ESSAY WRITING

Free Response and DBQ

The American History AP Exam

• 55 multiple choice questions in 55 minutes. • Four short essays, 45 minutes.• One Document Based Question (DBQ) Essay,

15 minutes to read the documents and 45 minutes to write the essay.

• One Free Response Essay (FRE), 35 minutes to outline/write [choice of 2]

Yes we can!

Political, Social, and EconomicPolitical - of or relating to government, a government, or the conduct of governmentSocial – of or relating to human society, the interaction of the individual and the group, or the welfare of human beings as members of society (social institutions); of, relating to, or based on rank or status in a particular society Economic - of, relating to, or based on the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services; having practical or industrial significance or uses : affecting material resources.

How do you structure a free response essay?

Read the question carefully. Determine which stance you will take.

Answer the question in a way that best enables you to use what you know.

Include the counter argument, and explain why that is not the rule, but the exception, or argue why this argument is weak; or explain how even with this exception your thesis is still accurate…

Include terms, people, events, laws, SPECIFICS. EXPLAIN all that you are bringing into your essay. Tie all ideas to the thesis statement.

Transcendentalists/Manifest Destiny/Reformers Essay Sample

Assess the validity of this statement:

The social, political, and economic trends of the early to mid 19th century demonstrated a growing sense of nationalism and democracy.

COLONIAL ESSAY SAMPLES

Many essays have a Two-Part Process and multiple tasks to accomplish (or juggle).

“The geographical conditions of the three major areas of English settlement in America -- New England, the Middle Colonies, and the South -- account for the differences in the colonial way of life in these three areas.”

Assess the validity of this statement.

Sample Thesis: Strengths?

The different topography and weather in the three areas of English settlement in America accounted for different crops and methods of farming. This in turn led to the formation of plantations and slavery in the South, societies of hard working, religious colonists in New England, and an accepting society of fairly prosperous merchants in the Middle Colonies.

“Based upon the evidence, historians should refer to the American colonists’ struggle against British control as the War for American Independence rather than the American Revolution.” Assess the validity of this statement.

Sample Thesis: Strengths?

By the time the "American Revolution" rolled around, the colonies had lived through salutary neglect and learned, for the most part, to function separately from the British government. Since the colonies already had a measure of self-control, their struggle against British control is less of a "Revolution" against a ruler, and more of a fight for total independence without interference or taxation by the British.

Assess the validity of this statement: "The move towards a democratic, independent nation had its beginnings in the governments of the original thirteen colonies."

The original thirteen colonies made important steps toward independence, starting when the British government did not adequately support the faltering initial settlements, such as Jamestown. Rather than relying totally on England, some colonies established representative legislatures, a few dissenting individuals created new colonies altogether, and some democratic initiatives were created out of necessity (the Mayflower Compact).

JEFFERSON SAMPLE ESSAY

To what extent was the election of 1800 aptly named the “Revolution of 1800?” Respond with reference to TWO of the following areas:

EconomicsForeign policyJudiciaryPolitics

New Republic and Constitution Essay Samples

1. Although the power of the national government increased during the early republic, this development often faced serious opposition. Compare the motives and effectiveness of those opposed to the growing power of the national government in TWO of the following.

Whiskey Rebellion, 1794Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, 1798-1799Harford Convention, 1814-1815Nullification Crisis, 1832-1833

2. How did the Presidents of the Early Republic expand the powers of the Constitution?

TASK

• Write a thesis statement. • Write down how you plan to address this

question – what examples will you use? • Write a body paragraph.

Make sure your examples are explained.Make sure your paragraph is tied back to the thesis.

• Share in pairs• Post several on the board• Evaluate

How do you structure a DBQ essay?

Consider the question/task. Decide on a thesis statement. Write as if you are writing a free response. See how the documents fit into your thesis/response.

Do not start paragraphs with documents. Do not ONLY discuss documents in a paragraph. You can use documents to support your

argument or to show the counter point (and then why that point is weak, or the exception to the rule).

Do not re-write the documents.