The exercise from class about using outlines to build an essay.

1. BUILDING AN ESSAY
Using an Outline Method

2. The Basic Outline Structure
1. Introduction
1. Contains aThesis Statement (must be an argument)
2. Also contains basic information about your main points
2. Body
1. Point #1
1. What proves your thesis? Give me a main point here
2. Where did you get this point? Lecture, the textbook, a video or reading?
3. Explain your logic
2. Point #2
1. Give me another reason to believe your argument here
2. Tell me where you got it from
3. Explain your logic
3. Point #3
1. Give me at least one more reason to buy your argument
2. Where’d you get that idea from
3. Explain your logic
3. Conclusion
1. Restate your argument
2. Recap how your three points proved that argument
3. Close out the essay
Tell me what you are going to tell me.
Tell me.
Tell me what you told me.

3. What will our (mock) essay topic be?
■ This will not be one of your essay topics for the next test, so choose wisely.
■ What was the economy like in the South after the CivilWar, and how did it change?

4. Introduction
■ What is a good thesis statement?
■ The economy in the South changed drastically after the CivilWar.
■ How can you introduce your points here without too much detail?
■ What are three main points that support your thesis?
■ Loss of a large labor force with the end of slavery
■ They attempted to industrialize
■ Heavy damage to infrastructure

5. Body: Point #1
■ What was your first point?
■ Loss of a large labor force with the end of slavery
■ How does it prove your argument?
■ The economy in the North did not rely on slavery for its labor
■ Where did you get that idea from?
■ Textbook
■ Any further explanation goes here:
■ In addition to the loss of labor in the South, many people migrated to the north to
work in industry. Industry in the North continued to grow, while the South tried to
change their economy.

6. Body: Point #2
■ What was your second point?
■ They attempted to industrialize
■ How does it prove your argument?
■ While the North had an established tradition of industrialization, the South had to
start industrializing from scratch
■ Where did you get that idea from?
■ Textbook
■ Any further explanation goes here:
■ Despite this shift from agriculture to industry, there was still a lack of labor force

7. Body: Point #3
■ What was your third point?
■ Heavy damage to infrastructure
■ How does it prove your argument?
■ Since the war was mostly fought in the South, the infrastructure was severely
damaged, including farms, roads, and railroads
■ Where did you get that idea from?
■ Textbook
■ Any further explanation goes here:
■ Reconstruction was largely funded by the economy of the North, and it quickly dies
out

8. Conclusion
■ How can you restate your thesis without copying it exactly?
■ After the war the economy of the North recovered and expanded more quickly than
the economy of the South.
■ How did your three points prove your argument?
■ The loss of labor with the end of slavery, the failed attempt to fully industrialize, and
the heavy damage to infrastructure meant that the economy in the South lagged
behind the recovery in the North.
■ How can you conclude your essay.
■ The South would continue to be at least one step behind the North for many decades
to come.

9. Our Outline
1. Introduction
1. Thesis: The economy in the South changed drastically after the Civil War.
2. Main Points: Loss of a large labor force with the end of slavery, they attempted to industrialize, heavy
damage to infrastructure.
2. Body
1. Point #1
1. Point: Loss of a large labor force with the end of slavery
2. Evidence: From the textbook reading
3. Explain: The economy in the North did not rely on slavery for its labor. In addition to the loss of labor in
the South, many people migrated to the north to work in industry. Industry in the North continued to
grow, while the South tried to change their economy.
2. Point #2
1. Point: They attempted to industrialize
2. Evidence: From the textbook reading
3. Explain: While the North had an established tradition of industrialization, the South had to start
industrializing from scratch. Despite this shift from agriculture to industry, there was still a lack of labor
force.
3. Point #3
1. Point: Heavy damage to infrastructure
2. Evidence: From the textbook reading
3. Explain: Since the war was mostly fought in the South, the infrastructure was severely damaged,
including farms, roads, and railroads. Reconstruction was largely funded by the economy of the North,
and it quickly dies out.
3. Conclusion
1. Restate: After the war the economy of the North recovered and expanded more quickly than the economy
of the South.
2. Recap: The loss of labor with the end of slavery, the failed attempt to fully industrialize, and the heavy
damage to infrastructure meant that the economy in the South lagged behind the recovery in the North.
3. Close out: The South would continue to be at least one step behind the North for many decades to come.
Tell me what you are going to
tell me.
Tell me.
Tell me what you told me.

10. Our Essay
What was the economy like in the South after the CivilWar, and how did it change?
The economy in the South changed drastically after the CivilWar.The loss of a large labor force with
the end of slavery, the failed attempt to fully industrialize, and the heavy damage to the infrastructure in the
South all kept the southern economy from growing at the same rate as the North after the war.
From the textbook reading we learned about how the loss of the labor force in the South after the
abolition of slavery severely hindered the economy from rebounding.The economy in the North did not rely
on slavery for its labor. In addition to the loss of labor in the South, many people migrated to the north to work
in industry. Industry in the North continued to grow, while the South tried to change their economy to be
more industrialized.
While the North had an established tradition of industrialization going back to the Industrial
Revolution, the South had to start industrializing from scratch. From the readings we know that while an
industrialized South was key to the idea of the “New South,” this shift from agriculture to industry was never
able to fully happen because of the lack of a significant labor force.TheWhite leaders in the South developed
all types of oppressive ways to build a labor force, including convict leasing.
Since the war was mostly fought in the South, the infrastructure was severely damaged, including
farms, roads, and railroads.According to the textbook, Reconstruction was largely funded by the more stable
economy of the North, and enthusiasm amongst politicians and taxpayers soon died out.When control over
Reconstruction was shifted back to politicians in the South, there was hardly any funding to to rebuild the
infrastructure to help the Southern economy recover.
After the war the economy of the North recovered and expanded more quickly than the economy of
the South.The loss of labor with the end of slavery, the failed attempt to fully industrialize, and the heavy
damage to infrastructure meant that the economy in the South lagged behind the recovery in the North.The
South would continue to be at least one step behind the North for many decades to come.

11. ■ This essay would be at least enough to get 45 of 50 points (an
A).
■ In order to get those last few points, try to include a few more
details (like where I included convict leasing).
■ I will be grading more strictly to the rubric on future tests, so
you will want to use these guidelines and the rubrics to make
sure you get as many points you can.
Details