Long Essay Question (LEQ's)

As with any prompt, begin by considering what you already know about the topic—in this case, the societies of South Carolina and the British West Indies between 1660 and 1754. Keep in mind that you are not just recalling information; you are making an argument that analyzes a specific aspect of those societies, namely the economic factors that influenced their development. To organize your ideas effectively, apply prewriting strategies from previous units, such as outlining or brainstorming.

Now that you have a thesis, the next step is to plan your essay. As you’ve practiced, one effective strategy is to write your body paragraph topic sentences first. Once those are established, gather the evidence that supports each one. Historians use specific historical facts, analyzed in relation to their argument, to support their topic sentences, which ultimately reinforce the overall thesis.

Let's say one of your topic sentences is:

After tobacco prices declined in the 1630s, planters in Barbados shifted to cultivating sugar cane, a crop that was in high demand among European consumers.

This topic sentence addresses the prompt by identifying both an economic cause (“the profitability of sugar”) and its effect (“a large enslaved labor force”). From here, you must support that claim with historical evidence. Use the ACE method to structure your paragraph: the topic sentence serves as your claim, the next step is to cite the evidence you gathered during prewriting, and finally, you must explain how that evidence supports your claim. This explanation is the most critical part of the paragraph. In an essay, connecting evidence to your argument typically requires more detailed analysis than in Short-Answer Questions, as illustrated in the following example:

Sugar production in the English Caribbean and the Carolinas required an extensive labor force, leading these regions to develop oppressive, slavery-based economies [claim with evidence of cause]. By the 1660s, enslaved Africans—already integrated into the transatlantic economy for generations—became a readily available labor source for sugar plantations in Barbados [evidence of effect]. In the Carolinas, Charleston emerged as a major port of entry for enslaved Africans, and the colony began producing goods such as sugar and later rice to support both local demands and the broader Atlantic economy [evidence of effect]. By the late seventeenth century, these societies had evolved into slave-based systems in which enslaved Africans outnumbered white colonists, and legal structures were established to make slavery permanent in order to maintain economic profitability [explanation of effect].

Example Outline Response

You may wish to use the following outline to guide your response.

I. Introduction

A. Pre-contextualization

B. Thesis statement presenting three claims (1 alternative perspective, 2 lines of reasoning to support your argument/position

II. Claim 1 body paragraph  (cover alternative perspective here or body paragraph 3)

A. Topic sentence presenting claim 1

B. Cite evidence of claim 1

C. Explain how evidence supports claim 1

>>repeat B & C as needed

III. Claim 2 body paragraph

A. Topic sentence presenting claim 2

B. Cite evidence of claim 2

C. Explain how evidence supports claim 2

>>repeat B & C as needed

IV. Claim 3 body paragraph

A. Topic sentence presenting claim 3

B. Cite evidence of claim 3

C. Explain how evidence supports claim 3

>>repeat B & C as needed

V. Conclusion

A. Revisit thesis

B. Post-contextualization