Short Essay Choices for Project
1. In what ways did ideas and values held by Puritans influence the political,
economic, and social development of the New England colonies from 1630 through
the 1660s?
2. Analyze the origins and development of slavery in Britain’s North American
colonies in the period 1607 to 1776.
3. Although New England and the Chesapeake region were both settled largely by
people of English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved into two distinct
societies. Why did this difference in development occur?
4. Early encounters between American Indians and European colonists led to a
variety of relationships among the different cultures. Analyze how the actions
taken by BOTH American Indians and European colonists shaped those
relationships in TWO of the following regions. Confine your answer to the 1600s:
New England, Chesapeake, Spanish Southwest, New York and New France.
5. How did economic, geographic, and social factors encourage the growth of slavery
as an important part of the economy of the southern colonies between 1607 and
1775?
6. Compare the ways in which TWO of the following reflected tensions in colonial
society: Bacon’s Rebellion (1676), Pueblo Revolt (1680), Salem Witch Trials
(1692), Stono Rebellion (1739).
7. Compare and contrast the ways in which economic development affected politics in
Massachusetts and Virginia in the period from 1607 to 1750.
8. Analyze the differences between the Spanish settlements in the Southwest and
the English colonies in New England in the 17th century in terms of two of the
following: politics, religion, economic development.
9. Choose two of the following and analyze their impact on colonial North American
development between 1620 and 1776: Puritanism, the Enlightenment, the 1st
Great Awakening.
10. Analyze the role of trans-Atlantic trade and Great Britain’s mercantilist
policies in the economic development of the British North American colonies in the
period from 1650 to 1750.
11. Compare the ways in which religion shaped the development of colonial society
(to 1740) in TWO of the following regions: New England, Chesapeake, Middle
Atlantic.
12. Analyze the impact of the Atlantic trade routes established in the mid 1600s
on economic development in the British North American colonies. Consider the
period 1650-1750.
13. “Geography was the primary factor in shaping the development of the British
colonies in North America.” Assess the validity of this statement for the 1600s.
14. Analyze the cultural and economic responses of TWO of the following groups to
the Indians of North America before 1750: British, French, Spanish.
15. Compare and contrast the British, French, and Spanish imperial goals in North
America between 1580 and 1763.
16. Evaluate the influence of religion on the development of colonial society in
TWO of the following regions: Spanish Southwest, New England, New France.
17. Evaluate the extent to which the Seven Years’ War (French and Indian War,
1754–1763) marked a turning point in American relations with Great Britain,
analyzing what changed and what stayed the same from the period before the
war to the period after it.
18. Analyze the effect of the French and Indian War and its aftermath on the
relationship between Great Britain and the British colonies.
Confine your
response to the period from 1754 to 1776.
19. Analyze the ways in which British imperial policies between 1763 and 1776
intensified colonials’ resistance to British rule and their commitment to republican
values.
20. The French and Indian War (1754-1763) altered the relationship between
Britain and its North American colonies. Assess this change with regard to TWO
of the following in the period between 1763 and 1775. Land acquisition, politics,
economics.
21. In what ways did the French and Indian War (1754-1763) alter the political,
economic, and ideological relations between Britain and its American colonies? Use
the documents and your knowledge of the period 1740-1766 in constructing your
response.
22. To what extent had the colonists developed a sense of their identity and unity
as Americans by the eve of the Revolution?
23. Analyze the political, diplomatic, and military reasons for the United States
victory in the Revolutionary War. Confine your answer to the period 1775-1783.
24. Analyze how the ideas and experiences of the revolutionary era influenced the
principles embodied in the Articles of Confederation.
25. To what extent did the American Revolution fundamentally change American
society? In your answer, be sure to address the political, social and economic
effects of the revolution in the period from 1775 to 1800.
26. “From 1781 to 1789 the Articles of Confederation provided the United States
with an effective government.” Using the documents and your knowledge of the
period, evaluate this statement.
27. Analyze the reasons for the Anti-Federalists’ opposition to ratifying the
Constitution.
28. Evaluate the extent to which the Articles of Confederation were effective in
solving the problems that confronted the new nation.
29. Analyze the impact of the American Revolution on both slavery and the status
of women in the period from 1775 to 1800.
30. To what extent was the US Constitution a radical departure from the Articles
of Confederation?
31. The United States Constitution of 1787 represented an economic and
ideological victory for the traditional political elite. Assess the validity of this
statement for the period 1781 to 1789.
32. Analyze the contributions of TWO of the following in helping establish a stable
government after the adoption of the Constitution. John Adams, Thomas
Jefferson, George Washington.
33. Analyze the ways in which the United States sought to advance its interests in
world affairs between 1789 and 1823.
34. Historians have traditionally labeled the period after the War of 1812 the
“Era of Good Feelings.” Evaluate the accuracy of this label, considering the
emergence of nationalism and sectionalism. Use the documents and your knowledge
of the period 1815-1825 to construct your answer.
35. To what extent did the War of 1812 constitute a “second American
Revolution”? In your answer be sure to address EACH of the following: Foreign
Relations, Economic Development. Limit your answer to the period through the
1820s.
36. To what extent was the election of 1800 aptly named the “Revolution of
1800”? Respond with reference to TWO of the following areas: economics,
foreign policy, judiciary, politics.
37. Compare and contrast the Democratic Party and the Whig Party of the 1830s
and 1840s. Focus on two of the following: the role of federal government in the
economy, social reform, westward expansion.
38. Jacksonian Democrats viewed themselves as the guardians of the United States
Constitution, political democracy, individual liberty, and equality of opportunity.
In light of the following documents and your knowledge of the 1820s and 1830s,
to what extent do you agree with the Jacksonians’ view of themselves?
39. How did TWO of the following contribute to the reemergence of a two-party
system in the period 1820-1840? Major political personalities, states’ rights,
economic issues.
40. The Jacksonian Period (1824-1848) has been celebrated as the era of the
“common man.” To what extent did the period live up to its characterization?
Consider TWO of the following in your response: Economic Development, Politics,
Reform Movements.
41. Explain the ways that participation in political campaigns and elections in the
United States changed between 1815 and 1840, and analyze forces and events
that led to these changes
42. Compare the experiences of TWO of the following groups of immigrants during
the period 1830 to 1860. English, Irish, German.
43. Analyze the political, economic, and religious tensions between immigrant Roman
Catholics and native-born Protestants in the United States from the 1830s
through the 1850s.
44. Analyze the impact of the market revolution (1815-1860) on the economies of
two of the following regions: Northeast, Midwest, South.
45. In what ways did developments in transportation bring about economic and
social change in the United States in the period 1820-1860?
46. To what extent and in what ways did the roles of women change in American
society between 1790 and 1860? Respond with reference to TWO of the
following areas: domestic, economic, political, social.
47. In what ways did the 2nd Great Awakening in the North influence TWO of the
following: abolitionism, temperance, cult of domesticity, utopian communities
48. Analyze the causes of growing opposition to slavery in the United States from
1776 to 1852. In your response, consider both underlying forces and specific
events that contributed to the growing opposition.
49. Use TWO of the following categories to analyze the ways in which African
Americans created a distinctive culture in slavery: Family, Music, Oral traditions,
Religions.
50. From 1775 to 1830, many African Americans gained freedom from slavery, yet
during the same period the institution of slavery expanded. Explain why BOTH of
those changes took place. Analyze the ways that BOTH free African Americans
and enslaved African Americans responded to the challenges confronting them.
51. Compare and contrast the experience of slaves on tobacco plantations in the
early 17th century Chesapeake region with that of slaves on 19th century cotton
plantations in the Deep South. What forces transformed the institution of
slavery from the early 17th century to the 19th century?
