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The Ultimate APUSH DBQ Guide: Rubric, Examples, and More!

Advanced Placement (AP)

You’ve been working hard in your AP US History class, and now it’s time to start prepping for your APUSH exam. 

But there’s a lot you’ll need to know if you want to do well, especially on the APUSH DBQ section. For instance, you’ll need to understand the APUSH DBQ rubric so you know how you’ll be scored on your answers, and you’ll need to look at a few APUSH DBQ examples so you understand what it takes to 

Luckily for you, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about APUSH DBQs in one easy place. (That place is, uh, here. ) We’ll go over: 

• An explanation of what APUSH DBQs are and why they’re important 
• A walkthrough covering how APUSH DBQs work on the exam and what to expect
• A six-step process for writing a great DBQ
• Four tips for studying for and answering the APUSH DBQs

We’ll also give you an APUSH DBQ rubric and APUSH DBQ examples That’s a lot to talk about, so let’s get going!

The APUSH DBQ is an essay-based question, so you'll have to write quickly!

What Is an APUSH DBQ? 

A DBQ is a “document-based” question that you’ll have to answer on your AP exam. For these questions, you’ll be given seven “documents,” which are short readings that cover different, usually related aspects of US History. From there, you’ll be asked to answer each DBQ in essay form using information from the documents you’ve been provided! 

The good thing about APUSH DBQs is that they’re open-ended, meaning there are multiple correct ways to answer each question. The downside is that in order to answer the question and earn full credit, you’ll need to analyze and incorporate multiple documents as part of your argument. 

And did we mention you’ll only have a limited amount of time to answer the DBQ, and that it's worth 25% of your total test score? That’s why APUSH DBQs can be stressful for test-takers! 

How Do DBQs Work on the APUSH Exam?

The APUSH exam consists of 60 questions in total. Here’s how they break down across the test: 

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 APUSH exam.  

The APUSH DBQ will consist of a single open-ended prompt . To answer it, you’ll have to create a persuasive argument that uses the documents you’ve been given on the exam itself. (More on that a bit later.) 

To give you a little more context, here are some actual APUSH DBQ examples from previous years’ APUSH exams:

• “Evaluate the extent of change in ideas about American independence from 1763 to 1783.” ( 2017 ) 
• “Evaluate the relative importance of different causes for the expanding role of the United States in the world in the period from 1865 to 1910.” ( 2018 )
• “Evaluate the extent to which the Progressive movement fostered political change in the United States from 1890 to 1920.” ( 2019 )

APUSH Document Types 

To answer these questions well, you’ll also have to read, analyze, and incorporate information from seven documents you’ll be provided on test day. These documents 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 the time period 
• Images: these are typically either political cartoons or artworks from the time period

How many of each type of document you’ll see on your exam varies from year to year, so you’ll need to be equally comfortable using all three types of documents. 

You’ll have to read through all seven documents and understand them so you can use them to answer your DBQ question. The information in the documents will help you create a thesis, build your argument, and prove your point…so you can get a great APUSH DBQ score! Just remember: to earn full credit, you’ll also have to explain how at least six of the documents are relevant to your argument, using evidence to back those claims up. 

Using Outside Information 

Along with the provided documents, you’ll also be expected to use one piece of historical evidence that isn’t included in the documents , but you already know from your own reading. This is information that you’ll have studied in class (or read on your own!) that applies to the DBQ and supports your argument. 

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to bring any class notes with you on exam day. That means you’ll need to study ahead of time so you’ll be ready to incorporate outside information into your DBQ answer! 

Whew! That’s a lot! However, if it makes it any easier, the APUSH DBQ will only cover the period from 1754-1980 . That means you’ll only need to focus on studying–and remembering!--information from about 230 years. 

Understand the APUSH DBQ Rubric

First, you need to understand what the expectations are and how your answer will be graded. That means reading through and understanding the official APUSH DBQ rubric!

The good news is that the College Board has provided the APUSH DBQ rubric as part of their 2021 AP Exam Administration Scoring Guidelines - AP United States History document .  

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.  

In other words, you’ll need to choose a position and then defend it with evidence from the documents and your knowledge base. 

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 what your thesis is arguing. 

Some of this you’ll know from the provided documents, but some of it you will also be expected to know on your own based on what you’ve studied in AP US History. 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.” That means you 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)

For this part of the rubric, you’ll earn one point just for incorporating specific evidence that does not come from the provided documents in a way that is relevant to your thesis! 

In order to earn the other two points, you must support your argument by using content from six of the seven documents . (If you don’t use six documents, but do use at least three of them, you’ll only earn one point.) 

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.” You’ll earn another 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 . 

So to earn analysis and reasoning points, you have to prove how the documents are relevant to your argument, your argument has to demonstrate you understand the historical events of the time period, and you’ll have to create an argument that is well-reasoned and “complex.” 

You’ll need to show graders you understand there’s a variety of possible perspectives about the issue you’re writing about and that people in that era did not all agree or have the same experiences.

Step-By-Step Process for Tackling an APUSH DBQ

The APUSH DBQ is a complicated question that tests you over several different skills, so there isn’t any simple technique to ace it. However, if you master each of the individual skills it takes to do well on the DBQ examples, rocking your APUSH DBQ will be much easier! 

Here are five steps you can follow to build a foundation that’ll help you ace the DBQ. 

Step 1: Take a Practice DBQ

The best way to master APUSH DBQs is by practicing with real APUSH DBQ examples.

The College Board’s website has the actual prompts from 2015-2019 available to download. This means you can take at least five practice APUSH exams, as well as read APUSH DBQ example responses and APUSH DBQ rubrics, for free! 

This is excellent news because you can take several practice swings at answering APUSH DBQs before you have to tackle the real thing on test day. 

Before practicing DBQ responses, it’s a good idea to take at least one APUSH DBQ practice test so you know what your baseline is. That way, you’ll understand your strengths and weaknesses and can really zero in on your weakest areas! From there, you can work through the practice APUSH DBQ prompts on their own. 

However, the nature of a free response means that it won’t be easy for you to grade by yourself. To evaluate your DBQs, be sure to use the APUSH DBQ rubric we walked through above. Honestly try to assess whether or not you incorporated the information thoroughly and accurately. You can also ask a teacher, tutor, or even a family member to grade your APUSH DBQs for you as well! 

Later, after you practice the skills outlined in the steps below, take another practice DBQ and see if it seems easier for you. Compare your score to the baseline score from your first attempt. Then, re-read over your textbooks and take it again. Repeat the cycle a couple of times. The big benefit will be that you will eventually get so used to the APUSH DBQ that you will be more comfortable in the actual testing environment .

Step 2: Practice Writing a Thesis

Because your DBQ response will have to choose a position and defend it, you’ll need to work on writing strong thesis statements. A thesis statement is essentially your argument in a nutshell, and it sums up the purpose of your essay. 

The most important aspect of your APUSH DBQ thesis is that it has to make a claim that is both arguable (meaning you can use evidence to prove it) and is 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. Let’s say your APUSH DBQ prompt is: 

Evaluate the extent of change in ideas about American independence from 1763 to 1783.

