APUSH Unit Packet
Unit 2: Building the New Nation
Directions:
For each chapter, answer each question thoroughly and use each vocabulary term in a
complete sentence and in proper context (do NOT write its definition). Make sure to label
each chapter, number each answer, and underline each vocabulary term. Your finished packet
will be due on the day of the unit exam.
Due November 6th
Chapter 9: The Confederation and the Constitution, 1776-1790
1. Describe the Articles of Confederation. What were its main failings?
2. To what extent did the continued presence of European powers in North America challenge the United Sates to find
ways to safeguard its borders, maintain neutral trading rights, and promotes its economic interests?
3. Explain how difficulties over trade, finance, and interstate and foreign relations, as well as internal unrest, caused
many Americans to call for significant revisions to the Articles of Confederation and the creation of a stronger
government.
4. What were the important compromises that were reached during the Constitutional Convention? How were the
delegates able to reach these agreements?
5. Explain federalism and separation of powers.
6. To what extent did the framers of the Constitution set the stage for recurring conflicts over slavery by postponing a
solution to the problem of slavery and the slave trade?
7. Describe how during and after the American Revolution an increased awareness of inequalities in society motivated
some people/groups to call for reforms (give examples).
8. Describe how migrants from within North America and around the world launched new settlements in the West,
created new distinctive backcountry cultures, and fueled social and ethnic tensions.
9. Explain Congress’ intent or purpose for the following actions:
a. Enactment of the Northwest Ordinance
b. Promotion of public education
c. Protection of private property
d. Restriction of slavery in the Northwest Territory
10. To what extent did Enlightenment ideas and women’s experiences in the movement for independence promote an
ideal of “republican motherhood” ? (be sure to include a definition)
11. HTS—CCOT: How did new forms of government evolve in the United States from 1776 to 1790? What remained the
same? What changed?
12. HTS—Interpretation: Which interpretation of the Constitution described in “Varying Viewpoints: The Constitution:
Revolutionary or Counterrevolutionary?” complements the authors’ interpretation?
Vocabulary:
Land Ordinance of 1785, Shay’s Rebellion, common law, civil law, antifederalists, federalists, The Federalist, Virginia
Statute for Religious Freedom, civic virtue
Chapter 10: Launching the New Ship of State, 1789-1800
1. What are the Bill of Rights? During the ratification process, how did calls for greater guarantees of rights result in
the addition of the Bill of Rights shortly after the Constitution was adopted?
2. Briefly explain the arguments used in the debates over the relationship between the national government and the
states, economic policy, and the conduct of foreign affairs. How did these debates lead to the emergence of political
parties?
3. In what ways did European conflicts and tensions with Britain and France fuel increasingly bitter partisan debates
throughout the 1790s?
4. Why did George Washington warn about the dangers of political parties and permanent foreign alliances in his
Farewell Address?
5. How did the failure of the Constitution to precisely define the relationship between American Indian tribes and the
national government lead to problems regarding treaties and Indian legal claims relating to the seizure of Indian
lands?
6. Explain how the United States forged diplomatic initiatives to manage conflict with Spain (regarding the Mississippi
River) as well as deal with the continued British presence on the American continent.
7. Explain how the Democratic-Republicans and the Federalists were created to reflect and/or promote the agendas of
various constituencies and interest groups in the 1790s.
8. HTS—CCOT: The authors of your textbook assert “when Washington left office in 1797, he was showered with
brickbats of partisan abuse, quite in contrast with the bouquets that had greeted his arrival.” What specific
examples from 1789 to 1797 can you identify that account for this change over time?
9. HTS—Causation: What caused the development of political parties? How many different regionally based positions
on economic, political, social, and foreign policy can you identify that contributed to this development?
10. HTS—Contextualization: The authors claim that “in a sense the French Revolution was misnamed: it was an
historic, global revolution that sent tremors through much of the Western world and beyond.” Identify ways that
the French Revolution provided the global context for “tremors” in the United States about domestic order and
neutrality.
Vocabulary:
Judiciary Act of 1788, funding at par, assumption, tariff, excise tax, Bank of the United States, Whiskey Rebellion,
Neutrality Proclamation, Battle of Fallen Timbers, Treaty of Greenville, Jay’s Treaty, Pinckney’s Treaty, XYZ Affair, Alien
Laws, Sedition Act, Virginia and Kentucky resolutions, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams
Chapter 11: The Triumphs and Travails of the Jeffersonian Republic, 1800-1812
1. Explain the differences between the Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties. How did their political and
economic positions reflect and/or promote the agendas of various constituencies and interest groups?
2. In what ways did the Supreme Court decisions of this period assert the primacy of the judiciary in determining the
meaning of the Constitution?
3. Discuss how diverging economic systems meant that regional political and economic loyalties often continued to
overshadow national concern.
4. Explain the significance of the Louisiana Purchase. Why was it considered controversial?
5. HTS—Periodization: Historians have referred to Thomas Jefferson’s election as “the Revolution of 1800.” Support,
modify, or refute this claims using evidence found in this chapter.
6. HTS—Use of Evidence: The authors state that “there were in fact two Thomas Jeffersons. One was the scholarly
private citizen. . . .the other was the harassed public official. The open-minded Virginian was therefore consistently
inconsistent; it is easy to quote one Jefferson to refute the other.” Identify relevant historical evidence in this
chapter to support this conclusion.
7. HTS—Synthesis: As you read about the controversies surrounding the economic policies of the Jefferson and
Madison administrations, apply any insights you may have to previous historical contexts or circumstances. How, if
at all, are these controversies analogous to economic controversies in the colonial or revolutionary eras?
