Advanced Placement United States History
Syllabus
Advanced Placement United States History is a college-level introductory course which
examines the nation’s political, diplomatic, intellectual, cultural, social, and economic history
from 1491 to the present. A variety of instructional approaches are employed and a college level
textbook is supplemented by primary and secondary sources. It is taught as a traditional class
with a chronological approach using various themes. It meets two or three times a week for 82
minutes each day, and it relies primarily on the developmental lesson, daily homework, quizzes,
and multiple-choice and essay exams.
To this basic framework, a variety of activities – centered on the use of and analysis of
documents and other primary sources – has been added. In the first term especially, “written
enrichments” are assigned where students must analyze documents from various supplementary
readings. These “written enrichments” then must be done throughout the course of the year,
from the students own choosing, that relate to the theme of the unit of study. They will use this
analysis of documents for homework assignments and preparation for quizzes, tests, and essays.
In addition to documents, extensive film/video clips, “film enrichments” are used to supplement
discussions. A few of these are shown in class while the majority of them are shown outside of
class as assignments that must be viewed in the classroom before school, at lunch, after school or
on selected AP Help sessions that occur two Saturdays per term with periodic morning or after
school sessions.
Training students to handle the short-answer questions, document-based question, and long essay
question of the AP Exam in May provides the focus for the writing component of the course.
Students are required early in the year, to learn how to write essays using the Six Traits of
Writing model with the AP writing rubic of grading. The first term is primarily used to teach the
short-answer questions format with the document-based question essay introduced at the end of
the first term. Several take home short-answer questions and essays are assigned each term and
several short-answer questions, long essay question, and one DBQ essay per term are written in
class or during one of the AP Help Sessions that are offered before or after school and two
Saturday’s per the last three terms of the year. Much attention is paid to this process. Large
periods of class time are devoted to the return of graded essays, discussions of the most common
positive and negative aspects of each set, and the distribution of examples of well-done essays,
etc.
Course Material
The course’s basic text is The American Pageant, 14th Edition (Boston, Massachusetts:
Houghton Mifflin Company 2010) written by David M. Kennedy, Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas
A. Bailey. Some other works consulted for handouts to accompany daily lessons and to produce
homework assignments and DBQs are listed below and are referred to throughout the syllabus.
A variety of other source materials as listed below are used along with many others collected
throughout the years. These include books, magazines, and newspapers. Subscriptions to the
American History, Smithsonian, National Geographic and Civilization (Library of Congress)
magazines are excellent sources of face-to-face teaching materials. A classroom set of ‘Deseret
Morning News’ (a Salt Lake City newspaper) is delivered daily to the American Government
course and is periodically used for classroom discussions. Primary sources from web sites such
as TeachingAmericanHistory.org are used extensively. Other primary sources are constantly
being added or deleted depending on the relevancy of the text.
Required Reading:
Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas A. Bailey. The American Pageant, 14th
Edition. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin Company.
__________, eds. The American Spirit. 11th ed. 2 vol. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton
Mifflin Company.
Sinclair, Upton. The Jungle. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble Classics.
Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.
Epstein, Mark. Fast Track to a 5: Preparing for the AP United States History Examination.
Houghton Mifflin Company.
Embry, Jessie L. A History of Wasatch County. Salt Lake City, Utah. Utah State Historical
Society.
AP Book List – Supplemental Readings
The World Turned Upside Down: Indian Voices from Early America. Edited by Colin G.
Calloway. Bedford Books.
Envisioning America: English Plans for the Colonization of North America, 1580-1640. Edited
by Peter C. Mancall. Bedford Books.
William Lloyd Garrison and the Fight Against Slavery: Selections from The Liberator. Edited
bye William E. Cain. Bedford Books.
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself. Edited by
David W. Blight. Bedford Books.
Retrieving the American Past: 1810-1860. 2002 Advanced Placement Edition. Edited by
Benedict, et. Al. Pearson Custom Publishing.
Muckraking: Three Landmark Articles. Edited by Ellen F. Fitzpatrick. Bedford Books of St.
Martin’s Press.
Plunkitt of Tamany Hall. William L. Riordon. Edited by Terrence J. McDonald. Bedford
Books of St. Martin’s Press.
Lyndon B. Johnson and American Liberalism: A Brief Biography with Documents. Bruce J.
Schuman. Bedford Books.
Retrieving the American Past: 1920-1970. 2001 Advanced Placement Ed. Edited by Benedict,
et. Al. Pearson Custom Publishing.
Where the Domino Fell: America and Vietnam, 1945-1995. Second Edition. James S. Olson,
Randy Roberts. ST. Martin’s Press.
The Age of McCarthyism: A brief History with Documents. Ellen Schrecker. Bedford Books.
Web sites – Supplemental readings
TeachingAmericanHistory.org. Ashbrook Center at Ashland University, Ashland, Ohio.
The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. Chicago, Illinois.
Major Themes of the Course
The content learning objectives for the AP U.S. History course and exam are organized under
seven themes, which are topics of historical inquiry to explore throughout the AP U.S. History
course. The following themes are woven throughout unit discussions, with assessments (quizzes,
essays, and exams) being structured around them.
Identity –
How and why have debates over American national identity changed over time?
How have gender, class, ethnic religious, regional, and other group identities changed in
different eras?
Work, Exchange, and Technology –
How have changes in markets, transportation, and technology affected American society from
colonial times to the present day?
Why have different systems developed in British North America and the United States, and
how have they affected U.S. society?
How have debates over economic values and the role of government in the U.S. economy
affected politics, society, the economy, and the environment?
Peopling –
Why have people migrated to, from, and within North America?
How have changes in migration and population patterns affected American life?
Politics and Power –
How and why have different political and social groups competed for influence over society
and government in what would become the United States?
How have Americans agreed on or argued over the values that guide the political system as
well as who is a part of the political process?
America in the World –
How have events in North America and the United States related to contemporary
developments in the rest of the world?
How have different factors influenced U.S. military, diplomatic, and economic involvement
in international affairs and foreign conflicts, both in North America and overseas?
Environment and Geography – Physical and Human –
How did interactions with the natural environment shape the institutions and values of various
groups living on the North American continent?
