APUSH Active Recall Study Questions

How were Native American societies structured pre-colonization?

Native societies were diverse and adapted to their environments. The Iroquois formed political alliances, the Pueblos developed irrigation systems, and the Mississippians built large cities like Cahokia.

What was maize and why was it significant?

Maize (corn) was a staple crop that supported large populations. It enabled permanent settlements, especially in the Southwest, and influenced trade and agricultural development.

What were the goals of European exploration

(God Gold, Glory)?,Europeans sought to spread Christianity, gain wealth through resources and trade routes, and increase national power. Spain, for example, funded Columbus's voyage in pursuit of all three goals.

What was the Columbian Exchange and its impact on the Americas and Europe?

It was the transatlantic exchange of goods, people, and diseases. Smallpox devastated Native populations, while Europe benefited from crops like potatoes and corn, boosting population growth.

What were the motives behind British colonization?

Motives included profit (Virginia Company), religious freedom (Puritans in Massachusetts), and competition with Spain and France for land and influence.

How did the Chesapeake and New England colonies differ in economy and society?

Chesapeake colonies were tobacco-based and used indentured servants and enslaved labor, while New England colonies were centered on religion, small farms, and town-based governance.

What caused the shift from indentured servitude to slavery?

Bacon's Rebellion revealed instability from freed indentured servants, pushing elites to rely more on enslaved Africans who could be permanently controlled.

What was the impact of mercantilism on colonial economies?

Colonies existed to benefit the mother country by sending raw materials and buying British goods. It stifled colonial manufacturing and led to resentment.

What were the Navigation Acts and colonial responses?

These acts restricted colonial trade to English ships and required goods to pass through England. Many colonists resisted through smuggling.

What was the Enlightenment and how did it influence colonial thinking?

It emphasized reason, liberty, and natural rights. Thinkers like John Locke inspired American colonists to challenge monarchy and promote self-rule.

What was the First Great Awakening and its social/political effects?

A religious revival that emphasized emotional experience and challenged established churches. It encouraged equality before God and helped spread ideas of independence.

What was the significance of the Atlantic slave trade and chattel slavery?

It brought millions of enslaved Africans to the Americas and entrenched race-based, hereditary slavery, especially in the Southern colonies.

How did enslaved Africans resist slavery?

They resisted through rebellions (like Stono, 1739), running away, slowing work, and preserving cultural traditions like music and religion.

What were early examples of self-government in the colonies?

The Virginia House of Burgesses (1619) and the Mayflower Compact (1620) were early experiments in representative and consensual governance.

What caused the French and Indian War and what were its consequences?

Tension over land in the Ohio River Valley led to war between Britain and France. Britain won, but its debt led to new taxes on the colonies, fueling rebellion.

What was the Proclamation of 1763 and how did colonists respond?

It banned settlement west of the Appalachians to avoid conflict with Natives, but settlers defied it, viewing it as British overreach.

How did British taxation policies (Stamp Act

Townshend Acts) increase colonial resistance?,Colonists opposed "taxation without representation" and protested with boycotts and acts like the Boston Tea Party, leading to increased tensions.

What Enlightenment ideas influenced the Declaration of Independence?

Locke's ideas of natural rights (life, liberty, property) and the social contract heavily influenced Jefferson's arguments for breaking from Britain.

What were the Articles of Confederation and their weaknesses?

They created a weak central government with no power to tax or regulate trade. Events like Shays' Rebellion showed the need for reform.

What prompted the Constitutional Convention?

The failures of the Articles, economic instability, and internal uprisings convinced leaders to create a stronger federal government.

What were the major compromises in the Constitution (Great Compromise

3/5 Compromise)?,The Great Compromise created a two-house legislature; the 3/5 Compromise counted enslaved people as part of the population for representation.

Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists: What did they believe?

Federalists supported a strong central government and the Constitution; Anti-Federalists feared tyranny and demanded a Bill of Rights.

What were the arguments in the Federalist Papers?

They defended the Constitution and explained how checks and balances and a large republic would prevent tyranny (e.g., Federalist No. 10 and 51).

What were the precedents set by George Washington's presidency?

He set a two-term tradition, formed a Cabinet, and emphasized neutrality in foreign affairs through the Proclamation of Neutrality.

How did Hamilton's financial plan shape early economic policy?

It established the Bank of the U.S., assumed state debts, and used tariffs to promote industry, laying groundwork for federal economic authority.

What were the Alien and Sedition Acts and how did Jeffersonians respond?

These laws restricted immigrants and free speech; Jeffersonians countered with the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions supporting states' rights.

What was the significance of the Louisiana Purchase?

It doubled U.S. territory and secured control of the Mississippi River, though Jefferson questioned its constitutionality.

