Midterm Study Guide
Be prepared to answer the following essay questions. Be sure to include specific
examples that support your thesis and conclusions.
Your response to each essay must make substantial and good use of the
information provided in the assigned readings for this class.
Two of the questions from this study guide will appear on the exam. Those two
questions will be selected by the instructor; Prof. Bodner.
1. Describe the great biological exchange between the Old and New Worlds.
Discuss what each world gained from the other.
2. Compare the settlements of Virginia and Massachusetts in regard to their
founding religion, form of government, and landholding patterns. It is noted
that settlers to New England had a greater life expectancy than those to
colonies south of the Chesapeake Bay. Why?
3. Describe the status of women in colonial society. What factors might
account for this?
4. Summarize the argument for independence presented in the Declaration of
Independence. How did this compare with earlier colonial arguments
concerning the relationship between Britain and the colonies?
5. At the end of the American Revolution, many of the old traditions were
replaced with new ones. Examine how religion changed as a result.
6. What major compromises were made at the Constitutional Convention, and
what issues did they settle? What issues remained unsettled?
7. Examine the importance of the Bill of Rights regarding the establishment of
trust and law between the new nation and its citizens.
8. Assess the degree to which Jefferson’s election as president can accurately
be called the “revolution of 1800
9. Describe the Lewis and Clark expedition. What impact did it have on
developing the United States west of the Mississippi River?
10. Describe the general immigration trends of the period between 1815 and
1850. What forms did the nativist response to this immigration take?