How did economic and demographic changes affect the environment and lead to debates over
use and control of the environment and natural resources?
Ideas, Beliefs, and Culture –
How and why have moral, philosophical, and cultural values changed in what would become
the United States?
How and why have changes in moral, philosophical, and cultural values affected U.S. history?
Curriculum Calendar
Unit 1: Colonial History to 1763
The first part of the course is handled with reading assignments from The American Pageant
every night while the supplemental readings are mostly done in class while the students learn
how they will be used for the year. As midterms for the 1st Term are due, students will then be
reading not only from The American Pageant each night but other outside sources as well while
still completing in class reading and writing assignments.
The first eight classes of the school year are devoted to a review of the colonial experience up
through the Seven Year’s War. This includes an exam on The American Pageant reading,
quizzes on the articles and selected readings, and discussions centered on the ‘Questions for
Class Discussion’ from the Instructor’s Resource Guide to The American Pageant. The
discussions are centered on major colonial history themes such as: the Clash of Cultures, the
Salem witch trials, Puritan beliefs, differences in colonial regional development, and the African
American experience in colonial America. Students are introduced in these lessons to the
concepts of categorizing documents, recognizing bias in documents, and gleaning historical
evidence from documents. Short-answer questions and an essay interpreting the documents in
context concludes the unit.
Required Reading:
 Chapters 1-6 in American Pageant. All Varying Viewpoints.
 Chapter 1, section A – The Native Americans in The American Spirit
 News article – New Ways to the New World
 News article – A Meeting of Minds in America
 Selections from – The World Turned Upside Down
 Selections from – Envisioning America: English Plans…
 Additional selections from – The American Spirit
 Various historical documents – (e.g. The Mayflower Compact, Fundamental Orders
of Connecticut, etc.)
Themes: ID, WXT, PEO, POL, WOR, CUL
Key Discussion Topics: Early contacts among groups in North America; Spanish exploration
and colonial development; rise of English power and conflict with the Spanish; success and
failures of English settlements, and the unique attributes of each of the colonies; the evolution of
relations between the colonies and England; and the military conflicts with the French,
culminating in the French and Indian War.
Essential Questions: Trace the rise of the English nation-state between 1492 and 1607. What
important factors influenced this rise? Why was the Old World able to dominate the new
World? What were the strengths and weaknesses of the new World? In what ways did later
colonization efforts attempt to learn from earlier experiences? To what extent was there
religious freedom in the colonies? Considering the extreme differences during the seventeenth-
century between New England and the southern colonies, was the Civil War inevitable? Explain
the causes the conflict between the British and the Native Americans and French in 1754. How
did the war change the geopolitical standing of each group by the end of the war? To what
degree was a unique “American” nationality developing in the eighteenth-century colonies?
Were regional differences in the colonies growing more pronounced or retreating in the
eighteenth century? Should the French and Indian War be considered one of the major causes of
the American Revolution? Why or why not?
Activities:
 The creation of a “colonial advertising agency.” Students are divided into teams,
much like Donald Trump’s ‘The Apprentice”, where they compete with each other
trying to lure potential immigrants to their colony. They can include letters,
editorials, cartoons, interviews, advertisements, anything to bring more people to their
colony. The methods and organization should approximate the style and contents of a
modern advertising agency as closely as possible but be based only on information
from the colonial period.
 Reading and note-taking on scholarly monographs from colonial history; maps,
charts, and data on colonial settlement patterns.
 One “Written Enrichment” and one “Film Enrichment” are to be completed outside of
class. (Each type of enrichment is required three times per term. Students may come
in the classroom any-time before school, lunch or after school that the instructor is
present, which is almost daily.)
Unit 2: The American Revolution (1763-1783)
Required Reading:
 Chapters 7,8 in American Pageant. All Varying Viewpoints.
 Chapter 7, section D – Loyalists Versus Patriots in The American Spirit
 The Horrid Massacre in Boston, 1770 – A Short Narrative of the Horrid Massacre in
Boston (Boston, 1770).
 Boston Massacre Oration, 1772 – In English Historical Documents, vol.9, American
Colonial Documents to 1776, ed. Merrill Jensen (London, 1964)
 Captain Preston’s Account of the Boston Massacre, 1770 – In English Historical
Documents, vol.9, American Colonial Documents to 1776, ed. Merrill Jensen
(London, 1964)
 Additional selections from – The American Spirit
 Various historical documents – (e.g. William Pitt, Speech on the Stamp Act, January
14, 1766, John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, The Declaration of
Independence, Common Sense, etc.)
Themes: ID, PEO, POL, WOR, ENV, CUL
Key Discussion Topics: Consequences of the French and Indian War; growing tensions
between the colonies and Parliament over taxation and representation; diplomatic relations
between the colonies, the British Parliament, and the French strategies of both sides in the
Revolutionary war, and the military course of the war; and peace negotiations.
Essential Questions: Was the American Revolution inevitable? Were all the American
grievances really justified, or were the British actually being more reasonable than most
Americans have traditionally believed? To what extent could either side have contributed to a
peaceful resolution to their differences? Analyze the ways in which the colonists used both legal
and extra-legal means of protesting. Which tactic proved more successful and why? Who were
the greatest generals of the war and why? Did the Loyalists act primarily out of conviction and
feelings of patriotism toward Britain, or out of self-interest? What was radical and new in the
Declaration of Independence, and what was old and traditional? What did statements like “all
men are created equal” mean in their historical context, and what did they come to mean later?
Activities:
 Role play of ‘The Boston Massacre’ that requires each student to research their
assigned character and participate in an ‘Oprah’ style talk show. The experience
takes place in February of 1775 responding to the question of whether or not
reconciliation can take place between the colonies and Great Britain. The causes of
the American Revolution from British, American, and Tory perspectives will be
required in the research and role playing of each student. Through the required
readings and other research materials found in the media center, classroom, and other
sources the students will analyze and interpret a wide variety of primary resources.
 An essay dealing with the British/American relationship is written from several
different prompts and be scored using the AP essay rubic.
 Short-answer questions regarding the essential questions.
 Class discussion on the Founding Father’s traditional view of “all men are created
equal” using John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government and Thomas Jefferson’s
final copy of The Declaration of Independence.