You don’t want your thesis to be “Ideas about American independence changed a lot from 1763 to 1783. That’s just adding a few words to the prompt…and it’s not descriptive enough to cover the argument you’ll make later. Instead, make a specific claim about how and why ideas about American independence changed, and you’ll need to use the documents provided to prove it!

So for this example, a better thesis might be, “Between 1763 and 1783, American ideas about independence changed from being unsure about how the nation could survive without British rule to believing in (and fighting for) the nation’s independence.” 

Because APUSH DBQs are open-ended, there are actually many different thesis statements you could come up with that would let you write an amazing answer. Here are two APUSH DBQ examples that College Board considers acceptable theses for this prompt:

• “The ideas about American independence changed greatly from 1763 to 1783. In the beginning, colonists only wanted representation and a say in the legislation of new laws, but by 1783 Americans wanted true freedom from British rule.” 
• “From 1763–1783, ideas of American independence changed from the colonies blindly accepting the tyranny of the British by religious rights of divine kings to believing in natural rights of individuals against British rule.”

Let’s look at how these theses make specific claims: 

The first thesis argues that colonists originally only wanted representation, but by 1783 wanted freedom from British rule. These are two different mindsets that the author can then use the documents to illustrate and prove actually existed. 

The second example thesis addresses a more theoretical change in belief: one that changes from Americans of 1763 accepting the medieval notion of the king inheriting from God the right to govern, to one in which Americans of 1783 believed that individuals had the natural right of freedom from tyranny. The author can then use the documents as evidence that Americans in that time period had those beliefs, and can argue about what happened to change them.

By practicing thesis writing, you’ll be able to create a detailed–and defensible!--statement that will help you create a convincing DBQ argument. 

An outline will serve as a roadmap that'll help you write a great essay—and it'll help you manage your time, too. 

Step 3: Practice Creating an Outline

With only an hour to read the documents to write your essay, you probably won’t have time to revise. It’s very important that you make the best use of the limited time you will have available, so an outline will help you organize your thoughts and will keep you on track as you write. 

Just be careful that you don’t take too much time with your outline–you need to write a whole essay! Five minutes (or less!) is all you need to put together an outline that’ll help you write an awesome DBQ. 

With that said, let’s talk about what makes up a great outline.

Two important elements of a good outline are an introduction and conclusion ! Your intro will set up your thesis and your conclusion to restate your thesis while explaining why it’s relevant to the reader today. Because both of these sections center around your thesis statement, they’ll help you organize the rest of your argument…and your DBQ essay! 

Once you have those in place, you can start adding body paragraphs to your outline. 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 get the job done. 

The most important thing about your body paragraphs is that each of them makes a claim that a) supports your thesis and b) allows you to incorporate information from the documents as evidence. You may even want to make a note of which documents you want to use in each body paragraph! 

Here’s an outline template you can use as you practice your APUSH DBQs:

• Set up your argument and include your thesis.
• You can break down your thesis into several component steps, which will then become the body paragraphs as you expand upon them.
• 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 argumentative point you mentioned in your introduction/thesis.
• Use information from two to three documents to illustrate and prove your point.
• Make the second argumentative point you mentioned in your introduction/thesis.
• Use two to three different documents to support this point. 
• If you have a third argumentative point, you’ll need to make it here. 
• Be sure to use at least one document to support your argumentative point. 
• Restate your thesis and summarize the main points you’ve made.
• Show how it’s relevant to the reader.

Again, this outline doesn’t need to be fancy! Jotting down a few words–or a short sentence–for each point will get you to where you need to go. 

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 so, you need to explain documents you pulled the information from. You’ll do this whether you are quoting your source or just paraphrasing it. 

There are two ways to do this:

#1: Attribution

Attributing your information means you tell your reader in the sentence which document you’re quoting or paraphrasing from. Below are two attribution DBQ examples APUSH considers acceptable: 

"Charles Inglis uses reason to note that the colonies would be unable to sustain themselves without British support because the colonies don’t make enough money through agriculture and commerce.”

Notice that even though this APUSH DBQ example doesn’t quote Inglis outright, the author still lets the readers know which source they’re using to prove their point.

#2: Parenthetical

Using a parenthetical citation means that you put either the author of the source’s name or which document it’s from, in parentheses, at the end of the sentence. H ere’s an example of parenthetical citation that the College Board considers acceptable:

“He claimed only man himself can direct his own actions and decisions, not the rule of any legislative authority or man (Doc. 3).”

Since the sentence does not say who “he” is, the author of this essay has included this parenthetical citation (Doc. 3) that the reader can use to read the document in question and see if the argument the author is making is correctly represented from the source.

As you use these sources, you need to make sure that you are using the document accurately and not plagiarizing. Your goal is to show that you understand each document and know how to incorporate it into an argument. 

Step 5: Understand Time Management

One of the most important skills you can acquire by taking multiple attempts at the APUSH 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 can 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 APUSH DBQ rubric recommends that you spend 15 minutes reading the documents and 45 minutes writing the essay . 

The best way to get your time management down is practice . Set timers during your APUSH DBQ practice test so you can get a feel for how much time it takes to put an answer together. That way you have a feel for the process and will have enough time to write your DBQ on test day. 

4 Tips for Mastering APUSH DBQs

Now that you’ve read our step-by-step process for tackling the APUSH DBQ and have seen several APUSH DBQ examples, here are some expert tips on doing well on the APUSH DBQ .  

Tip 1: Remember that Each Point Is Scored Separately

Go through the APUSH DBQ rubric and take note of each individual task since you’ll be scored on how well you complete each one . For each task, there are usually multiple points available. 

For example, you’ll earn one point for using at least three documents in your DBQ. But if you want to earn the full two points for that category, you’ll need to incorporate at least six documents into your answer.  

By understanding the rubric, you’ll be able to maximize how many points you earn on your DBQ. 

Tip 2: Your Essay Can Contain Errors 

Now, don’t misunderstand us: you can’t say an author makes one claim when they are clearly saying the opposite. You also can’t write something that is obviously wrong, like that America continues under British rule because the revolution was unsuccessful, and get full credit!  

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, if you said that the First Continental Congress ended in November instead of October of 1774, you’ll still be able to earn full credit despite making a small error. 

Tip 3: Write For Clarity 

One thing to keep in mind is that you will be graded on how well you make and argue a thesis, and how well you incorporate the evidence from the documents to support that thesis– 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 thinking about how best to phrase things as if you were writing for publication. Just focus on clearly explaining your ideas! 

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.

Tip 4: Connect the Dots 

Not only for the APUSH DBQ, but for everything you write, you need to ask yourself, why is this relevant? In the contextualization section, you are required to relate the information you’re conveying to other time periods or situations to earn full credit.

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!

What’s Next? 

If you’re taking APUSH, you’re probably taking other AP classes as well! Here’s a general guide to preparing for AP tests that’ll help you get ready for any other AP exams you take. 

Like we mentioned earlier, taking practice tests is one of the best ways you can get ready for your actual AP exams. Here’s a guide that’ll help you find the best AP practice tests for each exam.

