How to Write an Essay About My Family History

A family comprises of people living together that form a social group within a community. The people creating this group are subject to relationships either by birth or blood, and it comprises at least two adults as parents and grandparents, together with young children. The family members have a mutual connection between them. Therefore, an essay about family history is a synopsis of an individual's social identity and the reciprocal relationship(s) he/she shares with the people living together. Learning family history is vital to understand our social status, humanity, and diversity. History keeps our memories for generations to understand who they are and their geographic origin. Having a good knowledge of family background lets you appreciate the things or sacrifices made before by grandparents to experience better things in life. An individual's roots and origin bring a sense of self-discovery. Also, writing about your family history is one way of preserving its heritage for future generations.

family history essay introductions

How to Start A Family History Essay

Outline writing, tips concerning writing a family history essay introduction, how to write body paragraphs, how to write a conclusion for a family history essay, essay revision, essay proofreading, make citations, catchy titles for an essay about family history, short example of a college essay about family history.

  • How to Get the Best Family History Essay

Buy Pre-written Essay Examples on The Topic

Use edujungles to write your essay from a scratch.

When writing an essay, there is a logical structure you must follow in giving out your arguments. A proper outline will produce an exciting presentation of every section, and it will fascinate the reader. The standard structure of an essay has an introduction, body, and conclusion. Here is an excellent example of an outline for a family history essay:

  • Introduction
  • Short family background information
  • Importance of writing about the family
  • Body (paragraphs)
  • Family members; grandparents, parents, and children
  • The community in which family resides
  • Form of livelihood
  • Conclusion (a summarizing paragraph)
  • Restating your contention
  • Summarize your key ideas
  • Provide a final comment or reflection about the essay

When writing a presentation about family history, you need to provide a hook to the readers, to make them interested to know much about the family. You can start with facts or anecdotes about grandparents; for example, how they met on the first date and opted to make a family together, you can as well describe the circumstances. You can also provide an insight into a situation by your ancestors that impacted your life experience—the other thing to include in the short background information about your family. Remember to provide a clear and debatable thesis statement that will serve as the roadmap for your discussion in the paper.

WE WILL WRITE A CUSTOM ESSAY

SPECIALLY FOR YOU

FOR ONLY $11/PAGE

465 CERTIFICATED WRITERS ONLINE

The body paragraphs contain the arguments one needs to discuss the subject topic. Every section includes the main idea or explanatory statement as the first sentence; the primary purpose is a debatable point that you need to prove. The length of a paragraph depends on the accurate measurement of ideas. In most cases, a section has about five sentences; but it can be as short or long as you want, depending on what you discuss. A paragraph has the main statement, supporting sentence(s) with evidence, and concluding sentences. When crafting the body, ensure a clear flow of ideas, connecting from one argument to the other. Transitional words, when used accordingly, can provide a nice transition and flow of ideas from one paragraph to the other. The commonly used transitional words or phrases include moreover, also, therefore, consequently, hence, thus, finally, etc.

A conclusion is as crucial as the introduction; it is the final recap of what your essay entails. The ending paragraph contains three main parts that form a full section. First, remind the audience of your thesis statement and show its relation to the essay topic. Second, provide a summary of the key arguments that you discussed in the body paragraphs. Third, it is advisable to add a final comment or general reflection about the essay. It's important to state that you should use different wording in the conclusion when restating statements and arguments. Also, remember to use signal words at the start of concluding paragraphs like in conclusion, finish, etc.

Revision is an opportunity for a student to review the content in his/her paper and identify parts that need improvement. Some students start revising as they begin drafting their essays. During revision, you need to restructure and rearrange sentences to enhance your work quality and ensure the message reaches your audience well. Revising gives you a chance to recheck whether the essay has a short main idea and a thesis statement, a specific purpose, whether the introduction is strong enough to hook the audience and organization of the article. Also, you check if there is a clear transition from one paragraph to another and ascertain if the conclusion is competent enough to emphasize the purpose of the paper.

Nothing is more frustrating than submitting an essay to earn dismal grade due to silly common mistakes. Proofreading is an essential stage in the editing process. It is an opportunity for reviewing the paper, identifying and correcting common mistakes such as typos, punctuation, grammatical errors, etc. Since proofreading is the final part of the editing, proofread only after finishing the other editing stages like revision. It is advisable to get help from another pair of eyes; you can send the paper to your friend to help you in the same process. There are online proofreading tools such as Grammarly and Hemingway, which you can use to proofread, but you should not only rely on grammar checkers. Remember to proofread the document at least three times.

Making citations is an essential way of keeping references for the sources of content you used. As you are editing, you may make several changes to the document. Do not forget to correctly provide citations for every fact or quote you obtained from other sources. There are different citation formats such as APA, MLA, etc.; therefore, you need to ensure correct usage of quotes depending on the requirement by your professor. The sources you cite present the list of references or bibliography at the end of your essay for easy reference.

  • Generation to Generation
  • The Origin of My Family
  • Our Circle and Family Heritage
  • A Lifetime of Love
  • Because of Two Lovebirds, I Am Here
  • The Family Archives
  • The Family Ties
  • Branches of The Family Tree
  • The Generational Genes
  • Forever as a Family
  • It All Started with a Date
  • Bits of Yesteryears

short essay about my family history

Would you want to know how it all started until here? My grandpa told me that he met my grandma at a concert where one of the greatest artists was performing during one of the summer holidays in New York City. As he was dancing alone, my grandpa approached a beautiful lady (who would become his soulmate) to ask her to dance together. They later agreed to meet for a dinner date. Our family lives in New York. Undoubtedly, this is the best family, and it's an honor to be part of it.

Every person has two sides within his/her family; my paternal side originates from Canada, while the maternal side is from America. Although my great grandfather comes from Canada, my grandpa and grandma live in New York. My grandfather is Afro-American who worked as a bartender, no wonder he loved concerts! My father works as a conservationist for aquatic fauna while my mother works in the bakery. My mother and father met in a supermarket when they were both doing shopping.

Although we live in the same city, my grandparents have their apartment, a distance from ours. We live as a family of five; dad, mum, and three children. As we all live in the same city, we (me and my two sisters) occasionally visit our grandparents during the weekends to spend some time with them; grandpa and I were doing some gardening while my sisters and grandma do cook and other house chores. The bond between our great parents and ours is very excellent.

At Christmas, all my children, mum, and dad travel to our grandparents for a whole week. During the new year, we get together at our house, my parent's house, to welcome the year as an entire family. Sometimes during the weekends, we usually spend most of our time on the beach swimming, except on church days. As a family, our favorite food is deep-fried fish, rice, and vegetables. However, my grandpa likes chicken hash.

In conclusion, the social co-existence between us is excellent, which has created a robust mutual bond for the family. From visiting each other, spending time on the beach, having to get together meals to usher the new year, and celebrating Christmas as a family, the bond keeps growing. I am privileged to be part of such a great family.

How to Get the Best Family History Essay?

Every student would want to produce the best essay possible to earn a better grade. One way of getting information is through previously written materials such as essay samples. Pre-written essay samples have become popular recently among college students due to the vital information they offer. There are several sites, such as Essay Kitchen, that provide pre-written essays on family history at affordable prices. Students can use the essay samples to obtain enough content and idea about paper outline the professor expect; thus, producing a quality article.

Essay writing is a daunting experience for most college students. The academic pressure, coupled with a lot of other activities, makes the whole experience an ordeal. Some students have a lot of responsibilities and find themselves with limited time to handle their academic essays. Consequently, the students use online essay writing service 12 hours at Edu Jungles to write my essay for me at an affordable rate.

family history essay introductions

Knowing your family history is very important. It enables one to self-discover himself within the society and appreciate the lineage. When you learn about your family's past, you will understand the things you see and experience today. Writing an essay on family history requires a lot of understanding and attention to the aspects you need to describe. The critical factor being family background, then understanding how you need to structure and jot down your ideas.

EduJungles.com - Essay Writing Service

We use cookies. Read about how we use cookies and how you can control them by clicking cookie policy .

How to Write Your Family History

  • Genealogy Fun
  • Vital Records Around the World
  • American History
  • African American History
  • African History
  • Ancient History and Culture
  • Asian History
  • European History
  • Latin American History
  • Medieval & Renaissance History
  • Military History
  • The 20th Century
  • Women's History

Choose a Format

Define the scope, set realistic deadlines.

  • Choose a Plot and Themes

Do Your Background Research

  • Don't Be Afraid to Use Records and Documents

Include an Index and Source Citations

  • Certificate in Genealogical Research, Boston University
  • B.A., Carnegie Mellon University

Writing a family history may seem like a daunting task, but when the relatives start nagging, you can follow these five easy steps to make your family history project a reality.

What do you envision for your family history project? A simple photocopied booklet shared only with family members or a full-scale, hard-bound book to serve as a reference for other genealogists? Perhaps you'd rather produce a family newsletter, cookbook, or website. Now is the time to be honest with yourself about the type of family history that meetings your needs and your schedule. Otherwise, you'll have a half-finished product nagging you for years to come.

Considering your interests, potential audience, and the types of materials you have to work with, here are some forms your family history can take:

  • Memoir/Narrative: A combination of story and personal experience, memoirs, and narratives do not need to be all-inclusive or objective. Memoirs usually focus on a specific episode or time period in the life of a single ancestor, while a narrative generally encompasses a group of ancestors.
  • Cookbook: Share your family's favorite recipes while writing about the people who created them. A fun project to assemble, cookbooks help carry on the family tradition of cooking and eating together.
  • Scrapbook or Album: If you're fortunate enough to have a large collection of family photos and memorabilia, a scrapbook or photo album can be a fun way to tell your family's story. Include your photos in chronological order and include stories, descriptions, and family trees to complement the pictures.

Most family histories are generally narrative in nature, with a combination of personal stories, photos, and family trees.

Do you intend to write mostly about just one particular relative, or everyone in your family tree ? As the author, you need to choose a focus for your family history book. Some possibilities include:

  • Single Line of Descent:  Begin with the earliest known ancestor for a particular surname and follows him/her through a single line of descent (to yourself, for example). Each chapter of your book would cover one ancestor or generation.
  • All Descendants Of...:  Begin with an individual or couple and cover all of their descendants, with chapters organized by generation. If you're focusing your family history on an immigrant ancestor, this is a good way to go.
  • Grandparents:  Include a section on each of your four grandparents, or eight great-grandparents, or sixteen great-great-grandparents if you are feeling ambitious. Each individual section should focus on one grandparent and work backward through their ancestry or forward from his/her earliest known ancestor.

Again, these suggestions can easily be adapted to fit your interests, time constraints, and creativity.

Even though you'll likely find yourself scrambling to meet them, deadlines force you to complete each stage of your project. The goal here is to get each piece done within a specified time frame. Revising and polishing can always be done later. The best way to meet these deadlines is to schedule writing time, just as you would a visit to the doctor or the hairdresser.