Unit 3: The Republican Experiment and Federalist Era (1781-1800)
Required Reading:
 Chapters 9, 10 in American Pageant. All Varying Viewpoints.
 Chapter 9, section A – The Shock of Shays’s Rebellion in The American Spirit
 Additional selections from – The American Spirit
 Secondary sources on the antifederalists
 Maps and charts on sources of federalist, antifederalist support
 Selections from various historical documents – (e.g. Articles of Confederation,
Constitution of the United States of America, Federalist #10, etc.)
Themes: ID, WXT, PEO, POL, WOR, ENV
Key Discussion Topics: The structure of the government under the Articles of Confederation;
weaknesses and accomplishments of the Articles’ government; foreign affairs in the
Confederation period; the nationalist critique and the role of Hamilton and Madison; the
Constitutional Convention; and the debate over ratification. The new government’s structure; an
overview of the Constitution of 1787; George Washington and the development of the role of the
President; Hamilton versus Jefferson; the rise of political parties; foreign affairs with Great
Britain, France, and Spain; the “Revolution of 1800”.
Essential Questions: In what ways was the Articles of Confederation designed to correct the
perceived injustices of the colonial era? What were the resulting strengths and weaknesses of the
document? Was the United States in a crisis under the Articles of Confederation, or was the
“crisis” exaggerated by the Federalists to justify their movement? To what extent could it be
said that the Anti-Federalists prevailed in the fight over ratification of the Constitution? Which
view of the U.S. Constitution, Hamiltonian or Jeffersonian, is best for the long term survival of
the United States? Why did Americans accept the Constitution with its strong national
government and powerful executive after only a decade earlier violently revolting against similar
British institutions? Why did the Anti-Federalists not violently oppose the new Constitution?
In what ways did the United States government work to achieve stability, both domestically and
internationally during the 1790s? Why were political parties viewed as so dangerous by the
Founding Fathers? Should the Alien and Sedition Acts be viewed as unconstitutional, or were
they just an early example of hardball politics?
Activities:
 Video – The Ratification of the U.S. Constitution: An Empire of Reason
 An essay dealing with the federalist/anti-federalist debates will be written from
several different prompts and be scored using the AP essay rubic.
 Short-answer questions regarding the essential questions will be assigned.
 In class debate on the Alien and Sedition Acts.
 Read excerpts from writings of John Winthrop, Cotton Mather, and George
Washington about American exceptionalism. How did the time period of these
writings influence differences, if any, of the concept of American exceptionalism?
Unit 4: Republicans in Power and The Jacksonian Era (1801-1840)
Required Reading:
 Chapters 11-13 in American Pageant. All Varying Viewpoints.
 Selections from – The American Spirit
 Selections from various historical documents – (e.g. President Andrew Jackson’s
message to Congress “On Indian Removal”)
Themes: ID, WXT, PEO, POL, WOR, CUL
Key Discussion Topics: The growing tensions with Europe during the Napoleonic Wars;
Marbury v. Madison and the development of the role of the Supreme Court; Jefferson’s imprint;
causes and results of the “strange” War of 1812; nationalism cum sectionalism; the demise of the
Federalists and the rise of the two-party system; and the early Industrial Revolution. Mass
democracy; Jackson versus Calhoun; the Bank War; the Indian removal; the rise of the working
class; the Whig alternative; and the reformist “benevolent empire.”
Essential Questions: Is it accurate to say that the Supreme Court did not become a co-equal
branch of the government until after the appointment of John Marshall? How effective was the
United States in responding to the geopolitical challenges it faced during this period? Was
Jefferson consistent with his “strict constructionist” views of the United States Constitution?
Why or why not? What was significant about the strong spirit of nationalism that appeared in
America from 1815 to 1824? What were its accomplishments? Did the Supreme Court
decisions under John Marshall’s leadership extend federal power too much? To what extent
were the Jacksonian Democrats truly the guardians of the Constitution, political democracy,
individual liberty, and equality of economic opportunity? In what ways did Andrew Jackson
differ from his predecessors and in what ways did he continue the traditions, or reflect the
traditional values of the early national period? To what extent did the Jacksonian Period live up
to its characterization as the era of the “common man” in terms of economic development,
politics, and expansion. In what ways did the conflicts over nullification and the bank point to
the larger sectional, economic, and political tensions in the Jacksonian age?
Activities:
 Video – Marbury vs. Madison
 Essay – “How did Jefferson modify Republican beliefs in strict constructionism,
limited federal government and militarism during his Presidency?”
 Class discussion – Compare and contrast current issues of today with how much John
Marshall’s Supreme Court decisions extended federal power. Is it too much now?
 Class activity – “1828 Election” re-enactment of campaign. Students are assigned a
candidate and must organize the campaign with a campaign manager, candidate, etc.
that must include speeches, posters, letters to editor, etc. Be sure to sling the mud.
Anything goes that is historically accurate.
Unit 5: Creating a National Identity (1790-1860)
Required Reading:
 Chapters 14, 15 in American Pageant. All Varying Viewpoints.
 Selections from – The American Spirit
 Selections from various historical documents – (e.g. Seneca Falls Manifesto)
 October 17, 2005 Newsweek – “The Making of the Mormons”
Themes: ID, WXT, PEO, POL, ENV, CUL
Key Discussion Topics: Irish and German immigrants and the nativist reaction; effects of early
industrial development on labor and society; market and transportation revolutions; growing
national economy and the regional economic specialization of the Northeast, South, and
Midwest; revivals of the Second Great Awakening and their broad cultural implications;
nineteenth-century family and its relation to society; women’s movement; and utopian
communal experiments and philosophical movements like transcendentalism.
Essential Questions: To what extent did the cotton boom fundamentally transform southern
society, economically and culturally? In what ways was the emergence of the factory economy
of the north beneficial to the region and the nation? What were the negative aspects the new
economy? Why is this period often considered the golden age for American transportation? In
what ways did the philosophers, reformers, artists, and authors of this time period contribute to
the development of a uniquely American identity? What were the larger social goals of the
reformers, and to what extent were they successful in achieving these? Why did America
produce so many reform and utopian movements? What did they contribute to American
culture? In what ways were strides made by advocates for abolitionism, temperance, and
women’s rights? Which group made the most progress?
Activities:
 PBS video – “The Sins of Our Mothers” Outside of class Help Session.
 Maine Law 1851 Role Play – The students participate in a mock Congressional
Hearing (32nd Congress) where various reformers have been invited back to
Washington D.C. to discuss the passage of the Maine Law in 1851 sponsored by Neal
Dow. The reformers explain to Congress, using their moral beliefs based upon their
own experiences, why the United States Congress should or should not impose a
national temperance law.
 1988 AP Free Response Essay – “American reform movements between 1820 and
1860 reflected both optimistic and pessimistic views of human nature and society.”
Assess the validity of this statement in reference to reform movements in THREE of
the following areas. Education, Temperance, Women’s rights, Utopian experiments,
and Penal institutions.
 Short-answer questions regarding the essential questions will be assigned.
Unit 6: Manifest Destiny and Its Legacy (1841-1848)
Required Reading:
 Chapter 17 in American Pageant. All Varying Viewpoints.
 Selections from – The American Spirit
 Selections from various historical documents – (e.g. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo)
 W.E. Channing Denounces Expansion and John L. O’Sullivan Advocates Manifest
Destiny
Themes: ID, PEO, POL, WOR
Key Discussion Topics: Trends in westward expansion, specifically independence in Texas and
statehood issues involving slavery; O”Sullivan’s phrase – “Young America” – the lure of the
West (1820-1840; Texas, New Mexico, Utah, and Oregon; Polk and war with Mexico; and
negotiation of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
Essential Questions: What effect did John Tyler’s presidency have upon the sectional tensions
of the era? What motivated settlers to come to Texas in the 1820s and 1830s? How did these
motives contribute to the conflict that led to Texan independence? What were the issues in the
debate over the admission of Texas to the Union? What effect did James K. Polk have on the
expansion of America? Were the actions justified? Why or why not? How did the gold rush
and the establishment of the Oregon Trail contribute to manifest destiny and the growing
sectional crisis? What were the benefits and costs of the Mexican War both immediately and in
the longer run of American history?
Activities:
 Compare and contrast paper. – Channing/O’Sullivan
 Assign Lincoln’s “spot resolutions” or Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” essay to
highlight the opposition to the War with Mexico, particularly the charge that Polk had
maneuvered to bring on the fighting. Debate the comparison with War in Iraq.
 Class discussions on Texas independence.
Unit 7: The Slave System and the Coming of the Civil War (1790-1861)
Required Reading:
 Chapters 16, 18, 19 in American Pageant. All Varying Viewpoints.
 Selections from – The American Spirit
 Selections from various historical documents – (e.g. Compromise of 1850, KansasNebraska Act, Scott v. Sandford, etc.)
 Selections from – William Lloyd Garrison and the Fight…
 Selections from – Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass..
Themes: ID, WXT, POL, CUL
Key Discussion Topics: The “peculiar institution” and its impact on the South; “Helperism;”
abolitionism and North-South relations; the turbulent 1850s, including Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the
Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Dred Scott decision, and John Brown’s raid at Harper’s Ferry; “Free
Soil” Republicanism; Lincoln; and secession.
Essential Questions: How did slavery affect whites—those who owned slaves and those who
did not? How did blacks respond to the condition of slavery? In what ways did the debates over
immigration and expansion merely mask the conflict over slavery? Was the Compromise of
1850 a wise effort to balance sectional differences or a futile attempt to push the slavery issue
out of sight? Did the North, South, or West benefit most from the Compromise of 1850? Why?
At what point did secession become inevitable? Provide supporting evidence for why you
believe the Civil War could have been avoided before that point – or not. Why did the South
move from viewing slavery as a “necessary evil” to proclaiming it a “positive good”? What did
the Supreme Court decide in the Dred Scott case? Did the Court do too much in its ruling or was
it within its traditional Constitutional boundaries?
Activities:
 Group presentation – Classes are divided into four groups to teach the class key
discussion topics. Ten objectives are given and students are responsible for eight of
them while the instructor takes the remaining two. They must show both northern
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
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and southern attitudes while using a variety of methods such as; handbills, poetry,
speeches, political cartoon, posters, letters to the editor, etc.
Class discussions on Texas annexation, the Wilmot Proviso, and the Compromises of
1850.
In class 1987 DBQ Essay – “By the 1850’s the Constitution, originally framed as an
instrument of national unity, had become a source of sectional discord and tension
and ultimately contributed to the failure of the union it had created.”
Class discussion on the Founding Father’s view of slavery as a “necessary evil” and
why southerners began to believe the idea of slavery as “positive good.”
Unit 8: The Civil War and Reconstruction (1861-1877)
Required Reading:
 Chapters 20-22 in American Pageant. All Varying Viewpoints.
 Selections from – The American Spirit
 Selections from various historical documents – (e.g. South Carolina Declaration of
Causes of Secession, Emancipation Proclamation, Gettysburg Address, etc.)
 Edward Schilling Fourth Maryland journal entries – “My Three Years in the
Volunteer Army of the United States of America”
 Secondary-source readings on the Civil War and Reconstruction
 Newsweek January 11, 1999 – article “A President in the Dock”
Themes: ID, WXT, PEO, POL, WOR, ENV, CUL
Key Discussion Topics: Outbreak of the military conflict between north and south, the South’s
chance of victory and the course of the war; political, diplomatic, social and economic
consequences of the war, north and south; a question of leadership; Lincoln versus Davis; the
Emancipation Proclamation and its effects on the war effort and the slave population;; the
military course of the war in brief; Competing Reconstruction policies; the sharecropping
system; 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments; readmitting southern states; the “crime” of ’76; and the
Compromise of 1877.