52. Evaluate the extent to which the Mexican-American War (1846–1848) marked
a turning point in the debate over slavery in the United States, analyzing what
changed and what stayed the same from the period before the war to the period
after it.
53. To what extent did the debates about the Mexican War and its aftermath
reflect the sectional interests of New Englanders, westerners and southerners in
the period from 1845 to 1855?
54. Analyze how western expansion contributed to growing sectional tensions
between the North and the South. Confine your answer to the period from 1800
to 1850.
55. Analyze the ways in which controversy over the extension of slavery into
western territories contributed to the coming of the Civil War. Confine your
answer to the period 1845-1861.
56. Analyze the social, political, and economic forces of the 1840s and early
1850s that led to the emergence of the Republican Party.
57. By the 1850s 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. Using the documents and
your knowledge of the period 1850-1861, assess the validity of this statement.
58. In the early 19th century, Americans sought to resolve their political disputes
through compromise, yet by 1860 this no longer seemed possible. Analyze the
reasons for this change. Use the documents and your knowledge of the period
1820-1860 in constructing your response.
59. Assess the moral arguments and political actions of those opposed to the
spread of slavery in the context of TWO of the following. Missouri Compromise,
Mexican War, Compromise of 1850, Kansas-Nebraska-Act.
60. Analyze the effectiveness of political compromise in reducing sectional tensions
in the period 1820-1861.
61. In what ways and to what extent was industrial development from 1800 to
1860 a factor in the relationship between the northern and the southern states?
62. In what ways did African Americans shape the course and consequences of
then Civil War? Confine your answer to the years from 1861 to 1870.
63. To what extent were the goals of Reconstruction regarding African-Americans
achieved by 1900?
64. Choose TWO of the following organizations and explain their strategies for
advancing the interests of workers. To what extent were these organizations
successful in achieving their objectives? Confine your answer to the period from
1875 to 1925.
65. Knights of Labor, American Federation of Labor, Socialist Party of America,
Industrial Workers of the World
66. How successful was organized labor in improving the position of workers in the
period from 1875 to 1900? Analyze the factors that contributed to the level of
success achieved.
67. The period 1870 to 1900 experienced more conflict than consensus over labor
relations. Assess the validity of this statement with respect to TWO of the
following: Government, Industrialists, Organized Labor.
68. Analyze the ways in which farmers and industrial workers responded to
industrialization in the Gilded Age (1865-1900).
69. In the post-Civil War United States, corporations grew significantly in number,
size, and influence. Assess the impact of big business on the economy and
politics and the responses of Americans to these changes. Confine your answer
to the period 1870 to 1900.
70. Analyze the impact of technological innovations on the lives of TWO of the
following groups.
Confine your answer to the period 1865-1920: factory
workers, middle-class urban residents, Midwestern farmers.
71. Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. DuBois offered different strategies for
dealing with the problems of poverty and discrimination faced by black Americans
at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.
Using your
knowledge of the period 1877-1915, assess the appropriateness of each of these
strategies in the historical context in which each was developed.
72. Following Reconstruction, many southern leaders promoted the idea of a “New
South.” To what extent was this “New South” a reality by the time of World
War I? In your answer be sure to address two of the following: Economic
Development, Politics, Race Relations.
73. Identify and analyze the factors that changed the American city in the 2nd
half of the 19th century.
74. To what extent did the natural environment shape the development of the
West beyond the Mississippi and the lives of those who lived and settled there?
How important were other factors? Use both evidence from the documents and
your knowledge of the period from the 1840s through the 1890s to compose your
answer.
75. Analyze the ways in which technology, government policy, and economic
conditions changed American agriculture in the period 1865-1900. In your answer
be sure to evaluate farmers’ responses to these changes.
76. How were the lives of the Plains Indians in the 2nd half of the 19th century
affected by technological developments and government actions?
77. Evaluate the impact of the Civil War on political and economic developments in
TWO of the following regions: South, North, West. Focus your answer on the
period between 1865-1900.
78. Explain why and how the role of the federal government changed as a result of
the Civil War with respect to TWO of the following during the period
1861-1877: race relations, westward expansion, economic development.
79. How and why did transportation developments spark economic growth during the
period from 1860 to 1900 in the United States?
80. For whom and to what extent was the American West a land of opportunity
from 1865 to 1900?
81. Analyze the factors that influenced the Senate in ratifying the Treaty of
Paris in 1899 and assess their relative significance.
82. To what extent was late 19th century and early 20th century US expansionism
a continuation of past expansionism and to what extent was it a departure?
83. 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/Working Conditions.
84. Evaluate the effectiveness of the 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.
85. Explain how TWO of the following individuals responded to the economic and
social problems created by industrialization during the late 19th and early 20th
centuries. Jane Addams, Andrew Carnegie, Samuel Gompers, Upton Sinclair.
86. To what extent did the role of the federal government change under President
Theodore Roosevelt in regard to TWO of the following: labor, trusts,
conservation, world affairs.
87. Analyze the effectiveness of Progressive Era reformers in addressing problems
of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In your answer, focus on reform
efforts in TWO of the following areas: State and federal government, the
workplace, living conditions in cities.
88. How successful were progressive reforms during the period 1890 to 1915 with
respect to TWO of the following: industrial conditions, urban life, politics?
89. Compare and contrast the foreign policies of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow
Wilson.
90. 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.
91. Analyze the primary causes of the population shift from a rural to an urban
environment in the United States between 1875 and 1925.
92. Historians have argued that Progressive reform lost momentum in the 1920s.
Evaluate this statement with respect to TWO of the following: regulation of
business, labor, immigrants.
93. Analyze the origins and outcomes of the intense cultural conflicts of the
1920s.
In your response, focus on TWO of the following: Immigration,
Prohibition, Religion.
94. How did TWO of the following help shape American national culture in the
1920s? Advertising, entertainment, mass production.
95. In what ways did economic conditions and development in the arts and
entertainment help create the reputation of the 1920s as the Roaring Twenties?
96. The 1920s have been characterized as a decade of economic, social, and
cultural change. Analyze the extent to which the First World War and
consumerism affected United States society during this period.
97. To what extent did the United States achieve the objectives that led it to
enter World War I?
98. Describe and account for the rise of nativism in American society from 1900
to 1930.
99. President Franklin D. Roosevelt is commonly thought of as a liberal and
President Herbert Hoover as a conservative. To what extent are these
characterizations valid?
100. Analyze the responses of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration to the problems
of the Great Depression. How effective were these responses? How did they
change the role of the federal government? Use the documents and your
knowledge of the period 1929-1941 to construct your essay.
101. How successful were the programs of the New Deal in solving the problems of
the Great Depression? Assess with respect to TWO of the following: Relief,
Recovery, Reform.
102. How and for what reasons did United States foreign policy change between
1920 and 1941?
103. Analyze the home-front experiences of TWO of the following groups during
the Second World War. African Americans, Japanese Americans, Jewish
Americans, Mexican Americans
104. The United States decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima was a
diplomatic measure calculated to intimidate the Soviet Union in the post-WWII
era rather than a strictly military measure designed to force Japan’s
unconditional surrender. Evaluate this statement using the documents and your
knowledge of the military and diplomatic history of the years 1939 through 1947.
105. Analyze developments from 1941 to 1949 that increased suspicion and tension
between the United States and the Soviet Union.
106. What were the Cold War fears of the American people in the aftermath of
the Second World War? How successfully did the administration of Dwight D.
Eisenhower address these fears?
