a level history essay plans

A Level History Essay Structure – A Guide

• Post author By admin
• Post date December 1, 2022
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Getting an A Level History essay structure right is by no means an easy task. In this post we will look at how we can build a structure from which our essay can develop.

Here you can see the most simplified essay structure for tackling A level History essays. All students should be familiar with this structure. We have broken the essay down into an introduction and conclusion as well as 3 separate parts of content. Running through the entire essay at the side is our line of argument. Whilst this may seem fairly simple, many students still fail to adequately follow this structure, when writing essay answers under exam conditions.

The reasons this structure works well is that it enables you to cover 3 different factors of content. These can be aligned 2-1 or 1-2 on either side of the argument. Your essay is now balanced (covering both sides of the argument), whilst at the same time being decisive in terms of your line of argument and judgement. It is also consistent with the amount you can write in the exam time given for (20-25) mark essay questions.

Expanded A level History Essay Structure

Let’s look at an expanded essay structure. Again, we have our introduction and conclusion as well as 3 separate parts of content. Now we can see that we have added whether or not each of our parts of content agrees or disagrees with the question premise. In order to have a balanced essay we can see on this example that; Content 1 agrees, Content 2 disagrees, and Content 3 can go either way. This overall A Level History essay structure ensures a balanced essay that also reaches judgement.

Furthermore, we have now broken down each individual part of Content/Factor. This can be seen as a mini essay in its own right. The Content/Factor is introduced and linked to the question as well as being concluded and linked to the question. Then we write 2 to 3 separate points within the body of the Content/Factor. We have 2 points that agree with the overall argument of this section of content. This strongly backs up our argument.

Then we can also potentially (this doesn’t have to be done always, but when done right creates a more nuanced analysis) add a third point that balances that particular section of content. However, it doesn’t detract from the overall argument of this factor/content. E.g. In the short term ‘point 3’ occurred but of much greater significance was ‘point 1’ and ‘point 2.’

How To Improve Further at A Level History

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How to structure AQA A-level History Essays

• Dr Janet Rose
• December 14, 2019

For AQA History , at both AS and A level, you need to know how to write two types of essay – a block essay and a point-by-point essay.  To be able to structure AQA history essays you’ll need to know these essay styles and where to use them.

Introductions

You don’t really need an introduction for the source questions.  In the exam you will be pressed for time so it is sensible to just start with your analysis of extract A.  However, for the essay questions you will need a short, clear introduction that references the question and states your line of argument.

The most helpful tip I can give you is this; write the introduction last .  Why do I advise this?  Because if you state your line of argument and what you intend to include, you then have to make sure your whole essay and conclusion matches your introduction.  Obviously you should have a plan to follow but it is far, far easier to write the body of your essay and your conclusion,  then make the introduction fit the essay you have just written.  It makes writing the introduction a breeze because you will know exactly what you have argued, which evidence you have used, the order you have presented your material and what you have concluded.

No Surprises

Remember there should be no surprises for your marker or examiner in history.  You are not writing a best seller where you build up the tension and then do a dramatic ‘ta da’ reveal.  That will only confuse your examiner and lose you marks – potentially a lot of marks.  What we want is a nice, clear format where we can see exactly what you are arguing, exactly what evidence you are using, and exactly what you have concluded.  Importantly, we want to know this at the start of the essay.  If you make your marker or examiner keep stopping, re-reading chunks, and going back and forth to try and understand your argument, you’ll just end up with an unhappy and frustrated reader.  And this is the person who is going to award your marks!  Be clear.  Be concise.  Get to the point quickly.  Give evidence to back up your points.  Reach a judgement.

History Essay: How to write an A-Grade Essay

Block Essays

For AQA you use these for the extract questions; the two sources for AS and the three sources for A level.  You write the essay in blocks of text which are focused on one area.

For the source questions you don’t need to get too clever with hopping back and forth between sources and points. Decide and plan what you need to say and then write it clearly, with a clear assessment of each source, in big chunks of work. Do not worry about an introduction– just get straight into the analysis. First address Source A in a block, then Source B in another block and (for A level) Source C in a final block.

