"The United States will conquer Mexico, but it will be as the man swallows the arsenic; Mexico will poison us." -Ralph Waldo Emerson (Transcendentalist)

Things to keep in mind about a DBQ essay… Think of it as if you’re writing a FREE RESPONSE essay but you’re using the documents to support points you would make anyway. You must refer to specific parts of the document. You must explain HOW those parts support YOUR argument. “Don’t just include a quote and think that we know why you included it.”

DBQ Advice Figure out what position each document takes. Are you going to use the document as further evidence to support your point? Are you going to use the document by REFUTING it and pointing to its weakness/bias/inaccuracy? What EXACTLY are you using from the document? Which words? Statistics? Facts? What outside information can you connect to each document?

DBQ, O! Decide the position Bring in quotes Quotes get explained. Outside information

Outcomes of the War UNITE DIVIDE FACT 1: DOCUMENT __: Quote: Explanation: FACT 2: FACT 3: