AP U.S. History Scoring Guidelines from the 2019 Exam Administration

United States

History

Scoring Guidelines

2019

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UNITED STATES HISTORY

2019 SCORING GUIDELINES

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Short Answer Question 1

“The revolutionary moment was neither radical nor a watershed for American women. Those who disregard

America’s commitment to patriarchal rule and plead for a historical interpretation that favors enlightened

exceptionalism have overlooked the conditions that made large-scale change all but impossible at that time

and place.”

Elaine Forman Crane, historian, Ebb Tide in New England: Women, Seaports, and Social Change, 1630–1800,

published in 1998

“The coming of the American Revolution . . . created new opportunities for women to participate in politics.

Responding to men’s appeals, women engaged in a variety of actions in support of the revolutionary cause,

which led women to experience a greater sense of connection to and involvement with the polity. After the war

their political contributions were praised, celebrated, and remembered. . . .Women now were seen as political

beings who had the capacity to influence the course of war, politics, and history.”

Rosemarie Zagarri, historian, Revolutionary Backlash: Women and Politics in the Early American Republic,

published in 2007

Using the excerpts above, answer (a), (b), and (c).

a) Briefly describe ONE major difference between Crane’s and Zagarri’s historical interpretations of the

immediate impact of the American Revolution on women.

b) Briefly explain how ONE event, development, or circumstance from the period 1765 to 1800 that is not

explicitly mentioned in the excerpts could be used to support Crane’s argument.

c) Briefly explain how ONE event, development, or circumstance from the period 1765 to 1800 that is not

explicitly mentioned in the excerpts could be used to support Zagarri’s argument.

Scoring Guide

0–3 points

Score 3

Response accomplishes all three tasks set by the question.

Score 2

Response accomplishes two of the tasks set by the question.

Score 1

Response accomplishes one of the tasks set by the question.

Score 0

Response accomplishes none of the tasks set by the question.

Score NR

No response. Response is completely blank.

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Short Answer Question 1 (continued)

Question-Specific Scoring Guide

• ONE point for describing an important difference between Crane’s and Zagarri’s historical

interpretations of the immediate impact of the American Revolution on women

• ONE point for explaining how ONE event, development, or circumstance from the period 1765 to 1800

that is not explicitly mentioned in the excerpts could be used to support Crane’s argument

• ONE point for explaining how ONE event, development, or circumstance from the period 1765 to 1800

that is not explicitly mentioned in the excerpts could be used to support Zagarri’s argument

Scoring Notes

Introductory notes:

• Each point is earned independently.

• Accuracy: These rubrics require that students demonstrate historically defensible content knowledge.

Given the timed nature of the exam, responses may contain errors that do not detract from their overall

quality, as long as the historical content used to advance the argument is accurate.

• Clarity: Exam responses should be considered first drafts and thus may contain grammatical errors.

Those errors will not be counted against a student unless they obscure the successful demonstration of

the content knowledge, skills, and practices described below.

Examples of responses to (a) that would earn credit:

• Crane argues that:

o The American Revolution was not radical because it didn’t change women’s status in society.

o Gender roles for women remained unchanged after the American Revolution.

o The ideals of the American Revolution were not applied to women.

• Zagarri argues that:

o Women’s social status and social influence improved after the American Revolution.

o Women were newly able to participate in the country’s politics.

o Women were more visible in civic life/public sphere/society.

NOTE: Credited responses for (a) must explicitly address the substance of both excerpts.

Examples of responses to (b) that would earn credit:

• Women could not vote (except in New Jersey, which also eventually rescinded this right).

• Women were excluded from the rights stated for all men in the Declaration of Independence.

• Women could not participate in any of the political decision-making after the American Revolution.

• Abigail Adams asked her husband John Adams to make sure that men “remember the ladies,” but

women were not involved in political decision-making.

• The idea of republican motherhood gave women authority in the private sphere but kept them confined

to the private sphere.

• Married women did not have any recognized legal or property rights separate from their husbands.

• Women were not allowed to fight in the Continental Army — adhering to gender roles.

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Short Answer Question 1 (continued)

Examples of responses to (c) that would earn credit:

• Women participated in Revolutionary protest (e.g., boycotts, protests, crowds, homespun movement,

nonconsumption, Daughters of Liberty, Edenton tea party, Ladies of Philadelphia).

• Women supported the Revolutionary effort (e.g., fundraising, camp followers, nurses, spies, cooks,

Phillis Wheatley, Deborah Sampson, Molly Pitcher).

• Women such as Abigail Adams acted as informal advisors to presidents and political leaders.

• The idea of republican motherhood gave women a voice in the shaping of future republican citizens

and an indirect role in public life.

• Women applied Revolutionary principles to post-Revolutionary United States society (e.g., Elizabeth

Freeman (aka Mumbet)).

• Mercy Otis Warren evoked patriotism in published works on political subjects.

• Judith Sargent Murray argued for women’s equality and advocated for women’s education beyond

domestic tasks.

• Academies for women offered new educational opportunities.

• Women were able to vote in New Jersey between the late 1790s and early 1800s.

• Divorce laws in some states were liberalized after the American Revolution.

• After the Revolution, women were more apt to obtain custody of their children after divorce if the

children were young.

NOTE: It would be acceptable for test takers to use some of the same examples to respond to both (b) and (c) as

long as the evidence is appropriate for each part of the question. Merely mentioning development or circumstance

will not result in the awarding of points in parts (b) and (c). Responses must specifically explain how the events

represent evidence that can support the author’s claim.

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Short Answer Question 2

Using the image above, which depicts the first half of the nineteenth century, answer (a), (b), and (c).

a) Briefly describe ONE historical perspective expressed in the image.

b) Briefly explain how ONE specific event or development in the period from 1800 to 1850 contributed to the

process depicted in the image.

c) Briefly explain ONE specific historical effect in the period from 1844 to 1890 that resulted from the process

depicted in the image.

Scoring Guide

0–3 points

Score 3

Response accomplishes all three tasks set by the question.

Score 2

Response accomplishes two of the tasks set by the question.

Score 1

Response accomplishes one of the tasks set by the question.

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Short Answer Question 2 (continued)

Score 0

Response accomplishes none of the tasks set by the question.

Score NR

Is completely blank

Question-Specific Scoring Guide

• ONE point for describing ONE historical perspective expressed in the image

• ONE point for explaining how ONE specific event or development in the period from 1800 to 1850

contributed to the process depicted in the image

• ONE point for explaining ONE specific historical effect in the period from 1844 to 1890 that resulted

from the process depicted in the image

Scoring Notes

Introductory notes:

• Each point is earned independently.

• Accuracy: These rubrics require that students demonstrate historically defensible content knowledge.

Given the timed nature of the exam, responses may contain errors that do not detract from their overall

quality, as long as the historical content used to advance the argument is accurate.

• Clarity: Exam responses should be considered first drafts and thus may contain grammatical errors.

Those errors will not be counted against a student unless they obscure the successful demonstration of

the content knowledge, skills, and practices described below.

Examples of responses to (a) that would earn credit:

• Artist supports Manifest Destiny and the spread of United States settlers westward; image

suggests that American civilization is spreading.

• Image in upper left suggests explorers discovering land that appears to be unoccupied.