How did the Supreme Court assert federal power (Marbury v. Madison

McCulloch v. Maryland)?,Marbury v. Madison established judicial review; McCulloch v. Maryland upheld the national bank and expanded implied powers of Congress.

What caused the War of 1812 and what were its effects?

Impressment of sailors and British interference with trade prompted war. It ended in stalemate but boosted nationalism and weakened Native resistance.

What was the Market Revolution and how did it transform the economy?

New technology (e.g., cotton gin, telegraph), transportation (canals, railroads), and factory systems connected regional economies and shifted labor patterns.

What was the Missouri Compromise and how did it reflect sectional tensions?

It maintained the slave-free balance (Missouri = slave, Maine = free) and banned slavery north of 36°30′, showing deepening divisions over slavery.

What was the Monroe Doctrine and its long-term significance?

It declared the Western Hemisphere off-limits to European colonization. It shaped U.S. foreign policy for decades, asserting American dominance.

What were the major elements of Jacksonian Democracy?

Jackson expanded suffrage to more white men, used the spoils system, opposed elites, and claimed to represent the "common man."

Why did Jackson oppose the Bank of the U.S.?

He believed it favored the wealthy and undermined democracy, leading to his veto and removal of federal deposits.

What was the Indian Removal Act and how did it lead to Worcester v. Georgia?

The Act relocated Native tribes westward. In Worcester v. Georgia, the Court sided with Native sovereignty, but Jackson defied the ruling.

What was the Second Great Awakening and how did it impact reform movements?

It promoted religious revival and human perfectibility, fueling movements for temperance, abolition, education, and women's rights.

How did abolitionist and women's rights movements emerge and grow?

Figures like William Lloyd Garrison and the Grimké sisters spread abolitionism, while women organized conventions and published works demanding equality.

What was the Seneca Falls Convention and what was the Declaration of Sentiments?

Held in 1848, it launched the women's rights movement. The Declaration demanded equal rights, especially voting, and was modeled on the Declaration of Independence.

How did industrialization transform the U.S. economy?

It shifted the economy from agrarian to industrial, increasing factory production, urbanization, and wage labor. The rise of corporations led to a more national and mechanized economy.

What were the roles of railroads

steel, and oil in the Gilded Age economy?,Railroads enabled national markets and westward expansion; steel (Carnegie) and oil (Rockefeller) became core industries, driving technological growth and monopolies.

What were horizontal and vertical integration?

Horizontal integration meant buying out competitors (e.g., Rockefeller's Standard Oil), while vertical integration involved controlling every stage of production (e.g., Carnegie Steel).

Who were the Robber Barons and what was the Gospel of Wealth?

Industrialists like Carnegie and Rockefeller were dubbed "Robber Barons" for ruthless business practices. Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth argued the rich had a duty to give back.

What was the role of labor unions and major strikes (Haymarket

Pullman)?,Unions like the AFL fought for better conditions; strikes like Haymarket (1886) turned violent, and the Pullman Strike (1894) led to federal intervention.

What challenges did farmers face and how did the Populist Party respond?

Farmers faced falling prices and debt. The Populists demanded free silver, railroad regulation, and direct election of senators to help rural Americans.

What was the impact of the Interstate Commerce Act and Sherman Anti-Trust Act?

These were early federal attempts to regulate railroads (ICC) and break up monopolies (Sherman), though enforcement was initially weak.

How did immigration and urbanization affect American society?

Cities grew rapidly as immigrants from southern and eastern Europe arrived, creating diverse communities and tensions over jobs, housing, and assimilation.

What were the responses to immigration (nativism

Chinese Exclusion Act)?,Nativists feared immigrants would take jobs or undermine U.S. culture. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was the first major restriction on immigration.

How did African Americans respond to Jim Crow (Booker T. Washington

Ida B. Wells)?,Washington advocated vocational education and accommodation, while Wells campaigned against lynching and demanded full civil rights.

What was Plessy v. Ferguson and what were its effects?

This 1896 case upheld "separate but equal," legalizing racial segregation and institutionalizing Jim Crow laws in the South.

What were the causes and effects of the Spanish-American War?

Causes included yellow journalism, the explosion of the USS Maine, and U.S. interest in Cuba. The U.S. gained Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, becoming an imperial power.

How did the U.S. justify imperialism (White Man's Burden

Social Darwinism)?,They claimed a moral duty to civilize others, supported by racist ideas like the White Man's Burden and belief in Anglo-Saxon superiority.

What were the goals of the Progressive Movement?

Progressives sought to address industrialization's problems—corruption, labor rights, health, education, and women's suffrage—through reform and regulation.

How did muckrakers and reforms shape federal policy?

Muckrakers like Upton Sinclair exposed abuses (e.g., The Jungle led to the Pure Food and Drug Act), pressuring the government to act.

What was the significance of the 16th

17th, 18th, and 19th Amendments?,They legalized income tax (16th), direct election of senators (17th), Prohibition (18th), and women's suffrage (19th), showing Progressive influence.

