AP U.S. History
Advanced Placement U.S. History:
Advanced Placement U.S. History is a college level survey course of U.S. history from the pre-Columbian
period to the present.
Themes:
While the course follows a narrative structure supported by the textbook and audiovisual materials, the
following seven themes described in the AP U.S. History Course and Exam Description are woven
throughout each unit of study:
1. Identity (ID)
2. Work, Exchange, and Technology (WXT)
3. Peopling (PEO)
4. Politics and Power (POL)
5. America in the World (WOR)
6. Environment and Geography (ENV)
7. Ideas, Beliefs, and Culture (CUL)
Historical Thinking Skills:
1. The study of political institutions in U.S. history.
2. The study of social and cultural developments in U.S. history.
3. Themes and/or topics as broad parameters for structuring the course.
4. Providing students with frequent practice in writing analytical and interpretive essays such as
document-based questions, free response questions and thematic essays.
5. Teaching students to analyze evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship.
6. The study of diplomacy in U.S. history.
7. The study of economic trends in U.S. history, extensive instruction in analysis and interpretation of a
wide variety of primary sources.
Textbooks:
Brinkley, Alan. American History: A Survey w/PSI CD, 12th edition. McGraw-Hill, 2008. (CR1a)
Supplemental Texts: (CR1c)
Gates, Henry Louis Jr. The Classic Slave Narratives. New York: Signet Classics, 2002.
George, Jason and Jerald Brown. AP Achiever: Advanced Placement Exam Prep Guide. McGraw-Hill,
2008.
McCullough, David. 1776. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005.
Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classic, 2005.
Grading:
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Grades will be calculated by points.
Student progress will be evaluated, on a unit basis, through seminars, homework, writing
assignments, quizzes, and tests.
Students will complete a Reading Guide for each chapter of the textbook.
Students will analyze diverse primary and secondary sources.
There will be formal writing assignments based on the essay formats required for the AP U.S.
History Exam.
Students will be required to do group and individual presentations.
Homework will be posted on the board and on course website each day.
Students must have a 3-ring binder filled with loose leaf paper. All homework, class notes,
handouts, and other course material must be kept in student binders.
Required Summer Assignment:
Students will read David McCullough’s book, 1776 and complete a 4-5 page book analysis on the events
depicted by the historian. Reports will be due on the first day of class. Class discussion regarding the
interpretation of historical events by historians. In class, students will analyze primary source excerpts
from figures discussed in the book and compare the author’s conclusions with the primary sources.
Unit I: Settlement and Expansion of Colonial America
Texts and Other Materials:
Survey: American History, Chapters 1-3; AP Achiever, Chapters 1-3; and A People’s History of the United
States, Chapters 1-3. (CR1b)
Themes:
Identity (ID); Work, Exchange, and Technology (WXT); America in the World (WOR); Environment and
Geography (ENV); Ideas, Beliefs, and Culture (CUL)
Major Topics:
Early contacts among groups in North America, and North American societies in the context of the
Atlantic World; Spanish exploration and the development of colonies in the Americas; the rise of the
English as an imperial power, including the conflict with the Spanish; initial English colonial settlements,
including successes and failures, and the unique attributes of each of the colonies; the evolution of
relations between the colonies and England, including the debate over citizenship and representation;
and the military conflicts with the French, culminating in the French and Indian War.
Essential Goals:
Gain understanding of the predominant Native American cultures prior to the “Age of Exploration”.
Draw timeline of events leading to the development of mercantilist philosophy in Europe and need for
exploration and colonies. Trace the rise of the English nation-state between 1492 and 1607. What
important factors influenced this rise? In what ways did later colonization efforts attempt to learn from
earlier experiences? Study the fundamental differences between English, Spanish, Dutch, and French
colonies in America. To what extent was there religious freedom in the colonies? 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?
Unit Activities:
Class discussions on the rise of the English state, the Glorious Revolution, and the French and Indian
War. Debate on Separatists, Puritans, Quakers, and the Crown. Students each select a point of view and
defend amongst others. (WXT-1)
By drawing on selections from A People’s History of the United States and Survey: American History,
students write an essay that explores the evolution of identity based on race, ethnicity, and nationality.
(ID-4)
Students write an essay where they assess the changing relationship between Indians and European
settlers in either the New England or Chesapeake areas. (ENV2) (CUL-1)
Students will compare and contrast the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening by completing, and
discussing, an Idea Comparison Chart. (ID-1) (WOR-2)(CUL-4)
Assignments and Assessments:
Homework assignment on topics listed above. Multiple choice test on topics above, and several map
assessments from the colonial period. DBQ assignment answering the following: “Assess the validity of
the contention that the British North American colonies had created a separate identity and society by
1763.”
Unit II: Empire in Transition, Birth of New Nation (1759-1789)
Texts and Other Materials:
Survey: American History, Chapters 4-6; AP Achiever, Chapters 4-6; and excerpts from 1776, by David
McCullough; A People’s History of the United States, Chapter 4.
Themes:
Work, Exchange, and Technology (WXT); Politics and Power (POL); America in the World (WOR); Ideas,
Beliefs, and Culture (CUL)
Major Topics:
Political and social causes of the French and Indian War; military engagements and 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 course of the battles; origins and structure of
the Articles of Confederation; political, social and economic challenges of the Critical Period;
circumstances surrounding the Constitutional Convention and the structure of the Constitution; and
argument over ratification and the development of the Bill of Rights.
