Mr. Lee s Writing Packet #APUSHMEOFFACLIFF
LEQ Sample: Evaluate the major causes that led to the development of an American Revolution. Introduction: Beginning on the North American continent and spreading to Europe and around the globe, the French and Indian War culminated with a British victory and acquisition of French lands from the Appalachians to the Mississippi River. With an enlarged empire and a burdensome war debt, Great Britain asserted its mercantilist power over its American colonies. However, American colonists responded to Britain s policies as an attack on their rights as Englishmen, as a disruption to their regional markets and commerce, and a disregard of their egalitarian lifestyle and status. With each Parliamentary act, the American patriot cause increasingly clamored for proper recognition and, ultimately, separation. Conclusion: The broad context to which the American Revolution was a small part of, revolved around the attempts of the British Empire to maintain control over its colonies; this power struggle would determine the fate of the British as a leading world power. Both their financial and political institutions required the existence of these satellite colonies, taxes and raw materials were necessary requirements to maintain their position in the world. The need to maintain control over its colonies was an essential element to maintaining that world status, thus the American Revolution was not simply a minor rebellion within a tiny colony, but a much larger revolution which would lead ultimately to the downfall of the greatest nation in the world and would give birth to the next great world power. The American Revolution can be compared to the later period of Southern Cession prior to the U.S. Civil War in two ways. First, both groups saw themselves fighting for what they perceived as injustices from a tyrannical government. Southerners viewed the injustices of the Northern government in the same light as the Americans viewed the British, so much so, they utilized many of the same points of the Declaration of Independence. Second, both groups invoked the Lockean social contract theory, which allowed the throwing off of any government when it failed to meet the needs of its citizens as a natural right.
Sample #2: Evaluate the extent to which the Articles of Confederation were effective in solving the problems that confronted the new nation. Thesis: The Articles of Confederation created a well-organized system for dealing with newly acquired territories and providing a financial means to increase needed revenue. However, the Articles of Confederation was not effective in solving many of the problems faced by the newly formed United States. It established a loose confederation of states that lacked a sense of national unity, it created internal gridlock that failed to establish a system of checks and balances, and it created a government that did not have the powers to conduct basic governmental business. LEQ Body Paragraphs: Topic Sentence [Paragraphs A, B, C] o Term or Event #1 (Hard Evidence)! Definition! Significance/Relation to Thesis/Analysis o Term or Event #2 (Hard Evidence)! Definition! Significance/Relation to Thesis/Analysis o Term or Event #3 (Hard Evidence)! Definition! Significance/Relation to Thesis/Analysis DBQ Body Paragraphs: Topic Sentence [Paragraphs A, B, C] o Term or Event #1 (Hard Evidence)! Definition! Significance/Relation to Thesis/Analysis o Term or Event #2 (Hard Evidence)! Definition! Significance/Relation to Thesis/Analysis o Term or Event #3 (Hard Evidence)! Definition! Significance/Relation to Thesis/Analysis o Document Citations/Relation to Documents (x2) o HIPP Analysis (x2)
Sample LEQ #3 [Using above Structure]: To what extent did the Civil War constitute a revolution in American society? Intro: The Civil War, occurring between the years 1861 and 1865, was the most devastating conflict in American history. In determining whether the Civil War was a revolution in American society, one must assess the extent to which society was changed by the war. Although many sectionalist attitudes and differences remained consistent after the Civil War, the Civil War represented a political, social and constitutional revolution in America. [Thesis] [or extended thesis ] Politically, the war established the supremacy of the Republican party in national politics for much of the next fifty years. Socially, the war saw significant gains in African American rights. Constitutionally, the war established the supremacy of the federal government over the states. Thus, the Civil War did, in fact, represent a political, social and constitutional revolution in America. [Advanced Thesis] Although the Civil War resulted in the supremacy of the Republican party for the next fifty years and led to a constitutional revolution regarding African American rights, blacks in the South were virtually abandoned by the North in 1877 and subsequently dominated by the white supremacist Democratic party of the Solid South. Thus, to a larger extent, the Civil War did represent a revolution constitutionally and in national politics but it was not a complete revolution regarding social and political issues in the South. [Sample Body Paragraph] The Civil War resulted in a constitutional revolution in several ways (topic sentence #1). First, the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery (definition), ended an institution in America