A working thesis and rough outline can help writers get started.
The body of your paper will consist of evidence in support of your thesis. It will be useful to sketch an informal plan that helps you begin to organize your ideas. Ned Bishop, for example, used a simple outline to structure his ideas. In the paper, the points in the outline became headings that help readers follow his line of argument.
What happened at Fort Pillow?
Did Forrest order the massacre?
Can Forrest be held responsible for the massacre?