Choose a Plot and Themes

Thinking of your ancestors as characters in your family story, ask yourself: what problems and obstacles did they face? A plot gives your family history interest and focus. Popular family history plots and themes include:

  • Immigration/Migration
  • Rags to Riches
  • Pioneer or Farm Life
  • War Survival

If you want your family history to read more like a suspense novel than a dull, dry textbook, it is important to make the reader feel like an eyewitness to your family's life. Even when your ancestors didn't leave accounts of their daily lives, social histories can help you learn about the experiences of people in a given time and place. Read town and city histories to learn what life was life during certain periods of interest.  Research timelines  of wars, natural disasters, and epidemics to see if any might have influenced your ancestors. Read up on the fashions, art, transportation, and common foods of the time. If you haven't already, be sure to interview all of your living relatives. Family stories told in a relative's own words will add a personal touch to your book.

Don't Be Afraid to Use Records and Documents

Photos, pedigree charts, maps, and other illustrations can also add interest to family history and help break up the writing into manageable chunks for the reader. Be sure to include detailed captions for any photos or illustrations that you incorporate.

Source citations are an essential part of any family book, to both provide credibility to your research, and to leave a trail that others can follow to verify your findings.

  • Celebrate Family History Month and Explore Your Lineage
  • Scrapbooking Your Family History
  • 5 Great Ways to Share Your Family History
  • Fun Family History Activities for Family Reunions
  • Tracing Your Family Medical History
  • 8 Places to Put Your Family Tree Online
  • Best Things to Make With Desktop Publishing Software
  • How Are Cousins Related?
  • Creating a Digital Scrapbook on Your Computer
  • What Is an Autobiography?
  • 10 Fabulous Sources for Family History Books Online
  • Publishing Your Family History Book
  • Filling out Genealogical Forms
  • Make Your Own Family Photo Calendar
  • Make a Memory Book for Your Family
  • Family Tree Lesson Plans

Family Tree Magazine

ADVERTISEMENT

9 Tips for Getting Started on Writing Your Family History

Sign up for the Family Tree Newsletter Plus, you’ll receive our 10 Essential Genealogy Research Forms PDF as a special thank you!

Get Your Free Genealogy Forms

" * " indicates required fields

family history essay introductions

Written by Diane Haddad, unless otherwise noted.

Once you’ve been doing genealogy research for a while, and you have a family tree or a computer hard drive or a filing cabinet with a bunch of notes and old records, you might wonder what to do with it all. Or perhaps you’ve always harbored the dream of sharing your family history, and you’re not sure how.

It’s a hard truth: Few people have much use for an unstructured assortment of documents and computer files. Even folks who are curious about their family history—and that describes most I’ve met—aren’t likely to sort through your research and rebuild the store of knowledge you’ve amassed over years.

family history essay introductions

If your family research is to live beyond you, you’ll need to do the work of putting it into some shareable, lasting form. That usually means summarizing your finds in writing, maybe enhanced with photos and images of interesting documents. Whether you go all-out with a self-published hardback or just pass out stapled pages at the next family reunion, you’ll create a legacy—a framework others can use to understand your family’s story and the genealogical evidence you’ve gathered.

We can’t promise the project will be a breeze, but we can promise it’ll be easier when you follow these tips and use our handy organizing worksheet.

1. Know Your Purpose

Before you begin, it’s important to know what you hope to accomplish with this writing project. Do you want to summarize all your research, share your family legacy, pass down the stories Grandpa told, tell how your family fits into local history, share the story of an ancestor or family you admire, celebrate your ethnic heritage, or something else?

A strong focus makes the project more manageable, says Sunny Jane Morton, author of Story of My Life . “A small, finished project is better than a three-volume tome that exists only in your dreams.”

Need help narrowing the scope? Morton advises looking at your research for the most compelling story or interesting person. Author Sophia Wilson, who penned an 160,000-word history of her family, started her project by writing as many family stories as she could think of, then turning them into short biographies of the people involved. She wrote every day for at least 15 minutes, but sometimes for hours at a time. Taken together, those biographies served as the starting point for her project.

Alternately, you could choose a topic that commemorates an upcoming family milestone, such as your parents’ 40th wedding anniversary. Or you might start with whatever is most doable.

Your audience is an important aspect of your goal. For a project just family will see, you might use a casual writing style, refer to relatives with familiar titles (“Great-grandpa Thornton”), and use in-text source information. If other genealogists will read your work in a newsletter, journal or published book, you’ll want a more authoritative style with an emphasis on your research process, and formal source citations in footnotes and source lists.

Think about your audience’s age (or level of maturity), too. Wilson recalls how her research turned up stories that might not be appropriate to a younger audience. “Instead of shifting the focus of my book, I decided that children could simply read the unvarnished truth once they were mature enough,” Wilson says. “Age-appropriate stories could be extracted and adapted for a younger audience, for whom I would also write at a lower reading level.”

“I kept coming back to what I wanted the project to accomplish (preserving and sharing memories for the younger generation) and letting that guide my decisions,” she says.

2. Make a Plan

An outline gives you a framework for building your project, especially if it involves multiple people or a long time span. Make a list of elements you want to include. Don’t worry about organizing the list yet.

Here’s an example for my maternal family history opus:

  • a family tree of Mom’s family
  • information about the places the family came from with a map, including why so many immigrated from each place
  • names and immigration details of all the immigrant ancestors: Henry Seeger, Eduard Thoss, Mary Mairose, Thomas Frost, Edward Norris, Elizabeth Butler, Henry Hoernemann, Anna Maria Weyer, and so on.
  • where these families settled in the United States, their jobs and their children
  • Eduard Thoss tavern in Northern Kentucky
  • info on Cincinnati Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, where so many settled
  • Dierkes boys in family cemetery plot
  • Henry Seeger’s cigar store, with photos and timeline, and two babies who died as infants
  • Thomas Frost/Mary Wolking divorce
  • Ade Thoss and the Covington Blue Sox
  • possible family connection to Windthorst, Kan.
  • death of Elizabeth Teipel Thoss and several of her children
  • Benjamin Teipel trap-shooting invention and death
  • Civil War service of Frank and Benjamin Thoss
  • firefighter Raymond Norris and Newton Tea & Spice Co. Fire
  • how Grandma and Grandpa met

Your list might cause you to rethink your project scope. For example, I’m seeing that I could divide up my project by family branches, breaking it down into smaller parts (and this is only part of my list).

When you know the topics you want to cover, arrange them in an order that makes sense to you. You could do chronological order, geographical order (group all information related to Germany, all immigration information, all second generation information), family branches one at a time, or some other arrangement. You could opt for a general overview then add several shorter profiles of specific ancestors or families.

Wilson shares how she thought about structure while planning her project:

One option would be maintaining individual biographies, organized in the book by birth year, generation or location. Or I could combine all biographies into a single narrative chronology, or even organize the stories by theme (women, farming, culture, etc.). I opted for the most straightforward and comprehensive order: chronological. With this approach, I gained a deeper understanding of how my ancestors’ lives developed over time, and how one event flowed into another.

Next, create an outline by organizing topics into sections or chapters. Read published family histories for examples. One of my favorites is Family by Ian Frazier.

3. Say It with Pictures

Pictures and graphs will engage your readers, help them follow complicated lineages and show what you’re talking about. “Plan as you go which pictures, documents, maps, charts and genealogical reports will best illustrate your narrative,” Morton advises.

Depending how many photos and documents you’ve found, you’ll want to winnow the options to those from key moments in your family history, selecting those that will reproduce well in the finished product. Consider adding transcriptions for hard-to-read or foreign-language documents.

Keep copyright in mind. If you plan to publish your work (including on a website), get permission from the copyright holder or owner of any images you didn’t create or that aren’t in your personal collection. For a quick read about understanding copyright laws, check out this article .

4. Get Organized and Utilize Apps

Now you’re ready to write. As you work, go over your records for families and people you’re writing about. Wilson developed a filing system that automatically sorted documents by individual. “I created a separate document for every event so I could easily insert new findings, titling each with the event, the date and the location,” she says. “I then grouped the documents into folders, one folder for each year.”

To help you organize source references, add in-text references with the title, author and page or record number in parentheses when you use information from a record, article, book or website. Also create a bibliography of sources as you go. This should include everything needed to find that source again: title, author, publisher or creator (such as the National Archives), publication date and place, website, etc.

Later, when your project is mostly complete, you can keep the in-text references, or number the references and create footnotes (short-form citations at the bottom of the page) or end notes (short-form citations at the end of a chapter). Include the bibliography at the end of your work. For help with source citations, use the book Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills (Genealogical Publishing Co.).

You might have a writing head start if you can pull together blog posts or short essays you’ve already written about your family history. Your genealogy software or online tree might offer a timeline you can follow, or even generate a narrative report for you. For an ambitious project or if you do a lot of writing, you might invest in software such as Scrivener . Additionally, writing apps can help you create an outline, organize and edit your story.

Read: How to Create a Genealogy Source Citation

5. Generate Ideas through Prompts and Research

If you’re still having trouble knowing what to write, try answering the family history writing prompts in a book such as Stories From My Grandparent or from Family Tree Magazine . These will help you flesh out ideas and take your family stories in new directions.

Revisit your research for story ideas, and let what you find in documents inspire you. Wilson consulted books (both digital and physical) about her ancestors’ location and ethnic group, as well as documents on genealogy websites like Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com. One book on Ancestry.com contained all the church records for her ancestors, some written by her great-great-great-grandfather’s best friend.

Wilson also revisited local histories and newspapers she had found early in her project. “Now that I was further in my research, I recognized more names and better understood the relationships among them,” she says. “People I had dismissed as “townsfolk” turned out to be in-laws and close friends of my lineal ancestors.”

6. Seek Out Help

Look for writers’ groups and classes in your community. From online groups to friends and family members, having a community you can rely on for feedback and encouragement is essential.

Reaching out can also lead to new research finds, important for sourcing the details in your stories. Wilson connected with other family historians, as well as genealogical societies and libraries (who scanned entire chapters of reference books for her to consult). One cousin-in-law even sent her photos and a relevant family keepsake they found on eBay.

7. Begin in the Middle

Don’t let the “how to start” roadblock stall your project right out of the gate. If you don’t know how to begin, just start writing a story you like—maybe it’s about an ancestor’s immigration, military service or venture to the wrong side of the law. The words will flow from there.

“My goal wasn’t perfection, just to get memories on the page,” Wilson says about her first step of writing family biographies. “I didn’t waste time checking spelling and grammar—that would come later.” An interesting or dramatic event is often the best way to begin a story, anyway. Remember, you’re not carving in stone: You can always rearrange things later.

8. Write Naturally

If you’re writing for relatives, pretend you’re telling your family story to a friend. If you’re writing for a publication, tailor your work to that publication’s style.

Wilson had to wrestle with how to balance facts she found in her research with storytelling. “I thought of how much I hated history class growing up—all those names-places-dates to memorize, and no story to latch onto,” Wilson says. “I resolved to … strive for historical accuracy without resorting to the dry tone of a textbook.”

9. Take Your Time

A deadline can motivate you, but give yourself plenty of time. You want this project to add fulfillment to your family research, not cause stress. Start now and work on your writing project a little at a time, once a week or every evening if you can manage it. Imagine where you’ll be a year from now.

