40+ Best Argumentative Essay Topics On American History

What is an American history argumentative essay?

As a student, different types of essays need to be prepared during the academic life cycle. An argumentative essay is a kind of essay that students write. 

Argumentative Essays are those types of essays that consist of investigating a specific topic or phenomenon. The writer generally conducts a large amount of evidence to describe their viewpoint as unbiased. To prepare an argumentation essay on the history of America, it becomes necessary to understand America's cultural diversity and complexity. 

American history is filled with many different types of feelings and emotions. From the very beginning of American history to the other revolutions it faced, from its development stories to changing leadership, from the various wars the country fought to the daily lifestyle of the Americans, American history provides multiple different types of topics for the preparation of an argumentative essay. 

Steps for Selecting an Argument Essay:

It is essential to select which large amount of information is available, and the student has their own opinion on the topic chosen. Selecting a topic on which you can provide both the positive and negative sides of the issue or situation is essential. Choose a topic on which the writer can provide a reasonable focus for delivering detailed information. Moreover, it is also essential to see the topic on which the writer can provide evidence regarding the writer's arguments on the chosen topic, and which is relevant to the essay's audience, a historical argumentative essay.

• Collecting information: To prepare a highly informative argumentative essay on American history containing a vast amount of relevant information is essential. 
• Creating an opinion: The writer needs to develop a statement regarding the topic or issue selected in the argumentative essay. 
• Making your claim: In the argumentative essay, the writer needs to make their claims as it helps connect with the essay's audience. 
• Backing with evidence: To impact the readers' minds, the writer needs to provide evidence and proof regarding the arguments made by the writer in the essay. Providing evidence helps increase the reliability of the information in the essay.

Tips for writing an argumentative essay:

The following easy tips can be constructive in writing a quality argumentative essay on American history:

1. Introduction 

The first paragraph of the argumentative essay should begin with the statement, provide the background of the topic explained in the argument made by the writer, and provide evidence regarding the ideas created by the writer. 

2. Starting with an interesting fact

It is advisable to begin the topic with statistical information and personal information. A provoking thought and a quote. The essay's first sentence should attract the readers' attention to the information provided in the argumentative essay. 

3. Importance of giving evidence regarding the context of the topic

The readers generally take an interest in the topic when reading the essay and want to know more about the context of the incident on which the writer makes the argument. Proving the situation's background helps the readers understand the different opinions made by the writer regarding the topic selected in the essay. 

4. Stating the thesis of the argument

 It is essential to smoothly transition from the background to the main body in the argumentative essay.  This prohibits shifting the reader's attention from the main argument made in the essay. 

5. Providing evidence regarding the arguments made in the essay 

It is essential to provide reinvent information regarding the statements made by the writer in the essay at the end of the paragraph. This helps increase the clarity of the statements made by the writer in the essay. 

Tips for writing the introduction of an argumentative essay:

• It is essential to sell the topic of the essay to the readers.
• To increase the readers' interest, the introduction should begin with a hypothetical situation and provide information regarding the problem and situation. 
• The introduction can also benefit from stating a provoking question, which helps grab the readers' attention toward the information provided in the argumentative essay on American history.
• The introduction can also begin by explaining the problem or situation discussed in detail in the essay.
• Also, a good introduction for an argumentative essay can begin with a contrast and compare.

American History:

American history can be divided into the following sections:

• “Pre-Columbian era”
• “The European Settlement”
• “Road to Independence”
• “The American Revolution”
• “The early years of the republic”
• “Sectional conflict and civil war”
• “War, prosperity, and depression”
• “Post-war America”
• “The 21st century”

Before you head over to the best argumentative essay topics on American history, don't forget to check out these argumentative essay topics of 2024.

