Why do we use DBQs to study history?

The point of the document-based question is not to torment you but actually to put you in the historian’s shoes as an interpreter of historical material.

Explanation:

The DBQ is testing your ability to:  

create a strong thesis and support that thesis with the aid of the documents provided analyze sources for characteristics such as author’s point of view, the author's purpose, the audience, and context make connections between the documents bring in outside knowledge to strengthen the argument This may sound like a tall order, but you probably already use all these skills all the time.

It me to understand the world and my place in it. for example, (and i know i’m using the terminology ‘historical perspective’ loosely here; some of my examples may be better termed an ‘evolutionary perspective’) knowing that all humans can trace their ancestry back to a common ancestor who lived in southern ethiopia ~200,000 years ago makes me feel connected to everyone on the planet. knowing that some of our ancestors left africa about 70,000 years ago and interbred with more archaic hominin species in europe and elsewhere, me to see the stupidity of white supremacist ‘purity of the race’ themes. seeing how religion was used to enslave people, and how callously lives were thrown away by those in power in the world wars of the past century makes me feel extremely fortunate to be living in the modern era. and, perhaps most importantly is that this knowledge makes me for the sacrifices our ancestors made to get us to this point, and determined to do my part to make the world a better place for the next generation.