A version of this article appeared in the December 2018 issue of Family Tree Magazine , written by Diane Haddad. Sophia Wilson’s article on the steps she took to write her family history narrative appeared in the March/April 2022 issue of Family Tree Magazine .

Related Reads

family history essay introductions

Editors of Family Tree Magazine

related articles

7 creative forms for sharing your family history.

family history essay introductions

Storytelling, Writing

How to create an outline for writing an interesting family history.

family history essay introductions

Storytelling

How to share family history stories on the big genealogy websites.

family history essay introductions

Ancestry, FamilySearch, MyHeritage, Storytelling

10 story-building strategies from the finding your roots team.

family history essay introductions

Genealogy Writing

family history essay introductions

Have you been trying to find a way to share your family history research with others, but don’t know where to start?

Genealogy and writing go hand-in-hand, and there are many ways to express and organize your family tree discoveries on paper!

This article will introduce and compare several different types of genealogy writing projects, provide some important tips, and include a list of helpful references to learn how to write a family history.

Why you should start writing now

There are numerous benefits to organizing your research findings through a writing project. Writing allows you to share your discoveries with family and friends. Other genealogists and enthusiasts may enjoy reading your work, or find value for their own brick wall research.  Writing down your findings allows you to organize your thoughts and preserve your family history for future generations.

Writing is a natural part of the research process and is an excellent way to sharpen your skills.  It can help you notice unresolved conflicts- for example, a birth or death date for an ancestor not matching between two particular records. Writing can help reveal holes in your research- for example, you may realize that you never located a marriage record for a particular couple. It also helps pinpoint unsourced facts- pieces of information that have no source attached to them, or you cannot recall where you located that information. Logging your sources and citing facts are critical components of genealogical writing and analysis.  

When drawing a conclusion about an ancestor based on your research, writing down what you know can also reveal whether you have enough evidence to support that conclusion. Did you base your assumption on information found in one source, or by studying and comparing several sources? Genealogy writing projects can help hone your analysis skills and strengthen your research abilities.

Who is the audience?

When defining the “audience” for a writing project, consider who would be most likely to enjoy reading your work or find value in it. Many genealogists choose to write family history narratives to share with family members and friends, or to inform the larger genealogical community about their work. More experienced genealogists often create case studies or proof arguments for peer review, and to help teach others about their successful research methods. Writing options such as research logs and detailed reports are usually intended for the researcher’s use or for a more limited audience.

Make sure your writing is clear and understandable, so that the reader can follow your research process step-by-step. Your family narrative must has a linear flow so the reader can follow the story. Starting with an outline can help the writing process, and having a fellow family history peer (or two) proofread your work and offer feedback is highly encouraged.

It is important to use citations in any writing project. Citations help the writer keep track of their research sources, and they help the reader understand where and how the writer gathered their information. Citations lend credibility to your work. Creating citations and footnotes may seem like an overwhelming task, but once you learn the process for creating citations, they will soon become second nature. Family historians that are ready to create their own writing projects should obtain a copy of Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace by Elizabeth Shown Mills. Evidence Explained is the go-to citation reference for professional genealogists, providing citation formats for dozens of different types of sources- from old, archived letters and manuscripts to websites and blogs. Another excellent guide is Mastering Genealogical Documentation by Tomas W. Jones. Dr. Jones breaks down the citation and documentation process in an easy-to-follow workbook that provides numerous skill-building exercises.

Types of genealogical writing projects

Next, we’ll compare several different types of family history writing projects, their uses, and how they can help your research.

First, a quick note about family tree software.

Although some family tree software programs can generate a report based on the information you input into your family tree, this type of automated data is not considered a written genealogical report. The software cannot compare evidence and draw informed conclusions; this “human” element of analysis is required to create a quality report. However, family tree software reports can be useful as a reference tool when compiling data and sources for a writing project.

Family histories and sketches

What are they – The most popular option for genealogical writing, family histories and sketches can be narrow, focusing on one ancestor’s life- or they can be broad, focusing on an entire branch of a family. Family histories can be very detailed, citing exact names and dates and tracking an ancestor’s appearance in records over a lifetime- or sketches can be a study of an ancestor or family during a particular event or period of time.

Audience – Family histories are intended to be shared with family members or other researchers. They can be published in genealogical publications and magazines as well.  Family historians love to hear interesting stories about others’ ancestors- don’t be afraid to submit your family story to your local genealogical society’s journal or magazine!

When and Why to write them- Family histories are a great option for newer family historians as they are easier to write, and can be expanded as you discover new facts. Family histories can be one of the more creative forms of genealogical writing, as you can include all of the interesting facts about an ancestor’s life. The researcher’s methodology and analysis is not usually included in a family history- the writing should only focus on the family/ancestor. Family histories are a great way to preserve your ancestor’s story and dive into the world of genealogical writing!

Research logs

What are they- Research logs are incredibly helpful, as they help keep track of where you have researched and what you found. Logs help you avoid duplicating research and aid in planning future searches, whether online or at a repository. Research logs are not intended to be a finished, polished product; they are used as a reference and tracking tool.

Audience- Usually only for the researcher, unless you are doing research for someone else- in which case you should be logging your work to include as part of a research report.

When and Why to write them- It is a good habit to utilize a research log anytime you are conducting research. Logs can help you make the most of your research time, and they are also valuable as a quick reference when creating citations. Logs can be as simple as a spreadsheet listing the date, where you went, and the results you found- or you can find links to many various and customizable research logs and forms on the FamilySearch Wiki .

Research reports

What are they- The goal of a research report is to answer a specific genealogical research question. Finished reports provide a summary of the research conducted, a list of sources used, and recommendations for additional research. Research reports are most often used by professional genealogists as a finished product for their clients, but they can be helpful for the genealogist’s own research goals as well.

Audience – Reports are usually intended for a select person or group, and they should be a neat, finished product. Sources should be presented in a bibliography, and facts stated in the summary should be cited. Reports created just for personal use should also be neatly written, to help you easily reference past research and gather thoughts and ideas for future research.

When and Why to write them – Reports are always a good option when conducting research for others who just want a particular question answered- for example, when and where a particular couple married. Research reports “stick to the facts” and do not usually provide a lot of narrative or speculative details. For those that are wary of taking on a broader family history narrative, a research report that focuses on a particular fact of an ancestor’s life may be a great option.

Proof arguments & proof summaries

What are they- Proof arguments and proof summaries are written by genealogists to help support their conclusions about a specific ancestral fact.Proofs focus on the analysis and methodology aspect of genealogical research, not on the ancestor’s life narrative. Proofs help to demonstrate that the genealogist conducted thorough and sound research, which is part of the Genealogical Proof Standard- the process followed by professional genealogists to reach a sound research conclusion.

A proof summary is used when there is no conflicting evidence- for example, all sources found state that James White was born on 9 September 1760 in Groton, Connecticut. The genealogist will create a summary about the type of sources they located, the information provided within, and how they analyzed the evidence to conclude that this birth date is correct.

A proof argument is used when a genealogist finds conflicting evidence for a particular fact, and they must then “prove” that their conclusion is correct. For example, some sources state that James White was born 9 September 1760 in Groton Connecticut, but other sources state that he was born 29 September 1768. The “conflicting” evidence must be resolved- for example, was there a typo repeated in several sources? Was handwriting mis-read by a transcriber? Was some of the information secondhand or not reliable? The genealogist must provide a detailed analysis to defend their conclusion.

Audience – Proof summaries and arguments are an advanced form of genealogical writing, and require a thorough understanding of genealogical research and analysis. Proof arguments are often published in scholarly magazines such as the National Genealogical Society Quarterly so that other professionals can review and learn from the work. Writing proofs can be excellent practice for family historians so that they can better understand the analysis process and learn how to look more closely at genealogical clues.

When and Why to write them- Proof arguments are an excellent option when you stumble upon conflicting evidence and need to break down the information for further study. When all sources agree, proof summaries can help you move through the evidence step-by-step to ensure that no important information was missed. An excellent reference to learn about genealogical analysis is Mastering Genealogical Proof by Thomas W. Jones. Similar to Mastering Genealogical Documentation, this workbook provides work study examples and plenty of writing exercises, to help the reader grasp the components of the Genealogical Proof Standard.

Case studies

What are they- Think of them as a family sketch and proof summary/argument combined. Case studies are narratives with a purpose- they demonstrate how a genealogist overcame a brick wall. Case studies are very helpful as a learning tool for others who may be stuck in a similar situation with their own research.

Audience- Case studies are intended to be teaching articles for others to read and learn. As such, they should be well polished, well analyzed, and include citations. It is recommended that other genealogists proofread your work to make sure that the article is easy to follow and the research process is accurate- you want to make sure that readers can retrace your steps.

When and why to write them- Case studies are often written by seasoned professionals to demonstrate how a particularly difficult case was solved, and are often published in genealogical magazines and journals. Genealogical speakers often use case studies in their lectures as well. One thing most genealogists enjoy is sharing their discoveries to help others!

Further Reading

  • Elizabeth Shown Mills, Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace (Third Edition), published by Genealogical Publishing Company, 2015
  • Thomas W. Jones, Mastering Genealogical Documentation , published by National Genealogical Society, 2017
  • Thomas W. Jones, Mastering Genealogical Proof, published by National Genealogical Society, 2013
  • “How to Write a Genealogy Research Report,” Family Tree Magazine
  • The Board for Certification of Genealogists provides many excellent, professionally-written genealogical writing examples on their website, including research reports, case studies, and family histories.

Writing is a terrific option for genealogy professionals and hobbyists alike- and anyone can write! Don’t be afraid to start writing today to preserve your unique family story for future generations!

About the author

family history essay introductions

family history essay introductions

Family Essay: How to Write, Topics and Examples

family history essay introductions

What is Family Essay and Why is It Important

Humans have a natural desire to belong to someone, to somewhere. Families provide the comfort of knowing that someone is always thinking about you. But it is a double-edged sword, as families often breed our insecurities and mental health issues.

The controversy around the family and the ambivalent emotions they cause make it a very interesting subject to write about. Researchers from different fields and backgrounds every year publish a new study of how family relationships and dynamics affect the brain's cognitive function, emotional development, etc.

What is family essay? A paper concerned with the importance of family, the Role they play in shaping individuals, its social significance, and so on is called a family essay. Family essays bring the missing insights, helping people realize how important families are and how much family dynamics could affect members' well-being.

what is family essay

In this article, you will learn how to write an essay about family. You can discover and get inspired by the list of family essay topics our dissertation service team has prepared, and later you can read the most outstanding example of all family essay examples.

What are Some Family Essay Topics

If we had to scale the types of essays from easiest to hardest to write about and choose topics for, we'd put family essays in the piece-of-cake department.

The more we know about the subject, the easier it is to know what you want to talk about. But if you are feeling uninspired, scroll through our list of distinctive family essay topics below and choose the one that hits home.

what is family essay

Family Values Essay Topic Ideas

If you were assigned to write an essay about family, but you are confused and don't know what to write about family values essay can make a great writing experience for a beginner.

