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How to Write the Document Based Question (DBQ)

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What is the document based question, steps to writing an effective dbq, how do ap scores affect my college chances.

If you’re taking a history AP exam, you’ll likely encounter the Document Based Question (DBQ). This essay question constitutes a significant portion of your exam, so it’s important that you have a good grasp on how best to approach the DBQ. In this post, we’ll cover what exactly a document based question is, and how to answer it successfully.

A Document Based Question (DBQ) is a measure of the skills you learned in your AP classes in regard to recalling history and analyzing related documents. These documents can be primary or secondary sources, and your responses are expected to be in the form of an essay. Your ability to relate the context of documents to concepts beyond the given text and creating meaningful connections between all your sources will help demonstrate your skills as a knowledgeable writer.

The number of documents for a DBQ varies from exam to exam, but typically will fall between five to seven documents. The following AP exams will require you to write a DBQ:

AP U.S. History

AP European History

AP World History

We’ve listed the formats for each exam below, and keep in mind that the number of documents is prone to changing from year to year:

• Up to seven Documents
• One hour recommended time (includes 15-minute reading period)
• Up to seven Documents 
• 25% of total exam score

With that in mind, let’s jump right into how to craft a strong DBQ response!

We’ve summarized how to write an effective DBQ into the following five steps:

1. Read the prompt first

Though you may be tempted to jump into the documents right away, it’s very important that you first look at what exactly the prompt is asking for. This way, when you eventually look at the documents, your focus will be narrower. A DBQ tests your reading comprehension and analysis skills more than the content itself, making it very important to understand your prompt thoroughly.

2. Skim the document titles

Each document will contain vital information regarding the context, and it’s important to scout key words regarding dates, authors, and anything pertaining to the general sense of what the documents are about. Skimming through your documents like this could save time and allow you to form a more structurally sound thesis.

Let’s take a look at the following graph and figure out how to skim the figure:

This document was in a real exam from the AP World History free response questions in 2019. It’s important to pay attention to data provided and what context can be drawn from it. In this case, we’re provided with a graph that displays the life expectancy of a country in relation to the GDP per capita of said country. Being able to skim this graph and notice the common trends in the data points could provide convenient information into the context of the document, without any further intensive reading. 

For example, seeing how countries with a GDP below 4,000 to 5,000 have lower life expectancies already gives us a potential correlation between the two factors. We can use this information to start formulating a thesis, depending on what the prompt is specifically asking for.

Remember, just skim! Don’t worry about reading the entire document yet; this strategy can keep you calm and level-headed before tackling the rest of the document. Methods like this can make acing the AP World History DBQ less intimidating! 

3. Formulate a tentative thesis

A thesis is a statement that should be proved and discussed upon. It’s important to have a strong thesis as the foundation of your DBQ, as it guides the rest of your response in relation to the context. Understanding the difference between weak and strong theses will be imperative to your success, so here is an example of a weak thesis:

“The Cold War originated from some scenarios of conflict between Soviets and some groups of oppressors.” 

Such a thesis can be considered weak for its lack of specificity, focal point, and usability as a constructive tool to write further detail on the subject. This thesis does not take a clear stance or communicate to the reader what the essay will specifically focus on. Here’s how the same thesis can be restructured to be stronger and more useful:

“The Cold War originated from tense diplomatic conflicts relating to propaganda and conspiratorial warfare between the United States and the Soviet Union.”

The information that’s been included into the second thesis about the two groups involved with the Cold War gives you more room to build a structured essay response. In relation to the rubric/grading schema for this DBQ, forming a structurally sound thesis or claim is one of the seven attainable points. Being able to contextualize, analyze, and reason off of this thesis alone could provide for two to four points – this means that five out of seven of your points revolve around your thesis, so make sure that it’s strong! Doing all of this in your fifteen minute reading period is crucial as once this is set, writing your actual response will be much easier!

4. Actively read the documents

Simply reading a document doesn’t normally suffice for creating a well-written and comprehensive response. You should focus on implementing your active reading skills, as this will make a huge difference as to how efficient you are during your work process. 

Active reading refers to reading with an intention to grab key words and fragments of important information, usually gone about by highlighting and separating important phrases. Annotations, underlining, and circling are all great ways to filter out important information from irrelevant text in the documents. 

An example of where you might find important information via active reading is the description. Circle important names or dates to contextualize the document. If you still can’t find contextual value from the title, that’s totally fine! Just scope out the rest of the document in relevance to your thesis – that is, pinpoint the specific information or text that best supports your argument. Finding one or two solid points of interest from one document is usually enough to write about and expand upon within your essay. 

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5. Make an Outline 

If you like outlines, making one before writing your essay might prove helpful, just be aware of the time limit and act accordingly. 

Start with your introduction, then work on the rest of your essay. This way, you can make sure your thesis is clear and strong, and it will help the graders form a clear view on what the general consensus of your paper is. Make sure to include evidence with your thesis within each paragraph and cite only relevant information, otherwise your citations could come across as filler as opposed to useful content. Every commentary or point you make should be tied in some way to the documents.

Format each body paragraph and organize your essay in a way that makes sense to you! The graders aren’t really looking at the structure of your essay; rather, they want to see that you analyzed the documents in a way that is supportive of your essay. As long as you have content from the documents which prove your thesis, the order or manner in which you present them doesn’t matter too much. What’s more important is that your essay is clear and comprehensive. As you write practice DBQs, try having someone else read your essays to make sure that the format is easy to follow.

Keep all these key details in mind as you construct your own DBQ response, and you’re well on your way to writing an effective essay!

Your chances of admission are actually not really impacted by your AP scores; however, the AP classes you take are more important than the exam scores themselves, meaning the impact of your AP scores isn’t as big as you think . 

Instead, focusing on the AP classes on your transcript and the relevance of those classes to your future major is more impactful. For a further detailed understanding of the role AP classes play in regards to your college admissions, use CollegeVine’s free Admissions Calculator , which takes into account your GPA, standardized test scores, and more. 

Additional Information

To dive deeper into DBQs, AP classes, and learning how to tackle each exam check out other resources at CollegeVine:

• Acing the Document Based Question on the AP US History Exam
• Acing the AP World History Document Based Question
• Ultimate Guide to the AP U.S. History Exam
• Ultimate Guide to the AP European History Exam
• Ultimate Guide to the AP World History Exam

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

How to Write a DBQ (Ultimate Guide, Examples, Templates)

Writing a Document-Based Question (DBQ) can feel like solving a mystery.

You’ve got clues (documents), a mystery to solve (the question), and your wits to put it all together.

Here is a quick summary of how to write a DBQ:

Write a DBQ by analyzing the prompt, examining and grouping documents by themes, crafting a clear thesis, outlining your essay, writing with evidence from the documents, and proofreading for clarity and coherence. Organize your argument logically and support it with historical evidence.

In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about how to write DBQs, plus plenty of examples and full templates.

What Is a DBQ?

Table of Contents

A Document-Based Question (DBQ) is an essay prompt used in exams like AP History. It requires you to analyze and synthesize historical documents to create a coherent argument. Think of it as being a historian, piecing together evidence to support a thesis.

Types of DBQs

• Historical DBQs : Focus on specific historical periods or events, such as the American Revolution or World War II.
• Thematic DBQs : Explore broader themes like political movements, social changes, or economic trends.
• Comparative DBQs : Compare different periods, regions, or themes to draw broader conclusions about historical processes.

Step-by-Step Guide to DBQ Bliss

I’ve done my best to outline each step with examples of specific “how-to” tips.

Follow this guide to learn how to write a DBQ you and your teacher will love.

1. Read the Prompt

Understand what the question is asking. Look for key terms, time periods, and specific directives. Knowing exactly what is required will help you focus your analysis and writing.

Example : “Analyze the causes of the American Revolution.”

Here is how to do it:

• Identify the time frame: Late 18th century.
• Recognize key terms: “Analyze” (break down into components) and “causes” (reasons or factors).
• Note any specific instructions: Are you asked to consider political, economic, or social causes?

2. Analyze the Documents

Examine each document carefully.

Identify the author’s perspective, the context, and how it relates to the prompt. Take notes on key points and underline or highlight important information.

Example : A letter from a colonial leader expressing frustration with British taxes.

• Determine the author’s background: Is the author a colonial leader, British official, or ordinary citizen?
• Contextualize the document: When was it written? What events were happening at that time?
• Analyze the content: What is the main message or argument? How does it relate to the prompt?
• Identify bias or perspective: Is the author supporting or opposing the British policies?

3. Group the Documents

Group documents that share similar viewpoints or themes. This helps in organizing your essay and ensures that your argument is coherent and well-structured.

Example : Group documents showing economic grievances, political dissatisfaction, and social unrest.

• Identify common themes: Are there multiple documents discussing taxes, political representation, or social issues?
• Create categories: Economic grievances, political dissatisfaction, social unrest.
• Note connections: How do these themes interrelate? Can one category lead to another?

4. Develop a Thesis Statement

Craft a clear, concise thesis that answers the prompt and reflects the grouped documents. Your thesis should serve as the backbone of your essay, guiding your arguments and analysis.

Example : “The American Revolution was driven by economic, political, and social factors.”

• Address all parts of the prompt: Ensure your thesis covers the main aspects asked by the question.
• Be specific: Instead of saying “various factors,” specify “economic, political, and social factors.”
• Be concise: Your thesis should be one or two sentences long.

5. Outline Your Essay

Create a detailed outline. Each paragraph should focus on a specific group of documents and support your thesis. This ensures that your essay is logically organized and easy to follow.

• Introduction : Thesis statement
• Body Paragraph 1 : Economic grievances
• Body Paragraph 2 : Political dissatisfaction
• Body Paragraph 3 : Social unrest
• Conclusion : Restate thesis and summarize main points
• Introduction: Start with a hook to grab attention, provide background information, and present your thesis.
• Body Paragraphs: Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea. Use evidence from the documents to support your points. Include outside knowledge to add depth to your analysis.
• Conclusion: Summarize your main points and restate your thesis in a new light. Offer a final thought or insight.

6. Write the Essay

Follow your outline. Use evidence from the documents and your own knowledge to support your thesis. Make sure to integrate quotes and evidence smoothly into your writing.

• Introduction : “The American Revolution, fueled by economic, political, and social factors, marked a pivotal moment in history.”
• Body Paragraph 1 : “Economic grievances, such as unfair taxation, sparked colonial anger. For example, Document 1 shows a colonial leader’s frustration with the Stamp Act…”
• Body Paragraph 2 : “Political dissatisfaction with British rule led to a desire for independence. Document 2, a pamphlet by Thomas Paine, argues for the colonies’ right to self-govern…”
• Body Paragraph 3 : “Social unrest, driven by Enlightenment ideas, encouraged a revolutionary spirit. Document 3, an excerpt from a speech, highlights the influence of Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke…”
• Conclusion : “In conclusion, the American Revolution was a multifaceted event driven by economic, political, and social causes. This period of upheaval set the stage for the birth of a new nation…”
• Introduction: Provide context and clearly state your thesis.
• Body Paragraphs: Start each paragraph with a topic sentence. Use evidence from the documents and outside information. Analyze the evidence and connect it back to your thesis.
• Conclusion: Summarize your arguments. Restate your thesis in a new way and offer a final insight or implication.

7. Proofread and Revise

Check for clarity, coherence, and errors. Make sure your argument flows logically and your writing is clear and concise. Revise for content, structure, and grammar.

Here is how to do it :

• Read your essay aloud: This helps catch awkward phrasing and errors.
• Check for consistency: Ensure that your thesis and arguments are consistent throughout the essay.
• Verify document usage: Make sure you have used all the required documents and cited them correctly.
• Look for clarity: Ensure that each paragraph flows logically and your points are clearly expressed.

Here is a good video about how to write a DBQ:

DBQ Examples

Read through these DBQ examples to learn how to apply all of the tips and steps covered earlier in this guide.

Let these examples prompt you to write your own original DBQs.

Example 1: The American Revolution

Prompt : Analyze the causes of the American Revolution.

Thesis : The American Revolution was driven by economic, political, and social factors.

Documents :

• A letter from a colonial leader expressing frustration with British taxes.
• A British tax document detailing the Stamp Act.
• An excerpt from a revolutionary pamphlet by Thomas Paine.

Essay : The American Revolution, fueled by economic, political, and social factors, marked a pivotal moment in history. Economic grievances, such as unfair taxation, sparked colonial anger.

Document 1, a letter from a colonial leader, expresses frustration with the Stamp Act, highlighting the economic burden placed on the colonies. Political dissatisfaction with British rule led to a desire for independence. Document 2, a British tax document, shows the imposition of the Stamp Act, which further fueled the desire for political representation. Social unrest, driven by Enlightenment ideas, encouraged a revolutionary spirit.

Document 3, an excerpt from Thomas Paine’s pamphlet, argues for the colonies’ right to self-govern and the influence of Enlightenment thinkers. In conclusion, the American Revolution was a multifaceted event driven by economic, political, and social causes.

Example 2: The French Revolution

Prompt : Evaluate the causes of the French Revolution.

Thesis : The French Revolution was caused by economic hardship, political corruption, and social inequality.

• A tax record from a French peasant showing high taxes.
• A speech by a revolutionary leader denouncing the monarchy.
• An excerpt from a political manifesto calling for equality.

Essay : The French Revolution was caused by economic hardship, political corruption, and social inequality. Economic hardship, exemplified by high taxes and poor harvests, burdened the peasantry. Document 1, a tax record from a French peasant, illustrates the heavy tax burden that contributed to widespread discontent. Political corruption within the monarchy led to widespread disillusionment.

Document 2, a speech by a revolutionary leader, denounces the corruption and incompetence of the monarchy, calling for change. Social inequality, highlighted by the privileges of the nobility, fueled revolutionary fervor. Document 3, an excerpt from a political manifesto, calls for equality and the abolition of privileges, reflecting the revolutionary ideals.

In conclusion, the French Revolution was a complex event driven by economic, political, and social factors.

Example 3: The Civil Rights Movement

Prompt : Analyze the impact of the Civil Rights Movement.

Thesis : The Civil Rights Movement significantly advanced racial equality through legal victories, social activism, and cultural change.

• A court ruling on school desegregation.
• A speech by Martin Luther King Jr.
• A newspaper article on the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Essay : The Civil Rights Movement significantly advanced racial equality through legal victories, social activism, and cultural change. Legal victories, such as landmark court rulings, dismantled institutional racism. Document 1, a court ruling on school desegregation, highlights the legal strides made toward equality. Social activism, including protests and marches, raised public awareness.

Document 2, a speech by Martin Luther King Jr., exemplifies the powerful rhetoric that mobilized masses and brought attention to civil rights issues. Cultural change, driven by influential figures and media, shifted societal attitudes.

Document 3, a newspaper article on the Montgomery Bus Boycott, shows the impact of collective action on public transportation policies and societal views on segregation.

In conclusion, the Civil Rights Movement was instrumental in advancing racial equality through a combination of legal victories, social activism, and cultural change. These elements collectively helped dismantle systemic racism and promote greater social justice in America.

Example 4: Industrial Revolution

Prompt : Analyze the effects of the Industrial Revolution on European society.

Thesis : The Industrial Revolution significantly transformed European society by altering economic structures, social hierarchies, and urban landscapes.

• An excerpt from a factory worker’s diary.
• A government report on urbanization.
• A political cartoon depicting child labor.

Essay : The Industrial Revolution significantly transformed European society by altering economic structures, social hierarchies, and urban landscapes. The new economic structures, driven by industrialization, created a shift from agrarian economies to industrial economies.

Document 1, an excerpt from a factory worker’s diary, highlights the grueling conditions and long hours faced by industrial workers, reflecting the changing labor dynamics. Social hierarchies were also impacted, with a growing middle class and a widening gap between the rich and poor.

Document 2, a government report on urbanization, details the rapid growth of cities and the emergence of new social classes. Urban landscapes were drastically changed as factories and tenements replaced rural areas. Document 3, a political cartoon depicting child labor, underscores the social issues and urban challenges brought about by industrialization.

In conclusion, the Industrial Revolution reshaped European society through significant changes in economic structures, social hierarchies, and urban environments.

Example 5: The Cold War

Prompt : Evaluate the causes and effects of the Cold War on global politics.

Thesis : The Cold War, driven by ideological conflicts and power struggles, had profound effects on global politics by shaping international alliances, fostering proxy wars, and influencing domestic policies.

• A speech by Winston Churchill on the Iron Curtain.
• A CIA report on Soviet activities in Latin America.
• A newspaper article on the Vietnam War.

