Writing Instructions and Practices
USING DOCUMENTS TO SUPPORT AN ARGUMENT
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- Navigate this page:
- ORGANIZING YOUR ANSWER: WRITING AN OUTLINE
- DEALING WITH DOCUMENTS THAT CONTRADICT EACH OTHER
- WRITING A STRONG THESIS STATEMENT
- ANALYZING CHARTS
USING DOCUMENTS TO SUPPORT AN ARGUMENTThe use of documents to support a point of view is vital to historical writing. This is the heart of a DBQ exercise. In addition to outside information (facts not mentioned in the documents), students must use primary sources to support heir ideas. In most cases, a student should not use the document at the beginning of a sentence and should avoid beginning any citation with “Document A says…” The document should be placed within the sentence or at least at the end of the sentence or paragraph to support a generalization or broad idea. Documents can be quoted in one of two fashions. If using an idea from part of a document, it should be cited with parentheses around it. If, on the other hand, using the general idea expressed in the document paraphrase the content and then indicate at the end of the sentence that the entire idea came from the (Doc A), for example. Under no circumstances should time be spent copying large parts of the document into the essay. This is a waste of valuable time particularly in a testing situation. Below are a statement about the causes of the War of 1812 and a document that could be cited to support a position in responding to the statement. Study the example to see how the documents are cited and used. “In fighting the British in 1812, American believed that more than their maritime rights were at stake.” Asses the validity of this statement. For my part I am not prepared to say that this country shall submit to have her commerce interdicted or regulated by any foreign nation. Sir, I prefer war to submission. Over and above these unjust pretensions of the British Government, for many years past they have been in the practice of impressing our seamen, form merchant vessels; this unjust and lawless invasion of personal liberty calls loudly for interposition of this Government. --Felix Grundy, Annals of Congress, 12th Congress, 1811 By quoting Felix Grundy, a student demonstrates that America not only saw its economic well-being threatened but also wanted to protect its honor and pride. One possible way for using the whole idea of the passage to show this would be to write: In 1812, War Hawks such as Felix Grundy had enough of British interference with United States shipping. These actions not only caused economic hardship, but wounded America’s pride as well. Many in Congress were advocating war to solve the problem. (Doc A) A second way to use the document to explain America’s motivation for war is to quote selectively from the passage. A student using this method might write: In 1812, Congress made clear that America would not allow its “commerce interdicted or regulated by any foreign nation.” This action not only hut America economically but was also an “unjust and lawless invasions of personal liberty” and made some Americans “prefer war to submission.” Always remember that the documents are to prove a point. They are pieces of information to be used along with outside information. PRACTICING THE SKILL Using the passage below defend the idea that “The Monroe Doctrine was designed to protect not only the Western Hemisphere but American nationalism as well” The object of Canning appears to have been to obtain some public pledge from the government of the Unites States, ostensibly against the forcible interference of the Holy Alliance between Spain and South America; but really or especially against the acquisition to the Untied States themselves of any part of the Spanish American possessions…By joining with her, therefore, in her proposed declaration, we giver her a substantial and perhaps inconvenient pledge against ourselves and really obtain nothing in return. --John Quincy Adams, Memoirs, Philadelphia, 1875 Write a short answer (two or three sentences) using the whole idea of the document to support the ideas about the Monroe Doctrine. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Asses the validity of this statement. A. Defenders of democracy 1. Rise of common man a. reduction of property requirements to vote b. in 1824 27% participated; 1828 56%, rose to a high in 1840 of 70% 2. Voice of the people clearly heard a. reaction to corrupt bargain b. no deal in 1828 3. Less government is the best government a. states’ rights in Indian affairs b. blocked many internal improvements (Maysville Road) 4. Upheld Constitution a. nullification controversy b. Bank violated Constitution B. Promoter of economic opportunity 1. Bank battle—fights monopolies 2. Charles River Bridge 3. created “pet banks” to make money available to more people C. Limitation of Jacksonian Democracy 1. excludes women a. no suffrage b. covertures and economic inequalities continued 2. Slavery a. no attempt to end it b. Jackson’s interest represented the interest of southern slaveholders c. supported states’ rights 3. Indian Removal a. reasons b. Indian Removal Act (1830) c. Trail of Tears (1838) 4. Opposition to abolitionists a. Jackson’s speeches against them b. post office opened suspicious mail from the North Working from this outline, this student can write a richly detailed defense of the Jacksonians as promoters of political and economic opportunity. Each of the headings defines a paragraph in the body of the paper and how each paragraph will be developed. Also from the outline, it is clear that a concession or contrary paragraph on the limits of Jacksonian Democracy is planned in the answer. Practice: Analyze the essay prompt. “The beliefs and policies of the Whig Party contained the seeds of political failure.”Assess the validity of the statement from 1832-1845. A. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 1. _______________________________________________________________________________________ a. ________________________________________________________________________________ b. ________________________________________________________________________________ c. ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________________________________________________________ a. ________________________________________________________________________________ b. ________________________________________________________________________________ c. ________________________________________________________________________________ B. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 1. _______________________________________________________________________________________ a. ________________________________________________________________________________ b. ________________________________________________________________________________ c. ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________________________________________________________ a. ________________________________________________________________________________ b. ________________________________________________________________________________ c. ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. _______________________________________________________________________________________ a. ________________________________________________________________________________ b. ________________________________________________________________________________ c. ________________________________________________________________________________ C. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 1. _______________________________________________________________________________________ a. ________________________________________________________________________________ b. ________________________________________________________________________________ c. ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________________________________________________________ a. ________________________________________________________________________________ b. ________________________________________________________________________________ c. ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. _______________________________________________________________________________________ a. ________________________________________________________________________________ b. ________________________________________________________________________________ DEALING WITH DOCUMENTS THAT CONTRADICT EACH OTHERIn history researchers are often faced with conflicting points of view in documents with which they work. DBQs, in particular, will use sources that do not support the statement the student must address and may, in fact, contradict the statement’s position completely. These conflicting documents should not be ignored because they interfere with the point of view a student is promoting in answering the prompt. Contradictory sources need to be addressed on the DBQ. This process may require a student to qualify his/her thesis somewhat, but he/she should never refute it. The documents may be used alongside other documents in sentences or, if they represent a major contrary position, may require a paragraph near the end of the DBQ that accounts for their challenge to the thesis. This paragraph should make concessions to the thesis but not overturn it. By including these documents, a student acknowledges the complexity of the issues that he/she is addressing. Examine the statement below about the Market Revolution that unfolded during the Age of Jackson. Also look at the two documents related to its social and economic impact. Below them find the sample paragraph that could, in part, answer the statement. While the two documents have contrary views on the impact of commercialization on America, they can be woven together to support a topic sentence. As suggested, in a larger essay, the contrasting documents could occupy an entire paragraph.
--JS Buckingham, America, Historica, Statistical and Descriptive Sample Document B Cutting the wages was not the only grievance, nor the only cause of this strike. Up till now the corporation had paid 25 cents a week toward the board of each worker. Now it intended to have the girls pay the sum. This, in addition to the cut in wages, would make a difference of at least one dollar each week. It was estimated that as many as 1,500 girls went on strike and walked as group through the streets. They had neither flag nor music; instead, they sang songs, a favorite one being: “Oh, isn’t it a pity, such a pretty girl as I—should be sent to the factory to pine away and die?” --Harriet Hanson Robinson, Loom and Spindle: Life Among the Early Mill Girls, 1898 Sample Paragraph While the Market Revolution of the 1830s produced great wealth and progress in the nation, its impact was uneven and unfair. The commercial developments made New York capitalists rich and powerful as they mingled “freely with merchants, and [were] constantly found to be the buyers and sellers of stocks…” On the other hand, the women of Lowell faced great hardships when their wages were reduced to the point where they wondered if they “should be sent to the factory to pine away and die.” The two documents present different pictures of the impact of the Market Revolution in America. It was possible to use both documents in the same paragraph by structuring the topic sentence to suggest that while progress occurred it was not spread evenly over society. Practice Look at the statement below and the two documents that accompany it. Write a paragraph that uses both of the documents and addresses the issues raised by the statement. “John C. Calhoun is often viewed as the voice of discord and sectionalism.” To what extent is this assessment accurate for the career of John C. Calhoun from 1817 to 1833? Document A Let it not be said that internal improvements may be wholly left to the enterprise of the states and individuals. I know that much may justly be expected to be done by them; but, in a country so new and so extensive as ours, there is room enough for all the general and state governments and individuals in which to exert their resources. But many of the improvements contemplated are on too great a scale for the resources of the states or individuals…They require the resources and the general superintendence of this government to effect and complete them… --John C. Calhoun, Works, February 1817 Document B “The Senate and House of South Carolina…solemnly Protest against the system of protecting duties… 5th Because, from the Federalists…it is clear the power to