that had lasted well over two centuries (significance). Such a monumental change in the Constitution is certainly grounds for considering this amendment revolutionary (relates to thesis). Moreover, two more amendments were passed within a few years of the Civil War. The 14th Amendment gave African Americans citizenship while the 15th Amendment gave blacks the right to vote (definition). These two amendments were certainly revolutionary in the North as African Americans now enjoyed rights that up until this time had been largely denied (significance/relate to thesis). Furthermore, although the Constitution did not specifically declare that the federal government had gained more power over the states, the fact that the Union won the war and forced the South to accept these amendments ultimately proved that nullification issues would no longer plague the U.S. as they had earlier in the 19th century (significance/relates to theses). While many African Americans in the South did enjoy increased voting rights in the years immediately following the Civil War, many Southern states would eventually make a mockery of these sacred promises (linking sentence). Thus, African Americans in the South did not experience a revolution in the years following the end of Reconstruction in 1876 (topic sentence #2).
2015 AP US HISTORY FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS UNITED STATES HISTORY SECTION II Total Time 1 hour, 30 minutes Question 1 (Document-Based Question) Suggested reading period: 15 minutes Suggested writing time: 40 minutes Directions: Question 1 is based on the accompanying documents. The documents have been edited for the purpose of this exercise. In your response you should do the following. State a relevant thesis that directly addresses all parts of the question. Support the thesis or a relevant argument with evidence from all, or all but one, of the documents. Incorporate analysis of all, or all but one, of the documents into your argument. Focus your analysis of each document on at least one of the following: intended audience, purpose, historical context, and/or point of view. Support your argument with analysis of historical examples outside the documents. Connect historical phenomena relevant to your argument to broader events or processes. Synthesize the elements above into a persuasive essay that extends your argument, connects it to a different historical context, or accounts for contradictory evidence on the topic. 1. Explain the reasons why a new conservatism rose to prominence in the United States between 1960 and 1989. 2015 The College Board. -6- GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE.
2015 The College Board.
2015 The College Board.
2015 The College Board.
2015 The College Board.
2015 The College Board.
AP UNITED STATES HISTORY 2015 SCORING COMMENTARY Question 1 Document-Based Question Overview The Document-Based Question 1 allowed students to analyze the reasons for the development of new conservatism in the U.S. between 1960 and 1989 using a set of historical documents and excerpts. The question covered Periods 8 and 9 and required students to analyze specific background information and primary source evidence to explain the reasons why the mood of the country grew more conservative during the time period. Sample: 1A Score Thesis: 1 The response has a strong thesis. The opening paragraph states relevant issues from the time period, and the thesis statement aptly summarizes them. Score Analysis of historical evidence and support of argument: 4 The response effectively analyzes content for five documents and provides extended analysis for all five: document 2, paragraph 2, point of view, Friedman s view reflects and historical context, Friedman s admonishment regarding spending with results under Reagan; document 3, paragraph 4, historical context, drug experimentation and Beat Generation spawned fears; document 4, paragraphs 3-4, Falwell audience, social conservatives, Catholics; document 5, middle of paragraph 3, historical context, Iran hostage crisis; and document 6, paragraph 4, point of view, people like author were outraged about abortion. Outside information is abundant throughout the essay. Score Contextualization: 1 The response includes a relevant discussion of Lyndon Johnson s failures in economic and foreign policy (page 2, paragraph 1) as well as information about Jimmy Carter s foreign policy (page 3, paragraph 1). Score Synthesis: 1 The last paragraph sums up the rise of a new conservatism and relates it to the actions of presidents George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. It also references a possible connection to the election of 2016 as a response to current liberal policies. Sample: 1B Score Thesis: 1 The thesis directly addresses the question: the rise of a new conservatism was caused by a number of factor[s] with the main catalyst being increasingly progressive views. Score Analysis of historical evidence and support of argument: 3 The response accurately analyzes the content of four documents, providing extended analysis for all four: document 2, page 2, paragraph 2, historical context, Reagan in support of Friedman s ideology of cutting welfare programs; document 4, page 1, paragraph 2, Falwell s point of view, felt that American society should be based on ; document 5, page 2, paragraph 2, historical context, New Right groups expressed their 2015 The College Board.
