AP African American Studies Reading and Writing Workshop

Reading and Writing Workshop: African American Life in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era (c. 1877–1919)
​Objectives:

• Analyze primary sources to understand the African American experience during the Gilded Age and Progressive Era
• Develop critical thinking skills through SAQs and DBQs
• Improve reading comprehension and historical argumentation

Part 1: Background Reading
​Required Readings (Public Domain Sources)

1. Booker T. Washington – Up from Slavery (1901)
   • Key focus: Washington’s philosophy on racial uplift and industrial education
2. W. E. B. Du Bois – The Souls of Black Folk (1903)
   • Key focus: Du Bois’ concept of double consciousness and critique of Washington
3. Ida B. Wells – Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases (1892)
   • Key focus: Lynching and racial violence
4. Excerpts from the Freeman and the Crisis
   • Key focus: African American perspectives on civil rights and racial progress

Part 2: Reading Analysis and SAQs
Short Answer Questions (SAQs)
Instructions: Answer each question in 2-3 complete sentences with specific evidence from the readings.

1. Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois held different views on racial progress. How did their approaches to African American advancement differ?
2. According to Ida B. Wells, what were the main causes of lynching in the South, and how did she argue against the justifications for it?
3. What does W. E. B. Du Bois mean by the concept of double consciousness, and how does it shape African American identity?
4. How did African American newspapers like The Crisis challenge racial discrimination and promote civil rights?

Part 3: Document-Based Question (DBQ)
Prompt:
Analyze the strategies African Americans used to resist racial discrimination and advocate for civil rights between 1877 and 1919. Use the provided documents to support your argument.
Documents:

1. Booker T. Washington, Speech at the Atlanta Exposition (1895)
   • Advocates for vocational education and economic self-sufficiency
2. W. E. B. Du Bois, The Niagara Movement Declaration of Principles (1905)
   • Calls for full civil rights and higher education for African Americans
3. Ida B. Wells, Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases (1892)
   • Investigates racial violence and calls for political activism
4. NAACP, Founding Statement (1909)
   • Demands federal action against racial injustice and legal discrimination
5. Political Cartoon from The Crisis (1915)
   • Depicts racial inequalities and calls for activism

Essay Instructions:

• Thesis: Develop a strong thesis that responds to the prompt
• Evidence: Use at least three documents to support your argument
• Contextualization: Connect the argument to broader historical developments
• Outside Evidence: Include at least one piece of historical evidence not found in the documents

Part 4: Writing Workshop and Peer Review
Step 1: Drafting

• Students draft their responses to the DBQ
• Use direct quotes and paraphrases from the documents
• Organize the essay into an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion

Step 2: Peer Review

• Exchange drafts with a partner
• Provide feedback on thesis strength, use of evidence, and clarity
• Suggest improvements in argumentation

Step 3: Revision

• Students revise their essays based on peer feedback
• Focus on historical reasoning and clarity of argument

Wrap-Up Discussion

• How did African Americans navigate oppression while advocating for rights?
• What lessons can we learn from the strategies used in this era?
• How do these historical struggles connect to modern civil rights movements?

This workshop encourages students to engage deeply with public domain works, practice historical thinking, and strengthen their analytical writing skills.