Remember that you need to assess the sources.  Keep doing that all the way through.  Assess each source as you write the block and do a mini summary at the end of each section.   You can then bring the sources together in a very short conclusion at the end (no more than a couple of lines) where you can summarise your convincing/valuable assessment of the sources.  It is very important that you make a clear judgement for each source, as that is what the question asks you to do.

By the way, when we talk about blocks it does not mean you have to cram everything into one enormous paragraph. If you have plenty to say (and hopefully you will) you should use a sensible paragraph structure. The reason it is called a block essay is that you deal with one section completely, in this case each source, before moving on to the next section.

Point-by-point essays

Point-by-Point essays are much trickier to master but are well worth the effort as, done properly, they tend to achieve higher marks. For AQA you can use this style for everything that is not a source question. The key to an excellent point-by-point essay is all in the planning; it will only come out well in the writing if you know exactly what you are going to argue and the order in which you are going to introduce evidence and points. So it is crucial that you make yourself a good plan!

Essentially, all the AQA essay questions at both AS and A level ask you to argue ‘for or against’ a hypothesis. They will look something like this:

‘Victorian governments in the years 1867 to 1886 had little interest in social reform.’ Explain why you agree or disagree with this view.

‘Henry VII had successfully established monarchical authority by 1509.’ Assess the validity of this view.

Your job, therefore, is to find evidence from your course for both sides of the argument i.e. both ‘for’ and ‘against’ the hypothesis. You absolutely must have evidence for both sides – not just one side. The evidence goes down on your plan, divided into ‘for’ and ‘against’ the hypothesis. Whichever side you end with more evidence for, or more convincing evidence for, that is the side you will conclude is most persuasive.

History Exams – How to avoid being narrative

Imagine it like a tennis match

Imagine it like a tennis match, where the ball starts on one side of the tennis court, is played and then sails over to the opposing side.  A point-by-point argument is like this – it is oppositional, with two opposing sides. You should aim to bounce back and forth between the points and the two sides of the argument. Begin with one of the points from your plan, either for or against the hypothesis. Deal with the point in detail, using clear examples as evidence and linking it firmly to the question.  That’s your opening shot.

Next, pop straight over to the opposing view and deal with that point, again using clear examples and linking to the question. Repeat this ‘back and forth’ technique until you have covered all the points and evidence in your plan.

To do this really well it is usually better to put up the side of your argument that you will oppose first. You outline the ‘other’ side of the argument and show that you understand the opposing view. Then you switch over to the other side of the hypothesis, i.e. ‘your’ argument, and use powerful evidence to back it up. Remember this is all about argument and analysis.

Back to our tennis match analogy; the ball is your argument, which bounces back and forth between the players, but you need ‘your’ side to end each point with the big shot – the one that wins the game.

How to use Provenance in History Exams

The Conclusion

You must conclude in line with the most persuasive and convincing evidence you have included in your plan.   This sounds really obvious, but I have lost count of how many A-level history essays I have marked that argue effectively for one point of view, but then conclude in favour of the other side.  The most common reason for this happening is that the student has moved off their plan when writing up the essay.  Follow your plan!

At the end of the essay your conclusion should sum up all the main points of argument and then should reach a judgement.  Don’t sit on the fence, no matter how tempting it is.  You need to make a judgement.  The conclusion should mirror your introduction and the main points of argument in the body of the essay, so the work ends up as a coherent, clear argument from introduction to conclusion.

The point-by-point essay takes practice, so it will help if you can get some feedback from your teacher or tutor, or even a parent who will be able to tell you if your argument is clear and makes sense to the reader. Do persevere, however, because when you get the technique right it will gain you more marks in the end.

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This bundle contains 96 exam essay plans that covers all 6 themes for the AQA Alevel course. They are detailed plans which each contain an example judgement. It also contains 14 less structured plans to further exam questions or smaller questions with judgements which are useful to think about.