Essential Goals:
Given investigation of events leading up to the French and Indian War, and cultural as well as economic
problems faced afterword, students will debate if the American Revolution was inevitable. 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? 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? Discuss the various issues debated and
compromises made at the Constitutional Convention. Given such issues between smaller states and
larger states, northern industry opposed to southern agriculture, to what extent were elements of the
Civil War already present?
Unit Activities:
Students will analyze primary sources from John Locke and Adam Smith to discover the influence of both
authors in mainstream American political and economic values. (WXT-1)(WXT-2)(WXT-6)(WOR-2)(CUL-4)
Given excerpts from 1776 by David McCullough and Chapter 4 “Tyranny Is Tyranny” in A People’s History
of the United States by Howard Zinn, students will complete a short answer assignment. Students will
investigate how the two historians interpret the ideologies and philosophies of colonists and English
lords in the early stages of the American Revolution. Students must focus on the similarities and
differences of two historians interpreting the same events. (POL-1) (Criteria 6 – Historical
interpretation)
Using AP Achiever students will analyze the Paul Revere engraving of the “Boston Massacre” and
compare it to various current political cartoons and political statements. Students will debate the
influence of propaganda on American perspectives over time. They will answer the question “To what
extent does propaganda sway popular perspective over time?”
Oral debates regarding the opposing perspectives of Federalists versus Ant-Federalists regarding the
role of Federal government within the new Constitution. Those students defending the Anti-Federalists
should stress the importance of a Bill of Rights. (Pol-1)
Assignments and Assessments:
Homework assignment on topics listed above. Multiple choice test on topics above, and several map
assessments regarding military developments of both the French and Indian War as well as the War for
Independence. Take home assignment completing a Free Response Question “Examine the relationship
between Native Americans and European colonists over the course of the eighteenth century to the end
of the French and Indian War.” (CUL-1)
Unit III: Early Nationalism (1789-1808)
Texts and Other Materials:
Survey: American History, Chapters 6-7; AP Achiever, Chapters 6-7; and A People’s History of the United
States, Chapter 5.
Audio/Visual:
The Nystrom Series Historical Maps and Charts (Criteria 1b – Maps)
Themes:
Identity (ID); Work, Exchange, and Technology (WXT); Peopling (PEO); Politics and Power (POL);
America in the World (WOR); Environment and Geography (ENV); Ideas, Beliefs, and Culture (CUL)
Major Topics:
Birth of a new nation and struggle for identity; growing pains of the New Republic; George Washington
and the development of the role of the President; the debate over the Bank of the United States, and
the emergence of political parties; foreign relations, including the Jay Treaty, the Pinckney Treaty, the
XYZ Affair, the conflict with the Barbary Pirates, and the growing tensions with Europe during the
Napoleonic Wars; Marbury v. Madison and the development of the role of the Supreme Court;
Jeffersonian Republicanism, including policies regarding the Bank, Louisiana, Aaron Burr, and foreign
relations; and elections from 1789 to 1812.
Essential Goals:
To what extent could it be said that the Anti-Federalists prevailed in the fight over ratification? In what
ways did the United States government work to achieve stability, both domestically and internationally
during the 1790s? Should the Alien and Sedition Acts be viewed as unconstitutional, or were they just an
early example of hardball politics? Is it accurate to say that the Supreme Court did not become a coequal 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?
Unit Activities:
Students will examine the presidency and ideology of Thomas Jefferson compared to the goals and
accomplishments of Alexander Hamilton. They must focus on various points of view regarding
interpretation of the Constitution and role of government in America. Students must chart out the
opposing views and support topics using accomplishments of each. The assignment is designed to help
students understand the range of political ideas that led to formation of political parties in the early
Republic. (ID-1)(WXT-2)(WXT-6)(POL-2)(POL-5)(CUL-4)
Drawing on excerpts from A People’s History of the United States and Survey: American History, students
will write an essay explaining to what extent the Federalist perspective led by Alexander Hamilton
established a government that favored the wealthy elite. (WXT-6)(POL-2)(POL-5)
Students will map how different social groups were affected by the Louisiana Purchase before 1860 by
using region, race, and class as their tools of analysis. (PEO-3)(WOR-5)(ENV-3)(ENV-4)
Using The Nystrom Series Historical Maps, students will analyze territories gained by The Louisiana
Purchase. They will locate which native populations would be most affected by the purchase,
geographic points of interest (specific rivers, mountain chains, lakes, natural resources of note), and
boundaries. (Criteria 1b – Maps)
Assignments and Assessments:
Homework assignment on topics listed above. Multiple choice test on topics above. Take home
assignment completing a Free Response Question “How did the United States attempt to achieve
independence and stature in foreign affairs during the Washington and Adams administrations?” (ID-1)
(POL-6) (WOR-5)
Unit IV: Post-Jeffersonian Era (1808-1828)
Texts and Other Materials:
Survey: American History, Chapters 7-8; AP Achiever, Chapters 7-8;
Themes:
Identity (ID); Peopling (PEO); Politics and Power (POL);
Major Topics:
Growing pains of the New Republic; foreign relations between the United States and France and Britain;
causes and course of the War of 1812; political, social, and economic aftermath of the War of 1812,
including the death of the Federalist Party, the emergence of the Second Bank of the United States, and
the conflict over internal improvements; the contested election of 1824 and the end of the Era of Good
Feelings; tariffs and the specter of nullification; major decisions of the Marshall Court; the Monroe
Doctrine and the growth of the United States in regional politics; and the rise of immigration and
nativism.
