United States History
The United States History content category has about 22 selected-response questions. These questions account for 19% of the entire exam.
This content category can be neatly divided into 2 sections:
- Chronological Developments
- Major Themes
So, let’s talk about the Chronological Developments section first.
Chronological Developments
This section tests your knowledge of all the notable events and developments in the history of the United States, especially the cause and effect of those events and developments.
Let’s talk about some concepts that you will more than likely see on the test.
Sectionalism
The term sectionalism refers to how people who live in “sections” or regions of the United States have different social, cultural, economic, and political ideas and perspectives.
Sectionalism began in the United States when the thirteen original colonies were broken into the New England, middle, and southern regions, but identities became even more different following the War of 1812. At this time, people and politicians from the northern region of the country began to strongly disagree and have a different perspective than people and politicians from the southern region of the United States, particularly on the institution of slavery. The result of sectionalism at that time was ultimately The Civil War.
Many Americans moved west during the time period following the Civil War and reconstruction. Americans in the west primarily worked in mines or farmed, and at that time, growing sectionalism between those living west of the Mississippi River and those living east of it began to grow due to different economic and political interests.
The New Deal
The New Deal was a series of programs, economic reforms, regulations, and public work projects put in place by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in order to try and bring the United States out of the Great Depression. Roosevelt was a progressive who believed that society could improve when improvements were made to government regulations. Roosevelt’s New Deal was active from March 1933 to 1939 which marked the beginning of a new focus to defense and preparing for war.
The New Deal did not end the Depression, but it did help restore public confidence in the federal government and banks. The programs the New Deal put in place did bring relief to millions of Americans.
Roosevelt’s New Deal tried to fix:
- the sense of despair among the American people
- the collapse of America’s financial system
- the high unemployment rate
- the shrinking economy
Here are the major successes of the New Deal:
- It created a range of programs that helped lower the unemployment rate and create jobs for many unemployed Americans.
- Many beneficial public construction projects such as dams, parks, schools, libraries, and highways were built by Americans who needed work.
- It created Social Security which has become a necessity for many senior citizens living in America.
- Multiple laws, or acts, were put into place that more closely regulated banks and businesses. This helped the American people regain trust in these institutions.
Let’s talk about the failures of the New Deal:
- It did not end the Depression (World War II did), but it did lessen the worst effects.
- Some of the laws Roosevelt put into place were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
The greatest impression the Depression and the New Deal left on the United States was a change in government philosophy. Until this time, it was largely accepted that Americans were “on their own” when it came to their well-being and prosperity; however, following the New Deal, Americans came to believe that the federal government has a duty to ensure the health of the United States’ economy, as well as the welfare of its citizens.
Spanish Colonies in North America
Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain in 1492 with a goal of finding a new trade route to Asia. Spain was a “super power” of Europe during the Age of Exploration and was competing with other European powers for global control.
Columbus first docked his ships in what is today the Bahamas and shared his discovery with the leaders of Spain. Columbus’ voyage was the first of many from Spain since Spanish leaders saw Columbus’ discovery as an opportunity for Spain to continue colonization and their pursuit of global dominance.
Spanish conquistadors (conquerors) conquered multiple North American civilizations, as well as claimed land for themselves and formed settlements with motivation from what is often referred to as “The three G’s:”
- Gold (claiming any riches acquired through conquests for Spain)
- Glory (taking over land to expand their empire)
- God (sending Catholic priests to spread Catholicism throughout conquered territories)
Here’s a basic timeline of Spanish colonization:
- 1519-1521: Present-day Mexico and the Aztec people were conquered by Hernando Cortes. Multiple missions were built with the intent to spread Catholicism throughout the world.
- 1528-1565: Multiple Spanish explorers (Cabeza de Vaca, Hernando de Soto, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, and more) traveled throughout North America (what is present day California, as well as the southwestern and southeastern United States) gathering information about the land, people, and potential benefits of that land for Spain.
- 1565: The first permanent North American settlement is settled by Spain at St. Augustine, Florida.
- 1573: Catholic priests arrive in Florida to build missions which went north up the coast of North America. Missions were spread from St. Augustine, Florida to what is present day North Carolina, and then southwest to present day Tallahassee, Florida.
- 1763: Spain trades Florida to Great Britain for Havana, Cuba.
- 1783: The Treaty of Paris, which ended the American Revolution, returned all of Florida to Spanish control.
