AP US History : AP US History
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP US History
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Identity, Ideas, Beliefs, And Culture 1801–1848
"America is destined for better deeds. It is our unparalleled glory that we have no reminiscences of battle fields, but in defence of humanity, of the oppressed of all nations, of the rights of conscience, the rights of personal enfranchisement. Our annals describe no scenes of horrid carnage, where men were led on by hundreds of thousands to slay one another, dupes and victims to emperors, kings, nobles, demons in the human form called heroes. We have had patriots to defend our homes, our liberties, but no aspirants to crowns or thrones; nor have the American people ever suffered themselves to be led on by wicked ambition to depopulate the land, to spread desolation far and wide, that a human being might be placed on a seat of supremacy.
We have no interest in the scenes of antiquity, only as lessons of avoidance of nearly all their examples. The expansive future is our arena, and for our history. We are entering on its untrodden space, with the truths of God in our minds, beneficent objects in our hearts, and with a clear conscience unsullied by the past. We are the nation of human progress, and who will, what can, set limits to our onward march?"
- 1846
Who is the author of this excerpt?
Horace Greeley
Thomas Jefferson
Abraham Lincoln
John L. O'Sullivan
John L. O'Sullivan
John L. O'Sullivan was an American columnist and editor who coined the term "Manifest Destiny" in the above-excepted article in 1845. Manifest Destiny promoted the inevitability of the expansion of the U.S. across the continent. While the concept was not original to O'Sullivan, he is credited with the phrase and is associated with the promotion of the idea of Manifest Destiny.
Example Question #1 : 1801–1848
"Have not results in Mexico taught the invincibility of American arms?...The North Americans will spread out far beyond their present bounds. They will encroach again and again upon their neighbors. New territories will be planted, declare their independence, and be annexed. We have New Mexico and California! We will have Old Mexico and Cuba! The isthmus cannot arrest--nor even the Saint Lawrence!! Time has all of this in her womb. A hundred states will grow up where now exists but thirty."
- DeBow's Commercial Review, 1848
Which of the following ideas from the mid-1800s is best reflected in the sentiments expressed in the quotation above?
Concern among European leaders in regards to the growing influence of the United States in the Western Hemisphere
Agitation for war based on the assumed racial superiority of Americans of European descent
Nationalist fervor for the continued expansion of the United States
Abolitionist rhetoric supporting the exclusion of slavery from all new territories
Nativist campaigning against the assimilation of new immigrant groups
Nationalist fervor for the continued expansion of the United States
This quotation is a clear example of "Manifest Destiny," or the belief that America's conquest or acquisition of new lands in the Western hemisphere was assured, preordained and positive.
Example Question #53 : Ap Us History
It is emphatically the province and duty of the Judicial Department to say what the law is. Those who apply the rule to particular cases must, of necessity, expound and interpret that rule. If two laws conflict with each other, the Courts must decide on the operation of each.
So, if a law be in opposition to the Constitution, if both the law and the Constitution apply to a particular case, so that the Court must either decide that case conformably to the law, disregarding the Constitution, or conformably to the Constitution, disregarding the law, the Court must determine which of these conflicting rules governs the case. This is of the very essence of judicial duty.
Passage adapted from the ruling of Marbury vs. Madison, Supreme Court of the United States (1803)
What principle did Chief Justice Marshall establish in this case?
Original Jurisdiction
Supremacy of the Constitution
Judicial review
Lower Federal Courts
Judicial review
Marbury v. Madison established the principle of judicial review in what some consider one of the most brilliant judicial opinions in American history. Judicial review establishes that legislative and executive actions can be reviewed by the judiciary and invalidated if they are incompatible with the Constitution or other overriding law.
The supremacy of the constitution is established in Article VI, Paragraph 2, commonly referred to as the Supremacy Clause. It establishes that the federal constitution, and federal law generally take precedence over state laws, and even state constitutions. Original jurisdiction is also governed by Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution, and most frequently involves suits between states. Only the Supreme Court is established by the Constitution, and Congress is given power to create lower federal courts as needed by Article III, Section 1. Courts do not have the ability to create the law. By "say what the law is," Justice Marshall is referring to courts' role in interpreting and clarifying law.