107. Evaluate the impact of World War II on the United States in the 1950s and
1960s in terms of TWO of the following: Education, International Relations,
Science and Technology.
108. While the United States appeared to be dominated by consensus and
conformity in the 1950s, some Americans reacted against the status quo. Analyze
the critiques of United States society made by TWO of the following: youth, civil
rights activists, and intellectuals.
109. Discuss, with respect to TWO of the following, the view that the 1960s
represented a period of profound cultural change. Education, Gender Roles,
Music, Race Relations
110. Analyze the ways in which the Vietnam War heightened social, political, and
economic tensions in the United States. Focus your answer on the period 1964 to
1975.
111. Analyze the international and domestic challenges the United States faced
between 1968 and 1974, and evaluate how President Richard Nixon’s
administration responded to them.
112. Analyze the ways in which the events and trends of the 1970s diminished the
nation’s economic power and international influence, and challenged Americans’
confidence in both.
113. Analyze the successes and failures of the United States Cold War policy of
containment as it developed in TWO of the following regions in the world during
the period 1945-1975. East and Southeast Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle
East.
114. Assess the success of the United States policy of containment in Asia between
1945 and 1975.
115. Analyze the effects of the Vietnam War on TWO of the following in the
United States in the period from 1961 to 1975: the presidency, the population
between 18 and 35 years old, Cold War diplomacy.
116. Describe and account for the changes in the American presidency between
1960 and 1975, as symbolized by Kennedy’s “Camelot”, Johnson’s Great Society,
and Nixon’s Watergate. In your answer, address the powers of the presidency
and the role of the media.
117. “Between 1960 and 1975, there was great progress in the struggle for political
and social equality.” Assess the validity of this statement with respect to TWO
of the following groups during that period: African Americans, Asian Americans,
Latinos, Native Americans, women.
118. Analyze the ways in which TWO of the following contributed to the changes in
women’s lives in the United States in the mid-twentieth century. Wars, literature
and/or popular culture, medical and/or technological advances.
119. Explain the reasons why a new conservatism rose to prominence in the United
States between 1960 and 1989.
120. Explain the social, economic, and foreign policy goals of New Right
conservatives from the 1960s to the 1980s and assess the degree to which the
Reagan administration succeeded in implementing these goals in the 1980s.
121. To what extent did political parties contribute to the development of national
unity in the United States between 1790 and 1840 ?
122. Compare and contrast the ways that many Americans expressed their
opposition to immigrants in the 1840s–1850s with the ways that many Americans
expressed their opposition to immigrants in the 1910s–1920s.
123. African American leaders have responded to racial discrimination in the United
States in a variety of ways. Compare and contrast the goals and strategies of
African American leaders in the 1890s –1920s with the goals and strategies of
African American leaders in the 1950s –1960s.
124. Analyze the ways in which TWO of the following shaped American politics
after the 2nd World War: anticommunism in the 1940s and 1950s, the women’s
liberation movement, the ‘silent majority’ in the 1970s.
125. Explain the origins of TWO of the following third parties and evaluate their
impact on United States politics and national policies. The People’s Party
(Populists), 1892; The Progressive Party (Bull Moose Party), 1912; The States’
Rights Party (Dixiecrats), 1948; The American Independent Party, 1968
126. Americans have sometimes resorted to using extralegal means to promote
change. Assess the extent to which such measures were effective by analyzing
EACH of the following: Boston Tea Party, John Brown’s raid at Harper’s Ferry.
127. Describe the patterns of immigration in TWO of the periods listed below.
Compare and contrast the responses of Americans to immigrants in these periods:
1820 to 1860, 1880 to 1924, 1965 to 2000.
128. Presidential elections between 1928 and 1948 revealed major shifts in political
party loyalties. Analyze both the reasons for these changes and their
consequences during this period.
129. Analyze the extent to which the 1920s and 1950s were similar in TWO of the
following areas: Impact of technology, Intolerant attitudes, Literary developments.
130. Explain the causes and consequences of TWO of the following population
movements in the United States during the period 1945-1985: Suburbanization,
Growth of the Sun Belt, Immigration to the United States
131. How did the African American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s
address the failures of Reconstruction?
132. Compare and contrast United States foreign policy after the First World War
and after the Second World War. Consider the periods 1919-1928 and
1945-1950.
133. For the years 1880 to 1925, analyze both the tensions surrounding the issue
of immigration and the United States government’s response to these tensions.
Use the following documents and your knowledge of the period from 1880 to
1925.
134. The issue of territorial expansion sparked considerable debate in the period
1800–1855. Analyze this debate and evaluate the influence of both supporters
and opponents of territorial expansion in shaping federal government policy.
135. Analyze the extent to which the Spanish-American War was a turning point in
American foreign policy.
136. Compare and contrast the programs and policies designed by reformers of the
Progressive Era to those designed by reformers of the New Deal period. Confine
your answer to programs and policies that addressed the needs of those living in
poverty.
137. Although the power of the national government increased during the early
republic, this development faced serious opposition. Compare the motives and
effectiveness of those opposed to the growing power of the national government
in TWO of the following: Whiskey Rebellion (1794), Virginia and Kentucky
Resolutions (1798-1799), Hartford Convention (1814-1815), Nullification Crisis
(1832-1833)
138. Compare and contrast United States society in the 1920s and the 1950s with
respect to TWO of the following: race relations, role of women, consumerism.
139. Discuss the changing ideals of American womanhood between the American
Revolution and the outbreak of the Civil War. What factors fostered the
emergence of “republican motherhood” and the “cult of domesticity”? Assess the
extent to which these ideals influenced the lives of women during this period. In
your answer be sure to consider issues of race and class.
140. Settlers in the 18th century American backcountry sometimes resorted to
violent protest to express their grievances. Analyze the causes and significance
of TWO of the following: March of the Paxton Boys, Regular movement, Shays’
Rebellion, Whiskey Rebellion.
141. “Landslide presidential victories do not ensure continued political effectiveness
or legislative success.” Assess the validity of this statement by comparing TWO
of the following presidential administrations. Franklin Roosevelt (1936), Lyndon
Johnson (1964), Richard Nixon (1972), Ronald Reagan (1984)
142. Compare and contrast the Cold War foreign policies of TWO of the following
presidents: Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon.
143. How and why did the goals of United States foreign policy change from the
end of the First World War to the end of the Korean War?
144. Discuss the nature of the relationship between the English and the Native
Americans, the techniques used by both sides to assert their interests, and the
reasons the English were ultimately victorious.
145. Discuss any TWO of the following as they pertain to self-government in the
New England settlements prior to 1650: Constitutionalism, Democracy, and
Freedom of Religion.
146. Analyze the origins and development of slavery in Britain’s North American
colonies in the period 1607 to 1776.
147. Early encounters between American Indians and European colonists led to a
variety of relationships among the different cultures. Analyze how the actions
taken by BOTH American Indians and European colonists shaped those
relationships in TWO of the following regions. Confine your answer to the 1600s:
New England, Chesapeake, Spanish Southwest, New York and New France.
148. Examine the challenges the Virginians faced and the ways in which their
efforts changed the colony socially and economically over the 17th century.
149. Although New England and the Chesapeake region were both settled largely by
people of English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved into two distinct
societies. Why did this difference in development occur?
150. In what ways did ideas and values held by Puritans influence the political,
economic, and social development of the New England colonies from 1630 through
the 1660s?
151. Discuss the differences between the northern, middle, and southern English
colonies. How do you account for those differences?
152. Analyze the extent to which religious freedom existed in the British North
American colonies prior to 1700.
153. How did economic, geographic, and social factors encourage the growth of
slavery as an important part of the economy of the southern colonies between
1607 and 1775?