Essential Questions: How justified were Lincoln’s wartime abridgments of civil liberties and
his treatment of the Copperheads? What made Lincoln a great president? Was it primarily his
political leadership, or his personal qualities and character? Should the Civil War be seen
primarily as a war to save the Union or as a war to free the slaves? Why? To what extent were
the military fortunes of the north and south shaped by their generals and the political fortunes
shaped by the leaders? Was it inevitable that the South would lose the Civil War? Why or why
not? Which battle was most important during the Civil War, Antietam, Gettysburg, or
Vicksburg? Why? To what extent did the assassination of Abraham Lincoln contribute to more
harsh Reconstruction policies? Trace the ways in which Congress attempted to secure rights for
freed slaves and the steps southern states took to obstruct Congressional actions. To what extent
was Congressional Reconstruction a success? How truly “radical” was “radical
Reconstruction”?
Activities:
 Civil War Analysis worksheet –This reviews causes, course, and consequences.
 Role Play – Joint Committee of Fifteen (House and Senate) April 1866. Four plans of
reconstruction are presented and the Joint Committee must come up with one plan of
reconstruction.
 Saturday Help Session (breakfast is provided) 1996 DBQ Essay – Civil War and
Reconstruction. The essay is written and reviewed immediately following.
 Class discussion on the impeachment process by comparing and contrasting Johnson,
Nixon and Clinton impeachment proceedings.
Unit 9: The Gilded Age (1865-1900)
Required Reading:
 Chapters 23-26 in American Pageant. All Varying Viewpoints.
 Selections from – The American Spirit
 Selections from various historical documents – (e.g. Chinese Exclusion Act,
Pendleton Act, Dawes Act, etc.)
 Selections from – Plunkitt of Tamany Hall
 Newsweek September 29, 1997 article – “Think Before You Give”, Jonathan Alter
 Salt Lake Tribune January 24, 2000 article – “Bear River Was Army Massacre”,
Christopher Smith
 Secondary-source readings on the Gilded Age
Themes: ID, WXT, PEO, POL, WOR, ENV, CUL
Key Discussion Topics: Settling the West: a question of exploitation; laissez-faire and social
Darwinism; impact of an unregulated economy on the development of heavy industry and the
emergence of business tycoons; case studies on Rockefeller, Carnegie, Morgan and Vanderbilt;
labor’s response; urbanization; immigration and “Tweedism”; the “Social gospel”; the politics of
the 1890s; big government Republicans and the Populists.
Essential Questions: To what extent is “The Gilded Age” an apt description of the time period?
Were blacks worse off or better off after the Civil War? In what ways did the courts undermine
Reconstruction efforts to bring about racial equality? Why was the political system so slow to
respond to the economic grievances of farmers and workers, especially during the hard economic
times of the 1890s? Trace the rise of American industrialization in the late 19th century? Should
industrialists like Vanderbilt, Carnegie, and Rockefeller be viewed as “robber barons” or
“captains of industry”? Does the government regulation of the economy disprove the belief that
capitalism is a morally superior economic theory? Why or why not? Did the development of
American cities justify Jefferson’s claim that “when we get piled up in great cities we will
become as corrupt as Europe”? Why has the Plains’ Indians’ resistance to white encroachment
played such a large part in the popular American view of the West? How is that mythical past
related to the Indians’ actual history?
Activities:
 “Spend as Much as You Can” activity – The students are divided into 5 groups and
are given values of money from $100,000 to $1 billion. After allowing them to figure
out what to do with the money and sharing it with the class, we read Jonathan Alter’s
article. A comparison/contrast discussion ensues with the ERP’s (extremely rich
people) of today and those of the late 19th century.
 Video clips – “American Tail”. Discussion of immigration and “Tweedism”
 Smith’s Salt Lake Tribune article and Turner, 1893 v. Drinnon 1980 discussion
 Read Gospel of Wealth and discuss how money should be distributed. Is Andrew
Carnegie’s views still valid today?
 Read excerpts from Helen Hunt Jackson’s novel, Ramona, and discuss the
relationship between native Americans and whites and the United States government.
Semester Exam
The Semester Exam is a district mandate that we treat as a practice AP Exam for the actual AP
Examination in May. Its format is similar to the May exam except that it covers material only to
the year 1900. It is administered in two parts. The first day students have one hour to write a
DBQ essay. The second day students will complete an abbreviated multiple-choice section and
respond to several short-answer questions.
Unit 10: The Progressive Era (1900-1917)
Required Reading:
 Chapters 28,29 in American Pageant. All Varying Viewpoints.
 Selections from – The American Spirit
 Selections from various historical documents – (e.g. 16th & 17th Amendments,
Keating-Owen Child Labor Act, etc.)
 Selections from – Muckraking
 Selections from – The Jungle
Themes: ID, WXT, POL, CUL
Key Discussion Topics: Progressivism defined, goals of Progressivism, and types of
Progressives;: a ferment of ideas; the “muckrakers”; “trustbusting”; radical movements, the
IWW and Socialist Party, the changing role in government (including state and local); the
“Purity” crusade; state and local reforms; women’s suffrage; the progressive presidents – Teddy
Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson; the “Square Deal” and the “New Freedom”; and successes and
failures of the Progressive Era.
Essential Questions: What were the root causes of the progressive movement: Why did the
movement flourish in the north and west, but lack support in the south? To what extent did state
and local governments influence the movement at the national level? Is it accurate to describe
Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson as progressive? Who was the most progressive and why? The
least? Did the progressive movement make any long lasting contribution to American society?
Were the conditions of farmers, the poor, women, and African-Americans improved by
progressive reforms from the Election of 1896 to the outbreak of World WarI?
Activities:
 The Jungle discussion – Pairs of students are assigned to read one chapter the
weekend before and prepare an oral/written/visual presentation. The objective is to
convince President Roosevelt to aggressively reform society.
 Students will write a response to the following FRQ: Analyze the roles that women
played in Progressive Era reforms from the 1880s through 1920. Focus your essay
on TWO of the following: Politics; social conditions; labor and working conditions.
 Antiquities Act of 1906 discussion that compares and contrasts decisions of President
T. Roosevelt, with President Clinton’s decision of the Grand Staircase-Escalante
National Monument and President Barack Obama’s pending decision of the Greater
Canyonlands National Park.
Unit 11: Foreign Policy and World War I (1890-1920)
Required Reading:
 Chapters 27, 30 in American Pageant. All Varying Viewpoints.
 Selections from – The American Spirit
 Selections from various historical documents – (e.g. De Lome Letter, Joint
Resolution…Annexing the Hawaiin Islands, Platt Amendment, etc.)
