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CliffsAP study guides help you gain an edge on Advanced Placement* exams. Review exercises, realistic practice exams, and effective test-taking strategies are the key to calmer nerves and higher AP* scores.

CliffsAP United States History, 3rd Edition, is for students who are enrolled in AP U.S. History or who are preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination in United States History. Inside, you’ll find hints for answering the essay and multiple-choice sections, a clear explanation of the exam format, a look at how exams are graded, and more:

• An overview of U.S. history with definitions, key terms, and concepts
• Advice on how and what to read about U.S. History to gain the most understanding
• Comments on sample essays and their possible score
• Loads of illustrations, tables, maps, photos to help you visualize what you learn
• A list of Things to Know for each period of history

Sample questions (and answers!) and practice tests reinforce what you’ve learned in areas such as Colonial America, the New Nation, the World Wars, and the second half of the twentieth century. CliffsAP United States History, 3rd Edition, also includes the following periods:

• The American Revolution and a look at British imperial policy
• The Constitution and the Federalists, plus the structure of government under the Constitution
• Jeffersonian and Jacksonian democracy
• The Civil War and Reconstruction
• The Gilded Age (1877–1900)
• The Depression, with a look at New Deal agencies
• The United States as a superpower and contemporary America

This comprehensive guide offers a thorough review of key concepts and detailed answer explanations. It’s all you need to do your best — and get the college credits you deserve.

*Advanced Placement Program and AP are registered trademarks of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse this product.

CliffsAP United States History

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By Paul Soifer

John Wiley & Sons

ISBN: 0-7645-8690-4

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Chapter One

Multiple-Choice Question Types

Just as the exam format has undergone slight modifications, so too the types of multiple-choice questions asked may vary from year to year. In recent years, the "multiple" multiple-choice questions and questions based on a variety of graphic presentations-maps, tables, charts, graphs, political cartoons, photographs, and artwork-have not been as common as in the past. We have included them because the pendulum does swing back and forth, and, if they don't appear in the multiple-choice section, they will show up as documents in the DBQ.

"What" Questions

The multiple-choice questions are framed as a question or sentence stem where one of five possible answers correctly completes the statement. Many are straightforward and require you to remember facts about events, personalities, and significant developments in Unites States history. Students usually score quite well on this type of question.

Example 1

1. The Great Awakening was associated with A. Thomas Jefferson B. Henry David Thoreau C. Jonathan Edwards D. Lyndon Johnson E. William Bradford

The correct answer is C. This question asks you to identify an important cultural movement with its main representative. If you know that the Great Awakening was an early eighteenth-century religious revival, all the choices except Jonathan Edwards can be eliminated. None of the other individuals were known as religious thinkers and came before (William Bradford) or after (Thoreau) the eighteenth century. Lyndon Johnson is included to make sure you don't confuse the Great Society, his domestic economic program of the 1960s, with the Great Awakening. There's another way to ask the same question:

1. Jonathan Edwards was a key figure in the A. abolitionist movement B. Sons of Liberty C. Great Awakening D. Progressive party E. Populist party

Example 2

Factual multiple-choice questions often ask what something is about. Let's use the Great Awakening again as an example.

2. Which of the following best describes the Great Awakening? A. An attempt by nineteenth-century writers to create an American literature B. The movement among black Americans to discover their African heritage C. The increased emphasis on science and education after the Soviet Union launched the first satellite in 1957 D. An eighteenth-century revival that was characterized by "fire and brimstone" sermons E. Lyndon Johnson's domestic program that included the "War on Poverty"

The correct answer is D. This question is easy if you know what the Great Awakening was. If not, you might still get the correct answer if you can place it in time - the eighteenth century.

Example 3

Here's another example of a "what" question presented as a sentence stem:

3. The Know-Nothing party A. wanted to limit the rights of freed slaves in the South B. advocated prohibiting the teaching of evolution in the public schools C. backed the early efforts of unskilled workers to form unions D. supported the claims of farmers against the railroads E. demanded an end to immigration into the United States

The correct answer is E. Established in 1854, the Know-Nothing party had strong local support in New York and New England based on an anti-immigration and anti-Catholic platform.

Example 4

"What" questions sometimes look for the definition of a term. The question may state the definition, and you select the correct term from the five choices, or it may supply the term, and you identify the appropriate definition. You're expected to know the historical context in which the term was used.