Essential Goals:
How did the addition, and settlement, of southern and western lands contribute to the political struggle
that resulted in the Civil War? Was the Missouri Compromise a solution or merely continuation of a
national crisis? To what extent did the cotton boom fundamentally transform southern society,
economically and culturally? What impact did Eli Whitney’s cotton gin have on American views of
slavery regarding the Constitution? 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 of the new economy?
Why is this period often considered the golden age for American transportation? In what ways did the
Era of Good Feelings kill the Federalist Party as well as create the Democratic Party?
Unit Activities:
Class discussions on the two-party political system and the American System. (POL-2)
Map skills activity: battles of the War of 1812. Students focus on Native American unification efforts by
Tecumseh in mid-western regions, William Henry Harrison and Tippecanoe, Put-in-Bay, Battle for
Detroit, Battle of the Thames, Battle of New Orleans, etc… (PEO-4)
Students will examine, compare and contrast the goals, ideologies and impact of early secession
movements such as the Essex Junto, Hartford Convention and early nullification movements in the
south. Create a short answer that explains a thesis regarding the issues. (POL-6)(ID-1)
Students select the perspective of either John Quincy Adams or Andrew Jackson and debate foreign
policy, the end of the Virginia Dynasty, the Era of Good Feelings, and the contested election of 1824.
(POL-5)(PEO-5)(ID-1)
Assignments and Assessments:
Homework assignment on topics listed above. Multiple choice test on topics above, and several map
assessments regarding the role of Native American issues and slavery leading up to the War of 1812.
Using the AP Achiever, students will complete a DBQ “Explain how the competing forces of sectionalism
affected national unity in the early nineteenth century.” (ID-1)(ID-5)(POL-6)
Unit V: Jacksonian Democracy (1828-1842)
Texts and Other Materials:
Survey: American History, Chapters 9-10; AP Achiever, Chapters 9-10; and A People’s History of the
United States, Chapter 7.
Themes:
Identity (ID); Work, Exchange, and Technology (WXT); Peopling (PEO); Politics and Power (POL);
Environment and Geography (ENV); Ideas, Beliefs, and Culture (CUL)
Major Topics:
Circumstances surrounding the elections of 1824 and 1828; rise of the Jacksonian Democratic party,
including its beliefs, policies, and important members; and the Four Main Crises of the Age of Jackson:
the expanding view of democracy (spoils system, rotation in office), the Native American question (court
cases and Indian removal), the nullification crisis, and economic issues of the period (Second Bank of the
United States and the Panic of 1837).
Essential Goals:
To what extent were the Jacksonian Democrats truly the guardians of the Constitution, political
democracy, individual liberty, and equality of economic opportunity? Did the Jacksonian Democrats
expand democratic ideals to the extent they championed or simply achieve their own objectives? 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? To what extent did
the Manifest Destiny philosophy serve to justify Jacksonian Indian removal policies?
Unit Activities:
Students create a mock trial, “Cherokee Nation v. Jackson” where students will be given specific topics
and individuals to research regarding the perspectives of Native Americans as well as Jacksonian
Democrats. Emphasis will be placed on ways in which various native groups altered their lifestyles to
accommodate U.S. expansion, the Cherokee Nation v. Georgia case, the Worcester v. Georgia case,
details of removal contracts, and Jackson’s interactions with the Supreme Court. (ID-2)(ID-6)(WXT-2)
(PEO-5)(CUL-2)
In-class document analysis activity: excerpt from Daniel Webster’s debate with Robert Hayne, and
Andrew Jackson’s bank veto. Students will review the primary documents and debate the validity of
nullification, draw references to the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, and debate Jackson’s veto or
personal war with Nicholas Biddle. (POL-5)
By drawing on selections from A People’s History of the United States and Survey: American History,
students write an essay that explores the impact cotton expansion, agricultural advancements, and
manifest destiny had on Indian removal policies. (ID-5) (WXT-2)(ENV-3)(CUL-5)
Assignments and Assessments:
Homework assignment on topics listed above. Multiple choice test on topics above, and several map
assessments regarding the geographic obstacles and rationale behind the Indian Removal Act.
Unit VI: Era of Reform (1800-1850)
Texts and Other Materials:
Survey: American History, Chapters 11-12; AP Achiever, Chapters 11-12; A People’s History of the United
States, Chapter 9; The Classic Slave Narratives: The Life of Frederick Douglass, pgs. 323-429.
Themes:
Identity (ID); Work, Exchange, and Technology (WXT); Peopling (PEO); Politics and Power (POL);
Environment and Geography (ENV;) Ideas, Beliefs, and Culture (CUL)
Major Topics:
Trends in immigration, urbanization, industrialization; social and cultural reactions to the industrial age,
including the Second Great Awakening, utopian movements, and reformers; reform movements
involving treatment of the poor, the blind, the deaf, the insane, and criminals; the temperance
movement; reform movements involving civil rights, including the status of slaves and women; and
artistic and philosophical movements of the age, including the Hudson River School, romantic authors,
and transcendentalists.
