APUSH Summer Assignment
You have chosen to participate in AP U.S. History for the upcoming school year. This course is an
extensive study of American History and as a result, to keep us on track, get you prepared for the
AP Exam, and provide a foundation for the course, there is a summer reading assignment.
Part 1: Get interested in history! As you travel over the summer, even if it’s just around town, seek out
historic sites and learn more about the history that surrounds you!
Part 2: Sign up for updates by texting @bb266 to 571-933-6111. These are one-way text reminders that
are sent out throughout the year. I will not have access to your cell number.
Part 3: Read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2, New World Beginnings: 33,000 B.C.-A.D. 1769 and The Planting of English
America: 1500-1733, BEFORE the first day of school.
Part 4: Complete the Term Sheet and Quiz that accompanies the readings. Look at them and print them
off of my classroom website: http://www.campbell.kyschools.us/olc/teacher.aspx?s=1099 . These will be
due the first day of school.
Part 4: Choose ONE of the books below to read and write a review. The review should be a minimum of
two pages typed, double spaced, size 12 font. Be sure to write in your own words and include a brief
summary with your thoughts on the book as well as the additional information requested below.
This will be due August 22, 2014 (second Friday of school)
Historic Fiction
 If you choose one of the fiction books below, examine the social, political, and economic
issues within the time period of the story.
o Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
o The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
o The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
o Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Nonfiction:
 Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis
o Describe the social and political interactions between the “founding brothers”
 Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts
o Describe the social and political influences that the “founding mothers” had on the
Revolutionary period.
 How the States Got Their Shapes by Mark Stein
o Describe at least three stories of the states and how they were formed.
 The Presidents Club: Inside the World’s Most Exclusive Fraternity by Nancy Gibbs and Michael
Duffy
o Describe the interactions between the modern presidents and explain something that
surprised you about these interactions.
 The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan
o Describe the social, political, and economic implications of Betty Friedan’s book.
 Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
o
Describe the environmental impact that you think this book would have if a similar book
was written today.