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Free Response Questions for AP United States History
Created by Mr. Everett, New Bedford High School, New Bedford, Massachusetts
1. First Settlements
1. Describe the economic, political and social motives for English colonization of the ‘New World’.
2. Explain the Spanish method of colonization in detail and determine whether this method was effective or not for Spain.
3. Examine the cultural, political, economic and military differences between North and Central/Southern Native Americans.
4. Was the introduction of African slaves to the colonies an economic necessity? What alternatives existed, if any?
5. Did the Pilgrims achieve their colonization objectives? Was the establishment of Plymouth Plantation a success?
6. Examine the short and long term impact of King Phillip’s War. Was the outcome inevitable for Native Americans?
7. Explain the relationship between the Puritan religion and the political organization of the Massachusetts Colony.
8. What is the historic significance of the Mayflower Compact? Was it a revolutionary document or not?
9. Describe in detail the tribal organization of Native Americans in North America. What were its strengths & weaknesses?
10. From your personal knowledge, what are the lessons of American history? What does it mean to be an American?
2. Colonization
1. What is the impact of organized religion and religious faith on society? How did it specifically affect American society?
2. Examine Great Britain’s policy of colonial rule in colonial America and justify a more effective alternative for England.
3. Describe the differences between English and French relationships with Native American tribes in North America.
4. Why did African tribes collaborate with Europeans in the slave trade? Explain and examine from all perspectives.
5. How did the colonies differ from one another in origin? Which offered the best model for English citizens? Why?
6. In what way was Roger Williams a progressive leader for his times? Did he change the world in which he lived or not?
7. What are the strengths and weaknesses of a mercantilist economy between mother country and colony?
8. Describe the ‘Middle Passage’ from the perspective of an African slave and explain its psychological impact on history.
9. Compare the Quakers to the Puritans in colonial America. How did each affect the development of colonial settlements?
10. Colonial governments began with experiments of direct democracy. Did America continue or change over the years?
3. Pre-Revolutionary America
1. What does it mean to be ‘revolutionary’? Was the Declaration of Independence a revolutionary document? Why/why not?
2. Explain the short and long term impact of the Enlightenment on American political philosophy and culture.
3. Could the revolution have occurred without the radical uprisings in Boston? Describe them in detail and explain.
4. All British colonies paid taxes. Why did colonists fight Parliament’s ability to tax them specifically?
5. Alternative history is always interesting. Discuss and explain three significant ‘what if’ scenarios in the move to revolt.
6. Explain in detail the radical position promoted by Patrick Henry and Samuel Adams for revolution. Is it justified today?
7. Did the revolutionary era in the English colonies create leaders or did leaders create the revolution? Explain fully.
8. When is a revolution justified and when is it not? Use specific examples from history to defend your answer.
9. How did the process of colonial unity take form? What specific events led to separate English colonies joining together?
10. Explain in detail how the events leading to the revolution affected common people in the English colonies.
4. The American Revolution
1. What characteristics did George Washington posses that created through him opportunities for continual leadership?
2. How did American patriots justify the existence of slavery while fighting for their own freedom from England?
3. Explain in detail the effect of the Revolutionary War on Native Americans, their land, their culture and their existence.
4. Describe the Revolutionary War in military terms (strategic and tactical). Was the outcome predictable or not? Explain.
5. What is the value of alliances in a time of war? Could the war have been won without the French or with the Hessians?
6. The romanticism of the Revolutionary War did not parallel its reality. Defend or attack this position with evidence.
7. Was the Revolutionary War a popular uprising? Explain using historical evidence and reasoning.
8. How did economic forces create, sustain and become affected by the Revolutionary War in the American colonies.
9. What impact did American domestic support for the British have on the conduct of the war and the message of revolution?
10. How can revolutions fail? What political, economic and social forces contribute to the loss of a revolutionary struggle?
5. The Articles of Confederation
1. What lessons did Shays Rebellion teach both average Americans and those who hold institutional power in 1786?
2. What political, economic and military benefits did the Articles of Confederation provide the former colonies?
3. Describe the economic significance of Adam Smith’s ‘Wealth of Nations’ and its impact on American development.
4. Explain how both the short and long term impact of the Northwest Ordinance affected Americans as they expanded west.
5. Was a new Constitution needed in 1787? Explain your answer by considering political, economic and social factors.
6. Did the Newburgh Conspiracy pose a potential or real threat in 1783? How would America have been different if it succeeded?
7. What were the political, economic and military inefficiencies of the Articles of Confederation? Describe their impact then.
8. Why did England surrender? Consider the Revolutionary War and the Confederation period from their perspective & analyze.
9. In what way did the forming of a permanent American government affect Native Americans? Describe in detail.
10. How did victory affect women, the poor, and slaves in the new ‘United States’ after the Revolutionary War was over?
6. The US Constitution
1. Was the Constitutional Convention revolutionary or anti-revolutionary concerning both its methods and results?
2. Describe the full impact in both the short and long terms of the 3/5 Compromise on the government & institution of slavery.
3. Fully describe and explain the role (any) four individuals had on the structure and implementation of a new government.
4. What role and impact did the Anti-Federalists have on the Constitutional Convention, the Constitution & ratification process?
5. When planning the Executive Office, what specific powers did the Convention seek to promote and avoid in a national leader?
6. Describe the content and implications of the arguments used by Madison in Federalist #10?
7. What specific changes did the Convention seek to add, improve, or eliminate in a new Legislative Branch?
8. How specifically did the idea of ‘checks and balances’ and a ‘separation of powers’ promote democratic government?
9. In what specific ways was the structure and implementation of government through the new Constitution not democratic?
10. How should Americans today interpret and analyze the Constitutional Convention and the Constitution itself?
7. The Bill of Rights
1. List and explain three future amendments you envision for America’s future. In what way do they expend the rights of individuals?
2. How do you believe the Supreme Court should define the ‘right to bear arms’ in light of America’s very high rate of gun violence?
