1. Writing an APUSH Thesis
Sample Question: To what extent did the Civil War and the
Reconstruction Era constitute a second American Revolution?
2. What type of prompt is this?
Read the prompt, read the prompt again. Try reading it 3 times. Decide
what type of question is being asked in order to understand the correct
way to answer; this helps determine what thesis formula you will
chose. For Example:
X, However A, B, C. Therefore Y.
X = counter argument, A,B, C = evidence, Y= what you will prove or the stance you are taking.
or
Although X, A and B. Therefore Y.
The thesis will serve as the road map to the prompt. If the thesis is
wrong the essay is wrong.
3. Decode the Essay Questions
Look carefully at the verbs in essay questions. Here are some hints to construct your
answer. When the questions wants to ………………..then you; ANALYZE break into smaller
parts and interpret importance; APPLY extend a concept or principle to a new situation;
COMPARE identify similarities between two concepts; CONTRAST distinguish important
differences. “between two concepts”; CRITICIZE judge the positive and negative features of
a concept; DEFINE offer the essential idea behind a concept; DESCRIBE provide sufficient
details to establish key ideas in a concept develop a new strategy to accomplish a goal;
DESIGN develop a new strategy to accomplish a goal; EXPLAIN clarify the meaning of a
concept through detail or. Example; EVALUATE make a well-reasoned judgment about
value or worth; GENERALIZE apply a principle to make predictions about a new problem
HYPOTHESIZE; develop a specific prediction about a complex situation; IDENTIFY designate
the key elements involved; ILLUSTRATE provide examples or details to clarify; INTERPRET
offer your distinctive point of view about concept's meaning; LIST identify factors in a
systematic or comprehensive manner; PREDICT offer your best guess about an outcome
PROVE create your best argument using examples or reasoning; RECOMMEND put
“forward" a preferred course of action with a rationale; RELATE draw connections among
ideas; REVIEW discuss the most important aspects of the concept; SUMMARIZE briefly
identify the most critical ideas
4. Effectiveness/To What Extent
To what extent did the Civil War and the Reconstruction Era
constitute a second American Revolution?
To answer an extent prompt, take a strong stand for a greater extent or
lesser extent in your essay. By including equal amounts of evidence for
both sides, the strength of the essay is diminished. If you chose to
support an essay of greater extent, you would organize outside
evidence in paragraphs that provides examples of coherence between
the evidence. The main points of the evidence should be separated into
separate paragraphs. In an essay of lesser extent, one would organize
evidence that did not support each other.
5. ATFP!!!! Address the Full Prompt!
To what extent did the Civil War and the Reconstruction Era
constitute a second American Revolution?
Read the prompt several times and put it in your own words.
To what extent=how much or how little
Civil War-division
Reconstruction-rebuild
American Revolution-Independence
Next you will want to brainstorm each of these items
6. Civil War
CSA-wanted independence from USA
Protect way of life
1860 election south succeed
Felt No representation
Slavery-economic-Dredd Scott-property-Constitution protects property
What else do we know about the south-against tariff, against B.U.S. threatened to secede before, states rights,
nullification
USA-
Against slavery, no extension, secession illegal
Preserve the Union
Economics- industry-no need for slavery-immigrant labor, protect business, high tariff, for the BUS
Central supreme over states rights
7. Reconstruction
Union in tact-Slavery Abolished, 13th-15th Amend
Rad Rep-Military south 5 districts
no southern democrats in Congress
Freedmen Bureau-edu.- exercise rights, hold office
KKK disenfranchise Freedman black codes, Jim Crow, Segregation,
sharecropping
compromise 1877 southern redemption
8. The American Revolution
Britain-colonies established 3 G’s; salutatory neglect until French and
Indian War
Impose taxes- revenue and non revenue
Stamp act, tea act, quartering act, intolerable acts…..
