<p>Hi, everyone.
I am having trouble understanding the question of AP USH FRQ. In some questions, there is a sentence that asks me to confine my answer to a certain time period. For example,
"
In what ways did African Americans shape the course and consequences of the
Civil War?
Confine your answer to the years from 1861 to 1870.
"
In this question, do the test readers subtract points (one or two out of nine) if I mention something happening in 1850 or 1875? Or will they simply ignore my writing on things happening out of the period?
If I know an event that is certainly related to the question but I am not sure about the time, should I risk writing that event on my essay?
Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>definitely include it! it may not get you as many points but it certainly won’t lose you points. just make sure it’s more or less related (did it affect an event which happened in the actual time period?)</p>
<p>NO… NO NO…do not include it.</p>
<p>Nothing out of period goes into that essay. ← this goes for all three essays. </p>
<p>especially if you know that it is out of period. </p>
<p>Graders on APUSH grade holistically… so if you accidentally add something out of period they wont be harsh on that.</p>
<p>But if your essay gives the impression that you don’t know history well enough to define your essay to that period then you will be given a low score. (3-5)</p>
<p>Follow the directions… If it says, “Confine your answer to the years from 1861 to 1870,” then confine your answer to the years from 1861 to 1870.</p>