Choose from the following topics suggested by our history essay writer :

  • The significance of supporting family members through life's hardships
  • The importance of maintaining close ties with extended family members
  • The Role of empathy and Compassion as family values for an average family
  • The significance of participating in a family event for strengthening family bonds
  • Is spending quality time with your family as important as they say?
  • The benefits and challenges of maintaining strong family relationships across different generations
  • Does a large family teach younger kids kindness and generosity?
  • The importance of open communication in maintaining healthy nuclear family relationships
  • The value of forgiveness in resolving conflicts between family members
  • The Role of trust in Maintaining a healthy relationship with extended family

Consider Writing a Definition Essay on Family

If you are more comfortable with descriptive essays, you can choose to write a definition essay on family. There are endless definition essay titles about family, and you can find some of the most relevant ones on the list below:

  • What makes a group of people a family in the modern world?
  • What nuclear family means: Different perspectives and cultural variations
  • Defining the family system: the complex relationships within a family unit
  • What makes a person a family member?
  • Redefining the Concept of the nuclear family in the 21st Century
  • Exploring the core beliefs that unite family members
  • How the concept of loving family has changed throughout the history
  • Analyzing the expectations within a family unite
  • How the modern standards redefined the understating of a perfect family
  • The Role of life experiences in Shaping the opinion about what family life should look like

Family Tree Essay Topic Ideas

Finding out about your family trees and ancestral backgrounds is the new trend of our century. The academic world is also keeping up with the trend, and more and more students write essays about family.

We recommend doing a research project on family ties and writing a compelling family tree essay. Leave the broad topics behind and choose one of the following:

  • The Role of Genetics in mapping your extended family tree
  • Using family trees to connect with ancestors and descendants
  • Defining the Role of a younger brother in the family dynamic
  • Learning about your family tree through oral history
  • Uncovering extended family mysteries through genealogy
  • Tracing principal family values through the branches of your family tree
  • Discovering the legacy of your elder sister in the family tree
  • How the habits of our daily life link up to our family trees
  • Understanding the importance of documenting and preserving your family legacy
  • Navigating the world of online records and DNA testing

Explore Family Tradition Essay Ideas

We all have that one family tradition; if told to anyone outside our family, they would think we are crazy. If you want to explore such customs, you should write a family tradition essay and give it a personal touch by including your family stories in a section called paragraph about my family.

For inspiration, below you will find the 10 hottest topics about family traditions:

  • How tradition can help families cope with challenges and change
  • The importance of including family members in everyday life to uphold family traditions
  • What are some new family traditions for a small and lovely family
  • Are traditions necessary for creating a happy family?
  • How family recipes for house parties connect the whole family
  • The secret tradition to a happy family: Spend quality time with your loved ones
  • We all love when cousins visit for Christmas, or do we?
  • Should birthday parties include family members?
  • Are some family traditions getting in the way of unconditional love?
  • Do traditions bring us closer to other members of our family?

Looking for Speedy Assistance With Your College Essays?

Reach out to our skilled writers, and they'll provide you with a top-notch paper that's sure to earn an A+ grade in record time!

FAQs on Writing an Essay about Family

Family essays seem like something school children could be assigned at elementary schools, but family is no less important than climate change for our society today, and therefore it is one of the most central research themes.

Below you will find a list of frequently asked questions on family-related topics. Before you conduct research, scroll through them and find out how to write an essay about your family.

How to Write an Essay About the Importance of Family?

There are so many ways to think about the role family plays in every individual's life. Our immediate families shape our identities, negatively or positively affect our overall well-being, become our support systems, and so on. Start by choosing a fresh angle and draft an original thesis statement.

Brainstorm the arguments to support your ideas, reflect on your personal life experiences, and think of ways to include them in your writing to make it a more personal essay.

Create an outline within the academic standards. Include all the important elements of essay writing, such as an introduction, body paragraphs, and a captivating conclusion.

The introduction must include a statement. A body paragraph is where you elaborate on your chosen topic and angle. When speaking about the importance of the family, remember that every person's experience is different, and make sure to remain unbiased. Finish off your essay with a short but comprehensive conclusion, and don't forget to revise before submitting.

If you prefer college essay examples about family to a guide on how to write an essay about the importance of family, scroll down to check out an exceptional sample family essay from our research paper writer .

How to Write an Essay About Family and Roots?

This guide on how to write an essay about family and roots will help you reconnect with your family's background and understand who you are based on where you come from. You may find the origin of certain character traits, where your brown eyes come from, or maybe a history of eating disorders.

For starters, begin with mapping out your family tree. Ask your family members for help and go as back in time as possible. Essay writing is a time-consuming process, but for the best results, consult with the whole family. You may find people that know far more than you could imagine.

Once you've gone through all the archives and you are feeling positive about your own essay, choose the angel that will grab the reader's attention and organize your thoughts so the audience can follow the storyline. The family story essay is a little bit tricky to write. It might be a very well-known story for you, and you may feel the urge to skip some details but keep in mind that your readers need every detail to see the full picture.

Be bold when telling a story. Be original when writing introductions and body paragraphs. But stay old-fashioned when it comes to spell checking the text and revising grammar.

How to Write an Essay About Your Family History?

Our expert writers have prepared a guide on how to write an essay about your family history based on the frequently asked questions. Let's jump into it.

To write a personal essay, you will need to take a deep dive into your family's history. Before coming up with a certain topic, research the past well. You might find fascinating, less talked-about facts that are worth telling.

Research your family's history records, albums, and books, talk to people who were around to witness a certain story, and gather accurate information. There is no need for it to be a happy family story; just make sure it is authentic.

Once you are certain there are no more skeletons hiding in the closet, organize your thoughts. You can employ a compare and contrast essay outline to illustrate the variations and similarities within your family during various time periods. Even the personal essay needs a proper introduction. Use the body paragraphs to elucidate the main idea. Don't forget to write a conclusion. Look out for grammatical errors.

To gain a greater understanding, scroll down and take a look at our cogent example of essay about family.

How to Write an Essay About a Family Member?

If you have chosen a topic, now you need a guide on how to write an essay about a family member.

We suggest beginning by selecting a loved one who holds an important spot in your heart. This person may have had an impact on shaping you as an individual and with whom you share numerous memories.

Afterward, determine what aspect of this person you wish to showcase. Would it be narrating their story or demonstrating the connection they share with you and the kind of relationship that exists between both of you?

Once you are ready to tell the story, begin by crafting a strong introduction. Give a background introduction, who the person was, and how they relate to you. In the body paragraphs, tell it all. Not everyone dares to be bold and real in their personal essay. You can stand out by being authentic. Show the readers how this relative made you a better person or how they molded your identity.

If you are composing a my family essay in English as a non-native speaker, it's important to take extra precautions. Before submitting, edit and revise. Read the paper again to ensure that it is coherent and free of grammatical errors.

Example of Essay about Family

To provide a clearer understanding, our team of proficient writers has undertaken the task of creating a family essay example that delves deeper into the subject matter.

Through our meticulously crafted example, you can explore and grasp the nuances involved in crafting great family essays that are not only well-written but also thought-provoking and impactful.

Final Words

Family essays offer a plethora of opportunities to showcase students' academic ability or creativity by sharing poignant and sentimental stories. It is important, however, to adhere to the expected academic standards while writing on these topics.

Get inspired by the extensive list of topics our ' do my essay for me ' writers have offered and start an introspective journey. Following guidelines, as mentioned earlier, and meticulously revising all aspects are crucial components that cannot be overlooked in order to deliver an exceptional piece of work.

In case you find yourself struggling with inspiration or grappling with any aspect related to family essays, don't hesitate - Let our professional essay service team take care of your college essays and guide you towards becoming an exemplary student!

Having Trouble with Your Essay on the Family?

Our expert writers are committed to providing you with the best service possible in no time!

Related Articles

How to Write a Concept Paper: Easy Guide for Students

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Family History — My Family History: A Comprehensive Report

test_template

My Family History: a Comprehensive Report

  • Categories: Family History Family Values

About this sample

close

Words: 3024 |

16 min read

Published: Mar 28, 2023

Words: 3024 | Pages: 7 | 16 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, maternal great grandparents.

Image of Dr. Oliver Johnson

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

  • 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
  • Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

author

Verified writer

  • Expert in: Life

writer

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 978 words

2 pages / 1039 words

2.5 pages / 1213 words

2.5 pages / 1077 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Family History

McGoldrick, M., Gerson, R., & Shellenberger, S. (Eds.). (2014). Genograms: Assessment and Intervention. Routledge.Pedersen, P. B., & Draguns, J. G. (2001). Counseling across cultures (5th ed.). Sage Publications.Potts, M., & [...]

McAuliffe, G. J. (2007). Culturally Alert Counseling: A Comprehensive Introduction. SAGE Publications.   

All in all, this project has enabled me to see where these characteristic patterns are in the history of my family while at the same time recognizing how the role of the environment has influenced my family. It was nice to look [...]

Payne, M. (2014). Modern Social Work Theory. Oxford University Press.Nkomo, N., Dube, K., & Khosa, G. (2018). Social Workers’ Intervention Strategies to Strengthen the Family Resilience of Children Living in Poverty. Social [...]

In this essay I am going to explain my family history. It is almost a tradition to go into the army, or into different areas related to that, like the Marines, in my family. My uncle, my mother’s father, my great grandfather, [...]

I was born in central Africa(Cameroon) in a small city called Bamenda a very rough and challenging community, an environment which the leaders are corrupt, fighting between the francophone and the Anglophone to stay [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

  • Instructions Followed To The Letter
  • Deadlines Met At Every Stage
  • Unique And Plagiarism Free

family history essay introductions

Basic Tricks

  • Thesis writers online

Composing a strong essay introduction about your family history

So, you’ve been assigned to write a family history essay. You have done your research and questioned your relatives about your ancestors, but now you do not know what to do with all that information, or how to put it all together. More importantly, you do not know how to write your introduction paragraph! You needn’t worry, read our guidelines and get prepared to rock your family culture essay!

  • Doing the right research Gathering information about your ancestors could seem daunting, but it is easier that you might think. True, it takes some time to get all the pieces glued together, but if you do it right it can be very interesting, and it will give you a better appreciation of things you take for granted. Try to understand how your family today has what it has, and what sacrifices were made back then for your family to live the life you have now. Be grateful for the work of your grandparents, and your great-grandparents. When gathering information about your family tree, try to focus on unique life stories rather than on dates, years, and just relations. Finding out details about your ancestors can be fun and writing about their life stories in your homework will make your paper more interesting to read. Start with your parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents, etc. Hearing stories about themselves and their stories about your great grandparents is often much more engaging than finding a family tree online, or reading about them from your family diaries.
  • Structuring your paper The structure of the “essay on my family” is similar to any other. There should be an introduction paragraph in which you will grab your reader’s attention and make them want to continue reading your story. Then compose body paragraphs, which can be divided depending on how you choose to write about your family. For example, you can devote each paragraph to a member of your family, where you will write a short text about an interesting detail from their life and their impact on your family’s life today. Using graphs in your family culture essay is almost a must, so either ask someone to help you craft your family tree with the help of the internet. Using various data throughout your essay will make it more of a research assignment, than a story about your family. Decide which direction you want to take, and go ahead and write. In the end, write a conclusion paragraph.
  • The introduction paragraph And now, the most important tip. How to put together an amazing introduction paragraph? An introduction paragraph that will snatch your readers’ attention? Here are some of the best ways to do it properly: 1) Start with an anecdote from your grandma or grandpa. For example, write how they first met and decided to have a family together, describe the circumstances, etc. 2) Describe a situation in which you realized how much your ancestors affected your life and why. 3) If there is an interesting background (and there must be) to one of your ancestor’s story about starting his business, or building his first house, or moving from one country to another, write about that in a way that defines the tone of your paper. 4) If one of your relatives was a famous person, you could begin by telling the story about him/ her. 5) Maybe there is a forbidden love story about your great grandparents? One of them was poor and the other one rich, but they decided to get married despite their families’ differences? Begin with that!

