AP US History - Summer Assignment 2015
Due During REGISTRATION on AUGUST 12th.
Greetings. This fast-paced college-level course covers American History from the pre-Colonial era (1400s)
to the present. We cover a lot of information in a very short amount of time and the course is demanding and
rigorous. Consider each of the following points below before deciding if this course is for you. If you are
truly dedicated and up for the challenge, you will find the class very rewarding.
1. This course involves a complex college level textbook and numerous outside readings, so high
reading comprehension skills are imperative.
2. Writing is an essential component to the class so if writing essays are a challenge for you, you will
have difficulty passing this class. Many writing assignments will be timed-writing essays that you
will have to complete with limited time in class: DBQs (Document-Based Question based essays),
LEQs (Long Essay Questions), and Short Answer Questions.
3. We will cover 1 to 2 chapters per week and have regular chapter quizzes & Unit Exams.
4. Classroom participation in discussions and debates is mandatory.
5. Expect a minimum of 30 minutes of homework per night, including weekends, involving reading
and taking notes, activities, and writing components.
6. You need to be able to work well in groups and present in front of class as group projects and
activities are a significant component of the class, especially during the 2nd Semester.
7. You will be required to be disciplined and self-motivated, and time-management is essential.
8. If you are truly motivated and up for the challenge, I look forward to having you in class.
In order to keep pace with the AP exam date, students must begin the reading for this class over the summer.
You must first check out a copy of the textbook: American History, Connecting With the Past (15th
Edition), from the Culver City High School Library in the beginning of summer – June 19th is the first day
that the books will be available. The following assignment is due during REGISTRATION on AUGUST
12th and will go toward your 1st semester grade. If you will be on vacation during registration you must
either drop it off to the guidance office before you leave or mail it to Culver City High School and have it
postmarked before August 12th. Failure to complete the following assignment will show that you are
unprepared for the rigors of AP and will be grounds for dropping you from the class. This is an
individual assignment, not a group assignment – you should not share responses with other students.
YOU MUST KEEP A PHOTOCOPY OF YOUR ASSIGNMENT to study for the UNIT 1 EXAM on
this material that will take place on TUESDAY AUGUST 25th, the 2nd Day of School. If you have any
questions feel free to contact Mr. Owens at: andyowens@ccusd.org.
Your Assignment: You must complete Parts I, II, III, IV & V & turn in Parts II, IV, & V. ALL
WORK MUST BE HANDWRITTEN IN BLUE OR BLACK INK PEN. The entire assignment should
be stapled or bracketed together, but make sure to have your name on each section in case they get separated
after you turn them in.
I. READ Chapter 1 of the text American History, Connecting With the Past 15th Edition by Alan
Brinkley. Read the chapter carefully – I recommend reading the entire chapter and taking notes before
answering the Questions. You will use information from Chapter 1 to complete Parts II-V. You will be
tested on the material from the Reading Questions, the Key Terms, Geography, and the Short Answer
questions on the Summer/Unit 1 Exam that will take on August 25th that will include both Multiple Choice
and Short Answer Questions.
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AP US History - Summer Assignment 2015
II. READING QUESTIONS: Answer the following questions in your own words – do not just copy the
book, responses will require a paragraph each (the length depends on the question), and be prepared to
discuss your responses during the first week of class in September. You do not need to re-write the
questions, but number the responses clearly and make sure your responses are stapled and in order.
Chapter 1: “THE COLLISION OF CULTURES”
1. Compare the regional differences among Native Americans in how they adapted to and transformed their
diverse environments and developed complex societies before the arrival of Europeans?
2. What were the motivations and causes of early European exploration and settlement of the Western
Hemisphere?
3. Read “AP Debating the Past” p. 8-9: Is history subjective? In your opinion, if historians differ so much,
how should we teach history?
4. “AP Debating the Past p. 10-11”: What was the Native American population by the arrival of Columbus?
How does the number historians choose change the “story” of European contact and colonization?
5. What effects did Spanish and Portuguese exploration and conquest have on native societies of the
Western Hemisphere?
6. How did Spanish America (“New Spain”) evolve in the 16th and early 17th Centuries?
7. How did American Indians respond to European efforts to change their religion, society, and
environment?