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ESSAY PLANS

Here are some examples of plans that can be used when writing an essay on the subject of the Tudors and Stuarts:

• Was the Henrician Reformation more than 'Catholicism without the Pope'?
• How Did The Tudors Pay For Government?
• Why did Elizabeth pursue a compromised religious settlement in 1559?
• Why was there no opposition to Elizabeth I's succession?
• Why Elizabeth 1’s religious settlement survive despite opposition from the Puritans and Catholics?
• Was James I more successful in dealing with the problems of Puritanism after 1618 than in the years 1603-1611?
• How far was Foreign Policy during Henry VIII's reign influenced by religious considerations?
• Were the religious reforms of Henry VIII and Edward VI popular?
• How successful was Henry VII in managing the royal finances?
• How far did the religion of English people change under the Tudors?
• Question 10

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Queen Elizabeth I - Later Years essay plans and notes

Later Years of Elizabeth Essay Plans

The Elizabethan government was seriously threatened by discontent in the 1590s. How far do you agree?

Not seriously threatened but it was arguably the period in her reign with the most discontent, although much of this wasn’t down to what she had done.

During the last years of Elizabeth’s reign, England became an unstable kingdom, menaced by crisis. How far do you agree with this statement?

Compared to the rest of her reign, this was a relatively tumultuous time, but compared to the reigns of her siblings and father, she handled the crises she was faced with well.

Lack of Effectiveness in Parliament (inc. factionalism)

• Elizabeth summoned parliament more often during the later stages of her rule, often do to with economic issues, especially those caused by war.
• The commons were worried about Sir Walter Mildmay’s granting of an unusually high subsidy in 1589(double subsidy and 4 tenths&fifteenths) (2x ammt of normal grant), as they were concerned that this generosity might become “the occasion of a precedent to posterity” - they didn’t want this grant to become the norm. There was much debate in parliament over how much the queen should be granted.      The Commons feared that, in the passing of subsidies, their privileges were being infringed upon by the Lords.
• By the late 1590s, the Cecil-Essex rivalry was so intense that virtually every decision was affected. One observer called it a “very dangerous time” as everyone had to pick a side. Led to Essex’s rebellion.
• Purveyance ( was an ancient prerogative right of the English Crown to purchase provisions and other necessaries for the royal household, at an appraised price, and to requisition horses and vehicles for royal use ) - 1593, Commons asked for a remedy, Cecil replied the request infringed royal prerogative.
• The demand for money meant that the government had to listen to parliaments concerns and complaints – the monopolies debate is evidence that the queen had to use her charm and skills to diffuse the situation (by giving some MP’s an audience and making her famous Golden Speech). And so, it may be argued that the government was gradually losing control of the Commons as many councillors who had managed business for the queen were no either dead or were sitting in the Lords. Parliamentary committees were starting to seize the initiative and put forward new policies, rather than just examine legislation. Despite these developments, Liz’s relationship w/ parliament was usually harmonious and clashes usually had little long-term significance as the opposition was neither organised nor strong enough.  <<POSSIBLE CONC?
• The problem with employing ageing Privy Councillors or their sons was that Elizabeth was relying on old men and when they died, their sons were rarely the same calibre as their fathers.
• Cecil was ageing, increasingly unwell, and very deaf, lessening his grip on events.
• Elizabeth claimed that “hardly a faithful or virtuous man is to be found” due to commonplace corruption at court, where even William and Robert Cecil were open to inducements.
• Elizabeth’s relationship with parliament improved during the later stages of her rule as they stopped complaining to her about the issues that plagued the beginning of her reign (e.g., marriage and the succession) as they assumed she wouldn’t marry, and that James VI would succeed her.
• At the 1593 parliament after agreeing not to make the 4tenths&fifteenths and double subsidy the norm they once again gave the doubled grant, Lord Treasurer Burghley even found this to be insufficient.
• But regarding Purveyance, the queen accepted there was a problem and agreed to deal with it
• The issue of finance in parliament ended on a note of agreement.
• Cecil was still attending council meetings regularly and making detailed notes.
• Her Golden Speech reduced some members to tears, suggesting that she’d not lost her political trust or ability to win support through flattery

The issue of monopolies was the main reason for discontent during the 1590s. How far do you agree?

No, the combination of social and economic unrest was worse, although it was exacerbated by the issue of monopolies.

• Parliament exacerbated the situation to the extent that subsidies demanded by the government were unlikely to be approved by the commons.