If you’re taking multiple AP tests, you’ll need to maximize your study time. One way to do this is to study for each test based on when you’ll have to take it! Our complete breakdown of the AP exam schedule will help you manage your study time efficiently and effectively. 

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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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United States History Writing Study Skills

Frank Warren, a history professor at Queens College and a former Chief Faculty Consultant for AP U.S. History, offers the following suggestions for writing a good response to a document-based question (DBQ) or free-response essay question.

Write More Often

AP students need to write, and to write often. This practice is an excellent way to develop the skill of casting a thesis statement and marshalling evidence in support of a valid generalization.

Define Your Terms Where Necessary

Look especially at terms like liberal or conservative, radical or progressive. Be prepared to define other central terms, such as major change, that may appear to be obvious but can be ambiguous.

Start with a Clearly Stated Thesis

Some good essay writers begin with a thesis statement, back it up with supporting evidence from documents and outside knowledge, and, if time permits, restate the thesis at the end. Other writers analyze the material and build up logically to their thesis statement. On an AP Exam, you should use whichever method you feel most comfortable with. In any case, exam day is probably not a good time to experiment with a new, unfamiliar method of writing.

Organize Your Response Carefully

In addition to having a strong thesis, it is a good idea to have a guiding organizational principle—a stated agenda for making your point. Try to integrate your outside information into your response. Your exam shouldn’t read as if you threw in a few tidbits of outside information at the end.

Make Sure Thesis Matches Assessment and Knowledge

Many good essay writers demonstrate a sense of complexity in the documents, showing that most of the evidence may point in one direction but that part of the evidence points in a different direction. It is better, however, to support a clear, simple thesis than to create artificially a complexity that you can't support using the documents or outside knowledge. Almost every essay—including the DBQ—is designed to allow the student to agree or disagree with the statement. Your ultimate goal should be to present a well-argued and well-supported thesis, not merely to give the people scoring the essay what you think they want.

Build an Argument

The best essays—in terms of arguing their case—are those that marshal the positive arguments in favor of their position but that also refute or answer possible rival theses. Even if you think a statement is completely true, it is better to confront and negate the evidence that seems to refute it than to ignore the counterevidence completely.

Integrate the Documents and Your Analysis

Don’t merely explain what is stated in the documents. Rather, use the documents as part of an integrated essay in support of your thesis.

Don’t Quote Large Portions of the Documents

The readers of the essays are already familiar with the documents. You can quote a short passage or two if necessary, to make your point, but don’t waste time or space reciting them.

Choose Your Essays Wisely

Select the questions you are best prepared to answer. The questions that invite the easiest generalizations are not always the ones you should answer. As you read through the questions and make your choices, ask yourself for which of the questions are you best prepared to support your thesis.

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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How to Approach the AP U.S. History Long Essay Question

The second part of Section II of the AP US History exam contains three long essay questions—you must respond to one. The long essay question assesses your ability to apply knowledge of history in a complex, analytical manner. In other words, you are expected to treat history and historical questions as a historian would. This process is called historiography—the skills and strategies historians use to analyze and interpret historical evidence to reach a conclusion. Thus, when writing an effective essay, you must be able to write a strong, clearly developed thesis and supply a substantial amount of relevant evidence to support your thesis and develop a complex argument.

The College Board’s characteristics of a high-scoring long essay question response are listed below. Note that the requirements are very similar to those of the DBQ ; the primary difference is that any requirements related to use of the documents are removed from the scoring requirements for the long essay question.

• Thesis: Make a thesis or claim that responds to the prompt. The thesis or claim must be historically defensible and establish a line of reasoning.
• Context: Provide context relevant to the prompt by describing a broader historical development or process.
• Evidence: Use specific and relevant examples as evidence to support an argument in response to the prompt.
• Historical Skill: Use a historical reasoning skill (causation, comparison, or continuity and change) to develop an argument in response to the prompt.
• Complex Understanding: Demonstrate a complex understanding of an argument that responds to the prompt by using evidence to corroborate, qualify, or modify the argument.

AP U.S. History Long Essay Strategy

Consider the following special strategies for the long essay question. Scoring requirements are highlighted in bold.

Step 1: Analyze the Prompt

• Each long essay question will ask you to “evaluate the extent” of some factor in American history. Since you are evaluating, you will need to develop an argument that addresses the prompt. Make sure to read all three prompts carefully. Think of the evidence you could use and the argument you could develop in response to each one, then choose the question you feel most confident about.
• Begin crafting your thesis statement. You must have a thesis that makes a claim and introduces the reasoning of your argument. It is not enough to merely restate the question as your thesis; you must take a position. Don’t be afraid of making a strong claim; just be sure you can provide relevant evidence to support your assertion. Your thesis may also outline the categories of analysis, or the major points, you will use in your essay.
• Part of developing your thesis should be considering how your essay’s argument will demonstrate a complex understanding, perhaps by analyzing multiple variables, by considering both changes and continuities, or by making an insightful connection to another time period.

Step 2: Plan Your Response

• Making a careful plan can help you make sure you address all the scoring requirements.
• Paraphrase your thesis statement. Knowing your claim will make it easier for you to plan an effective argument in your essay. In light of the documents, you must make a claim and/or demonstrate a line of reasoning that responds to the prompt. Avoid statements that are vague or general (“The Vietnam War was very significant”) and make a claim that responds to the prompt, uses both the documents and your historical knowledge, and sets up the rest of your essay (“The Vietnam War impacted Americans’ perceptions of the U.S. role in international politics, the power of the federal government, and the status of young people, influencing legal and social changes in American society”).
• Be sure your thesis or overall plan incorporates a complex understanding . You need to demonstrate that you have more than just a basic understanding of the content, so your thesis or overall essay should address complexity in the historical development—perhaps by including multiple variables, by considering both causes and effects, or by making an insightful connection to another time period. See below for a complete list of ways to demonstrate complex understanding.
• Make a note about how you will provide context for the topic of the prompt. This may fit well in the introduction or first body paragraph.
• List the documents you will use as evidence —remember that you must use six or seven to earn the maximum number of points for using the documents.
• Consider whether the paragraph is a good place to provide additional evidence —you must include one additional historical example.
• Think about when it would be beneficial to explain sourcing , or how a document’s context or situation is relevant to the argument—you must do so for three documents.
• Finally, review your plan and check off each requirement in your test booklet to ensure you addressed all six.

Step 3: Action! Write Your Response

• Nothing is more important in the first paragraph than the clear statement of an analytical thesis. The reader is most interested in seeing a strong thesis as soon as possible.
• Your thesis can be more than just one sentence. With the compound questions often asked by the DBQ, two sentences might be needed to complete the idea.
• Refer to the authors of the documents, not just the document numbers.
• A good idea is to write a concluding paragraph that might extend your original thesis. Think of a way to restate your thesis, adding information from your analysis of the documents.

Step 4: Proofread

• Skim for any glaring errors and, if you have time, check again to make sure your response meets each of the DBQ requirements.

AP Expert Note

Be prepared to demonstrate complex understanding The AP exam asks you to analyze sources and develop arguments in a sophisticated way. Demonstrating your complex understanding of the topic at hand is crucial to your success, and here are some ways you can do so.

