DBQ: What Caused Goblin Rebellions in the 18th Century?
Directions
1. Read the Background Essay. It provides an overview of goblin rebellions in history.
2. Quickly skim the documents to get a sense of what they are about.
3. Read the documents slowly. Who or what is the source? What is the issue being discussed? Summarise the main idea presented in each document.
4. Organize the documents by category.
5. Develop a thesis and, using the documents as evidence, write an essay explaining what caused the goblin rebellions in the 18th century.
Background
Throughout the history of the Wizarding world, there have been several goblin rebellions, the most famous in 1612. There are subversive goblin groups who work in secret against the Ministry even today, but these rebellions were most prevalent in the 17th and 18th centuries. This document-based question asks, "What caused the Goblin Rebellions in the 18th century?
Document 1
Excerpt from the Code of Wand Use, first established by the Ministry of Magic in 1629.
Code of Wand Use
Clause 1. All magical beings carrying a wand are subject to the regulations of their home country's Ministry of Magic. Improper conduct or blatant abuse of a wand will result in discipline.
Clause 2. No witch or wizard under the age of eleven is permitted a wand. All witch or wizards under the age of seventeen are permitted wands, but with strict limitations. (est. 1630) [also see Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery]
Clause 3. No non-human creature is permitted a wand. (est. 1631)
Clause 4. All witches and wizards have the right to carry a wand at all times. (est. 1692)
Document 2
Quote comes from an anonymous goblin in 1998.
"The right to carry a wand has long been contested between wizards and goblins… Wizards refuse to share the secrets of wandlore with other magical beings; they deny us the possibility of extending our powers!"
Document 3
Excerpt from the diary of Elizabeth Beckett, a young witch living in Hogsmeade in the 18th century.
Wensday, Joon 8th, 1774
Mary wanted me to cum to the pond today. I told her that she only wanted too go to see that John Walker. She sed she reckuned I was jelous and left. I followed her for a ways and hid behind a tree at the edge of the pond. Mary was laughing as John and some other fellers from the village were dunking some poor goblun in the watur. I ran bak to my house before Mary could start hollerin for my papa to come give me a good hiding.
The "goblun" was Urg the Unclean, who would later be a goblin activist in the 18th century rebellions.
Document 4
Graphs come from the Organization for Magical Records and History.
Members of the Wizengamot in 1650:
Wizards: 100%
Other (including goblins, vampires, hags, giants, house-elves, veela, and werewolves): 0%
Members of the Wizengamot in 1700:
Wizards: 100%
Other (including goblins, vampires, hags, giants, house-elves, veela, and werewolves): 0%
Members of the Wizengamot in 1750:
Wizards: 100%
Other (including goblins, vampires, hags, giants, house-elves, veela, and werewolves): 0%
Document 5
The following are several different classifications of magical creatures.
1482 ~ Burdock Muldoon, Chief of the Wizards' Council
Any member of the magical community that walks on two legs is henceforth granted the status of being, all others to remain beasts. All beings are invited to meet at the Wizard's Council summit to discuss new magical laws.
1661 ~ Elfrida Clagg, Chief of the Wizards' Council
Beings are those who can speak the human tongue. All who can make themselves understood to Council members are therefore invited to join the next summit meeting.
1811 ~ Grogan Stump, Minister of Magic
A being is any creature that has sufficient intelligence to understand the laws of the magical community and to bear part of the responsibility in shaping those laws. A beast is any creature that does not meet the standards above. A spirit is any sort of ghost, which is not classified as a being because it is quite clearly a "has-been." Henceforth, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures shall have three sub divisions. The Beast division shall deal with all duties and problems concerning magical creatures classified as beasts. The Being division shall deal with all duties and problems concerning magical creatures classified as beings. The Spirit division shall deal with all duties and problems concerning magical creatures classified as spirits.
Document 6
Political cartoon from the 17th century depicts a group of house elves and goblins supporting a throne with a wizard on top.
Document 7
Transcription of Yardley Platt's Chocolate Frog Card.
Yardley Platt (1446-1557)
An infamous dark wizard, Yardley Platt was most renowned for being a serial goblin killer. At age five, he pocketed a coin from the floor at Gringott's Wizarding Bank, only to be near attacked by goblins for stealing. The majority of his killing streak happened between 1475 and 1484. In 1553, he was sentenced to Azkaban. During that time, he slaughtered over seven hundred goblins. It is still unknown why he did so, but sources suggest that he never recovered from his childhood trauma. He died four years later at the age of 111 after being driven crazy by the Dementors.
Document 8
Chart showing the control of Gringotts by the Ministry of Magic. Note that their influence was strongest from 1720 to 1865, then again from 1997 to 1998.