Writing an
historical essay
Prep for the AP exam
Mr. Lipman’s
Strategies
The Prompt (aka the question?)
• Read the question!!! (“really, you think? Yes! I
•
•
•
think!”)
# 1 - Figure out what the prompt is NOT
asking?
Aka – many prompts give you info, which you have
to accept as fact.
Ex. 2005 DBQ – In the early nineteenth century,
Americans sought to resolve their political disputes
through compromise, yet by 1860 this no longer
seemed possible. Analyze the reasons for this
change. (use the docs and your knowledge of the
period 1820-1860 in constructing your response.)
The Prompt (continued)
• # 2 - Figure out what the prompt IS
asking!!
• Is it a cause or effect? – ex.(compromises
before 1860…) = causes of the …
• Is it a support or refute? Ex. FDR was
primarily responsible for helping end the
Great Depression. (assess the validity.)
• Analyze? = HOW and WHY???
The Prompt (continued)
• To what extent,…????
– “This is a tricky way of giving you lots of options!!!”
• Ex. 2005 - FRQ – To what extent was the US
•
•
•
Constitution a radical departure from the Articles
of Confederation?
# 1 – a complete departure
# 2 = it was a radical departure in… , but did
not radically change…
# 3 – it was not very different from…
The Prompt (continued) still?
• If you want to get better at writing essays, then
•
•
•
you want to re-write the question
Or you want to figure out the heart of the
question!
Ex. 2008 FRQ - Analyze the reasons for the
Anti-Federalists’ opposition to ratifying the
Constitution.
The heart of the question is … what were
the Anti-federalists main arguments
against the Constitution?
Outline
• #1 – Figure out what your argument will be, and how
you are going to support it! (AKA THESIS) *Answer
all parts of the prompt!!!**
– Jot down examples
– If it is a DBQ – go through all of the Doc’s after you write
down anything and everything you already know.
– Remember to answer the main question, and the sub
questions, if applicable.
• Ex. What were the main causes of WWI? What was the final event
that sparked WWI?
– Make sure to organize your ideas around themes or topics (
or even drinks?!!!)
“What is your favorite historical
drink?”
• SPRITE = Social, Political, Religious,
•
•
•
Intellectual, Technological, Economic
this is a great way to create topics for your
essay if it is a general question that is asking for
the CAUSES or the EFFECTS of an event (on
America.)
Ex. How did the Vietnam War
effect America?
I would probably go with
socially,
politically and economically.
Intro (paragraph)
• You always want to start by giving the
time and place!
• Ex. The 13 colonies prior to the American
Revolution…
• Ex. In the years following the Civil War,
the southern states…
Intro (continued)
• There is no length requirements, but a few sentences is
•
•
•
•
•
•
fine.
Think of the intro as “stepping back” in history and
giving us a “lead in” to your thesis.
Your sentences should all lead into…
………
“Your….
THESIS, duh?!”
Thesis should always be the last sentence of your intro,
BUT it can be the last two sentences?!
Thesis
•
•
•
•
•
This is the make or break of your paper!
“But no pressure!”
STICK TO THE PROMPT!!
If the question is asking you about the causes of
WWI, then you can NOT talk about WWI, … or
WWII for that matter.
Your thesis needs to stay within the time period
and the limitations given in the question. (ex.
During a presidency…)
Thesis (continued, of course)
• Your thesis needs to be an argument.
• “I know I’m crazy!!!”
• This means that it can NOT be a fact, like
“FDR was the president elected in 1932
and he created the New Deal.”
• You also can NOT just copy the prompt,
this shows that you have no clue how
complex the question is.
Thesis (statements)
• What effect did WWII have on America?
• WWII changed America socially, politically, and
•
•
economically. *Don’t use “change”
WWII drastically impacted American society,
politics and its economy.
WWII had a positive effect on the American
economy, increased the powers of the federal
government, and created a more unified society.
Body paragraphs
• First, you need to have clear TOPIC sentences.
• Topic sentences = what the entire paragraph is
•
•
•
going to cover
So… topic sentences should be more general,
rather than specific.
However, they can NOT be facts!!!
If you have problems creating them, then maybe
write your paragraph (while leaving space for
the topic sentence), and then write your topic
sentence afterwards.
Body paragraphs (continued)
• Within the body paragraphs should be
details and facts, but more importantly
you need to analyze and synthesize!
• ANALYSIS = WHY and HOW?
– Ex. Why didn’t the Compromise of 1850
prevent the Civil War?
– How did the Chinese Exclusion Act
impact immigration?
Body paragraphs (still…)
• Synthesis (the best essays have this!)
• Synthesis is connecting your analysis back to your thesis,
•
•
•
•
and/or connecting analysis with other analysis in your essay.
Ex. Analysis = Comp. of 1850 did not address the future of
slavery.
Analysis = Comp. of 1850 upset abolitionists.
Synthesis = For many southerners the Comp. of 1850 appeared
to limit the expansion of slavery, so abolitionists who did not
help recover runaway slaves, only increased the chances of a
civil war.
You also want to try to connect examples back to your thesis
and/or your topics
Conclusion (?)
• It will surprise you, but a conclusion is not
•
•
•
necessary for AP US History.
“No I am not joking!”
If you have time, a conclusion is great, but if all
you can do is repeat your thesis and your topics,
then skip it.
However, great essays have analysis and
synthesis of the whole essay in the conclusion.
Conclusion (finally?)
• The conclusion is also where you can finally
•
•
make connections to … THE NEXT STEP!
THE NEXT STEP… is what event, concept, or
time period, which follows up the prompts
inquiry.
Ex. If question is about causes of Civil War, then
conclusion could mention the Civil War, and
maybe quickly, Reconstruction, but NOTHING
about TODAY!!
FINAL TIPS, Do’s and Don'ts
• Do’s
– Have an argument!!!!
– Organize your topics
– Analyze
– Write more specific, rather than general
– Synthesize
– Supersize?? j/k
FINAL TIPS, Do’s and Don'ts
• Don'ts
– Use “I”, “we”, “us”, “our”, etc.
– Make grand generalizations, like “all wars…” or
“people like to fight.”
– Go off-topic
• Use random quotes or cliches (like “doesn’t have a leg to …”)
• Use analogies – “America is like a tiger…”
• Give advice, like “If Lincoln would have just…”
• Make connections from the past to today! Why?
• Write on something unrelated or beyond the prompt!!!