The DBQ
Thesis Statement
• Question: Although New England and the Chesapeake region
were both settled largely by people of English origin, by 1700
the regions had evolved into two distinct societies. Why did this
difference in development occur?
• Did you create a complex thesis?
• Sample: Colonial New England and the Chesapeake had been
settled people from Britain who shared a common language and
history. However, by the year 1700 they had become two very
different colonies due to religious, economic and political
differences.
• Sample While New England and the Chesapeake were
established at almost the same time by English people, a strong
sense of community in New England and of individuality in
Virginia caused them to develop different societies, economies
and governmental systems.
Outside Information
• Information relating to the topic not found in
the documents
– Sample
•
•
•
•
•
•
New England Town Meetings
Headright System
Plantations
Tobacco
Representative democracy – House of Burgesses
Indentured servitude
Contextualization
• Did you connect the arguments to broader historical
events or processes?
– Sample
• English Civil War (Puritan victory curbs Great Migration)
• Restoration of the Monarchy (End of English Puritanism)
• Settlement of other neighboring colonies
– MA – CT, RI, NH (spread of dissenting puritans)
– VA – MD (spread of plantation culture)
– Immigration of other groups (Germans, Quakers, Catholics)
• Role of Mercantilism (encouraged cash crops in the South and
commercialism in New England)
• Royal Africa Company & growth of slavery
Synthesis
• Did you account for contradictory evidence in the
documents or did you connect the question to
other time periods or places or did you extend
your original thesis statement?
– Sample:
• Contradictory evidence: Document E suggests that the
Puritan sense of community was limited; Similarity - both
MA and VA develop democratic institutions; VA also had an
established church
• Other Time Periods or Places: Spanish influence (religion in
MA and gold in VA; treatment of Native Americans; African
slavery)
Sample Analysis & CAPP
Basic information & Some analysis
Context, Audience, Purpose, POV (CAPP)
Doc
A
Community important; Relatively egalitarian; model
for the rest of the world
Before arrival in American, he is establishing the
objectives of the colony for his adherents.
Doc
B
Mostly entire families and servants travelling together
– not planning on returning to Britain; Skilled labor
Ship’s manifest of early settlers to MA who are
English puritans driven out by religious intolerance
Doc
C
Mostly young, unrelated men (few women no
children); Members of the C of E
Ship’s manifest of early settlers to VA who are
drawn by economic opportunity
Doc
D
Theocracy requires a minister; town planning;
economic diversity encouraged; socially cohesive
Public document (for MA Puritans) detailing the
implementation of Winthrop’s plan of settlement
Doc
E
Prices and wages controlled by gov’t; Unfairly inflating
prices was sinful; demonstrates the ideal of
community
Puritan utopia beginning to break down as division
between the rich and poor grow; Objective - to
warn against greed.
Doc
F
In early VA was chaotic and individualistic. Food
unavailable; many deaths; Ship’s crew cheated
colonists; desperation leads to fighting; Instead of
organizing a sustainable colony many dug for gold.
Smith is justifying his actions taking strict control of
the colony by showing greed and lack of order
almost destroyed the settlement
Doc
G
There are many servants and poor people who cannot
be trusted and will aid the enemy; Plantation owners
too scared to leave their property; VA cannot unite
even to defend itself
Berkeley is explaining to his superiors when he can’t
fight the Dutch; Berkeley views indentured servants
and the poor almost as an enemy within.
Doc
H
Some are growing wealthy quickly at the expense of
the colony, which lacks defense and development;
Wealthy despised, colony divided
Bacon is justifying his uprising by manipulating class
divisions and suggesting the wealthy have betrayed
the settlement
One Method of Organizing the Essay
New England
Chesapeake
Political
Must be united a model for others
(A)
Direct democracy – New England
Town Meetings
Colony unable to defend itself (G)
Government - corrupt “parasites” who have
compromised colonies defense (H)
Representative democracy – House of
Burgesses
Social
Community important; relatively
egalitarian (A)
Families with children and people of
various ages emigrated (B)
Towns planned with a mix of classes,
some equality (D)
Emigrants - young, unrelated, and mostly
male (C)
Great social division (F)
Inequity leads to fears of rebellion or
treason (G)
Indentured servitude
Economic
Skilled workers (B)
Economic profit restrained for the
good of the community (E)
Agriculture difficult so people turned
to Timber, Fur, Ship Building trades
Economic exploitation and great hardship
(F)
Headright System
Plantations
Tobacco
Religious
Puritan Theocracy
Established Church of England
Religion not an issue in the founding of VA
MD – Catholics & Act of Toleration