 President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points
Themes: ID, POL, WOR
Key Discussion Topics: The imperialist arguments; war with Spain and the Philippine
institution; Mahan, Coaling Stations, the building of the U.S. navy, and initial imperialistic
efforts, including Hawaii; American involvement and influence in the Spanish-American War,
the Filipino Insurrection; Teddy Roosevelt; the corollary and Panama; “Dollar Diplomacy”;
moral diplomacy; Mexico, American involvement with Pancho Villa; neutrality (1914-1917);
“Over There”; “Over Here”; opposition to American involvement in the First World War; Civil
Rights for Americans during and after the war; the Versailles Treaty controversy and Senate
fight over ratification and the League of Nations.
Essential Questions: To what extent did the domestic and international policies of Theodore
Roosevelt reflect the values of his era? What were the causes, course and effects of the SpanishAmerican War? What were the chief arguments of the imperialists and anti-imperialists; what
was the particular significance of the Roosevelt corollary? How did the American interest in the
development of a canal in Panama evolve? In what ways were American relations with Mexico
a demonstration of the United States as the dominant power in the hemisphere? How did
regional relations evolve during this period? What were the events and policies that culminated
in the decision to go to war in 1917? Assess Woodrow Wilson in terms of his wartime
leadership and his vision for a post war world.
Activities:
 Guest speaker, ‘Duke’ – Native Hawaiin discusses Hawaii annexation and impact on
the Native American (Hawaiin) question in Congress today.
 Compare and contrast activity – Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss is read to the class and
students are to illustrate examples of imperialism that relate to the story.
 Role play of the Treaty of Versailles and ratification process. Each student will take a
particular role such as, Wilson, Lodge, Borah, Keynes, and many others directly
involved in the process. Research of each person’s actual participation is required
and then a Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting is conducted.
 In-class1991 DBQ essay – Treaty of Versailles
Unit 12: The Roaring ‘20s
Required Reading:
 Chapters 31, 32 in American Pageant. All Varying Viewpoints.
 Selections from – The American Spirit
 Selections from various historical documents – (e.g. 19th Amendment)
 “A Town Called Rosewood” – Us and Them: A History of Intolerance in America,
Jim Carnes. (Southern Poverty Law Center)
Themes: ID, WXT, PEO, POL, WOR, CUL
Key Discussion Topics: Social, political, economic, and cultural trends during the 1920s;
Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover: “Republican Orthodoxy”; normalcy; the “Red Scare”;
immigration legislation; the “new” Ku Klux Klan; the Harlem Renaissance and Countee Cullen;
the crash of the stock market and the onset of the Great Depression; and Hoover and
Voluntarism.
Essential Questions: Were the major social issues and conflicts of the Twenties uniquely
modern, or were they merely continuations of earlier issues and conflicts? To what extent is the
following statement valid: “The Twenties were the new Gilded Age.” To what extent did the
writers and artists of the Twenties reflect and challenge traditional American values? Why did
the United States, which had welcomed so many millions of immigrants for nearly a century,
suddenly become so fearful of immigration in the 1920s that it virtually ended mass immigration
for two decades? In what ways were the 1920s a reaction against the progressive era? Was the
American isolationism of the 1920s linked to the rise of movements like the Ku Klux Klan? In
what ways did movements like fundamentalism reflect similar “antimodern” outlooks, and in
what ways did they reflect more basic religious disagreements? To what extent did the policies
of the booming 1920s contribute to the depression? Was the depression inevitable, or could it
have been avoided? Why or why not?
Activities:
 20s Day!! – Fun 20s activities all class period that include a ‘Speakeasie’ (local
deputy sheriff is contacted to make a ‘bust’ after 20 minutes of gambling, drinking
ginger ale, dancing, music, etc.), pole sitting, eating contests, etc. We are tired of
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Wilson’s idealism, more important however, the long hard drive of AP pressure, so
we take a day off to play that is interspersed with brief lectures. Depression will set
in soon enough when we have to go back to work.
Saturday Help Session – Movie about “Gangsters”
1920s Essay – Changes in society.
Compare and contrast paper assigned in regards to Second Great Awakening, early
19th century social and cultural reform movements with the social and cultural
reforms of the 1920s. What are the values conflicts?
Unit 13: The Great Depression (1929-1940)
Required Reading:
 Chapters 32, 33 in American Pageant. All Varying Viewpoints.
 Selections from – The American Spirit
 Selections from various historical documents – (e.g. Tennessee Valley Authority Act,
FDR’s Speech in Defense of the Second New Deal, etc.)
 Chapter 6, Depression, 1930-1941. – A History of Wasatch County.
 Deer Creek BR’r – Official Publication of CCC Company 4792, Vol.VII no. VIII.
September 23, 1938.
Themes: ID, WXT, POL, CUL, ENV
Key Discussion Topics: The origins and effects of the Great Depression; the Stock market
Crash, crop failures, and collapse of the banking industry by 1932; Hoover’s “Voluntarism”
approach; Franklin Roosevelt and the “Hundred Days”, the First and Second New Deals; relief,
recovery, and reform; critics of the New Deal – the “Economic Royalists” on the right and Long,
Townsend, and Coughlin; the Supreme court fight; the overall effects of the New Deal programs
on the economy, politics, and the popular understanding of the role of government in American
society.
Essential Questions: What were the underlying causes of the Great Depression and the initial
attempts by the Hoover administration to mitigate its effects? To what extent did the reforms of
the New Deal truly transform the role of government, and to what extent did they merely build
upon an earlier foundation? Which of Roosevelt’s measures were most effective in fighting the
depression? Why? What was the evolution of the conflict between FDR and the Supreme Court
from the beginning of his first term to the beginning of the Second World War? What were the
major arguments made by New Deal critics? To what extent did Americans accept and approve
of the changes wrought by New Deal policies and legislation? How did FDR reconcile his own
beliefs about intervention with the isolationist mood of the country at the time? What were the
positive and negative effects of the new Deal’s use of the federal government as an agency of
social reform?
Activities:
 Wasatch County in the Depression Discussion – Guest Speaker reminiscing.