• Analyze multiple variables
• Employ a complex historical reasoning skill by explaining both similarities and differences, both continuity and change, both causes and effects, or multiple causes
• Explain relevant connections to other regions or other time periods
• Corroborate perspectives across multiple course themes (such as environment, cultural developments, governance, economic systems, social organization, and technology)
• Qualify an argument using other evidence or views

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AP®︎/College US History

Course: ap®︎/college us history   >   unit 10.

• AP US History periods and themes
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Video transcript

Mastering the APUSH Thesis Point

By utilizing two different ‘two-sentence’ strategies.

Peter Paccone

T he APUSH Course and Exam Description (CED) makes it crystal clear. All exam-day LEQ and DBQ prompts will either begin with the words, ‘Evaluate the extent to which,’ or they will begin with the words ‘Evaluate the relative importance of.’

For APUSH students aiming to achieve high scores, mastering the thesis point as it relates to both prompts matters, as it provides a clear roadmap for their essays, demonstrates their understanding of historical events and themes, and showcases their ability to construct a well-organized and persuasive argument.

In this article, I will describe how I teach my students to earn the thesis point, employing a two-sentence writing strategy for each of the two distinct types of prompts.

The ‘Evaluate the Extent’ Two-Sentence Strategy

This strategy is to be used when faced with a prompt beginning with “Evaluate the extent to which.”

• The First Sentence — Establishing a Claim : Start with ‘To a great extent,’ then integrate all key terms from the prompt, including the specific time period.
• The Second Sentence — Providing Reasoning: Begin with ‘During this time period,’ followed by at least one line of reasoning supporting your claim, with this sentence to reveal the ‘why’ or ‘how’ behind your claim.

Here’s how the two-sentence formula can be applied to various ‘extent to which’ prompts:

Prompt #1: Evaluate the extent to which the lives of women changed economically in the period from 1875 to 1910.

• The First Sentence of the Thesis: “To a great extent, the lives of women changed economically in the period from 1875 to 1910.”
• The Second Sentence of the Thesis: “During this period, the economic lives of women changed in terms of the number of women employed in factories and the number of women who joined unions advocating for their rights

True, this is a thesis with two lines of reasoning, though it’s important to note that on the APUSH exam, only one line of reasoning is required to earn the thesis point. In other words, while additional lines of reasoning can strengthen the thesis, they are not necessary for meeting the basic criteria as laid out in the scoring rubric. Therefore, the thesis point would have been earned had it only read as follows: “To a great extent, the lives of women changed economically in the period from 1875 to 1910. During this period, the economic lives of women changed in terms of the number of women employed in factories.”

Prompt #2 Evaluate the extent to which the United States economy changed in the period from 1865 to 1890.

• The First Sentence of the Thesis : “To a great extent, the United States economy changed in the period from 1865 to 1890.”
• The Second Sentence of the Thesis: “During this period, the economy changed in terms of the number of factories constructed, where these factories were located, how raw materials were brought to these factories, and how factory-manufactured products were moved from these factories to the marketplace.

This thesis should be viewed as a strong thesis, one containing at least three lines of reasoning, although the thesis point would have been earned with only one line of reasoning.

The ‘Relative Importance’ Two-Sentence Strategy

This strategy is to be used when faced with a prompt beginning with “Evaluate the relative importance of.”

• The First Sentence — Listing Factors or Outcomes: Begin by concisely listing the different factors or outcomes that are pertinent to the prompt. This sentence should cover all key elements that you plan to discuss in your essay, directly relating to the prompt.
• The Second Sentence — Establishing the Most Critical Factor or Outcome: State which of these factors or outcomes is the most significant, and briefly indicate why. This sentence provides a clear point of view and sets the stage for your essay’s argumentative focus.

Here’s how the two-sentence formula can be applied to the “relative importance” prompts:

Prompt #1: Evaluate the relative importance of different causes behind rapid industrialization in the United States in the period from 1865 to 1890.

• The First Sentence of the Thesis : “In the period from 1865 to 1890, rapid industrialization in the United States was caused by the rise of influential industrialists like Rockefeller and Carnegie, the availability of large numbers of immigrants willing to work for little pay, and the implementation of laissez-faire government policies.”
• The Second Sentence of the Thesis: “Of these, the most important was the rise of influential industrialists like Rockefeller and Carnegie, as their leadership revolutionized production methods and industry management and also significantly influenced the shaping of government policies and labor practices.”

The second sentence of the thesis contains three distinct lines of reasoning. While each point represents a separate line of reasoning, it’s important to note that only one line of reasoning is required to earn the thesis point.

Prompt #2: Evaluate the relative importance of different causes for the expanding role of the United States in the world in the period from 1865 to 1910.

• The First Sentence of the Thesis: In the period from 1865 to 1910, the expanding role of the United States in the world was caused by its willingness to industrialize, to go into the world in search of political and economic gain, and to use its military when either challenged or threatened.
• The Second Sentence of the Thesis: Of these, its willingness to industrialize was the most important, as it led to economic growth, technological advancements, and military might.

Here too, the second sentence of the thesis contains three distinct lines of reasoning. Only one line of reasoning is necessary to successfully earn the thesis point.

Your Turn Now

Select one of the prompts listed below and try to earn the thesis point using the appropriate formula:

• Evaluate the extent to which the lives of African Americans changed as a result of the Market Revolution.
• Evaluate the extent to which America’s political parties changed during the Market Revolution of the 1820s and 1830s.
• Evaluate the extent to which the Civil War led to political gains for African Americans in the period 1865–1877.
• Evaluate the extent to which westward expansion led to sectional differences in the period 1840–1865.
• Evaluate the extent to which ideas related to popular sovereignty in the period from 1830 to 1860 led the United States into the Civil War.
• Evaluate the relative importance of different outcomes from the amendments to the US Constitution, 1864–1877.

Sidenote #1:

I’m well aware that for years, many APUSH teachers have encouraged their students to begin their thesis with the word ‘although.’ And that’s because, as many of these teachers have told, they want their students to send a signal flare to the reader, saying, ‘Hey reader, heads up, in this essay, I’m going to try to earn the complexity point by weaving into my essay a contrasting or opposing viewpoint, with that contrasting or opposing viewpoint to be revealed by the words following ‘although” and well before I state my thesis.”

I’m not a fan of this approach for three reasons

• It’s not needed to earn the point.
• I’ve found that when it’s crunch time in a high-stakes test, most of my students don’t possess the writing/thinking skills to do this, and so they end up spending an inordinate amount of time trying to craft the ‘although’ clause, with the rest of the essay consequently suffering, and worse yet, the student not earning the complexity points. To put it another way, I’ve found that the ‘although clause’ strategy usually only works for those who are already word wizards, naturally gifted in the art of writing.
• There’s a much easier way to earn the complexity point, and that’s via the ‘tack it on’ approach, with that approach described in an article I published in January 2024 and titled ‘ 7 APUSH LEQ Essays Utilizing the Tack-it-on Approach .’