What were the causes and consequences of U.S. entry into WWI?

Causes included German U-boat attacks and the Zimmermann Telegram. U.S. involvement helped end the war but led to domestic Red Scare and isolationism.

Why did the U.S. reject the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations?

Many feared it would entangle the U.S. in future wars. The Senate, led by Henry Cabot Lodge, rejected it to maintain national sovereignty.

What was the Red Scare and how did it reflect postwar tensions?

Fear of communism and anarchists after the Russian Revolution led to the Palmer Raids and suppression of radicals and labor unions.

What was the Harlem Renaissance and how did it reflect Black cultural identity?

A cultural movement centered in Harlem that celebrated Black art, music, and literature, with figures like Langston Hughes and Duke Ellington.

What were the causes of the Great Depression?

Causes included stock market speculation, bank failures, unequal wealth, and overproduction. The 1929 crash was the tipping point.

How did the New Deal respond to economic crisis?

FDR's programs created jobs, regulated banks, and supported the unemployed. Agencies like the CCC and WPA provided relief and infrastructure.

What was the legacy of the Social Security Act?

It created a safety net for the elderly, unemployed, and disabled, marking a lasting expansion of the federal welfare state.

What were the causes and effects of U.S. entry into WWII?

Pearl Harbor ended U.S. neutrality. The war mobilized the economy, reduced unemployment, and established the U.S. as a global superpower.

What was the internment of Japanese Americans and the ruling in Korematsu v. U.S.?

Over 100,000 Japanese Americans were forced into camps. In Korematsu (1944), the Supreme Court upheld the internment as a wartime necessity.

What was the impact of WWII on the U.S. home front?

Women and minorities filled labor shortages, propaganda promoted unity, and rationing and war bonds supported the war effort.

What was the policy of containment and how was it applied (Truman Doctrine

Korea, Vietnam)?,Containment aimed to stop the spread of communism. The Truman Doctrine gave aid to Greece and Turkey; Korea ended in stalemate; Vietnam escalated into a long and divisive war.

What were the causes and effects of McCarthyism and the Second Red Scare?

Fear of Soviet spies led to blacklists, loyalty oaths, and McCarthy's witch hunts. It stifled dissent and civil liberties during the Cold War.

How did the federal government promote suburban growth (GI Bill

highways)?,The GI Bill gave veterans loans for homes and education, and highway construction enabled suburban expansion and white flight from cities.

What were the goals and impacts of the Civil Rights Movement (Brown

Civil Rights Act)?,The movement aimed to end segregation and achieve legal equality. Brown v. Board ended school segregation, and the 1964 Civil Rights Act outlawed discrimination.

How did the Black Power and feminist movements challenge mainstream reform?

Black Power groups like the Black Panthers demanded self-determination, while feminists like Betty Friedan pushed for workplace equality and legal rights.

What were the goals of the Great Society?

LBJ's Great Society aimed to eliminate poverty and racial injustice through programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and the War on Poverty.

How did the Warren Court expand civil liberties (Gideon

Miranda, Griswold)?,The Court protected rights of the accused (Gideon, Miranda) and privacy (Griswold), strengthening individual liberties.

What was the Vietnam War and how did it erode trust in government?

The war dragged on with no clear victory. The Tet Offensive, My Lai Massacre, and Pentagon Papers exposed government deception, fueling protest.

How did the environmental movement grow (Silent Spring

EPA)?,Silent Spring by Rachel Carson warned of pesticide dangers, sparking activism. The EPA was created to regulate pollution and protect natural resources.

What were the effects of Watergate on public trust and presidential power?

Nixon's cover-up of the break-in led to his resignation. Watergate reduced public trust and led to reforms limiting executive power.

How did Reagan's presidency reflect conservative backlash?

He promoted tax cuts, deregulation, and traditional values.

What was Reaganomics and how did it differ from Keynesian economics?

Reaganomics emphasized supply-side tax cuts and deregulation, while Keynesianism relied on government spending to stimulate demand.

How did Reagan approach Cold War foreign policy?

He increased defense spending, labeled the USSR the "Evil Empire," and later negotiated arms reductions with Gorbachev.

What were the effects of the end of the Cold War?

The collapse of the Soviet Union ended bipolar global power and left the U.S. as the world's sole superpower.

What were the causes and effects of 9/11 and the War on Terror?

Terrorist attacks on 9/11 led to U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, the Patriot Act, and expanded surveillance.

How have immigration patterns and debates changed since 1980?

There has been increased immigration from Latin America and Asia, sparking debates over border security, DACA, and citizenship policy.

What debates have emerged over climate change and environmental policy?

Debates have focused on regulation vs. economic growth, U.S. participation in international agreements like the Paris Climate Accord, and renewable energy investment.