3. Could the Constitution have been ratified without the addition of the Bill of Rights? Describe what this alternative USA would be like.
4. Explain five examples of times in US history when the rights of individuals in the Bill of Rights were suspended or removed.
5. In times of threats to individuals and national security, when (or should) the rights of individuals be limited to increase protection?
6. Should the interpretation of the rights of individuals be a power of citizenship, by voting, or should the courts retain these powers?
7. Under what circumstances should the freedom of speech be reduced or eliminated in America? Should it never be limited?
8. Are the rights of individuals relative (depending on circumstance/perspective) or universal (never changing)? Justify your answer.
9. Which do you believe are the three most important amendments to the Constitution? Explain why in the context of US history.
10. How do individual citizens protect and enforce equal rights for themselves and others in their daily lives? Explain & give examples.
8. Washington, Adams and Jefferson
1. Hamilton and Jefferson both had different visions for America’s economic future. Whose vision was right, in your opinion, and why?
2. Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation became unofficial US policy until WW1. In what ways was it strategically wise and/or unwise?
3. Parallel the Whiskey Rebellion with a similar event in US history and defend or oppose the government’s response in both cases.
4. Describe the nature of the conflict that eventually resulted in the fateful duel between Hamilton and Burr and its consequences.
5. Compare the elections of 1800 and 2000. How can both be argued as case examples of democratic power or political manipulation?
6. Does the misuse of government power (Alien & Sedition Acts) negate democratic government? Use logic & evidence for your answer?
7. What impact did the French Revolution have on American politics, culture and the citizens of the United States?
8. Describe the Lewis and Clark expedition and its scientific, political, military and cultural impact on the evolution of the United States.
9. Was the Louisiana Purchase constitutional? Explain its origin and the political, military and economic consequences of the purchase.
10. Compare and rate the presidencies of Washington, Adams and Jefferson by leadership, accomplishments and challenges.
9. J.Q. Adams, Madison and Monroe
1. Describe the cause of the War of 1812. Could it have been avoided by James Madison and the US Congress? Explain.
2. What was the short and long term military and diplomatic significance of the Andrew Jackson’s Battle of New Orleans?
3. Analyze the Missouri Compromise and write your own legislation that would have addressed the slave problem in 1820.
4. Describe the biographies and political positions of Daniel Webster, John C. Calhoun and Henry Clay on the War of 1812.
5. Napoleon’s influence in the War of 1812 cannot be ignored. Describe his influence on global events affecting America.
6. What impact did the Monroe Doctrine have on American relations in North and South America’s internal affairs? Explain.
7. Explain how Tecumseh’s war on American settlers symbolized all previous Native American struggles against expansion.
8. What impact did the 1824 election have on the party system, Adams’s presidency, and Henry Clay’s American System?
9. Why did the Federalists of the Hartford Convention in 1815 consider secession from the Union? Explain and analyze.
10. What are the similarities and differences of the evolution of democratic governments in Central and South America?
10. The Age of Jackson
1. Describe the efforts of the Cherokee Tribe to assimilate into American society and justify whether this strategy was effective.
2. How did the Supreme Court decisions of Chief Justice John Marshall shape the democratic development of America? Explain.
3. Was the ‘American System’ program supported by Henry Clay an effective policy for economic development in the west?
4. Explain why Andrew Jackson attacked and dismantled the Bank of the United States. What were the short & long term results?
5. Is nullification a valid political expression of democratic participation? How would American have changed if it was sanctioned?
6. Should Andrew Jackson have been held accountable for violating the Supreme Court? Why or why not? Did he set an example?
7. Specify the detailed arguments of the Haynes/Webster debates and explain how this debate helped or hurt American unity.
8. Visually describe the Trail of Tears and explain, using narrative, how the Cherokee and other tribes were affected.
9. How should history judge Andrew Jackson? Consider his methods and outcomes and write a brief analysis of his presidency.
10. Describe the influence of party politics in the 1830’s by using the Whig Party and the Democrat party as specific examples.
11. American Slavery
1. Was slavery profitable? Describe the economic system of slavery from Africa and the plantations of the South to justify your answer.
2. From actual slave narratives, describe the daily life of a slave with particular detail to both the struggle & hope of slaves.
3. Describe the accomplishments (political, economic and cultural) of the civilizations of West Africa and their legacy on African slaves.
4. How did the African-American church shape or influence the development of ‘black culture’ in the American South?
5. Were slave revolts effective? Use examples from Nat Turner’s, Denmark Vesey’s and Gabriel Prosser’s slave uprisings in your answer.
6. Describe the differences in psychology and identity between ‘field slaves’ and ‘house slaves’ using evidence to support your answer.
7. Explain how Southern Christians who supported slavery provided a religious justification for their oppression of African slaves.
8. Describe how the roles of abolitionists influenced the slave system prior to the Civil War. Use 5 individuals to highlight your answer.
9. Was the ‘Underground Railroad’ effective? Explain how Southerners reacted and whether their response deterred ideas of escape.
10. Could a compromise of slave expansion into the territories have worked or was this the decisive catalyst for the Civil War. Explain.
12. Sectionalism
1. Describe the issue of the expansion of slavery from the perspective of a person living in each of the three sections of America then.
2. Explain what the key points were from both Daniel Webster and Robert Hayne concerning the issue of state’s rights & slavery.
3. Consider the Missouri Compromise and its impact leading the nation to civil war. Is compromise an effective political tool? Explain.
4. Is sectionalism inherent in large nations? Is it politically, economically or socially dangerous? Use examples from history in your answer.
5. Describe how industrialization and a non-slave plantation economy along with an expanding frontier could have worked together.
6. How did American culture accelerate or reverse the tendencies of sectionalism in American history prior to the Civil War?
7. In what way did the annexation of Texas in 1845 change the dynamic of sectional conflict in the United States?
8. What unifying topics or issues broke across sectional lines in the United States prior to the Civil War? What impact did these have?