Essay : The Cold War, driven by ideological conflicts and power struggles, had profound effects on global politics by shaping international alliances, fostering proxy wars, and influencing domestic policies. Ideological conflicts between capitalism and communism created a deep divide between the United States and the Soviet Union. Document 1, a speech by Winston Churchill on the Iron Curtain, illustrates the ideological divide and the emerging tension between East and West.

These ideological battles led to the formation of international alliances, such as NATO and the Warsaw Pact, which defined global politics for decades. Document 2, a CIA report on Soviet activities in Latin America, highlights the extent of Cold War influence in regional politics and the strategy of supporting proxy wars. The Vietnam War, as shown in Document 3, a newspaper article, reflects the Cold War’s impact on domestic policies and the significant toll it took on both superpowers involved.

In conclusion, the Cold War reshaped global politics through its ideological battles, formation of alliances, and influence on both international and domestic spheres.

DBQ Templates You Can Use Today

You can copy and paste these DBQ templates to start writing your assignment today.

Template 1: Causes of a Historical Event

Prompt : Analyze the causes of [Historical Event].

Thesis : [Historical Event] was driven by [Cause 1], [Cause 2], and [Cause 3].

• A [type of document] from [perspective].
• An excerpt from a [type of document].

Essay : [Historical Event], driven by [Cause 1], [Cause 2], and [Cause 3], marked a pivotal moment in history. [Cause 1], exemplified by [specific example], sparked [reaction]. Document 1, a [type of document] from [perspective], highlights [aspect of Cause 1]. [Cause 2], highlighted by [specific example], led to [reaction]. Document 2, a [type of document] from [perspective], underscores [aspect of Cause 2]. [Cause 3], driven by [specific example], encouraged [reaction]. Document 3, an excerpt from a [type of document], reflects [aspect of Cause 3]. In conclusion, [Historical Event] was a multifaceted event driven by [Cause 1], [Cause 2], and [Cause 3].

Template 2: Impact of a Social Movement

Prompt : Analyze the impact of [Social Movement].

Thesis : [Social Movement] significantly advanced [Goal] through [Method 1], [Method 2], and [Method 3].

• A [type of document] on [Method 1].
• A [type of document] on [Method 2].
• An excerpt from a [type of document] on [Method 3].

Essay : [Social Movement] significantly advanced [Goal] through [Method 1], [Method 2], and [Method 3]. [Method 1], such as [specific example], achieved [result]. Document 1, a [type of document] on [Method 1], illustrates [aspect of Method 1]. [Method 2], including [specific example], led to [result]. Document 2, a [type of document] on [Method 2], underscores [aspect of Method 2]. [Method 3], driven by [specific example], shifted [aspect]. Document 3, an excerpt from a [type of document] on [Method 3], highlights [aspect of Method 3]. In conclusion, [Social Movement] was instrumental in advancing [Goal] through [Method 1], [Method 2], and [Method 3].

Template 3: Comparing Historical Periods

Prompt : Compare and contrast the impacts of [Period 1] and [Period 2] on [Aspect of Society].

Thesis : Both [Period 1] and [Period 2] significantly impacted [Aspect of Society], but they did so in different ways through [Factor 1], [Factor 2], and [Factor 3].

• A [type of document] from [Period 1] on [Factor 1].
• A [type of document] from [Period 2] on [Factor 1].
• An excerpt from [Period 1] on [Factor 2].
• An excerpt from [Period 2] on [Factor 2].
• A [type of document] from [Period 1] on [Factor 3].
• A [type of document] from [Period 2] on [Factor 3].

Essay : Both [Period 1] and [Period 2] significantly impacted [Aspect of Society], but they did so in different ways through [Factor 1], [Factor 2], and [Factor 3]. [Factor 1] in [Period 1] led to [outcome]. Document 1, a [type of document] from [Period 1], highlights [aspect of Factor 1]. Conversely, [Factor 1] in [Period 2] resulted in [different outcome]. Document 2, a [type of document] from [Period 2], reflects [aspect of Factor 1]. Similarly, [Factor 2] affected [Aspect of Society] differently in each period. Document 3, an excerpt from [Period 1], shows [aspect of Factor 2], while Document 4, an excerpt from [Period 2], illustrates [different aspect of Factor 2].

Lastly, [Factor 3] in [Period 1] had [impact], as shown in Document 5, while [Factor 3] in [Period 2] had [another impact], as evidenced by Document 6. In conclusion, [Period 1] and [Period 2] both significantly influenced [Aspect of Society], but through different factors and outcomes.

Template 4: Evaluating Historical Policies

Prompt : Evaluate the effectiveness of [Policy] in achieving its goals.

Thesis : [Policy] was [effective/ineffective] in achieving its goals due to [Reason 1], [Reason 2], and [Reason 3].

• A government report on [Policy].
• A public opinion survey on [Policy].
• An excerpt from a speech by a [Policy] advocate.
• An excerpt from a critique by a [Policy] opponent.
• A statistical analysis of [Policy]’s outcomes.
• A newspaper article on [Policy]’s impact.

Essay : [Policy] was [effective/ineffective] in achieving its goals due to [Reason 1], [Reason 2], and [Reason 3]. [Reason 1] is illustrated by Document 1, a government report detailing [aspect of Policy]. Public opinion also reflects [Reason 1], as shown in Document 2, a public opinion survey. [Reason 2] is supported by Document 3, an excerpt from a speech by a [Policy] advocate, and Document 4, an excerpt from a critique by a [Policy] opponent. Both documents highlight differing perspectives on [Policy]. Document 5, a statistical analysis, provides evidence of [Reason 3], showing [data related to Policy’s outcomes].

Finally, Document 6, a newspaper article, discusses the broader impact of [Policy], reinforcing [Reason 3]. In conclusion, [Policy] was [effective/ineffective] due to [Reason 1], [Reason 2], and [Reason 3].

Final Thoughts: How to Write a DBQ

Think of writing a DBQ as a journey through time.

You’re not just analyzing documents; you’re stepping into the shoes of historical figures, experiencing their world, and understanding their challenges. Each essay is an opportunity to bring history to life. Make your readers feel like they’ve traveled back in time with you.

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Document-Based Question (DBQ)

What is a dbq, how to read the documents:, written documents, how to answer the prompt:, compare & contrast, cause & effect, change & continuity over time, how to earn all 7 points:.

Contextualization

Analysis & Sourcing

How to start writing the dbq, how to write a dbq:.

Attached below is a worksheet with an outline organizer for your DBQ. When practicing for your DBQ, feel free to download & print this to use:

7 documents

You are given 7 documents, and you are given a prompt, similar to an LEQ prompt. You need to write an essay, responding to the prompt, using evidence from the documents. ​You have 60 minutes in total, but of those 15 minutes are recommended for reading. The sections below describe the types of documents, types of prompts, and the rubric and how to earn each point. 

You are given 7 documents. The different types are described below:

Excerpt / Written Document

Graphic, Diagram, Map, Cartoon

General Tips

Look at the sourcing before you read each doc to get an idea of what the doc might say

Write a quick summary (~3 bullet points) to summarize the content of each doc

Write a note of how each doc fits in with the prompt

Does it support or refute your thesis?

Which side of the prompt does it cover?

Which aspect (which body paragraph) of your prompt / thesis does it cover?

Any document with written paragraphs

Newspaper, letter, speech, historian's interpretation, constitution, religious text, etc.​

Special tips:

Before you read, read the sourcing & title and try to get an idea of what the doc might say

Take your time to understand the content of the doc; no need to rush​​

Write a few notes summarizing the doc

Figure out how the doc relates to the prompt

Does it argue one side or another?

Does it provide evidence for a specific geographical region?

Does it refute your thesis?

Which sub-category of the prompt does it answer?

Any document that is a photo

Any photo that a photographer might take, or an artist's depiction of a historical event

NOT a diagram, map, or something manmade or designed by historians

Read the sourcing & title to try to figure out what the photo might depict

Look at all aspects of the photo, get an idea of what it depicts

Does it represent a historical development?​

Does it represent an artistic movement?

Look for all signs of bias in the photo

Is it depicting a specific point of view?

Does it portray a certain culture as superior?

Does it portray a certain culture as inferior?​

Does it represent a military victory?​​​

This would mean one side is better than the other​

Does it portray something as bigger or exaggerated?

Means that the exaggerated thing is depicted as superior

Does it portray something as smaller?

Means that the thing that's depicted smaller is portrayed as inferior

Based on the point of view (bias) and the content, figure out how it relates to the prompt

Does it support / refute your thesis?

What aspect of the prompt does it answer?​

Any document that is a man-made photo

Graphic, diagram, political cartoon, map, etc.

Before you read, read the sourcing & title and try to get an idea of what the doc might depict

Look at the doc and try to figure out what it represents, or what topic it depicts

Think about the bias or point of view of the doc:

Does it represent the views of one side or another?

Is it depicting one side as exaggerated or superior to another?

Cartoons are generally biased

If it's a map, what is it representing?

Is it representing the map of industrial factories, trade routes, westward expansion, deciphered wind patterns, etc.?​

Once you figure this out, understand the historical context of the map

If it's a graphic or a diagram, what information does it detail?

If it's a population growth map, what allowed for population growth?​

Think of what the diagram depicts, and what allowed for that, and what's the historical context of that historical development?

Involves comparing & contrasting 2 different things

Most important thing is the argument: Not what the differences/similarities were, but HOW THEY WERE SIGNIFICANT

How to use the documents:

Some docs might explain the features of one of the comparand (the thing you compare), other docs may explain the other comparand

Some docs might cover both comparands

Figure out what the docs are saying for each comparand, and write your thesis based on that

What are they saying are similar & different about the 2?​

Involves examining what a certain historical development, and what were its causes & effects

What's more important is examining the significance of the causes, or how one cause/effect was more important than other causes/effects

Generally, 2 causes and 1 or 2 effects

Some docs might explain the event

Some docs might explain the causes, others might explain the effects

Draft a thesis based on the info about the causes & effects mentioned in the docs

Try to mention which causes were more significant than other causes

Involves examining what changed & what remained the same as a result of one event​

Some docs might explain the catalyst (the event that caused the changes/continuities) you write about

Some docs might describe the changes

Some docs might describe the continuities

Draft a thesis based on what the docs say about the changes & continuities

How to Earn all 7  Points:

Contextualization (1 point).

Examine the historical context of the story

Kind of like a "recap" or a "flashback"

Like at the beginning of a TV show, it shows a recap of the previous episode

How to write one

Always include the time period & possibly the location​

"In Europe in the period 1450 - 1750, ..."

Provide a brief 3-5 sentence recap of how the world arrived at the situation you are writing about in your essay

The contextualization should finish with how the world arrived at the historical development you write about in your thesis, so that there is a smooth transition from contextualization to the thesis

Sample Contextualizations

Topic: Related to the industrial revolution​

Before the 1750s, people were performing manual labor, making items by hand, which was very inefficient. From 1750-1900, Europe and the rest of the world underwent an economic transformation called the Industrial Revolution. Starting in Britain due to its abundance of raw materials & strong financial support, industrial capitalists built factories powered by waterwheels or coal that artificially produced goods such as textiles, eliminating the need to make them by hand. This brought a lot more people from the countryside to the cities, where they worked in factories for low wages. From Britain, the industrial revolution spread throughout Europe as well as to US, Egypt, Russia, and Japan. [Insert Thesis Here]

Topic: Related to imperialism​

In the period 1750-1900, Europe underwent an economic transformation known as the industrial revolution, where people would use artificial power to cheaply & efficiently manufacture goods in commercial factories in the cities, rather than making goods by hand at home. In order for these factories to produce goods, they needed raw materials, which is why they had to look to other nations like those in Africa and Asia to supply raw materials to them. Thi​s led to European imperialism, a development where Europeans started colonizing other nations throughout the world, especially in Africa and Asia, to establish export-oriented economies to get raw materials to supply to their factories. [Insert Thesis Here]

Thesis (1 point)

This is your argument

Must be something that can be opposed​

Someone else has to be able to write an essay whose thesis is the opposite of yours

Must contain an argument, and generally 2-3 examples (topics for body paragraphs)

Better to have a concession

Useful for complexity point

Format of Thesis & Examples

Color Key: 

Concession / Counterargument*

Similarities / Continuities / Causes

Difference for Comparand 1 / Changes / Effects

Differences for Comparand 2

*Concession is always optional. Described in the analysis section, it can be used to get the extra complexity point

Prompt: Compare & Contrast

Although some may believe [counterargument]* , w hile [comparand 1] and [comparand 2] both [insert similarities] , [comparand 1] was [insert difference for comparand 1], and [comparand 2] was [insert difference for comparand 2], which [is why / allowed for] [insert argument]. 

Although the Delhi Sultanate had very strict religious authority, while the Delhi Sultanate and the Chola Kingdom both used religion to maintain stability , the Delhi Sultanate was attempting to impose Islam on a Hindu-majority population , and the Chola Kingdom imposed Hindu on a Hindu population , which allowed for the Chola Kingdom to be more successful than the Delhi Sultanate. 

Prompt: Change & Continuity over Time

Although some may believe [counterargument]* , as a result of [catalyst],  while [continuity] stayed the same , [change] changed,   which [is why / allowed for] [insert argument]. 

Although some may believe the Catholic church actually became more powerful, as a result of the Protestant Reformation, while women still maintained strictly subordinate roles , there were more religious wars, and more monarchs were able to consolidate more power for themselves , which caused the Catholic church to decline in power.  

Prompt: Cause & Effect

Although some may believe [counterargument]* are the most important causes of [event] ,  [causes] were the main causes** , which caused [effects].  

Although some may believe that the desire to spread Christianity was the main cause of European imperialism , the desire to get raw materials and the need for more markets were the main causes , which led to a more integrated global economy and the development of technological infrastructure in the colonies. 

**Here, the argument is that the causes you described in the blue section are more important than the causes in the yellow section. There is no need for an extra argument at the end

Evidence (3 points)

This is where you put examples / pieces of evidence to support your thesis​

To get 1 point : Use evidence from 3 of the docs

To get 2 points : Use evidence from 6 of the docs, and put an extra analysis to connect it to the thesis

It's always better to use all 7 docs in case you use one incorrectly

To get 3 points : Use an extra piece of evidence (from your own knowledge, not from the docs), and put an extra analysis to connect it to the thesis

Examples of How to Write your Evidence

How to earn the first point:

To earn the 1st point, you need to describe / state evidence from 3 docs without connecting it to the thesis

According to document 3, the Chola Empire used Hinduism as the state religion. 

According to document 7, there were more factories in Britain than in France. 

How to earn the second point:

To earn the 2nd point, you need evidence from 6* docs, and you also need to connect it to the thesis

According to document 3, the Chola Empire used Hinduism as the state religion. Because the population was also mostly Hindu, the Chola Empire was able to maintain stability by using a common belief in Hinduism to stabilize its rule. 

According to document 7, there were more factories in Britain than in France. Thus, Britain had a larger industrial output than France, which is why it was able to manufacture more weapons during World War 1 and why France relied on Britain for support. 

*Always use all 7 docs to in case you use one doc incorrectly

How to earn the third point:

To earn the third point, you need to include one piece of evidence that is not in the documents and is from your own knowledge. 

Think of what evidence or what viewpoint is missing

If it's a compare & contrast: is there any other similarity or difference? Do you have any other evidence to support the topics of your thesis?

If it's a change & continuity over time: Is there any other evidence to support one of your changes or continuities?

If it's a cause & effect: Is there any other evidence or historical content that can support your causes or effects?

Analysis (2 points)

This is the hardest part

For 1 point, you need to explain how the source of 3 documents affects either your argument or what the document has to say

There are 4 parts of sourcing, and you ONLY NEED TO CHOOSE ONE

Explained in more detail below​

For the 2nd point, you need to use complex analysis in your argument

This is the most confusing

The easiest way is to weave a counterargument through your essay, which the concession already sets you up for

The best way is to not think about it too much and just put a bit more complex arguments into your essay rather than sticking to a strict format

Historical Context

Point of View

You need to choose ONE of the above and follow the instructions below. Each of the sections below has information about each aspect of sourcing. 

You need to do this for THREE different sources to earn full points (we recommend you do 4 in case one is wrong)

Historical Context:

Explain how the historical context of any document affects what the document argues

This document was written after WW1 when everyone was feeling depressed and economically poor, which explains why the priest is talking about a revival of religion and cheerful spirits. 

This document was written in a time after the Protestant Reformation when there were a lot of religious wars, which is why the document argues that Lutheranism is better than Calvinism. 

