DBQ DOCUMENT
ANALYSIS
AND EXAMPLE ESSAYS
DEFINITIONS FOR BACKGROUND ESSAY
• Buffer- a person or thing that shields and protects against
annoyance, harm, hostile forces, etc. (lessens the impact of)
• A protection against harm (person or thing)
• Charter- a document, issued by a sovereign state, outlining the
conditions under which a corporation, colony, or city is
organized, and defining its rights and privileges.
• Document issued by a government stating rules and freedoms of a
colony or organization
• Charity- generous actions or donations to aid the poor, ill, or
helpless; Something given to a person in need.
• Giving to those in need (monetary or action)
• Paternalistic- the system or practice of managing or governing
individuals, nations, etc., in the manner of a father dealing
benevolently and often intrusively with his children.
• Caring for as if a parent.
• Fortifications- Military works constructed for the purpose of
strengthening a position; A fort.
• Building constructed to provide defense.
QUESTIONS
2.
What were some motivating factors behind the creation
of the Georgia Colony?
•
3.
Who were some of the potential enemies that posed a
threat to Georgia and the Carolinas?
•
4.
Spanish in Florida, The French in Louisiana, and along the
Mississippi River, and the Indian allies of both of these nations.
What restriction were placed upon the colonists who
had received charity?
•
5.
To help the poor, to help debtors, to provide defense from
Spain, to provide charity, to help England prosper
Those who had not paid for their land could not sell the land,
or borrow money against it.
What were some of the policies that began to upset the
colonists?
• Restrictions on land holdings, restrictions on land sales,
prohibition against slavery, depriving settlers of self government
and not having the rights of other Englishmen.
SAVANNAH: UTOPIA, OR EPIC FAIL?
WERE THE REASONS FOR THE
SETTLEMENT, AS STATED IN THE
CHARTER OF 1732, A SUCCESS OR
FAILURE?
1. What years marked the beginning and end of
Georgia’s Trustee Period? (Use dates in the
background essay)
2. According to the Background Essay, what were
the three reasons for the establishment of the
Georgia colony?
3. Rewrite the question in your own words.
Using any clues from the question and the document
titles on the cover page, guess the analytical
categories and label the buckets.
Savannah: Utopia, or Epic
Fail?
Were the reasons for the
settlement, as stated in the
charter of 1732, a success or
failure?
GO TO DOCUMENT “D”
DOCUMENT D SOURCE
DOCUMENT D
DOCUMENT D
1 .Georgia’s charter specifically described three functions that the colony was
designed to fulfill. Record the specific statements that define the three missions
of charity, economy and defense.
• Charity: “it will be highly conducive for accomplishing those ends, that a
regular colony of the said poor people be settled and established in the
southern territories of Carolina…”
• Economics: “…to settle in any of our provinces in America where by
cultivating the lands, at present waste and desolate, they might not only
gain a comfortable subsistence for themselves and families, but also
strengthen our colonies and increase the trade, navigation, and wealth of
these our realms.”
• Defense: “…we think it highly becoming our crown and royal dignity, to
protect all our loving subjects, be they ever so distant from us; to extend
our fatherly compassion even to the meanest and most unfortunate of our
people…”
2. What was the intended management structure of the colony?
• Charter/Corporate. The trustees were to function as the management
body for the colony, setting emigration policies, writing and administering
guidelines, and managing the colonial budget.
3. The men listed in the charter were to serve in what capacity for the colony?
• Twenty men were appointed as the trustees of the Georgia Colony.
DOCUMENT A SOURCE
DOCUMENT A
DOCUMENT A
ANALYZE DOCUMENT A
1. What were some of the occupations of the first settlers
of Georgia?
• Silk makers, merchants, carpenters, trader, tailor, surgeon,
gardener, basket maker, upholsterer, farmer, servant, midwife,
stocking maker, fabric dealer…
2. Why did the Trustees specifically choose some of these
skills to settle Savannah?
• These key trades were needed to support the stated purposes
of the charter and get the colony established. (England
learned from previously established colonies.)