Every homework demands attention and time to get finished and done properly. Approach this one with an open mind, and you won’t lack a terrific paper in the end!

© All Rights Reserved | CocaleroFilm.com | Free college essay writing help.

My Family History Essay Example

Family history is a journey that can take many different shapes. For some, it’s the story of how they became who they are today. For others, it might be simple curiosity about their roots or where their last name came from. It could also be an investigation into family secrets and mysteries for those with a more adventurous personality.

Writing an essay on family history is really challenging when it comes to describing every important aspect of it. That is why the essay sample serves an important purpose for the students here.

Essay Sample on My Family History

  • Thesis Statement of My Family History Essay
  • Introduction of My Family History Essay
  • How Did Our Family use to live under a Single Roof?
  • What are the Values that we learn by living in Joint Family?
  • Causes that Separated the Family into little pieces
Thesis Statement of My Family History Essay This essay talks about my joint family or family tree in which we used to have a lot of fun and enjoy being together. Various glimpses of this happiness of togetherness is described in the essay below. Introduction of My Family History Essay Like every other family, we have our own family history which is illustrated herein details to the readers. The essay talks about how we used to live under a single roof and we have no need to set appointments to ask our elders for dinner. These joys of togetherness bring certain values in us as well like how to be happy among the people of different nature and hope. What is the result of being in togetherness that could be found in this essay? Readers will come to know about the instances that separate us from a joint family to a nuclear family in recent times. Main Body of My Family History Essay Here a detailed description of the family history is given to let you know about the era of happiness that used to exist in our life. Each and every single detail is given in this essay for better clarity of things. How Did Our Family use to live under a Single Roof? It dates back to the days when we were small kids and our grandmother used to feed us with a variety of dishes. Every day was like a festival for us as we were not supposed to go out for school and used to sit in the vicinity of our grandmother to listen to the different stories from her. We used to dine together and no one was supposed to watch television at the time of food. This is how we were spending our days happily. My parents were also very melodious towards us and everyone who visits our home at that time was bringing some refreshments to us. Hire USA Experts for My Family History Essay Order Now What are the Values that we learn by living in Joint Family? The joint family not only gave us happiness but at the same time, we adopt many values from our elders as well. For instance, living happily and ignoring the mistakes of others is the most important feature of residing in a joint family. That is what happened to us. We never fight with each other our siblings and always used to abide by the instructions of the parents whatever they ask us to do. More patience, compromise for small things, and becoming happy in the joy of others are some important things that we gained from our family history. The roots of love between the family members could easily be traced in those days. Causes that Separated the Family into little pieces As well said by a great philosopher that every good thing comes to an end eventually similar happened in our case as well. My grandmother died of cholera and we remain behind with the parents. As our age was gradually increasing we were sent to a school where the boring routine makes us remind of the old days and then the pressure of study starts suppressing our joy of being with the grandmother. We used to miss her for the entire long day, be that in the school hours or in the evening. Even the parents fail to continue the same routine of dining together owing to their jobs and all that we find around us was chaos in life. Buy Customized Essay on My Family History At Cheapest Price Order Now Conclusion The above essay draws a conclusion that it is a very positive thing to live in a joint family as it teaches values to us. But at the same time due to time constraints and technology-driven lifestyle we cannot suppose to cope up our life in joint families. This is how the family history has been narrated and it gives us a lesson that we should do something to save the ancient culture of staying together happily.

Get online essay writing services in just one click from Students Assignment Help

The above-written essay sample is based on my family history. If you need more free essay samples , visit our website and get narrative essay samples like About My Life Essay , Divorce Essay , Sleeping Disorder Essay and etc.

Need help finishing your essay? You can get it by hiring our experts at Students Assignment Help. We know how to write an essay and we will deliver before the deadline!

We have been providing custom writing services to students from high school, college, and university levels for a long time. We provide a wide range of academic assistance including thesis writing help , coursework writing services , and research paper writing services .

Explore More Relevant Posts

  • Nike Advertisement Analysis Essay Sample
  • Mechanical Engineer Essay Example
  • Reflective Essay on Teamwork
  • Career Goals Essay Example
  • Importance of Family Essay Example
  • Causes of Teenage Depression Essay Sample
  • Red Box Competitors Essay Sample
  • Deontology Essay Example
  • Biomedical Model of Health Essay Sample-Strengths and Weaknesses
  • Effects Of Discrimination Essay Sample
  • Meaning of Freedom Essay Example
  • Women’s Rights Essay Sample
  • Employment & Labor Law USA Essay Example
  • Sonny’s Blues Essay Sample
  • COVID 19 (Corona Virus) Essay Sample
  • Why Do You Want To Be A Nurse Essay Example
  • Family Planning Essay Sample
  • Internet Boon or Bane Essay Example
  • Does Access to Condoms Prevent Teen Pregnancy Essay Sample
  • Child Abuse Essay Example
  • Disadvantage of Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) Essay Sample
  • Essay Sample On Zika Virus
  • Wonder Woman Essay Sample
  • Teenage Suicide Essay Sample
  • Primary Socialization Essay Sample In USA
  • Role Of Physics In Daily Life Essay Sample
  • Are Law Enforcement Cameras An Invasion of Privacy Essay Sample
  • Why Guns Should Not Be Banned
  • Neolithic Revolution Essay Sample
  • Home Schooling Essay Sample
  • Cosmetology Essay Sample
  • Sale Promotion Techniques Sample Essay
  • How Democratic Was Andrew Jackson Essay Sample
  • Baby Boomers Essay Sample
  • Veterans Day Essay Sample
  • Why Did Japan Attack Pearl Harbor Essay Sample
  • Component Of Criminal Justice System In USA Essay Sample
  • Self Introduction Essay Example
  • Divorce Argumentative Essay Sample
  • Bullying Essay Sample

Get Free Assignment Quote

Enter Discount Code If You Have, Else Leave Blank

family history essay introductions

How to write an introduction for a history essay

Gladiator equipment

Every essay needs to begin with an introductory paragraph. It needs to be the first paragraph the marker reads.

While your introduction paragraph might be the first of the paragraphs you write, this is not the only way to do it.

You can choose to write your introduction after you have written the rest of your essay.

This way, you will know what you have argued, and this might make writing the introduction easier.

Either approach is fine. If you do write your introduction first, ensure that you go back and refine it once you have completed your essay. 

What is an ‘introduction paragraph’?

An introductory paragraph is a single paragraph at the start of your essay that prepares your reader for the argument you are going to make in your body paragraphs .

It should provide all of the necessary historical information about your topic and clearly state your argument so that by the end of the paragraph, the marker knows how you are going to structure the rest of your essay.

In general, you should never use quotes from sources in your introduction.

Introduction paragraph structure

While your introduction paragraph does not have to be as long as your body paragraphs , it does have a specific purpose, which you must fulfil.

A well-written introduction paragraph has the following four-part structure (summarised by the acronym BHES).

B – Background sentences

H – Hypothesis

E – Elaboration sentences

S - Signpost sentence

Each of these elements are explained in further detail, with examples, below:

1. Background sentences

The first two or three sentences of your introduction should provide a general introduction to the historical topic which your essay is about. This is done so that when you state your hypothesis , your reader understands the specific point you are arguing about.

Background sentences explain the important historical period, dates, people, places, events and concepts that will be mentioned later in your essay. This information should be drawn from your background research . 

Example background sentences:

Middle Ages (Year 8 Level)

Castles were an important component of Medieval Britain from the time of the Norman conquest in 1066 until they were phased out in the 15 th and 16 th centuries. Initially introduced as wooden motte and bailey structures on geographical strongpoints, they were rapidly replaced by stone fortresses which incorporated sophisticated defensive designs to improve the defenders’ chances of surviving prolonged sieges.

WWI (Year 9 Level)

The First World War began in 1914 following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The subsequent declarations of war from most of Europe drew other countries into the conflict, including Australia. The Australian Imperial Force joined the war as part of Britain’s armed forces and were dispatched to locations in the Middle East and Western Europe.

Civil Rights (Year 10 Level)

The 1967 Referendum sought to amend the Australian Constitution in order to change the legal standing of the indigenous people in Australia. The fact that 90% of Australians voted in favour of the proposed amendments has been attributed to a series of significant events and people who were dedicated to the referendum’s success.

Ancient Rome (Year 11/12 Level)  

In the late second century BC, the Roman novus homo Gaius Marius became one of the most influential men in the Roman Republic. Marius gained this authority through his victory in the Jugurthine War, with his defeat of Jugurtha in 106 BC, and his triumph over the invading Germanic tribes in 101 BC, when he crushed the Teutones at the Battle of Aquae Sextiae (102 BC) and the Cimbri at the Battle of Vercellae (101 BC). Marius also gained great fame through his election to the consulship seven times.

2. Hypothesis

Once you have provided historical context for your essay in your background sentences, you need to state your hypothesis .

A hypothesis is a single sentence that clearly states the argument that your essay will be proving in your body paragraphs .

A good hypothesis contains both the argument and the reasons in support of your argument. 

Example hypotheses:

Medieval castles were designed with features that nullified the superior numbers of besieging armies but were ultimately made obsolete by the development of gunpowder artillery.

Australian soldiers’ opinion of the First World War changed from naïve enthusiasm to pessimistic realism as a result of the harsh realities of modern industrial warfare.

The success of the 1967 Referendum was a direct result of the efforts of First Nations leaders such as Charles Perkins, Faith Bandler and the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.

Gaius Marius was the most one of the most significant personalities in the 1 st century BC due to his effect on the political, military and social structures of the Roman state.

3. Elaboration sentences

Once you have stated your argument in your hypothesis , you need to provide particular information about how you’re going to prove your argument.

Your elaboration sentences should be one or two sentences that provide specific details about how you’re going to cover the argument in your three body paragraphs.

You might also briefly summarise two or three of your main points.

Finally, explain any important key words, phrases or concepts that you’ve used in your hypothesis, you’ll need to do this in your elaboration sentences.

Example elaboration sentences:

By the height of the Middle Ages, feudal lords were investing significant sums of money by incorporating concentric walls and guard towers to maximise their defensive potential. These developments were so successful that many medieval armies avoided sieges in the late period.