9. In what political, economic and social ways is America divided today along sectional lines similar to the ante-bellum period in our history?
10. How did the sectional conflicts in the pre-Civil War period reflect larger global issues of change?
13. Economics and Industry
1. What are the strengths & weaknesses of both the plantation and factory system as far as profits, conditions & wages are concerned?
2. Is the economic stratification of society an effect of market capitalism or a natural condition of social organization? Explain fully.
3. Did the Lowell Factory system represent a symbol of the new industrial labor force or was it an exception? Fully explain why.
4. Describe the role of technological innovation in transportation during this period and its impact on American business & society.
5. In what ways did either Chicago/New York symbolize a changing America labor force and social structure? In what ways didn’t they?
6. How did communication affect the evolution of business and society in America in the pre-Civil War period? Explain fully.
7. What was the political, economic and social impact of the Irish Potato Famine on American society and business during the 1850’s?
8. As far as competing economic systems were concerned, describe the strengths & weaknesses of Adam Smith’s & Karl Marx’s ideas.
9. Describe the struggle of both workers and management in labor conflicts involving workers organizing for their economic rights.
10. How did the development of agricultural technical innovations impact American society in the period before the Civil War?
14. The Age of Reforms
1. Describe the temperance movement in the 1800’s and the anti-drug war in modern America. Similarities? Differences?
2. What do readers of the transcendentalists Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau seek to find in their works?
3. Explain what the role of religion has been and continues to be in the forming and sustaining of American society.
4. What significant contributions to world culture, history and government did Tocqueville believe America made by the 1840’s?
5. Examine the causes and effects of the rise and fall of utopian communities in American society during the ‘Age of Reforms’.
6. Imagine yourself a participant or witness to the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. What are the causes, events and effects?
7. Describe both the struggles (causes and effects) and the accomplishments (causes and effects) of Irish immigration.
8. Horace Mann created the structure of the public education system. What improvements can be made today? Be specific.
9. Was abolitionism effective? Define your answer and explain how modern protest movements can be effective today.
10. In what way does Herman Melville’s Moby Dick act as a metaphor for social or individual themes in the modern age?
15. Native Americans (pre-1865)
1. In what ways were the North American Natives similar or different from other indigenous people & cultures of the world?
2. How did the social organization of Native American tribes influence the development of its culture and its relationship with Americans?
3. Considering the circumstances, describe a political, economic and social method for American-Native American peaceful coexistence.
4. What characteristics or personality traits did Native American leaders possess that created effective leadership? What differences?
5. Was removal of Native Americans primarily motivated by economic or prejudicial ideals? Justify your answer with historical evidence.
6. Could the Native Americans have prevented settlers and Americans from territorial conquest by military means? How?
7. What examples of Native American culture have been instructive to American political, economic and social development?
8. What lessons do you believe Americans today should learn from our bloody history with Native Americans? How should we learn them?
9. How are the roles of women in Native American tribes similar and/or different from the roles of women in American society? Explain.
10. If Americans today were faced with a similar scenario, what would (or should) we do differently concerning native tribes & expansion?
16. Manifest Destiny
1. Is it an inherent aspect of human nature to explore? What about the exploitation of resources from land? Cultural integration, etc.?
2. Was James Polk a successful president? What lessons do Americans today learn about Polk’s accomplishments and struggles?
3. In the Texan Revolution, were the Mexicans justified in attacking rebels in their province of Tejas? Provide reasons & evidence.
4. Describe the major positions of Henry David Thoreau in his essay, Civil Disobedience and what lessons it teaches us today in America.
5. Describe fully the journey taken on the Oregon Trail by an American settler family. Include political, economic and social references.
6. Was the Mexican War justified in principle or practice (or both or none)? What does the purpose and method of fighting teach us now?
7. How did the Gold Rush in California in 1849 transform American politically, economically, socially, militarily, and religiously?
8. What is the legacy of Spanish history in America today? Describe how American culture today respects and honor Hispanic heritage.
9. Explain how the Mormons, their branch of Christianity and their trek across America influenced the development of American history.
10. What is the connection between industrialization and territorial expansion in American history? How does it affect us now?
17. The Coming of War
1. Describe the ideological positions of John C. Calhoun, Daniel Webster and Henry Clay concerning states’ rights and slave expansion.
2. Fully explain the justification the Supreme Court used for the Dred Scott decision and then counter it using logical & evidence.
3. To what degree were the tactics of the abolitionists effective in helping to stop the expansion of slavery and/or ban it outright?
4. Were John Brown’s methods in the Harper’s Ferry Raid justifiable given the circumstances or not? Justify your answer with evidence.
5. To what extent were the issues of slave expansion & slavery economic or moral? Choose one, both or neither and explain.
6. Describe the provisions of the 1850 Compromise and then justify whether political compromises on slavery were effective or not.
7. Provide a brief biographical sketch of the life of Frederick Douglass and fully examine his impact on the times in which he lived.
8. Briefly describe the story of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and explain why it had such a profound impact on the social consciousness of its time.
9. Examine the presidencies of Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce & Buchanan concerning the sectional conflict over slavery & rate them.
10. If the south had agreed to prevent the expansion of slavery, would the institution have continued? Provide an alternate history.
18. The Civil War
1. Was it possible for the Civil War to be prevented? What political, economic or social changes would have made this possible? Explain.
2. Choose four battle leaders during the Civil War period and provide a brief biography of their backgrounds and impacts on the war.
3. Provide five examples of technological innovation during the Civil War period and explain what impact they had on America & the war.
4. Abraham Lincoln has been considered one of our greatest presidents. Explain why (or refute) using logic & historical evidence.
5. Write two brief accounts of the Civil War from a soldier’s perspective (North & South). Be historically accurate, detailed & descriptive.
6. To what extent was foreign intervention an important factor in the Civil War? Explain using historical evidence and logical arguments.
7. Why did Lincoln fight hard to keep the border states? Explain their strategic, political and economic importance during the war.