2015 AP US HISTORY FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS Question 2 or Question 3 Suggested writing time: 35 minutes Directions: Choose EITHER Question 2 or Question 3. In your response you should do the following. State a relevant thesis that directly addresses all parts of the question. Support your argument with evidence, using specific examples. Apply historical thinking skills as directed by the question. Synthesize the elements above into a persuasive essay that extends your argument, connects it to a different historical context, or connects it to a different category of analysis. 2. 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. 3. 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. WHEN YOU FINISH WRITING, CHECK YOUR WORK ON SECTION II IF TIME PERMITS. STOP END OF EXAM 2015 The College Board. -11-
2015 The College Board.
2015 The College Board.
2015 The College Board.
2015 The College Board.
AP UNITED STATES HISTORY 2015 SCORING COMMENTARY Question 2 Long Essay Overview Long Essay Question 2 allowed students to evaluate the extent to which the Seven Years War (French and Indian War) 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. The question assessed the historical thinking skill of periodization and covered Period 3, which ranges from 1754 to 1800. Sample: 2A Score Thesis: 1 The thesis directly addresses all parts of the question in a clear and sophisticated manner, including establishing the extent to which the French and Indian War served as a turning point in British-American relations. Score Support for Argument: 2 There is adequate evidence in this well-written essay. The student provides the primary components of the Treaty of Paris (1763), the Stamp Act, the Quartering Act, the Molasses Act, and the Coercive Acts. This evidence is then clearly and correctly linked to major points in the argument so that the thesis is developed in a logical and analytical manner. Score Application of Targeted Historical Thinking Skill: 2 This essay does an excellent job of analyzing the extent to which the French and Indian War was a turning point by providing specific examples that illustrate both differences and similarities in the prewar and postwar periods. It points to the end of British indifference and the growth of anti-british feelings after the war. The essay argues that the colonists were still economically dependent on Britain and that the majority were still loyal. Score Synthesis: 1 The response appropriately connects the changes in American-British relations with the American Revolution period. The thesis is confined to the 1754 1763 period, so the extension of analysis to the Declaration of Independence and the Revolution is an appropriate connection to another historical period. Sample: 2B Score Thesis: 1 The thesis claims that the war marked a major turning point and resulted in worsened tensions between America and Britain. Throughout the essay the topic sentences continue to add clarity to the argument presented. Score Support for Argument: 2 The essay is supported with specific evidence such as the Stamp Act, the Townsend Acts, the Tea Act, and the Boston Tea Party. Even though the characterization of all anti-loyalists as wild and inclined to break into the homes of Loyalists and throw tea into the sea may be going a little too far, it is linked effectively to the Boston Tea Party. 2015 The College Board.
2015 AP US HISTORY FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS Question 2 or Question 3 Suggested writing time: 35 minutes Directions: Choose EITHER Question 2 or Question 3. In your response you should do the following. State a relevant thesis that directly addresses all parts of the question. Support your argument with evidence, using specific examples. Apply historical thinking skills as directed by the question. Synthesize the elements above into a persuasive essay that extends your argument, connects it to a different historical context, or connects it to a different category of analysis. 2. 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. 3. 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. WHEN YOU FINISH WRITING, CHECK YOUR WORK ON SECTION II IF TIME PERMITS. STOP END OF EXAM 2015 The College Board. -11-
