ESSAY PROMPTS FROM PREVIOUS AP EXAMS
PERIOD 3 [1754-1800]
NOTE: There are 16 essays listed here. Many are similar, such as the various questions dealing with
the impact of the French and Indian War. These essays are from previous AP Exams that have been
given over the past years. I have supplied this list for you to peruse as we continue to study, perhaps,
the MOST SIGNIFICANT ERA in American History. Our Birth as a nation out of a Revolutionary War
and the issues that surround the many decisions/debates that occur during this CRITICAL ERA allow
us to evolve into the Nation we are today. IT IS VITAL THAT YOU THINK “BIG” AS WE COVER THE
particular *small* so that you can internalize a STORY…with a beginning, middle, and end. At the
conclusion of this unit YOU will have an essay to write---YOU will have a few to choose from—The
essays will come from this list…with slight possible deviations to account for the new format of the
LEQ…so examine these NOW---so that you can begin to prepare to TELL YOUR STORY/MAKE YOUR
ARGUMENT SUPPORTED WITH SPECIFIC EVIDENCE AND ANALYSIS. 
1 Analyze the political, diplomatic, and military reasons for the United States victory in the Revolutionary
War. Confine your answer to the period 1775–1783. (Chapters 8 & 9)
2 Analyze how the ideas and experiences of the revolutionary era influenced the principles embodied in
the Articles of Confederation. (Chapters 5, 6 Part 2, 7, 8, 9)
3 The French and Indian War (1754-1763) altered the relationship between Britain and its North
American colonies. Assess this change with regard to TWO of the following in the period between 1763
and 1775. (Chapters 5,6,7,8/1)
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Land acquisition
Politics
Economics
4 Analyze the ways in which British imperial policies between 1763 and 1776 intensified colonials’
resistance to British rule and their commitment to republican values. (Chapters 5,6/2,7,8/1)
5 Evaluate the extent to which the Articles of Confederation were effective in solving the problems that
confronted the new nation. (Chapters 8, 9, 10)
6 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. (Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8)
7 Analyze the effect of the French and Indian War and its aftermath on the relationship between Great
Britain and the British colonies. Confine your response to the period from 1754 to 1776. (Chapters
5,6,7,8)
8 Analyze the reasons for the Anti-Federalists’ opposition to ratifying the Constitution. (Chapters
8,9,10)
9 Analyze the contributions of TWO of the following in helping establish a stable government after the
adoption of the Constitution. (Chapters 9,10, 11/1)
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John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
George Washington
10 Analyze the ways in which the political, economic, and diplomatic crises of the 1780s shaped the
provisions of the United States Constitution. (Chapters 8/2, 9, 10)
11 Settlers in the eighteenth-century American backcountry sometimes resorted to violent protest to
express their grievances. Analyze the causes and significance of TWO of the following: (internet,
5,7,8,9,10)
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March of the Paxton Boys
Regulator movement
Shays’ Rebellion
Whiskey Rebellion
11 Analyze the impact of the American Revolution on both slavery and the status of women in the period
from 1775-1800. (Chapters 5, 7,8,9,10,11/1-internet)
12 To what extent was the United States Constitution a radical departure from the Articles of
Confederation? (Chapters 8,9,10)
13 Evaluate the extent to which trans-Atlantic interactions from 1600 to 1763 contributed to maintaining
continuity as well as fostering change in labor systems in the British North American colonies. (Chapters
2-6)
14 Choose TWO of the following and analyze their impact on colonial North American development
between 1620 and 1776. (Chapters 3- 8/1)
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Puritanism
The Enlightenment
The First Great Awakening
15 “The United States Constitution of 1787 represented an economic and ideological victory for the
traditional American political elite.” Assess the validity of that statement for the period 1781 to 1789.
(Chapters 8,9,10—Paine, Federalist Papers, letters between Revolutionary leaders)
16 To what extent was the election of 1800 aptly named the “Revolution of 1800”? Respond with
reference to TWO of the following areas: (Chapters 11/1, 8,9,10)
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Economics
Foreign policy
Judiciary
Politics