154.
Compare the ways in which TWO of the following reflected tensions in
colonial society: Bacon’s Rebellion (1676), Pueblo Revolt (1680), Salem Witch
Trials (1692), Stono Rebellion (1739).
155. Compare and contrast the ways in which economic development affected politics
in Massachusetts and Virginia in the period from 1607 to 1750.
156. Analyze the differences between the Spanish settlements in the Southwest and
the English colonies in New England in the 17th century in terms of two of the
following: politics, religion, economic development.
157. Choose two of the following and analyze their impact on colonial North
American development between 1620 and 1776: Puritanism, the Enlightenment,
the 1st Great Awakening.
158. Analyze the role of trans-Atlantic trade and Great Britain’s mercantilist
policies in the economic development of the British North American colonies in the
period from 1650 to 1750.
159. Compare the ways in which religion shaped the development of colonial society
(to 1740) in TWO of the following regions: New England, Chesapeake, Middle
Atlantic.
160. Analyze the impact of the Atlantic trade routes established in the mid 1600s
on economic development in the British North American colonies. Consider the
period 1650-1750.
161. “Throughout the colonial period, economic concerns had more to do with
settling of British North America than did religious concerns.” Assess the validity
of this statement with specific reference to economic and religious concerns.
162. “Geography was the primary factor in shaping the development of the British
colonies in North America.” Assess the validity of this statement for the 1600s.
163. Compare and contrast the British, French, and Spanish imperial goals in
164. North America between 1580 and 1763.
165. Analyze the cultural and economic responses of TWO of the following groups to
the Indians of North America before 1750: British, French, Spanish.
166. Analyze the relationship between Great Britain and its American colonies prior
to 1763.
167. Compare the relationships of TWO of the following colonial powers with the
Native Americans up to 1770: French, British, Spanish.
168. Evaluate the influence of religion on the development of colonial society in
TWO of the following regions: Spanish Southwest, New England, New France.
169. Analyze the effect of the French and Indian War and its aftermath on the
relationship between Great Britain and the British colonies.
Confine your
response to the period from 1754 to 1776.
170. Evaluate the extent to which the Seven Years’ War (French and Indian War,
1754–1763) marked a turning point in American relations with Great Britain,
analyzing what changed and what stayed the same from the period before the
war to the period after it.
171. In what ways did the French and Indian War (1754-1763) alter the political,
economic, and ideological relations between Britain and its American colonies? Use
the documents and your knowledge of the period 1740-1766 in constructing your
response.
172. Analyze the ways in which British imperial policies between 1763 and 1776
173. intensified colonials’ resistance to British rule and their commitment to
republican
174. values.
175. The French and Indian War (1754-1763) altered the relationship between
Britain and its North American colonies. Assess this change with regard to TWO
of the following in the period between 1763 and 1775. Land acquisition, politics,
economics.
176. Although the thirteen colonies were founded at different times by different
people with different motives and with different forms of colonial charters and
political organization, by the Revolution the thirteen colonies had become
remarkably similar. Evaluate this statement.
177. “The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated
injuries and usurpation, all having, in direct object, the establishment of an
absolute tyranny over these states.” Evaluate this accusation made against King
George III in the Declaration of Independence.
178. Explain the reaction of the American colonists to TWO of the following acts of
Parliament: Proclamation of 1763, Stamp Act (1765), Coercive Acts (1774)
179. To what extent had the colonists developed a sense of their identity and unity
as Americans by the eve of the Revolution?
180. Analyze the political, diplomatic, and military reasons for the United States
victory in the Revolutionary War. Confine your answer to the period 1775-1783.
181. To what extent did the American Revolution fundamentally change American
society? In your answer, be sure to address the political, social and economic
effects of the revolution in the period from 1775 to 1800.
182. “From 1781 to 1789 the Articles of Confederation provided the United States
with an effective government.” Using the documents and your knowledge of the
period, evaluate this statement.
183. Analyze the ways in which the political, economic, and diplomatic crises of the
1780s shaped the provisions of the United States Constitution.
184. Analyze how the ideas and experiences of the revolutionary era influenced the
principles embodied in the Articles of Confederation.
185. Analyze the reasons for the Anti-Federalists’ opposition to ratifying the
Constitution.
186. Evaluate the extent to which the Articles of Confederation were effective in
solving the problems that confronted the new nation.
187. Analyze the degree to which the Articles of Confederation provided an
effective form of government with respect to any TWO of the following: foreign
relations, western lands, economic conditions.
188. Analyze the impact of the American Revolution on both slavery and the status
of women in the period from 1775 to 1800.
189. To what extent was the US Constitution a radical departure from the Articles
of Confederation?
190. Analyze the extent to which the American Revolution represented a radical
alteration in American political ideas and institutions. Confine your answer to the
period between 1775 and 1800.
191. The United States Constitution of 1787 represented an economic and
ideological victory for the traditional political elite. Assess the validity of this
statement for the period 1781 to 1789.
192. The ability and the willingness the Framers had for compromise was reflected
in the creation of a constitution that successfully addressed the needs of the
young republic. Explain how TWO of the following reflect the validity of this
statement: representation, slavery, democratic rights.
193. The Articles of Confederation created a government with a number of
weaknesses. These problems manifested themselves in a number of key episodes.
Discuss how three of the following events showed the strength or weakness of
the new government: Treaty of Paris, Land Ordinance, Shays’ Rebellion, Annapolis
Convention, Northwest Ordinance.
194. To what extent was the American Revolution a radical break with the past and
to what extent was it a conservative attempt to preserve the status quo?
195. The debate over the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 revealed bitter
controversies on a number of issues. Discuss the issues involved and explain why
these controversies developed.
196. Settlers in the 18th century American backcountry sometimes resorted to
violent protest to express their grievances. Analyze the causes and significance
of TWO of the following: March of the Paxton Boys, Regular movement, Shays’
Rebellion, Whiskey Rebellion.
197. How do you account for the development of political parties in the United
States during the period 1787-1800?
198. To what extent did the Federalist administrations of George Washington and
John Adams promote national unity and advance the authority of the federal
government?
199. Discuss the differences between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson
concerning the ideal relationship between the federal government and the states’
governments.
200. Analyze the contributions of TWO of the following in helping establish a stable
government after the adoption of the Constitution. John Adams, Thomas
Jefferson, George Washington.
201. Before he was president, Thomas Jefferson believed that a strict
interpretation of the Constitution firmly bound the actions of the federal
government. To what extent did Jefferson adhere to this belief during his two
terms in office?
202. Determine to what extent Jefferson, after entering the White House,
maintained or altered his earlier philosophy of government.
203. With respect to the federal Constitution, the Jeffersonian Republicans are
usually characterized as strict constructionists who were opposed to the broad
construction of the Federalists. To what extent was this characterization of the
two parties accurate during the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison?
204. Historians have traditionally labeled the period after the War of 1812 the
“Era of Good Feelings.” Evaluate the accuracy of this label, considering the
emergence of nationalism and sectionalism. Use the documents and your knowledge
of the period 1815-1825 to construct your answer.
205. Analyze the ways in which the United States sought to advance its interests in
world affairs between 1789 and 1823.
206. To what extent did the War of 1812 constitute a “second American
Revolution”? In your answer be sure to address EACH of the following: Foreign
Relations, Economic Development. Limit your answer to the period through the
1820s.
207. To what extent was the election of 1800 aptly named the “Revolution of
1800”? Respond with reference to TWO of the following areas: economics,
foreign policy, judiciary, politics.
