My name is Claire. I'm a licensed teacher and professional tutor with over ten years of experience in education. I've helped dozens of students improve their grades in AP US History. If HAPP-E has you all mixed up, read on so you can ace your next Document Based Question.
Note: This article will use examples from AP US History. Click here if you'd like to see examples from AP World History.
What Does HAPP-E Stand For?
HAPP-E helps you remember how to earn the sourcing and the evidence beyond the document point. The first four letters refer to the four options for sourcing a document in AP US History. The final letter reminds you to include evidence not found in the documents in your response.
Here is what each letter stands for:
E: Evidence (beyond the documents)
Read on to learn more about the specifics of each theme.
Source Analysis
The sourcing point is earned by analyzing the source of a document. A source is a person, place, or thing that provides something useful. To earn this point, we consider the origin of a document. This is different from the evidence. Evidence is when we use the author's words to support a point. Sourcing is when we use the author's characteristics, intentions, or circumstances to draw conclusions. Sourcing also occurs when we think about who the author was writing to.
Sourcing is different from analyzing evidence. We look for evidence in the document itself. When sourcing, we often use information outside of the document itself. Each question on the AP US History will have a short blurb of information labeled "source." We can find important information about who created a document and when it was created. You won't always find the necessary information in the source. Sometimes we have to infer information about the source based on information in the document. For practice and take-home exams, you may wish to research the authors.
There are additional subtleties to earning the sourcing point. For now, let's take a look at each of the four options for sourcing in AP US History. You must use one of these options when sourcing for your example to count towards earning the point.
H: Historical Situation
Historical situation refers to events or developments that influence the creation of a particular document. It is the sourcing option that is most similar to contextualization. Both skills ask you to think about the circumstances surrounding an event. When contextualizing, you're thinking about the circumstances surrounding the topic of your essay. When considering the historical situation, you're thinking about the circumstances surrounding the creation of a specific document.
Let's use the Declaration of Independence as an example. This document was created after the Battles of Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill. When the king rejected the Olive Branch Petition, many colonial leaders believed they were justified in starting a new colony.
A: Audience
Audience is who was suppose to read or see the original document. In other words, who was suppose to get the message contained in the document? Audience can refer to a single person or a group of people. We often name an audience by using words that explain what they have in common. For example, a document's audience might be intended for abolitionists, government workers, or lower-class women.
Identifying an audience can be tricky because documents are often read by outside groups. These outside groups receive the message, but it wasn't originally intended for them. You (and me!) are rarely the audience for historical documents. We are just eavesdropping on someone else's conversation. When in doubt, go back to first principles. We want to identify who the writer was thinking about when they created the documents.
Sometimes writers identify their audience directly, and sometimes they don't. Some documents are intended for multiple audiences.
The Declaration of Independence is a good example of a document that had multiple intended audiences. First, the Founding Fathers knew that England's government and king would read their words. They also sent copies of the Declaration of Independence around the country. They knew that the people of the United States would need to know why the Founding Fathers were asking them to fight. This helped recruit soldiers and support for the war effort.
P: Purpose
Purpose describes why a document was created. When I'm stuck on purpose, I use the PIE method to determine the source. Each letter in this acronym stands for a reason why humans create sources.
P: Persuade.
These documents exist to convince others. The author typically wants someone else's beliefs, opinion, or behavior to change. Sometimes documents are written to persuade governments to change their policies.
I: Inform.
These documents exist to convey information to others. However, this category can be deceptive. It's likely that a document is intended to persuade if it only gives information that supports one side of an issue.
E: Entertain.
These documents are intended to be humorous or fun for the reader or viewer.
This method will get you started. Whenever possible, it is best to give information about the specific purpose. If you know that the author is trying to persuade, it's helpful to explain what they want people to do. This sets you up for a stronger analysis section.
Creators often have multiple reasons for creating a document. A political cartoon may be intended to entertain and persuade. A government report may have a section that is reporting on the history of an issue and a later section describing potential changes.
Let's look at the Declaration of Independence again. The purpose of the Declaration of Independence is to declare (or inform). The writers wanted the colonists and the king to know that the colonists are now an independent country. But the Founding Fathers didn't just say that the country was independent. They also listed and explained numerous reasons why fighting the British was the right thing to do. This is because the Declaration was also intended to persuade people to support independence.
P: Point of View
Finally, we have point of view. Point of view describes the characteristics, beliefs, or experiences of the person (or group) who created the document. This is very similar to audience, where we described the characteristics of the people receiving the message. Here, we think about the creator instead.
In the case of the Declaration of Independence, we have options. We could discuss the writer who created most of the text (Thomas Jefferson). We could also discuss the beliefs of the Continental Congress because they approved and signed the document. The group believed in Enlightenment concepts like consent of the governed and natural rights. They also believed it was okay to separate from Great Britain, even if it meant a war. These beliefs influenced the words they chose to use in the Declaration of Independence.
Evidence Beyond the Documents
E: Evidence (Outside)
The final letter in the HAPP-E acronym is the only letter that doesn't relate to source analysis. Instead, "Evidence" is intended to remind you to think of facts, developments, and ideas that you can use to earn the outside evidence point. Outside evidence is specific information that relates to the prompt, but isn't found in any of the seven documents.
You can often use the documents themselves to generate ideas. For example, the group that approved the Declaration of Independence was the Second Continental Congress. That idea might lead me to think about the reasons why they met. I could also link the Declaration of Independence to things that happened after it was written. This could include the American Revolution, Constitution, or Bill of Rights. Any fact that's not mentioned in the documents or their source information is fair game for outside evidence.
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