Advanced Placement United States History
Syllabus 2013 - 2014
Primary Text: Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen and Thomas A. Bailey. The American
Pageant. Boston: McDougal Littell/Houghton Mifflin, 2004.
Suggested Text:
Cracking the AP U.S. History Exam by the Princeton Review (or another
review book, such as Barron’s, Sparknotes, etc.)
Supplemental Readings:
Readings will be selected from the following sources:
Kennedy. David and Bailey, Thomas. The American Spirit, Volume I: To 1877.
Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002.
Kennedy. David and Bailey, Thomas. The American Spirit, Volume II: Since
1865. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002.
Belmonte, Laura A. Speaking of America: Readings in U.S. History. Belmont,
CA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2005.
Couvares, Francis G., et al, eds. Interpretations of American History: Patterns
and Perspectives. Seventh Edition. New York: The Free Press, 2000.
Dudley, William, ed. Opposing Viewpoints in American History – Volume II.
San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996.
Foner, Eric and John A. Garraty, eds. The Reader’s Companion to American
History. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1991.
Hyser, Raymond M. and J. Chris Arndt. Voices of the American Past: Documents
in U.S. History. Third Edition. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2005.
Shi, David E. and Holly A. Mayer. For the Record: A Documentary History of
America. Second Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2004.
Tindall, George B. and David E. Shi. America: A Narrative History. Sixth
Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2003.
Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States. New York: Harper
Collins Publishers, 2003.
Other readings and handouts as necessary
Course Description:
This course provides students with the analytic and interpretive skills and factual
knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and content of US history from
Pre-Columbian times through the present. Political, social, and economic aspects of
American history are studied through in-depth readings of both primary and secondary
sources. Daily reading assignments from The American Spirit, volume I & II (primary
document reader) and Opposing Viewpoints in American History, volume I & II (primary
document reader)will expose you to historical primary documents and help develop your
historical interpretation skills. Additionally, primary resources from the national archives
will be incorporated throughout the school year for you to interpret. The course prepares
students for intermediate and advanced college courses. Students will assess historical
materials – their relevance to given interpretive problems, their reliability, and
significance – and evaluate the evidence and interpretations presented in historical
scholarship. Emphasis will be placed on preparation for the AP exam. Mature reading
and writing skills are mandatory for those enrolled in this course. The course outline
follows those suggested by the College Board. Prospective students should possess a
strong commitment to academic pursuits.
Course Goals and Themes:
Students who take AP United States History will be able to:
1. To gain knowledge of basic chronology and of major events and trends in United
States history from pre-Columbian societies to the present;
2. To develop:
a. an understanding of some of the principal themes in American history,
b. an ability to analyze historical evidence, and
c. an ability to analyze and express historical understanding in writing;
3. To understand United States History in the context of nine major thematic categories:
a. American Diversity, American Identity and Culture,
b. Demographic Changes,
c. Economic Transformations,
d. Environment and Globalization,
e. Politics and Citizenship,
f. Reform,
g. Religion,
h. Slavery and Its Legacies in North America, and
i. War and Diplomacy.
(Adapted from the College Board—www.collegeboard.org)
***My personal goal is to prepare you as a student to successfully take the AP United
States History exam in May. Your level of success depends upon your own capabilities,
effort, and expectations.
Course Requirements:
1. Attendance:
Regular attendance is vital to your success in this course. Per district policy,
students may only miss 10 days in a 180-day school year. If you are absent, it is
YOUR responsibility to ask myself or a classmate for missed assignments and/or
notes. I will not seek you out to give you make up assignments, nor will I provide
you with class notes that you missed. All make up assignments (classwork,
homework, quizzes, tests, etc.) are due within FIVE (5) class days of your return
to school. Make up tests and essays are given during lunch or before or after
school ONLY. I will not take class time to give make up tests and essays. Any
work not turned in within the 5 day period will be assigned a grade of zero.
2. Course Grading is based on a point system:
a. Unit Tests
100 Points
b. DBQs/FRQs
50 Points
c. Reading Quizzes
50 Points
d. Book Reviews/Papers
100 Points
e. Document Journal
10 Points
f. Midterm Exam
100 Points
Course Expectations:
This is a college-level course; therefore, I expect each of you to treat it as such.
Attendance and attentiveness are both mandatory for success. There will be a large
amount of outside reading, and I expect you to keep up. You must be willing to put in
the extra effort needed to be successful. You are expected to come to class each day fully
prepared and having read the assigned material.