As described in this post, I advocate for a simpler, more direct way to earn the thesis point, one that encourages the student to go straight to the heart of the matter, with no frills attached.

To summarize, I believe that for a student to start their thesis with ‘although’ is like putting a fireworks display before their essay — they better know what they’re doing or they will get burned — while my ‘two-sentence thesis earning point strategy’ I view as a reliable and easy to acquire flashlight — one that works for all, guiding the student time and again straight to success with little or no downside.

Written by Peter Paccone

San Marino High School social studies teacher. Also the Community Outreach Manager for Class Companion and a member of the CB's AI in AP Advisory Committee.

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APUSH Research Paper

• Background Reading

The Research Question

• Secondary Sources
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Step 3: Sign in with your   Hopkins email

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• What is a Research Question?
• Developing Your Question
• Developing Your Question: Example

Your research question

• Is specific and open-ended 
• Can be answered in multiple ways
• Does not have a simple yes or no answer
• Focuses your research
• Helps you find, critically read, and evaluate your sources 

Your preliminary thesis statement

• Identifies the topic you are researching
• May be refined or changed as you continue your research

Your thesis statement 

• Answers your research question
• Reflects your informed opinion
• Is supported by the evidence gathered and cited during your research 
• Guidelines for Forming Historical Questions

Step 1: Keywords 

Who, What, Where, When

Step 2: Viewpoint and Approach

Step 3: Questions

Topic: The Salem Witch Trials

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APUSH Free Response Questions and Responses: A Study Guide

The Free Response Question (FRQ) is a tried-and-true component of the APUSH exam. The FRQ is basically a fancy way of saying an essay. But, as I’m sure you have uncovered, there’s a lot of different types of essays on the APUSH exam. Refer to the table below about the differences between the essay types.

For this blog post, I will take you through the steps of answering a Long Essay Question (LEQ) for the APUSH exam, including given you student responses to analyze. At the end of this blog post, I will give you a new question for you to try on your own (and you should – doing well on the APUSH exam will require lots of practice!). All of the material in this blog post will come from the College Board website, and I strongly suggest you create your own student account to get more material.

Alright, let’s go!

Free Response Questions: LEQ #1

This LEQ comes from the 2016 APUSH exam that you can find on the College Board website. Please read the question below:

Evaluate the extent to which United States participation in the First World War (1917–1918) marked a turning point in the nation’s role in world affairs. In the development of your argument, explain what changed and what stayed the same from the period immediately before the war to the period immediately following it. (Historical thinking skill: Periodization).

Maximum Possible Points: 6

Please note:

• Each point of the rubric is earned independently, e.g., a student could earn the point for synthesis without earning the point for thesis.
• Unique evidence from the student response is required to earn each point, e.g., evidence in the student response that qualifies for either of the targeted skill points could not be used to earn the point for thesis.

Before you start writing, it will be INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT for you to organize your thoughts. Follow these three steps to organize your thoughts for the LEQ.

1. Understand what the question is asking you to do. 2. Make a table about what information is and is not relevant. 3. Develop your outline. Start with your thesis.

Below, I will take you through each step.

Understand what the question is asking you to do

Not every question is going to ask you to do the same thing. Some questions will ask you to compare and contrast events, and others will have you identify change and continuities over time. For this question, you are asked to evaluate the role of the U.S. in World War I and the extent to which this represented a turning point in the post-WWI world. Three words should stick out to you here:

1. Evaluate; 2. Extent; and 3. Turning point.

(Yes, that’s technically four words. I know.)

If I were to translate this into plain speech, I would come up with the following:

How much (if at all) did the U.S. involvement in WWI represent a turning point in how the nation operated in global affairs? Explain with evidence.

It’s only when you can put the question in your own words that you can go about answering it at a high level.

Make a table about what information is and is not relevant

A table is a useful way for you to brainstorm information quickly and efficiently. I suggest creating two categories in your table because not everything you think up will be relevant to answering the question. Take a look at the table I have created below and see if you can identify which information is relevant and which information is not.

Can you identify what ideas would be useful to answer this question and which would not?

If you thought “women’s suffrage”, “Weimar Republic”, and “the Great Migration” wouldn’t be helpful, you were right. The question is asking about the United States involvement in global affairs after WWI. Women’s suffrage involves the US, and the 19th amendment passed after WWI, but it doesn’t deal with global affairs; the Weimar Republic is the post-WWI world, but doesn’t really affect the US in the way the question is asking; finally, the Great Migration hits the U.S. criteria, but isn’t really about global affairs.

Develop your outline. Start with your thesis.

After you have developed a list of ideas that are relevant to helping you answer the question, come up with your outline but always start with your thesis . Remember that your thesis is a direct answer to the question. In this instance, you need to answer how much the US involvement in WWI represented a turning point for the nation in global affairs.

What does the evidence you generated tell you?

However you decide to answer the question, make sure that your evidence matches the conclusion you reach.

Another useful way to organize your outline is based on the scoring rubric. You will be assessed on the following:

A. Thesis (1 point) B. Argument Development: Using the Targeted Historical Thinking Skill (2 points) C. Argument Development: Using Evidence (2 points) D. Synthesis (1 point)

In the next section, I will explain what the APUSH exam is looking for in a thesis statement. I strongly suggest that you look at all of the content that the College Board provides in their expanded version of scoring notes. You will need to create an account to access this, but trust me: it’s worth it.

Free Response Question (LEQ #1): Breaking Down the Scoring Rubric

In this section, I will explain what the APUSH scorers are looking at for each section. Remember, all of this information is available via the College Board website.

According to the College Board, the APUSH exam scoring notes state, “the thesis does not need to be a single sentence, it does need to be discrete, meaning it cannot be pieced together from across multiple places within the essay. It can be located in either the introduction or the conclusion, but not split between the two.”

Reference the table below for two examples of acceptable thesis statements.

If you noticed, the two thesis statements above opposite perspectives and yet, they both received full credit. It does not matter what side you come down on in answering the question, as long as you are clear and have evidence.

Notice the difference between the above thesis statements and the below thesis statement:

The United States has always been a powerhouse country. The American economy has been strong (despite a couple of bumps) and the people even stronger. The First World War showed the true power of the United States due to the willingness of its citizens and the brightness of their minds.

This thesis statement does not answer the question clearly, and, as such, it did not receive a point.

Free Response Question #2: Putting it all together

Now it’s your turn! This sample question is also from the 2016 APUSH exam. Once you have followed the steps I provided above (Understand what the question is asking you to do, 2. Make a table about what information is and is not relevant, and 3. Develop your outline. Start with your thesis!! ), you should check your response against the scoring notes provided for the question and read other student work. Good luck!

———————————————————————————————————–

Evaluate the extent to which the ratification of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution marked a turning point in the history of United States politics and society. In the development of your argument, explain what changed and what stayed the same from the period immediately before the amendments to the period immediately following them. (Historical thinking skill: Periodization)

Allena Berry loves history; that should be known upfront. She loves it so much that she not only taught high school history and psychology after receiving her Master’s degree at Stanford University, she is now studying how students learn history at Northwestern. That being said, she does not have a favorite historical time period (so don’t bother asking). In addition to history, she enjoys writing, practicing yoga, and scouring Craigslist for her next DIY project or midcentury modern piece of furniture.