208. Analyze the ways in which TWO of the following represented a shift in the
ideals of “Jeffersonian Democracy” during the period 1800-1824: The Louisiana
Purchase, Marbury v. Madison, The War of 1812, The Monroe Doctrine.
209. Compare and contrast the Democratic Party and the Whig Party of the 1830s
and 1840s. Focus on two of the following: the role of federal government in the
economy, social reform, westward expansion.
210. Explain the ways that participation in political campaigns and elections in the
United States changed between 1815 and 1840, and analyze forces and events
that led to these changes
211. The decision of the Jackson administration to remove the Cherokee Indians to
lands west of the Mississippi River in the 1830s was more a reformulation of the
national policy that had been in effect since the 1790s than a change in that
policy. Assess the validity of this generalization with reference to the moral,
political, constitutional, and practical concerns that shaped national Indian policy
between 1789 and the mid-1830s.
212. Jacksonian Democrats viewed themselves as the guardians of the United States
Constitution, political democracy, individual liberty, and equality of opportunity.
In light of the following documents and your knowledge of the 1820s and 1830s,
to what extent do you agree with the Jacksonians’ view of themselves?
213. How did TWO of the following contribute to the reemergence of a two-party
system in the period 1820-1840? Major political personalities, states’ rights,
economic issues.
214. The Jacksonian Period (1824-1848) has been celebrated as the era of the
“common man.” To what extent did the period live up to its characterization?
Consider TWO of the following in your response: Economic Development, Politics,
Reform Movements.
215. Analyze the political, economic, and religious tensions between immigrant Roman
Catholics and native-born Protestants in the United States from the 1830s
through the 1850s.
216. In what ways did developments in transportation bring about economic and
social change in the United States in the period 1820-1860?
217. Analyze the impact of the market revolution (1815-1860) on the economies of
two of the following regions: Northeast, Midwest, South.
218. Compare the experiences of TWO of the following groups of immigrants during
the period 1830 to 1860. English, Irish, German.
219. “Developments in transportation, rather than in manufacturing and agriculture,
sparked American economic growth in the first half of the 19th century.” Assess
the validity of this statement.
220. How and why did the lives and status of Northern middle class women change
between 1776 and 1876?
221. In what ways did the 2nd Great Awakening in the North influence TWO of the
following: abolitionism, temperance, cult of domesticity, utopian communities
222. “Reform movements in the United States sought to expand democratic ideals.”
Assess the validity of this statement with specific reference to the years
1825-1850.
223. What factors led to the women’s rights movement in the antebellum era and
what goals were women seeking?
224. Identify the major reform movements in the United States during the period
1820-1850.
225. After 1815, American society was shaped by an economic “market revolution”
and a religious “2nd Great Awakening.” These developments significantly affected
women and contributed to their changing status both inside and outside the home.
Discuss the evolution of women’s roles and women’s opportunities in the family,
the workplace, and society.
226. To what extent and in what ways did the roles of women change in American
society between 1790 and 1860? Respond with reference to TWO of the
following areas: domestic, economic, political, social.
227. To what degree were the reform movements of the 1840s liberal or
conservative?
228. Analyze the causes of growing opposition to slavery in the United States from
1776 to 1852. In your response, consider both underlying forces and specific
events that contributed to the growing opposition.
229. From 1775 to 1830, many African Americans gained freedom from slavery, yet
during the same period the institution of slavery expanded. Explain why BOTH of
those changes took place. Analyze the ways that BOTH free African Americans
and enslaved African Americans responded to the challenges confronting them.
230. By the 1840s many northern Americans had come to see slavery as an evil,
while many southerners defended the institution as a positive good. What
arguments did each side marshal in support of its case?
231. Use TWO of the following categories to analyze the ways in which African
Americans created a distinctive culture in slavery: Family, Music, Oral traditions,
Religions.
232. Compare and contrast the experience of slaves on tobacco plantations in the
early 17th century Chesapeake region with that of slaves on 19th century cotton
plantations in the Deep South. What forces transformed the institution of
slavery from the early 17th century to the 19th century?
233. Analyze the ways in which supporters of slavery in the 19th century used
legal, religious, and economic arguments to defend the institution of slavery.
234. “American social reform movements from 1820 to 1860 were characterized by
unyielding perfectionism, impatience with compromise, and distrust of established
social institutions. These qualities explain the degree of success or failure of
these movements in achieving their objectives.” Discuss with reference to
antislavery and ONE other reform movement of the period 1820-1860.
235. To what extent did the debates about the Mexican War and its aftermath
reflect the sectional interests of New Englanders, westerners and southerners in
the period from 1845 to 1855?
236. Evaluate the extent to which the Mexican-American War (1846–1848) marked
a turning point in the debate over slavery in the United States, analyzing what
changed and what stayed the same from the period before the war to the period
after it.
237. Explain the impact of Manifest Destiny upon the 1840s.
238. “Although Americans perceived Manifest Destiny as a benevolent movement, it
was in fact an aggressive imperialism pursued at the expense of others.” Assess
the validity of this statement with specific reference to American expansionism in
the 1840s.
239. Prior to the Civil War, politicians were associated with both their political
stand and the region that they represented. Explain how each of the following
represented a political position based upon the region of the country he
represented. Daniel Webster, John C. Calhoun, Henry Clay
240. Discuss the impact of territorial expansion on national unity between 1800 and
1850.
241. Analyze how western expansion contributed to growing sectional tensions
between the North and the South. Confine your answer to the period from 1800
to 1850.
242. To what extent was President-elect Abraham Lincoln responsible for the
defeat of the Crittenden proposal on the territorial expansion of slavery?
243. John Brown’s raid on the federal armory at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia in October
1859 involved only a handful of abolitionists, freed no slaves, and was over in two
days. Although many Northerners condemned the raid, by 1863 John Brown had
become a hero and martyr in the North. To what extent and in what ways do the
views about John Brown expressed in the documents illustrate changing
North-South relations between 1859 and 1863?
244. By the 1850s 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. Using the documents and
your knowledge of the period 1850-1861, assess the validity of this statement.
245. In the early 19th century, Americans sought to resolve their political disputes
through compromise, yet by 1860 this no longer seemed possible. Analyze the
reasons for this change. Use the documents and your knowledge of the period
1820-1860 in constructing your response.
246. What issues arose in the period 1848-1860, ultimately leading to the outbreak
of civil war in 1861?
247. To what extent was the breakup of the Union in 1861 a result of the conflict
over slavery and to what extent was it due to other factors?
248. Analyze the ways in which controversy over the extension of slavery into
western territories contributed to the coming of the Civil War. Confine your
answer to the period 1845-1861.
249. Analyze the social, political, and economic forces of the 1840s and early
1850s that led to the emergence of the Republican Party.
250. Assess the moral arguments and political actions of those opposed to the
spread of slavery in the context of TWO of the following. Missouri Compromise,
Mexican War, Compromise of 1850, Kansas-Nebraska-Act.
251. Analyze the effectiveness of political compromise in reducing sectional tensions
in the period 1820-1861.
252. In what ways and to what extent was industrial development from 1800 to
1860 a factor in the relationship between the northern and the southern states?
253. For the period between 1844 and the Civil War, evaluate the impact of slavery
as a political issue on the history of any THREE of the political parties:
Democratic Party, Free Soil Party, Know-Nothings, Republican Party, Whig Party
254. Explain the impact of the Kansas-Nebraska Act upon national politics,
1854-1860.
255. Discuss the relationship between Lincoln’s goals of preserving the Union and
freeing the slaves.
256. “I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social
and political equality of the white and black races.” How can this statement of
Abraham Lincoln be reconciled with his 1862 Emancipation Proclamation?