- 1821: Spain gives the United States control of Florida.
- 1824: Mexicans win their independence from Spain, and Spanish rule in North America comes to an end.
Major Themes
This section tests your knowledge of major themes in United States history, including but not limited to:
- immigration
- Susan B. Anthony
- Robert LaFollete
Here are some concepts you should know.
Immigration
1600’s
What would become the United States of America was welcoming immigrants from primarily Europe who were seeking a better life. Spanish exploration sparked interest in North America and the vast and prosperous land it had to offer. Immigrants came during this time period for a few reasons:
- religious freedom
- the opportunity to own land and/or their own business
- indentured servitude to pay off debts or earn land
This time period is also marked by the beginning of slaves forcibly brought into what is today the United States from Africa and the Caribbean.
1700’s
British colonies were thriving in North America, but due to this, Britain was losing many skilled workers who were looking for a better life in North America. Some members of British Parliament called for an end to immigration to colonies in North America.
1800-1820
America became, in Thomas Paine’s words, “the asylum for the persecuted lovers of civil and religious liberty from every part of Europe.”
- 3.9 million people were counted in the first census.
- The English were the largest group represented.
- 20% of the 3.9 million were of African descent.
Immigration was slow during the years directly following the American Revolution and through the War of 1812; however, by 1814, during a time of peace, European immigration (specifically, Great Britain and Ireland) resumed in large numbers.
1820-1900
During this time period, the slave trade was slowing, and the Industrial Revolution was beginning. This time period was marked by immigrants seeking:
- industrial jobs in northern factories, as well as jobs building the Transcontinental Railroad.
- gold- many immigrants from Europe and Asia came to California in search of gold.
- In 1882, congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act which greatly restricted immigration from China.
Towards the end of the 19th century, Mexicans, Eastern European Jews, Russians, and Armenians were all seeking refuge from their war torn countries. At times, immigrants were welcomed in the United States with open arms (for example, when their service was needed in the Civil War or when the economy was strong); however, at other times (when jobs were hard to find), immigrants were cast out and treated with hostility for “stealing” jobs.
1900’s
The early to mid 1900s were marked by the Depression, war, and immigrants seeking asylum.
- The development of the steam engine reduced the amount of time the trip from Europe to the United States took; this encouraged a large amount of immigrants to make a new life in the United States. Between 1880 and 1930, over 27 million people entered the United States.
- In the 1920s, a series of laws were passed to slow immigration; the Great Depression (1930) also slowed immigration considerably.
- During and following World War II, the United States was tasked with allowing or rejecting millions of war refugees seeking asylum. President Truman urged congress to allow refugees to enter the country. In 1948, hundreds of thousands of refugees were allowed entry.
- The trend of accepting refugees continued in the 1950s when tens of thousands of Hungarian refugees entered the United States.
In 1965, the Immigration and Naturalization Act became law, and immigration policies no longer favored western European immigrants.
- By 1970, Asian immigration rose greatly.
- United States’ immigration policy favored professionals who were usually the first in their families to come, and then, once successful in the United States, brought other members of their families.
- The 1980s-1990s were marked by a surge in illegal immigration; for the first time, illegal immigration became a hot political issue.
Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) was a crusader in the fight to gain women the right to vote (women’s suffrage movement) in the United States.
Susan B. Anthony impacted society by:
- dedicating her life’s work to fighting for equal rights, specifically for African Americans and women.
- co-founding the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA).
- leading the women’s suffrage movement for almost 50 years.
- presenting a bill to the US Congress in 1878 that gave women the right to vote. This bill later became the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution in 1920, and from that point forward, women had the right to vote.
Robert LaFollete
Robert LaFollette was a Republican turned Progressive from Wisconsin who served as a member of the House of Representatives, the US Senate, and Governor of Wisconsin. He is considered to be one of the greatest US Senators to serve in the position.
Robert LaFollete impacted society in the United States by:
- fighting against and exposing political corruption and inequality.
- developing the “Wisconsin Idea” which secured the passage of several progressive reforms.
- helping pass several laws and reforms in the federal government.
- speaking out against the United States’ involvement in World War I. He believed war would ruin America’s reputation and that the United States should stay neutral.
- standing up for American taxpayers by fighting against corruption and special interests that big business had in Washington D.C.
And that’s some basic info about the United States History content category.