Thesis Writing for AP History Exams

Rubric Standards: To earn the point in AP US, AP Euro, and AP World, the thesis must be a historically defensible claim that establishes a line of reasoning.
Location and Length: The thesis must be one or two sentences located in either the introduction or the conclusion.
Argumentative Nature: The thesis must make a claim that responds to the prompt. It cannot simply restate or rephrase the question.

Specificity: A thesis should be "haggis-like," packed with specific historical evidence. For example, instead of mentioning general causes of the American Revolution, name specific events like the Stamp Act and the Sugar Act.
Line of Reasoning: It must provide a clear roadmap for the essay by naming the evidence that will be used to support the argument.

Structure: "Although [Counterargument], because [Evidence 1] and [Evidence 2], [Main Argument]."
Counterargument Component: Starting with a counterargument acknowledges different interpretations of history and sets the stage for the complexity point later in the rubric.
Evidence Component: Including at least two specific pieces of evidence forces the writer to be specific and establishes the line of reasoning.

Prompt: Evaluate the extent to which the Portuguese transformed maritime trade in the Indian Ocean in the sixteenth century.
Model Thesis: "Although some understand the arrival of the Portuguese as a fundamental change in Indian Ocean maritime trade in the sixteenth century, because the Portuguese never extended their political control beyond a few ports and had to compete with Indian merchants regional states such as the Ottoman Empire, their arrival made a modest change at best."
Breakdown: This example includes a counterargument (fundamental change), two pieces of evidence (limited political control and competition with the Ottoman Empire), and a clear claim (modest change at best).