8. How did European views on the proper treatment of American Indians contrast each other?
9. What were the major biological and cultural exchanges between Europe and the Americas? Describe the
impact of this exchange.
10. What effect did the introduction of new crops and livestock have on native settlements and economic,
social, and political development in the Western Hemisphere?
11. What effects did the Columbian Exchange and transatlantic trade have on Europe?
12. What were the causes and effects of the rise of the African slave trade during the 16th Century?
13. What were the economic incentives for English colonization of the “New World” in the 16th Century?
14. What were the religious incentives for English colonization of the “New World” in the 16th Century?
15. Read “The Atlantic Context of Early American History” p. 22-23: What was the Atlantic World? Does
studying American history in an Atlantic World context broaden or distort our understanding of American
history?
16. Read “Mercantilism and Colonial Commerce” p. 26-27: What effects did mercantilism have on colonial
economies and how did it contribute to power rivalries among European nations?
17. How did the English experience in Ireland and subjugation of the Irish people affect the colonization
process of the New World?
18. Describe the French settlements in the New World. How did they contrast the English and the Spanish?
19. Describe the Dutch settlement in North America. What was the focus of their colonies?
20. Why didn’t the British successfully develop colonies in America until 1607? Explain.
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AP US History - Summer Assignment 2015
III. KEY TERMS & US GEOGRAPHY TO KNOW
A. Define each term for yourself (I suggest learning both the definition and the historical significance–
think “why is it important to the era?”) for each term. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TURN THESE IN, but
should study them for the Summer Assignment/Unit 1 Exam on Tuesday August 25th. Here is an example:
Halfway Covenant: The decision of Puritan colony churches in the 1690s to allow the grandchildren of those who had
the personal experience of conversion to participate in church affairs. Previously, only the children of those that had
experienced personal conversion could participate, and some rejected this as weakening the church.
H.S. – Reflected the decline of piety and zeal among New Englanders and fear that the influence of the Puritan church
was in decline.
KEY TERMS: Need to Know from the AP Concept Outline
maize cultivation
Columbian Exchange
agricultural economy
social diversification
caste system
empire building
foraging and hunting
West Africa
slave labor
Great Basin
encomienda system
feudalism
Great Plains
capitalism
political autonomy
hunter-gatherer economy
cultural autonomy
KEY TERMS: Should Know (Examples for the Concept Outline)
“Clovis” people
Valladolid Debate*
chartered companies
Inca, Maya, Aztec
Juan de Sepulveda*
Joint-Stock Companies
Meso-Americans
Bartolome de Las Casas*
sextant*
Eskimos
Ordinances of Discovery
mercantilism
Chaco Canyon
Spanish Mission System
Richard Hakluyt
Chinook*
Don Juan de Onate
English Reformation
Woodland Indians
Pueblo
predestination
Algonquin
Pueblo Revolt of 1680
Puritan Separatists
Iroquois
racial hierarchy
Irish colonization
Muskogean
mestizo
The Plantation Model
Prince Henry the Navigator
zambo*
coureurs de bois
Christopher Columbus
West Africa
Henry Hudson
Ferdinand Magellan
matrilineal
New Amsterdam
conquistadores
African slave trade
patroons
Hernando Cortes
maroon communities*
The Spanish Armada
Montezuma
John Cabot
Roanoke
Tenochtitlan
Enclosure Movement
Colonial charters
* = Terms that you should know that are not explicitly mentioned in the textbook (look up online)
B. UNITED STATES GEOGRAPHY: While this is not a geography class, a basic understanding of American
geographic features that will be commonly referenced throughout the year is essential. You will need to be able to
identify any of the following on a map for the Summer Assignment/Unit 1 Exam August 25th
Atlantic Ocean
The Great Plains
New York
Appalachian Mountains
Great Salt Lake
Ohio Valley
Black Hills
Gulf of Mexico
Ohio River
Carolinas
Hudson River
Pacific Ocean
Chesapeake Bay
Maryland
Pennsylvania
Colorado River
Mason-Dixon Line
Rio Grande
Columbia River
Massachusetts
Rocky Mountains
Georgia
Mississippi River
Sierra Nevada Mountains
Great Basin
Missouri River
St. Lawrence River
The Great Lakes
New England
Virginia
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AP US History - Summer Assignment 2015
IV. SHORT ANSWER SECTION.
Read the following documents and respond to the prompts. Read all three parts of the question before
responding. Answers need to be in complete sentences (a brief paragraph should be enough for each a, b & c
response) bulleted points will not be given credit. You do not need a thesis statement. Do not quote the
sources. Label your responses with the question number and a, b, & c. Try to be specific with your responses
and avoid vague generalizations.
