Topics for Your Research Paper for History

Although it is about the past, there is much to learn from history. This is one reason why history teachers often assign research papers in their class so that students can take a really close look at important events or historical figures in the country or other nations.

Choosing your topic

Picking a topic, however, can be tricky for some. Firstly, not everybody likes history, as some people may be more interested in the present than in the past. If you have the same idea, it may be good to reflect upon any issues in your past history classes that you were somehow interested in. You can then choose something you like from among them. Another choice is to consider any past historical movies or TV documentaries that caught your eye. The idea is to pick something you like so that the process is not boring for you. 

Secondly, limit your paper’s issue to something less than 100 years. The research will be difficult if you view everything that occurred. Some incidents have repercussions that go beyond 100 years, so choose wisely.

Topics to consider

But should you still be confused about what to pick after wracking your brain, you can consider some of the following as topics for your history research paper.

Historical Figures

  1. Martin Luther King Jr’s impact on freedom
  2. Susan B. Anthony’s impact on women’s rights
  3. Florence Nightingale’s influence on nursing
  4. Martin Luther’s effect on the church
  5. Joseph’s Stalin’s influence on Russia
  6. Mahatma Gandhi’s impact on freedom
  7. Corazon Aquino’s impact on democracy
  8. Shaka Zulu’s impact on Africa’s south
  9. Emperor Hirohito’s impact on Japan and Asia
  10. Frieda Kahlo’s impact on art
  11. The impact of Nelson Mandela
  12. Emperor Nero’s impact on Christianity
  13. How great was Alexander the Great
  14. Michelangelo’s influence on art
  15. The rise of Kublai Khan
  16. The travels of Dr. Livingstone

Interesting Periods and Events

  1. The samurai feudal period of Japan
  2. The impact of the Cold War era
  3. How did the fall of the Berlin Wall affect Eastern Europe
  4. How did piracy affect the struggle for power in Europe
  5. Did the conquistadores help or hurt Latin America?
  6. The Polynesian voyages
  7. How the spice trade affected China
  8. The development of Australia
  9. How did the Olympics influence the ancient world?
  10. The great artists of the Renaissance
  11. The cause of the Dark Ages
  12. The effect of the Black Death on Europe
  13. How did the British Empire collapse
  14. How did the Spanish Empire collapse
  15. The impact of code-breaking in World War 2
  16. The importance of religion in colonization
  17. The British Monarchy’s influence in the 20th century
  18. How did the hippie culture come about
  19. The impact of the opium trade
  20. How powerful was the Pope in medieval times
  21. The rise and fall of tulips in the Netherlands
  22. The building of the pyramids of Egypt

Summary

There are a lot of interesting topics to learn and share in history. Hopefully, the suggestions above can be of help. If not, feel free to tweak them to what you need. Happy researching!