AP European History
DBQ Preparation
In a DBQ there are several analytical tasks you must complete. The three most important of these
are:
 Organize the documents into 3 or more “groups”
 Develop a thesis statement that responds to all parts of the question and is based on
ideas/patterns in the documents
 analyze the author’s viewpoint for at least 3 documents. This means things like pointing out
how an author’s background (i.e. social class, job) might influence his opinion or how
historical events might influence his opinion or why a document is or isn’t a reliable source for
accurate facts or what tone a document conveys and how.
Part 1:
Directions: Read the sample DBQ essay below. In three different colors, highlight/underline:
1) the thesis
2) statements that present/summarize the theme of a group of documents
3) any sentences where the viewpoint of an author is being analyzed.
Exemplar DBQ Response
Question: Analyze the purpose that rituals and festivals served in
traditional European life.
Essay:
Rituals and festivals played a crucial role in traditional
European life throughout the modern period. Rituals, such as
charivari (“riding the stang”) allowed for the community to join
together and have fun, teach lessons, and even make political
statements. Festivals such as carnival, and that on midsummer
night’s eve allowed for the community to relax, release their
burdens, join together, learn from one another and, to the dismay
of some, also served as a medium of spreading vices. Despite
their disorderly nature, these ritualized activities actually
served to reinforce traditional social values by building a sense
of community, by imposing mechanisms of social control, and
providing outlets for political discontent.
Many rituals and festivals built community spirit and unity.
One of the earlier rituals, described by Brother Giovanni di Carlo
delineates sons going through the streets acting as their fathers,
who were the leaders of the city. [Doc. 1] Brother Giovanni
describes the magnificence in which the sons performed and the
enjoyment shared by the citizens, and, obviously, by himself. The
celebration of midsummer night was a festival of fun, honesty, and
openness. In it, servants and masters conversed and everyone is
told their faults; however, no offense was taken—the celebration
brought the community of Scilly Island together, as Henry Bourne,
an outsider perceived it. [Doc. 6] Baltasar Rusow, a Lutheran
pastor commented on the drinking, “disorder, whoring, killing and
dreadful idolatry” that took place on a saint’s feast day. [Doc.
2] Rusow may have taken the holiday more seriously than others
because he obviously was a religious man, and may have
exaggerated; however, vices tend to be displayed on holidays.
This idea is clearly depicted in Brueghel’s “Battle Between
Carnival and Lent” in which a man on a keg faces off against a
nun. [Doc. 3] Brueghel comments on the irreverence and disregard
for the meaning of Lent. R. Lassels, a Frenchman, justifies
Italian carnival celebrations as a way to vent. [Doc. 5] Lassels,
however, is French and also celebrates carnival and may be
inclined to justify his own actions.
Some rituals and festivals were used to maintain or repair
social order.
One such ritual was charivari, or “riding the stang.” This ritual
was apparently popular because of the uses in England and in
France. In charivari, a “hen-pecking” woman is made to “ride
stang.” The community assembles as the woman is made to ride the
horse backwards and cheers, sings, and bang pots in mockery. This
event is clearly described as so by Mrs. Elizabeth Gaskell.
[Doc.8] Her point of view is quite interesting as she is a
married woman and supports this event the requires the humiliation
of other married women. Mrs. Gaskell is also quick to point out
that the celebrations are never too disorderly and no one seeks
redress. Women such as Mrs. Gaskell may see this event as one of
putting women in control. In the “stang song” from Lincolnshire
describes and man beating his wife and the wife in turn throwing
him out of the house and taking “his skin to the tanners.” [Doc.
9] Another example of rituals meant to impose order is the
humiliation of criminals. In Russia, for example, when a woman
picked berries from the communal berry patch too early, she was
sentenced to walk through the streets with her basket on her neck.
[Doc. 10] There were also reportedly no complaints from the woman
concerning her humiliation. However, this is from a government
report and complaints may have likely been omitted.
In some cases rituals and festivals were used for more direct
protest against political or social authority. For example, in
France a police report notes the beginning of the Easter Rebellion
against King Louis Philippe and cites the charivari as the cause
of the excitement. [Doc. 7] His perspective is logical because he
works for the government and would not wish to place the blame on
them and, in fact, would have a strong interest in stifling these
sorts of protests against the government’s authority. The
“unmannerly manners” of carnival being used for protest are also
discussed by John Taylor, an English writer in the early 1600’s.
[Doc. 4] At first glance he seems merely to describe a group of
young vandals and the fun they had in the destruction of property.
He adds, however, that the youths actions led to the “contempt of
justice.” Clearly rituals such as these, rather than acting as a
social control and restoring order, however, were instead acting
out against the political and social order.
Rituals and festivals both had their purposes in creating a
community. Some rituals were intended to dignify, whiles others
to humiliate; some were used for political purposes while others
were just for fun. Festivals were seen as a way to celebrate and
vent the sorrows of every day life through while others drew the
community together through honesty and openness.
Part 2:
Directions: Go to the actual DBQ (question and set of documents).
1. Carefully read the specific question/essay prompt that is posed. (Note: this is a different DBQ
than the exemplar essay you just read) and fill in the two blank boxes on the top row of the chart
that is attached here (you probably will want to tear it off).
2. Read each document. Fill in the corresponding row on the chart. The key thing is a BRIEF
summary in your own words of the main point of each document as it relates to the question.
*Note that in the formal DBQ process you have only about 15 minutes to read the documents
and do the initial essay planning. Therefore, try to do this quickly - you do not want to build the
habit of laboring over every document. Work on zeroing in on how the document relates to the
question.