The lonnnnnnnnnng essay

There are 2 different Essay types: the dbq and the long essay All test-takers will complete the dbq You will choose 1 of 2 possible long essay prompts

The long essay This essay requires that you do a few things: create a thesis that answers the prompt, provides a platform for argumentation, and addresses the targeted skill Effectively support the thesis/claim with abundant amounts of relevant historical evidence Adequately address the targeted skill with supporting evidence Provide a connection to other social science disciplines, topics, or areas of historical scholarship

What is a “targeted skill”? A targeted skill is a historiography skill directed at testing your ability to analyze a prompt through the lens of the skill The targeted skills are: Causation: This skill asks students to identify and compare basic causes and/or effects and to distinguish between both short and long-term effects. Continuity and change over time: This requires students to recognize, describe, and analyze instances of historical patterns of continuity and change over time. Comparison: This is the ability to compare related historical developments and processes across place, time, or different societies. Periodization: This is the ability to divide time into historical periods and identify turning points in history

What is a “targeted skill”? Analyze the causes of growing opposition to slavery in the United States from 1776 to 1852. In your response, consider both underlying forces and specific events that contributed to the growing opposition. Analyze the ways in which the United States sought to advance its interests in world affairs between 1789 and 1823. Analyze how western expansion contributed to growing sectional tensions between the North and the South. Confine your answer to the period from 1800 to 1850. Compare the Cold War foreign policies of TWO of the following presidents. Harry Truman (1945–1953) Dwight Eisenhower (1953–1961) Richard Nixon (1969–1974)

Formulating a thesis The thesis sentence is the most important sentence in any essay. It must be clear, properly structured, and in the correct place.

Formulating a thesis A single Declaratory sentence That “answers” the prompt With a clearly and simply stated opinion That does not restate the prompt. Is the last sentence of your Introduction paragraph

Formulating a thesis The key to writing a clear, strong thesis is to “answer” or address the prompt with your opinion clearly in front of you. Your thesis will provide the reader’s first and guiding impression. Give great care with this sentence! The best way to compose the MOST IMPORTANT SENTENCE IN YOUR ESSAY is through the use of a concept thesis, which directs the essay in a complex way AND organizes your thoughts.

Formulating a thesis One way of doing this is to write a sentence that begins with the word “Although” OR “While” This may seem odd, but recent AP grading rubrics award high scores only to essays that “address the complexity of the question.” This format for a thesis establishes recognition that the issue is multifaceted and begins to analyze the prompt

Formulating a thesis For instance, consider this DBQ prompt: How successful was organized labor in improving the position of workers in the period from 1875 to 1900? Analyze the factors that contributed to the level of success achieved. Let’s say that you think this time period was not a period of labor success. It’s extremely important to get your thinking clearly into a simple “answer” to the prompt.

Formulating a thesis Your opinion, your “answer” to the prompt, goes in the second half of this thesis, after the comma. This is the point you are going to make, the destination at which you want the reader to arrive.

Formulating a thesis A thesis written in this form may look like this: Although the last decades of the 19th century were ones of intense labor pressure, unions failed because they were confused in their goals and were aggressively opposed by both state and federal governments. While the end of the 19th century saw increased labor involvement, unions were unsuccessful because they were not unified in their demands and were associated with radical European political groups.

Let’s practice Please create a thesis with nc and shadle as the focus for your essay. While shadle… Although shadle…

Essay structure Now that we have a thesis statement, it is critical that we write a solid essay that addresses the prompt, provides abundant amounts of evidence, and connects the essay topic to the larger historical/social science picture. These essays will take the form of a 4 or 5 paragraph essay Introduction with thesis Body paragraphs Conclusion with synthesis

Essay structure Evidence=historical buzzwords that are explained in connection to the prompt with “because”. Jamestown was founded in 1607 by the joint-stock operation called the Virginia Company. Joint-stock companies pooled money together to finance exploration to North America in hopes of finding gold or other riches. Rather than finding gold or precious metals, the colonists in Jamestown found swampy conditions that were difficult to live in; however, due to the warm weather, the Chesapeake became a location suitable for agriculture. John Rolfe, known as the economic savior of Virginia, introduced tobacco to the colony, which became a huge cash crop. Land was cleared for the massive plantations that were needed to produce the plant and because of the labor needed, indentured servants were brought to the New World as workers. The english government supported this production practice with the Headright System which rewarded plantation owners, like the First Families of Virginia, with more acreage of land if they paid for the passage of the indentured laborers. African slavery later became the prime source of labor in the southern colonies due to the fear of rebellions like Bacon’s Rebellion that had occurred due to the struggles faced by landless whites in the backwoods of Virginia.

Essay structure Synthesis=your conclusion that Appropriately connects the topic of the question to other historical periods, geographical areas, contexts, or circumstances The English colonies were distinct due to their geography forcing colonists to adhere to their environment. This is similar to the plight faced by later pioneers of the 19th century united states who persisted through difficult environmental conditions, hostile relations with native Americans and competition with Europeans as they chased “manifest destiny” across the country. This pioneering spirit, according to Frederick Jackson turner, created to a truly American identity which is easily traced to our English ancestors of the new world.