Essential Goals:
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? In what ways were strides made by advocates
for abolitionism, temperance, and women’s rights? Which group made the most progress?
Unit Activities:
In-class document analysis activity: “Declaration of Sentiments” Seneca Falls Convention of 1848.
Students will analyze the events of the gathering at Seneca Falls and the “Declaration of Sentiments” in
comparison with events surrounding the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in 1776. (POL-3)
(CUL-2)
By drawing on selections from Classic Slave Narratives: The Life of Frederick Douglass, students answer a
FRQ from AP Achiever that explores the realities of North American slavery from the slaves’ perspective.
Students must analyze the thoughts of a primary source written by Douglass explaining his experiences.
(Criteria 1b – Written Documents)
Students debate amongst each other the impact of the Erie Canal in New York on the Second Great
Awakening, the “Burned Over District”, emergence of new ideas such as the Mormon faith, and utopian
societies such as Brook Farm. (CUL-5)(ENV-3)(POL-3)(PEO-5)(WXT-2)(ID-1)
Using the AP Achiever, students will complete a DBQ “Account for the differing views of labor developed
by Americans during the first Industrial Revolution.”
Class discussion where students debate the extent to which movements such as the Hudson River
School, the Transcendentalists, and Realism reflected the changing attitudes in America during the
Antebellum Period. (POL-3)(CUL-6)
Assignments and Assessments:
Homework assignment on topics listed above. Multiple choice test on topics above, and several map
assessments regarding the growth of slavery institutions during the Antebellum Period. (WXT-4)
Unit VII: Civil War Era and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
Texts and Other Materials:
Survey: American History, Chapters 13-15; AP Achiever, Chapters 13-15; A People’s History of the United
States, Chapter 9
Audio/Visual:
Episodes 4,5,6 of America: Story of Us presented by the History Channel, The Nystrom Series Historical
Maps and Charts. (Criteria 1b – Maps, Quantitative Data)
Themes:
Identity (ID); Peopling (PEO); Politics and Power (POL); Environment and Geography (ENV); America in
the World (WOR)
Major Topics:
Outbreak of the military conflict between north and south, and the course of the war; political,
diplomatic, social and economic consequences of the war, north and south; religion and the abolitionist
cause; the Emancipation Proclamation and its effects on the war effort and the slave population; and
generals and leadership during the crisis, north and south. Competing models for Reconstruction:
Presidential, Congressional, and White Southern; the assassination of President Lincoln and its
implications for Reconstruction and the policies of Andrew Johnson; military occupation of the south,
the emergence of black republican governments; impeachment of Andrew Johnson; Radicalization of
Reconstruction; 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments, white resistance, the KKK and the spiral of violence;
and readmitting southern states, the Grant scandals, the restoration of conservative white
governments, and the gradual denial of black rights in the South.
Essential Goals:
To what extent were the military fortunes of the north and south shaped by their generals and the
political fortunes shaped by the leaders? In what ways and to what extent did the nature of warfare
change as a result of the Civil War? Who are the heroes of this time period and what makes them so?
Was it inevitable that the South would lose the Civil War? Why or why not? 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. In what ways did the impeachment of Andrew Johnson reveal the fault
lines of American politics in the years following the Civil War? In what ways was the election of
Rutherford Hayes a symbol of the end to Radical Reconstruction? To what extent was the Radical
reconstruction a success?
Unit Activities:
Using The Nystrom United States History Series, students will analyze a map of the Election of 1860 and
develop a thesis statement summarizing the significance of the election results. (ID-5)(PEO-5) (POL3)(POL-5)(POL-6) (Criteria 1b – maps)
The students will present the South’s main arguments to justify secession. (ID-5)(PEO-5)(POL-3)(POL5)(POL-6)(ENV-3)
Students analyze the factors that led to Abraham Lincoln’s issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation
and its resulting impacts on the Union’s war effort. Students focus on the impact of the Proclamation on
southern relations with foreign nations such as France and England. (POL-3)(POL-6)(WOR-2)
Students will research and then evaluate the thesis that the American Civil War was a total war
impacting those on the home front, abroad, as well as those on the battlefield. Essay must assess the
impact of the war on all three areas by focusing on U.S. regional economies and U.S. and Confederate
relations with Britain and France.
Class discussion regarding the impact of the Reconstruction Act on southern society and restoration.
Focus on political maneuvers of Andrew Johnson, Radical Republicans, and the Grant administration.
Students will debate whether Johnson’s impeachment and the Tenure Law should be considered
unconstitutional. (POL-2)(POL-5)(POL-6)
Students perform a short answer response using excerpts from A People’s History of the United States.