Following Britain's official declaration of war on Germany, young Australian men voluntarily enlisted into the army, which was further encouraged by government propaganda about the moral justifications for the conflict. However, following the initial engagements on the Gallipoli peninsula, enthusiasm declined.

The political activity of key indigenous figures and the formation of activism organisations focused on indigenous resulted in a wider spread of messages to the general Australian public. The generation of powerful images and speeches has been frequently cited by modern historians as crucial to the referendum results.

While Marius is best known for his military reforms, it is the subsequent impacts of this reform on the way other Romans approached the attainment of magistracies and how public expectations of military leaders changed that had the longest impacts on the late republican period.

4. Signpost sentence

The final sentence of your introduction should prepare the reader for the topic of your first body paragraph. The main purpose of this sentence is to provide cohesion between your introductory paragraph and you first body paragraph .

Therefore, a signpost sentence indicates where you will begin proving the argument that you set out in your hypothesis and usually states the importance of the first point that you’re about to make. 

Example signpost sentences:

The early development of castles is best understood when examining their military purpose.

The naïve attitudes of those who volunteered in 1914 can be clearly seen in the personal letters and diaries that they themselves wrote.

The significance of these people is evident when examining the lack of political representation the indigenous people experience in the early half of the 20 th century.

The origin of Marius’ later achievements was his military reform in 107 BC, which occurred when he was first elected as consul.

Putting it all together

Once you have written all four parts of the BHES structure, you should have a completed introduction paragraph. In the examples above, we have shown each part separately. Below you will see the completed paragraphs so that you can appreciate what an introduction should look like.

Example introduction paragraphs: 

Castles were an important component of Medieval Britain from the time of the Norman conquest in 1066 until they were phased out in the 15th and 16th centuries. Initially introduced as wooden motte and bailey structures on geographical strongpoints, they were rapidly replaced by stone fortresses which incorporated sophisticated defensive designs to improve the defenders’ chances of surviving prolonged sieges. Medieval castles were designed with features that nullified the superior numbers of besieging armies, but were ultimately made obsolete by the development of gunpowder artillery. By the height of the Middle Ages, feudal lords were investing significant sums of money by incorporating concentric walls and guard towers to maximise their defensive potential. These developments were so successful that many medieval armies avoided sieges in the late period. The early development of castles is best understood when examining their military purpose.

The First World War began in 1914 following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The subsequent declarations of war from most of Europe drew other countries into the conflict, including Australia. The Australian Imperial Force joined the war as part of Britain’s armed forces and were dispatched to locations in the Middle East and Western Europe. Australian soldiers’ opinion of the First World War changed from naïve enthusiasm to pessimistic realism as a result of the harsh realities of modern industrial warfare. Following Britain's official declaration of war on Germany, young Australian men voluntarily enlisted into the army, which was further encouraged by government propaganda about the moral justifications for the conflict. However, following the initial engagements on the Gallipoli peninsula, enthusiasm declined. The naïve attitudes of those who volunteered in 1914 can be clearly seen in the personal letters and diaries that they themselves wrote.

The 1967 Referendum sought to amend the Australian Constitution in order to change the legal standing of the indigenous people in Australia. The fact that 90% of Australians voted in favour of the proposed amendments has been attributed to a series of significant events and people who were dedicated to the referendum’s success. The success of the 1967 Referendum was a direct result of the efforts of First Nations leaders such as Charles Perkins, Faith Bandler and the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. The political activity of key indigenous figures and the formation of activism organisations focused on indigenous resulted in a wider spread of messages to the general Australian public. The generation of powerful images and speeches has been frequently cited by modern historians as crucial to the referendum results. The significance of these people is evident when examining the lack of political representation the indigenous people experience in the early half of the 20th century.

In the late second century BC, the Roman novus homo Gaius Marius became one of the most influential men in the Roman Republic. Marius gained this authority through his victory in the Jugurthine War, with his defeat of Jugurtha in 106 BC, and his triumph over the invading Germanic tribes in 101 BC, when he crushed the Teutones at the Battle of Aquae Sextiae (102 BC) and the Cimbri at the Battle of Vercellae (101 BC). Marius also gained great fame through his election to the consulship seven times. Gaius Marius was the most one of the most significant personalities in the 1st century BC due to his effect on the political, military and social structures of the Roman state. While Marius is best known for his military reforms, it is the subsequent impacts of this reform on the way other Romans approached the attainment of magistracies and how public expectations of military leaders changed that had the longest impacts on the late republican period. The origin of Marius’ later achievements was his military reform in 107 BC, which occurred when he was first elected as consul.

Additional resources

family history essay introductions

What do you need help with?

Download ready-to-use digital learning resources.

family history essay introductions

Copyright © History Skills 2014-2024.

Contact  via email

essay about leisure time activity

essay about leisure time activity

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

  • Knowledge Base
  • How to write an essay introduction | 4 steps & examples

How to Write an Essay Introduction | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on February 4, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A good introduction paragraph is an essential part of any academic essay . It sets up your argument and tells the reader what to expect.

The main goals of an introduction are to:

  • Catch your reader’s attention.
  • Give background on your topic.
  • Present your thesis statement —the central point of your essay.

This introduction example is taken from our interactive essay example on the history of Braille.

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

upload-your-document-ai-proofreader

Table of contents

Step 1: hook your reader, step 2: give background information, step 3: present your thesis statement, step 4: map your essay’s structure, step 5: check and revise, more examples of essay introductions, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.

Your first sentence sets the tone for the whole essay, so spend some time on writing an effective hook.

Avoid long, dense sentences—start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

The hook should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of the topic you’re writing about and why it’s interesting. Avoid overly broad claims or plain statements of fact.

Examples: Writing a good hook

Take a look at these examples of weak hooks and learn how to improve them.

  • Braille was an extremely important invention.
  • The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

The first sentence is a dry fact; the second sentence is more interesting, making a bold claim about exactly  why the topic is important.

  • The internet is defined as “a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities.”
  • The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education.

Avoid using a dictionary definition as your hook, especially if it’s an obvious term that everyone knows. The improved example here is still broad, but it gives us a much clearer sense of what the essay will be about.

  • Mary Shelley’s  Frankenstein is a famous book from the nineteenth century.
  • Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement.

Instead of just stating a fact that the reader already knows, the improved hook here tells us about the mainstream interpretation of the book, implying that this essay will offer a different interpretation.

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

Next, give your reader the context they need to understand your topic and argument. Depending on the subject of your essay, this might include:

  • Historical, geographical, or social context
  • An outline of the debate you’re addressing
  • A summary of relevant theories or research about the topic
  • Definitions of key terms

The information here should be broad but clearly focused and relevant to your argument. Don’t give too much detail—you can mention points that you will return to later, but save your evidence and interpretation for the main body of the essay.

How much space you need for background depends on your topic and the scope of your essay. In our Braille example, we take a few sentences to introduce the topic and sketch the social context that the essay will address:

Now it’s time to narrow your focus and show exactly what you want to say about the topic. This is your thesis statement —a sentence or two that sums up your overall argument.

This is the most important part of your introduction. A  good thesis isn’t just a statement of fact, but a claim that requires evidence and explanation.

The goal is to clearly convey your own position in a debate or your central point about a topic.

Particularly in longer essays, it’s helpful to end the introduction by signposting what will be covered in each part. Keep it concise and give your reader a clear sense of the direction your argument will take.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

As you research and write, your argument might change focus or direction as you learn more.

For this reason, it’s often a good idea to wait until later in the writing process before you write the introduction paragraph—it can even be the very last thing you write.

When you’ve finished writing the essay body and conclusion , you should return to the introduction and check that it matches the content of the essay.

It’s especially important to make sure your thesis statement accurately represents what you do in the essay. If your argument has gone in a different direction than planned, tweak your thesis statement to match what you actually say.

To polish your writing, you can use something like a paraphrasing tool .

You can use the checklist below to make sure your introduction does everything it’s supposed to.

Checklist: Essay introduction

My first sentence is engaging and relevant.

I have introduced the topic with necessary background information.

I have defined any important terms.

My thesis statement clearly presents my main point or argument.

Everything in the introduction is relevant to the main body of the essay.

You have a strong introduction - now make sure the rest of your essay is just as good.

  • Argumentative
  • Literary analysis

This introduction to an argumentative essay sets up the debate about the internet and education, and then clearly states the position the essay will argue for.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

This introduction to a short expository essay leads into the topic (the invention of the printing press) and states the main point the essay will explain (the effect of this invention on European society).

In many ways, the invention of the printing press marked the end of the Middle Ages. The medieval period in Europe is often remembered as a time of intellectual and political stagnation. Prior to the Renaissance, the average person had very limited access to books and was unlikely to be literate. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century allowed for much less restricted circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation.

This introduction to a literary analysis essay , about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein , starts by describing a simplistic popular view of the story, and then states how the author will give a more complex analysis of the text’s literary devices.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale. Arguably the first science fiction novel, its plot can be read as a warning about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, and in popular culture representations of the character as a “mad scientist”, Victor Frankenstein represents the callous, arrogant ambition of modern science. However, far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to gradually transform our impression of Frankenstein, portraying him in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

  • Ad hominem fallacy
  • Post hoc fallacy
  • Appeal to authority fallacy
  • False cause fallacy
  • Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

  • Choosing Essay Topic
  • Write a College Essay
  • Write a Diversity Essay
  • College Essay Format & Structure
  • Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

 (AI) Tools

  • Grammar Checker
  • Paraphrasing Tool
  • Text Summarizer
  • AI Detector
  • Plagiarism Checker
  • Citation Generator

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

  • An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
  • Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
  • A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

The “hook” is the first sentence of your essay introduction . It should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of why it’s interesting.

To write a good hook, avoid overly broad statements or long, dense sentences. Try to start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

  • It gives your writing direction and focus.
  • It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, July 23). How to Write an Essay Introduction | 4 Steps & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/introduction/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, how to write a thesis statement | 4 steps & examples, academic paragraph structure | step-by-step guide & examples, how to conclude an essay | interactive example, what is your plagiarism score.

  • Have your assignments done by seasoned writers. 24/7
  • Contact us:
  • +1 (213) 221-0069
  • [email protected]

Write an Essay about Family: From Introduction to Conclusion

Write an Essay about Family: From Introduction to Conclusion

Essay about the Family

Essay about the Family

Students have to write essays for a variety of goals. Often, students fail when asked to write about simple topics such as a friend, a hobby, or even their family.

It is due to a lack of understanding of the fundamentals of essay writing. Furthermore, few people anticipate that they may have to write such essays.

family history essay introductions

However, college is not all about research and analysis. Occasionally, students have to write easy essays to evaluate their mastery of the fundamentals. When it comes to style and arrangement, a family essay shares the same characteristics as other essays.

Why is Family a Good Topic for An Essay

a family

Writing a family essay should be straightforward, but you must be well-prepared with the necessary material. Know what to put in your body.

Decide how much personal information about your family you are willing to share.

However, a family essay is both a personal and a narrative essay and can also be challenging. 