This is a preview of the whole essay

• Elizabeth promised a redress of grievances but foolishly only revoked a few monopolies, while at the same time issuing more. The usage of monopolies was casting people into beggary so different groups of MPs in the parliament of 1601 proposed bills and petitions to abolish them. The debate became loud and heated, causing Cecil to insist he’d never seen the state “subject to such disorder”, after being disgusted by the state of the debate.
• Immediately following this debate, Elizabeth ended some of the most harmful monopolies while later on, grievances regarding others were referred to the courts.
• Elizabeth granted monopolies because she couldn’t afford to reward her servants with land or pensions, so she instead gave the holders the sole right to sell or import certain goods. This was an effective way of ensuring those loyal to her remained loyal.
• When MP Robert Wingfield complained about monopolies, Elizabeth agreed that monopolies (which were particularly blamed for raising prices on basic goods) should be cancelled, meaning that she stopped a contentious issue before it spread to nationwide discontent.
• The Queen removed harmful monopolies and referred others to courts and by doing so preserved the royal prerogative and maintained a harmonious state within parliament.
• Although monopolies affected the working classes, they didn’t focus on it for their grievances, instead blaming more general economic issues, as many weren’t completely aware of the process of monopolies. The discontent about monopolies was mostly contained to the educated upper classes.

Essex’s Rebellion ( 1601 )

• There were rumours of a relationship between Deveraux and the queen. In 1587, it was reported: “at night my lord is at cards or one game or another with her, that he cometh not to his own lodgings until the birds sing in the morning.”
• Essex aimed to seize the Court, City of London, and Tower to get access to Elizabeth, where he hoped to force her to call parliament which would impeach his enemies (Cecil, Cobham, Raleigh etc).
• After Essex’s death, he was still popular among his supporters, shown by the fact that after a sermon preached in London stressing the peril which had faced the queen was very well received, the preacher, Doctor Barlow, was much criticised by Essex’s supporters in the city. Essex was known as ‘England’s Darling’. He was the leading courtier in London and Elizabeth’s prompt decision to execute him (25th Feb) damaged relationships with his supporters.
• The removal of Essex meant that the Cecil faction would dominate, with the government dominated for the first time by one faction.
• Essex’s death meant that the government was dependent on a single faction for the first time, giving them more stability. A lack of popular support for Esssex, defeated in hours.
• To see E’s rebellion as a symptom of a collapsing government is to see his complaints as largely justified. This would be unwise. After all, E himself was a Privy Councillor; that he was dismissed as a result of his own folly, extravagancies and fundamental lack of political skill. It could be argued that Elizabeths evident affection for him simply encouraged such folly, but he chose to ignore the strong evidence that her favour had its limits. Wherever the blame lay, the Essex rebellion could’ve brought the country close to civil war had he canvassed anti-Cecil support. But Essex did not control the Lord Lieutenants of the counties and any attempt to raise troops without their orders would’ve been ridiculous.

Elizabeth’s Decline (inc. deaths of key ministers)

• Her appearance was deteriorating with age. She’d lost several teeth and her bright red wig was constantly being mocked by her younger courtiers, showing her loss of respect as well as looks. There were therefore restrictions on portraits painted of her, making it more difficult to keep up the ‘Cult of Elizabeth’.
• Elizabeth was constantly criticised for not dealing properly with the poor. This, combined with her becoming shorter and more forgetful made her an increasingly unpopular figure.
• Attendance at Court fell off and in 1600, the aristocracy were reluctant to accompany Elizabeth on progress. She’d lost her undying support.
• Following the death of Essex, Elizabeth was depressed and spent most of her time with her ladies-in-waiting, which meant she was then criticised for not appearing in public.
• There were concerns about the succession. Peter Wentworth, in his pamphlet, urged the queen to instruct parliament to examine the rights of all the claimants to the succession and decide which was the best.
• Robert Dudley, Mildmay, Walsingham, and Hatton all died between 1588-91, meaning Elizabeth lost many of her key councillors in quick succession. Cecil’s death in 1598 affected Elizabeth immensely. The deaths of those she’d worked with for so long made her ill-tempered and solitary towards the end of her reign.
• She continued to go on progresses which maintained her public image.
• The few small-scale rebellions in the 1590s were about a particular issue (e.g., enclosure) and not an attempt to take her off the throne.
• People still believed in the queen’s uncompromised power. The Lord Keeper, Sir Thomas Egerton, stated that the queen’s royal prerogative was “the chiefest flower in her garland” and must not be compromised.

