A List Of 15 Great Research Paper Topics For An American History Class


So much great writing in American History comes down to choosing great research paper topics that are intriguing and original to both writers and readers. It’s never a good idea to simply regurgitate topics. It’s far more effective to write on something that furthers discussion in a particular area of study. Here are 15 great research paper topics for your consideration:


  1. How did transportation in the 19th century change the way the U.S. developed? Consider the Midwest as the hub that connected the east and west coasts.

  2. How effective have the changes to airport security been since 9/11 been towards making traveling safer in the U.S.? Have the changes made a difference in deterring terrorist attacks?

  3. How did the tensions present during the Cold War affect the United States and the rest of the world? Was the U.S. justified in its role as one of the world’s super powers in policing Soviet ideologies?

  4. What were the most important events leading up to the Salem witch trials? Do you believe that a better legal system unbiased by the local religious belief system would have prevented deaths?

  5. How did the tobacco empire of the 18th, 19th, and 20th change the economy of the U.S.?

  6. How is the online gambling industry affecting the way states control gaming laws? Would states generate more revenue if they allowed online gambling and taxed the companies transacting within each state’s borders?

  7. Analyze the way the Abraham Lincoln assassination plot and execution was successful.

  8. What do you believe happened to the doomed first settlers at the island of Roanoke?

  9. How does the stock market crash of the late 1920s differ from that of the late 2000s? How are they similar?

  10. What changed in terms of national pride and sense of patriotic duty between WWII and the Vietnam War?

  11. How has infrastructure development affected the way cities have become financial successes or failures in the U.S.?

  12. How have the U.S.’s relations with the rest of the world changed since the League of Nations ended and the United Nations started?

  13. What were the major reasons the U.S. waited so long before entering WWI?

  14. How did the Cold War affect the way the United States now handles foreign policy with countries favoring different ideologies?

  15. How has military and educational spending changed in the last century and what have been the major influencing factors?