2022 AP EUROPEAN HISTORY DBQ SAMPLE RESPONSES - Exam Prep

Sep 20, 2026

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2022 AP European History DBQ sample responses analyze key developments in early Stuart England and the causes of the English Civil War. The response explains the succession from Elizabeth I to James I and then Charles I, framing absolutism and conflicts with Parliament as central political drivers. It shows how both sides used religion to mobilize support while contemporaries in the middle emphasized liberties, consent to taxation, and legal authority rather than purely confessional goals.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Prewriting (T-Chart)

Religious, Political, and Bystander Evidence

Background: Succession and Absolutism

Religious Pretext During the Civil War

Political Struggle and Legal Liberties

Perspectives from Those Caught in the Middle

Outcome and Summary

2022 AP EUROPEAN HISTORY DBQ SAMPLE RESPONSES Click here to view the 2022 AP Euro DBQ MY RESPONSE (Note: I would not expect an essay to be of this caliber to earn full credit): PREWRITING (T-CHART): | RELIGIOUS | POLITICAL | CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE
(Bystanders) | | --- | --- | --- | | DOC 1 -MP | DOC 4-Royalist’s Wife | DOC 3-Praying for Peace | | DOC 2-Anabaptists | DOC 6-Battle Flag | DOC 5-Merchant | | DOC 7-Soldier’s Catechism | OE-Petition of Right | OE-Beheading of Charles I | In 1603, Elizabeth I, the “Virgin Queen,” died without an heir, and was succeeded by James VI of Scotland, who reigned as James I of England. James was an absolutist who believed in the Divine Rights of Kings, which taught that a monarch’s authority came directly from God, and a king should not share this God-given authority with a representative body full of men who were not ordained by God to rule. James was succeeded by his son, Charles I, who tried ruling alone for some years before needing to call Parliament in order to get money. The conﬂict between Charles and Parliament would escalate into the English Civil War. The English Civil War was primarily a political war caused by a power struggle between the king and parliament. However, religious differences were used and ampliﬁed in order to motivate people to support one side or the other. Those who were reluctant to get involved believed it was more of a conﬂict between two factions than a holy war. Religion was used effectively as a pretext by both sides during the English Civil War. In 1640, Charles called Parliament and dismissed it almost immediately – this would be known as the “Short Parliament.” The next Parliament was called the “Long Parliament”because its members refused to go home after Parliament was dismissed by the king again. When Charles I dismissed the Short Parliament, he promised to preserve the purity of the Church of England, implying that the members who were against him were a threat to true Christianity (Doc 1) . Charles persecuted Anabaptists who refused to assemble in their parish churches. These Anabaptists said that they did not have to obey the king in religious matters, but only in matters of civil law (Doc 2) . This is consistent with Anabaptists, in general, who believed in the complete separation of church and state, believing religion tobe a personal matter of conscience. The soldiers in Parliament’s New Model Army carried a“Catechism,” which said that “papists” had seduced the king with their false teachings and that the soldiers were ﬁghting” in defense…of the true Protestant religion”(Doc 7) . However, this catechism also stated that the soldiers were ﬁghting for their laws and liberties, as well as for the rights of Parliament. While England had religious tensions in the 1640s, the English Civil War was not fought so that Anabaptists could have church in their homes. The war was a power struggle between the king and Parliament. A wife of a Royalist wrote to her friend, who was married to a “Roundhead” (Parliament supporter), that the Parliament supporters were “the King’s Visit [tomrichey. net](tomrichey. net) for more instructional materials. subjects” who had no right to ﬁght against their “lawful king”(Doc 4) . For Royalists, the war was fought in defense of the laws and legitimate royal authority. As a Royalist, lady Sydenham focused on the lawlessness of the Parliamentary faction, but she did not focus at all on Charles I’s violations of the traditional rights of Englishmen – and these violations were many. A battle ﬂag of the Parliamentary Army said “Preserve the law, O Lord!” and also had the words “MAGNA CHARTA” written on it (Doc 6) . The Magna Carta, signed by King John in 1215, guaranteed the rights of English subjects to consent to taxation through representatives and to have jury trials. Before the English Civil War, Parliament sent Charles the Petition of Right, describing the misconduct of royal ofﬁcials and the violations

FAQs

What historical transition sets up the conflict discussed in the sample response?

After Elizabeth I dies without an heir, James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England, followed by Charles I. The conflict grows from absolutist beliefs and Charles’s clashes with Parliament.

How does the response argue that religion was used during the English Civil War?

Both sides used religious claims as pretexts to recruit support, including persecution of groups like Anabaptists and Protestant messaging in military materials.

What does the response say were the war’s primary causes and how do bystanders interpret it?

The response concludes the war was primarily political—a struggle over king versus Parliament and over traditional liberties. People caught in the middle describe it as more about rights and authority than a purely holy conflict.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Lute