regulate commerce was considered by the Convention as only incidentally connected with the encouragement of agriculture and manufactures… 6th Because, whilst the power to protect manufactures is nowhere expressly granted to Congress, nor can be considered as necessary and proper to carry into effect any specified power, it seems to be expressly reserved to the states, by the 10th section of the 1st article of the Constitution.” --South Carolina’s Exposition and Protest, December 19, 1828 Write a paragraph on a separate sheet of paper. Compare it and discuss it with other members of your class to see how it included documents that do not support a point of view and may, in fact, contradict it. WRITING A STRONG THESIS STATEMENTA thesis statement is a critical part of writing an effective essay. In fact, the rubrics, or grading standards, used to evaluate essays, are the first thing a reader is instructed to look for in any essay and the first thing the reader is instructed to look for is a strong thesis statement. The thesis statement should appear at the end of the first paragraph. Some students underline the thesis statement to make certain their paper clearly focuses on their argument and to ensure that anyone evaluating their paper can easily see what position they are taking in answering the prompt. In defining a thesis statement , keep in mind that it is: a controlling idea around which the paper is built a one-sentence answer to the historical question being asked a concise statement of the essay’s argument a point of view adopted about a historical problem a proposition to be defended or argued The basic elements of a strong thesis include a statement that: Deals with all aspects of the topic suggested by the question takes a clear position on the issue provides an organizational framework from which to structure the essay addresses the core issues defined by the question (i.e. is on target) Look at the following statement and the three thesis statements offered as possible beginnings in answering the prompt. “The utopian societies of the 1830s and 1840s formed a response to the social and economic upheavals that affected America after the War of 1812.” Assess the validity of this statement. Possible thesis statements: There were many changes in America after the War of 1812 that gave rise to utopian societies. The emerging Market Revolution, increasing urbanization, and immigration after the War of 1812 promoted the rise of utopian societies. The rise of Jacksonian democracy, the common man, and the abolitionist’s movement made many people seek alternative life styles in the 1830s. Discussion if the Statement The best thesis statement is statement 2. It deals with economic and social issues; it takes a clear position that these factors caused utopian societies to form; it provides an organizational framework to the structure of the essay (i.e. Market Revolution, growth of cities, impact of immigration; and it deals with the topics suggested by the question.
Statement 3 is a weak thesis statement because it is off topic. There is a danger that it will take the paper in the wrong direction. Following it, a writer is likely to drift into politicas and abolitions. It may address utopian societies—but only in a secondary way. On the positive side, it does take a position and provides an organizational framework. In fact, it is actually a good thesis for a different question! Practice Evaluate the following three thesis statements and decide which is the strongest start for discussion the statement below. “Although the end of slavery was an agreed upon goal, the abolitionists were divided over the best means to achieve it.” 1. William Garrison wanted to use moral persuasion to end slavery and other abolitionists wanted to form political parties to achieve an end to slavery. 2. The abolitionists wanted to end slavery but did not know exactly how to do it. 3. While the abolitionists wanted to end slavery, they disagreed over the political, social and economic means to do it. Choice Number _____ Why did you select this thesis statement? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Write a thesis statement for the following prompt and compare it with others. “The abolitionist movement was both a catalyst and hindrance for the women’s rights movement.” Assess the validity of this statement.
Name ________________________________ What time period is being examined? ___________________________________ What item/items/topics are being described? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What trends do you see in the chart? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Is each trend consistent, or does it vary back and forth? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Why do you think the trend occurred, or why did it vary back and forth? (Make a guess/hypothesis about the pattern.) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Is there a relationship or connection between th e items shown? (Does one item go up or down in relation to another item?) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Who would benefit from the trend? (Why?) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Who would be hurt? (Why?) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What generalizations can you make from the chart? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Shorter Version 3TGR* Chart Analysis Worksheet Time: ________________________________________________________ Topic: ________________________________________________________ Trends: _______________________________________________________ Relationships/Connections? ___________________________________________________ Generalizations: ____________________________________________________________ * 3TGR—(Time, Topic, Trends, Relationships, Generalizations) Directory: file -> view view -> Western Europe after wwii view -> Author study: paul fleischman view -> Qpa1 7ela study Guide view -> Arctic Oil/Gas Neg view -> November 1970 Approximately 150,000-500,000 deaths Bhola Cyclone Bangladesh view -> Grade Level: 6 Unit of Study: Caribbean glce view -> Citation: Duffield, Katy view -> Table of Contents Lesson # view -> Chinese Wind Energy Disad Download 0.79 Mb. Share with your friends:
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