Colonist's-Looked at colonists as tenants-no representation
Taxation
Freedom from tyranny
Won independence new country self govern, life liberty pursuit of
happiness, all men created equal, natural rights ect.
9. LEQ vs. DBQ
So now that you have an idea of the question being asked and you have
brainstormed it is time to take direction. This is done by creating a
thesis. How will you respond to the prompt? After you create your
thesis, if you are working on the LEQ-you prove your thesis by providing
the evidence such as what you brainstormed but with analysis. If you
are completing the DBQ you will use analysis of the documents as
evidence.
It is best practice to have your thesis ready and know your stance to
prevent writing an essay that describes the docs.
Remember: Describing is not analyzing
10. Write the thesis
X, However, ABC, Therefore Y
The United States won independence with the Treaty of Paris in 1783. However, cycles of conflict,
compromise, and expanded democratic ideals, were a continuous test to the strength of the new
nation and its government. Therefore, the Civil War and Reconstruction era were a continued
revolution in America and a larger fight for freedom in a unified nation.
(X)= a counter argument or less extent. The United States won independence with the Treaty of
Paris in 1783.
A,B,C,=the evidence you will prove. This makes up the three body paragraphs of the essay, one for
each point. However, cycles of conflict, compromise, and expanded democratic ideals, were a
continuous test to the strength of the new nation and its government.
(Y)=What you will prove or the stance you are taking. Therefore, the Civil War and Reconstruction
era were a continued revolution in America and a larger fight for freedom in a unified nation.
11. STRUCTURING AN INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH:
• 1. Establish the setting (historical background) of the essay. Briefly
introduce the reader to the subject.
-LC/BC local/broad; Lure the reader in, set the stage
• 2. Finish paragraph with a clear thesis statement that establishes the
purpose of the essay.
LC/BC X, However, A,B, C, Therefore Y
You should be able to get 2 points from the rubric in the first paragraph.
Contextualization point and thesis point. Never leave your reader wondering
what the essay will be about. That way in your conclusion all you have to do
is summarize how you proved the thesis.
12. Add the LC/BC for a contextualization point.
Following the Civil War, questions regarding the status of freeman,
women and political parties plagued the nation. The Reconstruction Era
was short lived by radical republicanism. America did not shy from this
difficult task. Some historians record that the Civil War and
Reconstruction era constitutes as a second American Revolution and
not a continuation of a fight for a greater America. The United States
won independence with the Treaty of Paris in 1783. However, cycles of
conflict, compromise, and expanded democratic ideals, were a
continuous test to the strength of the new nation and its government.
Therefore, the Civil War and Reconstruction era were a continued
revolution in America and a larger fight for freedom in a unified nation.
13. The Thesis is the Road Map for the Essay
• Now that you have the introductory paragraph complete. You will write the body paragraphs of your
essay. This is between 2-4 paragraphs, depending on the prompt and complexity of your thesis, but
most of all on the APUSH exam, TIME CONSTRAINTS.
• If it is a DBQ- you will have to incorporate the analysis of the docs. This is done by introducing, using it
as evidence and at the end of the sentence (Doc 1). or (Doc 2). ect. NEVER SAY “IN Doc ONE, “AS SEEN
IN DOC 2” THE POINT OF VIEW IN DOC 3” and so on. This is NOT, I repeat NOT analysis and you will
NOT be awarded any points for saying that. Nor will you receive credit if an essay is simply describing
the docs. Your goal is to incorporate analysis of the doc as evidence to prove your thesis.
• This thesis stated ways to prove. Each one needs analysis and evidence. Remember for a DBQ you
need to use all or all but one on the docs.
• Body paragraph 1= (A) cycles of conflict
• (B) paragraph 2= compromise
• (C) paragraph 3= and expanded democratic ideals
“all were a continuous test to the strength of the new nation and its government”.
• The conclusion will restate how I proved (Y) Therefore, the Civil War and Reconstruction era were a
continued revolution in America and a larger fight for freedom in a unified nation.