Question 1 is based on the following excerpt the image and material from Chapter 1.
Christopher Columbus (1492) Excerpt from his journal.
“As I saw that they were very friendly to us, and perceived that they could be much more easily converted to
our holy faith by gentle means than by force, I presented them with some red caps, and strings of beads to
wear upon the neck, and many other trifles of small value. . . Afterwards they came swimming to the boats,
bringing parrots, balls of cotton thread, javelins, and many other things which they exchanged for articles we
gave them, such as glass beads, and hawk’s bells. They willingly traded everything they owned…They were
well built, with good bodies and handsome features….They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I
showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their
spears are made of cane….They would make fine servants… I am of opinion that they would very readily
become Christians, as they appear to have no religion. . . . With fifty men we could subjugate them all and
make them do whatever we want.”
1. Use the excerpt and image above to answer a, c, and c.
a) Compare the depiction of the American Indians in Columbus’ journal with the
image above and determine how they are similar.
b) Examine the depiction of the American Indians in Columbus’ journal and the
image above and determine how they contrast each other.
c) What impact did depictions such as these have on European attitudes toward exploring the “New
World”?
Question 2 is based on the following two excerpts and material from Chapter 1:
Juan de Sepulveda (1547) Spanish theologian, philosopher, historian, and astronomer called by Charles V
to share his view on the treatment of Indians in the New World.
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AP US History - Summer Assignment 2015
“The Spanish have a perfect right to rule these barbarians of the New World and the adjacent islands,
who in prudence, skill, virtues, and humanity are as inferior to the Spanish as children to adults, or women to
men, for there exists between the two as great a difference as between savage and cruel races and the most
merciful, between the most intemperate and the moderate and temperate and, I might even say, between apes
and men. You surely do not expect me to recall at length the prudence and talents of the Spanish.... And what
can I say of the gentleness and humanity of our people, who, even in battle, after having gained the victory,
put forth their greatest effort and care to save the greatest possible number of the conquered and to protect
them from the cruelty of their allies? Well, then, if we are dealing with virtue, what temperance or mercy can
you expect from men who are committed to all types of intemperance and base frivolity, and eat human
flesh? Although some of them show a certain ingenuity for various works of artisanship, this is no proof of
human cleverness, for we can observe animals, birds, and spiders making certain structures which no human
accomplishment can competently imitate. Therefore, if you wish to reduce them, I do not say to our
domination, but to a servitude a little less harsh, it will not be difficult for them to change their masters, and
instead of the ones they had, who were barbarous and impious and inhuman, to accept the Christians,
cultivators of human virtues and the true faith.”
Bartolome de Las Casas (1552) The Dominican friar challenged Sepulveda in the Valladolid Debate.
“Now if we shall have shown that among our Indians of the western and southern shores (granting
that we call them barbarians and that they are barbarians) there are important kingdoms, large numbers of
people who live settled lives in a society, great cities, kings, judges and laws, persons who engage in
commerce, buying, selling, lending, and the other contracts of the law of nations, will it not stand proved that
the Reverend Doctor Sepulveda has spoken wrongly and viciously against peoples like these, either out of
malice or ignorance of Aristotle's teaching, and, therefore, has falsely and perhaps irreparably slandered them
before the entire world? From the fact that the Indians are barbarians it does not necessarily follow that they
are incapable of government and have to be ruled by other's, except to be taught about the Catholic faith and
to be admitted to the holy sacraments. They are not ignorant, inhuman, or bestial. Rather, long before they
had heard the word Spaniard they had properly organized states, wisely ordered by excellent laws, religion,
and custom. They cultivated friendship and, bound together in common fellowship, lived in populous cities
in which they wisely administered the affairs of both peace and war justly and equitably, truly governed by
laws that at very many points surpass ours, and could have won the admiration of the sages of Athens....
