Make Your Case An Introduction to Thesis, Claims, and Evidence Chicago Metro History Education Center Special thanks to National History Day for the use of material from “A Guide to Historical Research through the National History Day program.” This presentation is made possible by National History Day, Inc., and the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation. The contents of these educational resources were developed under a grant from the Department of Education, with additional support provided by the Fry Foundation. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education or the Fry Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

Make Your Case What does a History Fair student have in common with an attorney in a courtroom?

Your thesis statement tells the reader or viewer in 1-2 sentences what your project will attempt to prove or analyze.

Thesis Statement = Topic + Theme + Impact

A good thesis statement: Takes a stand by making a point which will be backed up by evidence Has a narrow and specific focus Expresses one main idea Tells the viewer why the subject is historically significant, and often suggests change over time Is presented as a statement, not a topic or question Is historical, not a statement about current events

If you are using the National History Day theme “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History,” you should integrate the theme into the analysis presented in your thesis. You can use the words of the theme explicitly or you can express the relationship to the theme by using different words that convey the same idea.

Don’t: Martin Luther was born in He started the Reformation. (Fact) Do: Beginning in 1517, Martin Luther sparked widespread debate against Roman Catholic religious practices, especially the sale of indulgences, corruption, and the emphasis on salvation through good works. When diplomacy with the Papacy failed, Luther’s arguments succeeded in igniting a religious movement, creating a new sect of faith, and later bringing change to the Roman Catholic Church.

Don’t: Indians fought over Alcatraz Island. Why do you think they would do that? (Rhetorical) Do: American Indians under the banner of “Indians of All Tribes” debated with government officials over political and social discrimination. In protest, the group reclaimed Alcatraz Island in 1969 as Indian land. Though the group’s primary goals failed to reach fruition through active diplomacy, protestors succeeded in spreading awareness to the American public and consequently ignited the modern American Indian Movement.

Don’t: Had the Continental Congress voted against the 3/5 Compromise, America could have avoided a Civil War. (“What if?” history that cannot be supported with evidence) Do: When members of the Constitutional Convention started laying the groundwork for a new American government in 1787 debate ensued over slaves and their place in a representative government based on population. The resulting 3/5 Compromise succeeded in ending the initial conflict, allowing the 13 states to move forward as a unified nation, however, by failing to come to a definitive conclusion over the issue of slavery, Constitutional framers established the United States of America with an unstable base that would continue to cause discontent until it exploded into civil war.

Don’t: Adolph Hitler was an evil man that killed a lot of Jews. (Opinion) Do: Following the “Great War,” Adolph Hitler blamed Germany’s downfalls on the country’s Jewish population causing discrimination, violent action, and a mass exodus of European Jewry. Various parties with social, political, and economic interests, including U. S. Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes, initiated debate over immigration to the Alaskan Territory in The failure to reach a diplomatic compromise resulted in an end to negotiations; closing an opportunity for population growth in Alaska and leading to the death of many, such as the Jews of Neustadt, Germany who believed the United States’ last open frontier to be their only remaining hope for refuge.

Let’s help this student from Milwaukee strengthen their thesis statement.* What’s wrong with this thesis statement? Immigration to Milwaukee *Taken from A Guide to Historical Research through the National History Day Program

How did Lizzie Black Kander make a difference to Milwaukee’s Jewish immigrant community?

Lizzie Black Kander and Jewish Immigration to Milwaukee from

Lizzie Black Kander used her cooking classes and The Settlement Cookbook to teach Milwaukee’s Jewish immigrants about American culture.

Through her cooking classes and The Settlement Cookbook, Lizzie Black Kander introduced Milwaukee’s Jewish immigrants to American culture, which helped them assimilate and learn how to avoid ethnic discrimination.

Judge your own draft thesis statement! Does it… Take a stand? Is the topic narrow? Is the thesis clear and specific? Can the assertion be backed up by evidence? Does it express one main idea? Does it tell the viewer why the subject is historically significant? Does it answer the “So what?” question or show change over time? Is it presented as a statement, not a topic or question? Is it historical?

If you were creating the Lizzie Black Kander project, what types of primary and secondary sources would you seek out in order to develop and support your thesis? What’s your evidence?

PRIMARY SECONDARY Photographs Maps? Census Letters Interviews or Oral Histories, Memoirs Newspapers Cookbooks “Rights” organizations or protective associations Encyclopedias of… Books and articles about settlements, immigration, Milwaukee, Jewish community, food and cooking, assimilation Biography Interview with expert

Check these theses 1) After the 1919 riot the means of enforcing segregation became more accepted, more formal, often more violent, and completely legal. 2) Pesticides kill thousands of farmworkers and must be stopped. 3) How did The Jungle make an impact on the foods we eat? 4) The Juvenile Court system was established to remove children from the adult criminal justice system and help them reform, but over the years it became a source of punishment and imprisonment. 5) Richard J. Daley died in 1976.