Download THE ESSAY QUESTIONS Exploration and Colonization (1492

THE ESSAY QUESTIONS
Exploration and Colonization (1492 – 1763)
1. Compare and contrast the impact that political, economic, and social factors had on the development
TWO of the following regions:
o The Spanish Colonies
o New England
o The Chesapeake
o The Middle Colonies
o The Southern Colonies
Revolution, Confederation, and Constitution (1763 – 1789)
2. Analyze how the ideas and experiences of the revolutionary era influenced the principles embodied in
the Articles of Confederation.
3. Evaluate the extent to which the United States Constitution was a continuity from the Articles of
Confederation and to what extent it was a departure?
The Early Republic: Washington – Monroe (1789 – 1824)
4. Evaluate the extent to which the government of the Early Republic (1783-1800) showed both
continuity and change from its relationship with Great Britain during the Revolutionary Era (17631789) with regards to political, economic, and constitutional issues.
5. “Presidents who have been notably successful in either foreign affairs or domestic affairs have seldom
been notably successful in both.” Support, refute, or modify this statement with reference to THREE of
the following:
o George Washington
o John Adams
o Thomas Jefferson
o James Madison
o James Monroe
Age of Jackson, The Market Revolution, Reform (1824 – 1860)
6. "Developments in transportation, rather than in manufacturing and agriculture, sparked American
economic growth in the first half of the nineteenth century." Support, refute, or modify this statement.
7. Evaluate the extent to which the Age of Jackson (1824-1840) was a turning point in the “role of the
common man.”
Manifest Destiny, the Civil War, and Reconstruction (1848 – 1877)
8. Analyze the effectiveness of political compromise in reducing sectional tensions in the period 1820 to
1861.
9. Evaluate the extent to which Reconstruction (1860 to 1877) was a constitutional, economic, and social
turning point.
The Gilded Age (1865 – 1900)
10. Analyze the extent to which the following caused economic growth during the period from 1865 –
1900:
o The role of the federal government
o Development in transportation
o Industrialists of the time period
11. Analyze the impact of industrialization on farmers and industrial workers in the Gilded Age (18651900) and how both groups responded to this.
12. Compare and contrast the beliefs of the Jacksonian Democrats with those of the Populists.
Imperialism, the Progressive Era, and WWI (1898 – 1919)
13. Compare the debates that took place over the American expansionism in the 1840s with those that
took place in the 1890s, analyzing the similarities and differences in the debates of the two eras.
14. Analyze the effectiveness of Progressive Era reformers in addressing problems of the late nineteenth
and early twentieth centuries. In your answer, focus on the reform efforts in THREE of the following
areas:
o State and federal government
o The workplace
o Living conditions
o Rights of women
o Rights of African Americans
15. "The United States entered the First World War not 'to make the world safe for democracy' as
President Wilson proclaimed, but to safeguard American interests." Support, refute, or modify this
statement.
1920s, Depression, New Deal, and WWII (1920 – 1945)
16. “War has frequently had unexpected consequences for United States foreign policy but has seldom
resulted in major reorientations of policy.” Discuss with reference to the first and second world wars,
giving about equal attention to each.
17. “From 1790 to the 1870’s, state and national governments intervened in the American economy
mainly to aid private economic interests and promote economic growth. Between 1890 and 1929,
however, government intervention was designed primarily to curb and regulate private economic
activity in the public interest.” Assess the validity of this statement, discussing for each of these
periods at least two major areas of public economic policy.
Unit 9: The Cold War and Modern America (1945 – 1991)
18. Analyze the ways in which the Cold War affected the foreign policies of THREE of the following:
o Harry Truman
o Dwight D. Eisenhower
o John F. Kennedy
o Lyndon B. Johnson
o Richard Nixon
o Ronald Reagan
19, Compare and contrast United States society in the 1920s and 1950s with respect to THREE of the
following:
o Race relations
o Role of women
o Consumerism
o Literary developments
20. Analyze how the African-American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s displayed both
continuity and change from the period of Reconstruction.
21. Analyze the effects of the events and trends of the 1970s on the nation’s economic power and
international influence. How did they challenge America’s confidence in both?
22. Compare and contrast the patterns immigration and the responses of Americans to these immigrants
in TWO of these periods:
a. 1820 to 1860
b. 1880 to 1924
c. 1965 to 2000
23. "Reform movements of the twentieth century have shown continuity in their origins, goals, strategies."
Support, refute, or modify this statement for ONE of the following pairs of reform movements keeping
their effectiveness in mind.