On a personal level, you talk about your family, and on a narrative level, you briefly narrate your family to your audience.

When writing a family essay, it is important to determine what facts to include and what information to leave out. It keeps you from boring your audience by going into further detail. You should avoid revealing a lot of information about your family.

Think about your place in the family when writing a family essay. Are you the oldest, youngest, or somewhere in between? What this means to you and how it affects your family.

You have fun while explaining the family traditions that make you unique. Each family has a tradition that they enjoy observing and enhances their closeness.

Touch on the responsibilities or functions of each member of the family. You primarily discuss the kind of obligations that each family member has based on their age. Finally, explain how the responsibilities are handled and who is in charge of ensuring their fulfillment.

You can bring up family issues such as incompatible marriages and other disagreements that arise in any family.

Explain how your family handles such situations and how you restore communication within the family in a few words. This is a challenging topic to broach, but it is critical to your essay’s success. Do you have any family members of a different ethnicity or some who are not your blood relatives? Do you communicate with your relatives?

Explain your extended family’s relationship with you and what brings you together the most.

Consider your family bonding time. When do you spend time as a family bonding?

Describe how you and your family work together to make special occasions memorable. You can highlight family when writing about people who inspire you.

How to Write an Essay About Family

1. explain your topic about family.

writing about a family

Provide a brief background, context, or a narrative about your topic.

Describe where your subject is right now. Compare and contrast the past with the present. You can also tell a bad story or one that is based on gossip.

Retell the tale or the definition or explanation you provided with an uplifting end.

2. Craft your thesis about the family

 Begin your paper with a compelling hook, such as a thought-provoking quotation. It serves to attract the audience’s attention and pique interest in your essay.

You should also come up with a thesis statement that is appropriate for your target audience. The thesis statement serves as a fast summary of your essay’s contents.

The introduction allows you to provide the reader with a formal presentation of your work. The section should stand out to grab the attention of your readers. Alternately, you may give a brief, straightforward explanation of the problem you have will discuss throughout your family essay.

This section also summarizes the approach you use to study the issue.

Moreover, it lays out the structure and organization of the body of the paper and the prospective outcomes. You never have a second chance to make a good first impression, so a well-written introduction is critical.

Your readers form their first perceptions of your logic and writing style in the first few paragraphs of your work.

This section helps in determining whether your conclusions and findings are accurate. A sloppy, chaotic, or mistake-filled introduction will give a poor first impression.

A concise, engaging, and well-written introduction will get the audience to respect your analytical talents, writing style, and research approach. Close with a paragraph that summarizes the paper’s structure.

3. Write your arguments about family

 Expand the major themes into individual paragraphs to form the body of your essay. The thesis statement establishes the foundation of your argument. Begin each body paragraph with a topic sentence that includes a clear and concise explanation as well as details about your family.

This will allow your audience to learn more about you and your family.

Use transition sentences to let your readers know when you are introducing a new point in your argument. Cover each facet of your argument in a different paragraph or section, if your essay is lengthy. You should also logically discuss them, making connections where possible. Support your case by referencing previous studies.

Depending on your topic, you may use existing studies or experimental data, such as a questionnaire for evidence to support each claim. Without proof, all you have is an unsupported allegation.

4. Recognize counter-arguments

 Consider the other side of the argument. It enables you to anticipate objections to your perspective, which bolsters your case. Your objective is to persuade the reader to accept the recommendations or claims made in your essay.

Knowing what you are suggesting and how your arguments support it will make it easier to express yourself appropriately.

Make a strong conclusion based on what you have learned so far. It is crucial to conclude your essay by explaining how the evidence you have presented backs up your claim. Also, illustrate how each point adds to the broader argument.

Everything in your paper must support your main point, from the literature review to the conclusion.

family members

5. Cite and reference

 Many academically approved citations forms exist, including MLA, APA, Chicago, and others.

You can choose from the popular styles or ask your institution which one they prefer. There is no need to quote information that is commonly known.

Facts and common knowledge have no copyright protection; thus, you can use them freely. Each citation in the text should correspond to the bibliography or reference list at the end of your essay.

What Do You Think About Family

What is your side.

Family should signify a unity of acceptance, joy, love, unconditional sacrifices, and support. It rests on a continuum of resilience and humility from previous, current, and future generations.

what is the other people’s side

Family means something different to each of us, yet it is one of the core values. It starts with respect for and appreciation for others, regardless of their age, where they are, where they came from, how capable, who they love, their experiences, how healthy they are, etc.

Community, sisterhood, and brotherhood are all aspects of family.

9 Examples of Essay Topics About Family

  • The American Family: Decrease in Family Size and Its Historical Factors
  • The Impact of Divorce and Separation on Family Relationships
  • Building Family and Community Relationships
  • Family`s Factors Shaping Children`s Behavior
  • Healthy Marriage and Family Relationships
  • Family History Role in Primary Health Care
  • Family Happiness Definition and Aspects
  • Changing Gender Roles in Families
  • Divorce and Single-Parent Families

Josh Jasen

When not handling complex essays and academic writing tasks, Josh is busy advising students on how to pass assignments. In spare time, he loves playing football or walking with his dog around the park.

Related posts

Chegg Plagiarism Checker

Chegg Plagiarism Checker

Chegg Plagiarism: Review of Chegg Plagiarism Checker and its Service

Titles for Essay about Yourself

Titles for Essay about Yourself

Good Titles for Essays about yourself: 31 Personal Essay Topics

How to Write a Diagnostic Essay

How to Write a Diagnostic Essay

How to Write a Diagnostic Essay: Meaning and Topics Example

Our next-generation model: Gemini 1.5

Feb 15, 2024

The model delivers dramatically enhanced performance, with a breakthrough in long-context understanding across modalities.

SundarPichai_2x.jpg

A note from Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai:

Last week, we rolled out our most capable model, Gemini 1.0 Ultra, and took a significant step forward in making Google products more helpful, starting with Gemini Advanced . Today, developers and Cloud customers can begin building with 1.0 Ultra too — with our Gemini API in AI Studio and in Vertex AI .

Our teams continue pushing the frontiers of our latest models with safety at the core. They are making rapid progress. In fact, we’re ready to introduce the next generation: Gemini 1.5. It shows dramatic improvements across a number of dimensions and 1.5 Pro achieves comparable quality to 1.0 Ultra, while using less compute.

This new generation also delivers a breakthrough in long-context understanding. We’ve been able to significantly increase the amount of information our models can process — running up to 1 million tokens consistently, achieving the longest context window of any large-scale foundation model yet.

Longer context windows show us the promise of what is possible. They will enable entirely new capabilities and help developers build much more useful models and applications. We’re excited to offer a limited preview of this experimental feature to developers and enterprise customers. Demis shares more on capabilities, safety and availability below.

Introducing Gemini 1.5

By Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, on behalf of the Gemini team

This is an exciting time for AI. New advances in the field have the potential to make AI more helpful for billions of people over the coming years. Since introducing Gemini 1.0 , we’ve been testing, refining and enhancing its capabilities.

Today, we’re announcing our next-generation model: Gemini 1.5.

Gemini 1.5 delivers dramatically enhanced performance. It represents a step change in our approach, building upon research and engineering innovations across nearly every part of our foundation model development and infrastructure. This includes making Gemini 1.5 more efficient to train and serve, with a new Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) architecture.

The first Gemini 1.5 model we’re releasing for early testing is Gemini 1.5 Pro. It’s a mid-size multimodal model, optimized for scaling across a wide-range of tasks, and performs at a similar level to 1.0 Ultra , our largest model to date. It also introduces a breakthrough experimental feature in long-context understanding.

Gemini 1.5 Pro comes with a standard 128,000 token context window. But starting today, a limited group of developers and enterprise customers can try it with a context window of up to 1 million tokens via AI Studio and Vertex AI in private preview.

As we roll out the full 1 million token context window, we’re actively working on optimizations to improve latency, reduce computational requirements and enhance the user experience. We’re excited for people to try this breakthrough capability, and we share more details on future availability below.

These continued advances in our next-generation models will open up new possibilities for people, developers and enterprises to create, discover and build using AI.

Context lengths of leading foundation models

Highly efficient architecture

Gemini 1.5 is built upon our leading research on Transformer and MoE architecture. While a traditional Transformer functions as one large neural network, MoE models are divided into smaller "expert” neural networks.

Depending on the type of input given, MoE models learn to selectively activate only the most relevant expert pathways in its neural network. This specialization massively enhances the model’s efficiency. Google has been an early adopter and pioneer of the MoE technique for deep learning through research such as Sparsely-Gated MoE , GShard-Transformer , Switch-Transformer, M4 and more.

Our latest innovations in model architecture allow Gemini 1.5 to learn complex tasks more quickly and maintain quality, while being more efficient to train and serve. These efficiencies are helping our teams iterate, train and deliver more advanced versions of Gemini faster than ever before, and we’re working on further optimizations.

Greater context, more helpful capabilities

An AI model’s “context window” is made up of tokens, which are the building blocks used for processing information. Tokens can be entire parts or subsections of words, images, videos, audio or code. The bigger a model’s context window, the more information it can take in and process in a given prompt — making its output more consistent, relevant and useful.

Through a series of machine learning innovations, we’ve increased 1.5 Pro’s context window capacity far beyond the original 32,000 tokens for Gemini 1.0. We can now run up to 1 million tokens in production.

This means 1.5 Pro can process vast amounts of information in one go — including 1 hour of video, 11 hours of audio, codebases with over 30,000 lines of code or over 700,000 words. In our research, we’ve also successfully tested up to 10 million tokens.

Complex reasoning about vast amounts of information

1.5 Pro can seamlessly analyze, classify and summarize large amounts of content within a given prompt. For example, when given the 402-page transcripts from Apollo 11’s mission to the moon, it can reason about conversations, events and details found across the document.

Reasoning across a 402-page transcript: Gemini 1.5 Pro Demo

Gemini 1.5 Pro can understand, reason about and identify curious details in the 402-page transcripts from Apollo 11’s mission to the moon.

Better understanding and reasoning across modalities

1.5 Pro can perform highly-sophisticated understanding and reasoning tasks for different modalities, including video. For instance, when given a 44-minute silent Buster Keaton movie , the model can accurately analyze various plot points and events, and even reason about small details in the movie that could easily be missed.

Multimodal prompting with a 44-minute movie: Gemini 1.5 Pro Demo

Gemini 1.5 Pro can identify a scene in a 44-minute silent Buster Keaton movie when given a simple line drawing as reference material for a real-life object.

Relevant problem-solving with longer blocks of code

1.5 Pro can perform more relevant problem-solving tasks across longer blocks of code. When given a prompt with more than 100,000 lines of code, it can better reason across examples, suggest helpful modifications and give explanations about how different parts of the code works.

Problem solving across 100,633 lines of code | Gemini 1.5 Pro Demo

Gemini 1.5 Pro can reason across 100,000 lines of code giving helpful solutions, modifications and explanations.