• The image of the wagon train in the center suggests progress and movement of people westward.

• The image may connote that homesteading and establishing new farms will improve the West.

• Depiction of American Indians suggests that they are passive observers of United States westward

expansion/accepting of United States expansion.

• The depiction of the sun suggests the light of progress through United States westward expansion

(sun is either rising or setting).

• The image in the lower right depicts people digging for gold in California, which suggests the

many ways to profit from westward movements (e.g., fur trapping, cattle ranching, mining,

farming, commercial shipping, trade).

• All of these views associate Manifest Destiny and the western expansion of the United States with

economic progress, social and geographic mobility, religious mission, and ideas of racial

superiority.

• These views also associate Manifest Destiny with white male settlers.

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Short Answer Question 2 (continued)

Examples of responses to (b) that would earn credit:

• The Louisiana Purchase added to the territory of the United States that was accessible for national

expansion.

• The War of 1812 and the defeat of Tecumseh’s Indian Confederacy opened the Old Northwest to

United States settlement.

• Promotion of the idea of opportunities in the West through the press and by journalists (e.g., John

L. O’Sullivan, Horace Greeley) encouraged Americans to move west.

• Mexican–American War and the resulting acquisition of new land by the United States opened new

land for United States settlement.

• Particular population movements into the West contributed to or facilitated westward mobility.

o Migration of family farmers for economic opportunity

o Emergence of new cities and towns in the West

o Oregon Trail allowing for westward movement

o Mormon migration

o Free-soilers moving to the West

• Expanded transportation networks (e.g., canals and railroads) facilitated westward expansion.

• Economic development of the West encouraged westward migration.

o Agricultural staple production in the Midwest

o Cotton production and slavery expanding to the West

o Growth of the internal slave trade

o Fur trade in the Pacific Northwest

o Development of extractive industries such as mining

o Gold rushes in California and elsewhere

o Development of cattle ranching

• American Indian removal led to the dispossession of land that could then be acquired by U.S.

western migrants.

Examples of responses to (c) that would earn credit:

• Mexican–American War and the resulting acquisition of new land for the United States.

• Controversies over the spread of slavery to the West, which ultimately led to the Civil War.

o Kansas–Nebraska Act

o Compromise of 1850

o Free Soil Party

o Foundation of the Republican Party

• Developments that contributed to the continuation of population movement into the West between

1844 and 1890.

o Migration of family farmers for economic opportunity

o Emergence of new cities and towns in the West (e.g., Chicago)

o African American “Exoduster” migration from the South

• Expanded transportation networks and greater integration of the West with the economies of the

Northeast and Midwest (e.g., transcontinental railroads).

• Continued economic development of the West.

o Farming on the Great Plains

o Largely extractive industries such as mining

o Gold rushes in California and elsewhere

o Cattle ranching

• Federal government encouragement of western development (e.g., Homestead Act, railroad land

grants, and subsidies).

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Short Answer Question 2 (continued)

• United States westward expansion created conflicts between white settlers and American Indians.

o Wars between federal government and American Indians (e.g., Sand Creek massacre

(1864), General George Custer’s campaigns, Battle of Little Big Horn (1876), Dawes Act

(1887), Wounded Knee (1890))

o Forcing of American Indians onto reservations

• More interest by business leaders in gaining access to and control over external markets in Latin

America and beyond.

• Destruction of American bison (buffalo) and reduction in other natural resources in the West.

• International migrants from places such as eastern Asia came to the western United States for

labor and economic opportunities.

• The desire of white Americans to exclude nonwhite immigrants from competing for economic

opportunities in the West led to immigration restrictions such as the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882).

• Western Agrarian activists (e.g., Grangers, Farmer’s Alliance/Populists) organized to oppose the

monopolistic practices of western transportation companies and agribusinesses.

NOTE: Be sure to note the overlapping dates on (b) and (c) and make sure the answers for (b) and (c) are within the

correct time period specified.

NOTE: It may be acceptable for test takers to use some of the same examples to respond to either (b) or (c) as long

as they show how the evidence is appropriate for each part of the question. Merely mentioning an event will not

result in the awarding of points in part (b) and (c). Responses must provide an explanation that answers the

relevant question.

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Short Answer Question 3

Answer (a), (b), and (c). Confine your response to the period from 1607 to 1754.

a) Briefly describe one difference between the economy of British North American colonies in the Chesapeake

region (such as Virginia and Maryland) and the economy of the middle colonies (such as Pennsylvania and

New York).

b) Briefly describe one similarity between the economy of the Chesapeake colonies and the economy of the

middle colonies.

c) Briefly explain one reason for a difference between the economy of the Chesapeake colonies and the

economy of the middle colonies.

Scoring Guide

0–3 points

Score 3

Response accomplishes all three tasks set by the question.

Score 2

Response accomplishes two of the tasks set by the question.

Score 1

Response accomplishes one of the tasks set by the question.

Score 0

Response accomplishes none of the tasks set by the question.

Score NR

Is completely blank

Question-Specific Scoring Guide

• ONE point for describing one difference between the economy of British North American colonies in

the Chesapeake region (such as Virginia and Maryland) and the economy of the middle colonies (such

as Pennsylvania and New York)

• ONE point for describing one similarity between the economy of the Chesapeake colonies and the

economy of the middle colonies

• ONE point for explaining one reason for a difference between the economy of the Chesapeake colonies

and the economy of the middle colonies

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Short Answer Question 3 (continued)

Scoring Notes

Introductory notes:

• Each point is earned independently.

• Accuracy: These rubrics require that students demonstrate historically defensible content knowledge.

Given the timed nature of the exam, responses may contain errors that do not detract from their overall

quality, as long as the historical content used to advance the argument is accurate.

• Clarity: Exam responses should be considered first drafts and thus may contain grammatical errors.

Those errors will not be counted against a student unless they obscure the successful demonstration of

the content knowledge, skills, and practices described below.

Examples of responses to (a) that would earn credit:

• Cash crops from the Chesapeake (such as tobacco) were typically shipped to England, while staple

crops from the middle colonies (such as wheat) were typically shipped to the Caribbean.

• The fur trade more extensive in the middle colonies and less extensive in the Chesapeake.

• There was more diversity of trade in middle colonies (e.g., furs, various agricultural products), while

trade was more narrowly focused on cash crops such as tobacco in the Chesapeake.

• The Chesapeake was more dependent upon slave plantation agriculture than the middle colonies.

• The middle colonies were more urban and had more port cities, while the Chesapeake was more rural

and had fewer and smaller urban centers.

• The middle colonies were societies with slaves (i.e., not socially dominated by slavery), versus the

Chesapeake, which was a slave society (i.e., socially organized around the principles of chattel

slavery).

• Shipbuilding and lumbering were more prevalent industries in the middle colonies than they were in

the Chesapeake region, which focused on cash crop agriculture.

NOTE: Credited responses for (a) must address explicit differences between the Chesapeake and middle colonies.

(e.g., A response like “The Chesapeake colonies had fertile soil and the middle colonies did not” is not sufficient to

address the prompt.)

NOTE: In the Chesapeake colonies, the use of cotton as the only cash crop will not be accepted; however, tobacco

with cotton will be considered as a minor error and can be considered for credit.

