200 American History Topics for Academic Writing

Would you have to submit a history research paper? If yes, then you can consider American history topics for writing your academic paper. American history is one of the most valuable histories in the world that has a wide scope of discussion, plenty of controversies, and amazing facts. So, without any hesitation, choose any US history event and prepare a detailed academic paper for your historical studies assignment by sharing your viewpoints on that specific event.

In case, you have no idea about what US history topic to choose for your academic writing, check this blog post. Here, we have presented some captivating American history topic ideas and also have shared some key tips on how to select a good American history topic for writing your research paper or thesis.

American History Academic Paper Topic Selection

To write a top-notch American history research paper or essay, a perfect topic is necessary. However, selecting interesting US history research topics is not an easy task to complete. As said earlier, American history is wide and packed with an abundance of information and events. Therefore, it is challenging to identify a single topic out of them all.

If you need to pick a great American history topic for preparing your academic paper, then first, note down your answers to the following questions.

1. What period excites you the most?
2. What historical event appeals to you in that time?
3. What historical figure impresses you?

By finding the answers to the above-mentioned questions, you can narrow down your search and get a clear idea of what to choose.

Also, remember the following tips when choosing a topic for an American History paper:

• Pick a topic that piques your interest.
• Select a particular verifiable occasion or issue from your favorite period in US History.
• Choose an idea that attracts your readers.
• Take a look at a historical subject that allows you to conduct in-depth research.
• Give importance to the US history topic that contains plenty of information for discussion.
• Pick an idea that contains numerous solid references and legitimate proof.

Besides all these tips, before you finalize your topic, check whether your selected topic satisfies your instructor’s academic paper writing guidelines. Remember, you can score an A+ grade, only if you select the right history topic for academic writing. Hence, during the academic paper writing process, stay alert and give high significance to the research paper topic selection step.

List of American History Topics and Ideas

Are you confused about what topic to choose for your history research paper? Cool! To make your topic selection process easier, here, we have organized the American history topics according to various periods. Navigate the entire list structured below and pick any US history topic that is comfortable for you to write about.

American History Topics Before 1865

For writing a history research paper, you can very well choose any topic related to American historical events before 1865. If you are clueless about research titles on American history before 1865, then get help from the list presented below.

1. The Reconstruction governments. What kind of changes did the reconstruction government implement? Expand on the concept of manifest destiny. Why was it so popular in the nineteenth-century United States? How did Americans justify their belief in Manifest Destiny?
2. The Compromise of 1850. Why was striking a compromise necessary? You can explain the terms of the compromise. Also, describe the political, economic, and cultural outcomes.
3. The history of African American culture.
4. Discuss the legacy of joint-stock companies.
5. How did the American Revolution influence society?
6. Explore the origin of Thanksgiving.
7. How did Texas become a sovereign republic?
8. Discuss the consequences of the Royal Proclamation of 1783.
9. Describe the changes the American Revolution brought to the states.
10. What events led to the War of 1812?
11. The Declaration of Independence and its Legacy.
12. Why was the right to bear arms included in the Bill of Rights?
13. What are the consequences of the Mexican-American war?
14. How did Washington, DC become the national capital?
15. How did the French Revolution affect America?

Unique American History Topics

The topic you select for your history research paper plays a major role in its success. So, make sure to pick a good topic from an area in American history that is not explored much. The following are a few unique US history topics that you may consider to get started.

1. The impact of the Protestant Reformation on US history. Religion was a major reason why the early settlers chose to come to the New World. Write on the connection between religious freedom in the United States. How did it affect the people’s lifestyles in the US?
2. The debate regarding the goal and meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment. Expand on the purpose of the amendment. Was it able to safeguard the rights of black citizens? Why were States still able to deny them the right to vote?
3. Discuss the emergence of the “Old American West.”
4. Why did the settlers import slaves?
5. Trace the Lewis and Clark expedition.
6. Investigate the origins of the two-party system.
7. How did the mass immigration of Germans and Irish people affect the US?
8. How did the relations between the settlers and Native Americans develop over time?
9. Abigail Adams and the fight for women’s rights in the new republic.
10. How did the South and the North respectively argue for and against slavery?

Also read: Amazing World History Topics to Consider For Academic Writing

American Civil War Research Topics

The American Civil War was a civil war in the USA that lasted from 1861 to 1865. It was fought over the problems of slavery and state rights. Listed below are some intriguing US Civil War research topics that you may prefer to create a historical thesis.