Given responses by black southern Republicans during Reconstruction, students will analyze the success
of Radical reforms. Were measures taken by Radical Republicans socially constructive or mere political
gamesmanship? (ID-6)(POL-2)(POL-5)
Assignments and Assessments:
Homework assignment on topics listed above. Multiple choice test on topics above, several map
assessments regarding major campaigns of the Civil War, and military districts of the south under the
Reconstruction Act; analyze charts, using The Nystrom United States History Series, regarding the
material and economic advantages versus disadvantages for both the Union and Confederacy. (Criteria
1b – Quantitative Data)
Unit VIII: Westward Expansion and Industrialization (1865-1900)
Texts and Other Materials:
Survey: American History, Chapters 16-18; AP Achiever, Chapters 16-18
Themes:
Identity (ID); Work, Exchange, and Technology (WXT); Peopling (PEO); Environment and Geography
(ENV)
Major Topics:
Social and economic effects of post-bellum industrialization in the North and the South; the expanding
economic power of the United States in the world economy; 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; early attempts to rein in big business by the government at the state
and federal levels; westward expansion as seen in the context of the railroad industry and emerging
economic interests; conflicts between Native Americans and settlers, ranchers, miners; and military
conflicts with Native Americans.
Essential Goals:
To what extent is “The Gilded Age” an apt description of the time period? What impact did the discovery
of gold in California, the Transcontinental railroad, and Homestead Act have on Native American
culture? Trace the rise of American industrialization. What factors contributed to American
industrialization in the late 19th Century?
Unit Activities:
FRQ: To what extent was the policy of the United States toward Native Americans a continuation of an
early policy, and to what extent was it new? (ID-6)
Students will compare and contrast the competing interests of labor and capital by completing a
Competing Interests Chart. (WXT-5)(WXT-6)(WXT-7)
Students will analyze a map from the Nystrom United States History Series: major Indian battles and
Indian reservations (1860-1900) and compose a thesis paragraph analyzing the effects of westward
expansion on Native American peoples. (ID-6) (PEO-3) (Criteria 1b – Maps)
Using AP Achiever, students will complete a DBQ answering the following question: In what ways did
business leaders in the late nineteenth century represent industrial statesmen or robber barons? (WXT6)(ENV-5)
Assignments and Assessments:
Homework assignment on topics listed above. Multiple choice test on topics above, several map
assessments regarding migration of Native Americans and battles, and analyze charts from The Nystrom
United States History Series to investigate the growth of American industry and production during the
Gilded Age. (Criteria 1b – Quantitative Data)
Mid-Term/Semester Assessment:
Students will be given one DBQ assignment regarding any of the periods, themes, or issues discussed in
class during the first semester. They will also complete their choice from two of three FRQ questions
selected by the teacher regarding any of the periods, themes, or issues discussed in class during the first
semester. The purpose of the assignment is to not only assess student progress, but also reflect the
writing portion of the AP Exam.
Unit IX: The Progressive Era and American Imperialism (1890-1920)
Texts and Other Materials:
Survey: American History, Chapters 19-21; AP Achiever, Chapters 19-21
Themes:
Identity (ID); Work, Exchange, and Technology (WXT); Peopling (PEO); Politics and Power (POL);
Ideas, Beliefs, and Culture (CUL); America in the World (WOR)
Major Topics:
Domestic and global challenges and the creation of mass culture; cultural effects of deregulation,
industrialization, and westward expansion; urbanization and the competing ideals of city and rural life in
America; immigration, minority rights, and a rigid class system; corruption and machine politics in state
and local governments; the rise of agrarian discontent and the Populist response; and competing
arguments about the proper role of government in this era. Progressivism defined, goals of
Progressivism, and types of Progressives; muckrakers, social reform, and the use of the media to achieve
social, economic, and political goals; radical movements, the IWW and Socialist Party, the changing role
in government (including state and local); successes and failures of the Progressive Era. Global
challenges; early expansionism, from Young America to the Chilean and Venezuelan conflicts; Mahan,
Coaling Stations, the building of the United States navy, and initial imperialistic efforts, including Hawaii;
American involvement and influence in the Spanish-American War, the Filipino Insurrection, and the
Panamanian Crisis.
Essential Goals:
In what ways did reform movements and organizations attempt to solve the social problems facing U.S.
society? 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
progressives? Were the conditions of farmers, the poor, women, and African-Americans improved by
progressive reforms? 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 Spanish-American 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?
Unit Activities:
In-class document analysis activity: Bryan’s “Cross of Gold” speech. Students discuss the Populist issues
addressed by Bryan, and the ultimate strengths and weaknesses of the movement. (ID-3)(WXT-7)(POL-2)
Students will write an essay comparing and contrasting progressive era reform with the antebellum
reform movements. (WXT-7)(WXT-8)(PEO-6)(CUL- 6)
Students, working in groups, will select a President (Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, Taft) and define their
presidencies regarding foreign policy, progressive ideology, industrial regulation, strengths and
weaknesses. Class debate to determine which President was most effective given the era. (WXT-3)(POL2)(WOR-7)
Class discussion regarding the conditions of American urban centers using excerpts from Jacob Riis’s The
Other Half. (ID-7)(PEO-3)
Students will answer a FRQ explaining the global impact of Roosevelt Corollary in respect to the building
of the Panama Canal, Boxer Rebellion, Open Door Policy, Russo Japanese War, and the Treaty of
Portsmouth. (WXT-3)(WOR-3)
Analyze the impact of American press (William Randolph Hearst, Joseph Pulitzer) in events prior to the
Spanish American War. To what extent did Yellow Journalism instigate the war?(WOR-7)(CUL-5)
Assignments and Assessments:
Homework assignment on topics listed above. Multiple choice test on topics above. Using AP Achiever,
students will complete a DBQ answering the following question: How did both supporters and
opponents of the Spanish-American War and ensuing United States imperialism use their conception of
American identity to support their positions between 1898 and 1900? (ID-3)(WOR-7)
Unit X: WWI and the Return to Normalcy (1913-1929)
Texts and Other Materials:
Survey: American History, Chapters 22-24; AP Achiever, Chapters 22-24; A People’s History of the United
States, Chapter 13.