NOTE: The concepts of industrialization and the textile industry should not be accepted. The use of the term

manufacturing must be used in conjunction with other activities that colonies were engaged in economically (e.g.,

farming, shipbuilding, lumbering, and fishing).

NOTE: The use of the geographical terms “the North” and “the South” can be used as long as additional specific

information is given in the response to reference the middle or Chesapeake colonies.

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Short Answer Question 3 (continued)

Examples of responses to (b) that would earn credit:

• Both the middle colonies and the Chesapeake engaged in export trade/the triangular trade.

• Both the middle colonies and the Chesapeake were part of a mercantilist system centered on Great

Britain.

• Both the middle colonies and the Chesapeake exported raw goods to/imported finished goods from

Great Britain.

• Both the economies of the middle colonies and Chesapeake were based on agricultural production for

export.

• Both the middle and Chesapeake colonies had to pay taxes to England (the response must mention

either the Navigation Acts or the mercantilist system).

Examples of responses to (c) that would earn credit:

• Waterways in the Chesapeake were suitable for transport of cash crops produced closer to the coast,

while waterways in the middle colonies (e.g., the Hudson, Susquehanna, and Delaware Rivers), which

included New Netherlands, were more readily navigable and went deeper into the interior of North

American, facilitating regional commerce and the fur trade with Native Americans.

• The climate of the Chesapeake region was suitable for valuable cash crops that required a longer

growing season as opposed to the cooler climate of the middle colonies that allowed for grain crops to

be grown.

• Development of large-scale slavery in the Chesapeake facilitated cash crop production, as opposed to

the smaller scale of slavery and a greater dependency on indentured servants and immigrant labor in

the middle colonies.

• Virginia was founded by joint-stock company investors seeking profit on investments, while the middle

colonies were founded by more diverse European settlers, including religious refugees and individuals

seeking improved economic autonomy and opportunities.

NOTE: Earning the point for (c) is not contingent on earning the point for (a).

NOTE: A credited response to (c) could be a reason for a difference established in (a). If the response in (c) is a

continuation that addresses the same explicit difference established in (a), the response can earn credit if it only

addresses one region.

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Short Answer Question 4

Answer (a), (b), and (c).

a) Briefly describe ONE similarity between New Deal and Great Society programs.

b) Briefly describe ONE difference between New Deal and Great Society programs.

c) Briefly explain ONE reason for a difference between New Deal and Great Society programs.

Scoring Guide

0–3 points

Score 3

Response accomplishes all three tasks set by the question.

Score 2

Response accomplishes two of the tasks set by the question.

Score 1

Response accomplishes one of the tasks set by the question.

Score 0

Response accomplishes none of the tasks set by the question.

Score NR

Is completely blank

Question-Specific Scoring Guide

• ONE point for describing ONE similarity between New Deal and Great Society programs

• ONE point for describing ONE difference between New Deal and Great Society programs

• ONE point for explaining ONE reason for a difference between New Deal and Great Society programs

Scoring Notes

Introductory notes:

• Each point is earned independently.

• Accuracy: These rubrics require that students demonstrate historically defensible content knowledge.

Given the timed nature of the exam, responses may contain errors that do not detract from their overall

quality, as long as the historical content used to advance the argument is accurate.

• Clarity: Exam responses should be considered first drafts and thus may contain grammatical errors.

Those errors will not be counted against a student unless they obscure the successful demonstration of

the content knowledge, skills, and practices described below.

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Short Answer Question 4 (continued)

Examples of responses to (a) that would earn credit:

• Both expanded a social welfare net.

• Both expanded government programs.

• Both regulated society and economy, expanded the power and reach of the federal government, and

increased government spending and the management of fiscal and monetary policy to ensure economic

productivity and growth.

• Both addressed poverty and unemployment.

• Both had programs to help the elderly.

• Both gave workers and labor purchasing power and a stronger political voice.

• Both were driven by presidential vision and expanded presidential power.

NOTE: Credited responses for (a) must not rely on generalities. “Both addressed the economy” would not earn a

point but “both addressed poverty and unemployment” would because it addresses specific economic concerns.

Examples of responses to (b) that would earn credit:

• The New Deal stabilized capitalism and sought to stave off the deepening or return of the Great

Depression, while the Great Society sought to extend the benefits of affluence to all Americans and to

eradicate poverty.

• The New Deal focused on economic recovery and relief, while the Great Society sought to eradicate

social problems like poverty, racial inequality, access to health care, and access to education.

• The Great Society focused on civil rights, while much of the New Deal did not address civil rights or

institutionalized discrimination against African Americans and women in its programs.

• Great Society environmental policies focused primarily on the beautification of urban and rural areas,

as well as developing regulations for air and water; New Deal environmental policies, instead, focused

more on constructing infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and buildings.

• The New Deal created a lasting Democratic political coalition and consensus around liberalism in

government, while aspects of the Great Society hurt the Democratic Party and inspired criticisms of

liberalism by the New Right.

NOTE: Credited responses for (b) must address explicit differences between the New Deal and the Great Society.

(e.g., A response like ‘The Great Society addressed civil rights issues, but the New Deal did not” is not sufficient to

address the prompt.)

NOTE: Credited responses for (b) must elaborate beyond chronological differences.

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Short Answer Question 4 (continued)

Examples of responses to (c) that would earn credit:

• The New Deal was a response to an economic depression, while the Great Society was a response to

the persistent problem of poverty in a prosperous economy.

• The Great Society took place during and in response to the civil rights movement, while the New Deal

reflected the racism of the era prior to the civil rights movement in American politics.

• The New Deal political coalition included many southern Democrats who supported racial

discrimination (although it did feature incremental symbolic progress on racial issues), while the Great

Society response to pressure from civil rights activists led many southerners to leave the Democratic

Party.

• The Great Society could build upon the accomplishments of the New Deal, whereas the intervention of

the federal government in society and economy during the New Deal was unprecedented.

• The Vietnam War constrained the accomplishments of the Great Society, while the New Deal could be

more expansive partly because the United States was uninvolved in significant international

engagements at the time.

NOTE: Earning the point for (c) is not contingent on earning the point for (b).

NOTE: A credited response to (c) could be a reason for a difference established in (b). If the response in (c) is a

continuation that addresses the same explicit difference established in (b), the response can earn credit if it only

addresses one topic.

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Question 1 — Document-Based Question

Evaluate the extent to which the Progressive movement fostered political change in the United States from

1890 to 1920.

Maximum Possible Points: 7

Points

Rubric

Notes

A: Thesis/Claim (0–1)

Responds to the prompt with a

historically defensible thesis/claim that

establishes a line of reasoning. (1 point)

To earn this point, the thesis must make

a claim that responds to the prompt

rather than restating or rephrasing the

prompt. The thesis must consist of one or

more sentences located in one place,

either in the introduction or the

conclusion.

The thesis must make a historically defensible claim

that establishes a line of reasoning about how the

Progressive movement fostered political change in the

United States from 1890 to 1920.

Examples that earn this point include:

• “The Progressive movement was incredibly

successful in fostering political change such as

trust busting large monopolies and reforming the

criminal justice system for youth and adults;

however, their failure to advance African

American civil rights sufficiently left a significant

scar on their legacy, as many issues of

discrimination such as segregation and Jim Crow

were prolonged.”

