ADVANCED PLACEMENT UNITED STATES HISTORY
UNIT 7 – THE PROGRESSIVE ERA, IMPERIALISM, WORLD WAR I
Reading Schedule
The reading schedule means you come to class having read the assigned pages. Be prepared for
a quiz or some other assessment related to the reading.
 Monday, January 27th – pp. 647-651
 Tuesday, January 28th – pp. 651-660
 Wednesday, January 29th – pp. 660-663
 Thursday, January 30th – pp. 663-666
 Monday, February 3rd – pp. 666-670
 Tuesday, February 4th – pp. 670-674
 Wednesday, February 5th – pp. 677-684
 Thursday, February 6th – pp. 684-694 (skim war; focus on cause/effect)
 Friday, February 7th – pp. 695-704
 Tuesday, February 11th – pp. 709-715
 Wednesday, February 12th – pp. 720-728
 Thursday, February 13th – pp. 729-736
Essential Questions
 The Civil War, the most traumatic event in American history, produced three
Amendments to the U. S. Constitution. The Progressive Era produced four. What was it
about this time period that demanded such drastic and permanent changes in the basic
structure of American society?
 To what extent did women play a significant role in the societal changes that
characterized this time period?
 Evaluate whether the Progressives were ultimately successful in accomplishing their
goals.
 Compare and contrast the imperialism of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s to the period of
Manifest Destiny in the 1840’s.
 Compare American imperialism to European Imperialism.
 How did Theodore Roosevelt alter the Monroe Doctrine (consider both what he said, and
his actions)? Evaluate that change.
 The period 1901-1920 can be characterized as a long argument between interventionism
and isolationism. To what extent is this true?
 Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt are generally listed as two of the "near great"
Presidents of the United States. Is this assessment justified? Why or why not?
 Evaluate America’s role in World War I and the actions taken to prepare for and fight the
war. Were those actions justified?
 It has been said that "when America is afraid, it turns inward and gets mean." Discuss the
extent to which this is true especially in regard to the period in American history
immediately after World War 1.
Content Outline
 Origins of Progressive reform:
municipal, state, and national
 Triangle Strike/Triangle Commission
 Union problems (labor struggles)
 Socialist-Progressive comparison
 Settlement houses
 Progressive “formula” – beliefs and
ideals







Progressive accomplishments (city,
state, federal)
Muckrakers – The Jungle
Frances Perkins
William Jennings Bryan
Eugene Debs
Gifford Pinchot
Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson as
Progressive presidents

















Similarities, differences, background,
goals/ideals/values, perceived role of the
government in the economy, domestic
policies, foreign policies
Women’s roles: family, workplace,
education, politics, and reform
Black America: urban migration and
civil rights initiatives
Booker T. Washington
W.E.B. DuBois
American imperialism: political and
economic expansion
Jingoism
Imperialism (what, why)
Yellow journalism
Social Darwinism
Spanish-American War (causes, course,
outcome/effects)
Philippines Revolt
Open Door Policy
Boxer Rebellion
Spheres of Influence
Panama Canal
Big Stick Diplomacy





















Roosevelt Corollary
Dollar Diplomacy
Moral Foreign Policy
John Hay
Alfred T. Mayhan
Commodore George Dewey
War in Europe and American neutrality
Neutrality (what, why, when)
Causes
How/why of U.S. involvement
Course, outcome, effects
General John J. Pershing
William Jennings Bryan
Louis Brandeis
Henry Cabot Lodge
The First World War at home and
abroad
Wilson’s Fourteen Points
Treaty of Versailles
U.S. response
Isolationism (what, why, when)
Society and economy in the postwar
years
POTENTIAL ESSAYS
For this unit exam you will choose between one of three DBQ’s – please decide by
Wednesday, February 12th!
1. Evaluate the effectiveness of Progressive Era reformers and the federal government in
bringing about reform at the national level. In your answer be sure to analyze the
successes and limitations of these efforts in the period 1900- 1920.
2. To what extent was late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century United States
expansionism a continuation of past United States expansionism and to what extent was it
a departure?
Use the documents and your knowledge of United States history to 1914 to construct
your answer.
3. It was the strength of the opposition forces, both liberal and conservative, rather than the
ineptitude and stubbornness of President Wilson that led to the Senate defeat of the
Treaty of Versailles.
Using the documents and your knowledge of the period 1917-1921, assess the validity of
this statement.
Test Date
Essay – Friday, February 14st
Multiple Choice – Tuesday, February 18th
Unit Review – Tuesday, February 18th