2015 The College Board.
2015 The College Board.
2015 The College Board.
AP UNITED STATES HISTORY 2015 SCORING COMMENTARY Question 3 Long Essay Overview Long Essay Question 3 allowed students to evaluate the extent to which the Mexican-American War marked a turning point in the debate over slavery in the U.S., analyzing what changed and what stayed the same from the period before the war to the period after. The question assessed the historical thinking skill of periodization and covered Period 5, which ranges from 1844 to 1877. Sample: 3A Score Thesis: 1 This essay has a thesis that is most clearly stated in the conclusion, namely that the war was a huge turning point due to the increased tensions that arose out of the newly acquired land. Score Support for Argument: 2 This essay uses a significant amount of specific evidence effectively to support the thesis. It notes that the lands acquired from the war posed a particular problem because their slave status could not be determined through the Missouri Compromise, thus giving rise to proposals such as the Wilmot Proviso and popular sovereignty, which ultimately led to the Compromise of 1850. The essay also notes that other tensions (labor systems, abolitionism, etc.) were inflamed by the war. Score Application of Targeted Historical Thinking Skill: 2 This essay analyzes both similarities and differences, although the discussion of popular sovereignty notes a difference that is more subtle than the similarities such as racist oppression, labor systems, and the sectional divide that the essay examines. Score Synthesis: 1 This essay s synthesis lies in its examination of the long-term roots of the crisis, arising from the Declaration of Independence and the Louisiana Purchase (and by noting that the new problems were not resolvable using earlier solutions). Sample: 3B Score Thesis: 0 This essay s thesis lacks the evaluative element required in the prompt and merely notes that the war amounted to a turning point with the expansion of Texas and a rush of Republicans to annex a new state on their side. Score Support for Argument: 1 This essay uses migrations into Texas and California as examples of expansion, though it mostly restates the thesis, rather than using the evidence to support the argument. Score Application of Targeted Historical Thinking Skill: 1 This essay points to westward migration as the basis for the application of periodization: expansion into Texas prior to the war and into California after the war, although it notes no differences. 2015 The College Board.
2015 AP US HISTORY FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS UNITED STATES HISTORY SECTION I, Part B Time 50 minutes 4 Questions Directions: Read each question carefully and write your responses in the Section I, Part B: Short Answer booklet on the lined pages provided for that question. Use complete sentences; an outline or bulleted list alone is not acceptable. You may plan your answers in this exam booklet, but no credit will be given for notes written in this booklet. Only your responses on the designated pages of the Section I, Part B: Short Answer booklet will be scored. 1. Answer (a), (b), and (c). a) Briefly explain ONE important similarity between the British colonies in the Chesapeake region and the British colonies in New England in the period from 1607 to 1754. b) Briefly explain ONE important difference between the British colonies in the Chesapeake region and the British colonies in New England in the period from 1607 to 1754. c) Briefly explain ONE factor that accounts for the difference that you indicated in (b). 2015 The College Board. -2- GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE.
2015 The College Board.
AP UNITED STATES HISTORY 2015 SCORING COMMENTARY Short Answer Question 1 Overview Short Answer Question 1 allowed students to examine the similarities and differences between the Chesapeake and New England regions in colonial America. The question assessed the historical thinking skill of comparison, and the content covered Period 2, which ranges from 1607 to 1754. Students were asked to explain one similarity (task A) and one difference (task B) between the two colonial regions, then provide a factor which accounted for the difference (task C) identified in task B. Sample: 1A Score: 3 A-1: The response provides a similarity, that colonists in both regions were looking for new opportunities and a new start in the form of religious freedom or land opportunities. B-1: The response provides a difference, that colonists in New England were escaping persecution from the Church of England, while colonists in the Chesapeake wanted land opportunities. C-1: The factor that accounts for the difference was the way New England colonists were treated in England before their move. [I]n New England [they] were escaping poor treatment and oppression, while [s]outhern colonists went to the New World often by companies promising land. The response also states that Virginia promised 50 acres, and therefore the southern colonists felt as if the English government was helping them instead of oppressing them. Sample: 1B Score: 2 A-0: The response states that the regions had no interest in converting the Native Americans, which is incorrect. B-1: The response provides an adequate difference by stating the Chesapeake region was known for tobacco plantations, introduced by John Rolfe, whereas New England colonies established towns where their economy was based on farming, fishing, hunting and trading. C-1: The response identifies a factor to explain the difference in B, the land and resources each region provided, Chesapeake land was naturally more adopted to large scale plantations. Sample: 1C Score: 1 A-1: The similarity the response cites between the two regions accurately addresses relationships with Native Americans as initially civilized and mutually beneficial, but devolving into battles and fights over land conflicts. B-0: To identify the difference between the regions, the response states that colonists in the Chesapeake were more civilized with the Indians while the colonists in New England were more aggressive with Natives early on, which does not accurately describe or explain relations between colonists in both regions. C-0: The factor the response cites to explain the difference in B contains an error, that colonists in New England were focused on looking for gold rather than getting food and that this strained relations with Native Americans. 2015 The College Board.