Essay topics for argumentative essay on American history

• The conflict between the colonists and Native Americans
• The opposition of the Mormons.
• How did the Mormons affect Western development and American society?
• Factors responsible for the American Revolution.
• Causes for the beginning of the American Civil War.
• Factors responsible for the Great Depression.
• The Great Depression and its impact on American history
• Great Depression and  the Reaganomics 
• How did the USA influence the  First World War?
• How the USA influenced the Second World War.
• Role of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor for involving the USA in the “Second World War.”
• Why the bombings on  Hiroshima and Nagasaki were unjustified?
• What is the importance of the  Korean War for the United States?
• Cuban Missile Crisis and the Role of the USA
• The Iraq War was one of the biggest mistakes made by the USA in recent history.
• What does America gain from the Mexican War?
• What is the role of America in proving the Mexican Word?
• What were the effects of the Mexican War on  America?
• How did women influence the American Civil War?
• What was the Cold War movement's role in changing the American government's opinions on the invasion of Vietnam?
• How did the Anti-war movement change the opinion of the American government toward war?
• How did the media influence public policy around the  Vietnam War?
• North America under British colonization.
• What are the differences between the Southern and Northern colonies?
• Roanoke and its Lonely Colony
• Lai Massacre and its military crime
• How the United States became a superpower.
• Is the United States’ status as a superpower under threat?
• The creation of labor unions.
• The influence of Martin Luther King on America.
• How women in the military are overcoming discrimination.
• Significant contributions made by African Americans in the military.
• How African Americans in the military have overcome discrimination.
• Was John F. Kennedy an effective president?
• How does Barack Obama fit into American history?
• The reasons for Martin Luther King’s assassination.
• The changes in the American security policies post 9/11.
• The effects of 9/11 on American foreign policy.
• The injustices suffered by Muslims post 9/11.
• National Prohibition was a huge American mistake.
• How did National Prohibition lead to an increase in crime and lawlessness?
• Did the framers of the American Constitution have the American people’s interests in mind?
• The effectiveness of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.
• The impact of John F. Kennedy on the United States.
• The Mystery surrounding John F. Kennedy’s assassination.
• How did the 9/11 tragedy change the outlook of the United States’ society?
• Could the 9/11 attacks have been prevented?
• The framers of the American Constitution were more Aristocratic than Democratic-minded.
• The Second Amendment is the most controversial in the American Constitution.
• How did slavery affect the American economy?
• Should the government of the United States pay reparations to the African American families that suffered enslavement?
• Slavery in America: how did it happen?
• The effects of slavery on African American families.
• Pre-Civil War conflicts over slavery: Nat Turner Rebellion.
• Pre-Civil War conflicts over slavery: John Brown’s raid.
• How did Dred Scott impact the issue of slavery?
• The Pilgrims.
• The influence of the Puritans on American society.
• How were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation remedied by the United States Constitution?
• The main differences before the ratification of the constitution.
• The outcome of the Federalists versus anti-federalists.
• The reasons behind Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
• The impact of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination on the reconstruction of the nation after the Civil War.
• The impact electric power had on the American economy.
• The challenges of developing inventions in the 19th century: (choose an inventor from the 19th century).
• The impact of developing inventions in the 19th century: (choose an inventor from the 19th century).
• The causes of the Harlem Renaissance.
• The effects of the Harlem Renaissance.
• The economic effects that led to the crash of the stock market in 1929.
• Why the New Orleans flooding got so severe during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
• The political impact Hurricane Katrina had on the United States.
• How have the changes in women’s employment role in society in the 21st century?
• Motivations towards the Oklahoma City Bombing.
• Significant contributions made by women in the military.
• George Washington and Abraham Lincoln should be equally held as America’s founding fathers.
• The truth by Al Gore on the future of our environment and climate.
• Why were Bill Clinton’s scandals so overlooked?
• Jimmy Carter vs. Ronald Reagan: how the economy affected their campaign presidency and the results.
• The impact of the Watergate scandal on American politics.
• The Reagan Revolution and its influence on conservative policies.
• The end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
• The challenges and achievements of the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
• The War on Drugs and its impact on minority communities.
• The role of technology in shaping the 21st-century economy.
• The impact of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on U.S. foreign policy.
• The election and presidency of Barack Obama.
• The challenges and responses to climate change in the modern era.
• The Black Lives Matter movement and the fight against police brutality.
• The impact of Brown v. Board of Education on desegregation.
• The role of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Civil Rights Movement.
• The Freedom Rides and the challenges to segregation in interstate travel.
• The March on Washington and the significance of the “I Have a Dream” speech.
• The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
• The counterculture movement and the protests against the war.
• The impact of the Tet Offensive on public perception of the Vietnam War.
• The assassination of President John F. Kennedy and its aftermath.
• The space race achievements and the Apollo moon landing.
• The feminist movement and the fight for women’s rights in the 1960s and 1970s.