CP United States History I: O’Neill
Final Exam Study Guide
Format: multiple choice; historical thinking skills (a form of short response); short response
Multiple Choice (42 questions@1 points each=42 points)
The French and Indian War
 Nations involved
 Reasons why the war was fought
 End result of the war
The Revolutionary War
 List three reasons why the Declaration of Independence was written
 Author and importance of Common Sense
A New Nation
 First national government, under Articles of Confederation; purpose of
 Virginia Plan vs. New Jersey Plan
 Describe the Great Compromise
 Describe the 3/5 Compromise
 Beliefs of the Federalists, including Hamilton, vs. the beliefs of the Anti-Federalists;
rationale for the Bill of Rights
Launching the New Nation
 Beliefs of Alexander Hamilton & the Federalists
 Beliefs of Thomas Jefferson & the Democratic-Republicans
 Marbury vs. Madison
 Explain why the Louisiana Purchase was important
 What right did the Alien & Sedition acts violate?
 Purpose of the Sedition Act
 Define the term “Unconstitutional”
 Nations involved in the War of 1812
 Causes & Effects of the War of 1812
Balancing Nationalism & Sectionalism
 Effects of the cotton gin
 How did the North & the South develop different economic systems during this time
period? How did this add to societal differences?
Reform Movements
 Define the term “abolition”
 Explain the connection between the Abolition Movement and the Women’s Rights
Movement
American Expansion
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What were the major events in US expansion, and what issues did they raise?
The Union in Peril
 Describe the events that led to tension between the North & the South, including
Missouri Compromise, War with Mexico, Wilmot Proviso, Compromise of 1850,
Fugitive Slave Act, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Bleeding Kansas, Dred
Scott, Harper’s Ferry
 How did the North and South differ in their political beliefs?
 What differences existed in the societies of both regions?
The Civil War
 Lincoln’s evolving attitude toward abolition
 Causes and purposes of the Civil War
 Turning point(s) of the Civil War
The Reconstruction Era
 Define the term “Reconstruction”
 The 13th Amendment…
 The 14th Amendment…
 The 15th Amendment…
 Describe the similarities between Lincoln and Johnson’s Reconstruction Plans
 Describe the Radical Republican’s Plan; include the motives of this group
 The real reason behind Johnson’s impeachment was…
 TRUE or FALSE: Lincoln’s plan for reconstruction looked toward the future and to
forgiveness.
 Define the term “Jim Crow Laws,” sharecropping, Freedman’s Bureau
 Explain the poverty in the South after the Civil War and the reasons why this situation
existed.
Changes on the Western Frontier
 List the beliefs of the Populist Party
 Which groups of people supported the Populist Party?
The New Industrial Age
 TRUE or FALSE: The U.S. economy in the late 19th century was characterized by an
acceptance of unions and collective bargaining.
 TRUE or FALSE: The U.S. economy in the late 19th century was characterized by the
creation of monopolies, new technology, and a growing concentration of wealth.
 Define the term “Gilded Age”
 The Gilded Age is known for being a time of political_______________ and
economic_____________.
 The second industrial _______________took place in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
 Between the Civil War and the turn of the century, farming decreased while
______________ increased.
 What encouraged the growth of industry in the United States?
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List the effects of the second industrial revolution.
Immigration & Urbanization
 What was life like for immigrants in cities?
 Who were the “new” immigrants? Where were they from, and how were they
characterized by the “old” immigrants? What obstacles did both groups face? Who tried
to help new immigrants?
 List and describe the urban problems that existed in cities
 What sort of solutions (to the above problems) was developed?
 Relationship between political machines and immigrants
 Who were the “muckrakers”?
 What was Social Darwinism? Who was a proponent of it?
The Age of Imperialism
 Importance of the Panama Canal…
 Causes and purposes of US imperialism
 List the places the U.S. imperialized and explain how the U.S. gained control.
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Historical Thinking Skills (5 questions@10 points each=50 points)
Change and continuity over time:
o role and expectations for women
o effect of the Market Revolution on the lives of Americans
o evolution of “unfreedom”
Assessment/analysis of a secondary source:
o Be able to identify a passage’s thesis, assess the strength of the argument, and
identify the author’s point of view
Close reading of a primary source:
o Be able to summarize the text, analyze key words/phrases/ideas in the text,
discuss the context of the piece, and discuss the piece’s subtext
Causation:
o Be able to identify and distinguish between causes and effects, and between shortand long-term causes, e.g., regarding the Civil War, the abolition of slavery, the
Revolutionary War, the Market Revolution, or imperialism
Contextualization:
o Be able to explain ways in which specific historical phenomena (local events or
processes -- as pictured below) connect to regional, national, or global events and
processes.
 In particular, you will need to be able to contextualize a cartoon, painting,
poster, engraving, photograph, or the like
Short Answer (4 questions@10 points each=40 points)
Create an annotated spectrum for the concept of republicanism
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Distinguish between Jefferson’s and Hamilton’s vision for the nation, factors that helped
their visions be realized, ways in which their visions were not realized;
purposes/rationales for their visions; methods/strategies used to implement their visions
Distinguish between the characterizations of big business leaders as “captains of
industry”/”industrial statesmen” vs. “robber barons”
What was the impact of big business on the economy? on politics? How did Americans
responds to big business?
Characterize the success of organized labor in improving the position of workers during
the Gilded Age
How was New Jersey impacted by the Market Revolution? How were average
Americans impacted? Explain an historical parallel of similar consequence.
Trace American exceptionalism from John Winthrop through the 19th c.
Identify an event which, it could be argued, marks the beginning of sectionalism. Why
would a different event be a less convincing beginning of sectionalism?
In regard to the Civil War, what events illustrate the truth of the statement that “cannon
conquer but they cannot convert,” and what events challenge that statement?
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