Course Overview
United States History
Advanced Placement
Mr. Greene
Course Description:
This Advanced Placement Course is equivalent to a college-level survey in United States history;
you are expected to take the College Board AP Examination in United States history administered in early
May 2013. Our goal is to help each other succeed on this test. Because the 390,000 American high school
students who take this examination are ranked on a scale from 5 (highest) to 1 (lowest), we want to make
sure that our class has a competitive advantage. Individual commitment, dedication, and hard work will
create a win-win situation for everyone. Try to remember that you are being compared to students around
the nation. Individually you should strive to be in the top third of this group; collectively you should help
each other attain this goal.
This course will survey the development of United States history from the colonial times to the
present. After briefly examining the European settlement of the Americas, we will focus our attention on
the development of British colonies in North America. We will then study the American Revolution and the
creation of the Republic. This will give us the opportunity to analyze the problems the founders faced as the
young nation developed. These will include, but are not limited to, “the Age of Federalism,” Jeffersonian
Democracy, Jacksonian Democracy, expansionism, and slavery. We will then examine how the Civil War
and Reconstruction shaped the social, political, and economic landscape of nineteenth century America.
This will be followed by an in-depth analysis of the continuity and change in the United States during the
Gilded Age and Progressive Era. We will conclude the course with a detailed analysis of twentieth century
events such as World Wars I and II, the Great Depression and New Deal, the Cold War, McCarthyism, the
Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and the rise of the New Right.
In addition to learning about American history, you will develop the ability to think historically.
After all, this is what the College Board is testing on the AP Exam! In order to do this, you need to be able
to analyze documents, marshal evidence, construct sophisticated theses, think critically, and communicate
clearly. Throughout this course, you will be completing assignments that will help you hone these skills. As
your teacher, I am here to help you succeed on the AP Exam. Therefore, if you don’t understand
something, you need to ask questions in class or seek additional assistance after class. I am available to
meet with you individually or in small groups before or after school or during Periods 3, 9, and Extended
Academics.
Textbooks:
Bailey, Thomas et al. The American Pageant, 11th ed. (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1998).
Benedict, Michael Les. The Blessings of Liberty (New York: Heath, 1996)
Supplemental Secondary Sources:
Countryman, Edward. The American Revolution (New York: Hill and Wang, 1985)
Herring, George C. From Colony to Superpower (New York: Oxford U Press, 2008)
Kerber, Linda. No Constitutional Right To Be Ladies (New York: Hill and Wang, 1998)
Kolchin, Peter. American Slavery, 1619-1877 (New York: Hill and Wang, 1993)
McCoy, Drew R. The Elusive Republic (Chapel Hill: U. of North Carolina Press, 1980)
Simon, John. What Kind of Nation? (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2002)
Taylor, Alan. American Colonies (New York: Penguin, 2002)
Wilentz, Sean. The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln (New York: W.W. Norton & Co.,
2005)
Wood, Gordon. Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815 (New York: Oxford
University Press, 2009)
Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States, rev. ed. (New York: Harper Collins, 2000)
Grading:
Your first marking period grade will be calculated in the following manner (Note: I will distribute
a syllabus at the beginning of each marking period).
10% DBQ (Colonial America)
10% Free Response Question (Colonial America)
10% Free Response Question (American Revolutionary Era)
15% DBQ (1750-1820)
30% Quizzes
15% Cumulative Multiple Choice Examination
10% Participation
Homework:
Because you are enrolled in an AP history class, you will not have “traditional homework
assignments.” Your homework will be daily reading assignments. You should devote the time you would
normally spend “doing history homework” to reading and preparing for exams and papers.
Quizzes:
Each week you will have several brief quizzes. Although most of these will be of the “take-home”
variety, some will be given at the beginning of class (these can be either announced or unannounced).
These quizzes will check your comprehension of the required readings. They will also allow you to
demonstrate that you possess the requisite skills to succeed on the AP US History Examination.
Participation:
Each student has a responsibility to make positive contributions to the class on a regular basis.
You are expected to participate actively in all classroom activities.
First Marking Period Schedule:
Week 1 (September 3-6, 2013)
Monday:
No School
Tuesday:
Telling the Truth about History: History and “the Objectivity Question”
Reading Assignment: Colonial America (Chapter 6)
Summer Assignment Due
Wednesday:
Reasons for English exploration/settlement
Colonial Virginia
Reading Assignment: Colonial America (Chapter 7)
Thursday:
The Chesapeake Colonies
Reading Assignment: Colonial America (Chapter 8)
Friday:
Colonial New England
Reading Assignment: Colonial America (Chapter 9)
Salem Witchcraft Trials Documents
Week 2 (September 9-13, 2013)
Monday:
Colonial New England cont.
Activity: What Caused Salem Witchcraft Trials?
