Long essay question (LEQ)
Peasants and rural life
- Units 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
- 6 points
- About 40 minutes
You write an argument essay from your own knowledge, with no documents. Starting May 2027 there is one required prompt with a short opening statement; it spans about half of the course's time periods and you can focus on the part you know best. On the exam: 1 required question (Section II, Question 2), 40 minutes, 15% of the score.
The question
Between 1450 and 1815, most Europeans lived in the countryside and worked the land. Over these centuries, rising prices, new crops and farming methods, growing commercial markets, revolts and revolutions affected rural communities, but in different ways in different parts of Europe.
Suggested time: 40 minutes
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The essay
6 pointsEvaluate the extent to which the lives of European peasants changed in the period 1450 to 1815. You are not expected to address the entire time period in your response. You may focus on one or more developments referenced in the prompt. In your response you should do the following: • Respond to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis or claim that establishes a line of reasoning. • Describe a broader historical context relevant to the prompt. • Support an argument in response to the prompt using at least two pieces of specific and relevant evidence. • Use historical reasoning (e.g., comparison, causation, continuity or change) to frame or structure an argument that addresses the prompt. • Demonstrate a complex understanding of a historical development related to the prompt through sophisticated argumentation and/or effective use of evidence.
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