14. DBQ-Document Notes
From the nation's very inception, the existence of slavery stood in glaring contrast to the ideals of liberty and justice expressed in the
preamble to the Constitution. The Constitution itself protected the institution of slavery (while never actually using the word slave) through
a number of compromises worked out between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions. These constitutional compromises did not resolve the
conflict, however, and Congress passed other compromises in an effort to prevent the young nation from breaking apart.
• “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the
common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish
this Constitution for the United States of America.”
• —Preamble to the United States Constitution
The ConstitutionThe “Three-Fifths Compromise” provided a formula for calculating a state’s population, in which three-fifths of “all other
persons” (i.e., slaves) would be counted for purposes of representation and taxation. The Constitution also included a provision to ban the
importation of slaves starting in 1808, and a fugitive slave clause requiring escaped slaves to be returned to their owners.
Fugitive Slave Act (1793) Required that escaped slaves found in free states be caught and returned to their masters. The Act also denied freed
slaves the right to a jury trial and other constitutional rights.
Missouri Compromise (1820) Banned slavery in the Louisiana Territory north of the 36° 30’ parallel, except within the borders of the state of
Missouri, which would be admitted as a slave state; Maine to be admitted as a free state.
Compromise of 1850: Necessary to determine whether slavery would be allowed in states created by the territory acquired from Mexico in the
Mexican-American War. California was admitted as a free state, while the Territory of New Mexico (including present-day Arizona and part of
Nevada) allowed slavery. The Compromise also included a measure banning the slave trade (but not slavery itself) within the District of
Columbia, as well as a new and more forceful Fugitive Slave Law.
16. Analyze
Let’s say one of the docs in the DBQ was the compromise of 1850 or a Senator
speaking out against it. How to use this either way.
Compromise/Conflict
The Founding Fathers did not settle the brewing dispute over slavery because they
believed it would eventually die out. This was the case in the North. When the
Constitution was written it allowed for slavery but also created a means to amend,
one of the largest complaints against the Articles of Confederation. By 1850, a
compromise was made including the notion of popular sovereignty. (Doc 1). The
American ideal of allowing the people a voice in their government, something the
colonists had longed for. The Compromise of 1850 was actually so large that it
could not pass all at once. It contained four parts and was intended to keep the
slavery debate off the table for a while. However, Conflicts over slavery were
exhausting the ability to compromise. The Constitution would need to be amended
and led to battle.
18. Evaluate the Validity
"In America the great issues of the 17th century were largely
theological; those of the 18th century largely political." Evaluate the
validity of this prompt. First, to answer a validity prompt, one must take
a strong stand on one side of the prompt. For this prompt, one would
most likely use two body paragraphs. One paragraph for the 17th
century, agreeing or disagreeing with the prompt, and one for the 18th
century, agreeing or disagreeing. If one agreed with the prompt, one
would use evidence to support the statement in the prompt. If one
disagreed, one would use contrasting evidence to refute the prompt.
Another helpful strategy is to provide a limited view of contrasting
evidence and to disprove it for one's increased support of their own
evidence.
19. Continuity and/or Change Over Time
• "From 1914 to the present, the main trend in the relationship between the
central government and the states has been toward concentration of
power in the federal government." Discuss with reference to such areas of
governmental power as regulation of business, social welfare, and civil
rights. To answer a change over time prompt, one should present the initial
conditions and show how the major areas evolved through the time
period. For this prompt, one would most likely use three paragraphs, one
for each aspect of the prompt. To organize this prompt, one should use
each paragraph to show how the aspects have changed. One may also
choose, if the paragraphs seem excessively long, to use three pairs of
paragraphs, with each pair focusing on the changes in each area. In a
prompt as complex as this, one needs to have clear topic sentences at the
beginning of each paragraph. These topic sentences are critical to essay
writing, as they help bring focus and clarity to the essay.