• “The Progressive Movement in the United States

from 1890 to 1920 fostered great political change,

such as rooting out corruption in government,

eliminating monopolies in business, and by

advocating rights for those who had been

discriminated against.”

• “The Progressive movement fostered political

change in the United States because it sought for

a deeper respect for democracy, equal and

equitable rights for all people, and it applied new

ways of thinking to services within America.”

B: Contextualization

(0–1)

Describes a broader historical context

relevant to the prompt.

(1 point)

To earn this point, the response must

relate the topic of the prompt to broader

historical events, developments, or

processes that occur before, during, or

continue after the time frame of the

question. This point is not awarded for

merely a phrase or reference.

To earn the point, the response must accurately

describe a context relevant to how the Progressive

movement fostered political change in the United States

from 1890 to 1920.

Examples of context might include the following, with

appropriate elaboration:

• The expansion of industrialization

• The growth of cities

• The development of large-scale immigration from

southern and eastern Europe

• The consolidation of corporations into large trusts

• The government’s adherence to laissez-faire

economics

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Question 1 — Document-Based Question (continued)

C: Evidence (0–3)

Evidence from the Documents:

Uses the content of at least three

documents to address the topic of the

prompt. (1 point)

To earn 1 point, the response must

accurately describe — rather than simply

quote — the content from at least three of

the documents.

Supports an argument in response to

the prompt using at least six

documents. (2 points)

To earn 2 points, the response must

accurately describe — rather than simply

quote — the content from at least six

documents. In addition, the response

must use the content from the documents

to support an argument in response to the

prompt.

See document summaries page for details.

• Doc 1: Jane Addams, Twenty Years at Hull-House,

1910

• Doc 2: Theodore Roosevelt, speech, 1902

• Doc 3: Julian W. Mack, “The Juvenile Court,” 1909

• Doc 4: Hiram Johnson, inaugural address, 1911

• Doc 5: NAACP, letter to Woodrow Wilson, 1913

• Doc 6: James Couzens, “The Detroit Police

Department,” 1917

• Doc 7: Anti-Saloon League cartoon, circa 1918

Evidence Beyond the Documents:

Uses at least one additional piece of

specific historical evidence (beyond that

found in the documents) relevant to an

argument about the prompt.

(1 point)

To earn this point, the evidence must be

described and must be more than a

phrase or reference. This additional piece

of evidence must be different from the

evidence used to earn the point for

contextualization.

Evidence used might include the following, with

appropriate elaboration:

• Muckrakers could be used as evidence of the

spread of concern in the United States over the

negative effects of industrialization and the

advocacy for political action to alleviate these

effects.

• The Populist (People’s) Party could be used as

evidence of the influence on Progressive thought

of economic reform efforts based in rural areas.

• The Federal Reserve Act (1913) could be used as

evidence of the political change made by new

federal government regulation of the national

money supply.

• The passage of the Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914)

could be used as evidence of political change

made by Progressives to counter the reduction in

economic competition caused by corporate

consolidation.

• North American Woman Suffrage Association

could be used as evidence of a Progressive reform

effort that changed United States politics by

helping to expand the electorate by pressing for

women’s voting rights.

• Eugene V. Debs

• W. E. B. Du Bois

• Henry Ford

• Robert La Follette

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Question 1 — Document-Based Question (continued)

D: Analysis and Reasoning (0–2)

Sourcing:

For at least

three

documents,

explains how or why the document’s

point of view, purpose, historical

situation, and/or audience is relevant to

an argument. (1 point)

To earn this point, the evidence must

explain how or why — rather than simply

identifying — the document’s point of

view, purpose, historical situation, or

audience is relevant to an argument

about the prompt for each of the three

documents sourced.

See document summaries page for examples of possible

explanations of the relevance of sourcing.

Complexity: Demonstrates a complex

understanding of the historical

development that is the focus of the

prompt, using evidence to corroborate,

qualify, or modify an argument that

addresses the question. (1 point)

A response may demonstrate a complex

understanding in a variety of ways, such

as:

• Explaining a nuance of an issue

by analyzing multiple variables

• Explaining both similarities and

differences, or explaining both

continuity and change, or

explaining multiple causes, or

explaining both causes and

effects

• Explaining relevant and

insightful connections within and

across periods

• Confirming the validity of an

argument by corroborating

multiple perspectives across

themes

• Qualifying or modifying an

argument by considering diverse

or alternative views or evidence

This understanding must be part of the

argument, not merely a phrase or

reference.

Examples of demonstrating a complex understanding

might include:

• Explaining a nuance by exploring the

contradiction that Progressivism supported

greater political participation but also supported

increased government power over people

• Explaining similarities and differences in different

Progressive reform movements such as social

reform in cities, economic regulation, and

Prohibition

• Explaining connections to other time periods,

such as the reform efforts of the first half of the

nineteenth century

• Confirming the validity of the response’s

argument about the greater role of the

government in people’s lives across themes by

explaining how foreign policy in the Progressive

Era involved United States intervention into the

affairs of its new colonies and foreign countries

• Qualifying or modifying an argument by

considering evidence that despite the

achievements of Progressive reform, Progressives

contributed to the persistence or even the

expansion of racism and segregation

If response is completely blank, enter - - for all four score categories A, B, C, and D.

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Question 1 — Document-Based Question (continued)

Document Summaries and Possible Sourcing

Document

Summary of Content

Response explains the relevance of point of view,

purpose, situation, and/or audience by elaborating

on examples such as:

1. Jane

Addams, 1890s

• Describes political campaign by

social reformers against a local

official or machine politics

• Discovered many voters had jobs

gained through this official or

political machine

• Describes expectation that urban

political officials will provide

unofficial services for their

constituents and describes the

surprise of Hull-House residents

that reformers refused to provide

these services, leading to

conflicts

• Immigration and industrialization in the late

nineteenth and early twentieth centuries led to

rapid population growth in cities such as Chicago

and an expansion in demand on political leaders

for municipal services (situation).

• As a social activist, Addams believed that many of

the services provided to urban immigrant

communities by political leaders represented

corruption to be fought against and stopped by

political reform movements (point of view).

• Progressive women reformers like Addams and

other workers at Hull-House engaged in political

and social activism and sought to influence

government policy and reduce corruption

(purpose).

• In their efforts to reform local politics and political

machines, Addams and other Progressive

reformers undermined the social service and

political patronage system that immigrants relied

upon (purpose).

• Progressive reformers like Addams sought to

exercise social control by cleaning up urban

political machines and uplifting immigrants by

Americanizing them (point of view).

2. Theodore

Roosevelt,

1902

•

Argues that large corporations

(“trusts”) should be regulated by

governments

• Describes the existence and

survival of large corporations as

reliant upon an interdependent

relationship with the state.

•

As a Progressive president, Theodore Roosevelt

trusted government and therefore argued for the

expansion of federal government power over

private enterprise (point of view).

• Large-scale corporate consolidation by the early

1900s led to public concern over growth of

corporations and their political influence

(situation).

• Roosevelt intends to persuade national audiences

that it is good for the government to expand its

power in order to regulate big business and

corporations (purpose).

• Roosevelt’s position in the document raised

questions among Progressives about the proper

role of the government in regulating businesses

and the economy (situation).

