World History Essay Examples and Topics

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848 samples

Due to the breadth of their topic, essays on World History require an understanding of events at various times and places in history. While this prospect may seem daunting, but there are a few means of making your workload look less than it is when it comes to world history topics.

First, start your paper by creating an outline. Even if you have only five paragraphs to write, jotting a few words for each will help you get a few world history essay ideas with which you can begin working.

Doing so prevents you from repeating yourself, as well as gives you a head start on your work.

Second, you should do your research. However, instead of going for only specialized books, try searching for titles that help you get an overview of your subject. This action ensures that you have a perspective that is both wide and informed enough to write such an essay.

Third, you can and must use the tools that are available to you, for example, periodization. Creating a timeline and working within it can help you generate some world history writing prompts.

Another essential tool is contextualization. Since your work relies on finding recurring patterns worldwide, giving them meaning and context will help you evaluate these circumstances better.

Finally, do not make your essay’s subject too scattered. You have a limited amount of pages to get your idea across, so do your best to condense your thought to suit your instructions.

If you can explain your idea in fewer words, then you have a higher chance of being understood by your readers, rather than boring them.

Need more help to start writing? Check the samples below on our website!

848 Best Essay Examples on World History

The History of Cars

The next natural thing that the inventors of the wheel did was to design the axle so that it could fit into the hole made in the centre of the wooden wheel.
  • 5
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2474

Technological Advancement Essay

In the state of Virginia during the 17th century, human labor was imperative due to the pressing need to grow enough food to serve the people in the community during the winter spell hence the [...]
  • 4.3
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1994

Mexican vs. Cuban Revolutions: Comparative Analysis

The Mexican Revolution of 1910 and the Cuban Revolution of the 1960s show that the Revolution's tentacles may spread far and wide due to preexisting sociopolitical, economic, and cultural systems.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1238

American, French and Haitian Revolutions

The main differences between the revolutions lie in their origins: the American Revolution was stimulated by the unwillingness to pay higher tax revenues to Britain, the French one was stimulated by the willingness to replace [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 328

Post-Cold War Challenges

At the time when strained relations between the US and the Soviet Union ended, the financial systems of several countries, particularly those in Eastern Europe, were in the process of collapsing.
  • Pages: 12
  • Words: 3258

The Emergence of the Bipolar World

It demonstrates that the consequences of the bipolarity and the Cold War emerging from it were not positive because the world felt constant pressure resulting from the confrontation between the United States of America and [...]
  • Pages: 9
  • Words: 2464

Vietnam War: History and Facts of War That Began in 1959

The Second Indochina War began in 1959, five years after the division of the country, according to the Geneva Agreement. South Vietnam's troops failed to substitute American soldiers, and in 1974 the peace agreement was [...]
  • 4
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 405

Ottoman and Safavid Empires Comparison

The Ottoman empire came to decline as well, but it prospered for a considerably longer time, and its fall was largely determined by the pressure of political powers in Europe.
  • 5
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 624

Chile Before, During, and After Colonization

It borders Argentina to the east, Peru to the north and finally Bolivia to the northeast. Before the landing of the Spanish colonizers during the 16th C, the Inca governed northern Chile while the indigenous [...]
  • Pages: 11
  • Words: 3058

History: Cultural Exchanges in the Medieval Period

Based on an appreciation of the contribution of international trade to the growth and development of the medieval world, this paper explores the role of spice, salt, sugar, and silk as important trade commodities of [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1393

Holocaust and Bosnian Genocide Comparison

The current paper aims to compare some of the most notable genocides in history, the Holocaust, and the Bosnian mass murder in terms of their aims, death tolls, tactics, and methods.
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1713

Comparing Life in 1800s and Now

The purpose of this paper is to compare the life during the 1800s and now based on the fact that the two eras coincide with two epochs of industrialization.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 570

The Islamic Golden Age

The paper will highlight some of the accomplishments made by famous Muslim scientists in order to underscore the contribution of Islam to science. The House of Wisdom contributed to the advancement of research efforts by [...]
  • Pages: 11
  • Words: 2753

Historical Schools of Thought

They are sure that it is impossible to describe truth with the help of language, which presupposes that historical facts can also be questioned.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 852

