A good history essay must be coherent—all of its component parts must add up to its whole. Creating a point-based outline is a fabulous way to determine whether your ideas add up to a coherent essay. 

The important element of a point-based outline is (as the name implies) that each section contains an analytical point—a secondary argument—that helps prove your thesis. In other word, every body paragraph should prove a point rather than merely discuss a topic. When complete, reading your thesis and each of your secondary arguments should provide a nice synthesis of your argument. To complete a point-based outline, you should include relevant pieces of evidence underneath your secondary arguments so that all that remains to complete an actual essay is some sourcing and some analysis.

Your Task 

Create a point-based outline that could form the basis for an essay on Republicans in Power. This should contain a question, a thesis, three paragraph secondary arguments, at least three pieces of relevant evidence, and a sketch of ideas for a conclusion.

Your point-based essay should make use of this template:

I. Introduction

a. Question: 

b. Thesis:

II. Paragraph 1 secondary argument:

a. Evidence:

b. Evidence:

III. Paragraph 2 secondary argument: 

a. Evidence:

b. Evidence:

IV. Paragraph 3 secondary argument: 

a. Evidence:

b. Evidence:

V. Paragraph 4 secondary argument: 

a. Evidence:

b. Evidence:

VI. Conclusion

a.