World History Paper

Topic: The Salem Witch Trials Massachusetts 1692-1693

PART 1: INTRODUCTION (Approximate 1 paragraph)

• Begin by introducing your assigned religious war: its name, location, and approximately when it occurred.
• Then, explain the Prisoner’s Dilemma and why it’s important to use when analyzing your conflict in two or three sentences.
• The main idea is this: when two sides are in conflict, they each must decide whether to cooperate or betray, and their choice influences everything that follows.
• Conclude your introduction with a thesis statement: one sentence that states the war’s name, identifies the region, and clearly expresses whether the war’s long-term outcome moved the region toward justice or away from it.

For example, a paper on the French Wars of Religion might argue that the repeated cycle of betrayal between Catholics and Protestants left France with a tradition of religious distrust that influenced its laws for centuries.

A thesis cannot say “this paper will discuss” or “there were many effects.” It must present a clear, specific argument.

PART 2: What changed (Approximate 2 paragraphs)

• This section explains how the war permanently transformed the specific area where it took place.
• Make sure to address all three of the following points within your two paragraphs.
• Government: Who gained control after the war, and how does that outcome continue to influence the region today?

For example, after the Thirty Years’ War concluded in 1648, the Peace of Westphalia granted European rulers the authority to choose their own religion. This decision restructured political power across the continent, and its impact on the relationship between religion and government in Europe can still be seen today.

• Religion: Did one faith dominate while others were driven out or erased? For example, after the Spanish Reconquista ended in 1492, Muslims and Jews were completely expelled from Spain. By 2026, Spain will be mostly Catholic, a result of those forced removals centuries ago.
• Daily Life: How did regular people experience these changes? Did families flee? Did some convert out of fear? Did certain languages, art forms, or traditions disappear? These everyday details show the real human cost of the conflict.

In at least one part of this section, link a specific Prisoner’s Dilemma outcome to one of these historical changes:

• Both betrayals indicate that both sides resorted to violence rather than compromise, and each suffered consequences.
• One Side Betrays and the other Cooperates means one side reached out, was rejected, and that broken trust influenced subsequent events.

Use evidence from your research to clearly illustrate this connection. clear.

PART 3: The group history forgot (Approximate 1 paragraph)

• Every religious war has a group that most history books skip over; not the kings, generals, or church leaders, but the people with the least power who still had to live through it all.
• This could be women, children, peasants, refugees, or the side that lost.
• Identify who that group was in your conflict, explain what the war specifically meant for them, and connect their situation to where that region stands in 2026.

For example, during the Crusades, Jewish communities living in European cities were often massacred by Crusading armies before those armies even left for the Holy Land. They were not involved in the conflict, had no say in the decisions made, and had no way to cooperate or betray; they were simply in the path of violence. By 2026, some European cities will feature monuments and memorials to those communities, but others have never been officially recognized.

• If the group you are writing about had no real power to cooperate or betray, say that directly and explain what it reveals about the Prisoner’s Dilemma when the two sides are not actually equal.

PART 4: Conclusion (Approximate 1 paragraph)

This is the most important paragraph in the paper:

• Take a clear stance: did the long-term result of this war bring the region closer to justice or push it further away?
• Don’t just restate what the paper already discussed; make a strong argument. Back up your position with specific facts about what that region will look like in 2026.

For example, a paper on the Northern Ireland Troubles might cite the Good Friday Agreement and the peace that followed as evidence of a region gradually moving toward justice, while also noting that sectarian divisions between Catholic and Protestant communities are still visible in neighborhoods, schools, and politics today.

Connect the conclusion back to at least one outcome of the Prisoner’s Dilemma.

• If both sides betrayed each other repeatedly, is that cycle still playing out? If one side cooperated and was betrayed, did that broken trust leave a mark that is still visible today?
• End with a final sentence that answers the central question directly and leaves no doubt about where the paper stands.

Final Checklist

• 500 or more words.
• Third person only: no “I,” “we,” or “you.”
• A thesis that names the war and the region and takes a position.
• Changes to government, religion, and daily life are traced to 2026.
• At least one Prisoner’s Dilemma scenario was used in Part 2 with evidence from research forms.
• An overlooked group was identified and connected to the region in 2026.
• At least one Prisoner’s Dilemma scenario is used in Part 3 or Part 4.
• At least two artifacts from the research forms referenced in the paper.
• At least four sources and two historical documents to support a reasoning in APA format.
• A clear moral judgment about the specific region in 2026.
• A final sentence that directly answers the central question.