialized writing services, featuring expert degree-holding writers, in-depth research, and customized solutions. Embrace the opportunity to excel in your history studies!

100 Slavery Research Paper Topics

In the annals of history, few topics have been as impactful and poignant as the institution of slavery. From ancient civilizations to modern societies, slavery has left an indelible mark on humanity, shaping economies, societies, and cultures throughout the ages. For students of history, delving into the complexities of slavery through research papers offers a unique opportunity to explore this dark chapter of human history and its enduring legacies. In this comprehensive section, we present a curated list of slavery research paper topics, meticulously organized into 10 categories, each encompassing 10 diverse and thought-provoking subjects. Our aim is to provide students with a wide array of historical themes and perspectives, covering ancient slavery, medieval slavery, Islamic slavery, slavery in the United States, modern slavery, slavery and human rights, slavery and economics, slavery and social movements, slavery and cultural impact, and slavery and historical memory. As we embark on this journey, we seek to foster a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics of slavery and its profound implications on the past, present, and future.

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• The Role of Slavery in Ancient Civilizations: A Comparative Study
• Slavery in Ancient Greece: Social and Economic Impact
• Roman Slavery: From Captives to Household Servants
• Slavery in Ancient Egypt: Labor and Society
• Slavery in Mesopotamia: Legal Framework and Rights of Enslaved Individuals
• Slavery in Ancient China: Patterns of Enslavement and Liberation
• The Status of Slaves in Pre-Colonial Africa: A Case Study
• Slavery in the Indus Valley Civilization: Evidence and Interpretations
• The Treatment of Slaves in the Aztec Empire: Perspectives and Challenges
• Slavery in the Mayan Civilization: Myths and Reality
• Serfdom and Slavery in Medieval Europe: A Comparative Analysis
• Slave Trade in the Byzantine Empire: Routes and Impact
• Slavery in the Islamic Caliphates: Legal and Social Dimensions
• The Role of Slavery in Feudal Japan: Samurai and Peasants
• Slavery in Medieval China: Institutions and Reforms
• The Slave Trade in Medieval Africa: Regional Variations and Consequences
• Enslavement in the Viking Age: Raiding and Slave Markets
• Slavery in the Middle Ages: Church, State, and Social Norms
• The Experience of Slaves in Medieval Persia: Stories and Perspectives
• Slave Revolts and Resistance in the Medieval World: Causes and Outcomes
• Islamic Slavery and the Trans-Saharan Trade: Connections and Implications
• The Role of Slavery in the Ottoman Empire: Administration and Abolition
• Slavery in the Mamluk Sultanate: Military and Economic Contributions
• The Treatment of Slaves in Medieval Islamic Society: Rights and Restrictions
• Female Slaves in the Islamic World: Roles and Perceptions
• Slavery in Medieval India: Influence of Islamic and Hindu Traditions
• The African Slave Trade in the Indian Ocean: Trade Routes and Networks
• Slavery and Conversion to Islam: Examining the Impact on Enslaved Individuals
• The Experience of African Slaves in the Arab World: Cultural Identity and Resistance
• Slavery in the Maldives: Local Practices and Global Influences
• Slavery in the Southern Colonies: Labor Systems and Plantation Life
• The Experience of Enslaved Individuals in the Northern States: Urban vs. Rural
• Slave Trade and the Middle Passage: Trauma and Survival
• The Role of Free Blacks in the Antebellum South: Rights and Restrictions
• The Underground Railroad in the United States: Networks and Abolitionist Activity
• Slavery and Indigenous Peoples: Interactions and Conflicts
• The Economic Impact of Slavery on the United States: Cotton, Tobacco, and Beyond
• Slavery and the US Constitution: Legal Framework and Political Debates
• Slavery and the American Legal System: Court Cases and Precedents
• The Legacy of Slavery in US Society: Racial Inequality and Systemic Racism
• Slavery in the United States: From Colonial Times to the Civil War
• The Abolitionist Movement in the United States: Key Figures and Campaigns
• The Underground Railroad: Escaping Slavery and Freedom Seekers
• Slavery and the American Civil War: Causes, Consequences, and Legacies
• Slavery in Latin America: Plantations, Labor Systems, and Resistance
• The British Abolition of the Slave Trade: Policy and Impact
• The Transatlantic Slave Trade: Origins, Scale, and Aftermath
• Slavery in the Caribbean: Plantation Economies and Cultural Heritage
• The Impact of Slavery on African Societies: Continuity and Change
• Modern-Day Slavery: Human Trafficking and Forced Labor in the 21st Century
• Slavery and International Law: From Condemnation to Enforcement
• The Role of Slavery in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• Slavery Reparations: Historical Injustices and Contemporary Debates
• The Legacies of Slavery: Intergenerational Trauma and Healing
• The Fight for Abolition: Social Movements and Civil Rights Activism
• Slavery in Modern Literature: Representation and Cultural Memory
• The Impact of Slavery on Identity and Belonging: Descendants of Enslaved Individuals
• Modern Slavery and Global Supply Chains: Corporate Responsibility and Accountability
• The Role of Museums and Memorials in Preserving Slavery’s History
• Slavery and Memory Studies: Commemoration and Remembrance
• The Economics of Slavery: Plantations, Labor, and Capital Accumulation
• The Impact of Slavery on Economic Development: Case Studies and Perspectives
• Slavery and Trade Routes: The Triangular Trade and Its Consequences
• Slavery and Industrialization: Labor Systems and Technological Advances
• Slavery and Urbanization: The Role of Enslaved Individuals in Building Cities
• The Economic Justifications for Slavery: Historical Debates and Perspectives
• Slavery and Wealth Inequality: Historical and Contemporary Patterns
• Slavery and Globalization: Connections and Disparities
• The Role of Slave Labor in Building Infrastructures: Roads, Canals, and Railways
• Slavery and Economic Migration: The Movement of Enslaved Individuals
• Slave Revolts and Rebellions: Causes, Strategies, and Outcomes
• Abolitionist Literature: Narratives of Freedom and Empowerment
• The Role of Religion in the Abolitionist Movement: Faith and Advocacy
• The Underground Railroad and Its Impact on African American Communities
• Slavery and Women’s Rights: Intersectionality and Activism
• The Role of Free African Americans in the Abolitionist Movement
• Slave Songs and Music: Expressions of Resistance and Identity
• Slave Codes and Laws: The Legal Framework of Enslavement
• Slavery and Education: Restrictions, Access, and Agency
• The Role of International Diplomacy in Abolitionist Efforts
• Slavery in Art and Literature: Representations and Interpretations
• The Influence of African Cultures on Slave Communities
• Slavery and Memory in Visual Culture: Museums, Monuments, and Memorials
• The Impact of Slave Narratives on Cultural Awareness and Empathy
• Slavery in Folklore and Oral Traditions: Stories of Survival and Resilience
• Slavery and Music: Contributions of Enslaved Africans to American Music
• The Legacy of Slavery in Language and Linguistics: Words and Expressions
• Slavery and Food: Culinary Traditions and Adaptations
• The Representation of Slavery in Films and Media: Stereotypes and Revisionist Narratives
• Slavery’s Influence on Fashion and Clothing: Textiles and Identity
• The Politics of Memory: Commemorating and Memorializing Slavery
• Slavery and Public History: Interpretation and Controversies
• The Role of Confederate Monuments in Shaping Historical Narratives
• Slavery and Heritage Tourism: Ethics and Responsibilities
• The Memory of Slavery in African American Communities: Cultural Expressions
• The Debate over Confederate Symbols and Names: Renaming and Removals
• Slavery and Education: Teaching Difficult Histories in Schools
• The Role of Historical Reenactments in Representing Slavery
• Slavery in Family Histories: Genealogy and Ancestral Connections
• The Future of Slavery Studies: Research Directions and Challenges