257. In what ways did African Americans shape the course and consequences of the
Civil War? Confine your answer to the years from 1861 to 1870.
258. Discuss the political, economic, and social reforms introduced in the South
between 1864 and 1877. To what extent did these reforms survive the
Compromise of 1877?
259. How do you account for the failure of Reconstruction to bring social and
economic equality of opportunity to the former slaves?
260. To what extent were the goals of Reconstruction regarding African-Americans
achieved by 1900?
261. Documents A-H reveal some of the problems that many farmers in the late
19th century (1880-1900) saw as threats to their ways of life. Using the
documents and your knowledge of the period, explain the reasons for agrarian
discontent and evaluate the validity of the farmers’ complaints.
262. In the post-Civil War United States, corporations grew significantly in number,
size, and influence. Assess the impact of big business on the economy and
politics and the responses of Americans to these changes. Confine your answer
to the period 1870 to 1900.
263. To what extent and for what reasons did the policies of the federal
government from 1865 to 1900 violate the principle of laissez-faire, which
advocated minimal governmental intervention in the economy? Consider with
specific reference to the following three areas of policy: railroad land grants,
control of interstate commerce, and antitrust activities.
264. How successful was organized labor in improving the position of workers in the
period from 1875 to 1900? Analyze the factors that contributed to the level of
success achieved.
265. Analyze the impact of technological innovations on the lives of TWO of the
following groups.
Confine your answer to the period 1865-1920: factory
workers, middle-class urban residents, Midwestern farmers.
266. Choose TWO of the following organizations and explain their strategies for
advancing the interests of workers. To what extent were these organizations
successful in achieving their objectives? Confine your answer to the period from
1875 to 1925. Knights of Labor, American Federation of Labor, Socialist Party
of America, Industrial Workers of the World
267. The period 1870 to 1900 experienced more conflict than consensus over labor
relations. Assess the validity of this statement with respect to TWO of the
following: Government, Industrialists, Organized Labor.
268. Analyze the ways in which farmers and industrial workers responded to
industrialization in the Gilded Age (1865-1900).
269. Analyze the impact of any TWO of the following on the American industrial
worker between 1865 and 1900: Government actions, immigration, labor unions,
technological change.
270. Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. DuBois offered different strategies for
dealing with the problems of poverty and discrimination faced by black Americans
at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.
Using the
documents and your knowledge of the period 1877-1915, assess the
appropriateness of each of these strategies in the historical context in which
each was developed.
271. Following Reconstruction, many southern leaders promoted the idea of a “New
South.” To what extent was this “New South” a reality by the time of World
War I? In your answer be sure to address two of the following: Economic
Development, Politics, Race Relations.
272. Identify and analyze the factors that changed the American city in the 2nd
half of the 19th century.
273. To what extent did the natural environment shape the development of the
West beyond the Mississippi and the lives of those who lived and settled there?
How important were other factors? Use both evidence from the documents and
your knowledge of the period from the 1840s through the 1890s to compose your
answer.
274. Historians have often portrayed the capitalists who shaped post-Civil War
industrial America as either admirable “captains of industry” or corrupt “robber
barons”. Evaluate which of these descriptions is a more accurate characterization
of these capitalists.
275. Analyze the reasons for the emergence of the Populist movement in the late
19th century.
276. Why did farmers express discontent during the period from 1870-1900, and
what impact did their new attitudes and actions have on national politics?
277. How were the lives of the Plains Indians in the 2nd half of the 19th century
affected by technological developments and government actions?
278. Although the economic development of the Trans-Mississippi West is popularly
associated with hardy individualism, it was in fact largely dependent on the
federal government. Assess the validity of this statement.
279. Evaluate the impact of the Civil War on political and economic developments in
TWO of the following regions: South, North, West. Focus your answer on the
period between 1865-1900.
280. Explain why and how the role of the federal government changed as a result of
the Civil War with respect to TWO of the following during the period
1861-1877: race relations, westward expansion, economic development.
281. How and why did transportation developments spark economic growth during the
period from 1860 to 1900 in the United States?
282. For whom and to what extent was the American West a land of opportunity
from 1865 to 1900?
283. “Although the economic growth of the United States between 1860 and 1900
has been attributed to a government policy of laissez-faire, it was in fact
encouraged and sustained by direct government intervention.” Assess the validity
of this statement.
284. To what extent did the coalition that comprised the Populists achieve its goals?
285. Analyze the ways in which technology, government policy, and economic
conditions changed American agriculture in the period 1865-1900. In your answer
be sure to evaluate farmers’ responses to these changes.
286. Analyze the factors that influenced the Senate in ratifying the Treaty of
Paris in 1899 and assess their relative significance.
287. To what extent was late 19th century and early 20th century US expansionism
a continuation of past expansionism and to what extent was it a departure?
288. Between 1900 and 1918 to what degree did the attitudes expressed in
Supreme Court decisions concerning government regulation of business and working
conditions reflect the attitudes of the political leaders of the nation? Why or
why not were they in agreement?
289. What were the main issues, ideas, and events of the Progressive Era during
the period 1900-1915?
290. Evaluate the effectiveness of the 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.
291. “Between 1880 and 1915 labor leaders voiced sharp disagreement over the
proper goals and strategies workers should follow to improve their position in
American society.” Assess the validity of this statement.
292. Explain how TWO of the following individuals responded to the economic and
social problems created by industrialization during the late 19th and early 20th
centuries. Jane Addams, Andrew Carnegie, Samuel Gompers, Upton Sinclair.
293. To what extent did the Supreme Court advance or inhibit Progressive regulation
of corporations in the period 1885 to 1920?
294. At the turn of the century, several nations were competing for internal
empires. After the Spanish-American War, the United States government sought
to extend and solidify its influence in the Western hemisphere. Analyze the
effects of American foreign policy in Latin America in the period 1899 to 1917.
295. Analyze the effectiveness of Progressive Era reformers in addressing problems
of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In your answer, focus on reform
efforts in TWO of the following areas: State and federal government, the
workplace, living conditions in cities.
296. 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/Working Conditions.
297. To what extent did the role of the federal government change under President
Theodore Roosevelt in regard to TWO of the following: labor, trusts,
conservation, world affairs.
298. How successful were progressive reforms during the period 1890 to 1915 with
respect to TWO of the following: industrial conditions, urban life, politics?
299. Analyze the reasons for the popularity of the Progressive movement during the
first two decades of the twentieth century.
300. 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.
301. Compare and contrast the foreign policies of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow
Wilson.
302. Analyze the ways in which the federal government sought support on the home
front for the war effort during the First World War.
303. “The United States entered World War I not ‘to make the world safe for
democracy’ as President Wilson proclaimed, but to safeguard American economic
interests.” Assess the validity of this statement.
304. Assess the relative influence of THREE of the following in the American
decision to declare war on Germany in 1917. Germany naval policy, American
economic interests, Woodrow Wilson’s idealism, allied propaganda, America’s claim
to world power.
305. Which factor – self-interest or idealism – was more important in driving
American foreign policy in the years 1895 to 1920?
306. When World War I broke out, the United States declared its policy of
neutrality. Was the United States ever neutral in the conflict, and if so, when
did it change to a policy favoring the Allies?
307. Analyze the primary causes of the population shift from a rural to an urban
environment in the United States between 1875 and 1925.
308. Historians have argued that Progressive reform lost momentum in the 1920s.
Evaluate this statement with respect to TWO of the following: regulation of
business, labor, immigrants.
309. Analyze the origins and outcomes of the intense cultural conflicts of the
1920s.
In your response, focus on TWO of the following: Immigration,
Prohibition, Religion.