Example Question #1 : Identity, Ideas, Beliefs, And Culture 1801–1848
“The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise.
He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice...
He has taken from her all right in property, even to the wages she earns.”
- Seneca Falls Convention, Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions, 1848
The passage from the Seneca Falls convention advocates all of the following ideas EXCEPT?
Women should be granted the right to vote.
Women should have the right to keep any wages they earn.
Women should enjoy equal political rights as men.
Women should have the right to own property.
Women should educate their children about their rights as citizens.
Women should educate their children about their rights as citizens.
The 1848 Seneca Falls convention was the first women's right convention in the United States. It advertised itself as a convention to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of women. Its declarations included statements that women should have the same political freedom as men, including the right to vote, own property and maintain financial independence.
Example Question #1 : Identity, Ideas, Beliefs, And Culture 1801–1848
"America is destined for better deeds. It is our unparalleled glory that we have no reminiscences of battle fields, but in defence of humanity, of the oppressed of all nations, of the rights of conscience, the rights of personal enfranchisement. Our annals describe no scenes of horrid carnage, where men were led on by hundreds of thousands to slay one another, dupes and victims to emperors, kings, nobles, demons in the human form called heroes. We have had patriots to defend our homes, our liberties, but no aspirants to crowns or thrones; nor have the American people ever suffered themselves to be led on by wicked ambition to depopulate the land, to spread desolation far and wide, that a human being might be placed on a seat of supremacy.
We have no interest in the scenes of antiquity, only as lessons of avoidance of nearly all their examples. The expansive future is our arena, and for our history. We are entering on its untrodden space, with the truths of God in our minds, beneficent objects in our hearts, and with a clear conscience unsullied by the past. We are the nation of human progress, and who will, what can, set limits to our onward march?"
1846
The author of this piece would most likely support __________.
emigration from the U.S.
westward territorial expansion of the U.S
no territorial expansion of the U.S
increased Tariffs
westward territorial expansion of the U.S
The author of the excerpt is arguing for Manifest Destiny, which is a 19th century American doctrine. Proponents of Manifest Destiny argued for the inevitability of the expansion of the United States throughout the continent. In the piece, the author argues for the continued expansive growth of the United States. As a result, the author would most likely favor western territorial expansion of the U.S.
This excerpt was written by John L. O'Sullivan in 1846.
Example Question #56 : Ap Us History
Not being allowed to hold meetings on the plantation, the slaves assemble in the swamps, out of reach of the patrols. ... The speaker usually commences by calling himself unworthy, and talks very slowly, until, feeling the spirit, he grows excited, and in a short time, there fall to the ground twenty or thirty men and women under its influence. ...The slave forgets all his sufferings, except to remind others of the trials during the past week, exclaiming: "Thank God, I shall not live here always!" Then they pass from one to another, shaking hands, and bidding each other farewell, promising, should they meet no more on earth, to strive and meet in heaven, where all is joy, happiness and liberty. As they separate, they sing a parting hymn of praise.
Passage adapted from Peter Randolph's "The Difference Between the Christianity Taught by Masters and Practiced by Slaves" (1893)
Which of the following assertions does this paragraph best illustrate?
African slaves became firm believers in Christianity, which was taught to them by their masters.
African slaves practices native forms of witchcraft during the time their masters were in church.
African slaves developed means to resist the dehumanizing aspects of slavery and maintain their own religions.
African slaves delighted in defying their masters by meeting in the swamps.
African slaves developed means to resist the dehumanizing aspects of slavery and maintain their own religions.
Africans and African descendents working in the early modern Atlantic commercial system were exposed to the world of European Christianity as early as the fifteenth century, when Portuguese missionaries came to the coasts of Africa. Some slaves, therefore, brought Christian beliefs with them when they were thrust into slavery. Others converted in America. Even blacks who embraced Christianity in America, however, did not completely abandon Old World religion. Instead, they engaged in syncretism, blending Christian influences with traditional African rites and beliefs. This allowed them to maintain their own cultures and religions as a tool to resist the brutal, often dehumanizing effects of slavery.