The History of Catapults Technology Before 1850

Most of the other literatures detailing the use of the catapult claim that the inspiration came from the bow and sling, which is well known to be a popular weapon in the ancient times.
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2734

Latin America, Asia and Africa: Impact of Colonialism

The Europeans considered the strange ways and religious practices of the natives as barbaric and considered it to be their moral duty to 'civilize' the 'sub humans' that they had subjugated leading to a superiority [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 497

The History Civilization of China

The prominent dynasties that had significance in the social and the political phases of China included the Shang dynasty and the Ch'in the Chou dynasty.
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1214

African Nationalism as Colonial Legacy

The oppression of rural areas and production and the prioritization of the urban population has become the main reason for the spread of poverty among the African population.
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1469

Cultural Exchange Through Trade in the Sixteenth Century

This paper examines how trading activities during the sixteenth century enhanced the exchange of these values among people of different ethnicities who were involved in trade in the different trade routes that existed in the [...]
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1626

The Rise of the Ottoman Empire

Accordingly, the option for administration style came from the empire's direct connection to the previous failed Sejuks dynasty and the closeness to the monarchical Byzantine political structure.
  • Pages: 12
  • Words: 3438

State Formation Factors in Africa Before 1880

Even though several reasons led to the states' formation, they were formed due to cultural homogeneity, political organization, trade and commerce, and military body. Trade and commerce also led to the formation of states in [...]
  • 3
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 573

The Role of Ideology in the Cold War

The Cold War was a significant period for the history of the United States, the Soviet Union, and the Eastern Bloc, as well as other countries.
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2015

The General Maritime Treaty of 1820 in UAE History

Kourosh Ahmadi, the author of the book "Islands and International Politics in the Persian Gulf: The Abu Musa and Tunbs in Strategic Context," expresses an opinion that at the beginning of the nineteenth century, an [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1139

Victorian Era Science Discoveries

Initially, the theme of the evolution of animals and humans was considered ridiculous and even blasphemous since the idea of creational theology was widespread in Victorian society.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 288

French and Russian Revolutions

In fact, what later came to be known as "Russia's Great October Socialist Revolution", was more of a political coup the members of Russia's Provisionary Government, which was formed after Czar's abdication in 1916, we [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 598

“Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress” by H. Zinn

Focusing on two major issues - the difference between the native civilizations and the Western civilization in the context of sharing; and the depopulation of the natives in Bahama due to Spanish exploitation and natives [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 720

Protestant Reformation and Enlightenment

Certain ceremonies that demonstrated customary practices such as baptism and sacraments were abolished by the reformed churches, and this affected the lives of the people because the initial rituals used to shape the social lives [...]
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1702

The Europeans and Native Americans Relationships

This series of military conflicts became a significant constituent of the history of interaction between Europeans and Native Americans and demonstrated the power of the concept of conflict partly forming these relationships.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1107

Historical Facts of Australia

Among those events that Australia considers most important politically, economically as well as socially are the establishment of the colony of New South Wales, the Victorian Gold Rushes, the Federation in 1901 and the Second [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1200

Concept of Studying History

The use of calendars, dating events, and dividing history into different periods are the major tools used in the study of the past occurrences which help explain the present and foresee the future. A good [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1114

The Protestant Church Reformation

The urge for a reformation was also spurred by the emergence of humanistic philosophies and the spirit of the Renaissance, which drew increased attention to the teachings of the Bible and had the tendency of [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1369

A Brief History of Chili

Other theories have also suggested that it first spread from Portugal to India and to the rest of the world. Several theories have come up to describe the origin and distribution of chili throughout the [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 611

Causes of the Cold War’s End

Reagan's policies may have contributed to the fall of communism, but it is more likely that the internal changes in the Soviet Union and the countries it ruled contributed more to the end of the [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 284

The Two World Wars: Brief History

The Trade barriers were believed to be the reasons for the war and to avoid war in the future the Bretton Woods system was introduced.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 656

The Other Character in Oedipus The King

The chorus in Oedipus, the King is an additional set of characters, the Theban elders. They represent "the people" of the city, and they alternately pray, bemoan their fate, or criticize the King.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 780

Scramble for Africa by Pakenham

Of key concern in this essay are the participants in the scramble, their motivations, the different personalities, and their decisions, African's reaction to the scramble and finally factors that led to the scramble out of [...]
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2847