1. The Civil War’s origins and consequences. This is one of the easiest American history essays to write. Discuss the causes and effects of the Civil War in the United States (1861-1865). Why did this happen? What was achieved?
2. European reactions to the American Civil War. This paper discusses the causes and effects of the US civil war on Europe. Also, discuss how Europeans saw the civil war.
3. How did the Border States perceive the battles of the Civil War? Explain what impressions the Border States had on the Civil War battles.
4. Foreign US policy during the 1860s.
5. Compare the economic situation of the South and North on the eve of the Civil War.
6. Discuss the general public’s position on the Civil War.
7. The impact of industrialization on the battlefield.
8. Analyze the contribution of Clara Barton in the War.
9. How did the Civil War affect the immigrants who entered the United States?
10. Describe the consequences of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
11. How did the Civil War impact the American social sphere?
12. Investigate the events that led to the Union victory in 1864-65.
13. Discuss the societal effects of war photography.
14. Art and theater in 1860s America.
15. The importance of the US Navy in leading the Union to victory.

US History Topics on Industrialization

The Industrial Revolution had an impact on the American economy in the late 18th and 19th centuries, transitioning it from manual labor, farm labor, and handicraft work to a larger degree of industrialization centered on wage labor. These are some popular topics on the American Industrial Revolution that you may consider for writing a history research paper.

1. Industrialization after the Civil War. Comment on all of the inventions and scientific achievements that occurred in the United States during that time.
2. The impact of the industrialization on African Americans. In this paper, analyze how industrialization affected African Americans.
3. The Effect of Urbanization in the Life of Americans. Explore how urbanization affects American life. Examine and identify the major causes of urbanization.
4. Discuss the role of technology in the development of the United States.
5. Newspaper coverage of the Civil War in the South versus the North.
6. Did the American Civil War impact the rest of the globe?
7. How did the war affect life in the South vs. the North?
8. How did the Native American religion influence the environment?
9. What is the probable cause for the Salem Witch Trials?
10. Why did Lincoln issue the Emancipation Proclamation?
11. Explore the invention of electricity.
12. What were the key issues that caused conflict between North and South?
13. What were the causes of the New York draft Riots during the Civil War?
14. Describe the role played by women and African Americans in the Civil War
15. Evaluation of the Gettysburg Address and Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address

US History Topics on Reconstruction

The Reconstruction era lasted from 1865 to 1877, during which the United States struggled to reintegrate seceded states into the Union and determine the legal status of African Americans. To create your history thesis, you may choose any study topic on the American reconstruction era suggested here.

1. Compare the phases of reconstruction. Conduct a comparative analysis of the various phases of the reconstruction era in the US.
2. Goal of the reconstruction. This paper examines and identifies the main objective of the reconstruction era. Also, discuss how the reconstruction era helped the growth of the US.
3. Discuss the working of an assembly line.
4. Focus on the combined rise of populism and imperialism in the 1800s.
5. Discuss what consequences the Compromise of 1877 had.
6. The Effects of the Print Revolution on American Society.
7. Discuss the change in the American landscape during industrialization.
8. The role of transportation during industrialization.
9. What caused the formation of Radical Republicans?
10. Discuss the significance of regional differences during industrialization.
11. The role of oil in Industrializing America.
12. The impact of sensationalism on the American public.
13. Examine the significance of the Slaughterhouse Cases.
14. The impact of labor unions on the American work environment.
15. Discuss the end of the Reconstruction Era.

20^th Century American History Topics for Research

During the 20^th century, the United States was heavily active in foreign affairs. It fought in WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. It also joined a Cold War with the Soviet Union, which resulted in an arms race and a space race. If you wish to study 20th-century US history, then you may give preference to any topic recommended below.

1. The economic impact of the Great Depression. The Great Depression was one of the longest economic downturns in US history. Discuss various primary causes of the crisis. Also, examine how American presidents handled the situation.
2. Compare traditional and revisionist arguments on the Cold War origins. Conduct an analysis contrasting the conventional and revisionist perspectives on the causes of the Cold War
3. Discuss significant natural disasters in the course of US history
4. The Origins of a Nation 1300-1776
5. What were the reasons for the Eighteenth Amendment Prohibition?
6. Despite the challenges, how did the Jamestown colony survive?
7. How did the eugenics movement affect American society?
8. Consequences of the Spanish-American War.
9. The impact of the Cold War on the American economy.
10. The transformation of the American school system in the 1920s.
11. Analyze the role of John Dewey in advancing education.
12. Discuss the significance of the Berlin Airlift.
13. Compare McCarthyism and the Salem Witch Trials.
14. Discuss the main concepts of pop art.
15. The Origins of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Captivating American History Research Topics

The history research paper that you compose should not be boring to your readers. So, try to select an intriguing topic for your historical research. Listed below are some research questions on American history that might be engaging and impressive to your readers.

