Test Tips!
You can do it!
Multiple Choice
Historical Eras
– >20% of the questions deal with events from 1600 to 1789
– >45% of the questions deal with events from 1790 to 1914
– >35% of the questions deal with events from 1915 to the present
Topics
• 35% of the questions deal with political institutions, behavior, and public
policy
• 40% of the questions deal with social and cultural developments
• 15% of the questions deal with diplomacy and international relations
• 10% of the questions deal with economic changes and developments
As you study, concentrate your efforts on the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries (obviously), fewer questions on events in the twentieth than
nineteenth century.
 Do not get caught up in a question you do not know. Think of the era, the
ideas you remember about that era…and make an educated guess; then
move on. Chances are everyone else thought that question was tough too!
Free Response & DBQ
You will receive two questions about the United States before the
Civil War, and two questions after the Civil War, picking from one of
each of the choices. Having 70 minutes to answer these questions.
Spend 5 minutes “outlining” before writing the essay. Have a strong
thesis.
Not all of the information needed to earn a “5” in the DBQ is
included in the documents. Meaning, use OUTSIDE INFORMATION.
Discuss one more than half of the documents. Be descriptive, use
examples (add terms: events, treaties, laws, people, amendments,
etc.), and tie all paragraphs back into your specific thesis!!!!! The
better your ideas and thesis the faster and more organized your
essay will be.
Essays Continued…
 Look over old essays exams w/ teacher comments on
them, it will remind you of what you need to make sure
you do when writing on exam day.
 Topics to review in particular: women, civil rights,
depression, and imperialism. Make connections in
these areas between earlier and more recent times.
 Go over the Progressive Era because it is good for you.
General Tips
• Watch your time.
• Bring a good (non-messy) snack…peanut butter with
limited jelly!
• Bring water…do not drink it all the first 5 minutes! Go
to the bathroom BEFORE the exam starts.
• Take off your shoes!!! Relax. You have studied. Now you
need to stay calm and put all of the information in your
brain onto paper!
• Write fairly neatly.
• You do not need luck, you have smarts!
Colonial America
1. How justified were the Americans in initiating a
revolution against Great Britain after nearly 150
years of British administration? In you answer,
make certain to address the political
relationship between Britain and the American
colonies.
1. Explain how English colonies in the New World
were different from one another in terms of
government, population, and origin.
Articles of Confederation and Constitution
1. To what extent were the Articles of Confederation an
inadequate form of government? In you answer include
discussions on the following topics:
foreign affairs problems
domestic affairs problems
features of the government under the AOC
2. Analyze the differences of opinion between supporters
and opponents on whether to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
Early Presidents
1. Compare and contrast the Hamiltonian and
Jeffersonian movements in regard to
Political philosophy
Long-term social and economic outlook
Interpretations of the Constitution
Federal versus state power
2. Support or refute this statement:
An accurate title for the period from the 1820s to the
1850s is Jacksonian democracy.
3. Were the grassroots movements in the Age of
Reform successful in achieving their goals? In your
answer cite THREE of the following:
a.women’s rights
b.Abolition
c.Public education
d.Prison reform
4. To what extent did government assist in the rise of
corporate capitalism following the Civil War?
Imperialism
1. To what extent is this statement correct? The
primary factor in the U.S. adopting a policy of
imperialism was economic.
1. Was the United States justifies in going to
war against Spain in 1898? In your response,
take into account political, economic, moral,
and diplomatic factors?
Progressive Era
1. Discuss the role government played in reforming
American social, economic, and political life in the
early twentieth century. In your response include TWO
of the following:
a. Reforms at the federal level
b. Reforms at the state level
c. Reforms at the local/city level
2. Evaluate the administrations of Roosevelt, Taft, and
Wilson in relation to their records as progressive
presidents.
Conservatism and Cultural Diversity in the 1920s
1. Discuss how the 1920s represented social,
economic, and cultural discord among
Americans. In your essay discuss THREE of
the following:
a. Urban versus rural attitudes
b. Nativism vs. immigration
c. Science vs. religion
d. The red scare
The Great Depression
Support or refute this statement: A key feature
of the New Deal was that it gave too much
authority to the federal government and
specifically the executive branch.