This comprehensive list of slavery research paper topics serves as a gateway for students to explore the multifaceted dimensions of slavery across different epochs and societies. From ancient civilizations to the present day, slavery has been a pervasive and deeply troubling institution that has shaped human history in profound ways. By examining these carefully selected topics, students can gain a deeper appreciation for the historical, social, economic, and cultural complexities surrounding slavery. Moreover, delving into these research paper ideas opens avenues for critical thinking, fostering empathy, and raising awareness about the enduring legacy of slavery in contemporary society. As we engage with these slavery research paper topics, it is crucial to approach them with sensitivity and a commitment to shedding light on the human experience, even in the darkest chapters of history.

Slavery: Exploring the History, Impact, and Legacies

Slavery stands as a harrowing chapter in human history, marked by its profound impact on societies, economies, and the lives of countless individuals. This article delves into the complex and troubling history of slavery, tracing its origins, evolution, and far-reaching consequences on both local and global scales. Additionally, it sheds light on the enduring legacies of slavery, as its shadows continue to cast a long and influential reach into the modern world. By examining the historical context of slavery and its multifaceted impact, we can better understand the challenges faced by enslaved people and the enduring repercussions felt across generations and continents.

The Origins of Slavery: Tracing the Roots

The history of slavery can be traced back to ancient civilizations, where individuals were subjected to forced labor and bondage. Exploring the origins of slavery illuminates the early forms of human exploitation and the development of slave systems in various societies, from Mesopotamia and Egypt to Greece and Rome. Understanding the earliest manifestations of slavery helps contextualize its transformation over time and its role in shaping societies.

Slavery in Medieval Times: Continuity and Change

As the world transitioned into the medieval period, the institution of slavery adapted and persisted. This topic examines the continuity of slavery in medieval Europe, Africa, and Asia, and delves into the changes and variations that occurred during this era. The rise of serfdom, indentured servitude, and chattel slavery all played significant roles in shaping the medieval world’s social, economic, and political landscape.

Islamic Slavery: Unraveling the Narrative

Islamic history also saw the presence of slavery, with a diverse range of experiences and practices within the Islamic world. This section explores the nuances of Islamic slavery, challenging misconceptions and providing a more nuanced understanding of its historical context. The discussion encompasses the role of slavery in Islamic societies, the treatment of enslaved people, and the Quranic teachings related to slavery.

Transatlantic Slave Trade: A Dark Era

One of the most infamous chapters in slavery’s history is the transatlantic slave trade, which forcibly transported millions of Africans to the Americas. This topic delves into the grim reality of the slave trade, analyzing its economic, social, and humanitarian ramifications. The harrowing journey of enslaved Africans, the brutal conditions of the Middle Passage, and the impacts on African societies are essential aspects of this exploration.

Slavery and Abolition Movements: Struggle for Freedom

The fight against slavery was met with resistance from enslaved individuals and abolition movements worldwide. This section examines the courageous efforts of abolitionists, enslaved rebels, and humanitarian activists in challenging the institution of slavery. The works of prominent figures such as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, William Wilberforce, and Sojourner Truth are exemplars of the determination to end slavery.

Impact on Culture and Identity

Slavery profoundly influenced the cultural fabric and identities of both enslaved and enslaving societies. This topic investigates how cultural expressions, traditions, and identities were shaped by the institution of slavery, leaving indelible marks on the collective consciousness. From African cultural retentions in the Americas to the enduring legacy of slavery in shaping national identities, this section delves into the power of culture in preserving and challenging the past.

Slavery’s Economic Legacy: Prosperity Built on Exploitation

The economic impact of slavery cannot be underestimated, as it fueled the growth of industries and economies in different regions. This section delves into the economic repercussions of slavery, exploring its role in the accumulation of wealth and its lasting influence on global trade. The exploitative labor practices that underpinned the economies of plantation-based societies and their connection to contemporary economic systems are crucial aspects of this examination.

The Long Road to Emancipation: Legacies of Struggle

Even after the abolition of slavery, the legacy of oppression persisted through segregation, Jim Crow laws, and systemic racism. This topic examines the legacies of slavery’s aftermath and the ongoing struggles for equality and justice. The Civil Rights Movement in the United States and similar movements worldwide demonstrate the enduring efforts to dismantle the structures of racism and discrimination.

Slavery in the US: A Tumultuous History

Focusing on the United States, this category explores the unique history of slavery in the nation. From its early colonial beginnings to the Civil War and beyond, the United States grappled with the profound impact of slavery on its development. Examining slave narratives, the Underground Railroad, and the Emancipation Proclamation, this section highlights the complexities of slavery’s legacy in the US.

Slavery in the Modern World: Contemporary Forms of Exploitation

Despite its historical abolition, slavery has not been eradicated entirely. Modern slavery, including human trafficking and forced labor, continues to affect millions worldwide. This section sheds light on the modern manifestations of slavery and the challenges of combating this global issue. The examination includes efforts by international organizations, governments, and NGOs to address this ongoing human rights violation.

By examining these critical aspects of slavery, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the history, impact, and enduring legacies of this tragic institution. Through rigorous research and compassionate inquiry, we aim to honor the experiences of those who suffered under slavery while striving to create a more just and equitable world for all.

How to Choose Slavery Research Paper Topics

Choosing slavery research paper topics requires thoughtful consideration and a deep understanding of the historical, social, and cultural complexities surrounding this dark period in human history. While the topic selection process can be challenging, it is essential to find a subject that not only interests you but also allows for a comprehensive exploration of the issues related to slavery. Here are ten tips to guide you in selecting the most compelling slavery research paper topics:

• Conduct Preliminary Research : Before settling on a specific topic, conduct preliminary research to familiarize yourself with various aspects of slavery. Read books, scholarly articles, and historical accounts to gain insight into different angles and perspectives. This will help you identify gaps in the existing literature and potential areas for further exploration.
• Define Your Scope : Given the vastness of the subject, it is crucial to define the scope of your research paper. Consider the time period, geographic location, and specific themes you want to delve into. Whether you choose to focus on a particular region, a specific era, or a comparative analysis of different slave systems, defining your scope will provide clarity and direction.
• Explore Different Perspectives : Slavery has left an indelible mark on various societies and individuals. Consider exploring different perspectives, such as the experiences of enslaved individuals, the role of slaveholders, the impact on economies, and the cultural and social repercussions. This multi-faceted approach will enrich your research and foster a comprehensive understanding of the subject.
• Select a Specific Theme or Question : Rather than opting for a broad topic, narrow down your focus by selecting a specific theme or research question. For instance, you could investigate the resistance strategies employed by enslaved people, the economic motivations behind the transatlantic slave trade, or the role of women in slave societies. A focused approach will allow for in-depth analysis and a more cohesive research paper.
• Consult with Your Instructor or Advisor : If you are struggling to choose a research paper topic, don’t hesitate to seek guidance from your instructor or academic advisor. They can offer valuable insights, suggest potential slavery research paper topics, and provide feedback on the feasibility of your ideas.
• Consider Understudied Topics : Exploring less-discussed or understudied topics can be a rewarding endeavor. Look for aspects of slavery that have not received as much scholarly attention and consider shedding light on these lesser-known areas. This can contribute to the broader understanding of the subject and make your research paper stand out.
• Use Primary Sources : Incorporating primary sources in your research can add depth and authenticity to your paper. Letters, diaries, interviews, and official documents from the time of slavery provide firsthand accounts and perspectives, enriching your analysis and providing a more nuanced understanding of historical events.
• Stay Ethical and Sensible : Slavery is a highly sensitive and traumatic subject. When choosing a research paper topic, ensure that you approach it with sensitivity and respect for the individuals who suffered under this institution. Avoid trivializing the experiences of enslaved people or using offensive language in your research.
• Consider Comparative Studies : Comparing the experiences of enslaved people in different regions or exploring how slavery intersected with other historical events can yield fascinating insights. Comparative studies can highlight similarities and differences, providing a broader context for understanding the complexities of slavery.
• Follow Your Passion : Ultimately, choose a slavery research paper topic that genuinely interests you. A passionate approach to your research will drive your motivation, commitment, and enthusiasm throughout the writing process. Embrace a topic that ignites your curiosity and allows you to make a meaningful contribution to the field of historical research.

In conclusion, selecting a research paper topic on slavery requires careful consideration of various factors, including scope, perspective, and sensitivity. By conducting thorough research and defining a focused theme or question, you can explore the depths of this complex historical period and contribute to a deeper understanding of the enduring legacies of slavery. Remember to seek guidance from your instructor, utilize primary sources, and stay passionate in your pursuit of knowledge. With these tips, you can embark on a compelling research journey that sheds light on the history, impact, and ongoing relevance of slavery in our world.

How to Write a Slavery Research Paper

Writing a slavery research paper requires careful planning, extensive research, and a thoughtful approach to address the complex historical, social, and cultural dimensions of this topic. Here are ten essential tips to guide you through the process of writing an engaging and well-structured slavery research paper:

• Develop a Strong Thesis Statement : A compelling thesis statement is the foundation of your research paper. It should present a clear argument or claim that you will explore and support throughout your paper. Your thesis statement should be specific, concise, and indicative of the main focus of your research.
• Conduct In-Depth Research : Thoroughly research your chosen topic using both primary and secondary sources. Primary sources include historical documents, letters, diaries, interviews, and other firsthand accounts from the time of slavery. Secondary sources encompass scholarly books, articles, and analyses that provide context and interpretations of historical events.
• Organize Your Research : Organize your research material systematically to facilitate a coherent and logical structure for your paper. Create an outline that outlines the main sections and arguments you plan to cover. This will help you maintain a clear flow of ideas throughout your research paper.
• Provide Historical Context : Begin your research paper by providing essential historical context. Explain the background of slavery, its origins, evolution, and global impact. Offer insights into the economic, social, and political forces that influenced the growth and sustenance of slavery in different regions.
• Explore Various Perspectives : Dive into the multifaceted perspectives related to slavery. Consider the experiences of enslaved individuals, slaveholders, abolitionists, and the broader society. By exploring diverse viewpoints, you can present a well-rounded analysis of the complex issues surrounding slavery.
• Analyze Primary Sources Critically : When using primary sources, analyze them critically to identify biases, gaps, and limitations. Interrogate the perspectives of the authors and the context in which the sources were created. Critical analysis of primary sources strengthens the authenticity and credibility of your research paper.
• Utilize Comparative Analysis : Consider adopting a comparative approach to enrich your research. Compare and contrast different forms of slavery in various regions or analyze the impact of slavery on different social groups. Comparative analysis enhances the depth of your research and offers valuable insights.
• Address the Legacy of Slavery : Acknowledge the ongoing implications of slavery in the modern world. Examine how slavery has shaped contemporary social, economic, and political structures. Addressing the legacy of slavery demonstrates the relevance of this historical topic in today’s society.
• Cite Sources Properly : Ensure that you cite all your sources properly and adhere to the required citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago). Accurate citation gives credit to the original authors, validates your research, and helps avoid plagiarism.
• Revise and Edit Thoroughly : The final step is to revise and edit your research paper thoroughly. Review the content for coherence, clarity, and logical flow of ideas. Check for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. Consider seeking feedback from peers or instructors to gain different perspectives on your work.

In conclusion, writing a slavery research paper demands meticulous research, critical analysis, and careful consideration of the historical context and its impact on contemporary society. By developing a strong thesis statement, organizing your research, and exploring various perspectives, you can create an engaging and comprehensive research paper on this crucial aspect of human history. Remember to acknowledge the ongoing legacy of slavery and cite your sources accurately. With dedication and attention to detail, you can produce a research paper that sheds light on the complexities of slavery and its enduring significance.

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• How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . It usually comes near the end of your introduction .

Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.

You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:

• Start with a question
• Write your initial answer
• Develop your answer
• Refine your thesis statement

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Table of contents

What is a thesis statement, placement of the thesis statement, step 1: start with a question, step 2: write your initial answer, step 3: develop your answer, step 4: refine your thesis statement, types of thesis statements, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis statements.

A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.

The best thesis statements are:

• Concise: A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences.
• Contentious: Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that requires further evidence or analysis to back it up.
• Coherent: Everything mentioned in your thesis statement must be supported and explained in the rest of your paper.

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The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.

You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.

You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?

For example, you might ask:

After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .

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Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.

In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.

The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.

In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.

The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.

A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:

• Why you hold this position
• What they’ll learn from your essay
• The key points of your argument or narrative

The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.

These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.

Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:

• In an argumentative essay , your thesis statement should take a strong position. Your aim in the essay is to convince your reader of this thesis based on evidence and logical reasoning.
• In an expository essay , you’ll aim to explain the facts of a topic or process. Your thesis statement doesn’t have to include a strong opinion in this case, but it should clearly state the central point you want to make, and mention the key elements you’ll explain.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

• Choosing Essay Topic
• Write a College Essay
• Write a Diversity Essay
• College Essay Format & Structure
• Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :

• Ask a question about your topic .
• Write your initial answer.
• Develop your answer by including reasons.
• Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.

The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .

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Changing Views of Slavery Mini-DBQ

Use this Lesson to h

• Students will be able to identify how attitudes toward African slavery in the United States have changed from the Founding Era to the mid-nineteenth century by a comparison reading of Thomas Jefferson’s Query XVIII from Notes on the State of Virginia (1781), Jefferson’s letter to Bishop Henri Gregoire (1809), David Walker’s An Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World (1829), Sarah Moore Grimke’s “An Epistle to the Clergy of the Southern States” (1836), and William Harper’s essay “Slavery in Light of Social Ethics” (1837).
• Students will analyze primary source documents by answering comprehension questions to guide them to conclusions about the arguments being presented within them.
• Students will practice writing a thesis statement for a CCOT essay.

Expand Materials Materials

Handout A: Student Documents

• Document 1: The Declaration of Independence (1776)
• Document 2: Thomas Jefferson’s Query XVIII from  Notes on the State of Virginia  (1781)
• Document 3: Thomas Jefferson’s letter to Bishop Henri Grégoire (1809)
• Document 4: David Walker’s  An Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World  (1829)
• Document 5: Sarah Moore Grimké’s “An Epistle to the Clergy of the Southern States” (1836)
• Document 6: William Harper’s essay “Slavery in Light of Social Ethics” (1837)

Expand More Information More Information

This lesson should follow exploration of the expansion of slavery due to the invention of the cotton gin. This lesson seeks to put into context the fundamental shift in thinking about slavery that occurred in the minds of observers of slavery as a result of its mass expansion during the early to mid-nineteenth century. Students should have the sensitivity and respect required to talk about the topic of slavery.

Expand Warmup Warmup

Students will read the excerpt from the opening of the Declaration of Independence and answer the accompanying questions. After discussing the first three questions, read the following paragraph out loud with students for emphasis (on student handout):

The Declaration of Independence was an assertion of universal natural rights for all human beings, including the idea that they are created equal and have the right to govern themselves by their own consent. At the time of the Founding, African Americans who were held as slaves were denied the inalienable rights they had according to natural law. They were viewed as property and therefore had no opportunity to enjoy those natural rights listed in the Declaration. Many Founders, even those who held slaves, shared in their public and private writings and speeches that they were troubled by slavery and saw the institution as a moral abomination and unjust because it violated the principles of liberty, equality, and consent. Even those who defended slavery argued on the grounds of economic necessity, historical precedent, and self-interest, as many recognized the hypocrisy and inconsistency of slavery with the principles they asserted. Those attitudes changed in mid-nineteenth century when some slaveholders articulated a different defense of slavery.

In the following documents, you will see evidence of changing attitudes toward slavery from c. 1780 to 1840 .

The documents students will examine in this activity shed light on how attitudes toward slavery changed over time. Note that the documents are all from the perspective of outsiders who never personally experienced slavery.

Expand Activities Activities

Have students read and answer questions for the remaining primary source documents. Students may complete this individually or in pairs as best fits your classroom. In this stage, the teacher should move about the classroom to confirm students are analyzing the documents correctly. This observation and questioning will serve as formative assessments for the lesson.

After students have worked through the documents, invite students to come back together to synthesize the content by leading a class discussion on the following questions. Students may respond orally to each question or write their responses to each question, as best fits your classroom.

• What attitudes toward slavery are evident in Jefferson’s  Notes on the State of Virginia  and his letter to Bishop Henri Grégoire?
• What attitudes toward slavery are evident in Grimké’s “An Epistle to the Clergy of the Southern States”? How do they compare with Jefferson in the previous document? What is significant or different about Grimké as a source compared with Jefferson?
• What attitudes toward slavery are evident in Walker’s  An Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World?  How does this source compare with the previous two? What is significant or different about Walker as a source compared with Jefferson and Grimké?
• What attitudes toward slavery are evident in Harper’s “Slavery in Light of Social Ethics”?

Expand Wrap Up Wrap Up

Have each student write a thesis statement to the prompt: Explain how attitudes toward African slavery changed from the Founding Era (c. 1780) to the mid-nineteenth century (c. 1840). You may solicit volunteers to share their thesis and workshop several using the following questions, or have students share with a partner and provide feedback on the following questions:

• Does the thesis answer the question without restating the prompt?
• Does the thesis make sense?
• Is the thesis historically accurate?
• Does the thesis provide clear and cohesive reasoning?
• Does the thesis provide a road map or “table of contents” for an essay?

Thesis statements can be collected and assessed using the criteria from the  College Board  for a successful thesis statement, or with an individual class rubric.

Related Resources

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

In our resource history is presented through a series of narratives, primary sources, and point-counterpoint debates that invites students to participate in the ongoing conversation about the American experiment.

Slavery Thesis Statement

Slavery is a social state defined by law and customs as the most absolute involuntary form of human servitude. A slave is characterized because his work or his services are obtained by force and his physical person is considered as property of his owner, who disposes of him at his will.

Essay about slavery history

From the earliest times, according to the thesis statement about slavery, the slave was legally defined as a commodity that the owner could sell, buy, give away or exchange for a debt, without the slave being able to exercise any right or personal or legal objection. Most of the time there are ethnic differences between the slave trader and the slave, since slavery thesis statement is usually based on a strong racial prejudice, according to which the ethnic group to which the trafficker belongs is considered superior to that of the slaves. It is very rare that slaves are members of the same ethnic group as the owner, but one of the few exceptions occurred in Russia during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

The practice of slavery dates back to prehistoric times, although its institutionalization probably occurred when agricultural advances made possible more organized societies that required slaves for certain functions. To obtain them other peoples were conquered; however, some individuals sold themselves or sold their family members to pay outstanding debts; Slavery was also the punishment for those people who committed some crime.

Page Contents

Antiquity thesis about slavery

Slavery was an accepted and often essential situation for the economy and society of ancient civilizations. In ancient Mesopotamia, India and China slaves were used in households, in commerce, in large-scale construction and in agriculture. The ancient Egyptians used them to build royal palaces and monuments. The ancient Hebrews also used slaves, but their religion forced them to release those of their own people on certain dates. In the pre-Columbian civilizations (Aztec, Inca and Mayan) they were used in agriculture and in the army. Among the Aztecs, practitioners of various trades bought slaves to offer them in sacrifice to their patron god.

In Homer’s epic poems, slavery, as a thesis on slavery, is the logical fate of prisoners of war. Greek philosophers did not consider slave status morally reprehensible, even though Aristotle proposed freeing faithful slaves. In ancient Greece, slaves, with rare exceptions, were treated with consideration. However, the helots of Sparta (descendants of a people conquered and forced to work hard in the countryside and fight in the Spartan armies) were treated with great severity, mainly because their population was greater than that of their rulers.

In general, slaves were used as domestic workers, in urban and field jobs, in the navy and transport. Domestic slavery, in general, was less harsh, since the treatment they received was usually very familiar. Roman slavery differed from Greek slavery in several aspects. The Romans had more rights over their slaves, including life and death. Slavery was much more necessary in Rome for the economy and the social system than in ancient Greece, especially during the Empire. The well-off Romans, who owned large mansions in the city and in the countryside, depended on a large number of slaves to maintain their homes and agricultural properties.

