Document Based Question: DBQ

The DBQ is simply an essay question similar to the ones you answer for St. Stephen's history exams all the time. The difference between this essay and the others on the AP is that you are given 7-9 short documents to exploit in your answer. The DBQ requires you to show your knowledge of the topic, demonstrate your understanding of the complexity of the question and documents, and to synthesize what you know with the specific evidence presented in the documents. The ultimate goal of a convincing thesis-driven essay is the same as for any other essay. Even though this question is always challenging it is not as daunting as all of the attention to it would suggest. While it is worth slightly more than a topic-based essay, the excessive attention to this portion of the test partly stems from the interest people have in trying to guess the topic. In recent years the College Board began publishing the time period for each year's DBQ. This little hint stimulated much more attention to the DBQ. You can even find websites with polls on what the DBQ will be. It is fun to try to guess the topic, but the best use of your time is to study main topics within this year's 1810-1860 time period and to practice interpreting primary sources from the period. We'll do the following practice DBQ together in a review session. You should do others on your own.

DBQ from the 2001 exam: What were the Cold War fears of the American people in the aftermath of the Second World War? How successfully did the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower address these fears?

Use the documents and your knowledge of the years 1948-1961 to construct your response.

[Nine documents, including two images, followed]

Sample thesis paragraph and first supporting paragraph of a St. Stephen's student who scored a 5 on the AP. The DBQ is a number on a scale from 0 to 15. I do not have access to the score on this actual essay.

[waiting for DBQs to be returned]

Possible topics for the 2002 DBQ, 1810-1860
Brainstorm on specific themes and questions for each topic

Jeffersonian Republic, 1801-1808

The War of 1812 and growth of American nationalism

Second Great Awakening, 1790s-1840s

Economic Growth and the Emergence of an Industrial Culture, 1820-1860

Jackson and the Development of Democracy, 1828-1840s

Rise and Fall of the Second Party System, 1830s-1860

Reform Movements, 1820-1860

The Cult of Domesticity and the Feminization of Middle-class Culture, 1820s-1850s

Manifest Destiny, 1840-1860

War with Mexico, 1846-1848

Sectional Crisis over the Spread of Slavery, 1850s

Slavery, 1810-1860

Example of brainstorming on a topic: Jackson and the Development of Democracy

Social	Political	Economic	points of debate
democratic effects of second Great Awakening	Universal white manhood suffrage develops "Corrupt Bargain" '24 paves way for Jackson, war hero and first non elite pres. Mass political parties emerge/ new organization and campaign tactics/ saw himself as most direct rep. of the people veto of Maysville Road bill/ more vetoes than other presidents combined Nullification Crisis (tariff - SC rebels) Compromise tariff and Force Act/Stood up to Calhoun	Economic expansion boom bust cycles Canals, new more complex markets	How democratic was Jacksonian democracy?
Panic of 1819 provokes more daily interest in politics for ordinary people	Indian Removal/Trail of Tears Five civilized tribes Supreme Court decision ignored	Early industry, Urban working class	Was Jackson a defender of the common man against a new capitalist order?
Reform movements emerge/perfectibility temperance abolitionism women's rights utopian religious movements Many reformers were against Jackson but shared new organizational strategies and related to new tensions and anxieties provoked by a more developed economy	Bank War Bank as symbol of money aristocracy/corruption master manipulator of political symbols pet banks   Biddle	Bank's death hurt economy speculation increased economic crisis	"The bank, Mr. Van Buren, is trying to kill me, but I will kill it."
	National Republicans become known as Whigs as their opposition to "King Andrew" solidifies. Clay/Webster/Harrison	Depression of 1837 "Van Ruin"	Significance of Jackson to the rise of a new political culture.
	Second American Party System established Whigs v. Democrats state and local autonomy v. national power opposition to monopoly v. support for BUS and industry Campaign tactics permanently changed to stress personality, appeal to common man Whigs "out Jacksoned the Jacksonians" in 1840

Suggestions for the DBQ

• Read the question and documents before you start writing. Think and plan. Leave room to add to your thesis paragraph after you've written the essay.
• Read some historical documents from the DBQ time-period before the test.
• You do not have to use all of the documents, but you should use most of them.
• Develop a thesis that will allow you to use the documents to demonstrate your understanding of the complexity of the question.
• Use specific facts to show your knowledge of the period. For example, if you had a question on Jackson with a document on recharting the Bank, bring in Biddle and his plan to hurt Jackson's reelection chances even if his name and the reason the Bank is up for rechartering early is not addressed in the document excerpt.
• Don't bother quoting from documents. It takes too much time. Instead say, "as Jackson's veto message shows" or as "doc. E shows." Make your interpretation of how the documents fit your thesis stand out.
• Stop and reread your own thesis from time to time as your write to make sure the connections between supporting paragraphs and the thesis are clear.