4. A company that buys up other businesses in the same industry is an example of A. horizontal integration B. vertical integration C. a corporation D. a joint-stock company E. a conglomerate

The correct answer is A. Examples of horizontal integration are the railroads and oil industry in the late nineteenth century. Vertical integration refers to controlling production from the raw-material stage through distribution to the consumer - for example, the steel industry under Andrew Carnegie, who owned coal mines, railroads, and steam ships as well as steel mills. Although a corporation or a conglomerate might provide valid examples, the question is asking for a more specific form of business organization.

Example 5

Here's an example where the term is given:

5. Which of the following most accurately describes carpetbaggers? A. They were former slaves who migrated to the North after the Civil War. B. They were black officeholders in the South during Reconstruction. C. They were Northerners who sought economic opportunity in the South after the Civil War. D. They were displaced farmers who moved to California during the Depression. E. They were recent immigrants who settled in the West in the late nineteenth century.

The correct answer is C. You should be able to associate carpetbaggers with the post-Civil War period. This eliminates answers D and E. You should also know from your reading and class lectures that carpetbaggers were Northerners.

There are literally hundreds of terms that may come up in a multiple-choice question. Your AP teacher will probably hand out a list for each unit you study, and important terms are defined beginning on page 97 of this book. As you read your text, take notes on any terms or concepts that are explained in detail. Some may be highlighted by italics or bold print.

In addition to the examples given so far, the AP exam uses multiple-choice questions that contain special markers or have a unique format. Here they are called the "reverse" multiple-choice question, the "when" question, and the "multiple" multiple-choice question.

The "Reverse" Multiple-Choice Question

The "reverse" multiple-choice question is easily identified by the words "EXCEPT" or "NOT" in all capital letters in the question or sentence stem. It basically asks you which of the five possible choices does not belong. Once you identify a "reverse" question, the best way to handle it is to ignore the "EXCEPT" or "NOT" marker. Then put an "X" through or cross out all of the answers that do belong. The one you're left with is correct. "Reverse" questions are very common and make up about ten percent of the multiple-choice section.

Example 1

1. Which of the following amendments to the Constitution was NOT part of the Bill of Rights? A. Freedom of speech, press, and religion B. Direct election of senators C. Protection against illegal search D. The right to bear arms E. Trial by jury

The correct answer is B. The direct election of senators was provided for in the Seventeenth Amendment (1913). Prior to the amendment, senators were chosen by state legislatures (indirect election). All of the other choices were among the first ten amendments to the Constitution, effective in December 1791 and commonly known as the Bill of Rights.

Example 2

2. Which of the following statements about the American Federation of Labor (AFL) is NOT accurate?

A. The AFL was composed of skilled workers organized by craft.

B. The AFL used strikes to achieve its goals.

C. The AFL opposed restrictions on immigration into the United States.

D. The AFL was the largest union in the country at the end of the nineteenth century.

E. The AFL supported the closed shop.

The correct answer is C. Although Samuel Gompers, the leader of the AFL, was an immigrant himself, he and his union supported restrictions on immigration in the late nineteenth century allegedly to protect the jobs of American workers. All of the other choices accurately reflect the AFL's program. This question also requires you to know the definition of the term "closed shop" - companies could hire only workers who belonged to the union.

Example 3

3. Progressives supported greater participation in the political process through all of the following EXCEPT A. primary elections B. recall C. initiative and referendum D. direct election of senators E. city manager government

The correct answer is E. The city manager government, where a professional administrator runs local government in accordance with the policies of elected officials, reflects the Progressives' emphasis on efficiency. But since the city manager is appointed, this is not an example of greater public participation in the political process.

Example 4

4. Which of the following writers is NOT considered part of the "Lost Generation"? A. Langston Hughes B. F. Scott Fitzgerald C. Ernest Hemingway D. e. e. cummings E. Gertrude Stein

The correct answer is A. This question is similar to the first example given on the Great Awakening - identify an individual with a movement or event. Four of the writers listed - Fitzgerald, Hemingway, cummings, and Stein - are associated with the "Lost Generation" of the 1920s; indeed, Gertrude Stein coined the phrase. Langston Hughes, an African-American writer, was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance.

Example 5

5. All of the following are important to understanding U.S. foreign policy from 1945 to 1970 EXCEPT A. brinksmanship B. NATO C. containment policy D. Marshall Plan E. McCarthyism

The correct answer is E. Although Senator Joseph McCarthy's campaign against alleged Communists in the government certainly reflected concerns raised by the Cold War, it had little to do with U.S. foreign policy given your other choices.

Example 6

A variant of the "reverse" multiple-choice question uses the word "LEAST," again in all capital letters. It isn't as common as the other markers. "LEAST" questions often relate to the causes/consequences of an event or the character of a period in U.S. history. Let's use U.S. post-World War II foreign policy again for an example.

6. During the period from 1945 to 1970, U.S. foreign policy planners were LEAST concerned with A. containing Soviet expansion B. trade imbalances between the United States and Japan C. Cuba's support for guerilla movements in Latin America D. wars of national liberation in Southeast Asia E. military conflicts in the Middle East

The correct answer is B. International trade didn't become an important foreign policy concern until the 1980s. All of the other choices were major foreign policy issues during the Cold War.

The "When" Question

A common type of multiple-choice question asks "when" something took place. Although history is much more than dates, students must be able to put key events in their proper chronological context. You are expected to know, for example, that the ratification of the Constitution came after the Declaration of Independence. "First," "last," "occurred," and "most recently" are obvious markers for "when" questions. These words are not capitalized in the question.

Example 1

1. The first permanent English colony in North America was A. Maryland B. Roanoke C. Jamestown D. Plymouth E. St. Augustine

The correct answer is C. Jamestown was founded in 1607. While Sir Walter Raleigh tried to establish a colony at Roanoke in the 1580s, the attempt failed. St. Augustine was founded by Spain (not England) in 1565. Plymouth was established in 1620 and Maryland in 1634. This question has two important clues - "permanent" and "English." If you read it too quickly and missed either clue, you probably marked the wrong answer.

Example 2

2. Which of the following important events in westward expansion took place last? A. Annexation of Texas B. California gold rush C. Homestead Act D. Mexican War E. Oregon boundary settlement

The correct answer is C. The Homestead Act of 1862 offered 160 acres of public lands in the West to any citizen for a low fee. All of the other events occurred earlier: annexation of Texas (1845), Mexican War (1846), Oregon boundary settlement (1846), and California gold rush (1849). Since you can mark up the question booklet, you could put dates you know next to the event to help you eliminate the incorrect choices.

Example 3

3. Which of the following occurred during the Truman administration? A. Yalta Conference B. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka C. Bay of Pigs invasion D. Taft-Hartley Act E. Suez crisis

The correct answer is D. The Taft-Hartley Act, which significantly affected labor unions, became law in 1947 over President Truman's veto. All of the other events occurred either before (Yalta Conference) or after Truman's term as President. If you're unsure of the dates, you could arrive at the right answer by identifying the events with the correct President:

Yalta Conference - Franklin Roosevelt Brown v. Board of Education - Dwight Eisenhower Bay of Pigs invasion - John Kennedy Taft-Hartley Act - Harry Truman Suez crisis - Dwight Eisenhower

Example 4

A variation of the "when" question presents several lists of events, and asks which is in the correct chronological order.

4. Which of the following is in the correct chronological order? A. Japan invades Manchuria, Stimson Doctrine, NeutralityActs, Lend-Lease Act, Atlantic Charter B. Stimson Doctrine, Japan invades Manchuria, Lend-Lease Act, Neutrality Acts, Atlantic Charter C. Atlantic Charter, Stimson Doctrine, Lend-Lease Act, Neutrality Act, Japan invades Manchuria D. Stimson Doctrine, Atlantic Charter, Lend-Lease Act, Neutrality Acts, Japan invades Manchuria E. Japan invades Manchuria, Neutrality Acts, Atlantic Charter, Lend-Lease Act, Neutrality Acts.

The correct answer is A: Japan invades Manchuria (1931), Stimson Doctrine (1932), Neutrality Acts (1935-1939), Lend-Lease Act (1941), Atlantic Charter (1941). The Stimson Doctrine, which stated that the United States would not recognize territory acquired by force, was a direct response to Japan's invasion of Manchuria.

Example 5

"When" questions may not include one of the special markers. It's obvious from the examples presented so far that understanding when an event occurred is often an important clue to the correct answer. Dates or references to particular periods in U.S. history in the question are significant. It's a good idea to put dates that you know next to the possible answers to better define your choices.

5. In 1961, the most significant event affecting relations between the United States and Cuba was A. the discovery of Soviet missiles on the island B. Castro's decision to support Marxist movements in Central America C. the Bay of Pigs invasion D. the closing of the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo Bay E. the CIA plan to assassinate Castro

The correct answer is C. You might easily have answered A if you didn't remember that the Cuban missile crisis, which brought the United States and the Soviet Union to the brink of war, occurred in 1962.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from CliffsAP United States History by Paul Soifer Excerpted by permission.
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