310. How did TWO of the following help shape American national culture in the
1920s? Advertising, entertainment, mass production.
311. Analyze the factors that influenced Congress to pass the Immigration Act of
1924.
312. What accounts for the success of the prohibition movement in the United
States during the era of progressive reform, 1900-1919?
313. The 1920s have been characterized as a decade of economic, social, and
cultural change. Analyze the extent to which the First World War and
consumerism affected United States society during this period.
314. The 1920s were a period of tension between new and changing attitudes on one
hand and traditional values and nostalgia on the other. What led to the tension
between old and new, and in what ways was the tension manifested?
315. In what ways did economic conditions and development in the arts and
entertainment help create the reputation of the 1920s as the Roaring Twenties?
316. To what extent did the United States achieve the objectives that led it to
enter World War I?
317. Describe and account for the rise of nativism in American society from 1900
to 1930.
318. Explain how TWO of the following influenced US foreign policy during the
1920s: social and economic issues within the United States, war debts and
reparations, political ideology.
319. Analyze the causes of the Great Depression.
320. President Franklin D. Roosevelt is commonly thought of as a liberal and
President Herbert Hoover as a conservative. To what extent are these
characterizations valid?
321. Analyze the responses of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration to the problems
of the Great Depression. How effective were these responses? How did they
change the role of the federal government? Use the documents and your
knowledge of the period 1929-1941 to construct your essay.
322. Discuss the Great Depression and its impact on the United States.
323. How successful were the programs of the New Deal in solving the problems of
the Great Depression? Assess with respect to TWO of the following: Relief,
Recovery, Reform.
324. When Franklin Roosevelt became president of the United States, he took a
number of steps to jump-start the economy. Some experts have suggested that
the steps taken by Roosevelt would not have turned the economy around without
the impact of World War II. In a coherent essay discuss the validity of this
claim.
325. Analyze the various groups, individuals, and movements that either challenged
or presented an alternative program to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New
Deal.
326. Discuss the effects of New Deal reform legislation by examining TWO of the
following acts: Social Security Act, Wagner Act, Fair Labor Standards Act
327. How and for what reasons did United States foreign policy change between
1920 and 1941?
328. “American foreign policy leading up to involvement in the Second World War
was greatly influenced by the continuing debate over the ‘lessons’ of the
1914-1929 period.” Assess the validity of this statement by considering the
issues of American foreign policy in the period from 1914 to 1929 and the
appropriateness of these “lessons” to the period from 1930 to 1941.
329. To what extent did the goals of American foreign policy change in the years
1930-1941? For what reasons did these goals change?
330. The United States decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima was a
diplomatic measure calculated to intimidate the Soviet Union in the post-WWII
era rather than a strictly military measure designed to force Japan’s
unconditional surrender. Evaluate this statement using the documents and your
knowledge of the military and diplomatic history of the years 1939 through 1947.
331. It is often claimed that the major American wars of the last 150 years have
resulted in the most important social and political gains of minorities and women.
Evaluate this statement with regard to the experiences of minorities and women
during World War II.
332. Analyze the home-front experiences of TWO of the following groups during
the Second World War. African Americans, Japanese Americans, Jewish
Americans, Mexican Americans.
333. In what ways did World War II unleash the movements for racial and gender
equality?
334. Analyze developments from 1941 to 1949 that increased suspicion and tension
between the United States and the Soviet Union.
335. “Harry Truman was a realistic, pragmatic President who skillfully led the
American people against the menace posed by the Soviet Union.” Assess the
validity of this generalization for President Truman’s foreign policy from 1945 to
1953.
336. Evaluate the success of the containment policies of the Truman administration.
337. What were the Cold War fears of the American people in the aftermath of
the Second World War? How successfully did the administration of Dwight D.
Eisenhower address these fears?
338. To what extent did the decade of the 1950s deserve its reputation as an age
of political, social, and cultural conformity?
339. Evaluate the impact of the Second World War on the United States in the
1950s and 1960s in terms of TWO of the following: Education, International
Relations, Science and Technology.
340. How do you account for the appeal of McCarthyism in the United States in the
era following World War II?
341. What were the major issues and events of the Cold War during the period
1945-1960?
342. While the United States appeared to be dominated by consensus and
conformity in the 1950s, some Americans reacted against the status quo. Analyze
the critiques of United States society made by TWO of the following: youth, civil
rights activists, and intellectuals.
343. Discuss the impact of the second “Red Scare” on American politics in the
1950s.
344. How do the attitudes and impressions in the documents indicate that racism
was still prevalent in the United States from World War I to the 1960s?
345. Historians tend to portray the 1950s as a decade of prosperity, conformity,
and consensus, and the 1960s as a decade of turbulence, protest, and
disillusionment. Do you agree or disagree with this view?
346.
Analyze the extent to which TWO of the
following transformed American society in the 1960s and 1970s: civil rights
movement, antiwar movement, women’s movement.
347.
1968 was a turning point for the United
States. To what extent is this an accurate assessment? In your answer, discuss
TWO of the following: national politics, Vietnam War, civil rights.
348.
Between 1954 and 1975 various groups in the
United States engaged in protest. Analyze the reasons that protest emerged in
this period for TWO of the following groups: African-Americans, college
students, Latino Americans, women.
349.
Analyze the changes that occurred during the
1960s in the goals, strategies, and support of the movement for African
American civil rights.
350. Discuss, with respect to TWO of the following, the view that the 1960s
represented a period of profound cultural change. Education, Gender Roles,
Music, Race Relations
351. In what ways did the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson respond to
the political, economic, and social problems of the United States? Assess the
effectiveness of these responses. Use the documents and your knowledge of the
period 1960-1970 to construct your response.
352. Why did American public opinion turn against the war in Vietnam by the late
1960s?
353. Despite the mixed records of Presidents John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and
Richard Nixon and the divisions within the civil rights movement, the 1960s is a
notable decade in US history for the profound success of the black civil rights
movement. Assess the validity of this statement.
354. Although the 1960s are usually considered the decade of greatest achievement
for black civil rights, the 1940s and 1950s were periods of equally important
gains. Assess the validity of this statement.
355. Analyze the ways in which the Vietnam War heightened social, political, and
economic tensions in the United States. Focus your answer on the period 1964 to
1975.
356. Analyze the international and domestic challenges the United States faced
between 1968 and 1974, and evaluate how President Richard Nixon’s
administration responded to them.
357. Analyze the ways in which the events and trends of the 1970s diminished the
nation’s economic power and international influence, and challenged Americans’
confidence in both.
358. To what extent did American society’s views of women change from the World
War I era to the mid 1970s?
359. Analyze the effects of the Vietnam War on TWO of the following in the
United States in the period from 1961 to 1975: the presidency, the population
between 18 and 35 years old, Cold War diplomacy.
360. Analyze the successes and failures of the United States Cold War policy of
containment as it developed in TWO of the following regions in the world during
the period 1945-1975. East and Southeast Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle
East.
361. Assess the success of the United States policy of containment in Asia between
1945 and 1975.
362. Describe and account for the changes in the American presidency between
1960 and 1975, as symbolized by Kennedy’s “Camelot”, Johnson’s Great Society,
and Nixon’s Watergate. In your answer, address the powers of the presidency
and the role of the media.
363. “Between 1960 and 1975, there was great progress in the struggle for political
and social equality.” Assess the validity of this statement with respect to TWO
of the following groups during that period: African Americans, Asian Americans,
Latinos, Native Americans, women.
364. Analyze the ways in which TWO of the following contributed to the changes in
women’s lives in the United States in the mid-twentieth century. Wars, literature
and/or popular culture, medical and/or technological advances.
