The Great Wall of China - Outline

Introductory Paragraph - Grabber: (examples) Great walls may not make great neighbors, but they made a better China. The Great Wall of China is an amazing feat of engineering in the ancient world. Good walls make good neighbors and a strong China. If you visit China you should see the Great Wall of China. Have you ever heard that the Great Wall of China could be the longest cemetery in the world?

Introductory Paragraph continued - Background Information: (examples) The first two important wall-building dynasties of ancient China were the Qin (221-206BCE) and Han (206-220 CE). The Qin dynasty is estimated to have built about 1,500 miles of wall and the Han dynasty is estimated to have built about 4,500 miles of wall. This is pretty amazing if you consider the tools and materials used to build the wall. Between 221BCE and 220CE, the Qin and the Han ruled China. Together, they built several thousand miles of walls.

Introductory Paragraph continued - Restating the Question: (The Great Wall of China: Did the Benefits Outweigh the costs?) (examples) There is no question that building the wall cost the lives of thousands of peasants and soldiers, but did the benefits outweigh these human costs? The question is if the benefits were greater than all the problems caused by the wall-building. Did the benefits of the Great Wall outweigh the human cost?

Introductory Paragraph continued - Thesis statement: (examples) The Great Wall was worth it. The benefits came in three ways: the calming down of the Xiongnu, the protection of trade, and the opening up of China to new ideas. The costs definitely outweighed the benefits, for three reasons: the costs in human lives during the building of the wall, the quality of life for both the soldiers stationed on the wall and their families, and the fact that China had to pay tribute to the Xiongnu to convince them to stay out of China.