8. What was the short and long term impact of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln in January 1863?
9. Was it possible for the South to achieve a military victory in the Civil War? What conditions would have made this possible?
10. What lessons has the causes, methods and effects of the Civil War in American history taught us as Americans today? Explain fully.
19. Reconstruction
1. Explain how and why Lincoln’s plan for reconstruction differed from that of the Radical Republicans
2. What impact did the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments have on race relations in American history?
3. Explain the justification (or justifications) used for segregation in legal and social terms in post Civil War America.
4. Was reconstruction a success or a failure? Please justify your answer with evidence
5. Based on your interpretation of #4, how should reconstruction have been implemented? Explain.
6. To what extent was foreign intervention an important factor in the Civil War? Explain using historical evidence and logical arguments.
7. Why did Lincoln fight hard to keep the border states? Explain their strategic, political and economic importance during the war.
8. What was the short and long term impact of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln in January 1863?
9. Was it possible for the South to achieve a military victory in the Civil War? What conditions would have made this possible?
10. What lessons has the causes, methods and effects of the Civil War in American history taught us as Americans today? Explain fully.
20. Industrialization
1. Using Chicago as an example, explain in detail how industrialization changed American cities.
2. Compare the advances in transportation and communication. Which had the greater impact and why?
3. Explain in detail the relationship between agricultural advances and demographic change in America.
4. What benefits for society existed in the pre-industrial USA? Use 3 well thought examples for your answer.
5. Were the benefits of industrialization merely economic? Describe two important non-economic benefits in American society.
6. Weigh the positive and negative effects of urbanization on American history. Defend your position
7. What was the economic effect of urbanization on immigrants recently arriving in America?
8. How did the motives to emigrate change or not when millions of immigrants arrived in America? Explain.
9. Consider assimilation. Defend or attack the necessity for immigrants to assimilate to American culture.
10. How did the political dynamics of America change due to urbanization and immigration?
21. Labor History
1. Was class division in American society an inevitable result or immigration and urbanization or not? Explain.
2. Explain in detail the relationship between economic benefit and technological innovation in America.
3. In what ways did Chicago symbolize the economic and labor transformations of American society in the late 19 century? Explain in detail.
4. Measure union victories versus defeats. Which had a more significant impact on American history and why?
5. Describe global labor issues and relate past union methods and tactics to current and future labor scenarios. Form conclusions.
6. Take a position on the Great Flint Sit Down Strike of 1936-37. Justify the cause of either side in the dispute.
7. Describe the causes, events and effects of the Haymarket Square Riot in Chicago in full detail.
8. Compare and contrast the life experiences of the American wealthy in the late19th century with those of the common workers.
9. Compare two strikes in American history in objectives, methods and outcome. What similarities and differences do you observe? Explain.
10. Will or can a Labor Party exist in the American political system? What opportunities and/or challenges would it face?
22. Native Americans (post 1865)
1. What patterns or conclusions can be drawn from United States policy towards Native Americans? Explain.
2. Describe the nature of Native American/Settler/Army conflict in terms of objectives and methods.
3. In what ways are Native American and other major religions similar or different? Explain in detail.
4. Was the cultural and political demise of Native American civilization inevitable? Could it have been prevented through compromise?
5. Describe the similarities and differences between the role of Native American and American women in their respective societies.
6. Using 5 examples of Native American/US Army conflict, describe any parallels relevant concerning cause and effect on both sides.
7. Using the American policy of Indian Removal as a model, compare and contrast two other European nations & their imperialistic policies.
8. Choose three quotes from both Native American and American leaders and explain how they encapsulate the struggle between them.
9. Describe the nature of the cultural legacy of Native Americans on American civilization. What did Americans learn from them?
10. How should Native American history be taught in the context of the 'American story'? What content and methods are most effective?
23. Populism
1. Describe the nature of the financial hardships of the farmers in the US in the late 19th century.
2. What was the rhetorical and practical value of William Jennings Bryan’s ‘Cross of Gold’ speech?
3. Explain how the Farmer’s Alliance sought to end the political and economic plight of farmers.
4. Compare the labor movement to the populist movement. What similarities or differences exist concerning objectives and methods?
5. Describe the end of the 19th century briefly for Native Americans, laborers, farmers, African Americans, and immigrants. Parallels?
6. How can the Populist Movement be compared or contrasted to other grass roots movements in American history? Explain in detail.
7. What comparisons can be drawn from the Election of 1896 and the Election of 2000 in American history?
8. Can a third political party ever win a presidential election? Evaluate prior third party movements and justify your answer with evidence.
9. Is political reform more effective from a top-down or bottom-up approach? Use the Farmers Alliance and Grange Movement as examples.
10. Did the Populist Movement (and Populist Party) help or hurt the cause of race relations for farmers?
24. Imperialism
1. Describe, with great detail, the relationship between industrialization and imperialism in American history.
2. Explain in detail the process by which the US built and received control of the Panama Canal.
3. What are three arguments used by Anti-Imperialists to justify their opposition to US expansion? Are they effective today? Explain.
4. Explain in detail the process by which the US invested and gained control of the Hawaii Islands? Was it justified?
5. Describe the relationship between the media, the government and the people in the Spanish American War.
6. Explain in detail the motives and process by which the US gained control of the Philippine Islands.
7. Defend a position justifying the priority for either military or economic expansion of US ‘interests’.
8. Explain the four provisions of the Platt Amendment and defend or oppose its implementation with evidence.
9. Is there a moral structure to foreign policy? Explain your answer by using historic and contemporary examples.
10. Explain in detail the motives and process by which the US fought Spain for control of Cuba.
25. Progressivism
1. Analyze the developments of the 20th century in America. Was progressivism successful? Explain.
2. Examine the accomplishments of Jane Addams in the context of her time and describe in detail a modern equivalent in America today.
3. Describe and compare or contrast 3 of President Roosevelt's reforms with reforms from any another president.
4. Explain the relationship between capitalism and social reform in the context of social Darwinism.
5. Examine the relationship between government and business. What is the ideal relationship between democracy and capitalism?
