Choose ONLY 5 questions:
1 - Describe and explain the characteristics of the pre-Columbian indigenous cultures that existed in the Pacific Northwest, the California coastal region, the Southwest, the Mississippi Valley, the Southeast, and the Northeast. What is the legacy of these cultures?
2 - What were some of the changes that took place in Europe between the years 1000 and 1492, and why did those changes lead to European exploration and overseas expansion?
3 - Describe and explain the meaning of the Columbian exchange. How did both the Old and New Worlds experience gains and losses because of the exchange? Which world benefited the most? Why? In what ways does the exchange continue today?
4 - During the sixteenth century, Spain became the most powerful country in both Europe and the Americas. How and why did this happen? What were the primary factors that contributed to Spain's successful conquest of Native American civilizations in the New World? How did Spain then transform America? How is the Spanish influence still visible in the United States today?
5 - Why did the British establish colonies in the Chesapeake and Carolina? How and why did life and labor in these colonies change during the 17th century? What developments occurred then that continued to shape America for generations?
6 - Describe the Puritan "city upon a hill" envisioned by John Winthrop. Analyze the ways in which the Puritans attempted to realize this vision in New England. What tensions and conflicts did this bring about? To what extent did Puritan influences shape America, and how is this reflected today?
7 - How and why did the middle colonies become more diverse than the southern and New England colonies? What are the short- and long-term economic, social, and political consequences of this diversity?
8 - Compare and contrast the northern, middle, and southern colonies by 1760. What experiences were unifying the colonies? How were the British colonies different from Spain's colonies?
9 - Describe and explain the evolution of American political thought and tactics in opposing British policies between 1754 and 1774. Why and how had the revolutionary movement brought the colonies to the brink of declaring independence? Do you think that the American Revolution was inevitable by 1774? Why or why not?
10 - Describe and explain the roles played by loyalists, African Americans, women, and American Indians during the Revolutionary War. How did the outcome of the war affect them?
11 - What major challenges did Americans face during the War for Independence, and how did they overcome those challenges and defeat Great Britain?
12 - What were the major problems facing American leaders during the 1780s? What were the main weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? How did those weaknesses prevent the new government from dealing with the new nation's major problems? How did the Constitution of 1787 alter the structure and operation of the national government to more effectively deal with those problems?