20. Compare and Contrast
Compare and contrast Booker T. Washington's program for black Americans and
W.E.B. DuBois' program for black advancement. In a compare and contrast prompt,
one should focus on the similarities and the differences of the major aspects of the
prompt. In this prompt, one method of organization is to write two paragraphs.
One comparing Washington and DuBois, and the second contrasting the two.
Another method is to write two separate paragraphs for Washington and DuBois. In
these two separate paragraphs, include all relevant evidence that will illustrate the
similarities and differences of the two men. In one's essay, one should concentrate
on including enough evidence for comparison and contrasting to fully answer the
prompt. However, if one states in the thesis that either the aspects of the prompts
cannot compare or contrast, the writer can focus on comparison or contrasting to
prove one's thesis. One needs to be consistent with one's thesis to have a constant
train of logic. For example, if one says that Washington and DuBois cannot be
compared in the thesis but presents similarities between the two in a body
paragraph, the logic of the essay has been shattered.
21. Cause and Effect
For the period 1890-1910 identify the forces which created conflicts
among Americans and show how they manifested themselves on
America. In a cause and effect essay, one should concentrate on various
events and illustrate the effects of these events. In this prompt, one
must first identify the forces that created the conflicts. These include
the Reform movements of the Progressives and Populists, media,
business, and government. One would then illustrate the conflicts that
arose between these groups. In this prompt, one would most likely use
paragraphs to show major events and conflicts of 1890-1910 and
analyze the results of these actions. With each major event or conflict,
one should use a paragraph for each. In each paragraph, one would
introduce an event or conflict and analyze the results of it.
22. Discuss the Impact
Discuss the impact of the "Transportation Revolution, 1820-1860" on the U.S. In a discuss the
impact essay, one needs to show the results of the given event. In this prompt, one would use
paragraphs that show the long-term effects of the Transportation Revolution. There are many ways
to divide this essay into paragraphs. The general broadness of the question allows for these many
forms of organization. The choice of organization depends upon one's knowledge of the different
aspects of the period and what seems most structured. First, one must be sure to cite the types of
transportation that were part of the revolution. These include canals, turnpikes, and early railroads.
An effective organization is to divide the body into three paragraphs discussing the impact of one
type of transportation. Another structure for this prompt would be to divide one's response into the
areas of the country at the time, South, North, and West. The transportation developments could
be shown to create the divisions within the country that led to specialization of the different regions
of the nation. The industrialization of the North, the rise of slavery in the South, and other
developments that allowed for a unique union to develop could be cited, with reference to
increasing sectional tensions leading to the Civil War. Don't forget to include impacts other than
economic issues for the regions, such as social and political issues. Also, its possible to organize by
dividing the response into the main areas of the time. Social/Cultural Issues, Economic, and Political
would work very well for a standard 5 paragraph essay. One could then elaborate and make the
same points described above.
23. Relative Importance
• Assess the relative importance of three of the following in contributing American
involvement in the Spanish American War. Jingoism/Nativism, Media Economics,
Imperialist Leaders The first priority in a relative importance prompt is to develop
evidence for three of the contributing factors. One then must create a hierarchy, or a
categorization of the evidence by significance, for the contributing factors. It is the
authors' of this page opinions that the imperialist leaders of the time were the greatest
contributors to involvement in the war, the media contributed slightly less, and then
economics and jingoism/nativism contributed the least. This sentence represents a
hierarchy of the four factors as related to the prompt. For this prompt, one would most
likely choose the three topics that are most familiar to the writer. Then write three
separate paragraphs assessing each factor, by analyzing the significance of the evidence.
One would have the most important paragraph first in their body paragraphs. This
paragraph should have the strongest evidence. Then follow with the second and third
paragraph, each moving down the level of the hierarchy. These methods are only
example guidelines. Over time, each writer will discover his own effective form of
organization in responding to various prompts. There is more than one way to skin a cat.