The war with Spain was the main reason for the problems Elizabeth faced after 1590. How far do you agree?

The war with Spain exacerbated the economic issues that the country faced because of poor harvests, plague, etc., but a functioning government might’ve been able to deal with these issues far better than Elizabeth’s unstable and ineffective one.

• Although the Spanish Armada was in 1588, the war with Spain continued into the 1590s, and the effects of the Armada were felt long afterwards too.
• The government’s preoccupation with war meant that they couldn’t focus all their attention on the social or economic issues.
• Some coastal towns were ordered to provide further shipping, and some complained, since the subsidy had just been collected and they’d already had to pay out for supplies for the militia.  
• Some of Elizabeth’s soldiers and sailors lacked in morale for the years after the Armada as she wasn’t always able to pay them in full due to heavy borrowing.  
• Elizabeth financed the war by forced loans from the landowning classes. Such loans were meant to be repaid although this wasn’t always the case.  
• After the Armada was defeated in July 1588, Spain staged 3 more Armada attempts in 1596, 1597, and 1601. Although these attempts failed, it was a constant worry for English people for the next decade after the original Armada’s defeat.
• The fact that the attacks on Spanish shipping and settlements were unsuccessful because of Spain’s convoy system and improved defences led to decreased morale.
• Issues with Spain caused more financial issue s: 1) £4.5 was the total expenditure of war inc £2million  in Ireland. Only half was met by Parliamentary grants and Liz was forced to sell crown lands and also considered selling some jewellery and the situation was so bad. She reduced expenditure at court, particularly on patronage, and kept positions vacant to avoid paying salaries. Bad as the lack of patronage encouraged bribery and corruption, and played a role in issuing of monopolies. 2) Supporting Henry of Navarre and the Dutch rebels, consumed large amounts of money, giving Henry £20,000 in 1589 (not expecting a return) and sending 10,000 troops in 1590-91.
• I mpact on politics: War caused debate among council, although all agreed it should be prosecuted, disagreement as to how. Cecil preferred to respond to situations, but younger ppl wanted more proactive policy w/ naval attacks. These disagreements caused every decision being affected and factions developing. Factional conflict between Cecil (who wanted peace like Henry IV of France) ad Essex who opposed him. Situation not helped by Liz’s failure to have a clear policy. Although she was aware of dangers of a more forward policy, sometimes gave in to pressures from courtiers and this served only to show a lack of coherence in policy.
• The Earl of Tyrone, the O’Neill chieftain who led the Irish rebellion, defeated and killed the English commander at the Battle of the Yellow Ford in 1598, and only ½ the English troops returned safely to their base in Armagh. Tyrone seized Munster, driving out English settlers, and taking control of most of Ireland.  
• Situation made more threatening as feared that Irishmen would allow Spanish troops to land and use it as a base to attack England.
• Also a threat as it was the first national revolt in Ireland and attracted support from a wide area
• Essex failed significantly in Ireland, wasting time and resources, as well as not actually giving battle, instead choosing to meet Tyrone alone, meaning accusations of treachery followed.  
• Tyrone’s Rebellion is often called the Nine Years War, as it continued for almost a decade, ending just 6 days after the queen died in 1603.  
• The success in war with Spain ended much of the discontent surrounding religion as Elizabeth and her government stressed the fact that the kingdom, queen, and religious policies must have been supported by God, which is why “God blew his winds and they were scattered”.   The win was a morale boost for England.  The belief that divine providence had intervened on the side of the English was an incredibly strong weapon in the propaganda war against Spain and also reaffirmation of Elizabeths right to the throne withing England. However, it had forced the Queen to obtain forced loans of £75000 from wealthy subjects and borrow £56000 from City of LDN w/ 10% interest.
• By 1596, the war situation had improved, and fewer men were needed.  
• Elizabeth reacted swiftly to Essex’s failings in Ireland, replacing him with Lord Mountjoy as Lord Deputy and Sir George Carew as Lord President of Munster, with an army similar sized to Essex’s.  