Reading Assignment: Colonial America (Chapter 11)
Tuesday:
Differences in English Colonies
Reading Assignment: Colonial America (Chapter 12)
Wednesday:
Differences in English Colonies
Reading Assignment: Blessings of Liberty (Chapter 1)
Thursday:
English Origins of American Constitutionalism
“Doing the DBQ” Discussion
Reading Assignment: Blessings of Liberty (19-26, 41-6)
Colonial America (Chapter 13)
Friday:
Mercantilism and English Colonial Government
Assignment: Take-Home DBQ (Colonial America)
Week 3 (September 16-20, 2013)
Monday:
DBQ and FRQ Workshop: Colonial America
Reading Assignment: American Slavery (Chapter 2)
Blessings of Liberty (37-41)
Take-Home DBQ (Colonial America) Due
Tuesday:
American Slavery, American Freedom
Reading Assignment: Blessings of Liberty (32-37)
No Constitutional Right to be Ladies (3-33)
Wednesday:
Women in Colonial America
Reading Assignment:
Blessings of Liberty (26-32)
Colonial America (Chapter 15)
Thursday:
Political and Religious Liberty in Colonial America
Reading Assignment: Colonial America (Chapter 18)
Friday:
Imperial Wars and Crisis
Assignment: Study for Free Response Examination (Colonial America)
Week 4 (September 23-27, 2013)
Monday:
Free Response Essay Examination (Colonial America)
Reading Assignment: American Revolution (Prologue and Chapter 1)
Tuesday:
Road to Revolution
Reading Assignment: American Revolution (Chapter 2)
Wednesday:
Road to Revolution continued
Reading Assignment: American Revolution (Chapter 3)
Thursday:
Road to Revolution continued
Reading Assignment: American Revolution (Chapter 4)
Colony to Superpower (Chapter 1 p. 11-26)
Friday:
American Revolution
Reading Assignment: Blessings of Liberty (Ch. 3 and Ch. 4 p. 68-81)
Colony to Superpower (Ch. 1 p. 26-34)
Week 5 (September 30-October 4, 2013)
Monday:
New Governments: State Constitutions and Articles of Confederation
Reading Assignment: American Revolution (Chapter 5)
Colony to Superpower (Ch. 1 p. 34-55)
Tuesday:
Problems with the Articles of Confederation
Reading Assignment: Blessings of Liberty (81-91)
American Revolution (Chapter 6 p. 175-92)
Wednesday:
Miracle at Philadelphia
Reading Assignment: American Revolution (Chapter 6 p. 192-213)
American Political Tradition (Chapter 1)
Thursday:
Miracle at Philadelphia continued
Reading Assignment: American Slavery (Chapter 3)
*Study for Free Response Exam*
Friday:
Free Response Examination (American Revolutionary Era)
Reading Assignment: Elusive Republic (Chapter 5)
Colony to Superpower (Ch. 2 p. 56-73)
Week 6 (October 7-11, 2013)
Monday:
Ratification Debate and Slavery in the Age of Revolution
Reading Assignment: Blessings of Liberty (Chapter 5 p. 95-105)
Rise of American Democracy (Chapter 1 p. 27-39)
Tuesday:
Democracy and “republicanism” in the Early Republic
Reading Assignment: Rise of American Democracy (Chapter 2)
Wednesday:
The Rise of Political Parties: Citizen Genet and the Whiskey Rebellion
Reading Assignment: Rise of American Democracy (Chapter 3 p. 73-89)
Colony to Superpower (Ch. 2 p. 73-92)
Thursday:
The Political Parties Crystallize: XYZ Affair, Alien and Sedition Acts, and
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
Reading Assignment:
Rise of American Democracy (Chapters 3 p. 90-98)
American Political Tradition (Chapter 2)
Colony to Superpower (Ch. 3 p. 93-101)
Friday:
Revolution of 1800
Reading Assignment: Rise of American Democracy (Chapter 4 p. 99-125)
Colony to Superpower (Ch. 3 p. 101-114)
Week 7 (October 14-18, 2013)
Monday:
No School (Teacher In-Service)
Tuesday:
The Jeffersonian Persuasion
Reading Assignment: What Kind of Nation? (Chapter 10)
Blessings of Liberty (Chapter 6 p. 113-121)
Wednesday:
Marbury v. Madison and Burr Conspiracy
Reading Assignment: Rise of American Democracy (Chapter 4 p. 125-40)
Colony to Superpower (Ch. 3 p. 114-121)
Thursday:
Jefferson’s Second Term
Assignment: Rise of American Democracy (Chapter 5 p. 141-59)
Colony to Superpower (Ch. 3 p. 121-133)
Friday:
Nationalism and the War of 1812
Reading Assignment: Rise of American Democracy (Chapter 5 p. 159-78)
Week 8 (October 21-25, 2013)
Monday:
Nationalist Republicans and the Demise of the Federalists
Readings: Rise of American Democracy (Chapter 6 p. 181-202)
Tuesday:
The Era of Good Feelings
Readings: Rise of American Democracy (Chapter 6 p. 202-17)
Colony to Superpower (Ch. 4 p. 134-144)
Wednesday:
The Panic of 1819
Assignment: Prepare for Exams
Thursday:
In-Class DBQ (1750-1820)
Friday:
Cumulative Multiple Choice Examination
Readings: Blessings of Liberty (p. 105-110; Chapter 6 p. 121-131)
Colony to Superpower (Ch. 3 p. 144-151)
Week 9 (October 28-November 1, 2013)
Monday:
Constitutional Interpretation in the Early Republic
Readings: Liberty and Power (Introduction and Chapter 151-164)
Tuesday:
The Market and Transportation Revolutions
Reading Assignment: Rise of American Democracy (Chapter 7 p.218-40)
Wednesday:
The Fire Bell in the Night: Slavery and the Missouri Compromise
Reading Assignment: American Political Tradition (Chapter 3)
Thursday:
Old Hickory Returns: Andrew Jackson’s Rise to Political Prominence
Reading Assignment: Rise of American Democracy (Chapter 7 p. 240-53)
Monday:
"Corrupt Bargain"
Reading Assignment: Rise of American Democracy (Chapter 8)
Week 10 (November 4, 2013)
Monday:
The Second Great Awakening and the Politics of the 1920s
Reading Assignment: Rise of American Democracy (Ch. 9 p. 293-311)
Moralists and Modernizers (Ch. 2 p. 16-25)