Vocabulary:
Judiciary Act of 1801, midnight judges, Marbury v. Madison, Corps of Discovery, Orders in Council, impressment,
Embargo Act, Non-Intercourse Act, Macon’s Bill No. 2, war hawks
Chapter 12: The Second War for Independence and the Upsurge of Nationalism, 1812-1824:
1. Explain the three components of the American System.
2. Despite government and private efforts to create a unified national economy (i.e. the American System), how did
the shift to market production link the North and Midwest more closely than either was linked to the South?
3. In what ways did the Supreme Court decisions seek to assert federal power over state laws?
4. Discuss the ways in which Americans debated the scope of government’s role in the economy with the acceleration
of a national and international market economy.
5. Explain the causes of the War of 1812.
6. Describe how migrants from Europe increased the population in the East and the Midwest, as well as forge strong
bonds of interdependence between the Northeast and the Old Northwest.
7. Explain how the 1820 Missouri Compromise created a truce over the issue of slavery.
8. HTS—Comparison: How does the American System compare to the economic policies of Alexander Hamilton and
the Federalists in the 1790s?
9. HTS—Contextualization: The authors contend that “the upsurging nationalism of the post-Ghent years. . .was
further reflected and reinforced by the Supreme Court.” Explain how the concept of judicial nationalism influences
the individual decisions of the Marshall Court.
10. HTS—Periodization: The authors contend that, with regard to the Missouri Compromise, “neither the North nor
South was acutely displeased, although neither was completely happy.” Do you think it was a turning point in
relations between the North and the South? Why/why not?
Vocabulary:
Treaty of Ghent, Hartford Convention, Rush-Bagot agreement, Tariff of 1816, Era of Good Feelings, panic of 1819, Land
Act of 1820, Tallmadge amendment, peculiar institution, McCulloch v. Maryland, Cohens v. Virginia, Gibbons v. Ogden,
Fletcher v. Peck, Dartmouth College v. Woodward, Anglo-American Convention, Adams-Onis Treaty, Monroe Doctrine,
Russo-American Treaty
Chapter 13: The Rise of a Mass Democracy, 1824-1840:
1. Give examples of how the nation’s transformation to a more participatory democracy was accompanied by
continued debates over federal power, the relationship between the federal government and the states, the
authority of different branches of the federal government, and the rights and responsibilities of individual citizens.
2. Explain how various constituencies and interest groups coalesced and created the Democratic and Whig parties in
the 1830s to reflect and promote their agendas.
3. In what ways did regional political and economic loyalties of the diverging economic systems of the North and South
continue to overshadow national concerns?
4. Explain the purpose and reasons for the restrictive anti-Indian policies of Andrew Jackson.
5. Discuss how regional interests continued to trump national concerns as the basis for many political leaders’
positions on economic issues, including slavery, the national bank, tariffs, and internal improvements.
6. Explain how federal government attempts to assert authority over the states brought resistance from state
governments in the South.
7. HTS—Comparison: How do the ideas expressed by some southerners during the Nullification Crisis compare to
those expressed by some northerners during the Hartford Convention?
8. HTS—CCOT: The authors state that during the Jacksonian era “the old suspicion of political parties as illegitimate
disrupters of society’s natural harmony gave way to acceptance, even a celebration, of the sometimes wild
contentiousness of political life,” Find relevant historical evidence in this chapter that supports this change over
time. What aspects of the political system did not change and provided continuity?
Vocabulary:
Corrupt bargain, spoils system, Tariff of Abomination, Nullification Crisis, Force Bill, Indian Removal Act, Trail of Tears,
Bank War, pet banks, Specie Circular, panic of 1837
Chapter 14: Forging the National Economy, 1790-1860:
1. Describe how developments in technology, agriculture, and commerce precipitated profound changes in US
settlement patterns and regional identities.
2. Explain how innovations, including the textile machinery, steam engines, interchangeable parts, canals, railroads,
the telegraph, and agricultural inventions, both extended markets and brought efficiency to production for those
markets.
3. Discuss how increasing numbers of Americans, especially women in factories and low-skilled male workers, no
longer relied on semi-subsistence agriculture but made their livelihoods producing goods for distant markets.
4. Explain how the economic changes caused by the market revolution had significant effects of migration patterns,
gender and family relations, and the distribution of political power.
5. Describe how the market revolution helped to widen a gap between the rich and poor, shaped emerging middle and
working classes, and caused a separation between home and workplace.
6. HTS—Causation: What caused the market and transportation revolutions of the 19th century?
7. HTS—Use of Evidence: The authors maintain that “clearly the early factory system did not shower its benefits
evenly on all.” Find relevant historical evidence in this (and/or previous) chapters that support, modify, or refute
this assertion.
Vocabulary:
Ecological imperialism, Molly Maguires, Tammany Hall, Know-Nothing party, cotton gin, Commonwealth v. Hunt, cult of
domesticity, turnpike, McCormick reaper, Erie Canal, clipper ships, Pony Express
Chapter 15: The Ferment of Reform and Culture, 1790-1860:
1. What was the Second Great Awakening? What causes can you think of?
2. Explain how the Second Great Awakening, liberal social ideas from abroad, and romantic beliefs in human
perfectibility fostered the rise of voluntary organizations to promote religious and secular reforms.
3. Discuss how a new national culture emerged, with various Americans creating art, architecture, and literature that
combined European forms with local and regional cultural sensibilities.
4. Describe how various groups of women and religious followers developed cultures reflecting their interests and
experiences (pp 309-314; 319-321)
5. HTS—Comparison: How does the Second Great Awakening of the 19th century compare to the Great Awakening of
the 18th century? How many relevant similarities and differences can you generate?
Vocabulary:
Deism, Burned-Over District, Mormons, American Temperance Society, Maine Law of 1851, Women’s Rights Convention
at Seneca Falls, Oneida Community, Shakers, Federal Style, Hudson River school, romanticism, transcendentalism