110 Modern History Topics for Academic Writing

Are you a history student confused about what topic to choose for your research paper? If yes, then without any hesitation, focus on modern history topics. Working on a topic related to modern history will be exciting for you. Furthermore, you may gain new experience while researching an event that happened during the modern age.

In general, the modern history is classified into three eras. They are Early Modern Period (1500-1750), Late Modern Period (1750-1945), Contemporary Period (1945-present). So, when it comes to writing a modern history research paper, you may choose any topic associated with these eras. If you are unsure what research topic to select for your modern history thesis, then this blog is for you. Here, for academic writing, we have suggested 110 remarkable modern topics related to different centuries and regions. Also, we have recommended some key tips for modern history research paper topic selection. Explore this blog and get exclusive ideas for your research paper on modern history.

How to Select a Modern History Research Paper Topic

It has never been so simple to choose the proper and practical ideas for a successful paper. However, by following the tips suggested here, you may quickly identify the right topic for your modern history research paper.

• First, determine the historical period or era and the country or region that you are interested in concentrating on. Then, choose a topic related to them. Working on a topic you are passionate about will help you to create an academic paper with a lot of joy. For instance, your topic can be related to an event that happened during the 17^th century in the USA.
• Choose an intriguing research topic with a lot of reliable sources to conduct research.
• The topic you select should allow you to research and discuss the major points within the deadline.
• Never choose a too-wide or too narrow topic from modern history.
• Make sure to pick a modern history research topic that contains several pieces of evidence to prove your thesis statement.
• It is good to give preference to a topic that focuses on untouched areas of modern history.
• Avoid selecting a topic with no or less research scope.
• Finalize the topic only if it meets the research paper writing guidelines of your university.

Also, it is advisable to get approval for the topic from the supervisor before composing the academic paper.

Modern World History Topics

Modern world history refers to the global events, trends, and transformations from the 16th century to the present. It encompasses colonialism, industrialization, world wars, technological advancements, and social movements that shape our contemporary world. For creating your history research paper, you may consider any of these modern world history research topics and ideas.

16th-17th Centuries

If you are curious about exploring the history of the modern world during the 16^th and 17^th centuries, then for your study, you may concentrate on any of these topics.

1. Religious allegory in Renaissance art.
2. The Qing Dynasty in China.
3. The expansion of Daoism in the latter years of the Qing dynasty.
4. How did Buddhism come to be an instrument in the change of the Chinese Empire?
5. The Catholic church of the 17th century: historical veracity vs horizon extension.
6. How have human rights changed through time and been violated in the modern era?
7. The Ottoman-Safavid War, which lasted from 1623 to 1639 and pitted the Ottoman Empire against Safavid Persia.
8. How did the Qing dynasty change throughout time?
9. What periods make up the Renaissance?

Also read: Best Art History Thesis Topics to Deal With

18th-19th Centuries

Are you excited to research a topic of modern world history from the 18th or 19th century? If yes, you may analyze and write about significant events such as the American and French Revolutions, the Industrial Revolution, the abolition of slavery, or any of the study topics presented here.

1. The Industrial Revolution and beyond changes in culture, employment, and society.
2. What function did trade unions serve in the 18th and 19th centuries?
3. The 1877–1878 Russo–Turkish War.
4. The advancement of science has characterized the scientific revolution.
5. Westernization of Japan in Fukuzawa Yukichi’s history.
6. Describe the history of the Industrial Revolution briefly.
7. What were the pillars of scientific progress?
8. How did the empire come to be? Who ruled during that time?
9. Which areas of social studies saw the biggest advancement during the 16th and 17th centuries?
10. Consider the conflict’s root causes. What results did the Taiping Rebellion produce?

20th Century

In this section, we have shared a list of amazing research topics from modern world history in the 20^th century. From the list, select any topic of your interest and prepare your history research paper.