1. Watergate Scandal. Analyze the political consequences of the Watergate scandal. Also, examine the causes of the scandal.
2. The origin of the Hippie culture. This essay aims to focus on the development of Hippie culture in the 1960s.
3. How did MTV revolutionize the music industry?
4. How did President Woodrow Wilson reform businesses?
5. Explore the funding of the UN.
6. How did the sexual revolution redefine American social life?
7. What caused the US to slide into inflation in the 1970s?
8. Discuss American environmental reform policies from 1960 to 1980.
9. Explore the rise of American feminism in the late 20th century.
10. The aftermath of the Vietnam War.
11. American society and the impact of the American Civil War.
12. Analyze the aftershock of the Cold War.
13. American and Russian outcomes- Analyze the conquering of space.
14. The Declaration of Independence- United States.
15. How did the early Americans justify slavery?

History Essay Topics about America in World War I and II

In this section, we have listed some exclusive American history essay prompts on World War I and II. If you are interested in exploring the role of the US in the World War events, then from the list below, feel free to choose any topic of your choice.

1. The clash between Japan and the USA. Why did the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor? Discuss the major reasons behind the attack.
2. The role of submarines in WWI. Explain how the countries involved in WWI used submarines for the attack.
3. The impact of WWI on domestic American politics.
4. How did WWII affect the American economy?
5. How did American civilians contribute to World War?
6. Analyze the American army recruitment in WWII.
7. The Manhattan Project: Trace the making of the atomic bomb.
8. The role of women in the US military.
9. Discuss Joseph Heller’s depiction of World War II in the novel Catch-22.
10. How did the world war affect employment in the US?
11. Discuss the significance of D-Day.
12. The effects of National Socialism in America.
13. What happened to prisoner-of-war camps in the US after the fighting was over?
14. Was the dropping of the atomic bomb necessary?
15. Canadian-American relations during WWII.

History Topics about the Civil Rights Movement

From 1954 until 1968, the United States saw the Civil Rights Movement, a social movement and struggle to end legislated racial discrimination and racial segregation. For your history thesis, you may select any topic from the below-listed research on the US civil rights movement.

1. The role of the Church in the civil rights movements. This essay discusses the importance of the church in the Civil Rights Movement.
2. Baton Rouge bus boycott. Discuss the success of the Baton Rouge bus boycott. Analyze the potential causes of that event.
3. What did the Civil Rights Act of 1957 change?
4. Consequences of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination.
5. Compare the effects of various marches for freedom.
6. Compare and contrast Gandhi’s methods and those of Martin Luther King Jr.
7. Examine the creation of the Kerner Commission.
8. What rights did black Americans gain through the Civil Rights Movement?
9. How did the press support or hinder the Civil Rights Movement?
10. The role of students in advancing civil rights for African Americans.
11. Describe the goals and achievements of Operation Breadbasket.
12. How did John F. Kennedy’s death impact the Civil Rights Movement?
13. What made Martin Luther King Jr. a great leader of the movement?
14. Compare the modern Black Lives Matter movement with the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
15. Is studying the Civil Rights Movement still relevant today?

Incredible US History Research Topics

Are you unsure what American history topic to select for your research paper? If yes, then get help from the list suggested below. In the list, we have included some incredible American history research paper topics and ideas.

1. The relationship between World War 1 and World War 2. Examine how the World War I and World War II are correlated.
2. What did the US gain from the Iraq War? This essay examines the causes and effects of the Iraq War on the USA.
3. During World War I, manliness, femininity, and body ideas/representation were all prevalent.
4. World War 1 and Political World Domination
5. The outbreak of World War 1
6. World War 1: Nationalism and US Impact
7. The legacy of the Centralia massacre in 1919.
8. Trace the history of LGBT rights.
9. Was the government’s response to 9/11 justified?
10. The history of prostitution laws in the US.
11. The Role of Faith in American History Before and After 1877.
12. HIV/AIDS in America in the 1990s.
13. Has technological innovation always been beneficial for the American public?
14. Psychiatric methods in early 1900s America.
15. Did American feminism become too radical by the late 19th century?

Also read: Interesting History Research Topics You Might Consider

Native American History Topics for Essays

The history of Native Americans in the United States began tens of thousands of years ago when Paleo-Indians settled in America. If you are excited to study Native Americans, then you may give preference to any of the Native American history research questions suggested below.