6. Was progressivism an inevitable reaction to the dynamic changes of industrialization or was it a chosen response by select leaders?
7. Choose 5 progressive reformers, describe their accomplishments and rate them according to historic significance.
8. How did Robert Lafollette influence the political philosophy of the American 'founders'? Were his reforms effective in American history?
9. Compare the presidencies of Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and Woodrow Wilson? Who was the most progressive and why?
10. Can political or economic (or both) systems effectively reform themselves? Justify your answer with evidence from the Progressive era.
26. The Great War
1. Compare stated foreign policy goals with domestic issues in America during World War One.
2. Explain in detail what global factors contributed to the cause of World War One
3. How would America’s political, economic and military influence have been affected if it had remained neutral in the Great War?
4. Examine in detail the strategic and tactical effect of an industrialized army fighting another industrialized army. Use 5 examples.
5. How might the world have prevented the catastrophe of World War Two during the Treaty of Versailles?
6. Was the Republican-controlled, isolationist, US Senate justified in preventing American involvement with the League of Nations?
7. What specific foreign policy objectives and methods did President Wilson employ to 'make the world safe for democracy'?
8. Debate the pros and cons of Secretary of State Bryan's pacifist foreign policy prior to American involvement in the Great War.
9. What social, economic and demographic effects did the Great War have on American society as soldiers returned home?
10. Justify or oppose President Wilson's interventionist policy in Latin America. How did it impact future relations with the United States?
27. The Jazz Age
1. Explain in detail three causes and effects of Prohibition in American history and justify a pro or con position.
2. In what ways (explain three in detail) is the 'war on drugs' today different than Prohibition in the 1920's
3. Examine the roots of American democracy, its political system and cultural context and explain why women were not included originally.
4. Explain the economic and political relationship needed to gain suffrage by using another nation as an example.
5. Describe the causes and effects of the ‘Great Migration’ and explain the causal relationship this had to the ‘Harlem Renaissance’.
6. Describe the political and religious arguments behind the Scopes Trial as well as its outcome and effects.
7. Explain the background & consequences of the Sacco & Vanzetti trial & execution in the context of the 1920’s.
8. Examine the causes, events & effects of the Red Scare and Palmer Raids on America in the 1920’s and today.
9. Describe the pervasive political, economic and social benefits of radio on the American people in the 1920’s.
10. Explain how literature helped examine the social dynamics of African American life during the 1920’s.
28. The Great Depression
1. Examine in detail four of President Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’ programs, their purposes and effects.
2. Statistically examine the effects of the Great Depression on the American people. Use four examples.
3. Describe 1930’s culture in America in full detail. Use 10 examples to highlight your answer.
4. Define the economic and political impact of the Great Depression on American memory. What evidence of that impact exists today?
5. Describe the ideological shift in economic planning which resulted from FDR’s New Deal reforms. Was it effective?
6. Could the economic effects of the Great Depression have ended without the intervention of World War 2? Explain.
7. Is the federal government responsible for the economic welfare of its citizens while operating within a capitalist economy? Explain.
8. Describe the similarities and differences between the American and German economic responses to the world depression.
9. Was the blame of the Great Depression on the policies of President Hoover valid? Justify your answer with 4 examples.
10. Examine 10 New Deal programs and defend or oppose their effectiveness in the context of the Great Depression.
29. World War II
1. Describe the ideas Hitler attempted to convey in Mein Kampf and their effect on the German people.
2. Fully explain Hitler’s rise to power in Germany and defend or oppose the world’s reaction to it.
3. Why was World War Two fought? Explain in detail the motives of the aggressors and the defenders of the world?
4. Define in detail fascism, communism and democracy in the context of World War Two.
5. Describe the characteristics of two leaders in World War Two. Compare and contrast their leadership styles.
6. How did World War Two help create the Cold War era? Be specific in your answer.
7. What impact did the war have on women during and after the fighting? Be specific for each.
8. Describe two battles involving US troops and their political effects on the nations involved in World War Two.
9. Define Hitler's racial policies and the American diplomatic and military response to it. Could the US have minimized the Jewish Holocaust?
10. Was the Nuremberg Trial valid and/or justified? Debate both sides and justify your position with evidence.
30. The Cold War
1. Describe the effect of nuclear weapons on the politics of the Cold War period. Provide specific policy examples.
2. Provide the economic definitions and political nature of capitalism and communism in the US, USSR and China during the Cold War.
3. How did the Cold War influence the development of culture in communist and democratic nations? Provide specific examples.
4. Was a permanent war economy (political support for a military-industrial complex) necessary to combat global communism?
5. Explain America’s political and military involvement in either Korea or Vietnam. Support or oppose American military involvement in both.
6. What were the tactical and strategic objectives of Nixon's visit to China in 1972? How did it influence future US foreign policy?
7. Was George Kennan's containment theory effective? Use examples from Africa, the Middle East and Asia in your answer.
8. Describe CIA intervention in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Angola, Indonesia, Chile, and Iran during the Cold War. Support or oppose.
9. Rate in order or historic significance and justify: the Marshall Plan, NATO, Truman Doctrine, Berlin Airlift, and the Korean War.
10. Why and how did the Cold War end? To what extent were indigenous or American policies effective in bringing it about? Explain.
31. The Civil Rights Movement & the Sixties Generation
1. Describe the nature of the impact on political institutions and power caused by the American counterculture (the Sixties generation).
2. Was position stated by the Kerner Commission valid? Was America a ‘nation of two societies’ racially in the 60’s? Is it today?
3. Compare and contrast the objectives and methods of SNCC, SCLC, NAACP and the Black Panthers? Which was more effective & why?
4. Explain how Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon responded or reacted to the Civil Rights Movement in rhetoric or policy.
5. Give four examples of non-violent direct action used by Civil Rights supporters and analyze each impact in the short and long term.