1. World War I origins (how and why the war started)
2. World War II’s positive and negative repercussions
3. What is the heritage of the Soviet Union?
4. Cold War major aspects and events
5. Feminist Movement in Canada.
6. The communist party in the Soviet Union and China.
7. The major causes of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States.
8. What is the King–Byng affair?
9. Examine the beginning of the Chinese democratic movement.
10. Examine the differences and similarities of the two world wars.

European Modern History Topics for Research

European modern history spans from the 16th to the 20th century. During that period, the Enlightenment, Industrial Revolution, Imperialism, World Wars, Cold War, and European unification all shaped the continent’s politics, economy, societies, and cultures. In your history research paper, you may explore any of these topics on European modern history.

16th-17th Centuries

If you wish to explore the modern history of Europe between the 16th and 17th centuries, then you may select a study topic on the Protestant Reformation, English Civil War, Glorious Revolution, Treaty of Westphalia, or other research ideas recommended here

1. European Christianity and its decline from the 16th century.
2. The significance of Martin Luther and the protestant reformation in the history of Western civilization.
3. Age of Discovery in Europe.
4. How and in what ways did the use of print change the lives of early modern Europeans?
5. The Spanish Armada: Britain and Spain in Battle of the Seas.
6. The centers of Christianity placement: a European approach to Christianity spreading.
7. How did the Enlightenment philosophy affect Europe’s religions in the 16th and 17th centuries?
8. Discuss an account of Columbus’ voyage.
9. Indicate the origins of the war. What were the outcomes of the war?
10. Analyze the casualties and diseases caused by the Thirty Years War.
11. Discuss the spreading of the reformation in Europe.
12. Who were the key players in the Reformation era? What was the effect of reformation on the arts?

Also read: Who Invented Exams? Know the History of Examination

18th-19th Centuries

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the French Revolution, Napoleonic Wars, Congress of Vienna, Industrial Revolution, unification of Germany and Italy, Revolutions of 1848, and the rise of the British Empire all transformed Europe. For creating your research paper on European modern history, then you will find these study topics helpful.

1. Napoleon’s rule and the French Revolution.
2. Napoleon’s French army, 1800–1808: military culture and motivation
3. The top 25 European intellectuals of the Enlightenment Period.
4. The British Empire and world affairs, number 26.
5. Napoleon Bonaparte’s accomplishments and shortcomings.
6. Napoleon, a young man who ruined the French Revolution, was number 28.
7. Do a little biographical study on James Cook. What was the Irish Rebellion’s history?
8. What were the Irish Rebellion’s good and bad effects?
9. Consider the legislation created during the Culture War and the timing.
10. The development of science between the 18th and 19th centuries.

20th Century

Would you like to prepare your research paper on 20^th-century European modern history? If so, then for your assignment, you may take into consideration any of the research paper topics and ideas that are listed here.

1. What were the critical technological advancements in Europe during World War I?
2. World War II Innovations.
3. How useful is the term ‘fascism’ when applied generically to describe the far-right in interwar Europe?
4. Role of the Woman during the Spanish Civil War.
5. Cold War Consequences for European Countries.
6. Has security been the main driver behind European integration since World War Two?
7. What is the impact of depression in Eastern Europe and on Western Europe?
8. Explain the role of the League of Nations in dealing with the Great Depression.
9. How did European poets and writers of the 20th century describe World War I and World War II in the books?
10. What are the causes of the Great Depression in Europe?
11. Briefly discuss reforms in the Eastern Europe geographical division.
12. What was the compromise of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin?
13. Analyze the consequences of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact for different countries.
14. Consider the effects on Finland, Poland, the Baltic States, and Romania. What was the outcome of the pact?
15. Discuss how these individuals contributed to the cultural flourishing in 20th-century Europe.

American Modern History Research Topics

To understand the evolution of America, you may research American modern history topics suggested here. Some important themes to focus on for American modern history study are industrialization, urbanization, immigration, imperialism, civil rights, feminism, technological innovation, and global conflicts.

16th-17th Centuries

In 16th-17th century American modern history research, you may focus on European exploration, colonization, Native American encounters, Puritanism, and so on by utilizing sources like diaries, letters, and colonial records. The following are some exclusive research topics on the 16th-17th century American modern history.

1. The Native Americans’ history.
2. Conquest and colonization of America by Europeans.
3. The importance of the process of colonization and the formation of unique cultures in America to the formation of the United States.
4. How did religion affect the pattern of colonization in America and life in those colonies?
5. Royal African Company. Why did a trading company have the greatest impact on the slave trade establishment in the USA?
6. What was the impact of European colonization on American culture?
7. What countries took part in the colonization of the USA?
8. How did the 17th century become the beginning of the slavery era in the USA?

Also read: Know the History of Who Invented Homework and Why

18th-19th Centuries

In your history research paper, you may explore 18^th-19^th American modern history themes like Westward expansion, Civil War, Slavery, Reconstruction, etc. Find here, a few 18^th-19^th century American modern history research paper topics to get started

1. American History: The Road to Civil War
2. The political reforms in 18th-century America.
3. How does American literature reflect on the events of the Civil War?
4. The Ideas of Freedom and Slavery in the American Revolution
5. Visual art of the USA. Comment on Europe as a significant influencer of American art flourishing.
6. Causes of the Civil War in the USA.
7. History of the African American Religion During the Time of Slavery
8. United States Declaration of Independence of 1776: causes and effects.
9. The Opium Trade: the new way of exporting goods from China to Britain through the USA.
10. Industrialization was the leading cause of economic growth in the 19th century.
11. The War of 1812 in American history.
12. The people’s desire to abolish slavery: a fiction or a reality?
13. Explain how the movement pushed the slavery abolishment forward.

20th Century

Some significant events from 20th-century American modern history are the World Wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Moon Landing, the Gulf War, and so on. In your modern history research paper, you may focus on any of the following 20th-century American modern history study topics.

1. Study the key events and figures from the civil rights movement.
2. Examine the rise of consumer culture in Post-War America.
3. Research the causes, consequences, and controversies surrounding the Vietnam War.
4. Explore the key issues, events, and figures that defined the Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1960s and 1970s.
5. Analyze the rise of anti-communist sentiment and government investigations during the 1950s.
6. Examine the emergence of hippie culture, the anti-war movement, and the Summer of Love.
7. Analyze the student Movement and Anti-War Protests of the 1960s
8. Write about the Great Migration and Urbanization in the Early 20th Century:
9. Analyze the impact of the Great Depression on American Politics and Society.
10. Explore the rise of the Modern Conservative Movement from the 1950s to the 1980s, including the impact of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan.
11. The American strategic culture in the Vietnam War.
12. How did Ellis Island become a hospital for the American army during World War I?

Interesting Modern History Topics

For creating a modern history research paper, choose a topic that aligns with your interest. When you work on your passionate subject, you will enjoy your study process and identify new things out of excitement. Here are some modern history research ideas that might be interesting for you to work on.

1. Why is the study of modern history critical?
2. How is modern history different from contemporary history?
3. When did modern history start and end?
4. Explain the role of liberalism through modern history.
5. How does the Printing Press affect Modern History?
6. How Modern History Changes the Family?
7. What are the essential characteristics of modern history?
8. Write about the immigration act of 1924.
9. Prepare an Essay on American modern history.
10. What is the difference between medieval history and modern history?
11. Explain the Greek and Roman Influence on Modern History

Wrapping Up

In your history research paper, you may write about any of the modern history topics suggested in the list above. Generally, when you choose a topic for your modern history research paper writing, give preference to the idea that is original, feasible, and specific. Furthermore, the topic should fall within your area of interest and meet your university guidelines. Before you craft your research paper on the chosen modern history topic, perform an in-depth analysis of it and gather the necessary ideas to prove your thesis statement. The academic paper you compose should be plagiarism-free, neatly organized, and properly cited. In case, you need expert help with writing a research paper on modern history topics, approach us. As per your specifications, the history assignment experts from our team will guide you throughout your modern history research paper creation process, starting from topic selection to editing.