Audio/Visual:
The Nystrom Series Historical Maps and Charts (Criteria 1b – Maps)
Themes:
Identity (ID); Work, Exchange, and Technology (WXT); Politics and Power (POL); Ideas, Beliefs, and
Culture (CUL); America in the World (WOR)
Major Topics:
Domestic and global challenges and the creation of mass culture; initial opposition to American
involvement in the First World War; the Lusitania, the Sussex Pledge, the Zimmerman Telegram, and
unrestricted submarine warfare; the course of the war, before and after American involvement; Civil
Rights for Americans during and after the war; the Treaty of Versailles and the Senate fight over
ratification and the League of Nations; Warren G. Harding, Normalcy, and the end of the Progressive Era;
and social, political, economic, and cultural trends during the 1920s.
Essential Goals:
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. In what ways were the League fight
and the Red Scare emblematic of the shift in America’s worldview in the years following the Great War?
Were the major social issues and conflicts of the Twenties uniquely modern, or were they merely
continuations of earlier issues and conflicts?
Unit Activities:
Students will analyze, in groups, the perspectives of the United States and Germany regarding events
that led to U.S. involvement in WWI. Analyze events such as the sinking of the Lusitania, the Sussex, and
the Zimmerman note.(ID-3)(WOR-4)(WOR-7)
Using AP Achiever, students will answer the following DBQ: “To what degree was America impartial in
though as well as deed before involvement in WWI?” (ID-3)(POL-5)(WOR-4)
Class discussion regarding the Red Scare following WWI and what impact it had on American domestic
policy during the “Roaring 20s” regarding industrial development, economic policy, unionized labor
relations, and emerging American commercial culture. (WXT-5)(WXT-7)(WXT-8)(POL-5)
Using excerpts from Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States, students will answer a short
response question analyzing the socialist movement of the early 20th century.(WXT-5)(WXT-7)(POL-3)
Students, working in groups, will make presentations on the impact of radio, motion pictures and
automobiles, as well the increased availability of home appliances, on the changing role of women. (ID7)(CUL-6)(CUL-7)
Student complete a chart listing actions taken by American policy makers that led to global crisis of
1930s. (ID-3)(WOR-7)
Using The Nystrom Series Historical Maps and Charts, students will complete a map activity locating all
Allies, Central Powers, major battle and boundaries during WWI. (Criteria 1b – Maps)
Assignments and Assessments:
Homework assignment on topics listed above. Multiple choice test on topics above. Class chart analysis
of economic activity and policy during the 1920s using The Nystrom Series Historical Maps and Charts.
(Criteria 1b – Quantitative Data)
Unit XI: Global Depression and Crisis (1929-1945)
Texts and Other Materials:
Survey: American History, Chapters 25-28; AP Achiever, Chapters 25-28; John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of
Wrath.
Audio/Visual:
The Nystrom Series Historical Maps and Charts (Criteria 1b – Maps)
Themes:
Identity (ID); Politics and Power (POL); Ideas, Beliefs, and Culture (CUL); America in the World (WOR)
Major Topics:
Economic trends in the wake of the First World War, and the collapse of the world economy; the Stock
Market Crash, crop failures, and the collapse of the banking industry by 1932; the Bonus Army,
Hoovervilles, and the social crisis surrounding the election of 1932; FDR, Hundred Days, the First and
Second New Deals, and the recasting of the role of government; court challenges to the New Deal
programs, and other dissenting voices, including economic and religious critics; the overall effects of the
New Deal programs on the economy, politics, and the popular understanding of the role of government
in American society. American isolationism in the 1930s, the Neutrality Acts, and the slow drift toward
intervention by 1941; Pearl Harbor, involvement in the War, mobilization, and its effects on American
economy, society, and politics; civil liberties during the war, especially the status of Japanese Americans;
the course of the war in the Pacific and in Europe, including the dropping of the atomic bomb and the
end of the war; and diplomacy during the war, from the Atlantic Charter to the Potsdam Conference.
Essential Goals:
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? 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? How did FDR reconcile his own beliefs about intervention with the
isolationist mood of the country at the time? Citing leaders, battles, and other events, what were the
high points, low points, and turning points of the war in Europe? Citing leaders, battles, and events,
what were the high points, low points, and turning points of the war in 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. What were the arguments for and against dropping the
atomic bomb in 1945?