The Process of Production

The hit of the industrial revolution in Europe and America in the 18th century led to a lot of changes and advancement in the production industry.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 613

Industrialism, Progress or Decline

The coming of the steam engine in the late eighteenth century accelerated man's belief in the capacity to create entire industries and manufacture goods using technology.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 809

The Slave Trade Across the Sahara Desert

The trans-Saharan slave trade was driven by the increased demand for slave labor, the use of slaves as legal tender, and the decline in gold and other products in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2794

The Conclusion of The Civil War

The main reason that the Confederacy succeeded from the Union was the issue of States' rights which are guaranteed by the Constitution but were almost completely lost following the Civil War.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 615

Marriage and Adultery Laws of Emperor Augustus

The laws were enacted to deal with marriage avoidance, the preference for childless unions, marriage of lower class women by the Roman elite, and adultery, all of which threatened the continuity of the Roman aristocracy.
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1791

The Scale of Scottish Witch Hunts

Meilan Solly, in her article published in 2019 and titled "This Map Shows the Scale Of 16th and 17th Century Scottish Witch Hunts", explains the stories of witchcraft practice in Scotland between 1590 and 1727.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 304

The French and Indian War and Its Aftermath

Specific areas that this paper would look into include: why the Indian tribes fought with the French, what the French did differently to befriend so many Indian tribes as compared with the British, reasons behind [...]
  • Pages: 26
  • Words: 5969

The 20th to 21st Century History

The 20th century was the beginning of many social changes across the globe and several worldwide war conflicts that affected both Western and non-Western countries.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 400

For God, Gold, and Glory: the Famous Motto

The idea of discovery as applied to geographic exploration, and especially the study of the areas that have already been inhabited, seems to be a deeply flawed concept.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 347

French Revolution Main Events

The year 1789 was marked by celebrations of the centenary of the glorious revolution in Britain. There was much travel between Britain and France and the individuals who supported events in France started to dress [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 252

Development of Press Printin

The introduction of the printing press, encouraging literacy, is one of the main motors of the rise of the West during the sixteenth century.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1134

History of the European Union

The signing of the Lisbon Treaty on December 13, 2009, transformed the structure of the European Community, which was subsequently renamed the European Union.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 818

Historical Methodologies

This approach sets to highlight the economic history of the society by examining the modes of production used in the society through time.
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1950

David Birmingham’s “The Decolonization of Africa”

In his book "The Decolonization of Africa" Birmingham, argues that the process of decolonization of Africa had ripple effects in other parts of the world, such as the civil rights movement in America, and the [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 846

Southernization in the History of Southern Asia

During the time of Schaffer, the culture of the Indian ocean was the most dominant player in the Afro Eurasian trade system and included commercial exchanges from China, India, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 312

British Colonial Racism for Aboriginal Australians

Precisely this colonial racism and genocide can be considered to be the cruelest in the history of the world and may have influenced the ideas and plans of Adolf Hitler, who got inspired by the [...]
  • Pages: 15
  • Words: 4206

Learning History Through the Past to the Future

Knowledge of history is one of the tools for a person's self-awareness and self-identity. As I approach the end of this course, I realize that I have learned many new things and facts.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 293

Simon Bolivar: The Man and The Myth

Bolivar fought a revolution and a civil war simultaneously, and Arana argues that this is a vastly different narrative than the one that defines North America. In conclusion, Arana presents a complete portrait of Simon [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 560

The Decline and Fall of Spain

According to Atienza and Howden, "the discovery of the New World and the vast hordes of gold and new riches was a springboard vaulting Spain from a barely-known kingdom in medieval Europe, to the most [...]
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2227

The Great Depression in Canada

Before the onset of the Great Depression from the years 1919-1929, Canada had the fastest growing economy amongst the developing nations and the only blip to this record was the slight recession they suffered during [...]
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1701

Why the Allies Won the Second World War?