The imperial conquests decimated the Roman armies, so that it became necessary to import a large number of foreign slaves to carry out the work of the field. The main source of slaves was war: tens of thousands of prisoners were taken to Rome as slaves; however, all those convicted of serious crimes and debtors, who sold themselves or sold their family members to pay their debts, became slaves.

Middle Ages

The adoption of the Christian religion as an official religion by the Roman Empire and its later spread during the Middle Ages in Europe and part of the Middle East, was an attempt to improve the conditions of slaves, but failed to eliminate the practice of slavery. After the fall of the Roman Empire, during the barbarian invasions between the 5th and 10th centuries, the institution of slavery became a less binding system: serfdom. Islam in the seventh century recognized from its origins the institution of slavery, although the Prophet Muhammad exhorted his followers to keep a correct deal with them. In general terms, the slaves of the Arabs, who mostly carried out domestic work, were treated with greater respect.

Slavery and Freedom

The exploration of the coasts of Africa, the discovery of America in the fifteenth century and its colonization in the following three centuries boosted considerably the modern slave trade. From the mid-fifteenth century until the 1870s, between 11 and 13 million Africans were exported to America; between 15 and 20% died during the voyages and around 10 million were enslaved in the countries of destination. Portugal, which needed workers for the countryside, was the first European country to cover its demand for work with the importation of slaves. The Portuguese started this practice in 1444, and in 1460 each year they imported 700 to 800 slaves from different parts of the African coast. These were captured by other Africans and transported to the west coast of Africa.

Soon Spain imitated this practice, although for more than a century Portugal continued to monopolize trade. During the 15th century, Arab traders from North Africa sent slaves from central Africa to the markets of Arabia, Iran and India. In the sixteenth century, the Spanish conquistadors forced the indigenous youth to cultivate large plantations and work in the mines. The Indians were not used to living as slaves and could not survive in these conditions, partly because of their lack of immunization against European diseases and harsh working conditions.

The collapse of the indigenous populations, total in the Antilles and partial in the American continent, caused the increase in the number of slaves. There were many indigenous young people who died because of the rudeness of the work, so it was decided to import to the Spanish colonies African slaves that were believed to be better able to withstand forced labor. The King of Spain Carlos I established in 1517 a system of concessions to individuals to introduce and sell African slaves in America. In the mid-sixteenth century, indigenous slavery as a legal institution disappeared in New Spain. Other modalities emerged, such as indebtedness or encomienda. Slavery thereafter would affect only African blacks.

As we can read in essay about slavery and freedom, the massive arrival of African slaves in Brazil began in the second half of the sixteenth century, but already in 1501 their presence was recorded in Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico, Cuba and Jamaica, where about 4,000 Africans entered the year. The granting of rights in the slave trade was always a real prerogative. In the late sixteenth century, the United Kingdom began to compete for the right to supply slaves to the Spanish colonies, held until then by Portugal, France, Holland and Denmark. In 1713, the British South Sea Company secured the exclusive right to supply slaves to these colonies.

The first African slaves arrived at Jamestown (Virginia) in 1619 from the hands of the first English corsairs; the slaves were subject to the so-called “limited servitude,” a legal situation proper to white, black and indigenous serfs, which was a precursor to slavery in most English colonies in the New World. With the development of the plantation system in the southern colonies, the number of imported African slaves, in line with thesis statement on slavery, increased considerably in the second half of the seventeenth century. As they became more relevant (especially in the South, where they were considered fundamental for the economy and society) it became necessary to modify the corresponding legislation. During the American War of Independence (1776-1783) they were slaves in the broadest sense of the word, with legislation that clearly defined their legal, political and social situation.

Abolition of slavery

Denmark was the first European country to abolish the slave trade in 1792, followed by the United Kingdom in 1807 and the United States in 1810, although the latter had to wait until the Civil War (1865) ended so that it would be definitively abolished the whole country. According to the essay topics about slavery, in the Congress of Vienna of 1814, the United Kingdom tried to convince other countries to adopt similar policies, getting almost all European countries to adopt a regulation on the matter or to sign a treaty that would prohibit this type of traffic.

The Treaty of Ashburton of 1842 between the United Kingdom and the United States established the maintenance of forces on the African coast to monitor compliance with the law. In 1845, the collaboration of the naval forces of the United Kingdom and France was replaced by the mutual right of ship inspection to monitor compliance with current regulations. The limitation of the number of slaves led to an improvement in their living conditions. The slaves of the French Antilles obtained freedom in 1848 and in the Netherlands in 1863.

In America, the emancipation and birth of the new republics led to the abolition of slavery: Mexico abolished it in 1813, Venezuela Colombia in 1821, and Uruguay in 1869. Only in Brazil slavery last until 1888. In the wars of independence, the black population of some countries simultaneously aligned with the Creole patriots.

According to the essay about Frederick Douglass slavery, Frederick Douglass was an abolitionist who altered America’s views of slavery through his writings and actions. Frederick’s life as a slave had the greatest impact on his writings. Through his experience as a slave, he developed emotion and experience for him to become a successful abolitionist writer. He experienced harsh treatment and his hate for slavery and desire to be free caused him to write Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.

Twentieth century: essay about slavery in the United States

The International Convention on Slavery, held in Geneva in 1926, and in which the 38 countries of the League of Nations participated, approved the abolition and prohibition of the slavery thesis trade and the total abolition of all forms of slavery. The proposals arising from this convention were confirmed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations (UN) in 1948]. In 1951, the UN Committee on Slavery reported that this practice was rapidly decreasing and that only vestiges remained in some parts of the world (Mauritania was the last country to abolish it in 1980).

The Committee also reported that a large number of people still lived under bondage-like servitude. These types of servitude included peonage, child abuse and the involuntary surrender of women in marriage. In 1956, and on the recommendation of the Committee, a new conference was held in Geneva, attended by 51 countries. This conference decided to hold an additional convention on the abolition of slavery, the slave trade and institutions and practices similar to slavery. This new convention condemned servitude-like forms of slavery and established penalties for the slave trade. From that moment, any breach of its resolutions would pass to the international courts of justice.

Thesis Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:

• tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I create a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :

• Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to  be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.

• Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?

After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.

Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

You begin to analyze your thesis:

• Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.

Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

• Do I answer the question? Yes!
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”

After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.

Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Developing a Thesis Statement

Many papers you write require developing a thesis statement. In this section you’ll learn what a thesis statement is and how to write one.

Keep in mind that not all papers require thesis statements . If in doubt, please consult your instructor for assistance.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement . . .

• Makes an argumentative assertion about a topic; it states the conclusions that you have reached about your topic.
• Makes a promise to the reader about the scope, purpose, and direction of your paper.
• Is focused and specific enough to be “proven” within the boundaries of your paper.
• Is generally located near the end of the introduction ; sometimes, in a long paper, the thesis will be expressed in several sentences or in an entire paragraph.
• Identifies the relationships between the pieces of evidence that you are using to support your argument.

Not all papers require thesis statements! Ask your instructor if you’re in doubt whether you need one.

Identify a topic

Your topic is the subject about which you will write. Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic; or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper.

Consider what your assignment asks you to do

Inform yourself about your topic, focus on one aspect of your topic, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts, generate a topic from an assignment.