Unit Activities:
Class discussion regarding the role American policies of the 20s played in creating the economic crisis of
the 30s. Emphasis on high protective tariffs, circular lending, and Republican response to stock market
crash. (ID-3)(POL-4)(WOR-3)
Using excerpts from John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, students will answer one of the following
questions: “Explain how Mr. Steinbeck reflects the American view of the role played by banks during the
Great Depression” or “How does Mr. Steinbeck explain the reasons for destroying California crops while
millions of Americans starved during the Great Depression?” Emphasis placed on students’
understanding of Steinbeck’s tone reflecting the American attitude of the time. (CUL-6)
Students will select a program from either the first of second New Deal, research that program and
present details to the class and explain ways in which that program attacked the depression as well as
changed American perceptions of the role of government. (ID-3)(POL-4)
Using their AP Achiever, Students will analyze a primary source excerpt from FDR’s Fireside Chat
regarding changes to the Supreme Court. Students must explain his reasoning and determine whether
his suggestions should be considered unconstitutional. (POL-5) (Criteria 1b – Written Documents)
Students will complete a timeline of events charting the rise of fascist leaders in Europe during the
1930s and the series of events that led to hostilities.
Students will complete a FRQ answering the question: “Did American actions prior to Pearl Harbor truly
reflect neutrality?” Answers should reflect American policy such as lend/lease, cash and carry, and the
embargo placed on all Axis Powers prior to the Pearl Harbor attack. (ID-3)(POL-6)(WOR-7)
Class debate: students will select perspective either in favor of or opposing dropping atomic bombs on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (ID-3)(POL-6)(WOR-7)
Answer DBQ using AP Achiever: students will analyze multiple War Bond Posters from WWII and explain
the propaganda efforts used to mobilize the population against Japanese and German forces. (CUL-5)
(Criteria 1b – Visual)
Assignments and Assessments:
Homework assignment on topics listed above. Multiple choice test on topics above. Using The Nystrom
Series Historical Maps and Charts, students will analyze bar graphs of bank failures during early 30s, crop
production, amounts of federal aid. Using The Nystrom Series Historical Maps and Charts, students will
locate Allies, Axis Powers, and major battle locations on map of Europe during WWII. (Criteria 1b –
Maps & Quantitative Data)
Unit XII: The Cold War (1945-1980)
Texts and Other Materials:
Survey: American History, Chapters 29-32; AP Achiever, Chapters 29-32
Audio/Visual:
The Nystrom Series Historical Maps and Charts (Criteria 1b – Maps)
Themes:
Identity (ID); Politics and Power (POL); Ideas, Beliefs, and Culture (CUL); America in the World (WOR)
Major Topics:
The emergence of two opposing superpowers; containment, the Marshall Plan, NSC-68, and the growing
military and economic burden of the Cold War; initial conflicts in Greece and Turkey produce the
Truman Doctrine as a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy; division of Korea, the invasion of the south in
1950 and the course of the Korean Conflict; the role of the United States in Cold War conflicts in Egypt,
Hungary, French Indochina, and Cuba; and Kennedy and the Cold War: Bay of Pigs, Berlin, and the Space
Race. Dien Bien Phu, Ho Chi Minh, the assassination of Diem, and the growth of American involvement
in French Indochina; the Gulf of Tonkin incident and the expansion of American involvement in the war;
the course of the war from 1964 to 1975, including bombing campaigns of the North, the Tet Offensive,
the incursion into Cambodia, the Paris Peace Accords, and the Fall of Saigon; and American support for
and opposition to the war in Vietnam, and its effects on the political, economic, and social situation in
the United States during this time.
Essential Goals:
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? In
what ways were the Bay of Pigs, the Space Race, and the Cuban Missile Crisis related? In what ways did
the war in Vietnam reflect the geopolitical struggles of the Cold War? To what extent did growing
discontent with the war influence changes in American policy between 1968 and 1975? How effective
were the tactics used by opponents of the war? To what extent was the counterculture movement
driven by opposition to the war, and to what extent were other contributing factors at work?
Unit Activities:
Students working in small groups compare the underlying causes of WWI, WWII, and the Cold War and
make an argument that U.S. foreign policy in the 20th century did or did not promote democratic
governments around the world. (WOR-7)(ID-3)
Answer FRQ using AP Achiever: “Analyze the impact of two of the following on U.S.-Soviet relations
between 1941 and 1947: Wartime military issues, Eastern Europe, Atomic weapons. (ID-3)(WOR-7)
Class discussion comparing and contrasting the relationship of Franklin Roosevelt with Joseph Stalin and
that of Harry Truman with Joseph Stalin. Students recognize the role played by each regarding Cold War
hostilities. (POL-6)(WOR-4)(WOR-7)
Students will compare and contrast the Korean and Vietnam Wars by completing a conflict comparison
chart. (POL-6)(WOR-7)(CUL-6)
Students will analyze the policies of Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon Johnson regarding
involvement in Viet Nam. To what extent did each man attempt to avoid involvement, consider public
opinion in decision making, and follow the containment policy of Harry Truman? (ID-3)(WOR-4)(WOR-7)
Assignments and Assessments:
Homework assignment on topics listed above. Multiple choice test on topics above. Using The Nystrom
Series Historical Maps and Charts, map analysis of U.S. involvement and battles of Korean and Viet Nam
conflicts, special attention to the demilitarized zones in each. Answer DBQ using AP Achiever: “How do
Truman, Kennan, and authors of NSC-68 characterize the Soviet threat? What does each see as the
appropriate American response?” (ID-3)(WOR-7) (Criteria 1b – Maps)
Unit XIII: Cultural Revolution and Change (1945-1970)
Texts and Other Materials:
Survey: American History, Chapters 29-32; AP Achiever, Chapters 29-32
Themes:
Identity (ID); Peopling (PEO); Politics and Power (POL); Ideas, Beliefs, and Culture (CUL); America in the
World (WOR)
Major Topics:
Trends in popular media and culture during the 1950s and 1960s; the Red Scare and its impact on
cultural conformity, and the backlash against that conformity during the 1960s; the modern civil rights
movement, including Brown v. Board, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Sit- Ins, the Civil Rights Act and
Voting Rights Act, Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Huey Newton, the Black Panthers; civil rights
movements by other groups, including women, Native Americans, and gays; post-war religious trends;
youth and farm workers; and baby-boomers and the emergence of anti-institutionalism.