Explain how the intended audience of any document affects what the document argues

This document was written for the Armenians of the Ottoman empire, a Christian minority that was believed to conspire with the Allies, which is why the document is very aggressive toward them in asserting Ottoman dominance. 

This speech was written to the American people to gain support for the Treaty of Versailles, which is why it intends to boost nationalist sentiment and promote American power. 

Explain how the purpose of any document affects what the document argues

This speech was written by the Republic party with the purpose of convincing its audience to vote for them, which is why it argues that Free Silver, a democratic idea, is bad. 

This speech was written by John of Montecorvino, the Archbishop of Khanbaliq who sought to convert the Mongol boys to Christianity, which is why he emphasizes how Christianity allows one to achieve salvation. 

Point of View:

Explain how the point of view of any document affects what the document argues

This speech was written from the point of view of an Indian cotton farmer, which is why he writes that the British completely destroyed the Indian handmade textile industry. 

This document was written from the point of view of Grover Cleveland, an anti-imperialist president, which is why he writes about the harms of annexing Hawaii. 

The Complexity Point

The final point is the complexity point. This is given if you have a complex argument, and it is hard to achieve. The best way to think about this is do more than the prompt asks, and add a bit of extra analysis into the essay. 

The easiest way to do this is weave a counterargument through the essay. In our thesis samples above, we already set you up for this with our concession clause. 

How to Start Writing the DBQ:

First step is to outline your essay. Follow the steps below:

Read through each document, write a brief summary, and figure out how it relates to the prompt (which side/aspect does it argue?)​

Write your thesis. Write each aspect of the thesis (concession/counterargument, evidence 1, evidence 2, argument), and combine them

Write the outline for your body paragraphs. Write the topic for each body paragraph, and which docs you'll use in each. Also, denote where you'll use your outside evidence

Write an outline for your sourcing. Choose 4 different documents, and write the sourcing sentence following the guidelines in the sourcing section above

Start writing. Good luck!

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What Is a DBQ? Understanding DBQs and How to Excel in Writing One

What Is a DBQ?

Format of a dbq, what makes a good dbq essay, how to prepare for a dbq.

How to Write a DBQ Essay

Curious about what a DBQ is and how to excel in writing one? This blog post will demystify Document-Based Questions, explain how they are scored, and offer a step-by-step playbook filled with tested strategies. Whether you’re preparing for an AP History exam or seeking to boost your essay-writing skills, you’ll find the guidance you need right here.

If you’re considering or currently enrolled in an Advanced Placement (AP) course , you've likely heard the term "DBQ" mentioned either by your teacher or in test preparation materials. But what exactly is a DBQ? Understanding what a DBQ is and how it fits into AP testing is crucial for your success. This article explains what a DBQ is, their purpose and format, what's required in a DBQ response, how they're scored, and how to prepare.

Already enrolled in an AP class and wondering what it takes to write a DBQ essay? Don't worry, you'll also find a step-by-step method for writing your DBQ essay, with proven strategies from our Crimson experts.

DBQ stands for Document-Based Question . This type of essay question is on AP History Exams , such as AP United States History , AP European History , and AP World History .

The Key Features of a DBQ

• A prompt presenting a critical thinking task about a historical period and topic
• Several short primary source documents related to the prompt and historical topic for you to review, analyze, and use to make or support claims in your essay
• The application of evidence-based reading and writing skills , including the application of your own knowledge (from your AP course) about the time period and topic presented in the prompt
• Writing a response in the form of an essay that uses critical thinking and is guided by a thesis (a central claim or argument) that address the prompt and is defended with analysis and evidence.

The Purpose of a DBQ

The main purpose of a DBQ is to test your ability to apply your knowledge of history and think critically about history, in the ways historians do .

A DBQ is designed to assess what you've learned about the principles of historical research and analysis, as opposed to just testing your knowledge of rote facts, dates, and events.

A DBQ also tests your ability to assess and make defensible use of primary source documents in order to illustrate, interpret, and analyze historical periods, concepts, trends, or events.

• Document analysis : in order to use primary source documents in a credible way, historians need to critically assess source documents in a historical context , taking into consideration the origin, meaning, and purpose of a document, its authorship, intended audience, and so forth, depending on what factors are most relevant to the document and to the research focus.
• Making Sense of Sources : Historians need to think about how source documents can illuminate our understanding of history, such as how do various sources corroborate, qualify, or challenge existing views of historical events ? This typically involves synthesizing historical knowledge and assessments of source documents and looking for patterns, factual evidence, or inconsistencies across different viewpoints and sources.
• Making Interpretive Claims: Beyond multiple choice and short answer questions, a DBQ involves synthesizing and applying knowledge and sources . For example, we all know the US Civil War started in 1861, but we don't all agree on the primary vs. secondary causes of the war, or if the war could have been avoided or not, or if the Civil War period offers meaningful parallels or insights into contemporary US events. These kinds of interpretive skills require making claims and defending them with analysis and evidence ; DBQs are formatted to test skills like these.

Principal Skills Tested

As a complex, critical thinking task, the DBQ tests a variety of course-related skills.

Background knowledge

DBQs test students' knowledge of important historical periods, concepts, developments, people, events, and trends studied in the AP course and aligned with learning objectives in the course syllabus.

Critical thinking and applied knowledge

Your DBQ response requires you to analyze and interpret historical sources using higher order thinking skills such as analysis, comparison, cause and effect, and synthesis. You also need to apply the knowledge you've studied in class along with academic principles of historical investigation in order to make and defend an interpretive thesis.

Expository writing skills

You need to create a clear and ordered essay that presents and supports a clear interpretive thesis. This tests your ability to write about historical events and topics using expository and argumentative writing skills .

Learn more about AP History Exams:

AP US History Exam: Everything You Need to Know

Navigating AP World History: A Comprehensive Guide

DBQs have a predictable format, with four key components:

• The Prompt: This sets the stage for your essay by providing a specific question or statement that you need to address. The prompt will guide your entire approach, so read it carefully. 
•   Historical Documents: You will be given a series of primary and secondary source documents, usually between 5 and 7. These documents can include textual sources, such as letters, speeches, and excerpts from historical books, as well as non-textual sources like photographs, maps, and charts.
• Essay Writing: To respond to the DBQ, you'll write a timed essay that addresses the kind of analysis task, the time period, and topic set forth in the prompt.
• Time Limits: The DBQ format provides a 15-minute period to review the prompt and historical documents and a 45-minute period for planning and writing your essay.

Examples of DBQ Prompts

  AP United States History (APUSH) :

    Prompt : "Analyze the ways in which the Vietnam War heightened social, political, and economic tensions in the United States. Focus your answer on the period 1964 to 1975."

  AP European History :

    Prompt : "Evaluate the extent to which the religious policies of sixteenth-century monarchs contributed to the growth of Protestantism. Use specific examples from England, France, and the Holy Roman Empire."

AP World History :

    Prompt : "Analyze the economic and social effects of the Columbian Exchange on the Americas and Europe during the period from 1492 to 1750."

  AP World History: Modern :

    Prompt : "Evaluate the extent to which the political, economic, and social goals of movements for national unification in nineteenth-century Germany and Italy were realized by 1871."

One of the key concerns for students tackling a DBQ is understanding what differentiates a good DBQ essay from an average one. You’ll find a much more detailed guide on writing a strong DBQ in Part II below. For now, here are some crucial elements that typically make a DBQ essay stand out, followed by the official DBQ Scoring Rubric.

Clear Thesis Statement

A clear thesis responds directly to the key critical thinking task presented in the prompt (analysis, causation, change vs. continuity…) laying out your main argument and providing a clear roadmap for your essay. It must be specific and assertive, telling the reader the claim you’ll be discussing, analyzing, and supporting with historical knowledge and with evidence from the documents accompanying the prompt.

Effective Use of Documents

A good DBQ essay incorporates a majority, if not all, of the provided documents. Each document should be accurately interpreted and utilized to help support, illuminate, or explain your thesis. It’s important to apply the source documents thoughtfully, this typically includes considerations of the author and/or author’s perspective, the type of document and purpose of the document, and the document’s historical context.

Contextualization

A strong essay includes broader historical context to frame your argument. This means explaining the more relevant events, trends, or policies that are part of the historical backdrop for the period, prompt, and your arguments.

Coherent Structure and Organization

You’ll want it to have the essential elements of essay structure, logic, and flow, but you’ll probably want to use a fairly straightforward organization given the time constraints, similar to a standard 5-paragraph essay.

Pick three or four subtopics around which to group the key points, arguments, and evidence (body of the essay).

Write clear and purposeful paragraphs. Use topic sentences to introduce the main idea of each paragraph and ensure each paragraph transitions smoothly to the next.

Be sure your introduction paragraph provides some context, rephrases key elements in the prompt, and presents your thesis (overarching claim or argument).

Solid Evidence and Analysis

A good DBQ uses evidence-based reading and writing strategies and critical thinking to make clear and historically nuanced arguments. Use evidence thoughtfully to corroborate, qualify (limit), or modify your claims and interpretations.

Evidence should include meaningful references to contextual information from the time period and the historical documents provided with the DBQ prompt.

Include observations and analysis of a document’s purpose, point of view, historical context, authorship, and intended audience when relevant to the historical context, the DBQ topic, or your claims.

The DBQ Scoring Rubric

Now that you've seen the qualities of a strong DBQ essay, understanding the scoring rubric can also help you target your efforts effectively.

DBQ Scoring

Preparation for a DBQ is both an ongoing and intensive process . Here are some steps to help you get ready:

• Understand the Format : Familiarize yourself with the structure of DBQs by reviewing practice questions and sample responses. The College Board website and various AP study materials and prep books are excellent resources. Pro Tip: Pay attention to common types of analysis required by different prompts, such as comparison, causation, or change vs. continuity.
• Practice Writing : Regularly practice writing DBQ responses. Start with untimed practice to get a feel for the structure, then gradually work up to timed practice to simulate test conditions.
• Analyze Sample Essays : Review high-scoring sample essays to understand what makes them effective. Pay attention to how these essays integrate documents and historical information.
• Build Knowledge with Effective Study Habits : A strong background in the broader historical context will help you contextualize and support your DBQ claims and analysis, and should help you understand and integrate documents. Make use of timelines, summaries, and flashcards as study aids . Be sure to give yourself a long runway of consistent study time to build up mastery of your history curriculum.
• Develop Analytical Skills : Work on skills that are critical for analyzing documents, such as identifying the author's perspective, understanding the historical context, identifying and analyzing causation, identifying influential concepts and their origins, tracking trends or movements over time (and how they progress, evolve, change, or stay the same).
• If the AP history courses you want are not available at your school, or you need a more flexible option, the Crimson Global Academy has online AP courses across a wide range of subjects. Courses help you learn the required content and provide additional guidance, practice, and coaching for test items, including DBQs.

PART II: How to Write a DBQ Essay

Introduction.

Writing a Document-Based Question (DBQ) response on the day of your AP History exam can be an intimidating task, but with a solid plan, you can tackle it confidently. Below are tips and strategies to help you navigate the entire exam-day writing process , from deconstructing the prompt, to developing a thesis, through writing and reviewing your essay.

1. Analyzing and Deconstructing the Prompt

Recommended Time Allocation: 5 minutes

Even if only takes 5 minutes, the first step in writing a strong DBQ response — thoroughly analyzing and deconstructing the prompt — is pivotal.

Before we show you exactly how to deconstruct a DBQ prompt, let's look at the most common types of DBQ prompts, reviewing the main types of analysis required by DBQs.

Common Prompts by Type of Analysis

• Change and Continuity Over Time : Directs you to focus and analyze what has changed and what has remained the same across a specified time period in relation to a specified historical movement, trend, concept, or political or social policy.
• Comparison : Asks you to compare different societies, events, processes, or policies to identify similarities or differences, or to rank them in terms of significance or impact.
• Causation : Inquires about the causes and/or effects of a particular historical event or phenomenon.

Watch out for miscues when reading a prompt.

For example, the prompt "Describe the causes of the Civil War" requires you to explore and discuss causation .

But another prompt may mention causation but not be about analyzing causation. For example, the prompt "Among different causes of the US Civil War during the period 1818 to 1861, which played a bigger role in putting the North and South on a path to conflict, economic differences between the North and South or evolving views on social reforms?" This prompt refers to "causes of the US Civil War" but directs students to make a comparison of the relative importance and impact of two different kinds of causes.

How to Analyze the Prompt

• Read the Prompt Carefully : Look for keywords and phrases to understand exactly what is being asked.
• Identify the Task : Determine what the essay requires you to address—change over time, comparison, causation, etc.
• Look for Time Periods and Geographical Context : Note any specific time periods or regions mentioned in the prompt, as these will guide your research and outline.

When deconstructing the prompt, write down the tasks and requirements. By writing them down, you’ll be super clear about them, can refer back, and won’t waste valuable brain cells as you proceed to tackle all the next steps of the essay!

Decoding DBQ Prompts

This chart should help you effectively decode DBQ prompts, enabling you to identify the type of analysis and the specific tasks required in preparation for planning your response.

Remember, after reading the prompt, check your understanding by writing down the specific kinds of analysis the prompt is asking you to perform.

This may seem like unnecessary effort, but under the pressure of a timed exam, it's easier than you think to misinterpret a DBQ prompt, steering yourself down the wrong path!

2. Review and Analyze Documents

Suggested Time Allocation: 10 to 15 minutes

Efficiently reading and analyzing the documents provided is crucial. You need to think about how they relate to the prompt, and how they might shape and/or relate to your thesis.

Skim the Documents : Quickly skim the documents to get an overview and look for initial patterns and how each document might be most useful.

Annotate Key Points : While reading each document more carefully, underline or highlight key points, authorship information, and any relevant dates.

Make critical historical assessments of each document related to:

• the author’s perspective, intentions, or bias
• the purpose of the document
• the intended audience
• the historical context

Assess the evidence and formulate your thesis. Identify which documents corroborate or support your thesis and if any qualify or challenge your thesis, or indicate you need to adjust your thesis before proceeding.

Align the documents and evidence with key elements of your essay ahead of writing an outline. Group the documents into categories based on the topic, the analysis required, and the key supporting arguments for different points of your thesis.

3. Make an Outline

Suggested Time Allocation: 5 to 7 minutes

Planning your response before diving into writing is critical for a well-structured essay.

Create an Outline that includes the following:

• An introduction that includes your thesis statement
• Two to four body paragraphs presenting 2-3 main points or arguments
• A conclusion that reiterates or adds nuance to your central claim and highlights any key insights or understanding you've uncovered

Incorporate and Align Evidence : Note where each document fits into your outline. Indicate where you’ll bring in outside information.

4. Write the Essay

Suggested Time Allocation: 25 to 30 minutes

When you're ready to write, follow your outline, keeping these tips in mind:

• Style & Voice: Use your best academic diction, spelling, and punctuation possible; keep the voice and style formal.
• Concision: Avoid unnecessary detail or digressions; focus on clarity and supporting each claim with evidence and analysis
• Topic Sentences : Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph and ties it back to your thesis.
• Document Integration : Incorporate evidence from the documents in a way that supports your argument. Make sure to reference the documents appropriately (e.g., "Document A suggests...").
• Outside Evidence : Include relevant historical facts, events, or processes that aren't covered in the documents but support your thesis.
• Analysis : Go beyond just summarizing the documents. Discuss the significance of the evidence and what it shows. Analyze the point of view, purpose, historical context, and audience of the documents.
• Sourcing : For at least three documents, include a discussion on the author's perspective, the document’s purpose, and its audience. Reflect on how these elements affect the document's reliability or viewpoint.
• Introduction & Conclusion Paragraphs : Provide context in your introduction and present your thesis. Reiterate the conclusion and highlight key insights from the essay.

5. Checking Over Your Work

Suggested Time Allocation: 3 to 5 minutes

• Review Thesis and Arguments : Ensure your thesis is clear and that all body paragraphs consistently support it.
• Check for Completeness : Make sure you have used and appropriately cited all or most of the documents. Verify that you’ve incorporated outside information effectively.
• Accuracy : Double-check facts and dates. Ensure all your information is historically accurate and relevant to the prompt.
• Clarity and Coherence : Read through your essay to ensure it flows logically. Each paragraph should seamlessly transition to the next.
• Grammar and Spelling : Quickly scan for any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes. Proper language use can make your argument more persuasive and easier to understand.