Below are some possible topics based on sample assignments.

Sample assignment 1

Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II.

Identified topic

Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis

This topic avoids generalities such as “Spain” and “World War II,” addressing instead on Franco’s role (a specific aspect of “Spain”) and the diplomatic relations between the Allies and Axis (a specific aspect of World War II).

Sample assignment 2

Analyze one of Homer’s epic similes in the Iliad.

The relationship between the portrayal of warfare and the epic simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64.

This topic focuses on a single simile and relates it to a single aspect of the Iliad ( warfare being a major theme in that work).

Developing a Thesis Statement–Additional information

Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic, or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper. You’ll want to read your assignment carefully, looking for key terms that you can use to focus your topic.

Sample assignment: Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II Key terms: analyze, Spain’s neutrality, World War II

After you’ve identified the key words in your topic, the next step is to read about them in several sources, or generate as much information as possible through an analysis of your topic. Obviously, the more material or knowledge you have, the more possibilities will be available for a strong argument. For the sample assignment above, you’ll want to look at books and articles on World War II in general, and Spain’s neutrality in particular.

As you consider your options, you must decide to focus on one aspect of your topic. This means that you cannot include everything you’ve learned about your topic, nor should you go off in several directions. If you end up covering too many different aspects of a topic, your paper will sprawl and be unconvincing in its argument, and it most likely will not fulfull the assignment requirements.

For the sample assignment above, both Spain’s neutrality and World War II are topics far too broad to explore in a paper. You may instead decide to focus on Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis , which narrows down what aspects of Spain’s neutrality and World War II you want to discuss, as well as establishes a specific link between those two aspects.

Before you go too far, however, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts. Try to avoid topics that already have too much written about them (i.e., “eating disorders and body image among adolescent women”) or that simply are not important (i.e. “why I like ice cream”). These topics may lead to a thesis that is either dry fact or a weird claim that cannot be supported. A good thesis falls somewhere between the two extremes. To arrive at this point, ask yourself what is new, interesting, contestable, or controversial about your topic.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times . Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Derive a main point from topic

Once you have a topic, you will have to decide what the main point of your paper will be. This point, the “controlling idea,” becomes the core of your argument (thesis statement) and it is the unifying idea to which you will relate all your sub-theses. You can then turn this “controlling idea” into a purpose statement about what you intend to do in your paper.

Look for patterns in your evidence

Compose a purpose statement.

Consult the examples below for suggestions on how to look for patterns in your evidence and construct a purpose statement.

• Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis
• Franco turned to the Allies when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from the Axis

Possible conclusion:

Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: Franco’s desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power.

Purpose statement

This paper will analyze Franco’s diplomacy during World War II to see how it contributed to Spain’s neutrality.

• The simile compares Simoisius to a tree, which is a peaceful, natural image.
• The tree in the simile is chopped down to make wheels for a chariot, which is an object used in warfare.

At first, the simile seems to take the reader away from the world of warfare, but we end up back in that world by the end.

This paper will analyze the way the simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64 moves in and out of the world of warfare.

Derive purpose statement from topic

To find out what your “controlling idea” is, you have to examine and evaluate your evidence . As you consider your evidence, you may notice patterns emerging, data repeated in more than one source, or facts that favor one view more than another. These patterns or data may then lead you to some conclusions about your topic and suggest that you can successfully argue for one idea better than another.

For instance, you might find out that Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis, but when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from them, he turned to the Allies. As you read more about Franco’s decisions, you may conclude that Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: his desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power. Based on this conclusion, you can then write a trial thesis statement to help you decide what material belongs in your paper.

Sometimes you won’t be able to find a focus or identify your “spin” or specific argument immediately. Like some writers, you might begin with a purpose statement just to get yourself going. A purpose statement is one or more sentences that announce your topic and indicate the structure of the paper but do not state the conclusions you have drawn . Thus, you might begin with something like this:

• This paper will look at modern language to see if it reflects male dominance or female oppression.
• I plan to analyze anger and derision in offensive language to see if they represent a challenge of society’s authority.

At some point, you can turn a purpose statement into a thesis statement. As you think and write about your topic, you can restrict, clarify, and refine your argument, crafting your thesis statement to reflect your thinking.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Compose a draft thesis statement

If you are writing a paper that will have an argumentative thesis and are having trouble getting started, the techniques in the table below may help you develop a temporary or “working” thesis statement.

Begin with a purpose statement that you will later turn into a thesis statement.

Assignment: Discuss the history of the Reform Party and explain its influence on the 1990 presidential and Congressional election.

Purpose Statement: This paper briefly sketches the history of the grassroots, conservative, Perot-led Reform Party and analyzes how it influenced the economic and social ideologies of the two mainstream parties.

Question-to-Assertion

If your assignment asks a specific question(s), turn the question(s) into an assertion and give reasons why it is true or reasons for your opinion.

Assignment : What do Aylmer and Rappaccini have to be proud of? Why aren’t they satisfied with these things? How does pride, as demonstrated in “The Birthmark” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” lead to unexpected problems?

Beginning thesis statement: Alymer and Rappaccinni are proud of their great knowledge; however, they are also very greedy and are driven to use their knowledge to alter some aspect of nature as a test of their ability. Evil results when they try to “play God.”

Write a sentence that summarizes the main idea of the essay you plan to write.

Main idea: The reason some toys succeed in the market is that they appeal to the consumers’ sense of the ridiculous and their basic desire to laugh at themselves.

Make a list of the ideas that you want to include; consider the ideas and try to group them.

• nature = peaceful
• war matériel = violent (competes with 1?)
• need for time and space to mourn the dead
• war is inescapable (competes with 3?)

Use a formula to arrive at a working thesis statement (you will revise this later).

• although most readers of _______ have argued that _______, closer examination shows that _______.
• _______ uses _______ and _____ to prove that ________.
• phenomenon x is a result of the combination of __________, __________, and _________.

What to keep in mind as you draft an initial thesis statement

Beginning statements obtained through the methods illustrated above can serve as a framework for planning or drafting your paper, but remember they’re not yet the specific, argumentative thesis you want for the final version of your paper. In fact, in its first stages, a thesis statement usually is ill-formed or rough and serves only as a planning tool.

As you write, you may discover evidence that does not fit your temporary or “working” thesis. Or you may reach deeper insights about your topic as you do more research, and you will find that your thesis statement has to be more complicated to match the evidence that you want to use.

You must be willing to reject or omit some evidence in order to keep your paper cohesive and your reader focused. Or you may have to revise your thesis to match the evidence and insights that you want to discuss. Read your draft carefully, noting the conclusions you have drawn and the major ideas which support or prove those conclusions. These will be the elements of your final thesis statement.

Sometimes you will not be able to identify these elements in your early drafts, but as you consider how your argument is developing and how your evidence supports your main idea, ask yourself, “ What is the main point that I want to prove/discuss? ” and “ How will I convince the reader that this is true? ” When you can answer these questions, then you can begin to refine the thesis statement.

Refine and polish the thesis statement

To get to your final thesis, you’ll need to refine your draft thesis so that it’s specific and arguable.