3. What happened to many of the first settlers within a few
years of their arrival? What reasons can you think led to
their fate?
• Many people died due to disease or fled the colony.
4. Why do you think there were many more settlers for
whom the Trustees paid their way in comparison to those
who paid their own way?
• The trustees needed those skilled workers to establish the new
colony. Most people wouldn’t go without the inclusion of their
family.
DOCUMENT B
DOCUMENT B
DOCUMENT B
DOCUMENT B
ANALYZE DOCUMENT B
1. Why did the Spanish cut of Jenkins’ ear instead of
administering a more severe punishment?
• Permanently disfiguring Jenkins served as a reminder of his
embarrassment and capture (and potentially a warning to
others.)
2. What reaction did Jenkins hope to get by presenting his
severed ear to Parliament?
• Jenkins hoped to spark outrage at the treatment of an
Englishman by the Spanish.
3. Examine the map provided. What conclusions can be
drawn regarding the locations of British and Spanish forts
along the Georgia and Florida coasts?
• Each fort was established an approximately equal distance
apart by both the British and Spanish. If trouble was spotted, a
ship at sea could easily detect a signal from their fort and hurry
to aid. Additionally, most English forts were scattered so they
could provide a series of lines of first defense if a threat was
sensed from the large Spanish fort at St. Augustine. Most British
forts housed 15 men but St. Augustine housed 400!
DOCUMENT C
DOCUMENT C
DOCUMENT C
DOCUMENT C
DOCUMENT C
ANALYZE C
1. Assessing prior knowledge: what is the economic policy of mercantilism?
• Mercantilism was an economic policy countries embraced during the 16th to 18th
centuries. The overall goal was total self-sufficiency. In order to achieve this, nations
created colonies to harvest natural resources that were shipped to home nation,
turned into finished products and sold back to colonies or other nations.
2. What types of products were expected to be very profitable in the new colony of
Georgia? Why?
• Georgia was expected to provide Mother England with silk and fruits due to its mild
climate. (Similar latitude as where the industry was successful in Asia.)
3. What objects are depicted on the Official Seal of the Trustees? Why?
• A black mulberry leaf, silk worm and cocoon are depicted on the seal because
these represented the necessary components of silk production. The worms would
eat the mulberry bushes the colonists were expected to plant, the worms would
make silk which Georgia colonists would provide to England in order to make the
colony a worthwhile investment.
4. Describe the stated goal and motto of the Official Seal. How does this motto reflect
the policy of mercantilism?
• The motto was written in Latin, “Not for themselves but for others.” This clearly
supports the economic policy of mercantilism, that the colony’s creation of silk was
to benefit the King and country and not the colonists themselves.
5. Read the note at the bottom of the page. Did Georgia have any measure of
success in regards to silk production?
• According to the note, Georgia silk became “an important export commodity.”
DOCUMENT E
DOCUMENT E
DOCUMENT E
• 1.
What does it mean to represent something in “too clattering
colours?”
• Telfair is accusing Oglethorpe of embellishing the truth, or lying outright,
about the conditions of Georgia and should have published documents
clarifying the truth.
• 2.
According to item 3, what policy was obviously in place within the
colony?
• One of the main criticisms of Oglethorpe was that he would not allow
slaves to be bought or sold in Georgia.
• 3.
In number 5, what accusation is being made against Oglethorpe’s
practice of fair treatment?
• Of the settlers who were sponsored by the Trustees, 50 acres of land were
distributed. As more settlers arrived, land grant sizes differed and some
accused Oglethorpe of showing favoritism to certain groups.
ANALYZE DOCUMENT F
DOCUMENT F
DOCUMENT F
ANALYZE DOCUMENT F
1. Source 1: Is this a primary or a secondary source? Primary
(but context would be secondary due to second hand
information.)
• Source 2: Is this a primary or a secondary source? Primary
2. Is there any disagreement between the information
provided in Source 1 and 2?
• Yes; the first source is used to prompt the settlers to come to
Georgia and describes the great climate; however, the second
describes the reality of living in Georgia.
3. Are there any clues within the sources that hint to the
troubles the Salzburgers faced at Ebenezer?
• The cold weather was detrimental to the silkworm; the hot
weather promotes vermin and fleas which carry disease.
4. In what ways can you use these two documents to help
answer the question: The Georgia Colony: Were the
reasons for settlement, as stated in the Charter of 1732, a
success or failure?
• Responses vary. Descriptions of the climate hint that the silk
worm would not thrive. The first source would attract settlers to
help England prosper.
OUTLINE
• Overall Question:
• Were the reasons for the settlement, as stated in the charter
of 1732 (charity, economics, defense), a success or failure?
• Three Paragraphs
• Charity
• Economics
• Defense
EXAMPLE ESSAYS
BEGINNING (PARAGRAPH 1)
From the beginning life was rocky in the
Jamestown colony. English settlers began arriving on
the James River in the Chesapeake Bay region of
Virginia in the spring of 1607. Immediately survival
became difficult. These colonists died for three main
reasons: lack of clean water, lack of skillful workers,
and poor relations with the native Powhatan tribe.
GRABBER
From the beginning life was rocky in the
Jamestown colony. English settlers began arriving on
the James River in the Chesapeake Bay region of
Virginia in the spring of 1607. Immediately survival
became difficult. These colonists died for three main
reasons: lack of clean water, lack of skillful workers,
and poor relations with the native Powhatan tribe.
BACKGROUND
From the beginning life was rocky in the
Jamestown colony. English settlers began arriving on
the James River in the Chesapeake Bay region of
Virginia in the spring of 1607. Immediately survival
became difficult. These colonists died for three main
reasons: lack of clean water, lack of skillful workers,
and poor relations with the native Powhatan tribe.
THESIS AND ROADMAP
From the beginning life was rocky in the
Jamestown colony. English settlers began arriving on
the James River in the Chesapeake Bay region of
Virginia in the spring of 1607. Immediately survival
became difficult. These colonists died for three main
reasons: lack of clean water, lack of skillful workers,
and poor relations with the native Powhatan tribe.
“BABY” THESIS
Unwisely choosing unskilled workers as the initial
colonists also led to high death rates. The majority of the
settlers were gentlemen that were not prepared for hard
work. Looking at the ship’s manifest we see that only four
carpenters and no farmers were selected (Doc A). As
document C notes, they were “ill prepared for a hard life;
most were from the upper class, had few practical skills
and little experience with manual labor (Doc C).” Without
skilled farmers, cultivating land and harvesting crops was
challenging. Farmers may be considered a lower class, but
without their skill the upper class doesn’t eat. People with
the wrong skills unused to hard labor led to more deaths.
TWO PIECES OF EVIDENCE
Unwisely choosing unskilled workers as the initial
colonists also led to high death rates. The majority of the
settlers were gentlemen that were not prepared for hard
work. Looking at the ship’s manifest we see that only four
carpenters and no farmers were selected (Doc A). As
document C notes, they were “ill prepared for a hard life;
most were from the upper class, had few practical skills
and little experience with manual labor (Doc C).” Without
skilled farmers, cultivating land and harvesting crops was
challenging. Farmers may be considered a lower class, but
without their skill the upper class doesn’t eat. People with
the wrong skills unused to hard labor led to more deaths.
“ARGUMENT” OR EXPLAIN YOUR
EVIDENCE
Unwisely choosing unskilled workers as the initial
colonists also led to high death rates. The majority of the
settlers were gentlemen that were not prepared for hard
work. Looking at the ship’s manifest we see that only four
carpenters and no farmers were selected (Doc A). As
document C notes, they were “ill prepared for a hard life;
most were from the upper class, had few practical skills
and little experience with manual labor (Doc C).” Without
skilled farmers, cultivating land and harvesting crops was
challenging. Farmers may be considered a lower class,
but without their skill the upper class doesn’t eat. People
with the wrong skills unused to hard labor led to more
deaths.
WHAT I DON’T WANT