AP US History Summer Assignment – 2017 (Due first day of class)

Dear Young Scholars,

Welcome to AP US History! I’m excited that you’ll be in my class next year, and I look forward to helping you improve your historical thinking
skills and your writing. Please read over this entire packet of work before you end this school year. However, I recommend that you leave the summer
assignment until sometime in August so that the ideas are fresher in your mind at the beginning of the school year. Another tip from former students
is to try NOT to cram it all into one or two days. There’s a lot of information, and you want to be able to have enough time to reflect on it and
consider the big-picture ideas embedded within the text.

AP United States History is a survey course designed to cover American History from the Colonial Era to 2001. Because the course encompasses so
much material, assigning some of the earlier material during the summer allows the class to move at a more reasonable pace during the regular school
year. Your summer work covers the early Colonial period (pre 1750) of American History. Keep in mind that the reading level is challenging and
that you may struggle with the workload, but try not to be discouraged. It’s all part of a new process of learning. Do your best, and bring your
Summer Assignment and any questions you have about the content to the first day of class! I’m looking forward to a great year with you!
Sincerely,
Laura Garrett

1. READ: Carefully read chapters 1, 2, & 3 in the America’s History 7th edition textbook. As you read, take
notes on the main ideas and find a note-taking format that works well for you. You will not turn in these
notes, but they will be essential for you to help you process the material. Notes are for understanding
concepts, like cause and effect, instead of for dates and names. The textbook is dense and will take some
time to get used to. Try your best to limit the amount of notes you take and focus on big picture ideas,
vocabulary, and questions. One helpful resource is the textbook website, on which you'll find chapter
outlines. Use the main ideas, along with the key vocabulary on the next few pages, to help guide your note-
taking: **Chapter Outlines: http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/henretta7e/#t_647824 (Click on the chapter,
then select "Chapter Wide Resources", then "Chapter Outline")

There will be a multiple-choice exam based on this reading during the second week of school. See the
attached term sheet for key vocabulary from each chapter; pay careful attention to the definition as well as
the historical significance of vocabulary so that you can understand these terms in context. (Also consult the
colonial map at the end of this packet or on my website.)

2. WATCH 4 CRASH COURSE US HISTORY VIDEOS ONLINE: Look on my website for the links to 4
John Green videos about colonial American History. These videos (each 10-12 minutes) cover the same
time period you’re reading in the textbook, and I recommend that you watch these after you’ve already done
the reading so that you’ll have a better understanding of them. You do not need to take notes on these
videos, but use them as a chance to review your notes. As you watch the clips, keep the following question
in mind: To what extent is John Green’s interpretation of Colonial America similar to or different from
what is presented in the textbook? Consider specific themes (such as slavery, religion, politics, economy,
etc.) or one a specific time period, episode, or event.

3. SHORT RESPONSE QUESTIONS: After finishing the reading, respond to the questions below, using
the key vocabulary terms on the following pages when appropriate. Underline all uses of vocabulary terms.
Please limit each response to 1 paragraph. You may type or neatly handwrite your work. We will discuss and
review the questions and vocabulary during the first week of school to help clarify the material.

The Summer Assignment is due the first day of class: Wednesday, August 17th
Please bring your responses to turn in at the beginning of class on the first day of school. Failure to complete the
assignment will significantly hamper your progress in the first semester. NOTE: Plagiarism will not be tolerated and is
grounds for removal from the course.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at lgarrett@tamdistrict.org.

GOOD LUCK, HAVE A GREAT SUMMER, & SEE YOU IN AUGUST!

 Chapter 1: The New Global World: 1450-1620
Pre Columbian Society Mesoamerica Mayans & Aztecs
Hopewell Culture Southwest Pueblo Cultures Eastern Woodland Peoples
European Peasant Society Primogeniture European Renaissance
Portuguese Slave Traders Conquistadors Encomiendas
Columbian Exchange Mestizos Protestantism & Predestination
English Puritans Spanish Armada Dutch West India Company
Mercantilism Gentry & Yeomen Enclosure Acts

Chapter 1 Questions:
1. What was the impact of the Columbian Exchange in food, people, diseases and gold on the Americas,
Europe, and Africa?

Chapter 2: The Invasion & Settlement of North America: 1550-1700

New Spain New France New Netherlands
Popés Rebellion Five Nations of the Iroquois Virginia Company
Jamestown & Tobacco House of Burgesses Anglo-Powhatan War
Royal Colonies Lord Baltimore Maryland Toleration Act
Indentured Servants Chattel Slavery Bacon’s Rebellion
Separatists & Plymouth Puritans & Massachusetts Bay Mayflower Compact
Plymouth Colony John Winthrop Predestination
Roger Williams Anne Hutchinson Salem Witch Trials
Town Meetings Yeomen Farmers Pequot War
Metacom’s War

Chapter 2 Questions: (using a map will help you understand the colonial regions)
1. What were the colonial goals of the Spanish, French, and Dutch? How successful were they in achieving
those goals?
2. How and why did a system of forced labor based on the factors of class and race emerge in the Chesapeake
and Virginia colonies in the early 17th century?
3. What were the social and political structures of the New England colonies? Why did they develop in that
fashion?

Chapter 3: Creating a British Empire in America: 1660-1750

Restoration Colonies
Navigation Acts
John Locke
Royal African Company
African-American Culture
Northern Merchant Society
War of Jenkin’s Ear
Quakers & William Penn Mercantilism
Dominion of New England Glorious Revolution
South Atlantic System Barbados & Sugar Trade
Middle Passage Carolina Rice Trade
Stono Rebellion Southern Gentry Society
Salutary Neglect British Radical Whigs
Molasses Act Currency Act

Chapter 3 Questions:
1. What was the role of the colonies in the British mercantilist system?
2. How did the South Atlantic System shape the development of the colonial regions?
3. How did the ideas and policies of the English Whigs affect British and colonial politics between 1700 and
1760?
4. Why did the British follow the policy of salutary neglect, and what were its consequences?
Suggestions for Short Response Questions

 Read the whole chapter before writing your responses. Skimming for the “answer” will likely result in a
descriptive rather than analytical response. Read with the “big picture” of the subject matter in mind.
 Watch the John Green videos to help give you more context, especially if you’re confused about a topic. I
suggest watching the video after the corresponding chapter as a way to review your notes.
 Include a thesis statement or topic sentence (depending on the format of the question) that addresses the
prompt specifically using the language of the question and sets a clear direction for your response.
 Provide specific factual information (usually 2-3 pieces of specific evidence) to support your argument or
response in a logical and focused way. Use information from the text reading to support your ideas but avoid
simply summarizing the text. Paraphrase concepts and blend in personalized commentary explaining the
relevance of facts.
 Incorporate key vocabulary terms from the lists below when relevant. Underline all vocabulary words.
 Avoid writing in the first person. No “I think…” or “In my opinion…”
 Do not directly quote the body of the textbook – paraphrase concepts in your own words.
 Keep each response as brief as you can. Work on writing concise yet complex sentences.
 Write the chapter # and full question before you begin to write your responses. This will help you later when
you use your notes for studying.

See Colonial Map on Next Page  

Colonial Map