• Ask if your draft thesis addresses the assignment
• Question each part of your draft thesis
• Clarify vague phrases and assertions
• Investigate alternatives to your draft thesis

Consult the example below for suggestions on how to refine your draft thesis statement.

Sample Assignment

Choose an activity and define it as a symbol of American culture. Your essay should cause the reader to think critically about the society which produces and enjoys that activity.

• Ask The phenomenon of drive-in facilities is an interesting symbol of american culture, and these facilities demonstrate significant characteristics of our society.This statement does not fulfill the assignment because it does not require the reader to think critically about society.

Drive-ins are an interesting symbol of American culture because they represent Americans’ significant creativity and business ingenuity.

Among the types of drive-in facilities familiar during the twentieth century, drive-in movie theaters best represent American creativity, not merely because they were the forerunner of later drive-ins and drive-throughs, but because of their impact on our culture: they changed our relationship to the automobile, changed the way people experienced movies, and changed movie-going into a family activity.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast-food establishments, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize America’s economic ingenuity, they also have affected our personal standards.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast- food restaurants, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize (1) Americans’ business ingenuity, they also have contributed (2) to an increasing homogenization of our culture, (3) a willingness to depersonalize relationships with others, and (4) a tendency to sacrifice quality for convenience.

This statement is now specific and fulfills all parts of the assignment. This version, like any good thesis, is not self-evident; its points, 1-4, will have to be proven with evidence in the body of the paper. The numbers in this statement indicate the order in which the points will be presented. Depending on the length of the paper, there could be one paragraph for each numbered item or there could be blocks of paragraph for even pages for each one.

Complete the final thesis statement

The bottom line.

As you move through the process of crafting a thesis, you’ll need to remember four things:

• Context matters! Think about your course materials and lectures. Try to relate your thesis to the ideas your instructor is discussing.
• As you go through the process described in this section, always keep your assignment in mind . You will be more successful when your thesis (and paper) responds to the assignment than if it argues a semi-related idea.
• Your thesis statement should be precise, focused, and contestable ; it should predict the sub-theses or blocks of information that you will use to prove your argument.
• Make sure that you keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Change your thesis as your paper evolves, because you do not want your thesis to promise more than your paper actually delivers.

In the beginning, the thesis statement was a tool to help you sharpen your focus, limit material and establish the paper’s purpose. When your paper is finished, however, the thesis statement becomes a tool for your reader. It tells the reader what you have learned about your topic and what evidence led you to your conclusion. It keeps the reader on track–well able to understand and appreciate your argument.

Writing Process and Structure

This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.

Getting Started with Your Paper

Interpreting Writing Assignments from Your Courses

Generating Ideas for

Creating an Argument

Thesis vs. Purpose Statements

Architecture of Arguments

Working with Sources

Quoting and Paraphrasing Sources

Using Literary Quotations

Citing Sources in Your Paper

Drafting Your Paper

Generating Ideas for Your Paper

Introductions

Paragraphing

Developing Strategic Transitions

Conclusions

Revising Your Paper

Peer Reviews

Reverse Outlines

Revising an Argumentative Paper

Revision Strategies for Longer Projects

Finishing Your Paper

Twelve Common Errors: An Editing Checklist

How to Proofread your Paper

Writing Collaboratively

Collaborative and Group Writing

Thesis Statement (History)

I'm struggling to come up with a thesis statement surrounding slavery, that also connects to the unit question 'What is worth fighting for?'. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Christopher F.

4 Answers By Expert Tutors

Lisa F. answered • 01/01/23

Hi, Holly, coming up with thesis statements are usually a major step in getting your paper started. Try thinking about the thesis you need to write as the way you would respond to your instructor's prompt or question. In any material you read about slavery, what did you see that was worth fighting for? You could also think about the different groups involved in slavery, both those for it and those opposed to it. What did these different groups feel was worth fighting for? Which group's actions do you feel strongly about? If you create a thesis you feel strongly about, it will help your motivation on the assignment. If you 'd like help on the assignment, I'd be happy to help you. Just message me.

Stephanie B. answered • 01/01/23

Thesis statements can be overwhelming, but try and think of it more as an answer to a question. What might someone ask when it comes to slavery and what is worth fighting for? What might the slaves have been fighting for?

Think of major people or events and what they were fighting for. For example, when Harriet Tubman led slaves to freedom at the risk of her own life. What was she fighting for?

Once you decide that, you can create a thesis statement with supporting points that you will detail further in your paper.

I am happy to work further with you on this—feel free to message me.

Jacob D. answered • 12/31/22

This question is vague, it would help to understand the context of your research. I would start with something like "The cost of the Civil War and why America needed to pay it."

Cost can be evaluated in many different facets. Do you mean monetary cost? Bloodshed? Dividing the union?

Barbara T. answered • 12/31/22

You don't say what kind of slavery, who is being enslaved, what gender, class, race, what country you're studying or what time period. But I would assume that stopping slavery in any century or country is definitely worth fighting for.

A thesis can also be called an argument. You're putting together a set of ideas and trying to convince someone (a reader) to see your ideas and understand them. Try to think about what matters to you - what to you is worth fighting for. If having freedoms, not hurting people, not treating them terribly, not physically abusing them, or selling them off to the highest bidder is worth fighting for, then you know what you would want to say about enslaving people or slavery, in general.

Think about what you've learned concerning slavery and what matters to you. Then you need to come up with the WHY of this - why is it important to fight against slavery? Or why was it important in the past to fight against slavery. Or what is the purpose of fighting for the rights of people? Or fighting for people's freedoms? Or their ability to live their lives as they see fit instead of being told how to live their lives under a master? The WHY is your thesis or argument that you will use to discuss further ideas in the body of your paper.

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Slavery Resistance from Historical Perspective Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Forms of resistance.

Bibliography

Slavery is one of the ugliest stigmas of human society. Ruthless exploitation of other people regardless of their needs, cultural peculiarities, and the desire to be free contradict the nature of humanistic relations between individuals and humiliates peoples dignity. Unfortunately, for a long period of time, slavery had been considered the only way to find a cheap workforce and use it not thinking about the creation of the appropriate conditions.

Due to the peculiarities of the historical development of states, black people from Africa became a good used by planters and other slave owners to generate profit and preserve their specific social position 1 . However, captives did not want to give up and tried to eliminate the bonds of slavery. The lack of rights and power to struggle resulted in the emergence of particular forms of resistance that preconditioned the radical shifts in peoples mentalities and the creation of the tolerant society we can observe today.

Speaking about the problem of slavery and resistance to this issue, the historical background should be mentioned. Starting with the massive colonization of new territories and especially the Caribbean Basin, Africa had turned into the main source of new captives that were enslaved and transported to various regions 2 . This intensive process gave rise to the term the Middle Passage. It can be described as a sort of triangular trade created to ship millions of slaves to the New World 3 .

Special ships with goods for African markets departed from Europe (England, Portugal, Spain) and traded these things for Africans who were sold by local rulers. Later, they were transported across the Atlantic as slaves to colonies. In these regions, they were exchanged for raw materials and ships went back to Europe. These voyages became significant financial projects that guaranteed high revenues for organizers and an unsavory reputation to the Middle Passage.