7. Managing Your Time

Time management on test day is vital. Here’s an efficient way to allocate your time:

• Deconstructing the Prompt : 5 minutes
• Reviewing and Analyzing Documents : 10-15 minutes
• Outlining the Response : 5-7 minutes
• Writing the Essay : 25-30 minutes
• Checking Over Your Work : 3-5 minutes

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Final Thoughts

Now that you know what a DBQ is, its format and purpose, how to prepare for DBQs, and how to approach a DBQ, and even exactly how to write a DBQ essay, you can use these insights to guide how you prepare for the DBQ and feel much more confident about your next steps.

If you want more support for high stakes tests, or for other university admissions challenges, Crimson Education Advisors can answer any questions you have. And, they'll be happy to explain our personalized approach and why Crimson students get amazing results. Finding out more is as easy as booking a free consultation . Hope to hear from you today!

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Find Colleges > Document-Based Question (DBQ) and How Ace Your Essay

Document-Based Question (DBQ) and How Ace Your Essay

DBQ stands for Document-Based Question. The document-based question appears on select AP exams including the AP U.S. History, AP World History, and AP European History exams. Each exam incudes one DBQ section. If you plan to take any of these tests, it’s important to understand what DBQ stands for and how to write the essay to ace the test.

AP or Advanced Placement courses can help boost your chances of getting into the college that you want. They give you the competitive edge over other applicants and improve your acceptance odds. However, they are not a mandatory requirement for admission into college.

What is a DBQ Essay?

To answer this section, you will be given about 7 to 12 historical documents and a prompt. The exact number of questions can change from one year to the next.

You have one hour to complete this section -15 minutes to review these documents, followed by 45 minutes to write a thesis-driven assay that answers the prompt. You will need to cite a minimum of 6 documents in your answer. The DBQ sections accounts for 25% of the total score.

If you take 2 or all 3 AP history courses, you will have to complete two or three DBQ essays – one for each exam.

How the DBQ is Formatted

The DBQ is placed at the start of the writing section, which forms Part II of the AP exam. The instructions on how to answer the section appear at the top of the page, followed by the essay prompt and then the historical documents. You have 15 minutes to read and understand the documents and 45 minutes to compose your essay.

The DBQ is one of two questions that make up the AP history exam . The second question requires a longer response.

Historical Documents Provided on the DBQ

Here’s what you should know about the type of historical documents that are usually provided for the DBQ.

• The 7 or more documents that you receive may be a mix of images, source texts, maps, and graphs. All source content will cover a specific topic and time period that aligns with the curriculum.
• Although all documents will be related to the historical topic or theme addressed in the prompt, they all offer different viewpoints, perspectives, and purposes. You are required to analyze the documents, identify potential biases, and explore different perspectives in order to answer the prompt that’s provided.
• The documents alone do not give you all the information you need to answer the prompt. In addition to using the documents, you are expected to use your own knowledge and historical context to provide a more in-depth answer that will earn you the highest score.
• Each exam has a different set of documents related to a different time period and a unique historical event.
• The format of the documents also varies from one exam to another and may include any combination of written texts, charts, maps, and images. This makes it all the more important to practice analyzing all formats when preparing for the exam.
• The AP Central website publishes DBQ questions and documents from past exams that you can use for hone your skills.

What Does the DBQ Test?

The DBQ tests your ability to identify and extract key issues, patterns, and trends from the documents provided, and to analyze your findings. The main purpose behind the test is to assess your knowledge in the AP History course you’ve completed and to gauge your skills as a writer.

These are some of the main things that the test graders will look for in your answer:

• Did you accurately identify the connections between the different documents?
• Did you accurately assess the context of the documents, keeping in mind the author’s perspective and the target audience?
• Aside from the content provided to you, did you also apply your own knowledge of the historical context to draw a solid conclusion that answers the prompt?
• Did you develop a solid thesis statement based on the documents and your own knowledge?

Your historical knowledge and your ability to analyze the sources and draw a conclusion are the most important factors that go into earning a high score in the Document-Based Question section.

5 Steps to Writing an Effective DBQ

Step 1: read and reread the prompt.

With limited time to answer the question, it may be tempting to scan the question and start writing immediately. Don’t do that. No matter how good your essay is, you’ll lose points if it does not address the question.

You get 15 minutes to read and understand the prompt. Put that to good use. Read the prompt once, then reread it to make sure you’ve correctly understood what it is asking. The way these prompts are worded can often be tricky. You have to read it a couple of times to understand is it asking you to draw comparisons between different documents, describe a historical event, or compare sources?

Remember, your reading comprehension and analysis skills are more important than your essay itself. It’s critical that you take the time to understand the question being asked so you can stay focused on answering it correctly.

2.Skim the Document Titles

You have a minimum of 7 documents to read through and only 15 minutes in which to do that. What’s more, all documents contain vital and related information, and every document contains information that gives you some context. Diving into the details can get overwhelming very quickly. One way to avoid the overwhelm is to start by skimming the document titles and sub-titles.

Look for key words such as dates, incidents, names of people, and other details that give you a general idea of how to approach and format your answer.

3. Analyze the Documents In-Depth

After you’ve gotten the gist of what information the documents contain, it’s time to read over the details more thoroughly. Pay attention to how the documents compare with each other. Are they similar or different? Do they relate to the same time period or different eras? What is the point of view expressed in each document?

As you go through each document highlight important details that are relevant to the prompt and that you think best support the argument you want to make. Identifying key points from the documents will give you plenty of material to craft a strong thesis that addresses the prompt.

4. Outline Your Essay

The best way to structure an essay in the shortest time is to start with an outline. This helps you organize your thoughts and organize the content in a way that one idea builds on the other.

When creating the outline, try and include at least 5 sections in your essay. Start with an introduction, followed by three body paragraphs and finally, a strong conclusion. While the exam evaluators aren’t really grading your essay on its structure, creating one helps you to keeps your thoughts organized.

5. Formulate Your Thesis

You’ve scanned the documents, highlighted the key points, and created a solid structure for your thesis. You’re all set now to start writing your essay.

While working on your essay, make sure that point or comment you make in each paragraph or section should be relevant to the content from the documents. Remember, what the evaluators will be looking for is whether you’ve analyzed the documents correctly and that you’ve used the content from the documents to support your thesis.

Tips For Writing Your Essay

•  Start with a strong introduction that catches the reader’s attention.
•  Finish with a strong conclusion that impresses the reader and demonstrates your knowledge and understanding.
• Proofread and edit your essay before submitting it. It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re writing under pressure and sometimes a wrong word can change the meaning of the whole sentence. Keeping a few minutes for proofreading and editing can earn you a higher score and is well worth it.

AP classes can help you get college credit, helping you save both time and money. They also boost your chances acceptance odds into some of the top schools. If taking AP courses is part of your plan as you prepare for college, it helps to take time to understand how the DBQ works so you can better prepare to ace this section of the exam.

Looking for more information on college applications and testing? You’ll find lots of informative articles and useful virtual tools that you can use for free on the  College Raptor  website.

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How to Ace the AP World History DBQ: Rubric, Examples, and Tips

Advanced Placement (AP)

AP World History is a challenging class, and in order to get credit for it you’ll have to take an equally challenging exam. And one of the toughest parts of the test is the AP World History document-based question, or AP World DBQ. This question asks you to read and analyze documents on the fly, then write an argumentative essay…all in one hour. 

It can be hard to know what–and how–to study for the AP World History DBQ, especially when you don’t know which documents you’ll receive on test day. But don’t worry: we’ll break down everything you need to know about the AP World History DBQ so you can ace it on test day. (We’ll even give you AP World History DBQ example questions and an AP World History DBQ rubric example!) 

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• An explanation of what the AP World History DBQ is 
• A look at how the DBQ works on the AP World History exam
• A step-by-step process for tackling the AP World History DBQ
• A guide to studying for and answering the AP World History DBQ

Let’s get going!

What Is an AP World History DBQ? 

The document-based question (DBQ) is a question on the AP World History exam in which you are given a selection of seven documents and are asked to write an essay that incorporates information from at least six of them in a coherent argument based on a given prompt.

In other words: you’ll be writing an essay on a topic and incorporating resources that you’re given on the day of the exam! 

The DBQ tests over a wide range of skills , like writing, organizing thoughts, making arguments, making connections between different perspectives, and having a knowledge of world history. Yeah, the DBQs are definitely tough! That’s why it’s important to understand what the DBQ APWH is and how to best tackle it. 

How DBQs Work on the AP World History Exam

The DBQ format AP World History uses consists of a single open-ended prompt , and will focus on the time period of 1450-2001 .

Of the two free response questions, one is a long essay (worth 15%) and one is a DBQ. This means that the sole DBQ is, by itself, worth 25% of your total grade, making it the single most heavily-weighted question on the AP World History exam.  

Here are some actual AP World History DBQ examples from previous years’ AP World History exams:

• “Evaluate the extent to which economic factors led to the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920).” ( 2021 )
• “Evaluate the extent to which the Portuguese transformed maritime trade in the Indian Ocean in the sixteenth century.” ( 2019 )
• “Evaluate the extent to which railroads affected the process of empire-building in Afro-Eurasia between 1860 and 1918.” ( 2018 )

Of course, one of the things that makes AP DBQ questions unique is that you’ll be given seven documents to analyze as part of your essay response. Not only will you have to read and analyze these documents on exam day, you’ll have to include them as evidence in your essay to prove your argument! 

The seven documents you’ll receive will be a mixture of: 

• Primary texts : texts that were actually written in the time period you’re being asked about 
• Secondary texts : texts written by later historians that explain or interpret the time period 
• Images: usually either political cartoons or artwork from the time period 

How many of each type of document you get varies by year, so you’ll need to be comfortable using all three types to support an essay-based argument. 

To answer the AP World History DBQ, you’ll have to read through all seven documents and write an argumentative essay that answers the prompt. So not only will you have to come up with an arguable point, you’ll have to prove that thesis using evidence contained in at least three of the seven documents. If you want to earn full credit for your DBQ, you’ll actually have to use six of the seven documents to support your position! 

Just like in a sport, understanding how to score points on your DBQ is key to doing well on your exam. 

Understand the AP World DBQ Rubric

First, y ou need to understand what the expectations are and how your answer will be graded. Doing this will help you figure out what you need to study and which skills you need to brush up on. It’ll also ensure that you know exactly what a great DBQ response requires so that you earn as many points as possible! 

The good news is that the College Board has provided the AP World History DBQ rubric 2021 as part of their 2021 AP World History: Modern Sample Student Responses and Scoring Commentary document. The AP World History DBQ rubric contains all the information you need to know about how your response will be scored. 

Here’s how the rubric breaks down:

Thesis (1 Point) 

First you’ll need to create a thesis that “responds to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis/claim that establishes a line of reasoning.” In order to get this point you’ll need to make an arguable claim based on the documents that answers the question of the prompt.  

Contextualization (1 Point) 

In order to get a point for contextualization you’ll need to “accurately describe a context relevant” to the time period covered by the prompt. What this means is that you’ll have to describe the political, social, or economic events and trends that contributed to the topic you’re writing about. 

Some of this you’ll know from the provided documents, but some of it you will also be expected to know based on what you’ve studied in AP World History class. You’ll also need to relate your knowledge to “broader historical events, developments, or processes that occur before, during, or continue after the time frame of the question.” In other words, you’ll have to show how the events of this time period are relevant now or how they are similar to some other historical situation.

Evidence (3 Points) 

This category assigns points based on how well you use the documents provided to you on the test. 

For this category, you get one of the potential three points solely for if you incorporate specific evidence that does not come from the provided documents in a way that is relevant to your thesis. 

However, in order to earn the other two points, you must support your argument by using even more evidence from the documents provided . If you use three to five documents, you’ll earn an additional point. If you integrate six or more documents in your response, you can earn up to two points…and full credit for this category!  

Just remember: You can’t just randomly throw information from the documents into your essay, though, you have to use it in a way that supports your argument and accurately represents what the documents are saying . 

Analysis and Reasoning (2 Points) 

For the analysis and reasoning section, you get one point for explaining “how or why the document’s point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience is relevant to an argument,” and you get one point for “complexity,” showing that you understand the time period that the prompt covers and use evidence to prove your understanding and back up your argument . 

Here’s what that means: you’ll have to prove how the documents are relevant to your argument, and your argument has to show that you understand the period you’re writing about. Additionally, you’ll need to write an essay that proves your argument in a way that shows you understand that there are a variety of possible perspectives about that time period or issue, and that not everyone in that period had the same experiences. 

If all that sounds like a lot...that's because it is! But don't worry. We'll walk you through the steps you can take to get prepared for your DBQ.

5 Steps for Tackling an AP World History DBQ

The AP World History DBQ is a complicated question that tests you over several different skills, so there isn’t a simple technique to ace it. However, if you master each of the individual skills it takes to do well on the DBQ examples, you’ll set yourself up to write a successful DBQ! response! 

Here are five steps you can follow to prepare for–and tackle!--the AP World History DBQ. 

Step 1: Use Past AP World DBQ Prompts to Practice

Taking practice exams is a great way to prepare for any standardized test–including the AP World exam. Not only do you get a chance to test your knowledge, practice tests also give you the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the test format…which is really important when it comes to AP World DBQs.

There’s good news when it comes to AP World DBQ prompts, though. College Board’s website has the actual AP World DBQ prompts from 2002-2020 available to download. This means you can take almost 20 practice AP World History exams, as well as access AP World History DBQ example responses and AP World History DBQ rubrics, for free!  

It’s good to take one practice test before you start studying intensely for it because that will let you know where your skills are now (and it’ll let you track your progress). However, the nature of a free response means that it won’t be easy for you to grade by yourself. When it comes to assessing your response, use the AP World History DBQ rubric and honestly assess whether or not you incorporated the information thoroughly and accurately. If that doesn’t work for you, you can always ask a family member, tutor, or teacher to give you feedback on your response as well! 

Don’t be afraid to use multiple AP World DBQ prompts as part of your test prep strategy. The more DBQs you do, the better prepared you’ll be on test day! 

Step 2: Practice Creating a Thesis

A thesis statement is a sentence or two, located in your essay’s introduction, that explains what your essay will be about. In this case, your thesis will outline the argument you make in your AP World DBQ. 

The most important aspect of your thesis is that it has to make a claim that is both arguable and relevant to the prompt you’re given. However, you don’t want to just restate the prompt in your thesis! 

Here’s what we mean. Say you’re given the following prompt:

“Evaluate the extent to which economic factors led to the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920).” 

You don’t want your thesis to be “Economic factors led to the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution,” since that just restates the prompt without adding in your own argument. To write a great DBQ, you want to make a specific claim about how and why economic factors led to the Mexican Revolution, and you want to be able to use the AP World History DBQ documents provided to prove it!

Here are two AP World History DBQ examples that College Board considers acceptable theses for this prompt:

• “Mexico’s inability to resist the political dominance of the United States and European powers was the most significant factor in leading to the revolution because foreign dominance prevented the Mexican government from enacting economic reforms.”
• “Ethnic tensions were just as important in leading to the Mexican Revolution as economic factors because much of the economic exploitation that was occurring in Mexico affected poor indigenous communities.”

See how these two examples both make specific claims? The first argues that foreign influences prevented the Mexican government from enacting economic reforms. This is a claim that the author can prove by showing how foreign governments interfered with the Mexican government, and how that action led to reforms being stalled. 

The second AP World History DBQ example thesis addresses something more complex: how ethnic tensions led to economic exploitation. The author can then use the provided documents as evidence that poor indigenous communities were exploited, and can argue that those actions led to the Mexican Revolution.

Outlines take a little time, but they'll keep your DBQ from derailing. (Staying on topic is key!)

Step 3: Practice Creating an Outline

Remember the AP World History DBQ is timed, and you’ll only have one hour to complete it! To keep your writing organized and on track, it’s a good idea for you to create a quick outline before you jump into writing your essay. 

Having said that, you’ll need to be careful not to spend too much time on your outline so you have enough time to write your DBQ. That’s why we recommend spending 15 minutes reading documents, 5 minutes outlining your essay, and 40 minutes writing your response. 

The most important things that your outline will need are an introduction and conclusion ! Your introduction sets up your thesis while your conclusion restates your thesis and explains how it’s relevant to the reader in some way–perhaps by showing that a similar claim could be made about another time period, or that the effects of the thesis are still being felt today. 

Apart from your intro and conclusion, you’ll need body paragraphs. Since you only have about 45 minutes to write this essay, you don’t want too many of them. Three or four body paragraphs will be enough to make your argument. The most important thing about your body paragraphs is that each of them supports your argument and incorporates information from the documents!

