Writing the APUSH DBQ Essay

12th Grade60 minutes

Learning Objective

I can construct an argumentative essay using historical evidence from provided documents.

Key Concepts

The folk saying from the 1910s references sharecropping, the bull weevil, and a sense of dislocation due to economic hardship.

A prospective migrant in 1917 wrote a letter seeking help from the Chicago Defender to relocate to the North, expressing a desire for work and concern about being hoodwinked.

An article from 1918 advises factory owners to segregate black workers from white workers, suggesting that African-Americans moving to the North would face racism and potential violence.

Practice Questions

This lesson includes 12 practice questions to reinforce learning.

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1. What economic system in the South is referenced in the African-American folk saying from the 1910s?

2. What was the 'bull weevil' and how did it impact the South's economy?

3. According to the letter from the prospective migrant, what publication influenced his decision to move north?

...and 9 more questions

Educational Video

AP US history DBQ example 2 | The historian's toolkit | US History | Khan Academy

Khan Academy

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