365. Discuss TWO cultural and social changes that America experienced during the
late 1960s and early 1970s.
366. Discuss the ways in which TWO of the following changed both the social fabric
and political structure of America during the 1960s: social and economic issues
within the US, the civil rights movement, the women’s movement, the Vietnam
War
367. In the years 1964-2000, what factors contributed to the resurgence of
conservatism in American politics and government?
368. Explain the reasons why a new conservatism rose to prominence in the United
States between 1960 and 1989.
369. Explain the social, economic, and foreign policy goals of New Right
conservatives from the 1960s to the 1980s and assess the degree to which the
Reagan administration succeeded in implementing these goals in the 1980s.
370. To what extent did political parties contribute to the development of national
unity in the United States between 1790 and 1840 ?
371. Compare and contrast the ways that many Americans expressed their
opposition to
372. immigrants in the 1840s–1850s with the ways that many Americans expressed
their
373. opposition to immigrants in the 1910s–1920s.
374. African American leaders have responded to racial discrimination in the United
States in a variety of ways. Compare and contrast the goals and strategies of
African American leaders in the 1890s –1920s with the goals and strategies of
African American leaders in the 1950s –1960s.
375. Explain the origins of TWO of the following third parties and evaluate their
impact on United States politics and national policies. The People’s Party
(Populists), 1892; The Progressive Party (Bull Moose Party), 1912; The States’
Rights Party (Dixiecrats), 1948; The American Independent Party, 1968
376. “Landslide presidential victories do not ensure continued political effectiveness
or legislative success.” Assess the validity of this statement by comparing TWO
of the following presidential administrations. Franklin Roosevelt (1936), Lyndon
Johnson (1964), Richard Nixon (1972), Ronald Reagan (1984)
377. Americans have sometimes resorted to using extralegal means to promote
change. Assess the extent to which such measures were effective by analyzing
EACH of the following: Boston Tea Party, John Brown’s raid at Harper’s Ferry.
378. Describe the patterns of immigration in TWO of the periods listed below.
Compare and contrast the responses of Americans to immigrants in these periods:
1820 to 1860, 1880 to 1924, 1965 to 2000.
379. In what ways was the change in the political control of the federal government
a result of economic issues in TWO of the following presidential elections?
McKinley’s defeat of Cleveland in 1896, Wilson’s defeat of Taft in 1912,
Roosevelt’s defeat of Hoover in 1932, Reagan’s defeat of Carter in 1980
380. Discuss the impact of TWO of the following wars on the domestic politics in
the United States: War of 1812, Mexican War, Spanish-American War
381. Analyze the ways in which TWO of the following shaped American politics
after the 2nd World War: anticommunism in the 1940s and 1950s, the women’s
liberation movement, the ‘silent majority’ in the 1970s.
382. Social changes impact societies on an irregular basis. It has been said that the
Jacksonian and post-World War I periods were times of great social change.
Support or refute the statement.
383. Compare and contrast the women’s rights movement of the 1840s–1860s with
the women’s rights movement of the 1960s–1980s.
384. “Vice-presidents who have succeeded to the presidency on the death of the
President have been less effective in their conduct of domestic and foreign policy
than the men they replaced.” Assess the validity of this statement for any TWO
of the following pairs: McKinley and Roosevelt, Roosevelt and Truman, Kennedy
and Johnson.
385. Explain the causes and consequences of TWO of the following population
movements in the United States during the period 1945-1985: Suburbanization,
Growth of the Sun Belt, Immigration to the United States
386. The issue of territorial expansion sparked considerable debate in the period
1800–1855. Analyze this debate and evaluate the influence of both supporters
and opponents of territorial expansion in shaping federal government policy.
387. How did the African American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s
address the failures of Reconstruction?
388. In 1945, Winston Churchill said that the United States stood at the summit of
the world. Discuss the developments in the thirty years following Churchill’s
speech which called the global preeminence of the United States into question.
389. Compare and contrast United States foreign policy after the First World War
and after the Second World War. Consider the periods 1919-1928 and
1945-1950.
390. Evaluate the impact of TWO of the following in diffusing tensions during the
19th century: Compromise of 1820, Compromise of 1833, Compromise of 1877.
391. Compare and contrast the programs and policies designed by reformers of the
Progressive Era to those designed by reformers of the New Deal period. Confine
your answer to programs and policies that addressed the needs of those living in
poverty.
392. Although the power of the national government increased during the early
republic, this development faced serious opposition. Compare the motives and
effectiveness of those opposed to the growing power of the national government
in TWO of the following: Whiskey Rebellion (1794), Virginia and Kentucky
Resolutions (1798-1799), Hartford Convention (1814-1815), Nullification Crisis
(1832-1833)
393. Compare and contrast United States society in the 1920s and the 1950s with
respect to TWO of the following: race relations, role of women, consumerism.
394. Discuss the impact of third-party candidates in TWO of the following
elections: 1912, 1948, 1968.
395. Prior to American involvement in both World War I and World War II, the
United States adopted an official policy of neutrality. Compare the policy and its
modification during the period 1914-1917 to the policy and its modification
during the period 1939-1941.
396. During the past four decades, historians consistently have rated Washington,
Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt as the greatest presidents. Assess the
greatness of any TWO of these chief executives, making clear the criteria on
which you base your judgment.
397. Discuss the changing ideals of American womanhood between the American
Revolution and the outbreak of the Civil War. What factors fostered the
emergence of “republican motherhood” and the “cult of domesticity”? Assess the
extent to which these ideals influenced the lives of women during this period. In
your answer be sure to consider issues of race and class.
398. Analyze the extent to which the Spanish-American War was a turning point in
American foreign policy.
399. Compare and contrast the post-WWI Red Scare with the anticommunism
crusade after World War II.
400. “Both the Mexican-American War and the Spanish-American War were
premeditated affairs resulting from deliberately calculated schemes of robbery on
the part of a superior power against weak and defenseless neighbors.” Assess the
validity of this statement.
401. Analyze the ways in which TWO of the following influenced the development of
American society: Puritanism in the late 17th century, the Great Awakening in
the 18th century, The 2nd Great Awakening in the 19th century.
402. Presidential elections between 1928 and 1948 revealed major shifts in political
party loyalties. Analyze both the reasons for these changes and their
consequences during this period.
403. Compare the expansionist foreign policies of Presidents Thomas Jefferson and
James K. Polk. To what extent did their policies strengthen the United States?
404. Compare the debates that took place over the American expansionism in the
1840s with those that took place in the 1890s, analyzing the similarities and
differences in the debates of the two eras.
405. Although historically represented as distinct parties, the Federalists and the
Whigs in fact shared a common political ideology, represented many of the same
interest groups, and proposed similar programs and policies. Assess the validity of
this statement.
406. Compare and contrast the attitudes of THREE of the following toward the
wealth that was created in the United States during the late nineteenth century:
Andrew Carnegie, Horatio Alger, Ida Tarbell, Eugene Debs, Booker T.
Washington.
407. In what ways were the late 19th century Populists the heirs of Jacksonian
Democrats with respect to overall objectives and specific proposals for reform.
408. Analyze the extent to which the 1920s and 1950s were similar in TWO of the
following areas: Impact of technology, Intolerant attitudes, Literary
developments.
409. For the years 1880 to 1925, analyze both the tensions surrounding the issue
of immigration and the United States government’s response to these tensions.
Use the following documents and your knowledge of the period from 1880 to
1925.
410. Compare and contrast the Cold War foreign policies of TWO of the following
presidents: Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon.
411. How and why did the goals of United States foreign policy change from the
end of the First World War to the end of the Korean War?