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• Summer Work
• Period 1: (1491-1607)
• Period 2: (1607-1754)
• Period 3: (1754-1800)
• Period 4: (1800-1848)
• Period 5: (1844-1877)
• Period 6: (1865-1898)
• Period 7: (1890-1945)
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• Short Answer Question (SAQ)
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• Long Essay Question (LEQ)
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 AP U.S. History: Long Essay Question (LEQ)

Short description, breakdown of essay:.

• The AP U.S. History exam gives students a choice between two long-essay questions. You chose ONE !
• A thesis statement is required.
• You will have 35 minutes to answer the one question you select.
• Makes up 15 % of final exam score.
• Graded on a 0-6 point scale.

Different Types of LEQ Questions:

• Argumentation:  Develops a thesis or relevant argument that addresses all parts of the question.
• Use of Evidence:   Supports the thesis using specific evidence, clearly linked to the thesis.
• Targeted Historical Thinking Skill:  Each question will assess an additional thinking skill, such as causation, comparison, continuity and change over time, or periodization.
• Synthesis:   Written answers need to extend the argument of the essay, connect it to a different time historical context, or connect it to a different category of analysis.

Thesis Statement:

Steps to Completing the LEQ:

• Analyze the Question
• Organize the Evidence
• Develop a Thesis
• Write the Introductory Paragraph
• Write the Supporting Paragraphs and Conclusion
• Evaluate Your Essay​
• Take the time to consider what the question really asks, which is often overlooked in the rush to start writing.
• Stop and ask yourself, "What is the targeted historical thinking skill in the question? Causation? Comparison? Continuity and change over time? Periodization?"
• You might try reading over the question or prompt three times. What is the key word(s) or phrase in the question? CIRCLE it. It could be verbs such as "analyze,“ "explain" or "support," "modify," or "refute."
• All questions have one thing in common: They demand the use of historical thinking skills and analysis of the evidence.
• A long-essay answer will not receive full credit by simply reporting information. Therefore, be on your guard for questions that start out with the verbs "identify" or "describe."
• Such a question is usually followed by "analyze“ or some other more demanding thinking skill.
• Identify what you know about the question and organize your information by making a brief outline of what you know.
• Write your outline in the test booklet.
• List facts pertaining to the question to help organize your thoughts.
• Ask yourself, do I have enough evidence to support my thesis? It is obviously not very productive to select an essay or take a position that you cannot support.
• A strong thesis is necessary in every APUSH essay answer.
• Don’t be afraid of making a mistake!
• The direction for the long-essay may give clear directions on the formation of the thesis, such as "support, modify, or refute" an interpretation.
• The setting, time, and place by providing the background or historical context for the question or your thesis.
• The thesis statement.
• The “blueprint” or “controlling ideas” to the main arguments of the essay, which will be developed in the body or supporting paragraphs.
• The number and length of the supporting paragraphs forming the body of the essay should vary depending on the thesis ( not necessarily 5 paragraphs! ), the main points of your argument, and the amount of historical evidence.
• To receive the highest possible AP score, you must explain how specific historical evidence is linked to your thesis.
• Each essay will also have a targeted historical thinking skill, which should shape one argumentation and choice of evidence.
• More essay writing does not necessarily produce better essays.
• Breaking down the process into manageable a nd sequential steps is one key for improvement.
• Peer evaluation and self-evaluation both help students internalize the elements of an effective essay and learn ways to improve.

Tips/ Suggestions:

• Write essays in the third person, not 1st person ("I," "we").  
• Use specific words. 
• Define or explain key terms. 
• Communicate awareness of the complexity of history. 
• Anticipate counterarguments. 
• Remain objective. 
• Communicate the organization and logical development of your argument.  
• Focus on the thesis in the conclusion. 

Muller's Golden Rules:

• Assume your reader is an idiot . .. That’s right, a class A imbicile. In other words, spell things out… Don’t take it for granted that “he/she know what I mean/knows what I’m talking about.” You’ve never met the guy/gal who’s going to read & grade your essays.
• Things, a lot, & stuff… NEVER !
• Keep your eye on the ball… Are you answering what is being asked?
• Are you staying in or straying from the time scope of your question?
• Ditch “Happily Ever Aftersims.” To wit, “…and if the pilgrims had never landed here, we could not have become the great, freedom-loving nation that we are today.”
• Keep conclusions narrow. Just like the frame of study. You don’t have to go from the beginning of time to the year 5000 in six paragraphs.
• It’s cool to be P.C . Use “Native Americans” instead of “Indians,” and “African-Americans” instead of “Black.”
• Tenses: Don’t shift them!!! This is the PAST that you are writing about.
• Never write conversationally!!! ​ Don’t write like you talk, and don’t talk to the reader ; NO FIRST PERSON. NO RHETORICAL QUESTIONS .
• Spelling & Capitalization , Spelling & Capitalization, Spelling & Capitalization!!
• Along the lines of #9. Stay crisp and professional . Don’t beat around the bush. Write as an expert in the field.
• Watch out for repetitions… avoid tendencies in word or phrase usage & sentence structure.
• Stream of Conciousness… unless you’re William Faulkner, don’t just ramble on. Have a specific mental picture, an intellectual starting point & destination for your work.
• Direct is nice, but jumping right in is not. Give the reader a thesis first —tell the reader what it is you’re going to prove/disprove, advocate/reject, agree with/disagree with, etc…
• Don’t leave hanging points! JUSTIFY your conclusions . Express facts rather than imply them. In other words, demonstrate to me why I should believe you/your conclusions.
• Responses should be free-standing : I should be able to read your work and right away know what the question must have been, even if I never say it.
• No cuteness —leave humor and funnies to the Daily Show, Colbert & Letterman. Always display your scholarship, not your wittiness…
• Identify your pronouns, and use “Them” sparingly … It’s pretty easy to confuse the daylights out of the reader in no time at all if he/she has to struggle to figure out who “them” is/are/could be…
• “ LUMPING ” is as vague as it is inaccurate . Be cautious about placing too much unity into the thoughts & actions of the many, i.e. “The colonists felt… The Indians hated… The Europeans wanted…” Could there be subsets within the groups? Specifically, which groups or sorts of the aforementioned felt, hated or wanted? It’s like saying, “All teens are…”
• Along the lines of #8. Don’t inject yourself into history by using “ WE ” when you really mean, “Americans who have been dead for a long time.” WE didn’t evict the Cherokees from Georgia, win World War I, give women the right to vote, build the railroads, land on the moon, etc; THEY/ the U.S. did!

Mistakes to Avoid:

• Try to fill up a specific number of pages but, instead write an insightful, persuasive and well-supported essay.
• List a few generalities or a "laundry list" of facts.
• Write in the narrative style by telling “stories,” but rather your goal should be to write analytically and support your argument with specific knowledge .
• Use fillers and flowery language in an attempt to impress the reader. Write a a concise, coherent essay in which every word has a purpose. Don’t waste time! ​

Decode Essay Questions:

Leq packet:.

