APUSH DBQ

American Identity During the

American Revolution

Breaking Down the DBQ

 STEP 1 in your packet. Analyze the
question by underlining the key phrases.

To what extent had the colonists developed a

sense of their identity and unity as Americans by
the eve of the Revolution? Use the documents and
your knowledge of the period 1750-1776 to answer
the question.
• “TO WHAT EXTENT” means “to what degree” or “how much” and is an evaluation or judgment
directive.

• You will NEVER EVER write “all” or “none” or any word that means completely one way when you answer
a “to what extent” question.

• To what extent had the colonists developed a

sense of their identity and unity as Americans by
the eve of the Revolution? Use the documents
and your knowledge of the period 1750-1776 to
answer the question.
• For STEP 2,
2 brainstorm outside information and
categorize the information. Do NOT read the docs yet!

Political Social Economic

NOTE: “Political”, “Social”, & “Economic” are broad

generic categories. They are not always appropriate
but they will often work.
• To what extent had the colonists developed a sense of
their identity and unity as Americans by the eve of the
Revolution? Use the documents and your knowledge of
the period 1750-1776 to answer the question.

Political Social Economic

•Continental Congress •Women supported •Tax protests
•French & Indian War boycotts •Opposition to
•Intolerable Acts •Sons of Liberty mercantilism
•Declaration of •Patriots/Loyalists
Independence •Committees of
•Common Sense correspondence
 Political Social Economic
•Continental Congress •Women supported •Tax protests
•French & Indian War boycotts •Opposition to
•Intolerable Acts •Sons of Liberty mercantilism
•Declaration of •Patriots/Loyalists
Independence •Committees of
•Common Sense correspondence

• Let’s read the documents

• What is it?
• Why it’s important in terms of question
• Outside information
• Underline key phrases in the docs that say something
about the question.
• Be thinking about which of your 3 categories each doc will
fit under.
• Document A – Notice the date (1754) and source first.
• What is it?
• Political cartoon from Benjamin Franklin
• Why it’s important in terms of the DBQ question?
• It shows some people were trying to persuade colonists to unite for self-defense rather than remain independent colonies.
• Outside information from document.
• French and Indian War
• Join together to help the British

Political
• Document B – This one is over 10 years after the last document
• What is it?
• Speech from member of Parliament (in England)
• Why it’s important in terms of the DBQ question?
• Geography, distance from Britain, will prevent colonists from maintaining a British identity. BUT…they hold onto some British legal traditions (last sentence).
This means they will develop their own identity but will be influenced by Britain, like a child becomes their own person but is influenced in some ways by a
parent’s beliefs.
• Outside information from document.
• Edmund Burke- member of Parliament, supporter of Am Rev
• Parliament- lawmaking body of England
• England and colonies separated by Atlantic Ocean

Political
• Document C – We may not know who the speaker was (he will
sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776) but we can see
he’s probably writing to a relative.
• What is it?
• Possibly a letter (to a friend, relative?) by Richard Henry
Lee
• Why it’s important in terms of the DBQ question?
• It shows an American identity has developed and people
are united against British tyranny.
• “to ruin both Countries” means the government is
going to hurt both Britain AND America – notice Lee
refers to the 13 colonies as a single country here.
• “the Body of People” – Lee is referring to all colonists
as one group of people, implying they share something in
common.
• “America is now most firmly united” – again showing
the idea that the colonists are not separate peoples but
one united country, America.
• Outside information from document.
• Colonies under British control in 1774. “Ministry” in the
document refers to British government
• The Association goes into effect in September that year. It
was an intercolonial agreement to stop all trading with
England until Parliament repealed the Intolerable Acts.