To help you out, here is an example of a usable outline for the AP World History DBQ:

• Set up your argument and include your thesis.
• You can break down your thesis into several steps, which will then become the topics of each body paragraph
• Tell the reader what they need to know about the historical situation. 
• Include any information you might already know from outside the provided documents.
• Make the first point you mentioned in your introduction.
• Use information from the documents to illustrate and prove your point.
• Include two or three documents that support your point 
• Just like the previous paragraph, use two or three different documents to prove the second point of your thesis
• If you make a third point in your thesis, explain it here using one or two different documents as evidence 
• Restate your thesis and summarize the main points you’ve made.
• Show how it’s relevant to the reader.

Your outline doesn’t need to be anything fancy–it just needs to give you an idea of how to structure your DBQ. Trust us: outlining might seem like a waste of time, but having a guide will make writing go much faster. 

Step 4: Practice Incorporating Quotes and References

As you write your essay, you’ll need to use examples from the documents provided–and each time you do, you’ll need to indicate which documents you pulled the information from . You’ll do this whether you are quoting your source or just paraphrasing it. 

Here are two attribution examples that College Board considers acceptable for the AP World History DBQ:

• (Document 1): “The finance minister tells strikers that unemployment is the result of supply and demand and is out of the government’s hands, a position which probably increased people’s discontent with the government because they were unwilling to help.”
• (Document 2): “The newspaper cartoon shows that the government was willing to use violence to put down popular protests against a rigged election system. Such oppressive government policies may have contributed to increased support for the eventual revolution.”

Note that both of these connect the contents of the document to the argument the author is trying to make. They don’t just paraphrase or quote the contents of the document for the sake of using them– you should use documents to support your argument!

Keep in mind that the College Board is pretty specific about how they want you to use AP World history DBQ documents. In the 2021 AP World History Scoring Guidelines rubric, College Board makes the point that you should “ describe and explain ” the contents of the document: By “describe'' they mean you should point out to your reader what about the document is relevant and illustrate it as if the reader did not have the document in front of them. 

From there, you’ll need to explain the document. That means you should use the document to show the reader why changes or situations in history have happened or why there is a relationship between two factors you’re writing about. 

Step 5: Understand Time Management

One of the most important skills you can acquire by taking multiple attempts at the AP World DBQ practice test will be time management. 

When you’re in the actual test environment, you won’t be able to use your phone to set a timer or alarm, so it’ll be difficult to keep track of how much time you’re spending on reading and re-reading the documents, brainstorming, and outlining. You want to leave yourself the majority of the time allowed (which will be one hour) for writing. 

College Board’s AP World History DBQ rubric recommends that you spend 15 minutes reading the documents and 45 minutes writing the essay . When you write your practice DBQs, be sure to use this format so you can get a feel for how much time you do (or don’t!) have for the question. Practicing with a timer is a great way to make sure you’re using your time wisely on test day! 

4 Tips for Studying for and Answering the AP World History DBQs

Now that you’ve read our step-by-step process for tackling the AP World History DBQ and have seen several AP World History DBQ examples, here are some expert tips on doing well on the AP World History DBQ . We’ve developed these tips based on the AP World History rubric to make sure you earn as many points as possible! 

Tip 1: Know Your Rubric

Go through the AP World History DBQ rubric 2021 and notice that it tells you exactly how to earn points in each category . Most categories are worth multiple points, so you need to know how to earn all the points possible. 

For example, the rubric is clear about how to earn points for your thesis statement. You’ll have to make sure that you have a thesis that states outright what argument you are trying to make if you want to earn credit for that category of the rubric! 

The scoring for the DBQ is pretty objective, and knowing exactly what the scorers are looking for will help you earn the most points possible.

Tip 2: Your Essay Can Contain Errors

In an AP World History DBQ, you’ll be able to make tiny errors and still be able to earn full credit for your response. 

Before you get too excited, there are big (and we mean big!) limits to this rule. For instance, you can’t misrepresent a document by saying an author makes one claim when they clearly aren’t. You also can’t write something that is obviously wrong, like that America continues under British rule because the revolution was unsuccessful! 

But you can make minor errors that don’t detract from your argument as long as you are demonstrating a knowledge of the time period and the ability to incorporate evidence to make an argument. So for example, you can make the mistake of saying that President Nixon’s impeachment hearings began in July 1974 (instead of May, when they actually began), and still earn full credit as long as you aren’t making an argument that depends on the accuracy of those dates.  

Tip 3: Write for Clarity 

One thing to keep in mind is that you’re graded on the quality of your argument and how well you prove it– you don’t get graded on how beautifully or fluently you write ! 

So, while you’ll want to use correct grammar and write as clearly as you can, don’t spend too much time making your writing beautiful. Instead, focus on clearly explaining your ideas! 

To this end, you won’t have points taken away for grammatical errors unless they make it difficult for the graders to see how you’ve used the evidence to make an argument. So while you want your writing to be as error-free as possible, it’s more important that you’re making your argument as clearly–and as persuasively–as possible. 

Tip 4: Write for Relevance

As you’re outlining and writing your AP World DBQ, ask yourself, why is this relevant to today’s readers? To earn a perfect score, you’ll have to tie your argument to another time period or historical situation. 

This is your chance to show that while the period you’re writing about may have been long in the past, the events are still relevant to us today ! This is why we read, write, and study history in the first place. So as you outline and write your DBQ, make sure you’re doing your best to show your reader why this historical moment or event is still important.

What’s Next? 

No matter what AP course you’re taking, you’ll want to have a study plan in place when it comes to exam time. This blog article can help you put together a prep strategy that works.

Not sure what a “good” AP test score is for AP World History? This list of the average AP test scores for every exam will help you understand how your scores stack up. 

Perfect test scores are great, but do you really need a perfect AP World History score? Our experts will explain the pros and cons of getting perfect 5s on your AP exams . 

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Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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How to Write a DBQ Essay?

01 October, 2020

20 minutes read

Author:  Richard Pircher

AP (Advanced Placement) examinations are standardized tests designed to evaluate how well American students have mastered the course and acquired skills on specific subjects. Most AP courses presuppose final paper-and-pencil tests at the end of the year, but some courses come with different ways to assess students’ knowledge. AP tests cover the full content of each course and give college students an opportunity to obtain college credits and placements.

What Is a DBQ?

A DBQ essay is a type of academic paper written on the basis of a Document Based Question. It implies that students will have some documents to be used as sources of information for writing an essay. Since 2002, the DBQ essay format has been used to test college students for understanding historical development.

The time of US history usually covers a period from 1607 to 1980. At present, the DBQ method is also used to test students in AP European and world history, as well as social studies. The approach is the same, but sources of information are different. For writing DBQ essays, students are offered to analyze some historical events or problems based on the sources or materials provided.

The Purpose of A DBQ Essay

The point of document based question essays is that students are provided with seven documents to be analyzed and used to present evidence-based argumentation in their writings. Students have to formulate the thesis, which should be typically presented in the last sentence of the introduction. Further, this thesis has to be supported by evidence and historical facts. This test is aimed to evaluate the students’ abilities of:

• Analyzing documents, taking into account their authors’ points of view, their purposes, and general context;
• Formulating a strong thesis and substantiating it in an essay;
• Using personal knowledge for supporting the thesis with additional facts.

However, students should not wholly rely on knowledge of historical facts during the test. They rather have to analyze the information contained in the provided documents. To successfully pass this test, students need to have the skills of logical thinking, as well as profound knowledge of civilization development, historical facts, and geographical regions. The task is to interpret historical material, draw conclusions based on existing knowledge, and answer the main question.

Preparing For The DBQ Essay

The DBQ test is based on the skills of historical analysis that you can acquire and put into practice. For writing a strong DBQ essay, you need to use the evidence provided to support an argument, make connections between different documents, and apply specific information in a broader context. Also, a historical essay with a Document Based Question answers the issues of the author’s intentions, general conditions, target audience, and so on.

It is recommended to practice writing this type of essays to be well prepared for the DBQ essays. When you exercise, you do not have to write a complete essay every time. The main point is to understand the main issue and related documents and then sketch out the thesis. Make sure you are aware of the general historical trends and periods.

The general flow of your preparation should include taking a practice of the DBQ test and focusing on analysis and exposing your suggestions in writing. How much you take the practice DBQs depends on how perfect preparation you need and how often you want to check your progress. Take practice to write DBQ essays so that this format becomes familiar to you, but not so much that you fail to apply other skills.

How to write a DBQ essay? Firstly, do not intend to fudge your way through the DBQ test by using only beautiful writing with no substance. Secondly, you should focus on the meaning of your essay. Thirdly, you can get your essay peer-reviewed online. Fourthly, ask somebody who has experience in this matter to review your practice with a DBQ essay. Listen to comments and ideas of that person to take these recommendations into consideration.

Stuck on writing an DBQ essay? Our Essay writers is always ready to help you!

DBQ Outline

The process of writing a DBQ essay requires a proper outline. Plan how much time you can spend on each paragraph. Read the main question carefully and make sure you understand what is being asked. As you read the documents, take notes about what information they contain, who the author is, and which historical period it belongs to. Before you start writing, think about the thesis. The materials provided and your notes will help you compose a thesis.

Read the essential hints and objectives carefully. Make sure you understand what evidence to look for in the documents and what the instructors want to see in your essay. Most probably, you might be asked to analyze or explain the reasons for the historical development. Use your knowledge to compare and contrast different perspectives on a concept. Show how public opinion has changed over a specified period.

The outline to plan and write a DBQ essay is similar to an FRQ (Free Response Question) test, but your evidence should be based on the supplied documents. When you read these documents, ask yourself what grabs your attention and what is the background information on the topic (date, place, and surrounding situation). State the question with key terms. Tell what the reasons to prove your point of view are.

Think about the thesis or roadmap of what the essay will be about. Typically, a statement credited as evidence from outside the documents will be more specific and relevant to an argument, analogous to the function of evidence drawn from the papers. In the body paragraphs, outline sub theses based on the information from either documents or sources, as well as provide two to three examples. Each sub thesis should be grounded by evidence.

Support details for reasons with references to the specific documents or sources and connect your evidence to your thesis. In the central argument or conclusion, restate your thesis. It should not be its exact duplication, but a periphrasis of your thesis statement in differing words. Explain and not simply identify how or why the documents, their purposes, historical situation, and audience are relevant to an argument. In the end, clarify relevant and insightful connections across time and space and explain why the issue is significant today.

DBQ Structure

Here are the main parts of the DBQ essay a student cannot forget about:

DBQ Essay Introduction: Starting DBQ Format

Problems and discussions usually characterize the DBQ essay outline. In this work, it is not enough to retell what is written in a textbook, as is often the case in a DBQ essay, or to apply a problem-solving technique, as in a test. When writing the DBQ essay outline, you can be guided by the example of the logic of construction, become familiar with the DBQ essay, and start with the relevance of the topic.

Strong Thesis Statement: What Should It Include?

The strength of your thesis statement influences how you write a DBQ. The standard number of theses for a DBQ essay is from 2 to 5. To determine the exact number of ideas, you must be guided by the required work. The larger the text, the stronger the thesis statement should be. It isn’t easy to write a DBQ on one thesis statement.

There are specific ways to write a DBQ with a strong thesis statement in the paper. The main DBQ essay outline has only four points:

• DBQ outline requires you to determine why you are convincing the reader of the truth or falsity of the thesis statement. To do this, it is desirable to be clear about the target audience. Your thesis statement should be interesting to the reader. Otherwise, he will not read further;
• Gathering information. You can write a good DBQ essay only if you have read enough literature on the topic before. In the process, you will be able to understand the relevance of your document-based question;
• In any DBQ format, it is essential to identify keywords that will be the anchor points and skeleton of the DBQ essay outline.

DBQ Essay Example: Describe Your Main Ideas in Body Paragraph

It reveals the DBQ essay outline from the introduction from different angles. The central part of the DBQ format is not a continuous text; it is divided into smaller pieces. In the first part, you need to state your DBQ outline and describe how you understand and feel about the topic. Next, justify your opinion with arguments. DBQ outline demands facts from life, scientific studies, and views of scientists. You can cite facts from history to write a DBQ.

DBQ Essay Example: Logical Conclusion

The conclusion of a document-based question essay can contain such an essential, complementary element to the article as an indication of the application (implication) of your research, not excluding the relationship with other problems. DBQ essay example: “The DBQ essay is mainly about gender relations in agricultural labor, but a fuller examination would also require an examination of class relations,” followed by a few sentences explaining how the DBQ essay does that.

How to Write a DBQ essay With a Strong Thesis Statement

DBQ stands for a document based question. Such assignments require a student to demonstrate their ability to create well-researched arguments. If you have never written such tasks, read about the DBQ format.

Steps of Writing a DBQ

Create dbq essay outline: write an intro.

You will be provided with a historical context to help write a DBQ introduction. In addition, it will allow you to develop several ideas for writing your text.

Make sure to write a DBQ first sentence that answers 4 questions:

It will allow you to provide your reader with a context and briefly indicate what problem you will solve. This sentence should be the first part of your DBQ essay outline. It is followed by a couple of sentences preceding a thesis statement.

Write a Powerful Thesis Statement

To write a DBQ that will look well-researched, pay careful attention to this part of your essay. Likewise, consider the question you need to answer when writing a thesis statement.

To get tops marks for your document based question essay, follow these steps:

• Make claims and provide pieces of evidence
• When creating a DBQ essay outline, remember to describe the information that you will base your statements on
• Write a paragraph explaining how you will answer the main question

If you have never written a thesis statement before, look at a DBQ essay example to see how another author coped with this task.

Correctly Structure a Body Paragraph in Your DBQ Essay Outline

A DBQ format doesn’t require you to limit the number of body paragraphs. However, when creating a DBQ outline, include at least 3 paragraphs to cover the main points.

The first paragraph should follow your thesis statement. Experienced writers start a DBQ essay outline by selecting the strongest point and analyzing it from several points of view. Then, use a transition sentence to move smoothly to the next part of your DBQ outline. It will enable you to write a DBQ more easily.

The second and third paragraphs of your DBQ essay outline should also refer to the thesis statement. You can also find a DBQ essay example with four or more paragraphs if you need to provide a detailed answer to your question.

DBQ format is quite easy to use. You can make your text logical by creating an easy-to-follow DBQ outline. Don’t forget to add another transition sentence at the end of this part of your text.

Draw a Conclusion

The last part of your DBQ outline should summarize your argument and show that you have answered the question. Use a DBQ essay example to see how such parts of these essays are usually written. The main thing is to list your main points and show that the opposing views are biased.

Wrapping Up

Following these tips, you can write a DBQ essay demonstrating that you can analyze complex issues and draw independent conclusions. Practice a lot to hone your skills and get the highest marks!

DBQ Essay Examples

If you are not sure of how to write a DBQ essay, you can always search and find good examples online. You can find them on the College Board website. This organization administers AP tests, and therefore, the provided DBQ essay samples can give you some prompts and responses to many questions. These samples are not only evaluated, but the score system is explained in accordance with the rubric.

Writing Tips to Succeed with Your DBQ Essay

The AP test typically consists of one or two DBQ essays, and 45 minutes is given to writing each of them. So, students have up to 90 minutes to draw up a plan and finish two papers. When you see the task for writing a DBQ essay, you will see instructions, a hint, and attached documents. Usually, up to seven different sources are provided. These can be newspaper clippings, articles, maps, drawings, photographs, and so on. However, you do not need to use all the documents, but at least four of them.

It is recommended that you first read the materials and schedule your time carefully. Organize these sources into categories and define how each document relates to your main question. Think about how to use documents to support your argument. If you are comparing different points of view, classify your sources based on opposing opinions.

Also, try to include relevant external information in your essay. You need to provide at least one piece of evidence besides the data from the provided documents. List some external evidence on a draft to refer to when writing your essay. As you write your DBQ essay, support your arguments with links to provided documents. Make sure that both your argument structure and supporting evidence back up your preliminary thesis.

You should describe how a particular event, movement, or somebody’s beliefs can support your statement. Outline the structure of your arguments in your DBQ essay. Start with your preliminary thesis and break your essay into multiple parts. In each of them, write one statement or element for the argument. Under each idea, list a few points supporting that part of your argument. Also, do not just cite sources without analysis.

Make sure you use documents to craft and highlight your point of view. Refine your thesis and make sure again that your thesis is clear, does not contain unnecessary words, and fully answers the main question. When writing an essay, general historical accuracy is essential, but not details. If minor details are not indicated correctly without affecting the general meaning, then this will not lead to a decrease in the overall test score.

How To Be Successful On The DBQ Test Day?

