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Thesis Construction. D B Q. Thesis Writing. A thesis is the controlling idea of the essay. O ne-sentence answer to the question posed; the remainder of the paper will prove the thesis. Your thesis is the concise statement of your argument.
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Thesis Construction D B Q
Thesis Writing • A thesis is the controlling idea of the essay. • One-sentence answer to the question posed; the remainder of the paper will prove the thesis. • Your thesis is the concise statement of your argument. • A thesis takes a stand on a historical issue or problem. • A thesis attempts to develop a coherent and persuasive line of thought intended to convince the reader of the validity of that stand. • A thesis is created after looking at the documents.
Writing Prompt “John Marshall was the most influential person during the time period, 1803-1824.” Assess the validity of this statement.
Sample Thesis Statements • Good: • “Because of his power to strengthen the government and the impact his rulings had on our country, John Marshall was the most influential person in government during the time period of 1803-1824.” • “John Marshall changed the way the federal court system functioned and was the most influential person in the government between 1803-1824.” • “Slavery in the territories was a major force in politics during the 1850s because of the opposition from the North and the strong advocacy for slavery from the South.”
Sample Thesis Statements • Right Idea but Vague: • “From the time period 1803-1824, John Marshall’s role in controversial cases made way for some long term changes.” • John Marshall was the most influential person in government between 1803 and 1824 because of all the court cases he judged and all the laws in the constitution he clarified.”
Sample Thesis Statements • Too General: • “John Marshall was the most influential person in government from 1803-1824 because of the court cases he handled.” • “Many people believed John Marshall was the most influential person of this time period, because of all of his court cases.” • Too Specific: • “The issue of slavery became so powerful during the 1850s because of the innovations in farming technology and the development of new cash crops.”
Sample Thesis Statements • Misses the Point of the Question: • “Chief Justice John Marshall made a series of court decisions that affect our laws today.” • “John Marshall was the first supreme justice and ruled fairly based on the constitution.”
Sample Thesis Statements • Historical Problems • “ John Marshall was the most influential person in government during 1803-1824 by his powerful leadership as Supreme Court justice, favoring of states governments, and power of dealing constitutionally.”