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Compare and contrast paper – Wasatch County of 1938 and the building of Deer
Creek Reservoir with Wasatch County of 1990s and the building of Jordanelle
Reservoir. (CCC and the Utah Central Water Project)
Write an essay – How did the depression challenge the traditional belief of Hoover
and other Americans ideals of “rugged individualism.”
The Oyez Project – Review court cases that declared some of FDR’s and
Congressional actions unconstitutional. Identify the key elements in your opinion of
the courts actions.
Compare and contrast some of FDR’s challenges with the court system with President
Obama’s challenges with the court system.
Class discussion of Samuel Mills’ (my grandfather) complete record of all
government employment and military service. (National Archives – personnel file.)
This illustrates the impact on families of the Depression.
Unit 14: America and World War II (1933-1945)
Required Reading:
 Chapters 34, 35 in American Pageant. All Varying Viewpoints.
 Selections from – The American Spirit
 Selections from various historical documents – (e.g. The Four Freedoms: FDR’s
Annual Message to Congress, Executive Order 9066, etc.)
 Chapter 7, World War II. – A History of Wasatch County.
 “Exposing the Rape of Nanking” – Newsweek December 1, 1997 article.
 Democracy and Adversity – “Don’t Hesitate to Fight the Japs Dirty” and other
selections.
 “WWII changed U.S. forever” – Rick Hampson, Associated Press and other
newspaper accounts.
Themes: ID, WXT, PEO, POL, WOR
Key Discussion Topics: American isolationism in the 1930s; pacifism, and neutrality and their
ramifications for U.S. policy in Europe, Latin America, and Asia during the 1920s and early
1930s; neutrality legislation of the 1930s; undeclared war in Europe and the course of U.S. –
Japanese relations in the late 1930s; Pearl harbor; halting the German blitz; turning the tide in the
Pacific and the decision to drop the A-bomb; the war on the home front; wartime diplomacy
from the Atlantic Charter to the Potsdam Conference.
Essential Questions: How did FDR reconcile his own beliefs about intervention in world affairs
with the isolationist mood of the country at the time? How did the process of American entry
into World War II compare with the entry into World War I? Would the United States have
entered World War II even if the Japanese had not attacked Pearl Harbor? Citing leaders, battles,
and other events, what were the high points, low points, and turning points of the war in Europe
and the Pacific? To what extent can the two wars be compared in terms of (a) treatment of
minorities, (b) opportunities for women (c) civil liberties, and (d) plans for the post-war order?
Trace the course of diplomatic relations between allies from the beginning of the war to the end.
How did the goals and strategies change over time? How did America’s domestic response to
World War II differ from its reaction to World War I? What were the arguments for and against
dropping the atomic bomb in 1945?
Activities:
 Wasatch County in World War II – Discuss the treatment of Japanese Americans
living in Wasatch County from 1942-1945 with those living at Topaz near Delta, UT.
Compare and contrast paper. Keetly, UT and Japanese Americans.
 In-class Essay – Analyze the ways in which World War II impacted American society
in the 1940s.
 AP Help Session – Saturday, breakfast and movies. Frank Capra’s ‘Why We Fight’
#1 and #6. Discussion after.
Unit 15: The Cold War (1945-1960)
Required Reading:
 Chapters 36-37 in American Pageant. All Varying Viewpoints.
 Selections from – The American Spirit
 Selections from various historical documents – (e.g. Marshall Plan, Executive Order
9981: Desegregation of the Armed Forces, Brown v. Board of Education, etc.)
 Selections from – The Age of McCarthyism
 Selections from – Lyndon B. Johnson and American Liberalism
 Selections from – Where the Domino Fell
Themes: ID, WXT, POL, WOR, ENV, CUL
Key Discussion Topics: Suburban development and the affluent society; changes in postwar
economic, social, and racial life; the modern civil rights movement, including Brown v Board,
Montgomery Bus Boycott; Cold War in Europe; the beginning of atomic diplomacy;
containment (Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, NATO), conflicts in Greece and Turkey; the Cold
War expands: the loss of China and the Korean War; the Cold War at home: McCarthyism; Ike,
Dulles, and the Cold War in Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America; JFK and “flexible
response”; the Second Berlin Crisis; the Cuban missile crisis; postwar economic boom and the
rise of the suburbs; did the 1950s represent the true “good life”?
Essential Questions: In what ways was the Marshall Plan an attempt to avoid the mistakes that
had been made after the Treaty of Versailles? To what extent did relations break down between
the United States and the Soviet Union in the wake of the Second World War? In what ways did
the containment policy and the fallout from the Chinese “Revolution contribute to the culture of
fear and conservatism during the 1950s? Which development caused the greatest change in
American society in the immediate postwar years: increased affluence, the migration to the
suburbs, the entry of women into the workforce, or the “baby boom”? Was the 1950s a time of
American triumph abroad and affluence at home, or was it a period that actually suppressed
many problems of race, women’s roles, and cultural conformity? Was the primary threat from
the Soviet Union military or ideological – that is, was the danger that the Soviet army would
invade Western Europe or that more and more people in Europe and elsewhere would be
attracted communist ideas?
Activities:
 “Win as Much as You Can” – A game played with partners that encourages distrust,
cheating, etc. Discussion follows to illustrate Soviet/American relations. Activity is
concluded with the reading of The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss.
 In-class Essay 1996 free response – American-Soviet relations in the decade
following WWII.
 Read selections from American Cold War Strategy: Interpreting NSC 68 and The Age
of McCarthyism: A Brief History with Documents. Compare and contrast approaches
to the fight against communism.
Unit 16: Protest and Turmoil: Vietnam, Watergate, and the Energy Crisis
(1960-1979)
Required Reading:
 Chapters 38, 39 in American Pageant. All Varying Viewpoints.
 Selections from – The American Spirit
 Selections from various historical documents – (e.g. JFK’s Inaugural Address, Civil
Rights Act, Tonkin Gulf Resolution, Richard Nixon’s 1969 Inaugural Address, etc.)