The matter of how to write a DBQ essay may seem challenging, but you are able to pass an AP test and get a high score provided that you have particular skills. It is recommended to get acquainted with the DBQ essay rubric that instructors use to evaluate AP tests. Information about this rubric can be found on the College Board website. It has four categories: abstracts, document analysis, use of third-party evidence, and synthesis.

You can get one point for the thesis and argument. An extra point is given for a perfect thesis presenting the close relationship between historical events and their causes. A strong thesis, supported by information from documents or any other source, is of great importance. Also, you need to reinforce this thesis in your paper. Demonstrate that you have generated a critical understanding of the given sources by focusing on what they mean rather than what they say.

Another three points are provided for the use of the maximum number of documents and their detailed analysis. This analysis refers to the authors’ points of view, target audience, or historical context. Be sure to reveal the connection between your research and your main argument. Providing an external example and establishing a link with another historical period or topic is estimated as one additional point. You are advised to give an extra specific example that is relevant to your argument.

When passing an AP History exam with a DBQ essay, you will lose one point out of seven if you do not relate your arguments to the broader historical context. Also, you will miss one point if you just mention sources or add quotes at random. You have to establish logical connections between the documents and the conclusions you draw.

For synthesis, you need to show the link between your arguments about a specific period with another historical time, social processes, geographic regions, etc. It is best done in the final part of your essay. This task will earn you one more point. In the end, take at least a few minutes to check everything and make corrections. Make sure the names, dates, and other facts are provided correctly.

Thus, the maximum number of points that you can get in the AP exam with DBQ essays is 7. For that, you have to clearly state your thesis, establish a broader historical context, support your argument with as many documents as possible, provide external evidence, and describe several points of view. However, you do not need to obtain the highest score to achieve your goals. You can get 5 or 6 points out of 7 on this exam, and it will be a success. Even 3 points can give you a credit score in many colleges.

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AP® US History

How to write a new ap® us history dbq.

• The Albert Team
• Last Updated On: March 1, 2022

Hey! We wrote an updated version of this post here . Check it out for helpful videos and FRQ tips.

The dreaded AP® US History Document Based Question. For years it has struck fear in the hearts of many, turned boys into men and rookie students into old, weathered veterans. Rumor has it that little Jimmy Walker once took the AP® US History exam and when he got to the DBQ section, proceeded to spontaneously combust. Okay, so maybe that is a little dramatic. But the DBQ can be a really intimidating process that stands in the way of success for many students. Lucky for you, with this comprehensive guide, it can be relatively painless, and you will be well on your way to academic success and glory.

To start with, it is a good idea to figure out what exactly you are trying to  accomplish on the DBQ .  The quickest way to a high score is to know what the test scorers are looking for, and then do it! The rubric for grading the AP® US History DBQ can be found  here . Also lucky for you, we broke down the rubric to make it easy to understand. Before you continue through the rest of this how-to guide, be sure to go check out the DBQ rubric guide  here .

All right, so now you know what they are looking for and what you are trying to accomplish. Let’s get started.

The DBQ Layout:

Okay, so here’s how it works. Basically, you will be given an essay prompt, a set of primary source documents (never more than 7), and only 60 minutes to come up with a well written, clear and coherent essay response. The general rule of thumb, recommended by the good people at CollegeBoard, is to dedicate about 15 of those precious minutes to planning and the last 45 to writing. That may seem a little overwhelming, but it is totally doable! Especially with these 6 easy steps!

1. Read the Question.

Then figure out what the question is asking you. I can’t stress this enough, figuring out what the prompt is asking you is critical. No matter how good of a writer you are, or how much history you may know, if you don’t answer the question, you are sunk. A neat tip might be to write out in your own words what the question is asking.

As you are reading the question, be on the lookout for which skills they are trying to test you on. Every DBQ is looking to test your skills of historical argumentation, use of historical evidence,  contextualization , and synthesis. These things are outlined in the rubric and are consistent parts of every good DBQ. In addition to these critical skills, a DBQ will be looking to analyze one of a number of certain skills. These include: causation, change/continuity over time, comparison, interpretation, or periodization. Don’t waste too much time trying to figure this out, and don’t get so caught up in it that you forget to answer the actual question, just be sure to keep it in mind as you plan out your answer.

That probably seems like an insanely long first step, but all of that will really only take a couple of minutes and set you up to breeze through the rest of the process. Once you have thoroughly read and interpreted the question, you are ready for step number 2!

2. Dig into the Sources

While you want to make sure that you read each document, don’t waste your time on too focused of a reading. Underline or highlight things that stand out, and make notes out to the side. One suggestion is to write a quick sentence or two that summarizes the main idea of each document. And again, this is all just part of the 15-minute planning period; so don’t get too caught up on any document. You are just looking for main ideas and details that really stand out. To take this one step further, you can organize the documents into groups based on their main point. (For highest score possibilities, make sure to use either all or all but one of the primary source documents).

3. Make an Outline.

First decide on a thesis, and from there think about how you want to use your primary source documents to support that thesis. Think about what kinds of outside information you might want to bring in to further support your argument, and where it will fit into your essay as a whole. Once more, don’t get stuck mapping out every single thing that you are going to say, but be sure that you include documents where they fit in the response. This will make it much easier to incorporate them into your answer. Hopefully it has only been 15 minutes or less at this point and you are now ready to write!

4. Start Writing!

Most of your highly intensive, critical thinking type stuff should already have happened and now it is just all about putting those thoughts into words. If you played your cards right and made good use of the first 15 minutes, this part of the process should be pretty straightforward. Start with a brief introduction that gives a little context to the subject matter and shows that you know some of the details surrounding the subject matter. Introduce your thesis, then a few of your main ideas that support your thesis. This part of your paper is not much different than a regular essay response.

5. Keep Writing!

As you get going on some longer paragraphs and stringing together lots of sophisticated and smart sounding sentences, it can be easy to lose sight of the main points of your paper. I have said it a couple times already, but it is absolutely essential that you answer the question!

A few key things to keep in mind as you write your body:

1. Use specific references from your documents, and always show where you are getting the information. At the same time, don’t just use huge block quotes to take up a bunch of space. Use what you need to answer the question.

2. Make sure you use some outside knowledge to support your argument, along with your documents. Specific examples that aren’t on the documents are super helpful in making your argument stronger, and just showing that you know what you are talking about.

3. Don’t forget to contextualize. Things that happen in history are not isolated events, and the circumstances surrounding things matter. Don’t forget to address that.

6. Wrap it up with a ballin’ conclusion.

Don’t draw it out and don’t introduce new ideas in the conclusion. Make it short and to the point. Summarize what your main thesis and arguments were and leave it at that. Don’t try to be too clever or witty or trite and you actually don’t have to use the term “In conclusion” every time you write a conclusion. (Mind blown, I know).

If you follow these 6 easy steps and  ANSWER THE QUESTION , you will demolish the DBQ section of the  AP® US History  exam. (That’s a good thing). And at the very least, you will make it out better than poor Jimmy Walker.

Looking for AP® US History practice?

Kickstart your AP® US History prep with Albert. Start your AP® exam prep today .

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4 thoughts on “how to write a new ap® us history dbq”.

This says it was updated in May of 2020, bull crap! YOu are telling students they have 15 min to read the documents and 45 to write. Thats wrong! They have a total of 45 min. on the new 2020 online DBQ. So Im telling students to spend no more than 19 min with reading the docs. Come on guys! get this updated

I meant 10 min on reading Docs.

Paul, this was written several years ago as noted by the disclaimer. For the 2020 exam, please review our new guide here: https://www.albert.io/blog/ap-us-history-review/

Thanks for the comment!

Paul, this is an article from a few years ago (note the disclaimer). The updates made to this were just images, not core content. Our 2020 AP® US History guide can be found here: https://www.albert.io/blog/ap-us-history-review/

Comments are closed.

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AP U.S. History Document Based Question Example

The DBQ requires you to analyze the documents in addition to bringing outside information to bear on the question. This is a difficult task, and you have only 15 minutes to plan before you begin writing. Don’t panic! Use the same strategies given for the LEQ for document analysis . The more you practice using these strategies, the better you will become at quickly finding significance in the documents.

Use the prompt and documents below to practice writing a DBQ . Either create an outline of key points or time yourself for 55 minutes (15 to prep and 40 to write) to get test day practice. Check your answers against the sample response at the end to see how yours compares!

DBQ Sample Question

Evaluate the extent of change in United States political parties in the period 1791 to 1833.

Step 1: Analyze the Prompt

Spend the 15-minute reading period analyzing the documents themselves, thinking for each document about its authorship/historical situation, main idea, and why it was written.

Begin grouping the documents into categories that you can use to help organize your essay. The following is a sample high-scoring writer’s notes on the documents:

1.  Hamilton – Fed.: federal implied powers equal with explicit powers in Constitution, bank constitutional 2.  Jefferson – Demo-Rep.: federal government only has powers delegated by Constitution, bank unconstitutional 3.  Jefferson inaugural address: all parties follow same principles 4.  Map of territories, feat. Louisiana Purchase – large territory bought by Jefferson 5.  Hartford Convention – Fed.: want Congress to have high consensus to take action 6.  Jackson – Demo.: veto bank b/c unconstitutional 7.  Nat.-Rep. (Whig) cartoon: Jackson like king trampling Constitution w/ vetoes

• Fed. & Demo.-Rep. initial views: 1 & 2
• Feds. changing view: 5
• Demo.-Rep. changing view: 3, 4
• new parties & new issues: 6, 7

Step 2: Plan Your Response

• Thesis : parties changed ideals & new parties formed w/ new focuses; all devoted to Constitution ( complex understanding : change and continuity)
• Hamilton (Doc. 1): Fed. pro-bank, loose construction, strong central government
• Jefferson (Doc. 2): Demo.-Rep. anti-bank, strict construction, powerful states
• Jefferson (Doc. 3): reconcile w/ Feds. ( sourcing 1 )
• LA Purchase (Doc. 4): shift from strict construction
• Add’l Evidence : Jefferson Embargo Act: shift to strong fed.
• Context : war with Britain, impact on Feds.
• Hartford Convention (Doc. 5): shift from strong fed.
• Add’l Evidence : Era of Good Feelings
• Democrats & Whigs issues: bank, power of president, internal improvements
• Jackson cartoon (Doc. 7) ( sourcing 2 )
• (Doc. 3) “same principle”
• (Docs. 1 & 2) interpretations of Const.
• (Doc. 6) Jackson claim bank unconst. ( sourcing 3 )
• ¶conclusion: parties shifted in ideologies, new parties based on events, still devoted to Const.

Step 3: Action! Write Your Response

Step 4: proofread, sample high-scoring document-based question response.

The first two parties emerged from disagreements about forming a Bank of the United States. Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton developed a loose construction view of the Constitution, using the implied powers of the federal government in the Constitution to justify his support for a bank (Document 1). Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson argued for a strict construction view, opposing the Bank since it was not explicitly permitted by the Constitution and, he claimed, therefore unconstitutional (Document 2). These philosophies became the foundation of the first two political parties. Hamilton led the Federalists, who championed a strong federal government. Jefferson and James Madison led the Democratic-Republicans, who believed power rested with the states.

However, over time it became clear that the unwavering views of the two political parties needed to moderate if the country were to grow. Jefferson made the first step toward moderation of his political philosophy and reconciliation with the Federalists in his First Inaugural Address (Document 3), stating “We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists.” As the newly elected president, perhaps Jefferson felt required to placate his political opponents and didn’t fully believe this sentiment, but his time in office would prove that more moderate views were politically expedient. Jefferson and his party had to further adjust their ideals when the opportunity to purchase the Louisiana Territory from France arose in 1803 (Document 4). There was no provision in the Constitution for a president to buy more territory. However, Jefferson moderated his own strict construction views and made the purchase. Later, when American shipping was disrupted during the Napoleonic Wars, Jefferson again showed a shift from his original pro-state view and took the strong federal action of supporting the Embargo Act.

The Federalists also modified their views after war broke out with Great Britain. The Federalists, many of whom were merchants negatively impacted by the war’s impact on trade, protested America’s involvement. Federalists formulated a set of demands in Hartford, Connecticut (Document 5). By proposing that some government actions require a full two-thirds approval of the states, they were essentially challenging the authority of the federal government and seeking a way for their minority party to gain a greater say in decisions. Thus, the party that had favored a strong central government had now adopted an opposite view based on their circumstances. Both the initial parties changed their ideals when faced with events while governing.

As time went on, new parties emerged that were centered around the new concerns of their times. During the one-party Era of Good Feelings, the Federalist Party essentially ceased to exist, showing that political parties can disappear if their particular focuses are no longer relevant. The Democratic-Republican Party eventually split into two new parties: the Democrats and the Whigs. Although the National Bank was still a divisive issue, these new parties now focused on the issues of the power of the presidency and the role of the national government in modernization. The political cartoon in Document 7, created by a member of the Whigs, demonstrates the Whig view of opposing a strong executive by depicting the Democrat Jackson as a king who literally is trampling the Constitution under his feet. The intent of the cartoon is to mock Jackson as acting more like a king than a president by his excessive use of the veto. That a major facet of the Whig party was its opposing a particular president demonstrates the tendency of early political parties to form and dissolve as issues changed over time.

Despite the changes, all the early parties remained devoted to the principles of the Constitution. As Jefferson indicates in his address (Document 3), the parties have “different names” but are “brethren of the same principle”—the republican form of their government. Likewise, the debates between Federalists and Democratic- Republicans often hinged on how to interpret the Constitution, as shown in both Hamilton’s and Jefferson’s explanations of the Constitution in Documents 1 and 2. Later, Jackson also based his decision in Document 6 with “solemn regard to the principles of the Constitution.” While it is possible that Jackson was merely appealing to the Constitution as an excuse to veto the bank, which he was known to dislike, his words at least show the importance of appearing to honor constitutional principles across party lines.

American political parties developed soon after the Constitution took effect and went through shifts in ideologies and concerns over time. Sometimes changing their views based on what was politically expedient, early parties came in and out of existence based on their particular focuses and current events. Still, their devotion to constitutional principles showed their faith in the new form of government and ensured that the new government would endure and adapt, even when facing political disagreement.

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How to Write a DBQ Essay

Last Updated: July 15, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Emily Listmann, MA . Emily Listmann is a Private Tutor and Life Coach in Santa Cruz, California. In 2018, she founded Mindful & Well, a natural healing and wellness coaching service. She has worked as a Social Studies Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and an SAT Prep Teacher. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. Emily also received her Wellness Coach Certificate from Cornell University and completed the Mindfulness Training by Mindful Schools. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 682,670 times.

In the past, Document Based Questions (DBQ) were rarely found outside of AP history exams. However, they’re now used in social studies classes across grade levels, so you’re bound to take a DBQ test at some point. [1] X Research source Going into the test, you will need strong background knowledge of the time periods and geographical areas on which you will be tested. Your documents will always relate back directly to the major subjects and themes of your class. The key to success is to analyze the provided documents and use them to support an argument in response to the essay prompt. While DBQ tests are rigorous, they allow you to actually do historical work instead of merely memorize facts. Don’t stress, put on your historian hat, and start investigating!

Writing Help

Analyzing the Documents

• For an AP exam, you’ll then have 45 minutes to write your essay. Exact times may vary for other exams and assignments but, for all DBQ essays, document analysis is the first step.
• For an AP exam, you will also need to include a thesis, set the prompt’s historical context, use 6 documents to support an argument, describe 1 piece of outside evidence, and discuss the point of view or context of at least 3 of the sources. Label these elements as you review and outline so you don’t forget something.

• A prompt might ask you to analyze or explain the causes of a historical development, such as, “Explain how the Progressive Movement gained social, political, and cultural influence from the 1890s to the 1920s in the United States.”
• You might need to use primary sources to compare and contrast differing attitudes or points of view toward a concept, policy, or event, such as, “Compare and contrast the differing attitudes towards women’s rights in the United States from 1890 to 1920.”
• Keywords in these examples inform you how to read your sources. For instance, to compare and contrast differing attitudes, you’ll need to identify your sources’ authors, categorize their points of view, and figure out how attitudes changed over the specified period of time.

• Suppose one of the documents is a suffragette’s diary entry. Passages in the entry that detail her advocacy for the Women’s Rights Movement are evidence of her point of view. In contrast, another document is newspaper article written around the same time that opposes suffrage.
• A diary entry might not have an intended audience but, for documents such as letters, pamphlets, and newspaper articles, you’ll need to identify the author’s likely readers.
• Most of your sources will probably be written documents, but you’ll likely encounter political cartoons, photographs, maps, or graphs. The U.S. Library of Congress offers a helpful guide to reading specific primary source categories at https://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/guides.html .

