Period 3 (1754-1800)

Overview

Welcome to Period 3! This period accounts for roughly 12% of the exam. In past exams, this period has been a popular choice for essays and Short Answer Questions, so make sure you are able to explain main ideas!

Why were these years chosen for this period?

1754 marked the beginning of the 7 Years War (French and Indian) which the British would win and end its longstanding policy of salutary neglect. 1800 marked the election of Thomas Jefferson, which some historians have called The Revolution of 1800.

Potential Short Answer Questions/Essay Topics Include:

• Reasons for the Growth of the First Party System

• Analyzing the 7 Years’ War as a turning point

• Comparing and Contrasting the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution

Thematic Questions

American & National Identity: How did different social group identities evolve during the revolutionary struggle? How did leaders of the new United States attempt to form a national identity?

Work, Exchange, & Technology: How did the newly independent United States attempt to formulate a national economy?

Migration & Settlement: How did the revolutionary struggle and its aftermath reorient white‐American Indian relations and affect subsequent population movements?

Politics and Power: How did the ideology behind the revolution affect power relationships between different ethnic, racial, and social groups?

America in the World: How did the revolution become an international conflict involving competing European and American powers?

Geography & the Environment: How did the geographical and environmental characteristics of regions opened up to white settlement after 1763 affect their subsequent development?

Culture & Society: Why did the patriot cause spread so quickly among the colonists after 1763? How did the republican ideals of the revolutionary cause affect the nation’s political culture after independence?