Next, I call the Spaniards who plunder that unhappy people torturers.... For God's sake and man's
faith in him, is this the way to impose the yoke of Christ on Christian men? Is this the way to remove wild
barbarism from the minds of barbarians? Is it not, rather, to act like thieves, cutthroats, and cruel plunderers
and to drive the gentlest of people headlong into despair? The Indian race is not that barbaric, nor are they
dull witted or stupid, but they are easy to teach and very talented in learning all the liberal arts, and very
ready to accept, honor, and observe the Christian religion and correct their sins (as experience has taught)
once priests have introduced them to the sacred mysteries and taught them the word of God. They have been
endowed with excellent conduct, and before the coming of the Spaniards, as we have said, they had political
states that were well founded on beneficial laws. The Indians are our brothers, and Christ has given his life
for them. Why, then, do we persecute them with such inhuman savagery when they do not deserve such
treatment? The past, because it cannot be undone, must be attributed to our weakness, provided that what has
been taken unjustly is restored.
Finally, let all savagery and apparatus of war, which are better suited to Muslims than Christians, be
done away with. Let upright heralds be sent to proclaim Jesus Christ in their way of life and to convey the
attitudes of Peter and Paul. The Indians will embrace the teaching of the gospel, as I well know, for they are
not stupid or barbarous but have a native sincerity and are simple, moderate, and meek, and, finally, such that
I do not know whether there is any people readier to receive the gospel. Once they have embraced it, it is
marvelous with what piety, eagerness, faith, and charity they obey Christ's precepts and venerate the
sacraments. For they are docile and clever, and in their diligence and gifts of nature, they excel most peoples
of the known world . . .”
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AP US History - Summer Assignment 2015
2. Using the previous excerpts, answer a, b, and c.
a) Contrast how the attitudes toward American Indians as expressed by Juan de Sepulveda and
Bartolome de Las Casas differ.
b) Provide ONE example of how the attitudes toward American Indians as expressed by Juan de
Sepulveda and Bartolome de Las Casas were similar.
c) Briefly explain which man’s perspective seemed to have the bigger impact on the attitude of the
Spanish and other Europeans based on historical evidence from Chapter 1 and your knowledge of
history.
Question 3 is based on the following excerpt.
“I marvel not a little… that since the first discovery of America (which is now full four score and ten
years), after so great conquests and plantings of the Spaniards and Portuguese there, that we of England
could never have the grace to set fast footing in such fertile and temperate places... But ... I conceive great
hope that the time approacheth and now is that we of England may share and divide the prize if we will
ourselves both with the Spaniard and the Portuguese in part of America and other regions as yet
undiscovered. And surely if there were in us that desire to advance the honor of our country which ought to
be in every good man, we would not all this while have neglected the possessing of those lands which of
equity and right appertain unto us, as by the discourses that follow shall appear most plainly.
Yea, if we would behold with the eye of pity how all our prisons are pestered and filled with able men
to serve their country, which for small robberies are daily hanged up in great numbers.... we would hasten . . .
the deducting of some colonies of our superfluous people into those temperate and fertile parts of America,
which, being within six weeks sailing of England, are yet unpossessed by any Christians, and seem to offer
themselves unto us, stretching nearer unto Her Majesty's dominions than to any other part of Europe.... It
chanced very lately that upon occasion I had great conference…with an excellent learned man of Portugal,
most privy to all the discoveries of his nation, who wondered that those blessed countries from the point of
Florida northward were all this while unplanted by Christians, protesting with great affection and zeal that if
he were now as young as I he would sell all he had, being a man of no small wealth and honor, to furnish a
convenient number of ships to sea for the inhabiting of those countries and reducing those heathen people to
Christianity. . . . If this man's desire might be executed, we might not only for the present time take
possession of that good land, but also, in short space, by God's grace, find out that short and easy passage by
the Northwest which we have hitherto so long desired.... Certainly, if hitherto in our own discoveries we had
not been led with a preposterous desire of seeking rather gain than God's glory, I assure myself that our
labors had taken far better effect. But we forgot that godliness is great riches, and that if we first seek the
kingdom of God, all other things will be given unto us....”