2015 AP US HISTORY FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS None of Nature s landscapes are ugly so long as they are wild. John Muir, 1901 I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land; but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us. 2. Using the excerpts, answer (a), (b), and (c). Former president Theodore Roosevelt, 1910 a) Briefly explain ONE implication for public policy of John Muir s view on land use. b) Briefly explain ONE way in which an implication for public policy of Theodore Roosevelt s view contrasts with the implication for public policy of Muir s view. c) Identify ONE specific example of land use policy in the United States from 1890 to 1945 and briefly explain how the example is consistent with the view of either Muir or Roosevelt. 2015 The College Board. -3- GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE.
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AP UNITED STATES HISTORY 2015 SCORING COMMENTARY Short Answer Question 2 Overview Short Answer Question 2 allowed students to compare excerpted quotes from John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt concerning the best use of natural resources. The question assessed the historical thinking skill of contextualization and covered Periods 6 and 7, which range from 1865 to 1945. The question asked for brief statements explaining implications of Muir s conservationist policy outlook (task A) and how Roosevelt s preservationist policy outlook had implications that contrasted with those of Muir s (task B). Additionally, the question asked for a specific example of land use in the time period 1890 1945 that might represent one of the excerpted viewpoints (task C). Sample: 2A Score: 3 A-1: The response earned the point for connecting Muir s views to the public policy of preservation, with a link to tourism. B-1: The response acceptably contrasts responsible use policy. C-1: Although nature reservations or parks is not a specific act, the Yosemite example earned the point. Sample: 2B Score: 2 A-1: The responsive offers an acceptable interpretation of Muir. B-1: This is an acceptable contrast, although weaker on Roosevelt. C-0: No specific land policy is cited. Sample: 2C Score: 1 A-0: This is blank. B-1: Despite leaving (A) blank, the response correctly contrasts Muir s outlook with Theodore Roosevelt s policies and outlook. C-0: The gold rush is neither a land policy nor within the time period required for this response. 2015 The College Board.
2015 AP US HISTORY FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS As to the history of the revolution, my ideas may be peculiar, perhaps singular. What do we mean by the revolution? The war? That was no part of the revolution; it was only an effect and consequence of it. The revolution was in the minds of the people, and this was effected from 1760 to 1775, in the course of fifteen years, before a drop of blood was shed at Lexington. Former president John Adams to former president Thomas Jefferson, August 1815 There is nothing more common than to confound the terms of the American Revolution with those of the late American war. The American war is over: but this is far from being the case with the American Revolution. On the contrary, nothing but the first act of the great drama is closed. It remains yet to establish and perfect our new forms of government; and to prepare the principles, morals, and manners of our citizens, for these forms of government, after they are established and brought to perfection. 3. Using the excerpts, answer (a), (b), and (c). Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence and delegate to the Continental Congress, January 1787 a) Briefly describe ONE significant difference between Adams understanding and Rush s understanding of the American Revolution. b) Briefly explain how ONE specific historical event or development from the period between 1760 and 1800 could be used to support Adams interpretation. c) Briefly explain how ONE specific historical event or development from the period between 1760 and 1800 could be used to support Rush s interpretation. 2015 The College Board. -4- GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE.