Social
He talks
about ppl
being united
• Document D – Notice the date and source.
• Ooops – did you think the date this was written was 1707-1788?
• What is it?
• Letter from Mather Byles to Nathaniel Emmons
• Why it’s important in terms of the DBQ question?
• Not all colonists had developed an American identity and supported
independence by 1776
• Outside information from document.
• Byles seems to be loyal to the British government. What’s another
name for a Tory?
• LOYALIST

Social
• Document E
• What is it?
• Declaration from the 2nd Continental Congress
• Why it’s important in terms of the DBQ question?
• There is a sense of American identity
• “United Colonies of N. America”
• “taking up arms”
• “being with one mind”
• Document E –
• Why it’s important in terms of the DBQ question?
• BUT America isn’t ready to declare independence, thus the Am identity isn’t fully
developed (like you guys- you want more freedom at home but not ready to move out
yet!)
• “we mean not to dissolve that union”
• “we sincerely wish to be restored”
• “we have not yet raised armies with ambitious designs of separating from Great
Britain”
• Outside information from document.
• Look at the date. It’s one year before the Declaration but AFTER fighting has already
begun. (Lexington and Concord, Battle at Bunker Hill)
• 1st Continental Congress. First time reps from each colony meet together.
•

Political
• Document F –
• What is it?
• A historical report by Peter Oliver in 1781, so after fighting is
done
• Oliver refers to England as “a parent” and refers to the
leaders of the Revolution as “abandoned Demagogues” and
the majority of the colonists who supported the Revolution
were not like their leaders BUT INSTEAD weak and naïve (ie-
stupid followers) A political leader who seeks support by appealing to
popular desires and prejudices rather than by using
rational argument.
• Document F –
• Why it’s important in terms of the DBQ question?
• Although most Americans supported the Revolution there were
some who remained loyal to Britain, thus American unity was
never 100%.
• Americans can be divided into three groups:
• Patriots
• Loyalists (Tories)
• Neutrals
• Outside information from document.
• Battle of Yorktown, final battle of Am Rev occurred in Oct 1781
• British lost!

Social
• Document G –
• What is it?
• Narrative essay excerpt from Letters from an American Farmer
• Composed during the 1770s, so it reflects perceptions of who Americans
were on the eve of the Revolution
• Why it’s important in terms of the DBQ question?
• Although Americans originated from Europe, they are not European
anymore and have taken on a new identity- American.
• Outside info
• Frenchman but lived in the colonies/US for some time
• Wrote about life on American frontier and emergence of American identity

Social
 Political Social Economic
•Continental •Women •Tax protests
Congress supported •Opposition to
•French & Indian boycotts mercantilism
War •Sons of Liberty •DOCS: ?
•Intolerable Acts •Patriots/Loyalists
•Declaration of •Committees of
Independence correspondence
•Common Sense •DOCS: C, D, F,
•DOCS: A, B, E G
• Now we need to reorganize our list of outside information to
create a balanced essay.
• What problem do you see?
• Economic is weak and Political and Social are overloaded.
• Is there anything under Political that could be moved over to
Economic?

Political Social Economic

•Continental Congress •Women supported •Tax protests
•French & Indian War boycotts •Opposition to
•Intolerable Acts •Sons of Liberty mercantilism
•Declaration of •Patriots/Loyalists •DOCS: G
Independence •Committees of
•Common Sense correspondence
•DOCS: A, B, E •DOCS: C, D, F, H
 • Yes, the “Intolerable Acts” can be moved to
Economic since they were a punishment for a tax
protest and put people out of work.

Political Social Economic

•Continental •Women •Tax protests
Congress supported •Opposition to
•French & Indian boycotts mercantilism
War •Sons of Liberty •Intolerable Acts
•Declaration of •Patriots/Loyalists •DOCS: ?
Independence •Committees of
•Common Sense correspondence
•DOCS: A, B, E •DOCS: C, D, F,
G
 • We can also list specific tax protests or forms of protests to
enhance the Economic category.
• Since we have Intolerable Acts and Doc. G we should probably
include the Boston Tea Party.
• Before the Boston Tea Party colonists had boycotted British goods
to protest taxes so we’ll include that too.