6. The Civil Rights Movement was driven and led by common Americans, not popular leaders. Defend or oppose this claim with evidence.
7. Describe how Southern segregationalists used institutional power to attack, disenfranchise and intimidate the Civil Rights Movement.
8. Rate in order of historic significance and justify: Little Rock Nine, Greensboro Four, Selma March, Malcolm X, and the Brown Decision.
9. To what extent did the nature of race relations in the United States improve due to the psychological and political changes of the CRM?
10. What is the legacy of the Sixties Generation? Define your answer in political, economic and social terms using examples from the 1960's.
32. Cuba and Vietnam
1. Justify President Kennedy's decision during the Cuban Missile Crisis by examining scenarios of his military and diplomatic alternatives.
2. Describe and explain the political and military lessons learned from American intervention in Vietnam. How have they changed policy?
3. To what extent did the anti-war movement affect US foreign policy during the Johnson and Nixon administrations? Explain.
4. Define the relationship between military and political leaders in the Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon administrations concerning Vietnam.
5. How did American intervention in Vietnam influence the domestic and foreign policies of Cambodia, China, the USSR, and Europe?
6. Provide a detailed chronology of the US role in the Vietnam War from the perspective of a Northern and Southern Vietnamese peasant .
7. Rewrite a policy speech for President Kennedy justifying American military intervention (air support) in the Bay of Pigs Invasion.
8. Explain the philosophy of revolution advocated by Chè Guevara. Is such a philosophy a threat to American foreign policy? Explain.
9. "All military occupations are failures." - General Douglas Macarthur. Defend or oppose this statement in the context of the Vietnam War.
10. Compare and contrast the Vietnam War and the Iraqi War (invasion and occupation). What similarities and differences exist?
33. The Women's Rights Movement
1. What impact did the Women's Rights Movement have on political, economic and social institutions (and their power)?
2. What was the relationship between sexism and racism during the Civil Rights Movement? Use specific examples to highlight your answer.
3. Industrialization freed women from male-dominated domestication. Analyze this statement and defend or oppose it with evidence.
4. Define the thesis of the book, The Feminine Mystique, by Betty Freidan and evaluate whether it is valid still today in American society.
5. Explain what role the following has had on American women in a political and economic context: NOW, ERA, and Roe v. Wade.
6. What is the nature of the relationship between economic opportunity and political activism for women in the Sixties/Seventies and today.
7. Describe 10 women who have been politically active in American history and examine their accomplishments in the context of their times.
8. Rate in order of historic significance and justify: Sojourner Truth, Georgia O'Keefe, Margaret Sanger, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Alice Paul
9. Define both 'feminist' and 'liberated woman' and explain how those definitions have changed over the last 40 years.
10. Abolitionists and Suffragists often collaborated in the past. What is the relationship between race and gender in America today?
34. America in the 1970's
1. Rate in order of historic significance and justify: the EPA, Silent Spring, the Sierra Club, Endangered Species Act, and Love Canal.
2. How has the Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, affected women's rights, religious activism, political policy and the national dialogue?
3. To what extent was the Attica Prison Revolt a success or failure? Justify your answer with statistics, oral histories and legal reforms.
4. Describe the impact of the Three Mile Island accident on energy policy, foreign policy and domestic politics from 1979 to the present.
5. President Carter's decision to provide CIA support to Afghans fighting the Soviet invasion was justified. Assess & validate this claim.
6. How did the 1973 OPEC oil embargo alter American foreign and domestic policy? Highlight three specific examples from each.
7. Analyze the presidency of Jimmy Carter by comparing issues and events with administration policy and measure its performance.
8. Provide a detailed and annotated chronology of the Watergate Scandal. What historical conclusions can be drawn from these events?
9. How did American culture change in the 1970's? Use examples from television, music, movies, art, architecture, sports.
10. Evaluate President Carter's response to the Iranian Hostage Crisis. What specific recommendations would you make or reject? Explain.
35. Reagan's Conservatism
1. Discuss and debate Gorbachev's domestic and Reagan's foreign policy in effectively ending communism in Eastern Europe and the USSR.
2. Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative would protect the US from nuclear confrontation with the Soviet Union. Support or oppose.
3. Explain how the economic theories behind Reagan's policies of reducing inflation, taxes and social spending. Were they effective?
4. Describe the US foreign policy goals and methods within Central and Latin America from 1980-1992 from an indigenous perspective.
5. Evaluate the nuclear policy of each administration from Truman to Reagan. Was Reagan consistent or inconsistent regarding his policies?
6. Describe the Iran-Contra Scandal and assess its historical significance during Reagan's administration and the present day.
7. How did Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union move from communist regime to democratic ones? What patterns are evident?
8. From the evidence available, determine the American political objectives and military tactics of the Persian Gulf War. Did it succeed?
9. Provide ten examples of the historic impact of personal computers on American society. Include political, economic and social effects.
10. To what extent did the LA Riots create or reflect existing racial tensions? How was the crisis addressed? How is it remembered today?
36. The Post-Cold War World
1. How did the 1992 presidential election demonstrate changes in the political tactics and ideologies of all three main presidential candidates?
2. Describe how the Internet transformed American society from a sociological, ideological, economic and interpersonal perspective.
3. Define the message and impact of the protests against the World Trade Organization Summit in Seattle in 1999. Were they valid?
4. How did NAFTA affect the economy of the United States specifically? Provide statistical information to support your answer.
5. How should the federal investigation and Clinton Impeachment be analyzed today and in the context of US presidential history?
6. How are the conflicts and US interventions in Haiti, Somalia, Bosnia and Kosovo symptomatic or indicative of a post-Cold War world?
7. Provide a brief history of class division in the United States from 1789 to the present. What patterns and relationships can you find?
8. To what extent and how should the US use its diplomatic, economic and military power overseas in a post-Cold War world? Be specific.
9. What lessons can be learned from the political division and electoral confusion created by the presidential election of 2000? Explain.