Grading Information:
1. We will have 6-8 unit tests this year. Tests are made up entirely of multiple choice
questions taken from old AP exams, AP review books, and other AP materials. The
last few unit tests will be timed to better prepare you for taking the national exam in
May under timed conditions. Unit tests are also cumulative. Each test will contain a
certain number of review questions from previous units.
2. We will have 6-7 reading quizzes PER UNIT this semester. Reading quizzes may or
may not be announced. You will have the opportunity to drop a few of your lowest
grades. I will try to make it so that every person will be able to drop at least one quiz
grade. This does not mean that you may opt out of taking a reading quiz simply
because you failed to read the assigned material the night before. No make-up
reading quizzes will be given. If you are absent the date of a reading quiz, that will
count as one of your dropped grades.
3. You will have 3-4 outside reading assignments over the course of the year. You will
be responsible for writing a book review or paper to accompany these assignments.
You will receive more information about these assignments as they are given.
4. We will have a midterm exam both fall and spring semester. These dates will be
announced at a later date. They are not designed to stress you out or make you worry
about your grade. They are, however, designed to help track your progress leading up
to the AP exam.
5. Extra credit is rare, though not impossible.
6. Your attendance at school is vitally important. Do your best to limit your absences.
Do not fall behind. We move quickly, and once you fall behind it is very difficult to
catch up.
7. Late assignments are not accepted—no exceptions. See me BEFORE AN
ASSIGNMENT IS DUE if you have a problem or concern about a due date.
8. Plan on homework almost each night. Assignments may not always be writing-based,
but count on reading assignments every night. It is necessary that you come to class
each day having read the assigned material the night before.
9. Take notes on your reading. Make charts, graphs, graphic organizers, and flashcards.
Trust me, you’ll thank me later.
10. We will begin review sessions before and/or after school beginning after spring
break. While not required, they are highly suggested. Review sessions will serve to
further prepare you for the AP exam, and they are invaluable. Students who regularly
attend review sessions almost certainly raise their AP score as a result.
11. The AP United States History exam will be on May 15th. All students are required to
take the national exam, where you will have the opportunity to earn college credit
should you score a 3 or better.
Information for Online Document Journal:
Document analysis is crucial to your success in AP American History. A large portion of the
AP exam consists of analyzing and discussing documents. On certain days (3-5 times a
week, sometimes less) you will have a document reading assignment for class. The reading
may be online, or it may be a hard copy. You will be given instructions when these
assignments arise.
The document journal will function in the form of a blog. You will be required to interact
not only with the document reading, but also with each other and myself. Documents are
listed below as “Historical Readings.”
I will give you the Edmodo address in class. You will have to create an account, but it’s free.
Submissions are due by midnight on the Friday after the assignment is posted. See me if you
have concerns regarding at-home internet access. On the blog, write a paragraph that
answers the following questions, as well as any extra questions I may add. Make sure you
respond to and interact with your classmates!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What is the main idea/theme of the reading?
What is the POINT OF VIEW? Who wrote it? Why? What is the purpose?
What links the document with others I have read?
What important details have I learned from the reading?
What do I still find confusing? Respond to your classmates.
Unit 1 - Pre-Columbian Societies, Colonization, and Colonial Life [15 days]
Textbook Readings:
1. Kennedy, Ch. 1-5
a. Pre-Columbian Societies and Exploration - Ch. 1
b. The Settling of North America - Ch. 2-3
c. Colonial Life and Conflict - Ch. 4-5
Historical/Outside Readings:
Columbus Journal
Smith The Founding of Jamestown
The Mayflower Compact
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
The New England Confederation
The Maryland Toleration Act
Winthrop The Massachusetts Bay Colony Case against Anne Hutchinson
Randolph The Causes and Results of King Philip’s War
Mather Accounts of the Salem Witchcraft Trials
Edwards Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
Assessments:
Document Journal (blog)
Reading Quizzes
Unit 1 Test - 50 multiple choice questions taken from old AP exams, AP review books,
etc. (timed - 45 minutes)
FRQ - Cultural/Economic Responses to Indians before 1750 (2000)
FRQ - Religion in Colonial Society (2002)
DBQ - Impact of French and Indian War (2004)
Unit 2 - Conflict and Revolution [12 days]
Textbook Readings:
1. Kennedy Ch. 6-8
a. Conflict with Britain - Ch. 6-7
b. War for Independence - Ch. 8
Historical Readings:
The Albany Plan of Union
Equiano The Horrors of the Middle Passage
Stamp Act Congress Declaration of the Rights and Grievances of the Colonies
Paine Common Sense
The Declaration of Independence
Abigail and John Adams On Women’s Rights
Assessments:
Document Journal (blog)
Reading Quizzes
Unit 2 Test - 50 multiple choice questions taken from old AP exams, AP review books,
etc. (timed - 45 minutes)
FRQ - Growth of Slavery in the South (2001)
FRQ - U.S. Constitution (2006)
DBQ - Identity and Unity on Eve of Revolution (1999)
Unit 3 - The New Republic, Jeffersonian Democracy, and the Rise of Nationalism [17 days]
Textbook Readings:
1. Kennedy Ch. 9-12
a. The First Republic, 1776-1789 - Ch. 9
b. Rise of Political Parties - Ch. 10
c. Jeffersonian Republicanism - Ch. 11
d. War of 1812 and the Rise of Nationalism - Ch. 12
Historical Readings:
The Northwest Ordinance
Washington Letters about Shays’s Rebellion
The Constitution of the United States
Madison The Federalist, No. 10
Madison The Federalist, No. 45
Washington Farewell Address
Alien and Sedition Acts
Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
Marbury v. Madison
Assessments:
Document Journal (blog)
Reading Quizzes
Unit 3 Test - 50 multiple choice questions taken from old AP exams, AP review books,
etc. (timed - 45 minutes)
FRQ - Creation of Stable Government: Adams, Jefferson, Washington (2002)
FRQ - Effectiveness of Articles of Confederation (2003)
FRQ - Impact of Revolution on slavery and women (2004)
DBQ - Impact of Revolution on Society (2005)
Unit 4 - The Age of Jackson, The Old South and Manifest Destiny [18 days]
Textbook Readings:
1. Kennedy Ch. 13-17
a. The Age of Jackson - Ch. 13
b. Slavery and the Old South - Ch. 16
c. Social Reform - Ch. 14, 15
d. The Way West - Ch. 17
Historical/Outside Readings:
McCulloch v. Maryland
J.Q. Adams The End of the “Era of Good Feelings”
Monroe The Monroe Doctrine
Calhoun South Carolina Exposition and Protest
Webster South Carolina’s Ordinance of Nullification
Worcester v. Georgia
Jackson Nullification Proclamation
Emerson Self-Reliance
Thoreau Walden
Seneca Falls Conference Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions
Clay Speech about the Mexican War
Douglass Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Garrison Declaration of Sentiments of the American Anti-Slavery Society
Stanton Declaration of Sentiments
de Tocqueville from Democracy in America
Assessments:
Document Journal (blog)
Reading Quizzes
Unit 4 Test - 50 multiple choice questions taken from old AP exams, AP review books,
etc. (timed - 45 minutes)
FRQ - Jacksonian “common man” era (2001)
FRQ - Two Party System, 1820-1840 (1999)
FRQ - “Revolution of 1800” (2004 – Form B)
DBQ - Reform Movements, 1825-1850 (2002)
DBQ - Era of Good Feelings (2002 - Form B)
Unit 5 - Sectionalism and The Civil War [12 days]
Textbook Readings:
1. Kennedy Ch. 18-21
a. The Politics of Sectionalism - Ch. 18, 19
b. The Civil War - Ch. 20, 21
Historical Readings:
The Compromise of 1850
The Fugitive Slave Law
Know-Nothing Party American Platform (1856)
Democratic Party Democratic Platform (1856)