Essential Goals:
Who were the great figures in post-war art and literature? Specifically, what did their work say about
the post-war society and values? To what extent was the sexual revolution revolutionary? To what
extent was it a continuation of past movements? What were the high and low points of the Civil Rights
Movement, from 1954 to 1968, and to what extent were the civil rights of African Americans extended?
How did the role of students evolve during this period?
Unit Activities:
Students compare NAACP materials from the 1920s and 1930s on lynching and civil rights with 1950s
civil rights materials. Students must make a presentation on why there were differences and similarities
to the class. (ID-8)(POL-7)
Students watch an episode of The Twilight Zone and analyze how the popular television show often
depicted the greatest fear of being isolated from society in situations relative to atomic activity.
Students focus on the doomsday fears of Americans during the Cold War. (WOR-4)(CUL-7) (Criteria 1b –
Visual)
Students will select popular Rock n’ Roll artists/songs of the 60s and 70s. Analyze the lyrics of the songs
and present observations to the class regarding the influence of popular culture on movements of the
period. (WOR-4)(CUL-7)
Students compare and contrast the women’s rights movements of the late 19th Century (Seneca Falls
Convention), 1920s (19th Amendment), and the 1960s. To what extent were the movements similar,
different, effective, or harmful? (ID-8)(POL-7)
Students analyze anti-communist hysteria of the post WWII era. Draw connections between the
H.U.A.C. hearings, the case of Alger Hiss, the Rosenbergs, and McArthyism. Class discussion regarding
the role played by the F.B.I and political parties in promoting such panic.(POL-6)(WOR-7)
Assignments and Assessments:
Homework assignment on topics listed above. Multiple choice test on topics above. Answer FRQ using
AP Achiever: “To what degree did the Great Society represent a continuation of New Deal policies?
Discuss with regard to two of the following three areas: Race Relations, Poverty, Fiscal Policy.” (PEO6)(POL-4)
Unit XIV: The Age of Globalization (1980-PRESENT)
Texts and Other Materials:
Survey: American History, Chapters 32-34; AP Achiever, Chapters 32-34
Themes:
Work, Exchange, and Technology (WXT); Peopling (PEO); Politics and Power (POL); Environment and
Geography (ENV); Ideas, Beliefs, and Culture (CUL); America in the World (WOR)
Major Topics:
Increasing prosperity and global responsibilities after WWII; globalization and redefining national
identity; creation of the Environmental Protection Agency; Watergate, the resignation of President
Nixon, and the emerging distrust of government; expanding role of the popular media; modern religion
and political activism; Reaganism: deregulation, increase in military spending, and the Iran-contra
scandal; 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; and the election of 2008.
Essential Goals:
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? 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?
Unit Activities:
Students will read excerpts from Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle and analyze the changing American attitude
toward regulation during that era compared to current regulations by the Environmental Protection
Agency. (WXT-8)(ENV-5)
Students engage in class discussion comparing the impeachment of Bill Clinton with the events
surrounding Richard Nixon’s resignation. Focus primarily on the extent to which laws were violated, the
role played by party politics, and Constitutional interpretation in both cases. (POL-5)
Students complete an open ended response discussing the War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan,
compared with events in the Philippines following the Spanish American War. Draw similarities with
figures such as Emilio Aguinaldo and Osama Bin Laden, cultural and religious complications, tactics used
by terroristic factions, and popular opinion. Based on gathered knowledge, students should draw
conclusions about U.S. foreign policies and future events. (POL-6)(WOR-8)(WOR-7)
Class discussions on the Reagan Revolution, the collapse of communism, and modern immigration.
Debate on Ford’s pardon of Nixon, and the rise of the New Right. (POL-4)
Assignments and Assessments:
Homework assignment on topics listed above. Multiple choice test on topics above. Students will
answer a teacher constructed FRQ where they compare the impact of social media today with the
following:
Telegraphs and newspapers of the late 19th century - impact on events such as the Civil War,
transcontinental railroad and westward expansion, etc.
Radio and television of the 20th century - FDRs New Deal, WWII, the Cold War, Viet Nam
protests, Civil Rights movements, etc. (WXT-3)(CUL-7)
Final Exam:
Students will be given a choice of three separate open ended responses from various different periods
discussed throughout the school year. In each response they will be given two excerpts that interpret a
specific issue differently. Students must explain the positions of the interpretations and how historians
may interpret the same issue differently. For example: a conservative interpretation of the actions of
FDR and the New Deal compared to that of a fiscal liberal.