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WHO declares mpox global health emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the mpox outbreak in parts of Africa a public health emergency of international concern.

The highly contagious disease - formerly known as monkeypox - has killed at least 450 people during an initial outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It has now spread across parts of central and east Africa, and scientists are concerned about how fast a new variant of the disease is spreading and its high fatality rate.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond "is very worrying".

"A co-ordinated international response is essential to stop this outbreak and save lives," he said.

Mpox is transmitted through close contact, such as sex, skin-to-skin contact and talking or breathing close to another person.

It causes flu-like symptoms, skin lesions and can be fatal, with four in 100 cases leading to death.

Outbreaks can be controlled by preventing infections with vaccines, though these are usually only available for people at risk or those who have been in close contact with an infected person.

• Explained: What is mpox and how is it spread?
• Podcast: What does the new mpox strain mean for you?

There are two main types of mpox - Clade 1 and Clade 2.

A previous mpox public health emergency, declared in 2022, was caused by the relatively mild Clade 2. However, this time it is the far more deadly Clade 1 - which has killed up to 10% of those getting sick in previous outbreaks - that is surging.

There was a change in the virus around September last year. Mutations led to an offshoot - called Clade 1b - that has since spread rapidly. This new variant has been labelled “the most dangerous yet” by one scientist.

Since the start of the year, there have been more than 13,700 cases of mpox in the DR Congo, with at least 450 deaths.

It has since been detected in other African countries - including Burundi, the Central African Republic, Kenya and Rwanda.

It is hoped the declaration of mpox as a public health emergency will lead to research, funding, and the introduction of other international public health measures being accelerated.

Dr Josie Golding, from the Wellcome Trust, said it was a "strong signal", while Emory University's Dr Boghuma Titanji said the move "underscores the gravity of the crisis".

Prof Trudie Lang, the director of the Global Health Network at the University of Oxford, said it was "important and timely", but added that the emergence of a new strain meant there were "many unknowns that need to be addressed".

In July 2022 the milder Clade 2 strain of mpox spread to nearly 100 countries , including some in Europe and Asia.

It spread rapidly, and there were more than 87,000 cases and 140 deaths reported during that outbreak, according to a WHO count.

Although anyone can catch monkeypox, the outbreak was largely concentrated among men who had sex with men.

That outbreak was brought under control by vaccinating vulnerable groups.

On Tuesday, scientists from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared a public health emergency.

The head of the organisation, Jean Kaseya, warned that this current outbreak could spiral out of control if immediate steps were not taken to contain it.

"We must be proactive and aggressive in our efforts to contain and eliminate this threat," he said.

Additional reporting by Alex Smith

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Rescuers retrieve remains of all 62 passengers in Brazil plane crash. Families gather in Sao Paulo

Brazilian authorities worked Saturday to piece together what exactly caused the plane crash in Sao Paulo state the previous day that killed all 62 people on board. Local airline Voepass’ plane, an ATR 72 twin-engine turboprop, was headed for Sao Paulo’s international airport in Guarulhos with 58 passengers and 4 crew members when it went down in the city of Vinhedo. (AP Video/Andre Penner and Maycron Abade)

Firefighters and rescue workers work in the debris at the site where an airplane with 61 people on board crashed in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, Saturday Aug. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

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Firefighters and rescue teams work at the site in a residential area where an airplane with 61 people on board crashed the previous day in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Police vehicles used to carry bodies leave at the gated community where a plane crashed in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Police guard the gated community where a plane crashed in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

A police vehicle used to carry bodies leave at the community where a plane crashed in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

This frame grab from video shows wreckage from a plane that crashed by a home in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Felipe Magalhaes Filho via AP)

Brigadier Marcelo Moreno, head of the National Air Accident Investigation Center, gives a press conference about the Vinhedo plane crash, at his headquarters in Brasilia, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

This frame grab from video shows fire coming from a plane that crashed by a home in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Felipe Magalhaes Filho via AP)

Locator map showing the departure, destination and crash sites of a Brazilian commercial airplane that crashed on Friday Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Digital Embed)

A refrigerated truck from the fire department arrives at the gated community where a plane crashed in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Police stand along the street leading to the gated community where a plane crashed in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Relatives from victims of the plane crash arrives at the headquarters of the institute of legal medicine for the recognition of victims, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Ettore Chiereguini)

VINHEDO, Brazil (AP) — Brazilian rescue teams Saturday retrieved the remains of all 62 passengers from the wreckage of a plane crash in Sao Paulo state as families started gathering in the metropolis to identify and bury their loved ones.

Local airline Voepass’ plane, an ATR 72 twin-engine turboprop, was headed for Sao Paulo’s international airport in Guarulhos with 58 passengers and four crew members, when it went down in the city of Vinhedo.

Initially, the company said its plane had 62 passengers, then it revised the number to 61 and early on Saturday it raised the figure once again after it found a passenger named Constantino Thé Maia was not on its original list.

Voepass also said three passengers who held Brazilian identification also carried Venezuelan documents and one had Portuguese.

Sao Paulo state government said in a statement that rescue operations finished at 6:30 p.m. local time, with the identification of the bodies of the pilot and co-pilot by forensics experts. There were 34 male and 28 female bodies in the wreckage, the government said.

Earlier, Maycon Cristo, a spokesman for the local fire department, told journalists in Vinhedo that a winch was used to remove parts of the plane from the ground.

Brazilian authorities began transferring the corpses to the morgue Friday, and called on victims’ family members to bring any medical, X-ray and dental exams to help identify the bodies. Blood tests were also done to help identification efforts.

Images recorded by witnesses showed the aircraft in a flat spin and plunging vertically before smashing to the ground inside a gated community, and leaving an obliterated fuselage consumed by fire. Residents said there were no injuries on the ground.

Rain drizzled down on rescue workers as they recovered the first bodies from the scene in the chill of the Southern Hemisphere’s winter. Some residents of the gated community silently left to spend the night elsewhere. None were spotted returning on Saturday.

It was the world’s deadliest airline crash since January 2023, when 72 people died on board a Yeti Airlines plane in Nepal that stalled and crashed while making its landing approach . That plane also was an ATR 72, and the final report blamed pilot error.

Metsul, one of Brazil’s most renowned meteorological companies, said Friday there were reports of severe icing in Sao Paulo state around the time of the crash. Local media cited experts pointing to icing as a potential cause for the accident.

A video shared on social media channels Saturday shows a Voepass pilot telling passengers of a flight from Guarulhos to the city of Cascavel, the same origin of the crashed plane, that the ATR 72 has flown safely around the world for decades. He also asked passengers to be respectful to the memory of his colleagues and the company and asked for prayers.

“It was a fatality. The pilot was my personal friend. I have known all the crew from long ago,” the unidentified pilot said. “We are professionals, we have our families. This tragedy doesn’t hit only those who perished in this accident. It hits all of us. We are giving all our hearts, all our best to be here and fulfill our mission to take you safely and comfortably to your destination.”

