Good 9/11 Essay Topics

The events of September 11th, 2001 are among the most significant in American history. Entire generations of American’s will never forget seeing the footage of the devastation on that morning. As with any historical event, students will be writing papers for years to come about what we can learn from that day. The following are a few essay ideas for writing a paper on the September 11th terrorist attacks.

• America’s Place in the World. As the most prominent country in the world, were the United States uniquely positioned to be attacked in such a way? Is it conceivable that such an attack could have been carried out in another country? This is a good angle for a paper that takes a look at the world as a whole, and where each country fits in the grand scheme of things.
• What Did We Learn About Heroes? There is no lack of heroic stories in the aftermath of September 11th. Countless police and firemen risked their lives to help others. A paper focused on those individuals could be a great way to analyze what makes a hero and if everyone is capable of heroic actions.
• Is New York Unique? Often after the attacks, people could be heard talking about how New York is different than other cities, and is able to respond with resilience. Do you think this is true, or would any city band together when faced with such a tragedy? What evidence can you find that indicates there is something different about people who live in New York as opposed to anywhere else in the world? Decide where your opinion lays on this matter and write the paper from that perspective.
• Do We Really Remember? Another common theme after the attacks was ‘we will never forget’. Do you think that is true? Will we always remember, or to some degree have we already forgotten some of the lessons we said we learned? Looking at the attacks more than ten years removed, there is plenty of literature and reference material now available to determine if we have really been change as a culture by the events of that day.

September 11th will forever be a scar on American history. That said, it can be debated whether the culture of the country was in fact changed in any way. Choose a topic for your essay that you feel strongly about, and can back up your opinion with facts and the feelings of others.