1. The impact of railroads on America. The fast expansion of America would not be conceivable without railroad construction. Railroads fueled the growth of the Midwest and West. Comment on it.
2. Why was Transcendentalism important for American Culture? Take a look at the history of American Transcendentalism.
3. What motivated many black Americans to fight in WWI voluntarily?
4. Explore the connection between black history in the US and cotton.
5. Discuss the history of Native Americans in law and politics.
6. What happened at the Battle of the Little Bighorn?
7. Explore the naming customs of various Native American tribals.
8. What did the American-Indian Movement achieve?
9. Analyze the life of Native Americans after the Proclamation of 1763.
10. The development of Native American music.
11. Analyze the economic development of Native American tribals in the 20th century.
12. What events led to the breakout of King Philip’s War?
13. How did native spiritualism relate to the environment?
14. Discuss the myths and speculations on the ancient origins of Indigenous Americans.
15. The influence of European Colonization on the Native American population.

Interesting American History Topics

When it comes to creating an American history paper, always pick a topic from a research area that you are passionate about. Working on interesting American research topics will reduce your stress and make your study process more enjoyable. The following is a collection of US history research paper topics that might excite you and your readers.

1. Discuss the presidential assassinations in the United States History. JFK, William McKinley, James Garfield, and Abraham Lincoln were the only US presidents assassinated while in office. Examine how certain significant political improvements were brought about by these assassinations.
2. The role of cotton in the American economy. Cotton production was extremely important to the American economy in the nineteenth century. Examine the role of cotton from several angles.
3. Social reforms during the Progressive Era.
4. What was discussed at the Constitutional Convention?
5. Japanese Americans Immigration in the 19th Century.
6. The History of the Fifth Amendment
7. The rise of capitalism.
8. The history of the Statue of Liberty.
9. The War on Drugs in US History.
10. The history of gangs in the US.
11. Write about the Immigrants who do not have proper papers in the USA.
12. Women’s suffrage movement in America.
13. The history of the Fifth Amendment.
14. The Influence of Cold War on American Society.
15. Improvement in Immigrants in the US

Also read: Best Art History Thesis Topics for Students updated

Outstanding US History Topics

Are you searching for the best topics on American history for your research paper? If yes, then go through the list published below. In the list, we have added some outstanding US history ideas that are worth to research and write about.

1. The relationships between Federal and State Governments. Examine the correlation between the federal government and the state governments in the USA.
2. The History of American Flag. In this article, take a closer look at the American flag and the history behind its origin.
3. History of the American Constitution.
4. The Turning Points of the American Revolution.
5. Discuss the executive Orders and Presidential Power in the United States.
6. The Causes of the Vietnam War
7. American Moon Landing.
8. African American Religion and Spirituality in the United States.
9. History of Sports in the United States.
10. Has Obama’s Presidency changed America?
11. The Significance of the Harlem Renaissance.
12. Slavery and racism in the United States.
13. What were the blood quantum laws?
14. Discuss the end of Liberalism.
15. What are the effects of Nixon’s administration?

Informative American History Topics for Essay Writing

The historical essay that you write should be informative to your readers. So, give preference to any topic that allows you to provide vast information. The following are some great American history topics that you may consider for writing an essay.

1. The impact of the abolition movement in the US. Explain the role of the abolition movement in shaping American values.
2. The effect of the Monroe Doctrine on American Foreign policy. Discuss the implications of the Monroe Doctrine on American Foreign Policy.
3. Discuss the impact of the Great Awakening on American Religious Practices.
4. Analyze the impact of the Populist Movement on American Politics.
5. Examine the impact of the GI Bill on Post-War America.
6. Discuss the role of New Deal Programs in America’s Economic Recovery.
7. Investigate the Rise of American Suburbia in the Post-WWII Era.
8. Explain the influence of the Watergate Scandal on American Politics.
9. Discuss the Rise and Fall of the American Temperance Movement.
10. Discuss the impact of the Dred Scott Case on African Americans’ Rights.

The Bottom Line

All the topics in the list suggested above will help you in composing a great American history paper. So, choose any topic related to the historical period or event of your interest and start composing the paper. Remember, the chosen topic should be unexplored, meaningful, researchable, and contain enough resources for study. After selecting a topic, conduct extensive research on it and then craft a detailed history paper with valid pieces of evidence. The American history research paper that you create should be informative, properly cited, and plagiarism-free. In case, you struggle to conduct historical research and prepare a history thesis, get help from the experts on our team.