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Question 1 — Document-Based Question (continued)

3. Julian W.

Mack, “The

Juvenile

Court,” 1909

•

Argues courts have responsibility

to help juvenile offenders and

neglected children

• Argues that it is the duty of the

state to develop citizenship

•

Progressive reformers argued that it was the duty

of the state to intervene in the lives of some

Americans to address social problems such as

juvenile delinquency (point of view).

• The rapid growth of the population of cities such

as Chicago led to the inadequacy of many

municipal services, such as limited educational

and recreational opportunities for young people

(situation).

• Mack believed that the state has a role in

protecting children when parents and families fail

to do so, and he advocated for an extension of the

role of government in the private sphere (purpose).

• Mack was writing for lawyers and judges in order

to encourage the courts to interpret laws in a way

that gave more power to the state to reform

families (audience).

4. Governor

Hiram

Johnson, 1911

•

Advocates for initiative,

referendum, and recall

• Advocates for popular

participation in government

•

The growth of large corporations and municipal

governments in the late 1800s and early 1900s

increased the opportunities for political corruption

(situation).

• Progressives sought to rally support for state

legislative reforms that empowered citizens

through direct democracy and reduced corruption

and the influence of big business (purpose).

• Expand democracy and political participation in

the government in order to stave off more radical

political ideas (purpose).

• Johnson sought to appeal to the citizens of

California to support his political and legislative

agenda to rein in corporate power and increase

power to the people (audience).

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Question 1 — Document-Based Question (continued)

5. NAACP,

letter to

Woodrow

Wilson, 1913

•

Protests racial segregation in

federal government employment

under the Wilson administration

• Argues that the separate but

equal doctrine is inherently

unequal

•

As an organization devoted to advocating for the

rights of African Americans, the NAACP opposed

the policies of Woodrow Wilson that increased

racial segregation (point of view).

• Jim Crow racial segregation laws spread in the

United States after the Plessy v. Ferguson decision

(1896) with the active support of many Progressive

reformers (situation).

• The expanded federal bureaucracy made federal

employment a symbolic bastion of segregation

during the Wilson administration (situation).

• African American activists sought to convince

President Wilson to take political action to stop

furthering and justifying racial segregation

(purpose).

6. James

Couzens,

“Detroit Police

Department,”

1917

•

Promotes efficiency in police

work

• Describes reorganizing work of

beat cops and detectives

• Responding to public demands

for order

•

As a former business executive, this government

official argued that scientific and management

principles from business could be applied to

government services and used to solve social

problems (point of view).

• New technologies and methods of organizing labor

in industry in the late 1800s and early 1900s led to

increased economic efficiency and growth

(situation).

7. American

Issue

Publishing

Company,

“Wet or Dry”

cartoon, circa

1918

• Cartoon contrasting a brewer

urging people to “Vote wet for my

sake!” with a woman surrounded

by three children urging people

to “Vote dry for mine!”

• Text urges voters to “Vote Dry.”

• Produced by an organization that opposed the use

of alcohol, the cartoon asserts that the government

has a role in reducing alcohol consumption and

protecting the well-being of women and families

and preventing the spread of social ills associated

with the consumption of alcohol (point of view).

• Many Progressive reformers in the early 1900s

urged voters to support a constitutional

amendment to prohibit the production of alcohol

(purpose).

• A long-standing temperance movement, often led

by white, Protestant women reformers, reached a

crescendo in the late Progressive Era with its calls

for legislative action by the government (situation).

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Question 1 — Document-Based Question (continued)

Scoring Notes

Introductory notes:

• Except where otherwise noted, each point of these rubrics is earned independently, e.g., a student

could earn a point for evidence without earning a point for thesis/claim.

• Accuracy: The components of these rubrics require that students demonstrate historically defensible

content knowledge. Given the timed nature of the exam, essays may contain errors that do not detract

from their overall quality, as long as the historical content used to advance the argument is accurate.

• Clarity: Exam essays should be considered first drafts and thus may contain grammatical errors.

Those errors will not be counted against a student unless they obscure the successful demonstration of

the content knowledge, skills, and practices described below.

Note: Student samples are quoted verbatim and may contain grammatical errors.

A. Thesis/Claim (0–1 point)

Responses earn 1 point by responding to the prompt with a historically defensible claim that establishes a line

of reasoning about the topic. To earn this point, the thesis must make a claim that responds to the prompt

rather than simply restating or rephrasing the prompt. The thesis must suggest at least one main line of

argument development or establish the analytic categories of the argument.

The thesis must consist of one or more sentences located in one place, either in the introduction or the

conclusion.

Examples of acceptable theses:

• “The Progressive movement was incredibly successful in fostering political change such as trust

busting large monopolies and reforming the criminal justice system for youth and adults; however,

their failure to advance African American civil rights sufficiently left a significant scar on their legacy,

as many issues of discrimination such as segregation and Jim Crow were prolonged.” (This example

suggests a historically defensible line of argument development and establishes the main analytical

categories of the response, including a counterargument.)

• “The Progressive Movement in the United States from 1890 to 1920 fostered great political change,

such as rooting out corruption in government, eliminating monopolies in business, and by advocating

rights for those who had been discriminated against.” (This example suggests a historically defensible

line of argument development and establishes the main analytical categories of the response.)

• “While the Progressive movement achieved goals in the improvement of cities and the protection of

children, the movement ultimately failed in increasing democracy due to the fact that democratic rights

were not extended to African Americans.” (This example suggests a historically defensible line of

argument development and establishes the main analytical categories of the essay.)

• “The Progressive movement fostered political change in the United States because it sought for a

deeper respect for democracy, equal and equitable rights for all people, and it applied new ways of

thinking to services within America.” (This example suggests a historically defensible line of argument

development and establishes the main analytical categories of the essay.)

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Question 1 — Document-Based Question (continued)

Examples of unacceptable theses:

• “The Progressive movement caused political change to a large extent because it influenced so many

different areas of politics that were able to change at the time.” (This example largely restates the

prompt.)

• “Political, social, and economic change occurred during the Progressive Era.” (This example is too

vague and does not establish a line of reasoning.)

• “During the time period of 1890 to 1920, the Progressive movement fostered political change in the

United States as new ideas were being spread and as a result of new policies being instituted.” (This

example is too vague and does not establish a line of reasoning.)

B. Contextualization (0–1 point)

Responses earn 1 point by describing a broader historical context relevant to the topic of the prompt. To earn

this point, the response must accurately and explicitly connect the context of the prompt to broader historical

events, developments, or processes that occurred before, during, or continued after the time frame of the

question. This point is not awarded for merely a phrase or reference.

To earn the point, the response must accurately describe a context relevant to how the Progressive movement

fostered political change in the United States from 1890 to 1920.

Examples of context might include:

• The expansion of industrialization

• The growth of cities

• The development of large-scale immigration from southern and eastern Europe

• The consolidation of corporations into large trusts

• The government adherence to laissez-faire economics

Examples of acceptable contextualization:

• “The mid-nineteenth century was a booming time for urbanization, immigration, and industrialization.

Towns and cities started moving skyward, people from Europe came to America in hopes of achieving

the American dream, and industries such as steel and textiles were booming in the wake of a new work

force. The amount and quality of work in America began to highlight deficiencies in America beyond

the workforce. The Progressive movement began in response to this.” (This example describes a

broader historical context relevant to the topic of the prompt.)

