Guide to the AP History Long Essay Question

Exam Overview and Preparation

• The LEQ is the final part of the AP exam, provided with a $40$-minute time limit.

• Students select one of three prompt options drawn from specific historical periods.

• A perfect score for the LEQ is $6$ points.

Step 1: Prompt Deconstruction

• Mark the time period; convert centuries to years (e.g., write $1900s$ for the $20^{th}$ century) to maintain accuracy under pressure.

• Identify the required historical thinking skill: Causation, Comparison, or Continuity and Change over Time.

• Note mandated categories such as economic, social, or political developments.

Step 2: Thesis and Contextualization

• Thesis ($1$ point): Must be historically defensible and establish a line of reasoning. Use the formula: $\text{Restate identifying parts of the prompt because A and B}$, where $A$ and $B$ are specific sub-arguments.

• Contextualization ($1$ point): Consists of $3$ to $4$ sentences setting the historical stage, preferably describing developments $50$ to $100$ years before the period of the prompt.

Step 3: Evidence and Argumentation

• Evidence ($2$ points): Earn $1$ point for describing two relevant pieces of evidence and a $2^{nd}$ point for using that evidence to support the argument.

• Paragraph Structure: Utilize a topic sentence that "steals" from the thesis, followed by specific evidence (e.g., "the three estates in France" or "Jamestown") that is explicitly tied back to the thesis.

Step 4: Analysis and Complexity

• Historical Reasoning ($1$ point): Successfully frame the essay using the prompt's required skill (e.g., Comparison or Causation).

• Complexity ($1$ point): Demonstrate a nuanced understanding by qualifying the argument. Suggested strategy: Use four pieces of evidence, where two support the main argument and two acknowledge a counter-argument or alternative cause (e.g., $x$ caused $y$, while acknowledging $z$ also caused $y$).

Key Examples and Proper Nouns

• Historical references include the French Revolution ($1789$ to $1799$), the revolutions of 1848, and the 2022 APUSH exam.

• Relevant figures and locations: "Louis the fourteenth", "Napoleon", "Napoleon the third", "Jamestown", and "Pilgrims".