ap world history dbq sample essay

  • AP Calculus
  • AP Chemistry
  • AP U.S. History
  • AP World History
  • Free AP Practice Questions
  • AP Exam Prep

AP World History: Sample DBQ Thesis Statements

Using the following documents, analyze how the Ottoman government viewed ethnic and religious groups within its empire for the period 1876–1908. Identify an additional document and explain how it would help you analyze the views of the Ottoman Empire.

Crafting a Solid Thesis Statement

Kaplan Pro Tip Your thesis can be in the first or last paragraph of your essay, but it cannot be split between the two. Many times, your original thesis is too simple to gain the point. A good idea is to write a concluding paragraph that might extend your original thesis. Think of a way to restate your thesis, adding information from your analysis of the documents.

Thesis Statements that Do NOT Work

There were many ways in which the Ottoman government viewed ethnic and religious groups.

The next statement paraphrases the historical background and does not address the question. It would not receive credit for being a thesis.

The Ottoman government brought reforms in the Constitution of 1876. The empire had a number of different groups of people living in it, including Christians and Muslims who did not practice the official form of Islam. By 1908 a new government was created by the Young Turks and the sultan was soon out of his job.

This next sentence gets the question backward: you are being asked for the government’s view of religious and ethnic groups, not the groups’ view of the government. Though the point-of-view issue is very important, this statement would not receive POV credit.

People of different nationalities reacted differently to the Ottoman government depending on their religion.

The following paragraph says a great deal about history, but it does not address the substance of the question. It would not receive credit because of its irrelevancy.

Throughout history, people around the world have struggled with the issue of political power and freedom. From the harbor of Boston during the first stages of the American Revolution to the plantations of Haiti during the struggle to end slavery, people have battled for power. Even in places like China with the Boxer Rebellion, people were responding against the issue of Westernization. Imperialism made the demand for change even more important, as European powers circled the globe and stretched their influences to the far reaches of the known world. In the Ottoman Empire too, people demanded change.

Thesis Statements that DO Work

Now we turn to thesis statements that do work. These two sentences address both the religious and ethnic aspects of the question. They describe how these groups were viewed.

The Ottoman government took the same position on religious diversity as it did on ethnic diversity. Minorities were servants of the Ottoman Turks, and religious diversity was allowed as long as Islam remained supreme.

This statement answers the question in a different way but is equally successful.

Government officials in the Ottoman Empire sent out the message that all people in the empire were equal regardless of religion or ethnicity, yet the reality was that the Turks and their version of Islam were superior.

Going Beyond the Basic Requirements

  • have a highly sophisticated thesis
  • show deep analysis of the documents
  • use documents persuasively in broad conceptual ways
  • analyze point of view thoughtfully and consistently
  • identify multiple additional documents with sophisticated explanations of their usefulness
  • bring in relevant outside information beyond the historical background provided

Final Notes on How to Write the DBQ

  • Take notes in the margins during the reading period relating to the background of the speaker and his/her possible point of view.
  • Assume that each document provides only a snapshot of the topic—just one perspective.
  • Look for connections between documents for grouping.
  • In the documents booklet, mark off documents that you use so that you do not forget to mention them.
  • As you are writing, refer to the authorship of the documents, not just the document numbers.
  • Mention additional documents and the reasons why they would help further analyze the question.
  • Mark off each part of the instructions for the essay as you accomplish them.
  • Use visual and graphic information in documents that are not text-based.

Don’t

  • Repeat information from the historical background in your essay.
  • Assume that the documents are universally valid rather than presenting a single perspective.
  • Spend too much time on the DBQ rather than moving on to the other essay.
  • Write the first paragraph before you have a clear idea of what your thesis will be.
  • Ignore part of the question.
  • Structure the essay with just one paragraph.
  • Underline or highlight the thesis. (This may be done as an exercise for class, but it looks juvenile on the exam.)

You might also like

ap-world-history-modern-notes-religions-of-the-world-apwhm-apwh

Call 1-800-KAP-TEST or email [email protected]

Prep for an Exam

MCAT Test Prep

LSAT Test Prep

GRE Test Prep

GMAT Test Prep

SAT Test Prep

ACT Test Prep

DAT Test Prep

NCLEX Test Prep

USMLE Test Prep

Courses by Location

NCLEX Locations

GRE Locations

SAT Locations

LSAT Locations

MCAT Locations

GMAT Locations

Useful Links

Kaplan Test Prep Contact Us Partner Solutions Work for Kaplan Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy CA Privacy Policy Trademark Directory

COMMENTS

  1. 2022 AP Student Samples and Commentary

    The response earned 1 point for contextualization in the first paragraph for a wide-ranging discussion of imperial, colonial, and …

  2. AP World History: Modern Exam Questions

    Download free-response questions from past AP World History exams, along with scoring guidelines, sample responses from exam takers, and scoring distributions.

  3. AP World History: Modern Sample DBQ

    Find sample document-based questions and a sample high-scoring response for the AP World History Modern exam from Kaplan.

  4. Sample DBQ Responses 2023-24

    Responses that earn 2 points: Support an argument in response to the prompt by accurately using the content of at least six documents. Examples of describing the content of a document: Describe evidence from the documents relevant to …

  5. Where to Find the Best DBQ Examples

    One of the best ways to prepare for the DBQ (the "document-based question" on the AP European History, AP US History, and AP World History exams) is to look over sample …

  6. How to Ace the AP World History DBQ: Rubric, …

    Dreading the AP World History DBQ? Check out our complete guide breaking down the rubric with examples and tips to help you ace the exam.

  7. AP World History: Modern Sample Long Essay Question

    Test your AP knowledge with a sample AP World History: Modern Long Essay Question. Get strategies, answer explanations & more.

  8. AP World History: Sample DBQ Thesis Statements

    Let’s take a look at a sample AP World History DBQ question and techniques to construct a solid thesis. Using the following documents, analyze how the Ottoman government …