• “At the time of 1890, the Gilded Age had been going on for approximately 20 years. The Gilded Age

was the time when large corporations and ‘robber barons’ came to power. Trusts such as John D.

Rockefeller’s Standard Oil were in power and they had monopolies, snuffing out smaller competition

under the guise of Social Darwinism, a principle saying only the strong survive in the business world.

This leads into the progressive movement.” (This example describes a broader historical context relevant

to the topic of the prompt.)

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Question 1 — Document-Based Question (continued)

Examples of unacceptable contextualization:

• “In 1890 the census of 1890 concludes that there is no more American frontier. President McKinley is

finishing the Spanish American War in 1898 when he gets shot and passes the presidency off to

Theodore Roosevelt who helps the country with progressivism.” (This example did not earn credit for

contextualization because it is presenting evidence that is not clearly relevant to how the Progressive

movement fostered political change in the United States.)

• “During the mid-1800s there was a great divide in the U.S. This divide was between slavery ultimately

it led to a war which in the end damaged the U.S. It not only damaged U.S. morale, but also damaged

many parts of the South and more greatly the economy. The divide was due to many disagreements

which was somewhat warned by Washington who said don’t form political parties because they would

cause a divide among the states.” (This example did not earn credit for contextualization because it does

not provide any evidence that is relevant to how the Progressive movement fostered political change in the

United States.)

C. Evidence (0–3 points)

Evidence from the Documents

In order to earn 1 point for using evidence from the documents, the response must address the topic of the

prompt by using at least three documents. To earn 1 point for evidence from the documents, the response must

accurately describe — rather than simply quote or paraphrase — content from at least three of the documents

to address the topic of the prompt.

Examples of describing the content of a document:

• “Document 6 says that with the introduction of new technology the man power in the police

department can now be used to keeping the city safer which taxpayers hope for.” (This example

describes evidence from the documents relevant to the topic, so it contributes toward the first evidence

point, but it does not use that evidence to support an argument about the extent to which the Progressive

movement caused political change in the United States, so it does not contribute toward the second point.)

• “Teddy Roosevelt in Document 2 is saying that the state needs to control these business corporations

that are becoming too powerful. They’re benefitting themselves instead of the workers.” (This example

correctly describes the content of Document 2, but it does not use that evidence to support an argument that

is relevant to the Progressive movement fostering political change in the United States.)

Examples of unacceptably describing the content of a document:

• “In the 1890s ‘when [Alderman] protected a lawbreaker from the legal consequences his kindness

appeared […] when Hull House on the other hand insisted that law must be enforced, it could but

appear as the persecution of the offender’ (Doc. 1).”(This example simply quotes from Document 1 and

does not use the content of this document to address the topic of the prompt.)

• “Wilson, in Document 5, is telling us that African Americans are being separated from whites in the

work force so they can be protected from discrimination.” (This example is a misunderstanding of

Document 5. The response attributes the document to President Wilson instead of the NAACP and

misunderstands the content of the document.)

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Question 1 — Document-Based Question (continued)

Document Content — Supporting an Argument

Responses earn 2 points by using the content of at least six documents to support an argument that responds

to the prompt. To earn 2 points, responses must accurately describe the document’s content; they cannot earn

a point by merely quoting or paraphrasing the documents with no connection to the topic of the prompt.

Examples of supporting an argument using the content of a document:

• “In a letter to Wilson, the NAACP points out to segregationists that by having segregation, especially

in the Federal government, promotes inequality (Doc. 5). Virtually no political change came about for

black people during this time.” (This example uses Document 5 to support an argument that the

Progressive era did not bring about political change for African Americans.)

• “In keeping with this idea of the rights of children, the Progressive movement also aligned with the

temperance movement for the protection of families. The temperance movement aimed at abolishing

alcohol, and was commonly supported by mothers, who saw the detrimental effects of alcohol leading

to the abuse of mothers and children within the family. The political cartoon encouraged voters to ‘Vote

Dry’ in favor of politicians who opposed the consumption of alcohol (Doc. 7).” (This example connects

the content of Document 7 to an argument about how the Progressive movement attempted to protect

families and the rights of children.)

Example of unacceptably supporting an argument using the content of a document:

• “The Departments at Washington had segregated employees so the NAACP requested that President

Wilson desegregate them (Doc. 5). Some may argue that because of this segregation, it must have

meant that progressive reform had no impact, but that is not the case because later it would be

required by law to desegregate work places.” (This example describes the content of Document 5 but uses

this document to support an erroneous argument that desegregation in the workplace will eventually be

achieved because of the Progressive Era.)

• “Document 7 says that people should vote for prohibition to help the mothers and children in the

country.” (This example is a correct description of Document 7 and would achieve credit for using the

content of a document to address the topic of Progressivism. However, this example does not tie its

observation about Document 7 to an argument about how the Progressive movement fostered political

change in the United States.)

Evidence Beyond the Documents

In order to earn 1 point for evidence beyond the documents, the response must use at least one additional piece

of specific historical evidence (beyond that found in the documents) relevant to an argument that addresses the

topic. To earn this point, the evidence must be described and must be more than a phrase or reference.

This additional piece of evidence must be different from the evidence used to earn the point for

contextualization. Typically, statements credited as contextualization will be more general statements that

place an argument or a significant portion of it in a broader context. Statements credited as supporting

evidence beyond the documents will typically be more specific details that function as support for a

particular point made in an argument, analogous to the function of evidence drawn from the documents.

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Question 1 — Document-Based Question (continued)

Evidence used might include the following, with appropriate elaboration:

• Muckrakers could be used as evidence of the spread of concern in the United States over the

negative effects of industrialization and the advocacy for political action to alleviate these effects.

• The Populist (People’s) Party could be used as evidence of the influence on Progressive thought of

economic reform efforts based in rural areas.

• The Federal Reserve Act (1913) could be used as evidence of the political change made by new

federal government regulation of the national money supply.

• The passage of the Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914) could be used as evidence of political change

made by Progressives to counter the reduction in economic competition caused by corporate

consolidation.

• The North American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) could be used as evidence of a

Progressive reform effort that changed United States politics by helping to expand the electorate by

pressing for women’s voting rights.

• Muckrakers

• Populist (People’s) Party

• Federal Reserve Act (1913)

• Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914)

• North American Woman Suffrage Association

• Eugene V. Debs

• W. E. B. Du Bois

• Henry Ford

• Robert La Follette

• New Freedom (associated with Woodrow Wilson)

• New Nationalism (associated with Theodore Roosevelt)

• Prohibition

• Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890)

• Upton Sinclair, The Jungle

• William Howard Taft

• Frederick W. Taylor

Examples of acceptable use of an additional piece of specific historical evidence:

• “Another example of successful use of government to enact change was the women’s rights movement,

in which the work of suffragists to gain the 19

amendment was clearly more effective for enacting

fully-recognized change than the smaller-scale and less ambitious idea of Republican Motherhood.”

(This example uses a particular piece of evidence beyond the documents to make a connection to a larger

argument.)

