DBQ Writing
Tips!
You will have a 15-minute
planning period and 45
minutes to write your
DBQ.
Read the prompt -twice! Make sure you
understand the task
before you proceed.
Analyze: Break down into component parts.
Assess: Judge the value or truth of the
statement.
Compare and Contrast: Note the similarities and
differences.
Describe: Give a full account of the issue.
Discuss: Write about in full detail.
Evaluate: Consider the pros and cons of issue.
Explain: Make the issue clear, in detail.
Write down all the facts you
know about the issue.
Remember, for an APUSH DBQ,
60% of your information must
come from outside the
documents!
Now, go to the documents
and quickly skim them. Write
notes and/or circle key points
and dates on the documents.
You must use 75% of the
documents in your essay.
Do not laundry list the
documents! Do not just
“hang them in your essay”
for no apparent reason.
Start your introduction,
and make your thesis the
last statement of the
paragraph. Use key words
from prompt in thesis.
Example: Discuss whether or not the changes
that occurred after the Civil War, 1865 to 1877,
created a more democratic America with greater
opportunities for all.
Possible Thesis: The changes that occurred
during the Civil War, 1865 to 1877, did not create
a more democratic America with greater
opportunities for all.
Use strong prose. Use active
language. Support all your
arguments with evidence:
dates, names, key terms.
History is written in past
tense!
How to reference documents in your essay,
using parenthetical documentation:
1. PARAPHRASING
During a campaign speech in 1860, Lincoln
contended that the Democrats were using John
Brown against the Republicans for political gain
(Document E).
2. SHORT QUOTING
Editorial writer Horace Greely reflected critical
opinion in the North when he described Brown's
actions as "utterly mistaken and, in its direct
consequences, pernicious" (Document A).
3. SIMPLE REFERENCE
Brown was depicted in the Currier
and Ives print as a martyr on his way
to his death, perhaps connecting
Brown to Christ in the minds of the
people (Document E).
Never, never, ever write,
“According to Document A,
Jefferson Davis was not happy
to be president of the CSA.”
This is a fatal error and will be
graded as such!
End your essay with a solid conclusion that
restates your key points. Re-state the thesis and
conclude with a powerful statement. A quote is a
great way to begin the essay and a great way to
end the essay.
The Reconstruction period of 1865 to 1877 did not
improve the opportunities for all Americans. Specifically
excluded from the American promise were southern
blacks and women. In his second inauguration address,
Lincoln said, “with malice towards none, with charity
towards all . . . “ This was not the reality in America after
the Civil War.