 Selections from – Where the Domino Fell
 Selections from – The Arrogance of Power, Senator J. William Fulbright
Themes: ID, PEO, POL, WOR, CUL
Key Discussion Topics: Crisis in Berlin; JFK and “flexible response”; the Second Berlin Crisis;
the Cuban missile crisis; the civil rights struggle; the New Frontier; the Warren court; and the
Great Society’s War on Poverty; involvement and escalation in Vietnam; Vietnam dilemma and
stalemate; the student revolt; Black Power and Women’s Lib; the election of 1968; Nixon,
Kissinger – ending the Vietnam War; the election of 1972; Watergate, the emergence of distrust
of government; OPEC and the oil shock; inflation and the new economy; the start of affirmative
action; setbacks and gains for women; the election of 1976; Carter; Sadat; Khomeini; and
disillusionment and the renewed Cold War.
Essential Questions: Did Kennedy fulfill his promise to “get America moving again”? Was the
nonviolent civil rights movement of the 1960s a success? Why or why not? Can it be argued
that the violent protests of the civil rights movement were more successful than the nonviolent
protests? What were the causes of the Vietnam War? Was America justified going into
Vietnam? What were the short-term and long-term consequences of the communists’ victory in
Vietnam? How do these affect an assessment of the war? What if the Communist countries
invaded a country to ‘contain the spread of Democracy,’ would this be justified? What is the
difference between the two situations? Were the cultural upheavals of the 1960s a result of the
political crisis, or were developments like the sexual revolution and the student revolts inevitable
results of affluence and the “baby boom”? In what ways is the feminist movement similar to
other movements for equality and social justice in American history and in what ways is it
different?
Activities:
 1995 DBQ Essay – Analyze the changes that occurred during the
1960s………African American civil rights.
 Guest Speaker – Vietnam veteran. Discuss conflicts at home and service to the
country. Include Jane Fonda photo from Hanoi.
 Week Day Help Session Essay – 1960s as a profound cultural change in two of the
following areas: education, gender roles, music, race relations.
 Read and discuss excerpts from Where the Domino Fell: America and Vietnam, 19451995, chapter 3 and Federalist #10. What are the dangers of factions?
Unit 17: Conservatism: From Reagan to Obama (1980-Present)
Required Reading:
 Chapters 40-41 in American Pageant. All Varying Viewpoints.
 Selections from – The American Spirit
Themes: WXT, PEO, POL, WOR, CUL
Key Discussion Topics: Reaganism: deregulation, increase in military spending, supply-side”
economics; budget deficit; “Moral Majority”; Iran-Contra affair; cold war confrontation; “Star
Wars”; Mikhail Gorbachev; liberalism on the wane: the Republican Revolution of 1994, the
Impeachment of President Clinton; Rodney King and Anita Hill; Welfare Reform Act of 1996;
the election of 2000, terrorism and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and emerging questions
about civil liberties and the role of the federal government during a time of war; trends in
immigration.
Essential Questions: What ways did the various Middle Eastern conflicts first symbolize and
later replace the major conflicts of the Cold War? To what extent were the Reagan/Bush
presidencies successful in rolling back reforms of the New Deal and Great Society and in
reshaping the role of government? In what ways might the 1980s and 1990s be compared with
the 1920s in economic, social, and foreign policies? What were the successes and failures of
American foreign policy in the post-Cold War era? What is likely to be the enduring legacy of
Bill Clinton in American politics? Did the focus on his personality and the scandals leading to
impeachment drastically alter the way he is likely to be viewed by future historians, or will his
economic policies and his political success in steering the Democratic party toward the political
center be viewed as substantive achievements outweighing the weaknesses? To what extent was
America transformed by societal changes – from television to race relations to AIDS and crack
cocaine? How did the role of the President change in the years from the Watergate scandal
through the terrorist attacks of September 11th?
Activities:
 Budget Deficit Activity – compare and contrast Keynesian Economics with Supply
Side Economics.
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Compare and contrast impeachment proceedings of Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon
and William Jefferson Clinton. What are impeachable offenses? Is impeachment a
necessary tool on a regular basis? Why or why not?
Unit 18: A 4-Day Review for the AP U.S. History Exam
The two chief aspects of the review period are the assignment of 52 historical pairs for review
and a quiz made up of 10-15 multiple-choice questions taken from the 1988 and 1996 exams to
be given the next morning, graded immediately, and discussed. The historical pairs (e.g. Boston
Massacre/Kent State, Progressives of 1912/Dixiecrats of 1948, etc.) are given to students that are
paired. The pairs are divided up so each presents a quick compare/contrast review that is shared
with the class. For the remaining 20 minutes of each class, an essay question or DBQ is placed
on the board and the class analyzes, brainstorms, and outlines an answer to it. Students are also
required to come in for one AP Help Session that is offered three times before school or after
school that is an historical review of U.S. History through political cartoons.
After the exam, the class spends the remaining time preparing for the district mandated Final
Examinations. Graduation is before Memorial Day!!
Required Reading:
 Multiple handouts of reviews.
 CH 42 in American Pageant.
 Fast Track to a 5: Preparing for the AP United States History Examination (Students
have been encouraged to use it all year.)
 Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser
Themes: ID, WXT, PEO, POL
Key Discussion Topics: The economic transformation from an “industrial age” to an
“information age”; Changes in women’s roles, the family, and the arrival of new immigrant
groups; American culture, literature, and art; globalization of American ideas.
Essential Questions: Was the growing inequality in American wealth and incomes the result of
“natural” economic market forces, or was it encouraged by deliberate policies, especially the tax
cuts and trade policies of the 1980s? Has the American family been in “decline,” or has it
simply changed forms while developing different kinds of strengths? What causes the fears of a
“generational war” between the expanding numbers of elderly and younger Americans? Has the
nature of American race relations been substantially altered since the 1960s civil rights
movement, or are relations between whites and African Americans fundamentally the same?
Has African American society itself undergone substantial changes?
Activities:
 Saturday 2001 AP Test – Breakfast is provided. The Saturday previous to the May
Exam, the students take a complete practice exam. Essays are scored and returned for
the next class period. A retired AP English teacher helps with the scoring.
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Classroom discussion on globalization and American culture after reading, Fast Food
Nation by Eric Schlosser.
Discussion on several of Walter E. Williams’, Professor of Economics at George
Mason University, articles concerning race relations and economics.