DBQ

The APUSH DBQ By Tom Richey Parts I, II, and III:

Time frame for DBQ: 1754-1980
Sample prompt: "Explain the causes of the rise of tensions between the American colonists and the British government in the period 1754-1776."

• Thesis:

1. Historically defensible
2. Line of reasoning
3. Needs to be in the introduction or conclusion
4. Should include previews of multiple points

• Acceptable thesis: "Tensions rose between the American colonists and the British government in 1754-1776 because of disagreements over taxation and violence between colonists and British soldiers."
• Excellent thesis: "Tensions rose between the American colonists and the British government in 1754-1776 because of disagreements over taxation, violent encounters between colonists and British soldiers, and repressive measures taken by Parliament."
• Contextualization:
• Preferably at the beginning of the essay (before thesis)
• Contextualization provides the link between the prompt and the thesis
• Form a perimeter (give reader useful background information)
• No double dipping - whatever is counted as contextualization cannot be used for other points
• Multiple sentences, a little bit of details
• Documents

1. Describe (3 documents)
2. Support (6 documents)
3. Explain (3 documents) 

• Topic sentence that states points at the beginning of ever paragraph! 
• Accurately describing (quotes are insufficient!!) 
• Specific reference to the document's content
• Correctly interpreted
• "Paul Revere made an engraving that depicted British soldiers firing on colonists during the Boston Massacre (Doc #)."  
• Documents need to be used purposefully to support argument
• "The Boston Massacre, depicted in an engraving by Paul Revere, outraged colonists in Boston and increased colonial resentment of the British troop presence in their city (Doc #)."
• Group documents 
• Group 7 documents, 2-2-3
• If you support 6 documents, you also describe 3
• Use all the documents as insurance (all 7)
• Explain how and/or why the documents support argument
• Humanizing documents
• HIPP (only use 1 for each document analyzed)
• Historical situation
• Intended audience
• Purpose
• Point of view
• Historical situation→"This engraving was published in the aftermath of the Boston Massacre, in which five American colonists were killed by British soldiers."
• Point of view/purpose→"The engraving was made by Paul Revere, a Boston silversmith who was a member of the Sons of Liberty. Revere's art depicted the British soldiers lined up in formation and the colonists as helpless in order to turn the public against the British troops."
• Purpose→"Paul Revere, a local silversmith, made this in order to turn local public opinion against British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre, who were to face trial."
• Explain at least 4 documents for insurance
• Evidence
• 1 piece of specific evidence (use 2 to be safe) that (1) supports the argument, (2) is not used for contextualization, and (3) is not found in the documents.

• Outside evidence - Proclamation of 1763, Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Boston Tea Party, Intolerable Acts, Common Sense
• Multiple sentences
• Name dropping is not enough - demonstrate that you know what you're talking about
• "The Sons of Liberty protested the Tea Act by dumping massive amounts of tea into the Boston Harbor in what is remembered as the Boston Tea Party. Parliament responded with the Coercive Acts, known in the colonies as the "Intolerable Acts," which closed the Port of Boston and instituted martial law."
• Complex understanding
• Explaining continuities and changes, similarity and differences, causes
• Synthesis (connect to other time)
• Extra HIPPs
• Qualify/modify argument 

1. Demonstrate understanding of nuance (bigger connections)

2. Make deep historical connections

3. Put documents in conversation, noting corroboration and contradiction

4.  Connect across time and place

5. Put forward alternative viewpoints 

• "While Paul Revere's engraving implicated the British troops as murderers, Captain Thomas Preston, the British officer in charge, told of unruly colonists who were harassing British soldiers and threatening violence. According to Preston, the British soldiers had reason to fear for their lives. While Preston could have been covering for his men and trying to avoid conviction, there is likely something to his story since the officers involved in the so called massacre were acquitted by a Boston jury." 
• ^ put 2 documents in comparison to each other, bringing in outside knowledge (soldiers acquitted by the jury)
• Complexity is not shown by one thing, but by the structure of the essay in large

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