• “One effective Progressive reform would be that which was started by the book The Jungle. This book

sought to expose the dangerous conditions workers suffered in the meat factories of Chicago and

President Roosevelt immediately took action after the book, calling for legislation to be implemented,

investigations to be done, and the FDA to be established — all of which would see to more political

power for the Federal government.” (This example uses The Jungle to support an argument about

increasing the regulatory powers of the federal government during the Progressive Era.)

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Question 1 — Document-Based Question (continued)

Examples of unacceptable use of an additional piece of specific historical evidence:

• “Many organizations formed in response to this [Document 5] and pushed for political change by going

on marches, such as the March on Washington.” (This example would not earn credit because it is

historically inaccurate.)

• “They had people begin voting for Senators.” (This example is the start of an acceptable discussion, but

the allusion to the Seventeenth Amendment is no more than a brief reference and is not fully described.)

D. Analysis and Reasoning (0–2 points)

Document Sourcing

For at least three documents, the response explains how or why the document’s point of view, purpose,

historical situation, and/or audience is relevant to an argument that addresses the prompt. To earn this point,

the response must explain how or why — rather than simply identifying — the document’s point of view,

purpose, historical situation, or audience is relevant to an argument addressing the prompt for each of the

three documents sourced.

Example of an acceptable explanation of the relevance of the document’s point of view:

• “Couzens’ point of view [Doc. 6] comes from the fact that he had been the manager for Ford Motor

Company which created the efficient assembly line, so he would try to implement the success of the

Ford Motor Co. into the police departments.” (This example correctly identifies Couzens’s point of view as

that of a former manager for Ford Motor Company and connects it to an argument about why reformers

would want to improve the efficiency of urban police departments.)

Example of an unacceptable explanation of the relevance of the document’s point of view:

• “Addams’ point of view comes as she is the founder of Hull House, illustrating that these were

observations she obtained herself.” (This example does not contribute toward a point for document

sourcing because it inaccurately discusses the relevance of Addams’s point of view.)

Example of an acceptable explanation of the relevance of the document’s purpose:

• “Thus, many of these state reforms [Doc. 4] had the purpose of eventually creating national change by

means of say, an amendment such as the 17

amendment that gave voters direct election of their

senators, however, national change was not always seen.” (This example contributed toward a point for

document sourcing because it correctly identifies Johnson’s purpose in supporting several political

reforms.)

Example of an unacceptable explanation of the relevance of the document’s purpose:

• “This letter [Doc. 5] has the purpose to ask President Woodrow Wilson to change the legislative

policies of the time so that there can be more equal opportunities for Blacks.” (This example does not

contribute toward a point for document sourcing because it only describes the content of Document 5 and is

not adding any insight into the relevance of the NAACP’s purpose in writing this letter to President Wilson.)

Example of an acceptable explanation of the relevance of the historical situation of a document:

• “Roosevelt, in Document 2, advocated for much more power for the President to supervise and control

trusts. Roosevelt was able to control the trusts as a result of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.” (This

example contributes to a point for document sourcing because it links the historical situation of the

Sherman Anti-Trust Act to an argument about Roosevelt increasing the power of the federal government.)

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Question 1 — Document-Based Question (continued)

Example of an unacceptable explanation of the relevance of the historical situation of a document:

• “Document 3 shows how the Progressive movement led to government regulation because at the time

Chicago was a major city with lots of Progressive influence.” (This example does not contribute toward a

point for document sourcing because it does not explain why the fact that “Chicago was a major city” is

relevant in understanding the document.)

Example of an acceptable explanation of the relevance of the audience:

• “Document 6 says that segregation continued in government and insulted progressive efforts on behalf

of African Americans. It is significant that the NAACP is addressing President Wilson because Wilson

claimed to be a Progressive but they are pointing out that he was harming efforts for improved civil

rights for African Americans.” (This example contributes to a point for document sourcing because it

explains the relevance of the audience of the NAACP’s letter that President Wilson “claimed to be a

Progressive.”)

Example of an unacceptable explanation of the relevance of the audience:

• “Hiram Johnson’s audience in Doc. 4 was the people of California.” (This example does not contribute to

a point for document sourcing because it just restates information provided about the document and does

not explain how or why this information is relevant to an argument about Progressivism.)

Demonstrating Complex Understanding

The response demonstrates a complex understanding, using evidence to corroborate, qualify, or modify an

argument that addresses the question.

Demonstrating a complex understanding might include:

• Explaining a nuance by exploring the contradiction that Progressivism supported greater political

participation but also supported increased government power over people

• Explaining similarities and differences in different Progressive reform movements such as social

reform in cities, economic regulation, and Prohibition

• Explaining connections to other time periods, such as the reform efforts of the first half of the

nineteenth century

• Confirming the validity of the response’s argument about the greater role of the government in people’s

lives across themes by explaining how foreign policy in the Progressive Era involved United States

intervention into the affairs of its new colonies and foreign countries

• Qualifying or modifying an argument by considering evidence that shows the limitations on the

Progressive movement in achieving political change

This understanding must be part of the argument, not merely a phrase or reference.

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Question 1 — Document-Based Question (continued)

Examples of acceptable demonstration of a complex understanding:

• This response uses multiple pieces of evidence to corroborate its argument that the Progressive movement

was both a local and a national movement to fight political corruption. The response uses content from

Documents 3, 4, and 5 to corroborate this claim, and it also weaves in evidence beyond the documents

about muckraking and W. E. B. DuBois to further support this sophisticated argument. This paragraph

begins by saying, “Between 1890 and 1920, there was notable change in the fact that local political

reforms and nationwide social reforms both exposed the corruptness of the political atmosphere, using

propaganda and local campaigns to tackle a nationwide epidemic of political corruption.” The response

then qualifies its argument by stating, “However, there is a greater change in the fact that no local and

social reforms could combat the spoils system and big business’ effect on politics. . . . In Doc. 2,

Roosevelt explains that big corporations need to be controlled and supervised. Roosevelt’s intended

audience was big business to warn them of the fact that they cannot keep control of politics forever,

and the American people to encourage them to have hope that reform will be made. Roosevelt further

developed these ideas when running for the Progressive Bull Moose party in 1912 against Wilson.

Roosevelt’s speech shows that the power of big business over politics was so grand that it needed

control, showing a continuation in their omnipotence in politics despite criticism from progressives.”

Ultimately, this response demonstrates a complex understanding of how the Progressive movement fostered

political change but also the political and economic forces that ultimately limited this change.

• This response demonstrates a complex understanding of the Progressive Era by qualifying its argument.

“Lastly, while the progressive movement led to some political achievements in increasing the

democracy of voters, it failed to achieve true protection of democratic principles in that Black voters

were still limited in terms of their voting rights. During the progressive movement, many democratic

ideals were seen at the state level. Most notably was the initiative, referendum, and recall programs

established by many state governments.” The response then uses multiple pieces of evidence, such as

Document 4 and a discussion of the 17

Amendment, to support the argument that some reforms were

aimed at expanding democratic principles. The response then qualifies this argument by stating,

“However, national change was not always seen. Under the Woodrow Wilson presidency, Woodrow

Wilson would segregate White House offices and would clearly support racism, perhaps best seen

through his viewing of The Birth of a Nation at the White House, a film endorsed by the KKK which

viewed the Civil War as a war for the struggle of white people, not African slaves. In response to these

racist policies, interest groups such as the NAACP called out Wilson for his failure to protect the rights

of black people, despite other Progressive Era reforms already occurring (Doc. 5). . . . The NAACP was

frustrated with America, after all, the 13

, 14

, and 15

Amendments which aimed at abolishing

slavery, granting equal protection under the law and granting all blacks the right to vote, were not

protecting people in the shadow of sharecropping, segregation, and Jim Crow laws.” The entire

response is rich with evidence and demonstrates a complex understanding of the Progressive Era. This

lengthy paragraph, in particular, offers a sophisticated qualification to its argument.

