AP US History · Exam guide

AP US History Thesis and Contextualization: Two Points You Can Plan Before You Write

A thesis and contextualization are two of the six or seven points on both written essays, and both can be planned in the first five minutes. One prompt runs through this guide: Evaluate the extent to which the American Revolution changed American society, 1763 to 1800.

The thesis point

The thesis must make a historically defensible claim that answers the prompt and sets up a line of reasoning. It cannot restate the prompt, and it cannot only list topics. It can sit in the introduction or the conclusion.

Does not earn the pointThe American Revolution changed American society in many ways, both political and social.

It repeats the prompt and takes no position on the extent.

Earns the pointThe Revolution changed American politics far more than American society: it replaced monarchy with republican government and weakened state-supported churches, but slavery survived in the new nation, although northern states began gradual emancipation, and women gained few new legal rights, so its principles worked more as a promise for later reformers than as an immediate transformation.

It makes a claim about extent, divides the evidence into politics and society, and names what the essay will argue.

Tests for a thesis

  • Could a reasonable person argue the opposite? If not, it is a fact.
  • Does it answer the verb in the prompt: evaluate the extent, compare, explain a cause?
  • Does it contain a reason ("because," "although," "but") that shapes the body paragraphs?

The contextualization point

Contextualization describes the broader historical situation that surrounds the prompt: developments before, during, or after the period, in more than a phrase. Three or four connected sentences near the start is the usual length.

Does not earn the pointBefore the Revolution there were thirteen colonies that were ruled by Britain.

It is a passing reference, not a description of a broader situation.

Earns the pointAfter the Seven Years' War ended in 1763, Britain was deeply in debt and ended its long practice of loose enforcement over the colonies, taxing them and restricting settlement west of the Appalachians. Colonists who had grown used to governing themselves through their assemblies saw these steps as attacks on their rights, and that conflict over who held authority is the setting for the changes the Revolution produced.

It names the situation before the period, the cause of the conflict, and links it to the prompt.

Where each point lives

PointWhere it goesHow long
ContextualizationThe introduction, before the thesisThree or four sentences
ThesisThe end of the introduction (or the conclusion)One to three sentences
Context in the DBQNot in the documents. Your own knowledge of the period.A paragraph, not a phrase

Common mistakes

  • A thesis that lists three topics with no claim about them.
  • Context that describes the topic of the prompt instead of the situation around it.
  • Context that is correct but never connects to the thesis.
  • Waiting until the conclusion to state the thesis for the first time.

Frequently asked questions

Can the thesis be in the conclusion?

Yes. The rubric accepts it in the introduction or the conclusion, but a thesis at the start keeps the essay on track.

How long should contextualization be?

Long enough to describe the broader situation in more than a phrase. Three or four sentences usually does it.

Does the thesis have to name every body paragraph?

No, but it must set up a line of reasoning that the paragraphs follow.

Is the thesis the same for the DBQ and the LEQ?

The rubric row is the same. The DBQ thesis should also be supported by the documents, and the LEQ thesis by your own evidence.

Where can I find the official scoring rules?

Exam formats change a little from year to year, so check the current course and exam description on the College Board site before test day.

Keep practicing

The AP US History course has five practice prompts for the DBQ and LEQ, plus short-answer sets, with a writing space that scores your response against the 7-point and 6-point rubrics. These free lessons also build the skills the free-response section tests:

See the AP US History course Free lessons and lesson list

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