{"id":18027,"date":"2018-02-16T14:20:24","date_gmt":"2018-02-16T19:20:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=18027"},"modified":"2020-09-11T20:42:11","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:42:11","slug":"ap-world-history-sample-dbq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/ap-world-history\/ap-world-history-sample-dbq\/","title":{"rendered":"AP World History: Sample DBQ Thesis Statements"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let’s\u00a0take a look at a sample AP World History DBQ question and\u00a0techniques to construct a solid thesis.
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\nUsing the following documents, analyze how the Ottoman government viewed ethnic and religious groups within its empire for the period 1876\u20131908. Identify an additional document and explain how it would help you analyze the views of the Ottoman Empire.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>
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Document 1 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\"AP<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/section>\n

Document 2 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\"AP<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/section>\n

Document 3 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\"AP<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/section>\n

Document 4 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\"AP<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/section>\n

Document 5 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\"AP<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/section>\n

Document 6 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\"AP<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/section>\n

Document 7 <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>

\"AP<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><\/section>\n<\/div>
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Crafting a Solid Thesis Statement<\/h3>
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\nYou have one chance to make a good first impression. Usually, an AP World History reader can tell within the first few sentences whether or not an essay is going to be strong. A few essays can recover after a poor start, but first impressions matter. Consequently, nothing is more important in the first paragraph than the clear statement of an analytical thesis.
\nDifferent kinds of writings demand different types of opening paragraphs. In English class, you may learn a style of essay writing that asks for general background information in a first paragraph. On a DBQ, however, you do not have much time. The reader is most interested in seeing a strong thesis as soon as possible.
\nYour thesis can be more than just one sentence. With the compound questions often asked by the DBQ, two sentences might be needed to complete the idea. To score well, the thesis needs to include specific information that responds to the question. Many students think they have written a thesis when, in actuality, they have not; their opening paragraphs are just too general and unspecific.
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\nKaplan Pro Tip<\/strong>
\nYour 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.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>
\nThe thesis is that part of your essay that 1) specifically addresses the terms of the question and 2) sets up the structure for the rest of your essay. Let\u2019s take a look at thesis statement samples based on the prompt listed above.
\n\u201cFor the period 1876\u20131908, analyze how the Ottoman government viewed ethnic and religious groups within its empire.\u201d<\/strong>
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Thesis Statements that Do NOT Work<\/h4>
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\nThe following statement is not an acceptable thesis; it is far too vague. It says very little about how the essay is structured.<\/p>\n

There were many ways in which the Ottoman government viewed ethnic and religious groups.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The next statement paraphrases the historical background and does not address the question. It would not receive credit for being a thesis.<\/p>\n

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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This next sentence gets the question backward: you are being asked for the government\u2019s view of religious and ethnic groups, not the groups\u2019 view of the government. Though the point-of-view issue is very important, this statement would not receive POV credit.<\/p>\n

People of different nationalities reacted differently to the Ottoman government depending on their religion.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thesis Statements that DO Work<\/h4>
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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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This statement answers the question in a different way but is equally successful.<\/p>\n

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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 
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Going Beyond the Basic Requirements<\/h3>
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\nYour goal for the DBQ is to earn the highest score possible. To earn a stellar score, several indicators of excellence may be considered. A high-scoring essay will likely:<\/p>\n