For My Historical Project, I decided that I wanted to research something in History that was not always talked about when it came to History class and a standardized textbook. This prompted to explore topics early on in history and this was how I stumbled across the Vikings.
I wanted to research the Vikings because I have always thought they are pretty cool, and they are definitely one of the more interesting civilizations in history. I also knew they get a pretty bad rep and are seen as violent, so I wanted to further explore this and see if it was really true.
Throughout the early stages of the project, I had to adjust my research question and my thesis multiple times. In the beginning stages, I struggled a lot with developing a research question that was both interesting to me and that posed an argumentative question. After immense time and research, I finalized my question and decided that I wanted to research whether or not the general perception of the Vikings being nomadic barbarians overshadowed their significant contributions and advancements to society.
When I first started researching I had a hard time with how to search and what I needed to find. I received guidance from my peers and teachers and I then began researching the Vikings and gained a basic understanding of some of their achievements that had a strong impact on the world at the time. I found a lot of good information, but I really wanted to focus on topics that had an impact on society and showed the positive attributes of the Vikings. One of my most beneficial sources was a book titled The Age of the Vikings. It was written by a Yale Professor, Anders Winroth, and provides the reader a lot of professional and detailed information on the Vikings. Once I had a solid list of sources and gained as much information as possible, I started mapping out my essay with an organizer and my first draft!
Context
It is not common knowledge that the Vikings are actually responsible for lasting societal accomplishments such as shipbuilding, discovery of new territories, and inclusiveness in their culture and lifestyle. The Vikings originated from Scandinavia which included Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. They initially lived in small villages and worked as farmers and fishermen. Around the year 793 the Viking Age began when they started traveling overseas to acquire additional territories. The Vikings gained power in many European countries such as Ireland, Greenland, and England. This was the start of their impactful expansion and influence that spread across the world.
The main topics in my essay include the Viking advancements that most benefitted society. For example, their intricate shipbuilding was one of their biggest contributions because the Viking longship was created with an emphasis on speed and durability. Their designs were adopted by many other civilizations because of how powerful and effective the ships were. The Vikings also established many trade routes around Europe and are credited for discovering lands such as Ireland, England, North America, and many more. Lastly the Vikings had an inclusive culture though their democracy government system known as the Thing as well as Viking women having freedom and rights. These are just 3 of the many contributions the Vikings established during their time that had a significant impact on modern day society.
Thesis Statement: he Vikings have been neglected in our history books and their vast achievements deserve more recognition. They were not just nomadic barbarians and they found success in their innovative ways in shipbuilding, discovery of new territories, and their inclusivity in Scandinavian culture and lifestyle. The Vikings were some of the most successful and resourceful people of their time, and they positively impacted society with their contributions that can be widely seen throughout the modern world.
All throughout my essay I reference my thesis statement and my body paragraphs are giving the reader information that is relative to my research question and thesis statement. I use evidence from my research to inform the reader on the Vikings' societal benefits and provide analysis to my quotes to further explain what I am trying to say.