- Richard Hakluyt, 1582
3. Using the excerpt above, answer a, b, and c.
a) According to Hakluyt, why should England colonize America?
b) Why did England not establish permanent colonies in the Western Hemisphere during the 16th
Century on par with its rivals Spain and Portugal?
c) Briefly explain ONE specific piece of evidence from the 16th Century that either challenges or
supports the point of view expressed by the writer.
Question 4 is based on the following excerpt.
“Personal ambition, in fact, played a large role in the migration of Europeans across the Atlantic in the
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In contrast, the cultural traditions of Native Americans emphasized the
collectivity rather than the individual. Because land and other natural resources were held in common and
society was far less hierarchical than in Europe, the accumulative spirit and personal ambition were
inappropriate.”
- Gary Nash, Red, White, and Black: The Peoples of Early America, Prentice Hall, 1982
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AP US History - Summer Assignment 2015
4. Use the excerpt and your knowledge of United States history to answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain the main point of this passage.
b) Explain ONE way this issue affected intergroup relationships between European migrants and
Native Americans.
c) Briefly assess how successful Europeans were at changing the cultural values of Native Americans.
PART V: LONG ESSAY QUESTION (LEQ - formerly called FRQs)
Essay writing skills and especially timed-writing are essential for success in both this class and on the AP
Exam. Answer the following question in a hand-written essay (blue or black ink pen only). A Long Essay
Question requires an intro paragraph with a clear thesis statement, and a minimum of two body paragraphs
(although more are optional) and a conclusion. In class and for the AP Exam, you will only have 35 minutes
(5 to brainstorm and 30 minutes to write) so try to stay close to those time-parameters. Make sure you clearly
answer the question and provide ample specific outside information as supporting evidence for your position.
Avoid 1st person and the tone should be formal. Do not quote the textbook, but instead include specific
evidence to support your argument and analysis. You will be evaluated based on a clear thesis, use of an
array of evidence, depth and clarity of analysis, ability to be persuasive with your argument, and ability to
provide synthesis to place the argument in historical context. A sample of the 6-Point rubric that will be used
to score LEQs is included after the prompt.
***PLAGIARISM ON THIS ESSAY OR ANY ELEMENT OF THIS ASSIGNMENT WILL BE
GROUNDS FOR DROPPING YOU FROM THE CLASS.***
Prompt: Some historians have argued that positive effects of the Columbian Exchange outweighed the
negative effects. Support, modify, or refute this interpretation, providing specific evidence from the time
period between 1491 and 1607 to justify your answer.
AP LONG ESSAY QUESTION RUBRIC
Thesis & Argumentation (0-1 Points)
 Clear thesis that directly addresses all parts of the questions and does not simply restate the question
(should provide a clear argument and well developed subcategories) (1)
 Simply restates the question, Doesn’t clearly answer question, no subcategories, or No Thesis (0)
Support for Argument: Argumentation & Use of Evidence (0-2 Points)
 Supports thesis with abundant, specific relevant evidence, clearly and consistently explains how the evidence
supports the thesis & argument (2)
 Supports the thesis using some specific evidence and makes a relevant argument (1)
 Little or no specific evidence & shows limited understanding and lacks clear analysis (0)
Application of Targeted Skill (0-2 Points)
Comparison
 Describes similarities AND differences among historical developments, providing specific examples &
analyzes the reasons these or, evaluates the relative significance of the historical developments (2)
 Describes similarities AND differences among historical developments (1)
 Fails to adequately illustrate targeted skill (0)
Synthesis (0-1 Point) (This can often be accomplished in the conclusion)
Response synthesizes the argument, evidence, and context into a coherent and persuasive essay by
accomplishing one or more of the following as relevant to the question:
 Appropriately extends or modifies thesis or argument (1)
 OR Explicitly employs an additional appropriate category of analysis (e.g., political, economic, social, cultural,
geographical, race/ethnicity, gender) beyond that called for in the prompt (1)
 OR The argument appropriately connects the topic of the question to other historical periods,
geographical areas, contexts, or circumstances (1)
 Accomplishes none or the above or essay is poorly organized and or writing limits comprehension (0)
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