Numerous descriptions of the given path show that it was extremely dangerous for slaves. In accordance with the historical documents, about 15% of all captives died during the journey because of horrible conditions, lack of food, and congestion 4 . Ships were overcrowded as crews comprised the insignificant part of all people on board. For this reason, the first manifestations of resistance can be found during this route. One of ten ships at the Middle passage had rebellions on their boards 5 .

Slaves tried to avoid their future undesired destiny and to control their lives. In many cases, it was a hopeless task because of the lack of weapons and fetters that were used by the crew. However, sometimes Africans managed to take captive over cargo ships 6 . This event proves the idea of the existence of the extreme desire to be free among individuals who were doomed to be sold. These manifestations of resistance significantly impacted society and the whole history as they demonstrated to the world that Africans would struggle for their rights and gave hope to other slaves.

Another form of resistance can be determined as the cultural one. The fact is that in the majority of cases captives were delivered to countries with culture and traditions different from their native ones 7 . Under these conditions, living in these areas up to their death, slaves were supposed to forget the peculiarities of their native mentality and culture. Moreover, owners often gave other names, different from original ones (for instance Equiano was called Jacob) to make Africans assimilate 8 .

However, these attempts were useless. In his notes, Equiano emphasizes the desire of slaves to preserving their mentality and culture 9 . For this reason, millions of people from Africa continued to adhere to their customs and use their native names while speaking to each other. The author is sure that this fact is critical as along with the desire to learn new things from white people, captives also did not forget all they had got while being children 10 . As a result, this form of resistance promoted the further desire to continue the struggle for freedom and protected the unique African culture that also turned into a powerful weapon against slavery.

Finally, Africans who lived in areas known as sources of captives also resisted enslavement using all the ways they had. For instance, Equiano is his work mentions that his own settlement was aware of kidnappers who could use the opportunity when grownups were away 11 . He offered an example of him seeing suspicious men and giving the alarm to prevent them from doing harm to people. They were surrounded and stopped; however, soon Equiano and his sister were kidnapped 12 .

Nevertheless, this example perfectly proves the idea that local people had their own system to protect themselves from slave-owners and other individuals who wanted to find a cheap workforce 13 . Correctly realizing the danger that came from these people, Africans living in areas belonging to the sphere of interest of European states tried to resist and not become slaves become of the hardships associated with this status. Unfortunately, incidents such as Equianos one show that these measures had limited efficiency because of their inability to protect all people. However, their importance cannot be overestimated as they created the basis for further struggle and desire to become free.

In such a way, there are three distinct manifestations of resistance among slaves taken from Africa. First of all, in their native land, they tried to struggle against kidnappers to protect their way of living. Second, they also engaged in riots in cargo ships transporting captives at the Middle Passage. Finally, the cultural form of resistance was also observed. The combination of these three forms created the basis for the growing wave of dissatisfaction among all slaves who were taken from Africa and preconditioned the emergence of radical shits in their and other peoples mentalities. In the course of time, these alterations gave rise to multiple abolishment movements that tried to eliminate slavery and provide equal conditions for people of all races. For this reason, the importance of these manifestations of resistance remains significant and should be considered the origins of the long struggle for freedom.

Altogether, slavery was a dramatic event in the life of millions of people who were forced to leave their native land and work in other countries without any chance to come back or become free. However, slaves did not want to accept this destiny and resisted oppression and enslavement. They tried to take captive over cargo boats at the Middle Passage, fought at their native lands against kidnappers, and cultivated their unique culture even in other states. It all helped them to survive and achieve the main goal. They became free and contributed to the development of the worlds culture by increasing its diversity.

Donnan, Elizabeth. Documents Illustrative of the History of the Slave Trade to America: Volume I: 1441-1700 . New York: William S Hein, 2002. Web.

Equiano, Olaudah. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano: Or Gustavus Vassa, The African, Written By Himself. London: Printed for, and Sold by the Author, 1794. Web.

Mustakeem, Sowande. Slavery at Sea: Terror, Sex, and Sickness in the Middle Passage . Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2016.

• Sowande Mustakeem, Slavery at Sea: Terror, Sex, and Sickness in the Middle Passage (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2016), 36.
• Elizabeth Donnan, Documents Illustrative of the History of the Slave Trade to America: Volume I: 1441-1700 (New York: William S Hein, 2002), 3. Web.
• Mustakeem, Slavery at Sea: Terror, Sex, and Sickness in the Middle Passage, 43.
• Ibid. , 87.
• Donnan, Documents Illustrative of the History of the Slave Trade to America: Volume I: 1441-1700 ,21. Web.
• Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano: Or Gustavus Vassa, The African, Written By Himself (Lonon: Printed for, and Sold by the Author, 1794), 67. Web.
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IvyPanda. (2021, May 16). Slavery Resistance from Historical Perspective. https://ivypanda.com/essays/slavery-resistance-from-historical-perspective/

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• Olympics 2024

Hong Kong Fencer Retires After Winning Gold Amid Uproar Over Pro-China College Thesis

H ong Kong Olympic gold medalist Vivian Kong said she would quit her fencing career days after controversy erupted over her apparent support for Beijing’s crackdown on the city’s pro-democracy movement , underscoring political tensions in the Asian finance hub.

An academic paper purported to be her master’s thesis showed that Kong, one of two athletes from the city to pick up a gold medal from the Paris Games, condemned 2014 protests calling for freer elections. The document began circulating last week and prompted some fans to turn their back on the athlete after initially celebrating her victory in women’s épée last month.

Nathan Law , a self-exiled former lawmaker and a student leader of the demonstrations, said Friday he made a mistake in congratulating Kong on her triumph, describing her political stance as “extremely problematic.” Many users on LIHKG, a forum popular with supporters of the 2014 movement, satirized Kong after embracing her as a pride of the former British colony.

Kong hasn’t publicly commented on the episode and didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The 30-year-old Stanford graduate said in an Instagram post she would start a charity to promote sports to children.

The paper, submitted to Renmin University in Beijing in 2021, argued that protesters’ “chaos and illegal acts” threatened national security. It hailed a new national security law for eliminating “anti-China and anti-Hong Kong powers” linked to the 2014 movement, where demonstrators blocked key thoroughfares to wrest political concessions from authorities.

The clampdown led to the jailing of dozens of democracy advocates, and a subsequent rewriting of election rules all but ensured only pro-Beijing candidates could run for office. Law left the city for London, where he was granted political asylum.

Read More: What to Know About Hong Kong’s Controversial New National Security Law

The debate over Kong has divided the city, with those lamenting a loss of political freedoms disavowing her and those supporting Beijing’s action backing the fencer.

“The rabid attacks on Vivian’s political beliefs are an ugly reflection of the perversity and deformity of these fawning puppets of external powers,” said Regina Ip, an official adviser.

Hong Kong has had its best Olympics in history, with two golds and two bronzes so far . Kong and fellow fencer Edgar Cheung are each set to receive a HK$6 million ($771,000) reward for winning a gold medal from the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

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