• Suppose you have a letter sent from one suffragette to another about the methods used to obtain the right to vote. This document may help you infer how attitudes vary among the movement’s supporters.
• A newspaper article depicting suffragettes as unpatriotic women who would sabotage World War I for the United States helps you understand the opposing attitude.
• Perhaps other sources include a 1917 editorial on the harsh treatment of imprisoned suffragists and an article on major political endorsements for women’s suffrage. From these, you’d infer that 1917 marked a pivotal year, and that the role women played on the home front during World War I would lead to broader support for suffrage.

• For instance, perhaps you read that the National American Woman Suffrage association (NAWSA) made a strategic shift in 1916 from focusing on state-by-state suffrage to prioritizing a constitutional amendment. Mentioning this switch to a more aggressive strategy supports your claim that the stage was set for a 1917 turning point in popular support for women’s suffrage.
• When you think of outside evidence during the planning stages, jot it down so you can refer to it when you write your essay. A good spot could be in the margin of a document that relates to the outside information.

Developing an Argument

• For example, after reviewing the documents related to women’s suffrage, identify the opposing attitudes, how they differed, and how they changed over time.
• Your rough argument at this stage could be, “Those in opposition saw suffragettes as unpatriotic and unfeminine. Attitudes within the suffrage movement were divided between conservative and confrontational elements. By the end of World War I, changing perceptions of the role of women contributed to growing popular support for suffrage.”

• Suppose your DBQ is, “How did World War I affect attitudes toward women’s suffrage in the United States?” A strong tentative thesis would be, “The roles women played in the workforce and in support of the war effort contributed to growing popular support for the suffrage movement.”
• A weak thesis would be, “World War I affected how Americans perceived women’s suffrage.” This simply restates the prompt.

• For example, under numeral I., write, “New Woman: perceptions shift in the 1890s.” This section will explain the 1890s concept of the New Woman, which rejected traditional characterizations of women as dependent and fragile. You’ll argue that this, in part, set the stage for shifting attitudes during and following World War I.
• You can start your planning your essay during the reading portion of the test. If necessary, take around 5 minutes out of the writing portion to finish outlining your argument.

• For instance, under “I. New Woman: perceptions shift in the 1890s,” write “(Doc 1),” which is a pamphlet praising women who ride bicycles, which was seen as “unladylike” at the time.
• Beneath that line, write “(Doc 2),” which is an article that defends the traditional view that women should remain in the household. You’ll use this document to explain the opposing views that set the context for suffrage debates in the 1900s and 1910s.

• Suppose your tentative thesis is, “The roles women played in the workforce and in support of the war effort contributed to growing popular support for the suffrage movement.” You decide that “contributed” isn’t strong enough, and swap it out for “led” to emphasize causation.

Drafting Your Essay

• If you have 45 minutes to write, take about 5 minutes to make an outline. If you have an introduction, 3 main points that cite 6 documents, and a conclusion, plan on spending 7 minutes or less on each of these 5 sections. That will leave you 5 minutes to proofread or to serve as a buffer in case you need more time.
• Check the time periodically as you write to ensure you’re staying on target.

• To set the context, you might write, “The Progressive Era, which spanned roughly from 1890 to 1920, was a time of political, economic, and cultural reform in the United States. A central movement of the era, the Women’s Rights Movement gained momentum as perceptions of the role of women dramatically shifted.”
• If you’d prefer to get straight to the point, feel free to start your introduction with your thesis, then set the context.
• A timed DBQ essay test doesn’t leave you much time to write a long introduction, so get straight to analyzing the documents rather than spell out a long, detailed intro.

• Each body section should have a topic sentence to let the reader know you’re transitioning to a new piece of evidence. For example, start the first section with, “The 1890s saw shifts in perception that set the stage for the major advances in women’s suffrage during and following World War I.”
• Be sure to cite your documents to support each part of your argument. Include direct quotes sparingly, if at all, and prioritize analysis of a source over merely quoting it.
• Whenever you mention a document or information within a document, add parentheses and the number of the document at the end of the sentence, like this: “Women who were not suffragettes but still supported the movement wrote letters discussing their desire to help (Document 2).”

• For example, a private diary entry from 1916 dismissing suffrage as morally corrupt isn’t necessarily a reflection of broader public opinion. There's more to consider than just its content, or what it says.
• Suppose a more reliable document, such as a major newspaper article on the 1916 Democratic and Republican national conventions, details the growing political and public support for women’s suffrage. You’d use this source to show that the diary entry conveys an attitude that was becoming less popular.

• In your essay on World War I and women’s suffrage, you could summarize your argument, then mention that the war similarly impacted women’s voting rights on an international scale.

Revising Your Draft

• If you’re taking an AP history exam or other timed test, minor errors are acceptable as long as they don't affect your argument. Spelling mistakes, for instance, won’t result in a loss of points if the scorer can still understand the word, such as “sufrage” instead of “suffrage.”

• A clear thesis statement.
• Set the prompt’s broader historical context.
• Support your argument using 6 of the 7 included documents.
• Identify and explain 1 piece of historical evidence other than the included documents.
• Describe 3 of the documents’ points of view, purposes, audiences, or context.
• Demonstrate a complex understanding of the topic, such as by discussing causation, change, continuity, or connections to other historical periods.

• As with spelling and grammar, minor errors are acceptable as long as the scorer knows what you mean. Little spelling mistakes are fine, but you’ll lose points if you write that a source supports suffrage when it doesn’t.

Community Q&A

• Remember that you shouldn't just identify or summarize a document. Explain why a source is important, and tie each reference into your argument. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• If you’re taking an AP history exam, find exam rubrics, practice tests, and other resources at https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses . Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Taking a timed test can be tough, so time yourself when you take practice tests. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ http://www.gpb.org/blogs/education-matters/2016/10/14/getting-started-document-based-questions
• ↑ https://sourceessay.com/tips-to-write-an-impressive-dbq-essay/
• ↑ https://libguides.jcu.edu.au/writing/writing1
• ↑ https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-us-history-dbq-2018.pdf?course=ap-united-states-history
• ↑ https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-us-history-course-and-exam-description.pdf
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/

About This Article

Document-Based Questions, or DBQ essays, are often used in social studies classes to test your ability to do historical work rather than simply memorize facts. Start by spending some time reviewing the documents and developing an argument. Pay special attention to keywords in the prompt that will help you construct your argument. For example, if the prompt includes the words "compare and contrast," you'll need to include 2 different viewpoints in your essay and compare them. Then, as you read your sources, note the authors, points of view, and other key details that will help you figure out how to use the documents. Once you’ve reviewed all of the material, come up with your response. Sketch out a tentative thesis that encapsulates your argument and make an outline for your essay. You can then draft your essay, starting with an introduction that gives context and states your thesis, followed by supporting body paragraphs. To learn how to write a conclusion for your DBQ, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write a DBQ

A DBQ essay is an assigned task which tests a student’s analyzation and understanding skills. They also test a student in thinking outside the box. These skills are essential for success in gaining this academic qualification. In this article from EssayPro — professional essay writers team, we will talk about how to write a DBQ, we will go through the DBQ format, and show you a DBQ example.

What Is a DBQ?

Many students may prosper: “What is a DBQ?”. Long story short, DBQ Essay or “Document Based Question” is an assigned academic paper which is part of the AP U.S. History exam (APUSH) set by the United States College Board. It requires a student’s knowledge of a certain topic with evidence from around 3 to 16 reliable sources. Understanding the APUSH DBQ and its outline is essential for success in the exam, itself.

DBQ Outline

We understand that learning how to write a DBQ essay can be difficult for beginners. This is why our professional writers have listed the DBQ format for your own reference while preparing for the exam. Like all essays, this involves an introduction, thesis, body, and conclusion.

Introduction

• An introductory sentence to hook your audience.
• State the background of the topic. Using a source relating to a historical occurrence or historical figure can be helpful at this time.
• Describe the claims made in your paper which can be supported by the evidence.
• Create a brief description of the evidence that will be included in the body paragraphs.
• Write a paragraph which talks about how the DBQ essay question will be answered.

Body Paragraph 1

• Include the strongest argument. This should be linked to the thesis statement. Read our example of thesis statement .
• Include an analysis of the references which relate to the strongest argument.
• Write a statement which concludes the analysis in a different point of view. Include a link to the thesis.
• Write a transition sentence to the next body paragraph.

Body Paragraph 2

• Include a reasonable argument which links to the thesis, and the first argument in the previous body paragraph.

Body Paragraph 3

• Include a reasonable argument which links to the thesis, and the second argument in the previous body paragraph.
• Write a transition sentence to the conclusion.
• Create a summarizing argument of the whole paper.
• Include the main points or important information in the sources.
• Create a concluding sentence or question which challenges the point of view that argues against these sources.

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How to Write a DBQ: Step-By-Step Instructions

For some students, writing a DBQ essay may be hard. Not to worry. Our easy-to-read step-by-step instructions talk about the essential points which includes how to write a DBQ thesis, analyzation, time-management and proofreading your work. It is always important to write your paper in accordance to the DBQ outline for achieving the success you’re capable of.

The DBQ involves:

• Planning: 15 Minutes
• Writing: 2 hours and 45 Minutes
• Proofreading: 10 Minutes

Time management is essential for a successful grade in this form of examination. The general DBQ outline states that the duration is 3 hours and 15 minutes. Spend around 15 minutes planning, 2 hours and 45 minutes writing, and 10 minutes proofreading. Follow these easy-to-read step-by-step instructions to learn how to write a DBQ thesis, body and conclusion successfully.

Step 1: Planning (15 Minutes)

During the exam, it is important to study the provided sources. The exam is 3 hours, so 15 minutes for planning is a reasonable approach. During this time, analyze all of the important key-points from the sources provided. Then, take a note of all of the key points, and write them under the titles; introduction, thesis, body, and conclusion.

Step 2: Introduction (5 Minutes)

First impressions count. Keep the introduction short and brief. Don’t go straight into answering the question in this part of the paper. For a successful introduction, write a brief summary of the overall paper. It is also important to include an introductory sentence.

Step 3: Thesis (20 Minutes)

This form of essay requires a separate 3 paragraphs for the DBQ thesis. Describe the claims made in your paper which can be supported by the evidence. The second paragraph should include a description of the paper. The third paragraph should include how you’re going to answer the question.

• The key difference with other essays is that the thesis plays an important role in the DBQ structure.
• The APUSH DBQ thesis should not be two sentences long.
• The thesis should be written with act least 2 or 3 paragraphs long.

Step 4: Body (2 Hours and 16 Minutes)

Write well-structured, categorized paragraphs. Each paragraph should include one point. Avoid mixing ideas in the paragraphs. Include your answer to the assigned question with the provided documents. It is also important to read between the lines. Each paragraph should link to the thesis.

Step 5: Conclusion (10 Minutes)

The final part of your paper. The conclusion plays a vital role in persuading your audience. A poorly written conclusion means a skeptical audience. For well-written conclusion, summarize the entire paper. Link the conclusion to the thesis. Answer the question in a concluding sentence, “the big idea”.

Step 6: Proofreading (10 Minutes)

Spend around 10 minutes proofreading your work at the end of the exam. It is important to proofread your work to make sure it does not contain any grammatical mistakes. Any writing errors can lower one’s grade. Please make sure that the body paragraphs answer the question and link to the thesis, this is the most important part of the paper.

Writing Tips to Success with Your DBQ Essay

Understand: Before writing, make sure that you understand the sources and the essay question. Duration: Remember that the exam duration is 3 hours and 15 minutes. Study: Practice how to write a DBQ before the actual exam. Identify: Find the key-points from the sources to include in your essay.

Read Between the Lines: Don’t just write about what you read, but write about what the passages imply. Read all Documents: Make sure you have read all of the sources, prior to writing the paper. Read the Outline: Following the DBQ essay outline is essential for understanding how to structure the paper during the exam. Categorize: Put each point into categories. This will come in useful for writing the body paragraphs. Write the Author’s Opinion: Show an understanding of the writer’s point of view. Write a Temporary DBQ Thesis on your Notes: Doing so will assist you during the paper writing. Follow DBQ Examples: Following a DBQ essay example, while studying, is an excellent way to get a feel for this form of assignment.

DBQ Example

Do you need more help? Following a sample DBQ essay can be very useful for preparation. Usually, when practicing for exams, students commonly refer to an example for understanding the DBQ structure, and other revision purposes. Click on the button to open our DBQ example from one of our professional writers. Feel free to use it as a reference when learning how to write a DBQ.

The Great War and the second ordeal of conflict in Europe, played a fundamental in the increase of the rights for women. During the second world war, the British government encouraged house-wives to do the work of what was primarily traditional for men to do.Such as growing crops and butchering animals, which was generally considered to be“men’s work”. One of the slogans was “dig for victory”. The reason for this was for people to take care of themselves during the difficult times of rationing.

If you think that it's better to pay someone to write my dissertation instead of writing it by your own, get help from our law essay writing team.

Following steps and outlines for custom writing is a great way to learn how to write a DBQ essay. As well as writing tips. Time management is vital for the positive result. Following our advice will enable you to get a good grade by learning how to write a good DBQ. Because learning the DBQ format is essential. Practice is very important for any form of examination. Otherwise, one could not do as well as his or her potential allows him or her to do so.

You might be interested in information about this type of essay, such as the definition essay .

Are you still stuck? Do you sometimes think to yourself: 'Can someone write essay for me '? You’re in luck. Our essay writing service is designed to allow you to easily find custom essay writers at your convenience. Every DBQ essay we deliver is completely original.

Do You Need Help From A PROFESSIONAL ESSAY WRITER?

Our experts are able to produce a DBQ essay example within hours. Why not give it a try to improve your knowledge?

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

6 APUSH DBQ Examples to Review

Every subject is easier to study using concrete examples; APUSH essays are no exception. The data-based question, or DBQ, differs from typical essays in only one way – the inclusion of five to seven historical documents. Your goal is to read through each historical document, then write an essay that clearly answers the given prompt while demonstrating your overall understanding of APUSH content. The following sources for APUSH DBQ examples are helpful to review before beginning your own writing .

What should I look in each APUSH DBQ sample?

In each sample, study how each author:

• formulates a thesis
• constructs an argument
• analyzes historical documents
• provides additional examples
• uses evidence to support argument
• synthesizes information

APUSH DBQ Example #1: AP College Board

College Board is always the best source for up-to-date information and resources. This APUSH DBQ sample is from 2016 , but provides three different variations of student responses. You can see how and why which writing sample scored best, as well as determine how to incorporate those elements into your own writing. ( Examples from 2015 are also available.)

APUSH DBQ Example #2: AP US History Notes

Although this site doesn’t explain why each sample is successful, it does offer a large selection of examples to choose from. You can get a good sense of what type of writing goes into a high-quality essay. Read through both the DBQ and long essay examples.

APUSH DBQ Example #3: Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan only provides one APUSH DBQ sample , but does go through the essay point by point, explaining how the author develops a well-supported argument. Another good view into the inner workings of a quality writing example.

APUSH DBQ Example #4: Khan Academy

If you haven’t already, visit Khan Academy. Khan’s Historian’s Toolkit is a four-part video series that not only explains how to approach the DBQ, but also deconstructs the thinking behind a question example. Definitely worth a look.

APUSH DBQ Example #5: Apprend

Although rather lengthy, the DBQ and rubric breakdown from Apprend is a comprehensive look into how a DBQ response can earn top points and why. Options are given for each step of the writing process, enabling you to see the best possible answer for all sections of the essay.

APUSH DBQ Example #6: Your Classroom

Looking for more examples? One of the easiest places to find APUSH DBQ samples is in your own classroom. Ask your current APUSH teacher to view previous students’ writing samples. As you know by now, reviewing other students’ work can be a very powerful and effective way to study for DBQ.

Beth is an educator and freelance creative designer who devises innovative and fun-loving solutions for clients. She works with families, students, teachers and small businesses to create and implement programs, campaigns and experiences that help support and maximize efforts to grow communities who critically think, engage and continue to learn.

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AP World DBQ Contextualization and Thesis Practice

11 min read • july 11, 2024

Eric Beckman

Evan Liddle

Melissa Longnecker

Practicing DBQ prompts is a great way to prep for the AP exam! Review practice writing samples of the opening paragraph of a DBQ and corresponding feedback from Fiveable teachers Melissa Longnecker, Eric Beckman, and Evan Liddle.

The DBQ Practice Prompt

• This is the type of paragraph that can open a DBQ. But, I recommend outlining how you will use the documents as evidence  before  writing your thesis.
• As you read the document-based question, I recommend taking brief notes on the prompt and each document. Record what the prompt is asking, how each document relates to the prompt, and how the sourcing affects the document and/or a response to the prompt. Don’t write too much, but you will find these notes useful when while composing your answer.

