Answers and Explanations for AP European History Practice Test 1 (^) ‹ 241
Section II, Part B: Long-Essay Question
Question
Strategies
Choose the question for which you can quickly write
a clear thesis and three topic sentences that you can
illustrate and support with several specific examples.
Then follow the five-step formula to constructing a
history essay of high quality. Here are the five steps
described in Chapter 7:
Step 1. Find the action words in the question,
and determine what the question wants you
to do.
Step 2. Compose a thesis that responds to the
question and gives you something specific to sup-
port and illustrate.
Step 3. Compose your topic sentences, and make
sure that they add up logically to your thesis.
Step 4. Support and illustrate your thesis with
specific examples.
Step 5. If you have time, compose a one-paragraph
conclusion that restates your thesis.
And remember the pitfalls to avoid:- Avoid long sentences with multiple clauses.
Your goal is to write the clearest sentence possible;
most often the clearest sentence is a relatively short
sentence. - Do not get caught up in digressions. No matter
how fascinating or insightful you find some idea or
fact, if it doesn’t directly support or illustrate your
thesis, don’t put it in. - Skip the mystery. Do not ask a lot of rhetorical
questions, and do not go for a surprise ending.
The readers are looking for your thesis, your argu-
ment, and your evidence; give it to them in a clear,
straightforward manner.
Creating Your Outline: Question 1
Question 1: Analyze the major social effects of the
Industrial Revolution.
Thesis: The Industrial Revolution produced a
Western European society that was more urban, less
family oriented, and filled with uncertainty.Topic Sentence A: The rise of the centralized factory
system that characterized the Industrial Revolution
produced a Western European society that was much
more urban.
Specific Examples: In the eighteenth century, the
majority of the British population lived in the country-
side. By the end of the nineteenth century, the majority
of the British population lived in cities. Examples include
the rise of Manchester, Sheffield, and Birmingham from
small villages to industrial cities.Topic Sentence B: The Industrial Revolution created a
Western European society that was less family oriented.
Specific Examples: Eldest sons and daughters moved
to cities to seek factory work. With the rise of industrial
cities came the rise of working-class slums. Fathers,
wives, and children often worked in different factories.Topic Sentence C: The Industrial Revolution destroyed
the certainties of traditional society.
Specific Examples: In the agricultural economy,
there was no such thing as unemployment. As more
and more machines were introduced, the demand for
labor went down, and unemployment became a cycli-
cal phenomenon. The rise of the workhouses and poor
houses in Great Britain were responses to that unem-
ployment.
Conclusion: The Industrial Revolution replaced the
traditional, rural, family-oriented society of certainty
with a new urban, individualized society of uncertainty.Creating Your Outline: Question 2
Question 2: Explain the ways in which the devel-
opment of mass politics contributed to the New
Imperialism of the late nineteenth century.
Thesis: The development of mass politics contrib-
uted to the development of the New Imperialism of
the late nineteenth century by creating a large group
of nationalistic voters whose support had to be won
by political elites.Topic Sentence A: The second half of the nineteenth
century saw a development of a large group of new
voters.
Specific Examples: In Great Britain, reform bills of
1867 and 1884 created nearly universal manhood suffrage.
In France, Louis-Napoleon granted universal manhood
suffrage in 1848. In Germany, Bismarck promised uni-
versal manhood suffrage (though he never provided it) in
return for popular support of his policies.25_Bartolini_AnsPrac1_231-242.indd 241 20/04/18 2:21 PM