1. THE DBQ
(Documents Based Question)
The DBQ is like any other essay
Must have an introductory paragraph with
a clearly established thesis and a
summary of the evidence you will use to
defend the thesis
60 minutes
– 15 minutes of preparation where you CANNOT
begin writing your essay but you can write on
the documents and in the margins of the test
– 45 minutes of writing your DBQ essay

2. THE DOCUMENTS
The documents relate to the essay
question
The documents can be charts,
graphs, and political cartoons as well
as private letters, diary entries, and
public speeches.
The documents are always in
chronological order

3. THE DOCUMENTS
Consider the documents as research
that has already been done for you
Your job is to include this research in
your essay to strengthen your
argument

4. OUTSIDE INFORMATION
Your DBQ essay must contain what we call
OUTSIDE INFORMATION!!!!
Outside Information is your knowledge of
history that is outside of what the
documents tell you
Every essay you’ve ever written has
included outside information
The MAJORITY of information and analysis
in your DBQ essay MUST come from
outside information

5. NUTS AND BOLTS
After you have read the essay
question a few times, create a list of
the relevant outside information you
will incorporate into your essay
Create a T-Chart if that is helpful
Then, read each document
– Note the source of the document
– Read the document for the overall
message of that particular source

6. NUTS AND BOLTS
– Write down the main message(s) of the
source
– Consider how that source relates to the
question
– When you have completed all of the
documents, GROUP them.
– Which documents tend to support
position A? Which support position B?
Which depend upon interpretation?
Which contain an obvious bias?

7. INCORPORATING THE DOCUMENTS
INTO YOUR ESSAY
You CANNOT just say what the
document says
You are graded on your level of
ANALYSIS
How does the document relate to
your thesis?
How does the document help prove
your thesis?

8. INCORPORATING THE DOCUMENTS
INTO YOUR ESSAY
Demonstrates/Demonstrating
Illustrates/Illustrating
Exemplifies/Exemplifying
Shows/Showing
Proves/Proving
Establishes/Establishing
Explains/Explaining

9. INCORPORATING THE DOCUMENTS
INTO YOUR ESSAY
NEVER say “document”…NEVER say
“Document A says…”
Incorporate the documents with
approaches like this:
– “President Polk believed (summary of
the main idea.) This demonstrates that
(your analysis”)
– “In a letter written to so and so
President Polk argued that (summary of
the main idea) exemplifying his belief
that (your analysis”)

10. INCORPORATING THE DOCUMENTS
INTO YOUR ESSAY
“Political cartoons of the time period
displayed Polk as a blankety-
blankety-blank”
“American soldiers like Colonel Ethan
Allen Hitchcock felt that (summary of
the main idea.) Hitchcock’s
perspective shows that (your
analysis”)

11. INCORPORATING THE DOCUMENTS
INTO YOUR ESSAY
You CAN incorporate documents that
do not align with your thesis
“In his message to Congress
President Polk argued that yada,
yada, yada. Polk failed to point out
that…”
“Despite the fact that men like John
Slidell felt yada, yada, yada, the
United States…”

12. INCORPORATING THE DOCUMENTS
INTO YOUR ESSAY
You MUST incorporate a
MAJORITY of the documents into
your essay.
Do NOT quote from the
documents…I repeat, Do NOT
quote from the documents

13. IN CONCLUSION
Remember, the documents are there
to help you defend your thesis.
You are using them as part of your
analysis/argument therefore you
must show how they connect to your
thesis.