10. How did the Republican Revolution reshape American politics from 1994 to the present? Provide 10 policy examples.
37. The 21st Century and 9/11
1. Describe (and rate the historic impact of) the political, economic, military & social changes brought about as a result of the 9/11 attacks.
2. Has globalization benefited or hurt the American economy? Evaluate its economic impact & provide evidence to support your conclusion.
3. To what extent has genetic engineering affected science, agriculture, reproduction, medicine, military technology and culture in America?
4. Explain how success is achieved in the 'War on Terror' through military, law enforcement, diplomatic, economic & social means.
5. Examine the impact of poverty in American society. How should US policy reflect your conclusions of poverty's influence on American life?
6. What are the advantages and disadvantages of universal, government-supported health care in the United States? Be specific.
7. Provide a military, political, diplomatic, economic and social assessment of the Iraq War (invasion and occupation). List 5 conclusions?
8. How will Europe, Latin America, Russia, Africa or the Middle East affect US foreign policy in the next 100 years. Choose two & explain.
9. Describe China's geopolitical and economic influence in the context of American foreign policy. Will a conflict emerge? Why or why not?
10. US political, economic and military influence in the Middle East is a national security priority. Defend or oppose this claim with evidence.



18. Civil War.
#2 Choose four battle leaders during the Civil War period and provide a brief biography of their backgrounds and impacts on the war. James Ewell Brown (J.E.B.) Stuart- (Confederacy)
James Ewell Brown Stuart, known to his friends as Jeb, was a Confederate general during the Civil War. Growing up on his family’s farm in Virginia, he attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1850. He was given the honor of being declared an "honorary calvary officer" for his skills in horsemanship. He took service with the US army in the "Bleeding" Kansas Territory and later gave John Brown the option to surrender as Lee’s aide-de-camp at Harper’s Ferry. He was promoted to the rank of captain in April of 1861, but resigned a month later following the secession of Virginia. As a personal friend to Robert E. Lee, Jeb Stuart became a calvary commander in the Confederate Army. He was known as a master of reconnaissance and for his offensive calvary movements. On two separate occasions Stuart was able to circumnavigate The Union Army of The Potomac, embarrassing the North. Stuart would continue to bring fame to himself as an excellent calvary commander until his death at the Battle of Yellow Tavern in 1864.

George Edward Pickett- (Confederacy)
George Edward Pickett is best known for the failed Confederate Charge on July 3, 1863, on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, that bears his name; Pickett’s Charge. Pickett was born to a prominent family in Richmond, Virginia. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1842 at the age of 17. He was considered to be somewhat of a class clown, and graduated at the position of "goat" last in his class. Fortunately, he graduated at the outbreak of the Mexican American War, and the army was desperate for officers. After the war he was promoted to first lieutenant, and was later promoted to captain while serving on the Texas frontier. He continued to serve the United States Army until the attack on Fort Sumter, where he resigned to fight with his state of Virginia, despite his personal hatred of slavery. Pickett was quickly promoted and put in charge of his own division, which saw little fighting even up until the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. Pickett’s division did not arrive at Gettysburg until late in the second day of fighting and did not see much fighting until the charge on the third day. It was during this charge, however where Pickett’s division was destroyed by Union forces. Pickett would mourn the loss of his men for years
He was later assigned to a new division and would continue to see action up until the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Courthouse in 1865. After the war, he fled to Canada, but later returned to Virginia. He received much criticism for his service to the Confederacy and was not given a full Congressional pardon until one year before his death in 1875.

Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain- (Union)
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was born in Maine in 1828. He attended Bodoin college in 1848 until graduating in 1852. He later returned to teach there as a professor. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Chamberlain wished to serve his country by enlisting, but the College Board felt he was too valuable to them. He was, however, granted a leave of absence and used it to enlist anyway. He was immediately offered a position as colonel of the 20th Maine regiment, but having no previous military experience, denied, and was given the rank of lieutenant colonel instead.
The 20th Maine regiment saw action at the Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862, but suffered minimal casualties. He was promoted to the rank of colonel in June of 1863, just before the Battle of Gettysburg. It was at Gettysburg where Chamberlain earned his fame and respect. Chamberlain was given command of the Union flank on top of Little Round Top, a strategic point of high ground on the battlefield. His regiment fought off countless Confederate charges until a desperate Chamberlain ordered a bayonet charge down the hill, capturing many Confederate soldiers. Thirty years later he would be given the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions.
Chamberlain continued to serve in the Civil War, being promoted to brigade commander the next year, shortly before the Siege of Petersburg. It was at this battle where he was "mortally wounded." After being shot through the hip and groin, his regiment’s surgeon declared the wound fatal. Surprisingly, however, Chamberlain survived and regained command six months later. He continued to serve until the end of the war in 1865, where he participated in the formal surrender ceremony at Appomattox Courthouse. In all, Chamberlain served in twenty battles, having six horses shot out from under him and being wounded six times.
Following the Civil War, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain retired from the Army and returned to Maine, where he was elected Governor and served four consecutive terms. He remained politically active even until his death in 1914 at age 85 from the wounds he sustained during the Civil War.

David Glasgow Farragut- (Union)
David Glasgow Farragut was born in 1801 in Tennessee. In 1808, however, he was adopted by future naval captain David Porter. He entered the United States Navy as a midshipman in 1810. During the War of 1812, at the age of 12, he was given command of a prize ship and brought her safely to port. He was wounded and captured in 1814, but given back a year later. Farragut continued to show potential in one assignment after another in the years that followed.
During the Civil War, Farragut created quite a name for himself. In 1862, he took the port of New Orleans. The Navy honored him by creating the rank of rear-admiral for him. He did suffer heavy losses, at his own fault, at the Battle of Port Hudson. He redeemed himself at the Battle of Mobile Bay, where he navigated his fleet through the heavily mined bay to take the city. He was promoted to vice admiral in 1864 and admiral after the war. He was given the honor of being placed on active duty for life, until his death in 1870.

