The American History Reading Assignments

AP US History Reading Assignments and 1 pg. Responses
* Questions are DUE on the stated day and will not be accepted late (after the exam to which they refer) * Wednesday March 30 * Ch. 36 p. 852-868 * What were the immediate conflicts and deeper causes that led the U.S. and the Soviet Union to go from being allies to bitter Cold War rivals?
OR
* Why did WWII-unlike WWI lead to a permanent end to American isolationism? * Thursday March 31 * Ch. 36 p. 868-879 * Examine the importance of the Marshall Plan. How did this impact Europe? Discuss the pros and cons to such a plan and imagine what would have happened without this economic recovery plan. * Friday April 1 * Ch. 37 p. 882-890 * In what ways was the Eisenhower Era a time of caution and conservatism, and in what way was it a time of dynamic economic, social, and cultural change? * Monday April 4 * Ch. 37 p. 890-902 * What were the dynamics of the Cold War with the Soviet Union in the 1950s and how did Eisenhower and Khrushchev combine confrontation and conservation in their relationship?
AND
* How did the TV and other innovations of the “consumer age” affect American politics, society, and culture in the 1950s? * Tuesday April 5 * Ch. 37 p. 902-908 * Argue for or against: American politics, society, and culture in the 1950s were all stagnant and narrow, and did not address the real social problems facing the country. * Wednesday April 6 * Unit 12 Exam Ch. 34-37 * Thursday April 7 * Ch. 38 p. 909-916 * What led the U.S. to become so deeply involved in the Vietnam War? Why did the Vietnam War and the domestic opposition to it, come to dominate American politics in the 1960s? * Friday April 8 * Ch. 38 p. 916-927 * Would the 1960s have unfolded in substantially different ways had President Kennedy not been assassinated? What political strengths did Kennedy posses that Johnson did not and vice versa? * Monday April 11 * Ch. 38 p. 927-935 * How did the Civil Rights movement progress from difficult beginnings to great success in 1964-1965 and then encounter increasing opposition from both black militants and white backlash after 1965? * Tuesday April 12 * Ch. 39 p. 938-944 * Was the Nixon-Kissinger foreign policy of détente with the Soviet Union and engagement with Communist China fundamentally a great success? How does the failed end of the Vietnam War color the assessment of Nixon’s overall diplomatic achievements? * Wednesday April 13 * Ch. 39 p. 945-948 * How did the administration of the 1970’s attempt to cope with the interrelated problems of energy, economics, and the Middle East? * Thursday April 14 * Ch. 39 p. 949-964 * It is sometimes said that the recent American disillusionment and even cynicism about politics dates to the paired tribulations of Vietnam and Watergate. Why were these two events so deeply unsettling to traditional American views of democracy and government? Is the linking of the two events accurate, or were there fundamental differences between them? * Friday April 15 * Ch. 40 p. 966-977 * Some historians have compared the Reagan revolution with the New Deal because of the way it seemed to transform radically American economic and politics. Is this a valid comparison? Is it correct to see the Reagan legacy as a reversal or overturning of the New Deal and the Great Society of Johnson? * Monday April 18 * Ch. 40 p. 977-983 * To what extent were American policies responsible for the overthrow of communism in Easter Europe and the Soviet Union in 1989-1919? * Tuesday April 19 * Ch. 40 p. 983-986 * Was the first Persian Gulf War fundamentally based on America’s “Wilsonian” foreign policy of promoting democracy, liberty, and self-determination for small nations (in this case, Kuwait), or was it primarily a defense of national self-interest, ex: in protecting oil supplies and strengthening America’s allies in the Middle East? Use evidence from the chapter to support your answer. * Wednesday April 20 * Ch. 41 * Outline the Chapter * Thursday April 21 * Ch. 42 * Outline the Chapter * Monday April 25 * Unit 13 Exam Ch. 38-42
AP REVIEW

AP Exam- Friday May 6

EOC Exam- Tuesday May 17