Enhanced performance

When tested on a comprehensive panel of text, code, image, audio and video evaluations, 1.5 Pro outperforms 1.0 Pro on 87% of the benchmarks used for developing our large language models (LLMs). And when compared to 1.0 Ultra on the same benchmarks, it performs at a broadly similar level.

Gemini 1.5 Pro maintains high levels of performance even as its context window increases. In the Needle In A Haystack (NIAH) evaluation, where a small piece of text containing a particular fact or statement is purposely placed within a long block of text, 1.5 Pro found the embedded text 99% of the time, in blocks of data as long as 1 million tokens.

Gemini 1.5 Pro also shows impressive “in-context learning” skills, meaning that it can learn a new skill from information given in a long prompt, without needing additional fine-tuning. We tested this skill on the Machine Translation from One Book (MTOB) benchmark, which shows how well the model learns from information it’s never seen before. When given a grammar manual for Kalamang , a language with fewer than 200 speakers worldwide, the model learns to translate English to Kalamang at a similar level to a person learning from the same content.

As 1.5 Pro’s long context window is the first of its kind among large-scale models, we’re continuously developing new evaluations and benchmarks for testing its novel capabilities.

For more details, see our Gemini 1.5 Pro technical report .

Extensive ethics and safety testing

In line with our AI Principles and robust safety policies, we’re ensuring our models undergo extensive ethics and safety tests. We then integrate these research learnings into our governance processes and model development and evaluations to continuously improve our AI systems.

Since introducing 1.0 Ultra in December, our teams have continued refining the model, making it safer for a wider release. We’ve also conducted novel research on safety risks and developed red-teaming techniques to test for a range of potential harms.

In advance of releasing 1.5 Pro, we've taken the same approach to responsible deployment as we did for our Gemini 1.0 models, conducting extensive evaluations across areas including content safety and representational harms, and will continue to expand this testing. Beyond this, we’re developing further tests that account for the novel long-context capabilities of 1.5 Pro.

Build and experiment with Gemini models

We’re committed to bringing each new generation of Gemini models to billions of people, developers and enterprises around the world responsibly.

Starting today, we’re offering a limited preview of 1.5 Pro to developers and enterprise customers via AI Studio and Vertex AI . Read more about this on our Google for Developers blog and Google Cloud blog .

We’ll introduce 1.5 Pro with a standard 128,000 token context window when the model is ready for a wider release. Coming soon, we plan to introduce pricing tiers that start at the standard 128,000 context window and scale up to 1 million tokens, as we improve the model.

Early testers can try the 1 million token context window at no cost during the testing period, though they should expect longer latency times with this experimental feature. Significant improvements in speed are also on the horizon.

Developers interested in testing 1.5 Pro can sign up now in AI Studio, while enterprise customers can reach out to their Vertex AI account team.

Learn more about Gemini’s capabilities and see how it works .

Get more stories from Google in your inbox.

Your information will be used in accordance with Google's privacy policy.

Done. Just one step more.

Check your inbox to confirm your subscription.

You are already subscribed to our newsletter.

You can also subscribe with a different email address .

Related stories

What is a long context window.

MSC_Keyword_Cover (3)

How AI can strengthen digital security

Shield

Working together to address AI risks and opportunities at MSC

AI Evergreen 1 (1)

How we’re partnering with the industry, governments and civil society to advance AI

NWSL_Pixel_Hero

Pixel is now the Official Mobile Phone of the National Women’s Soccer League

Bard_Gemini_Hero

Bard becomes Gemini: Try Ultra 1.0 and a new mobile app today

Let’s stay in touch. Get the latest news from Google in your inbox.

  • Math Problem
  • Movie Review
  • Personal Statement
  • PowerPoint Presentation plain
  • PowerPoint Presentation with Speaker Notes
  • Proofreading

family history essay introductions

(415) 397-1966

Check your email inbox for instructions from us on how to reset your password.

Can I pay after you write my essay for me?

Sophia Melo Gomes

Customer Reviews

Emilie Nilsson

family history essay introductions

Margurite J. Perez

Finished Papers

IMAGES

  1. My Family History

    family history essay introductions

  2. Family History Essay

    family history essay introductions

  3. Family history essay examples

    family history essay introductions

  4. Business paper: History sample essays

    family history essay introductions

  5. 004 Family History Essay Example ~ Thatsnotus

    family history essay introductions

  6. Family Tree Project/Essay for Genetics by Science It Up

    family history essay introductions

VIDEO

  1. my family essay in English

  2. History essay writing

  3. my family essay in english

  4. Family History Presentation 2

  5. My Family1

  6. IB History Essay Writing

COMMENTS

  1. How to Write an Essay About My Family History

    Outline Writing When writing an essay, there is a logical structure you must follow in giving out your arguments. A proper outline will produce an exciting presentation of every section, and it will fascinate the reader. The standard structure of an essay has an introduction, body, and conclusion.

  2. How to Write? and 400 Words Essay on Family History

    Topic: My Family History. Introduction (Outline): Write a short brief about your family background and why your family is important. Body: Write about your family members, how you live together and who your neighbors. Conclusion: Rehashing your conflict, Sum up your key thoughts, and Give a last remark or reflection about the paper.

  3. How to Write a Family History Project

    All Descendants Of...: Begin with an individual or couple and cover all of their descendants, with chapters organized by generation. If you're focusing your family history on an immigrant ancestor, this is a good way to go.

  4. 9 Tips for Getting Started on Writing Your Family History

    6. Seek Out Help. Look for writers' groups and classes in your community. From online groups to friends and family members, having a community you can rely on for feedback and encouragement is essential. Reaching out can also lead to new research finds, important for sourcing the details in your stories.

  5. An Overview Of My Family History: [Essay Example], 723 words

    In this essay I am going to explain my family history. It is almost a tradition to go into the army, or into different areas related to that, like the Marines, in my family. My uncle, my mother's father, my great grandfather, and the father before that were all in areas like this. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on

  6. Genealogy Writing

    Writing allows you to share your discoveries with family and friends. Other genealogists and enthusiasts may enjoy reading your work, or find value for their own brick wall research. Writing down your findings allows you to organize your thoughts and preserve your family history for future generations. Writing is a natural part of the research ...

  7. Preparing a Family History • FamilySearch

    The introduction contains background or historical information that may be needed to understand the family history. List of Contributors. A list of contributors names the people who helped write the family history. Chronology. A chronology provides dates and brief descriptions of key events in a family history.

  8. Family Essay: How to Write, Topics and Examples

    May 12, 2023 10 minutes Share the article What is Family Essay and Why is It Important Humans have a natural desire to belong to someone, to somewhere. Families provide the comfort of knowing that someone is always thinking about you. But it is a double-edged sword, as families often breed our insecurities and mental health issues.

  9. Create a Family History • FamilySearch

    Before You Begin. The first step is to choose which type of family history you would like to create. Consider the resources available to you, the materials you have, and your skills and interests. Determine what kind of family history would be most beneficial to you and others.

  10. My Family History: a Comprehensive Report

    Introduction. The persons who were interviewed for my family history paper are my mother, Sarah Cary, and my Grandmother, Maureen Morris. My family situation is a little complicated, but I believe that I have acquired a comprehensive account of at least half of my lineage, and a far less detailed account of the other half.

  11. Crafting a powerful essay introduction about family history

    Here are some of the best ways to do it properly: 1) Start with an anecdote from your grandma or grandpa. For example, write how they first met and decided to have a family together, describe the circumstances, etc. 2) Describe a situation in which you realized how much your ancestors affected your life and why.

  12. Essay on My Family History

    Family history is very important to an individual. By knowing where you come from, you can have a better perspective of your life. Having a clear understanding of your family background allows you to better appreciate the things that you would normally take for granted.

  13. 150 Creative Ideas for Writing An Essay About My Family

    A family essay dives into the concept of family from various angles - think social, cultural, historical, and personal vibes. You can explore how families have evolved over time, the roles each family member plays, and the different types of families out there - like the nuclear crew, extended fam, single-parent setups, or blended units.

  14. My Family History Essay Example

    Introduction of My Family History Essay Like every other family, we have our own family history which is illustrated herein details to the readers. The essay talks about how we used to live under a single roof and we have no need to set appointments to ask our elders for dinner.

  15. How to write an introduction for a history essay

    1. Background sentences. The first two or three sentences of your introduction should provide a general introduction to the historical topic which your essay is about. This is done so that when you state your , your reader understands the specific point you are arguing about. Background sentences explain the important historical period, dates ...

  16. introduction to family history essay

    The standard structure of an essay has an introduction, body, and conclusion. Here is an excellent example of an outline for a family history essay: Introduction; Short family background information; Importance of writing about the family; Body (paragraphs) Family members; grandparents, parents, and children; The community in which family resides

  17. How to Write an Essay Introduction

    Step 1: Hook your reader Step 2: Give background information Step 3: Present your thesis statement Step 4: Map your essay's structure Step 5: Check and revise More examples of essay introductions Other interesting articles Frequently asked questions about the essay introduction Step 1: Hook your reader

  18. Write an Essay about Family: From Introduction to Conclusion

    Published by Josh Jasen at May 12, 2022 Students have to write essays for a variety of goals. Often, students fail when asked to write about simple topics such as a friend, a hobby, or even their family. It is due to a lack of understanding of the fundamentals of essay writing.

  19. My Family History

    My family history. "In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep, to know our heritage - to know who we are and where we came from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is still a vacuum, emptiness, and the most disquieting loneliness." -Alex Haley This quote explained to ...

  20. Family History Essays: Examples, Topics, & Outlines

    Family History an Autobiographical History. PAGES 8 WORDS 2389. My father has 3 sons 1 daughter. I am the biggest son and was born on 26th of August, 1988. I was born in Hong Kong so that I can be a Hong Kong resident. I studied in Hong Kong but I am different with the native Hong Kong children because I always went back to China with my ...

  21. Family History Essays

    980 Words | 2 Pages Family Health history Daniella Have one sister and one brother. They are a total of three in the house. Her father is deceased and her mother is still alive and very healthy but at risk for obesity. Her maternal grandmother is deceased of dementia and her grandfather for unknown reason.

  22. Introducing Gemini 1.5, Google's next-generation AI model

    A note from Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai: Last week, we rolled out our most capable model, Gemini 1.0 Ultra, and took a significant step forward in making Google products more helpful, starting with Gemini Advanced.Today, developers and Cloud customers can begin building with 1.0 Ultra too — with our Gemini API in AI Studio and in Vertex AI.

  23. Family History Essay Introductions

    Benny. View Property. Family History Essay Introductions, Best Dissertation Methodology Proofreading For Hire Us, I Write A Legal Letter, Air Export Agent Resume, Top 50 Controversial Essay Topics, Format Of Application Letter For The Post Of A Class Teacher, Ectopic Pregnancy Thesis Pdf. Toll free 1 (888)499-5521 1 (888)814-4206.

  24. Family History Essay Introductions

    4.8/5. .40 per page. Level: College, High School, University, Master's, PHD, Undergraduate. Essay writing services are legal if the company has passed a number of necessary checks and is licensed. This area is well developed and regularly monitored by serious services. If a private person offers you his help for a monetary reward, then we would ...