Social and economic unrest in the 1590s was the main reason for discontent during the 1590s. How far do you agree?

Yes, it was. The social and economic unrest meant that all the other issues were exacerbated, as the government would be scrutinised for any grant of money they allowed whilst the lower classes were suffering so much.

• There was a run of disastrous harvests from 1594-98, mainly caused by heavy rainfall. Livestock were less affected as they could survive wet conditions better than arable crops, but the bad harvests increased the seriousness of all other factors (especially malnutrition). 1596, avg price of wheat doubled. Situation made more difficult because poor transport meant harder to move supplies from areas of surplus. 1595-97 death rate increased 50%.
• Government passed a series of laws to deal with problem of poverty and also introduced measured to keep land under cultivation and prevent depopulation and destruction of farms
• Regular reports of relatively low-level grumbling.
• Food riots in Kent in 1595 and in Somerset, Sussex, and Norfolk over the next 3 years.
• In the 1590s, there were approx. 1 million more people than there had been in 1540s, which exacerbated the effects of poor harvests.
• The bad harvests and overpopulation led to increased poverty and vagrancy. Censuses show that in 3 Kent parishes, nearly 12% of people couldn’t support themselves in 1598. This led to increased thieving, with more thieves being hanged by JPs.
• The Oxfordshire Rising in Nov 1596 – a protests against enclosures, caused by the economic downturn. The ringleaders planned to seize guns and then march on London to link up with malcontent apprentices. The 5 ringleaders were charged with treason, but in 1597, the Tillage Act was passed to reverse the enclosure carried out since 1588 – official recognition of the problem.
• Even though it came to nothing and no violence had taken place and nobody of any sort of social standing had been implicated. Clearly then, this response implies that the Privy Council felt the stability of the country to be in danger?
• London 1596 – the govt had to abandon its attempts to collect ship money, while in Suffolk the JPs proceeded very slowly in collecting it.
• Apprentices regularly rioted in London, protests on tower hill leading to youths being hanged there.
• In the final parliament of 1601, Cecil argued that a grant of £300,000 was essential as there was a deficit of £140,000.  Also, the goose fair cancelled in 1593 due to A’s.
• Issues with Spain caused more financial issues: 1) £4.5 was the total expenditure of war inc £2million  in Ireland. Only half was met by Parliamentary grants and Liz was forced to sell crown lands and also considered selling some jewellery and the situation was so bad. She reduced expenditure at court, particularly on patronage, and kept positions vacant to avoid paying salaries. Bad as the lack of patronage encouraged bribery and corruption, and played a role in issuing of monopolies. 2) Supporting Henry of Navarre and the Dutch rebels, consumed large amounts of money, giving Henry £20,000 in 1589 (not expecting a return) and sending 10,000 troops in 1590-91.
• The 1597 parliament considered a bill to preserve land under cultivation and another to prevent depopulation and destruction of farms.
• The Privy Council forbade the export of grain and gentlemen were ordered to keep fewer dogs, as a hope keep money in the country.
• Better harvests after 1598 led to a surprisingly rapid economic recovery.
• The Oxfordshire rising was hardly a serious threat. The ringleaders were young men who lacked status in their community, and their apparent readiness to violence alarmed some. Only four actually turned up to Enslow Hill.
• T he Privy council had adopted measured because it feared the type of rebellion that characterised Somersets regime. Those type of rebellions did not take place: indeed, even if food riots were limited in scale and frequency. But this does not mean that their measures explain the lack of disorder. We might conclude that the real distress was limited in place and time and that the Privy Council fell victim to paranoia. However, given the popular risings were often led by discontented lesser gentry or the ‘middling sort’, it may be the real success of the late Elizabethan government lies in the way it unintentionally encouraged the middling sort to identify with the ruling classes.
• The social issues had a big effect on the economy.  
• Although monopolies and war were important issues, the combination of social and economic issues and the way that they negatively impacted each other, as well as exacerbating the others, means that, in my opinion, they were the main reason for discontent.

Document Details

• Author Type Student
• Word Count 3396
• Page Count 5
• Level AS and A Level
• Subject History
• Type of work Homework assignment

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