Republican Party Republican Platform (1856)
Sumner On ‘Bleeding Kansas’
The Dred Scott Case
Lincoln and Douglas The Lincoln-Douglas Debates
South Carolina’s Ordinance of Secession
Lincoln The Emancipation Proclamation
Brady Photographs from the American Civil War
Assessments:
Document Journal (blog)
Reading Quizzes
Unit 5 Test - 50 multiple choice questions taken from old AP exams, AP review books,
etc. (timed - 45 minutes)
FRQ - Opposition to Slavery (2002)
FRQ - Transportation as Social Change (2003)
FRQ - Effectiveness of Political Compromise (2004)
DBQ - Shift from Political Compromise (2005 – Form B)
DBQ - American Womanhood, 1770s-1860 (2006)
Unit 6 - Reconstruction and The New South [12 days]
Textbook Readings:
1. Kennedy Ch. 22 – 24
a. Reconstruction - Ch. 22, 23
b. Industrialization and the New South - Ch. 24
2. Interpretations of American History – Patterns and Perspectives
a. Reconstruction – Change or Stasis
Historical Readings:
First Reconstruction Act
Klan Terrorism in South Carolina
Black Codes in Mississippi
Plessy v. Ferguson
Washington The Atlanta Compromise
Assessments:
Document Journal (blog)
Reading Quizzes
Unit 6 Test - 50 multiple choice questions taken from old AP exams, AP review books,
etc. (timed - 45 minutes)
FRQ - Impact of Civil War (2003)
FRQ - Changing Role of Federal Government, 1861-1877 (2006)
DBQ - Constitutional/Social Developments, 1860-1877 (1996)
Unit 7 - Politics, Industry, and Westward Expansion, 1870-1900 [15 days]
Textbook Readings:
1. Kennedy Ch. 23-26
a. Industry, Immigration, and Cities - Ch. 24, 25
b. Transforming the West - Ch. 26
c. Politics and Government, 1877-1900 - Ch. 23
2. Interpretations of America History – Patterns and Perspectives
a. The Triumph of Capitalism: Efficiency or Class War
Historical Readings:
F.J. Turner from The Frontier in American History
The Dawes Act
Sherman Antitrust Act
Carnegie Wealth
Gompers The American Federation of Labor
Debs from Outlook for Socialism in the United States
Strong from Our Country
Dreiser The Lure of the City
Chinese Exclusion Act
Populist Party Platform (1892)
Bryan The ‘Cross of Gold’ Speech
Assessments:
Document Journal (blog)
Reading Quizzes
Unit 7 Test - 50 multiple choice questions taken from old AP exams, AP review books,
etc. (timed - 55 minutes)
FRQ - Transportation and Economic Growth, 1860-1900 (2001)
FRQ - Plains Indians and Technology (1999)
DBQ - Organized Labor, 1875-1900 (2000)
Unit 8 - Progressivism and Imperialism [12 days]
Textbook Readings:
1. Kennedy Ch. 27-30
a. The Progressive Era - Ch. 29-30
b. Creating an Empire - Ch. 27-28
2. Interpretations of America History – Patterns and Perspectives
a. American Imperialism: Economic Expansion or Ideological Crusade
3. Opposing Viewpoints in American History – Volume II
a. Organizing of Labor Unions (Pages 20-22)
b. America Should Retain Philippines (Pages 42-47)
c. Child Labor Should Be Abolished (Pages 48-51)
d. American Women Should Have the Right to Vote (Pages 52-57)
Historical/Outside Readings:
McKinley Declaration of War (1898)
The Platt Amendment
Hay The Open Door in China
The Roosevelt Corollary
Sinclair The Jungle
Muller v. Oregon
The Niagara Movement Declaration of Principles
Wilson from The NewFreedom
Riis images from How the Other Half Lives
Assessments:
Document Journal (blog)
Reading Quizzes
Unit 8 Test - 60 multiple choice questions taken from old AP exams, AP review books,
etc. (timed - 55 minutes)
FRQ - Progressive Reforms, 1890-1915 (2005 – Form B)
DBQ - Effectiveness of Progressive Reform (2003 – Form B)
Unit 9 - The Great War, The Roaring Twenties, The Depression and the New Deal [18
days]
Textbook Readings:
1. Kennedy Ch. 31-34
a. The Great War - Ch. 31
b. The 1920s - Ch. 32
c. The Great Depression and the New Deal - Ch. 33-34
2. Interpretations of America History – Patterns and Perspectives
a. The New Deal: Revolution or Restoration
3. Opposing Viewpoints in American History – Volume II
a. America Should Enter WWI (Pages 66-70)
b. The United States Should Enter the League of Nations (Pages 74-78)
c. Prohibition was a Success (Pages 93-95)
d. America needs a New Deal (Pages 101-105)
Historical Readings:
The Zimmermann Note
Wilson War Message
Wilson Fourteen Points
Wilson The League of Nations
Lodge The League of Nations Must Be Revised
H. Johnson Why Not a Dollar Draft?
Palmer from The Case Against the Reds
The Sacco-Vanzetti Case
The Scopes Trial
Coolidge Government and Business
F. Roosevelt First Inaugural Address
Thompson Roosevelt’s ‘Court-Packing’ Plan
Assessments:
Document Journal (blog)
Reading Quizzes
Unit 9 Test - 65 multiple choice questions taken from old AP exams, AP review books,
etc. (timed - 55 minutes)
FRQ - Progressive Era and New Deal (2004)
FRQ - Objectives of WWI (2000)
FRQ - New Deal Success (2002 – Form B)
DBQ - FDR Administration’s Responses to Depression (2003)
Unit 10 - World War II and the Early Cold War [12 days]
Textbook Readings:
1. Kennedy Ch. 35-37
a. World War II - Ch. 35-36
b. The Cold War, 1946-1952 - Ch. 37
2. Interpretations of America History – Patterns and Perspectives
a. America and the Cold War: Containment or Hegemony
3. Opposing Viewpoints in American History – Volume II
a. Using the Atomic Bomb was Justified (Pages 119-122)
b. America Should Seek Peace with the Soviet Union (Pages 131-136)
Historical Readings:
Roosevelt The Four Freedoms
Lindbergh Address to America First Rally
The Atlantic Charter
Korematsu v. United States
Truman The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima—The Public Explanation
Lippmann A Critique of Containment
Truman The Truman Doctrine
The Marshall Plan
The North Atlantic Treaty
McCarthy Democrats and Communists
MacArthur Address to Congress (1951)
Assessments:
Document Journal (blog)
Reading Quizzes
Unit 10 Test - 75 multiple choice questions taken from old AP exams, AP review books,
etc. (timed - 55 minutes)
FRQ - American-Soviet relations (1994)
FRQ - U.S. Foreign Policy Post-WWI v. Post-WWII (2002)
FRQ - U.S. Society 1920s v. 1950s (2003)
DBQ - U.S. Changing Foreign Policy (2004 – Form B)
Unit 11 - The Cold War [12 days]
Textbook Readings:
1. Kennedy Ch. 38-40
a. The Cold War and Civil Rights, 1953-1964 - Ch. 38-39
b. Vietnam, Watergate, and the Carter Years - Ch. 39-40
2. Interpretations of America History – Patterns and Perspectives
a. The Civil Rights Movement: Top Down or Bottom Up
3. Opposing Viewpoints in American History – Volume II
a. America Should Send a Man to the Moon (Pages 141-143)
b. Racial Segregation in Public Schools is Unconstitutional (Pages 145-148)
c. Executive Privilege protects a President’s Private Communications (Pages 174177)
d. The Cold War was a Great Victory for the United States (Pages 184-188)
Historical Readings:
Brown v. Board
Friedan from The Feminine Mystique
What TV is Doing to America
Dulles Massive Retaliation
Eisenhower The Eisenhower Doctrine
Eisenhower The Situation in Little Rock
Kennedy Inaugural Address
Wallace The Civil Rights Movement: Fraud, Sham, and Hoax
King, Jr. from Letter from Birmingham Jail
Johnson from Peace Without Conquest
Nixon Vietnamizing the War
Nixon Resignation Speech
The War Powers Act
Steinham Women’s Liberation
Roe v. Wade
Assessments:
Document Journal (blog)
Reading Quizzes
Unit 11 Test - 80 multiple choice questions taken from old AP exams, AP review books,
etc. (timed - 55 minutes)
FRQ - 1960s as cultural change (2000)
FRQ - Civil Rights Movement and Reconstruction (2002)
FRQ - American Society in 1960s and 1970s (2005)
DBQ - Cold War fears and Eisenhower (2001)
Unit 12 - The Fall of Communism to the Present & Review [12 days]
Textbook Readings:
1. Kennedy Ch. 41-42
a. The Reagan Years - Ch. 41
b. Bush, Clinton, Bush - Ch. 42
2. Interpretations of America History – Patterns and Perspectives
a. The New Right: Populist Revolt or Moral Panic
3. Opposing Viewpoints in American History – Volume II
a. America Must Reform its Healthcare System (Pages 195-198)
b. Gay Marriage Must Be Banned (Pages 203-206)
c. America Must Wage War Against Terrorism (Pages 210-214)
Historical Readings:
New York Times “The Cold War is Over”
Falwell On the Moral Majority
Reagan The ‘Evil Empire’
The Iran-Contra Affair
Huntley Who Won the Cold War?
The Starr Report
G.W. Bush Address to the Nation (2001)
Assessments:
Document Journal (blog)
Reading Quizzes
Unit 12 Test - 80 multiple choice questions taken from old AP exams, AP review books,
etc. (timed - 55 minutes)
FRQ - American Presidency between 1960 and 1975 (2003 – Form B)
FRQ - Patterns of Immigration (2005)
DBQ - Tension between U.S. and USSR, 1941-1949 (2006 – Form B)
* Note - FRQs/DBQs may be changed and/or added as necessary