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Question 1 — Document-Based Question (continued)

Example of unacceptably demonstrating complex understanding:

• The following response attempts to explain relevant and insightful connections within and across time

periods, but it does not quite demonstrate a complex understanding of the Progressive Era nor does it

clearly use evidence to corroborate or qualify its argument. “While progressives accomplished and

bettered American society overall, the long-term impacts on the African American community and our

failure to learn from mistakes of the Anti-Saloon League and Dry Movement plague us today. Ending

discriminatory practices would have made Black Americans’ situations better in the long run but that

did not happen. Legislators chose to enact the ‘War on Drugs,’ showing how we were unable to learn

from the Progressives’ failures in reducing trafficking and drug crime. The importance of the

Progressive Era cannot be understated, but we must remain objective in our assessments, criticizing

the negatives as well.” Ultimately, while this is a noble attempt at demonstrating a complex understanding

of the Progressive Era, the response is somewhat simplistic, and the references to modern society are not

fully developed.

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Question 2 — Long Essay Question

Evaluate the extent to which ideas of self-government influenced American colonial reaction to British imperial

authority in the period from 1754 to 1776.

Maximum Possible Points: 6

Points

Rubric

Notes

A: Thesis/Claim

(0–1)

Thesis/Claim: Responds to the prompt with

a historically defensible thesis/claim that

establishes a line of reasoning. (1 point)

To earn this point, the thesis must make a

claim that responds to the prompt rather than

restating or rephrasing the prompt. The thesis

must consist of one or more sentences located

in one place, either in the introduction or the

conclusion.

The thesis must make a historically defensible

claim that establishes a line of reasoning about how

ideas of self-government influenced American

colonial reaction to British imperial authority from

1754 to 1776.

Examples that earn this point include:

• “Although these taxes are considered to be

the reasoning behind the American

Revolution, the impending war was more so

about the need for individual freedom and

republican government that the British

deprived them of after the end to salutary

neglect.”

• “During the era of the Enlightenment,

colonists clung to these ideas of

Republicanism and self-government and

used them to justify opposition to Britain’s

economic control and political control of the

colonies.”

B: Contextualization

(0–1)

Contextualization: Describes a broader

historical context relevant to the prompt.

(1 point)

To earn this point, the response must relate the

topic of the prompt to broader historical

events, developments, or processes that occur

before, during, or continue after the time frame

of the question. This point is not awarded for

merely a phrase or a reference.

To earn the point, the response must accurately

describe a context relevant to how ideas of self-

government influenced American colonial reaction

to British imperial authority in the period from 1754

to 1776.

Examples of context might include the following, with

appropriate elaboration:

• Mayflower Compact and/or

acknowledgment of first chartered colonies

• Enlightenment ideas about liberty and

consent in government

• Colonial experience with local control of

religious institutions (e.g.,

Congregationalist church)

• Salutary neglect / Limited enforcement of

the Navigation Acts (1651, 1660, and 1663)

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Question 2 — Long Essay Question (continued)

C: Evidence (0–2)

Evidence:

Provides specific examples of

evidence relevant to the topic of the prompt.

(1 point)

To earn the first point, the response must

identify specific historical examples of

evidence relevant to the topic of the prompt.

Supports an Argument: Supports an

argument in response to the prompt using

specific and relevant examples of evidence.

(2 points)

To earn the second point, the response must

use specific historical evidence to support an

argument in response to the prompt.

Examples of evidence used might include:

• Virginia House of Burgesses

• Mayflower Compact

• Albany Congress (1754)

• Seven Years’ War (French and Indian War),

1754–1763

• Pontiac’s Rebellion (1763)

• Royal Proclamation of 1763

• Virtual representation

• Sons of Liberty (Massachusetts)

• Nonimportation/nonconsumption

• Quartering Act (1765)

• Vice admiralty courts

• Stamp Act and protests (1765–1766)

• Stamp Act Congress

• “No taxation without representation”

• Townshend Act (1767)

• Boston Massacre (1770)

• Tea Act (1773)

• Boston Tea Party (1773)

• Coercive/Intolerable Acts (1773)

• First and Second Continental Congress

• Olive Branch Petition (1775)

• Thomas Paine, Common Sense (1776)

• Declaration of Independence (1776)

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Question 2 — Long Essay Question (continued)

D: Analysis and Reasoning (0–2)

Historical Reasoning: Uses historical

reasoning (e.g., comparison, causation,

continuity and change over time) to frame or

structure an argument that addresses the

prompt. (1 point)

To earn the first point, the response must

demonstrate the use of historical reasoning to

frame or structure an argument, although the

reasoning might be uneven or imbalanced.

Complexity: Demonstrates a complex

understanding of the historical development

that is the focus of the prompt, using

evidence to corroborate, qualify, or modify

an argument that addresses the question.

(2 points)

To earn the second point, the response must

demonstrate a complex understanding. This

can be accomplished in a variety of ways, such

as:

• Explaining a nuance of an issue by

analyzing multiple variables

• Explaining both similarity and difference,

or explaining both continuity and change,

or explaining multiple causes, or

explaining both causes and effects

• Explaining relevant and insightful

connections within and across periods

• Confirming the validity of an argument by

corroborating multiple perspectives across

themes

• Qualifying or modifying an argument by

considering diverse or alternative views or

evidence

This understanding must be part of the

argument, not merely a phrase or reference.

Examples of using historical reasoning to frame or

structure an argument might include:

• Explaining how particular ideas from the

Enlightenment helped cause American

resistance to British rule, such as the Stamp

Act protests or the Boston Tea Party

• Tracing the continuity of earlier institutions

of self-government such as the Virginia

House of Burgesses to the role of local

governing bodies in colonial protests, such

as committees of correspondence

Ways of demonstrating a complex understanding of

this prompt might include the following:

• Explaining a nuance of an issue by

analyzing multiple variables by, for

example, assessing how ideas of self-

government played out in different colonies,

such as Virginia and Massachusetts

• Explaining multiple causes of American

resistance to British colonial authority, such

as the development of a unique American

identity

• Explaining relevant and insightful

connections within and across periods by,

for example, making comparisons with

arguments over federalism in the 1780s and

1790s or states’ rights in the 1850s or 1960s

• Confirming the validity of an argument by

corroborating multiple perspectives across

themes by, for example, exploring cultural

ideas about British American

exceptionalism or the socioeconomic

differences of British American societies

from Great Britain

• Qualifying or modifying an argument by

considering diverse or alternative views or

evidence by, for example, examining the

reasons why colonial resistance against the

Navigation Acts before the 1760s was

limited compared to the colonial reaction to

British imperial authority after 1763

If response is completely blank, enter - - for all four score categories: A, B, C, and D.