Example Question #1 : Work, Exchange, And Technology 1801–1848
What problem arose as a result of the railroads that were built in the mid-19th Century?
The railroads resulted in the disruption of mail service to many rural areas.
Shipping products by railroads was cheaper than shipping by boat, which seriously harmed America's Navy.
Railroads allowed large quantities of products to be moved quickly from one place to another.
Railroads were privately owned, and therefore, did not all use the same gauge tracks.
Railroads allowed people to travel much greater distances, which stimulated the Westward Expansion movement.
Railroads were privately owned, and therefore, did not all use the same gauge tracks.
The original railroads in the US were created in the 1830s and most were privately owned. Each owner was responsible for building the tracks, which resulted in the distance between the rails (or gauge) being set at whatever the owner felt was best. This meant that, even though the infrastructure was available, trains could not move from one rail line to another unless they used exactly the same gauge tracks. Although many railroad owners voluntarily began using the same gauge, it wasn't until May 31, 1886 that all railroads in the United States began using a standardized gauge.
Example Question #51 : Ap Us History
The Industrial Age brought many changes to American life. The changes were so rapid and widespread that many church leaders became deeply concerned about the effects of industrialization on society and their congregations. During the second half of the Nineteenth Century, the Second Great Awakening began as Protestant ministers began to preach for the improvement of the condition of industrial society through charity and justice. This movement, known as the Social Gospel, was led by Washington Gladden and Lyman Abbott. Their goal was to join salvation to good works. These ministers wanted people to put aside all earthly belongings and help those in need. They taught that the purpose of wealth was to help the less fortunate, and the principles of a just society were egalitarian in nature.
The Social Gospel Movement directly influenced the creation of what group in the United States?
Social Democracy
the NAACP
the Salvation Army
the Red Cross
the Social Mission Society
the NAACP
Many Protestant ministers and authors began preaching the Social Gospel to bring Christian ideas to the workplace. They preached against child labor and were in favor of the temperance movement, Progressivism, abolitionism, and civil service reform. Home Mission Societies were formed to send interdenominational preachers to the South and Western frontier to start new churches and address social problems. In the United States, Washington Gladden, well known for his preaching of the Social Gospel, was directly instrumental in forming the NAACP as part of the Social Gospel’s dedication to the abolitionist movement and civil rights for all Americans. Social Democracy describes a socialist government formed by democratic means and is not related to the Social Gospel. The Social Mission Society is a nonexistent organization. The Red Cross and The Salvation Army, while having at their core a concern for society and to help those in need, were not related to the Social Gospel.
Example Question #51 : Ap Us History
That any person who is the head of a family, or who has arrived at the age of twenty-one years, and is a citizen of the United States ... shall, from and after the first January, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, be entitled to enter one quarter section or a less quantity of unappropriated public lands
-United States Senate, Homestead Act, 1862
The passage of the Homestead Act is consistent with a political philosophy associated with what other historical event?
The raid on Harper's Ferry
The Dred Scott decision
The Mexican-American War
The Whiskey Rebellion
The Mexican-American War
Like the Homestead Act, the Mexican-American War was supported by the belief in Manifest Destiny, the attitude that America was destined to keep expanding westward.
Example Question #11 : 1801–1848
Which of the following best describes the impact on European population made by the exchange network depicted in the diagram?
New diseases led to social unrest and instability
The rise of a slave trade led reformers to challenge the government
Economic conditions led to less competition between nation states
The arrival of new agricultural products allowed for more population growth
Mass migration from Europe to the Americas led to shrinking populations in Europe
The arrival of new agricultural products allowed for more population growth
Note: the diagram was created by the question writer.
Nutritious and calorie-dense foods brought from the New World supported European population growth. As the population of Europe grew, in part based on the availability of richer and more varied agricultural products, so too did the demand for those products.
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