I am an undergraduate history major and I really can't decide what field to focus on for my masters. I love so many different places in history it becomes overwhelming. I am choosing between United States History, European History, and Asian History. If you could just tell me something awesome about your area of expertise it might help thanks! Btw you guys are awesome! Great Responses!
When choosing a focus for history, always focus on what you love, so you need to figure out what time period of history you love.
When I started, I wanted to go into Roman history, but I saw that history isn't as loved in the field as classical literature. At the same time, I was learning about the Napoleonic Wars due to a game and ended up becoming enamored with the age because of the characters involved. I loved it also because it touched into my own personal love for republics and an innate love for France.
One, think to yourself this: when I have to say something about history, is there something that I love talking about most? In this, I always talk about stories of the marshals of France; how Ney fought almost to the death at Krasnoi, how Davout held his own at Auerstedt, MacDonald at Wagram, Lannes or Murat anywhere. So I tell the stories because of how they are almost characters written from a romantic novel, brave and impossible but real.
Second, ask why do you love x part of history. As I have mentioned, I love the Napoleonic Wars because of the impossible and romantic character that many of the generals have. So I know why I love Napoleonic History
Third, can you see yourself talking about it at length. You will have to do extensive research in the time period, so you have to believe that you can live with yourself talking about the subject. As much as I loved Roman history, I couldn't see myself being happy talking about Caesar and Pompey.
Fourth, can you stomach being an expert in your research? The problem about going into deeper research is that you will find things that you won't like. You will find that your idol or your favorite actor in history has a dark side or wasn't very honorable. You will find terrible things that you might wish you hadn't read, you may find things that contradict what you're looking for.
Five, are you doing this for the right reasons? Are you going into the subject for the love of the subject or do you have some other reason? This is mainly just to make sure that there isn't a political reason behind your interests, don't go out to make x president look bad or good. The point of history is to tell the facts and why they happened rather than fix the history to what you think is correct.
Six, again, make sure you can live with your subject. Make sure you can live with the large amount of research, the good and the bad, as well as teaching or writing about the subject for a prolonged amount of time.
There's more reasons as to why you should go into X subject, but I prefer to guide by what people love to make sure they are happy. Nothing is worse than a professor that hates their subject, I've had one that was focused on 16th Century Economic history of the Spanish Habsburgs.