Local police restricted access to the main entrance of one of Sao Paulo’s morgues, where bodies from the crash were being identified. Some family members of the victims arrived on foot, others came in minivans. They didn’t speak to journalists, and local authorities requested they not be filmed as they came.

A flight bringing more family members from Paraná state landed in the afternoon at Guarulhos international airport São Paulo, and they also chose not to speak to journalists. A minivan sponsored by the airline was set to transport them to the morgue.

Many family members were gathering at a hotel in downtown Sao Paulo, so far refusing to speak to media there too.

An American Eagle ATR 72-200 crashed on Oct. 31, 1994, and the United States National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause was ice buildup while the plane was circling in a holding pattern. The plane rolled at about 8,000 feet and dove into the ground, killing all 68 people on board. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued operating procedures for ATRs and similar planes, telling pilots not to use the autopilot in icing conditions.

But Brazilian aviation expert Lito Sousa cautioned that meteorological conditions alone might not be enough to explain why the plane fell in the manner that it did on Friday.

“Analyzing an air crash just with images can lead to wrong conclusions about the causes,” Sousa told the AP by phone. “But we can see a plane with loss of support, no horizontal speed. In this flat spin condition, there’s no way to reclaim control of the plane.”

Brazil’s air force said Saturday both black boxes of the plane had been sent to its analysis laboratory in the capital Brasilia. The results of its investigations are expected to be published within 30 days, it said.

Marcelo Moura, director of operations for Voepass, told reporters Friday night that, while there were forecasts for ice, they were within acceptable levels for the aircraft.

Likewise, Lt. Col. Carlos Henrique Baldi of the Brazilian air force’s center for the investigation and prevention of air accidents, told reporters in a late afternoon press conference that it was still too early to confirm whether ice caused the crash.

The plane is “certified in several countries to fly in severe icing conditions, including in countries unlike ours, where the impact of ice is more significant,” said Baldi, who heads the center’s investigation division.

In an earlier statement, the center said the plane’s pilots did not call for help or say they were operating under adverse weather conditions. There has been no evidence that the pilots tried to contact controllers of regional airports, either, Ports and Airports Minister Silvio Costa Filho told reporters Friday night in Vinhedo.

Brazil’s Federal Police said it began its own investigation, and dispatched specialists in plane crashes and the identification of disaster victims.

French-Italian plane manufacturer ATR said in a statement that it had been informed that the accident involved its ATR 72-500 model, and that company specialists are “fully engaged to support both the investigation and the customer.”

The ATR 72 is generally used on shorter flights. The planes are built by a joint venture of Airbus in France and Italy’s Leonardo S.p.A.

Crashes involving various models of the ATR 72 have resulted in 470 deaths going back to the 1990s, according to a database of the Aviation Safety Network .

Costa Filho, the airports minister, said the air force’s center will also conduct a criminal probe of the accident.

“We will investigate so this case is fully explained to the Brazilian people,” he said.

Sá Pessoa reported from Sao Paulo and Koenig from Dallas. AP videojournalist Tatiana Pollastri contributed to this report.

What is mpox? A microbiologist explains what’s known about this smallpox cousin

Regents' Professor & Chair, Medical Laboratory Science, Texas State University

Disclosure statement

Rodney E. Rohde has received funding from the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS), U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA), and Texas State University. Rohde is affiliated with ASCP, ASCLS, ASM, and serves on several scientific advisory boards.

Texas State University provides funding as a member of The Conversation US.

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On Aug. 14, 2024, the World Health Organization declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern . There have been over 15,600 cases and over 530 deaths reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries in Africa. The disease had previously caused a global outbreak from 2022 to 2023.

Mpox – previously called monkeypox – isn’t a new disease. The first confirmed human case was in 1970 , when the virus was isolated from a child suspected of having smallpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Though usually mild, mpox can still potentially cause severe illness. Health officials are concerned that more cases will arise with increased travel.

I’m a researcher who has worked in public health and medical laboratories for over three decades, especially in the realm of diseases with animal origins. What exactly is happening in the current outbreak, and what does history tell us about mpox?

A cousin of smallpox

Mpox is caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to a subset of the Poxviridae family of viruses called Orthopoxvirus. This subset includes the smallpox, vaccinia and cowpox viruses. While an animal reservoir for monkeypox virus is unknown , African rodents are suspected to play a part in transmission. The monkeypox virus has only been isolated twice from an animal in nature. Diagnostic testing for mpox is currently only available at Laboratory Response Network labs in the U.S. and globally.

The name “monkeypox” comes from the first documented cases of the illness in animals in 1958, when two outbreaks occurred in monkeys kept for research. However, the virus did not jump from monkeys to humans, nor are monkeys major carriers of the disease.

Epidemiology

Since the first reported human case, mpox has been found in several other central and western African countries , with the majority of infections in the DRC. Cases outside of Africa have been linked to international travel or imported animals, including in the U.S. and elsewhere .

The first reported cases of mpox in the U.S. was in 2003, from an outbreak in Texas linked to a shipment of animals from Ghana. There were also travel-associated cases in July and November 2021 in Maryland. The outbreak of mpox that began May 2022 is ongoing .

Because mpox is closely related to smallpox, the smallpox vaccine can provide protection against infection from both viruses. Since smallpox was officially eradicated, however, routine smallpox vaccinations for the U.S. general population were stopped in 1972. Because of this, mpox has been appearing increasingly in unvaccinated people.

Transmission

The virus can be transmitted through contact with an infected person or animal or contaminated surfaces. Typically, the virus enters the body through broken skin, inhalation or the mucous membranes in the eyes, nose or mouth. Researchers believe that human-to-human transmission is mostly through inhalation of large respiratory droplets rather than direct contact with bodily fluids or indirect contact through clothes.

Health officials are worried that the virus may currently be spreading undetected through community transmission, possibly through a new mechanism or route. Where and how infections are occurring are still under investigation.

Signs and symptoms

After the virus enters the body, it starts to replicate and spread through the body via the bloodstream. Symptoms usually don’t appear until one to two weeks after infection.

Mpox produces smallpox-like skin lesions , but symptoms are usually milder than those of smallpox. Flu-like symptoms are common initially, ranging from fever and headache to shortness of breath. One to 10 days later, a rash can appear on the extremities, head or torso that eventually turns into blisters filled with pus. Overall, symptoms usually last two to four weeks, while skin lesions usually scab over in 14 to 21 days.

While mpox is rare and usually nonfatal, one version of the disease kills around 10% of infected people . The form of the virus currently circulating is thought to be milder, with a fatality rate of less than 1%.

Vaccines and treatments

Treatment for mpox is primarily focused on relieving symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, no treatments are available to cure mpox infection.

Evidence suggests that the smallpox vaccine can help prevent mpox infections and decrease the severity of the symptoms. One vaccine known as Imvamune or Imvanex is licensed in the U.S. to prevent mpox and smallpox.

Vaccination after exposure to the virus may also help decrease chances of severe illness. The CDC currently recommends smallpox vaccination only in people who have been or are likely to be exposed to mpox. Immunocompromised people are at high risk.

This is an updated version of an article originally published on May 20, 2022.

• Infectious diseases
• Smallpox vaccine

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