18. Civil War
#3 Provide five examples of technological innovations during the Civil War period and describe thier impact on America and the War.

Throughout history, there have been many influential periods in which outside circumstances caused many new ideas and products to be created. One of these periods was the American Civil War (1861-1865). The Civil War brought about many new inventions that people from both the Union and the Confederacy thought would help their side win the war. Among these inventions are the ironclad warship, naval mines and torpedoes, the idea of aerial reconnaissance, the repeating rifle and the Gatling Gun. Each of these innovations had a unique way of influencing the path of the war and the future of America.
One of the most talked about inventions of the Civil War era is the ironclad warship. This is due to it’s many accomplishments and its powerful influence it has had since its invention. The idea of the ironclad warship was developed due to the invention of more powerful artillery. Wooden warships were unable to stand up to the powerful guns on enemy ships and would be defeated. Therefore, iron armor was equipped to the ships and the artillery shells and cannonballs would bounce off.
The first use of ironclads in action was in the U.S. Civil War. The Confederacy was eager to gain an advantage over the Union navy and decided to buy ironclads from overseas. In 1861 the CSS Manassas, CSS Louisiana, and CSS Mississippi became the first ironclads to battle enemy ships when they fought Union ships on the Mississippi River. Both sides increased their supply of ironclad warships by 1862. Both sides continued to buy and construct more and more ironclads until the end of the war, making it very clear around the world that the days of wooden warships were over.
The ironclad played a crucial part in the Civil War in creating, as well as trying to break, the Union blockade of Confederate ports. They made up the majority of both the Union and Confederate naval forces. After the war was over, the ironclads, being warships, were put to rest. However they saw action in many major conflicts that the United States was involved in, in some cases as far as World War II. The term ironclad was used until the name "battleship" replaced it. Battleships and other armored gunboats continue to be used by naval forces around the world today.
Another important invention created during the Civil War period is the creation of naval mines and torpedoes. They were developed by the Confederacy in hopes of counteracting the Union naval blockade. Although primitive, they were successful at sinking over 40 Union ships. These early mines were left in the open water or carried along by Confederate ships until they could be used on enemy Union vessels. Mines that were pushed toward enemy ships (such as the one attached to the bow of the H. L. Hunley used to sink the USS Houstatonic in 1864) were often called torpedoes, until the term was later used to refer to self propelled underwater missiles. The use of torpedoes and naval mines was not significant enough to change the outcome of the Civil War. However, the technology used to create these primitive explosives has been used to create more advanced naval mines as well as land mines and hand grenades.
The idea of aerial reconnaissance was developed during this era as well. Both the Union and Confederate armies used balloons for reconnaissance during the American Civil War, marking the first time that balloons were used in the United States for reconnaissance. One individual who played a large part in the development of this process was Thaddeus Lowe. Lowe was hired by the Union army in 1861after impressing president Lincoln with his ideas. Thus the Balloon Corps was created.
The use of balloons to provide information to troops on the ground was quite effective. For example, on September 24, 1861, Lowe ascended to more than 1,000 feet near Arlington, Virginia, and began telegraphing intelligence on the Confederate troops located at Falls Church, more than three miles away. Union guns were aimed and fired accurately at the Confederate troops without actually being able to see them. This was a first in the history of warfare.
With the idea of aerial reconnaissance came a way to transport them: aircraft carriers. Lowe and his counterparts began constructing large wooden barges that would serve as a portable platform to launch their balloons from. Using these barges, as well as tugboats and even railroads, these balloons gathered information for both sides throughout the Civil War.
Lowe’s Union Balloon Corps created quite a bit of frustration for the Confederacy. Knowing that the Balloon Corps was watching, Confederate forces began to move secretly and even go so far as to create dummy camps to confuse the Union forces. This was the first experience of aerial reconnaissance. Later, this practice would be widely used with the invention of aircraft to gather information on enemy forces.
One innovation that directly affected infantrymen was the introduction of the "Spencer" repeating rifle. Developed by Christopher Miner Spencer in 1860, it was a large step up from the standard issue muzzle loading musket used at the time. Instead of having to reload after each shot, a soldier using a Spencer rifle would simply work a lever between shots for up to seven shots. Even after that, a new magazine could be loaded, allowing for a much faster rate of firepower. After impressing President Lincoln with his product, the weapon was produced for the Union Navy and later the Army. At first the rifle was used primarily for calvary and mounted infantry, but eventually regular infantry began to use them as well.
Although Confederate soldiers were able to occasionally confiscate some of the weapons, the American south did not have the resources available to continue to use them. This gave the Union soldiers a large advantage over the Confederates.
The Spencer rifles were a large factor in why the Civil War has been considered the first "modern" war. They created for a greatly increased amount of firepower among infantrymen, much like conflicts today. Seeing their advantages over muskets and other muzzle loaders, Spencer rifles, and others like them began to be mass produced and perfected for use in combat. Another large advance in firepower was patented in 1862 by Dr. Richard J. Gatling. Named after himself, the Gatling Gun was the first rapid fire field weapon introduced to the Western Hemisphere. Using six barrels in rotation, it allowed the gun to be fired continuously without overheating. First used by the Union army during the Civil War, although not officially until 1866, the Gatling Gun had an amazing rate of firepower. It was able to produce the same effects as an entire line of infantrymen. The one downside to the Gatling Gun was that it could be targeted by enemy artillery that was out of their firing range.
Although the Gatling gun did not have a substantial effect on the outcome of the Civil War, it did change future warfare. It was used significantly in the Spanish-American War before it was replaced by more convenient weaponry. It later "came out of retirement" so to speak in the mid 1950's when a weapon with a larger firepower was needed. During this period, Gatling Guns were equipped to aircraft and helicopters as well as gun ships due to their high rate of fire. Gatling-style Guns continue to be used today in these situations as well.
As you can see, each of these inventions not only influenced the lives of people during the Civil War, but people living today as well.




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