AMSCO Advanced Placement United States History Study Notes

Advanced Placement® and AP® Brand Notice

  • Advanced Placement® (AP®) are trademarks registered and/or owned by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.

Preface

  • This edition of AMSCO® Advanced Placement® United States History represents a major revision based on the 2019 College Board Course and Exam Description (CED).

  • It includes:   - 105 topics, 18 of which focus on historical thinking skills and reasoning processes.   - Updated review questions and activities to enhance practice of skills such as “Think As a Historian” and “Write As a Historian.”

  • The CED variation in topic lengths and depths gives flexible pacing to educators as needed by students.

  • Teachers should utilize a separate resource book inclusive of an answer key and additional activities on race and justice.

  • The textbook has been used by over a million students since 1997, adapted effectively in various instructional contexts.

Introduction

Studying AP® United States History

  • Growth of AP® participants: threefold increase since 1998.

  • Benefits for students:
      - Demonstrated ability to succeed in college.
      - Eligibility for scholarships.
      - College credit savings.
      - Testing out of introductory courses.

  • Importance of understanding AP® credit policies of individual colleges.

  • Focus on developing skills to read complex passages, write persuasively, and enhance critical thinking abilities.

  • Engagement in AP® courses is emphasized as worthwhile despite increased difficulty, fostering skills unlikely to be forgotten.

Overview of the AP® U.S. History Exam

  • Exam duration: 3 hours and 15 minutes.

  • Components of the exam:
      - 55 Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) - 55 minutes, weighted 40%
      - 3 Short-Answer Questions (SAQs) - 40 minutes, weighted 20%
      - 1 Document-Based Question (DBQ) - 60 minutes, weighted 25%
      - 1 Long Essay Question (LEQ) - 40 minutes, weighted 15%

  • Writing skills emphasized as potential area for improvement.

  • Grading scale for AP® U.S. History exams:   - 5: Extremely well qualified
      - 4: Well qualified
      - 3: Qualified
      - 2: Possibly qualified
      - 1: No recommendation

Historical Thinking & Reasoning Skills

  • Six historical thinking skills emphasized in AP®:
      1. Developments and Processes
      2. Sourcing and Situations
      3. Claims and Evidence in Sources
      4. Contextualization
      5. Making Connections
      6. Argumentation

Reasoning Processes

  • Three reasoning processes implemented:   1. Comparison
      2. Causation
      3. Continuity and Change

Thematic Learning Objectives & Historical Periods

  • Eight thematic learning objectives synthesized from the AP® U.S. History Course and Exam Description.

  • Nine chronological periods from 1491 to Present are structured for content retention and reinforcement of historical thinking skills.

Unit Breakdown

Unit 1: Period 1: 1491–1607

1.1 Contextualization

  • Learning Objective: Explain context for European encounters in the Americas.

  • Historical Context for Native Societies:   - First inhabitants arrived over 10,000 years ago, developing unique cultures founded on their environments.

  • Impact of Columbus's Arrival:
      - Initiated significant cultural exchange marked by the Columbian Exchange; introduced European disease to the Native American populations, inflicting catastrophic declines.

1.2 Native American Societies Before European Contact

  • Description of diverse societies across 1491 America, populating ancient cultures such as the Mayas, Aztecs, & Incas.

  • North American cultures developed differing complexities influenced by geography and resources.

  • Established agricultural practices, trade networks, social organization, and languages.

1.3 European Exploration in the Americas

  • Motivators for Exploration: Economic ambition, technological advances, & religious conflict all prompted European exploration by the late 15th century.

  • Prominent Explorers: Columbus (1492), Spanish settlers, and competing nations aimed to establish dominance across the Americas.

1.4 Columbian Exchange, Spanish Exploration, and Conquest

  • Columbian Exchange Effects:   - Spread of crops and diseases, resulting in population growth in Europe contrasted by drastic decline in Native American populations.

  • Economic shift from feudalism to capitalism influenced by transatlantic trade routes and new resources from explorations.

1.5 Labor, Slavery, and Caste in Spanish Colonial System

  • Rise of the encomienda system, reliance on Native and later African labor led to complex social hierarchies in colonies based on race and heritage.

1.6 Cultural Interactions in the Americas

  • Diverse worldviews and policies between Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans shaped interactions; these encounters led to significant cultural exchanges and conflicts.

1.7 Causation in Period 1

  • Factors influencing European exploration included desires to spread Christianity and economic gain, leading to cultural exchanges impacting societies on both sides of the Atlantic.

Review & Practice

  • Checklist for writing long essays includes developing strong thesis statements, contextualizing arguments, and using evidence to support reasoning processes effectively.