Evaluate the extent to which rulers of early modern empires, c. 1450 - c. 1750, used traditional methods to consolidate their power.

Use the documents and your understanding of World History to write ONE (no more!) paragraph with

• Broader historical context for the prompt
• A thesis in response to the prompt

Illustration of the First Battle of Panipat (1526), near Delhi, in the Baburnama, the autobiography of Babur. Manuscript prepared for his grandson, Emperor Akbar after Baur’s death, c. 1590

DBQ Writing Samples & Feedback

Dbq student practice sample 1.

From 1200 to 1450, the rulers of empires came up with several methods conssolidating power. An example of this is the Mongol’s implementation of trade and tolerance of the spread of religion. This paved the way for future rulers to hold power while ensuring that their empire would thrive. Rulers of empires between 1450 and 1700 relied heavily traditional methods such as an trade and an established currency system to consolidate their power.

Teacher feedback:

This is an excellent first step, I can tell from your answer you do have the basic idea of what context is supposed to be.

DBQ Student Practice Sample 2

The Ottoman, Mughal, and Safavid Empires, formerly known as the “Gunpowder Empires”, were spreading rapidly. The Qing Dynasty was also spreading Europe is trying to expand and build maritime empires, and trade routes are connecting the Americas to Europe. Rulers of early modern empires circa 1450-1750 very effectively used traditional methods to consolidate power, for example, Suleiman I, a former ruler of the Ottoman Empire conquers Tripoli in North Africa and starts a period of reform called the Devishrime; in the Safavid Empire, Shah Abbas comes to power in 1588 and tries to modernize the empire through encouraging trade and building bureaucracy, and in the Mughal Empire, Akbar establishes Divine Faith in attempts to normalize religious tolerance.

Context can be focused on the time period under discussion but context usually branches out into time before and possibly even after the prompt’s time period. You do have an excellent, if narrow, thesis.

DBQ Student Practice Sample 3

Before the time period of 1450-1700,the Mongols contributed to the downfall of the Abbasid caliphate as they invaded it and weakened its political influence.This caused the development of network exchanges like the silk road and Indian ocean trade routes. As a result,religions like Christianity and Islam spread and diffused but it is not always tolerated.Rulers of early modern empires used traditional methods to consolidate power like in the ottoman empire, the sultan Suleiman ,was obeyed by janissaries so this is how he got a bigger military and smarter government,in the safavid empire the ruler attempts to build a bureaucracy and modernize

Something to keep in mind is that while connecting to other events keep in mind connections and causation. For example how is the fall of the Abbasid Caliphate connected to the Silk Road. The common denominator is the Mongols, but it does not read as such. You end your context by discussing tolerance which might be a nice transition to discussing the tolerance of the Gunpowder Empires, keep that in mind.

DBQ Student Practice Sample 4

Although the potency of empires and dynasties apart of the early modern era was composed through more-novelty methods such as sabotage and social hierarchy change, because consolidation was implemented through pervasive conversions such as how the Ottomans used the Hagia Sophia and the use of trade such as the Portuguese assimilating dominance across the trading route of the Indian Ocean methodization for imperialism between 1450 and 1700 tends to take on more traditional forms, therefore religious legitimization and commerce were attractive for gaining power to empire rulers. The differentiation of methods was promoted during the postclassical era (1200-1450). This is shown in how the Song Dynasty brought out power through advancement in multiple fields; through the allowance of varying methods power was well achieved, almost acting as a model for future imperial powerholders.

Your context is well done. While using advanced language is fine, just be sure you are clear on the meaning of these words. Your thesis, which is excellent, seems to come in the middle of the paragraph. This works, though it is a bit hard to follow.

DBQ Student Practice Sample 5

In the years leading up to 1450, The Mongols gained power all over Afro-Eurasia through their harsh warfare lead by Genghis Khan. The Mongols controlled many of the trade routes such as the Silk Roads. When they eventually fell they split up into 4 Khanates spread out over Afro-Eurasia. With these new empires forming, emperors needed to have complete power over these territories. Although few rulers created new ways to control their conquered people such as new economic advantages in Western Europe, during the period 1450-1750, rulers used traditional methods to consolidate their power by warfare, adapting/keeping previous cultures in the Middle East and Asia, and controlling international trade.

Your Context while detailed and provides a timeline to follow it does not transition smoothly into your thesis. Consider mentioning the Mongols, but in a way that dovetails into what your thesis will be about such as Mongol ruling policy or warfare. Also your thesis can be made stronger with a specific reference to a previous culture or an example of controlling international trade.

DBQ Student Practice Sample 6

Prior to 1450, vast trade networks such as the Silk Roads and the Indian Ocean networks arose, increasing interregional connection across Afro-Eurasia. This increase in connection between cultures and peoples and the use of newer technologies such as gunpowder facilitated the growth of large empires throughout the entirety of Afro-Eurasia. After the rulers of these empires had conquered enough territory, they had to find ways to solidify, or consolidate, their power over these large, culturally diverse areas of land. Although some empires used traditional religious ideals to consolidate their power, most empires turned to radical changes in the way in which trade was conducted and the unprecedented strengthening of military assets in order to accomplish this goal.

Your context is excellent, and it dovetails nicely into your thesis. Your thesis could be a bit more specific. What military assests? What trade? One good specific example really helps.

DBQ Student Practice Sample 7

Previously, in 1200-1450, empires like the Abbasid Empire and Mongol empire expanded and consolidated power through developments in technology like caravans and saddles, and also through military conquests like the implementation of the Mongolian Khanates. These approaches characterized how empires consolidated power during the postclassical era. Starting in 1450-1750 rulers of early modern empires shifted to a more traditional approach to consolidating their power through the use of religious tolerance and military conquest . Specifically, the gunpowder empires used both religious worship and militaristic conquering to expand consolidate and legitimize. Also, empires in a East Asia like the powerful Ming Dynasty expanded vastly through the conquering of lands in Mongolia and Central Asia. Lastly empires in Europe consolidated power through the development on new monarchies that centralized power through controlling taxes, army and religion. Through conquest, religious tolerance and centralized government, rules in the modern era were able to successfully consolidate power.

Your context is well done, balancing specific evidence with general trends. Your thesis is a bit long though. May I suggest combining the last three sentences into one using commas to list ideas. For example the Ming conquest of Mongolia, New Monarchs in Europe. et all

DBQ Student Practice Sample 8

In the late 14th century the Ottoman Empire developed a system called devshirme that staffed their military and government. This system expanded in the 15th and 16th centuries and continued to build up the Ottoman military. Christian boys were recruited by force to serve in the Ottoman government. The most well known group were Janissaries, which formed elite forces in the Ottoman army. The other Christian boys that were forcibly removed from their families had to be completely loyal to the sultan and some of them served as bodyguards. Janissaries were able to gain more power in the Ottoman Empire and some families wanted their sons to become a part of the service. The Ottomans could control the conquered Christians through the use of Janissaries in their armies. In 1450-1750, rulers of early modern empires used traditional methods such as improved military forces to consolidate their power.

This is an excellent description of how the system helped strengthen the Ottoman Empire, but in terms of either Contextualizing Units 3/4 or serving as a Thesis this would not work, it is too narrow, only one idea. A good thesis would have 2-3 ideas.

DBQ Student Practice Sample 9

There were three important ways that the leaders of states and empires consolidated their rule before 1450: the conquering of new lands, the proliferation of certain religions or religious tolerance, and by proliferating trade along the Indian Ocean, the Silk Road, and the Trans-Saharan trade network. Religions such as Islam and syncretic sects spread across the Trans-Saharan, Indian Ocean, and Silk Road trade networks. Empires from 1200-1450 often instritued currencies and encouraged trade to spread their empire’s religion. The Mongols controlled much of the Silk Road during the 13th and early 14th centuries. However, theMongols’ rule fell in the 14th century due to the fragmentation of the empire; the Ming, Ottoman, and Russian empires subsequently sprang up. The Ottoman, Mughal and Russian empires conquered other lands from 1450-1750 and either proliferated a certain religion or they instituted a religious tolerance policy within their empires. European empires arose in 1450-1750 by conquering trade ports and lands from around the world. Explorers also tried to proselytize others. European conquerers administered these lands by controlling the production and exportation of valuable agricultural goods to Europe, and by using forced labor systems to produce goods such as sugar and tobacco. Although rulers of early modern empires in 1450-1750 conquered foreign lands and proliferated a religious policy by emphasizing religious tolerance or by encouraging the conversion of others to one religion, European empires used maritime technologies to aid them in conquering other lands worldwide. Empires in Africa and Asia in 1450-1750 still conquered empires on land, and religious tolerance was an idea that was much more common there than in European conquests of foreign lands.

Your context is quite excellent and blends nicely into the thesis. For your thesis, it could be shorter and be strengthened by adding a specific technology such as one maritime technology or a religious that was spread by an empire. That last sentence is not nessessary unless thats part of your consolidation argument.

DBQ Student Practice Sample 10

Before the 15th century, many different empires have shown highly traditional values that have been used to cosolidate power. Among these states are the Mongols who showed major tolerance to other cultures and helped to expand trade. The Byzantine empire was also a nation that resisted up to the 15th century and, despite the constant Islamic attempts of invasion, they had religious tolerance and were open to negotiate with various merchants and leaders including Muslims. Although the empires that remained and emerged during 1450-1750 used new innovations to maintain their power and keep as well as protect their people, being tolerant to new cultures and encouraging the expansion of trade was also important to consolidate their power.

Your paragraph shows understanding of the time period before and during this DBQ. Specifically:

Describes a broader historical context relevant to the prompt :  maybe , the Mongols and the Byzantine empire were context for early modern empires, but this would be stronger with a clear link to the developments you will discuss in your essay. Did later Empires adopt these techniques from the Mongols and Byzantines?

2**. Responds to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis/claim:** yess you have an evaluation, although this could be more clear, and you lay out a line of reasoning.

DBQ Student Practice Sample 11

Prior to 1450 many empires consolidated powers through multiple ways. For example, China used Confucianism to create a bureaucracy through the civil service on Confucian ideals. On the the other hand, the Mongols consolidated power through heavy secure control of the silk roads through large khanates and the policy of Pax Mongolica (Mongol Peace). In addition, they used religious tolerance since they really didn’t have a culture of their own and also to avoid any attempted cultural revolts. Although belief systems were a traditional way to consolidate power, such as China’s use of Confucianism, many nations used military expansion through gunpowder weaponry and also through expansion of trade

Be careful with claiming that societies lacked culture, that is essentially impossible, even if in societies which adapt elements of other cultures.

1.  Describes a broader historical context relevant to the prompt:   attempted  , Confucianism and the Mongols are elements of context, but this needs a clear connection to the prompt. How did these developments create the context for the growth of early modern empires?

Responds to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis/claim:  attempted -you outline a couple of reasonable claims&mdash:which is good—this lacks an evaluation. How much do did early modern empires rely on traditional, as opposed to innovative, means? This requires a qualifier, such as strongly or secondarily.

DBQ Student Practice Sample 12

In the 13th century, the Mongols marched across Eurasia and soon became the largest continuous land empire in history. Throughout their rule, they revitalized international trade and built a system of roads which they maintained and guarded. The Mongols ruled successfully due to their understanding of centralized power which was soon spread and copied by other empires. After their fall in the mid 14th century, other empires like the Ottomans and the Safavids, rose to power as a result of their own military might along with the weakness and corruption of the regimes that they replaced. Although wealth and religious ideals were essential to early modern empires, traditional methods like increased trade and advancements in the military were used to consolidate power in the period of 1450 to 1750.

Describes a broader historical context relevant to the prompt :  yes , the Mongol Empire is relevant context, and, more importantly, you connect this to Empire building in the time period of the prompt. This would be even stronger with connection to at least one more empire, besides the Ottomans, from the documents. Safavids would be excellent as outside evidence.

2.  Responds to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis/claim :  maybe , this addresses the prompt, but may not be historically defensible because wealth and religious ideals were also traditional methods of imperial rule.

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• Essay Editor

Thesis Format: Detailed Instructions and Tips

Gathering the necessary material for a large and saturated project is just half the battle, to set up everything and format the work properly is a real deed, challenging and exacting. There are a lot of specific requirements and rules to be born in mind. But don't take it so hard, we give you all the fundamental information concerning thesis paper format. You'll find out 

• what parts a successful work should have;
• what formatting requirements should be adhered to;
• what tips occur to be helpful.

So, get ready to remember all the important principles in terms of paper finalization.

What is a Thesis Format?

In the process of thesis creation, everyone should set up the data in a specific way. The general structure and stylistic patterns are usually the same everywhere, though some minor issues may vary from one department to another.

Correct Thesis Format: Important or Not?

When working with the material it is crucial to stick to the thesis writing format in order to:

• show your professional approach to this activity;
• refine the readability of the text;
• provide convenient navigation through the work;
• bring the skills nearer to the academic standards;
• help the audience focus on the investigation essence.

A Thesis and its Parts

The thesis structure format implies such parts, obligatory for a good consistent work.

Having discussed the standard structure of the paper, it's high time to discuss useful rules and tips on how to complete the processing.

A General Guideline for Thesis Formatting

Well, how to format a thesis correctly? The most important points are presented in the table.

These recommendations are general, and every writer must look through the local guidelines in all cases. Almost every department has a thesis format example, and by getting acquainted with it everyone is certain to get rid of potential mistakes. It doesn't take much time but accentuates your interest and thoroughness, so important for a perfect researcher.

Other Tips on how to Format the Thesis

Apart from answering the question 'What is the thesis format?', we'd like to present some additional recommendations and tips concerning the work. It is useful to remind that visual division helps to acquire information in a better way

• Use single-spaced blocks for quotations or footnotes.
• Add a special line for the committee signature on the relevant page.
• Organize margins from all the sides of the sheet appropriately.
• Check the numbers on page consequence.
• Proofread all the text and check all the format details before submitting the paper.

Studying general rules of formatting is crucial for students, researchers, and other specialists of the sphere. But every time you are also to look into the guidelines offered by your local headmen. The correct paperwork is pleasant to read. Moreover, it underlines the author's professionalism and preciseness.

If you need to get acquainted with thesis format essay, try Aithor . It is a professional instrument, generating texts according to input parameters. You may choose the language, writing style, topic, outline, and other necessary options.

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Top 10 Use Cases for AI Writers

Writing is changing a lot because of AI. But don't worry — AI won't take human writers' jobs. It's a tool that can make our work easier and help us write better. When we use AI along with our own skills, we can create good content faster and better. AI can help with many parts of writing, from coming up with ideas to fixing the final version. Let's look at the top 10 ways how to use AI for content creation and how it can make your writing better. What Is AI Content Writing? AI content writin ...

Paraphrasing vs Plagiarism: Do They Really Differ?

Academic assignments require much knowledge and skill. One of the most important points is rendering and interpreting material one has ever studied. A person should avoid presenting word-for-word plagiarism but express his or her thoughts and ideas as much as possible. However, every fine research is certain to be based on the previous issues, data given, or concepts suggested. And here it's high time to differentiate plagiarism and paraphrasing, to realize its peculiarities and cases of usage. ...

How to Write a Dialogue in an Essay: Useful Tips

A correct usage of dialogues in essays may seem quite difficult at first sight. Still there are special issues, for instance, narrative or descriptive papers, where this literary technique will be a good helper in depicting anyone's character. How to add dialogues to the work? How to format them correctly? Let's discuss all relevant matters to master putting conversation episodes into academic essays. Essay Dialogue: Definition & Purpose A dialogue is a literary technique for presenting a con ...

Plagiarism: 7 Types in Detail

Your professor says that it is necessary to avoid plagiarism when writing a research paper, essay, or any project based on the works of other people, so to say, any reference source. But what does plagiarism mean? What types of it exist? And how to formulate the material to get rid of potential bad consequences while rendering original texts? Today we try to answer these very questions. Plagiarism: Aspect in Brief Plagiarism is considered to be a serious breach, able to spoil your successful ...

How To Write Essays Faster Using AI?

Creating various topical texts is an obligatory assignment during studies. For a majority of students, it seems like a real headache. It is quite difficult to write a smooth and complex work, meeting all the professors' requirements. However, thanks to modern technologies there appeared a good way of getting a decent project – using AI to write essays. We'd like to acquaint you with Aithor, an effective tool of this kind, able to perform fine and elaborated texts, and, of course, inspiration, i ...