2015 The College Board.
AP UNITED STATES HISTORY 2015 SCORING COMMENTARY Short Answer Question 3 Overview Short Answer Question 3 allowed students to compare two excerpts written by John Adams and Benjamin Rush, prominent figures from chronological Period 3 (1754 to 1800). The question assessed the historical thinking skill of interpretation. Referring to the excerpts, the question asked students to explain a significant difference between Adams and Rush s understanding of the American Revolution (task A) and then to explain how examples of an historical event or development in the period from 1760 to 1800 could be used to support each interpretation (tasks B and C). Sample: 3A Score: 3 A-1: The interpretation of Adams follows a general opening and, after further exposition on Adams, the Rush interpretation appears. B-1: The response presents specific events such as opposition to taxation without representation in response to the Stamp Act and the Tea Act to support its interpretation of Adams. C-1: The second half of the response contains both the Rush interpretation and the well-done explication of development of government from the Articles of Confederation to the United States Constitution. Sample: 3B Score: 2 A-0: A simple restatement for Adams and a vague reference to Rush s view evolving resulted in a 0 score. B-1: Although general, the response indicates some awareness of Adams highlighting of growing revolutionary sentiment before the war. C-1: An unexpected use of Jay s Treaty adequately illustrates Rush s focus on ongoing development, in this case with regard to foreign policy. Sample: 3C Score: 1 A-0: The basic chronology does not describe the different interpretations. B-1: Specific events such as tax protests and the development of opposition earned this point. C-0: Jefferson s embargo policies fall outside the time period. 2015 The College Board.
2015 AP US HISTORY FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS 4. Answer (a), (b), and (c). a) Briefly explain why ONE of the following best marks the beginning of industrialization in the United States. The market revolution in the first half of the 1800s The Civil War era in the middle of the 1800s The rise of big business in the second half of the 1800s b) Provide ONE example of an event or development that supports your explanation in (a). c) Provide specific historical evidence that explains why ONE of the other options is less convincing as the possible beginning of industrialization in the United States. END OF SECTION I 2015 The College Board. -5-
2015 The College Board.
AP UNITED STATES HISTORY 2015 SCORING COMMENTARY Short Answer Question 4 Overview Short Answer Question 4 allowed students to explain which era best marked the beginning of industrialization in the U.S. (task A): the market revolution in the first half of the 1800s, the Civil War era in the middle of the 1800s, or the rise of big business in the second half of the 1800s. The question assessed the historical thinking skill of periodization and covered Periods 4, 5, and 6, which range from 1800 to 1898. The students had to provide a specific historical example (task B) that supported their explanation in task A. The question also asked students to provide specific historical evidence that explained why one of the other periods was less convincing as the start of industrialization in the U.S. (task C). Sample: 4A Score: 3 A-1: The discussion of railroad and canal systems earned the point. B-1: The discussion of changes to family self-sufficiency before and after the market revolution earned the point. C-1: This response earned the point because of its argument that the Civil War era provided a boost to the economy but it did not dramatically change the nature of the economy. Sample: 4B Score: 2 A-1: The response earned the point because it demonstrates that the Rise of Big Business best marks the beginning of industrialization. Factories emerged in cities, and Andrew Carnegie learned how to produce steel cheaper. B-0: The response did not earn the point because it claims that people were astonished at the advent of the telegraph and photography, but it does not note that the telegraph and photography were introduced considerably earlier. C-1: The response earned the point because it asserts that little industrialization occurred during the Civil War era due to the focus on the war. Sample: 4C Score: 1 A-1: The response earned the point because it connects the rise of big business with greater efficiency, productivity, technology, and business systems. B-0: The response did not earn a point because the examples of more radios and electronic advances are outside the time period. C-0: The response did not earn the point because the argument about the Civil War era is flawed; the assertion that it is too soon during and after the war to have the US economy be concerned with industrializing is a generality that does not address any evidence. 2015 The College Board.