Professor Black reiterated that the weapons itself is not important, but it is how the weapons are used was more essential in the victory by the Allies in World War II.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 754

The Collapse of the Soviet Union

The fall of the Soviet Union marked the end of the Cold War. According to the author of the post, the defective system theory mainly contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 808

Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment

The emergence of shared spaces open to scientific debate contributed to the propagation of the inquiring spirit of the era, which helped to shape the cultures of many European states.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 843

Impacts of Slavery and Slave Trade in Africa

Slavery existed in the African continent in form of indentured servitude in the previous years, but Atlantic slave trade changed the system, as people were captured by force through raids before being sold to other [...]
  • 5
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 835

World History: The Roman Empire

Understanding the document first requires one to understand the historical background of the Roman Empire: the formation of the Republic and its collapse.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 841

Plantation and Settler Colonies

The British pressed the resident Americans out of their way to establish the settler and plantation colonies. In settler colonies, the safety and productiveness of women was crucial to the colonial practice.
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1962

Rhetorical Strategies of Conquest

The Four Voyages of Columbus by Columbus, The Chronicle of The Discovery and Conquest of Guinea by Azurara, and Letters from Mexico by Cortes report the colonial exploits back to the Portuguese and Spanish royalty.
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2801

The History of Recolonization of Africa

Samantha Power calls the muteness of the American public to the problems of Africa as one of the main reasons for the inaction of the world community regarding the events taking place in the country.[3] [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1628

Contribution of Qian Xuesen

Qian contributed to the exchange between China and the rest of the world in the field of science through development and improvement of the aviation industry.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1129

Colonization of Australia Review

The focus of this paper will cover the initial stages of the development of the Australian colony of New South Wales in the period between 1788 and 1792.
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2085

Ataturk: The Great Father of Turks

One side of the Turkish nation supported the movements of Ataturk and this action was under the name of "Kemalism", while the other side of the Turkish nation supported the traditional religious rules to be [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1638

The Issues of Orientalism and Post Colonialism

Originally, Orientalism is the division of philosophical, historical, cultural and political studies, that relate the place and the role of the Eastern countries in the world politics, and the lives of the other countries all [...]
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1906

Revolutionary Movements and Wars of Rebellion

Several circumstances can affect the development of revolutions, such as the level of impoverishment in a society, the degree of inequality, and the division along with ethnic connections. The difference between the maturation of a [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 866

The Theory of Historical Recurrence

In addition, it is important to concentrate on the idea that events and experiences of the past can influence the development of an entire nation.
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1155

European Age of Exploration and Conquest

The Christians and Muslims anti-religious wars and crusades of the tenth and twelfth centuries exposed Europe to the trade of spies and a number of luxury goods from Asia.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 933

The Persian Constitutional Revolution Factors

Various assessments of the events that took place in Iran require an in-depth revision of the history of the constitutional revolution studying its background and impact of this revolution on the subsequent social and political [...]
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1764

East Versus West

The East usually refers to Asia and the Middle East while the West usually refers to Europe and the American continents. The East views the West with contempt in terms of how the Orient values [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1417

Political Organizations Through the History

This essay looks compares some of the political organizations in the history of man's existence in the world. These two are the centralized political units and the decentralized political units.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 840

Modernization Poised Between History and Prophecy

Secondly, the stage of 'preconditions of take-off' is characterised by the spread of the idea of the possibility of economic prosperity which is a necessity for other desired societal conditions. The last stage of economic [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 908

Imperialism in India

By 1858, the British regained control and immediately passed the Government of India Act, which allowed the British Crown administrators to run the country instead of the British East India Company.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1095

West African Religious Beliefs in Latin America

This paper aims to explore and synthesize the opinions of various authors to understand the formation and modern presentation of Santeria, including the slave trade in Yorubaland, the history of early colonial Cuba, and the [...]
  • Pages: 14
  • Words: 3869

Aztec and Christian Creationism

In contrast, Aztec creation stories are based on dismembered gods, and thus the origin of the world is catastrophic violence, which explains why Aztec art depicts divinity as gruesome and awe-inspiring.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 343

Robert Sapolsky’s Views on Natural History of Peace

Sapolsky studied the behavior of baboons to explain the evolution that humans have undergone. According to Sigmund Freud the father of psychoanalysis, actions of the gene in humans are intertwined completely with the environment.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 923

The History of Death Penalty

The death penalty became legal in America in 1776 during the revolutionary war. The US Supreme court ruled the death penalty as unconstitutional in 1972.
  • Pages: 13
  • Words: 594
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