Political Social Economic

•Continental Congress •Women supported •Tax protests
•French & Indian War boycotts •Boston Tea Party
•Declaration of •Sons of Liberty •Boycotts of
Independence •Patriots/Loyalists British goods
•Common Sense •Committees of •Opposition to
•DOCS: A, B, E correspondence mercantilism
•DOCS: C, D, F, G •Intolerable Acts
•DOCS: ?
• What can we delete from Political and Social since we have to write this under a
time limit?
• It’s your choice but think about what may tie in with some of your docs easily
and delete some that do not.
• The Continental Congress was mentioned in Doc. E so it’s not outside
information now. DELETE
• Committees of correspondence can probably go – too narrow.
• We could move women’s support of boycotts over to Economic since we have
boycotts under the Economic category. It’s up to you.
• NUMBER your outside info in the order in which it should be discussed in each
paragraph. Chronologically is best.

Political Social Economic

•Continental Congress •Women supported •Tax protests
3
•French & Indian War 1 boycotts 3 •Boston Tea Party
•Declaration of •Sons of Liberty 2 •Boycotts of
Independence 3 •Patriots/Loyalists 1 British goods 2
•Common Sense 2 •Committees of •Opposition to
•DOCS: A, B, E correspondence mercantilism 1
•DOCS: C, D, F, G •Intolerable Acts 4
•DOCS:?
 Political Social Economic
•French & Indian War - 1 •Women supported •Tax protests
•Declaration of boycotts -3 •Boston Tea Party - 3
Independence - 3 •Sons of Liberty - 2 •Boycotts of British
•Common Sense - 2 •Patriots/Loyalists -1 goods – 2
•DOCS: A, B, E •DOCS: C, D, F, G •Opposition to
mercantilism – 1
•Intolerable Acts - 4
•DOCS: ?

Now it’s time to learn how to write a

thesis. A “thesis” is the answer to
the question supported by evidence
– your three categories!
 • First, reread the question.
• Remember “to what extent” means “how much” but also means
“not all” or “not 100%”. You can NOT say “all colonists were
Americans by 1776”. Use some of the phrases you underlined
in the thesis.

• To what extent had the colonists developed a sense of

their identity and unity as Americans by the
eve of the Revolution? Use the documents and your
knowledge of the period 1750-1776 to answer the question.
The Thesis Formula: X. However, A, B, and C. Therefore, Y.
‘X’ represents the strongest point against your argument.
‘A, B, and C’ represent the three strongest points for
your argument.
‘Y’ represents the position you will be taking – in other
words, your stand on the prompt.

• To what extent had the colonists developed a sense of

their identity and unity as Americans by the
eve of the Revolution? Use the documents and your
knowledge of the period 1750-1776 to answer the question.
The Thesis Formula: X. However, A, B, and C. Therefore, Y.
‘X’ represents the strongest point against your argument.
‘A, B, and C’ represent the three strongest points for
your argument.
‘Y’ represents the position you will be taking – in other
words, your stand on the prompt.

The Thesis Formula: X. However, A, B, and C. Therefore, Y.

Teaching is an emotionally satisfying profession.
However, teachers rank consistenly at the bottom of the
pay scale, often work at home without just
compensation, and receive a lack of respect in our
society.
Therefore, teaching is clearly not the most important
profession and would be an unwise career choice.
The Thesis Formula: X. However, A, B, and C. Therefore, Y.
‘X’ represents the strongest point against your argument.
‘A, B, and C’ represent the three strongest points for
your argument.
‘Y’ represents the position you will be taking – in other
words, your stand on the prompt.

Now determine your “X” statement for the prompt:

• To what extent had the colonists developed a sense of their
identity and unity as Americans by the eve
of the Revolution? Use the documents and your knowledge
of the period 1750-1776 to answer the question.
 Now write a summary
STATEMENT for each of your
three categories.

Then develop a thesis

statement using the formula.
 A better thesis will give hints about specific
topics covered in the essay.
“American colonists mainly originated from England and
considered themselves subjects of the English empire.
However, acts from the Continental Congress began to
question British authority, people of differing cultures
freely mixed and the British government increased their
taxation policies after the French and Indian War.
Therefore, between 1750-1776 colonists increasingly
moved away from being loyal to England and developed a
unique American identity.”