AP U.S. History Period 1 Multiple Choice Questions

Questions 1.1-1.5 refer to the map below.

1.1Which of the following statements about the geography of the Great Basin and western Great Plains is most supported by the evidence shown on the above map?

(A) Both regions were very mountainous.(B) There was a relative lack of natural resources.(C) Both regions had very little wildlife.(D) Both regions had a great abundance and variety of natural resources.

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AP U.S. History Period 1 Multiple Choice Questions

Answer: BFeedback: The map indicates that groups in these areas survived mostly by hunting or hunting and gathering. Native Americans who engaged in these practices developed mobile societies that allowed them to follow herds or access varied food sources over a widespread region. The inference can be made that these regions generally lacked an abundance of natural resources nearby in order to permit development of permanent agricultural settlements at the time.Learning Objective: ENV-2Historical Thinking Skill: ComparisonHistorical Thinking Skill: Appropriate Use of Relevant Historical EvidenceKey Concept: 1.1.IStimuli: yes

1.2If the peoples of the Northeastern and Atlantic Seaboard areas were periodically nomadic, based on information from the map, which of the following best explains why?

(A) The dominance in each region by one powerful tribe led other peoples to move to unoccupied lands every few years.

(B) Their agricultural practices quickly exhausted the fertility of the land and forced movement.

(C)Their subsistence did not include fishing, and so they were less likely to be sedentary.

(D)The areas were more densely populated than others.

Answer: BFeedback: Farming techniques particularly in the Northeast exploited the land quickly, rather than worked in a way to develop permanent settlements. After a few years, the land would be exhausted of its fertility, and the group would move to settle elsewhere for another few years. Other groups or villages might disperse every winter, moving to forage in the wilderness, and then reassembling to farm again when the warm weather returned.Learning Objective: PEO-1Historical Thinking Skill: ComparisonHistorical Thinking Skill: Historical ArgumentationKey Concept: 1.1.IStimuli: yes

1.3Based on the map which of the following most likely led to the development of more permanent villages for the Eastern Woodlands peoples?

(A) Relatively easy access to fertile farmland, among an abundance of other natural resources

(B) Proximity to major trading centers and political hubs(C) Availability of large mammals for hunting(D)Migration of peoples from North to South America

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AP U.S. History Period 1 Multiple Choice Questions

Answer: AFeedback: Environmental interaction had a significant role in shaping tribal societies in the Americas. In the Northeast and the Atlantic Seaboard, relatively rich agricultural lands and other resources allowed tribes to reside in settled agricultural villages for at least part of each year.Learning Objective: ENV-2Historical Thinking Skill: Historical CausationKey Concept: 1.1.IStimuli: yes

1.4Which of the following most likely led to the development of the subsistence mode shown in the Southwest?

(A) Establishment of long-distance trade networks with California tribes(B) Diffusion of maize northward from what is now Mexico, along with irrigation

technology(C)Spanish explorers’ introduction of the horse and other domesticated farm

animals (D)Conflict over foraging resources among most Southwestern peoples

Answer: BFeedback: One of the most complex agricultural societies in what is now the United States arose in the Southwest, where the arrival of maize and the development of irrigation supported the growth of the societies of the Pueblo and other settled and advanced peoples.Learning Objective: ENV-1Historical Thinking Skill: SynthesisHistorical Thinking Skill: ContextualizationKey Concept: 1.1.IStimuli: yes

1.5Fishing as a means of subsistence in the precontact era would most likely have

contributed to(A) Development of extensive markets for a thriving national trade in fish(B) Mostly mobile societies(C) The building of substantial permanent settlements(D) The building of extensive irrigation systems due to closeness to large bodies

of water

Answer: CFeedback: Taking advantage of the resources immediately available in their surroundings, the fishing societies would have remained in their coastal regions. Being more permanent would increase the possibilities of their building substantial settlements with access to the seas and other bodies of water.Learning Objective: ENV-2Historical Thinking Skill: Appropriate Use of Relevant Historical Evidence

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AP U.S. History Period 1 Multiple Choice Questions

Key Concept: 1.1.IStimuli: yes

Questions 2.1-2.4 refer to the excerpt below.

“The tough sod discouraged farming, and the plains animals were too fleet of foot to provide a dependable supply of food for large numbers of pedestrians. Then the horse gave the Indian the speed and stamina needed to take advantage of the opportunity to harvest this immense quantity of food represented by the buffalo herds of North America and the herds of wild cattle that propagated so rapidly in the grasslands of both Americas. The Indians stopped farming; the work was hard, boring, and unrewarding, compared to the nomadic life.”

-- Alfred W. Crosby, Jr., historian, The Columbian Exchange: Biologicaland Cultural Consequences of 1492, published 1972

2.1The evidence provided in the above excerpt most directly reflects which of the following changes to the lives of North American Indians?

(A) Horses allowed for the cultivation of previously unusable lands.(B) The buffalo would become a vital resource for the American Indians in the

plains.(C) Buffalo and wild cattle experienced significant population declines.(D) American Indians abandoned farming across North America.

Answer: BFeedback: The introduction of the horse instituted significant changes in American Indian societies, particularly those centered in the plains. These societies farmed less, in favor of increased reliance on hunting buffalo, then plentiful throughout the region. Buffalo would become the economic basis for these tribes, serving as the source for food, supplies--such as clothing and shelter—tools, weapons, and cultural artworks.Learning Objective: ENV-1Historical Thinking Skill: Appropriate Use of Relevant Historical EvidenceHistorical Thinking Skill: Patterns of Continuity and Change over TimeKey Concept: 1.2.IStimuli: yes

2.2The argument in the above excerpt by Crosby most directly supports which of the following about North American Indian settlement patterns in the plains region?

(A) An increase in the numbers of sedentary villages(B) Migration into the farming regions of the Southwest(C) Expansion by the North American Indian within the region

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AP U.S. History Period 1 Multiple Choice Questions

(D) More stable agricultural communities due to the domestication of wild cattle

Answer: CFeedback: With the horse, many American Indians of the plains left farming to hunt the migratory buffalo herds. They would have spread out, becoming more mobile to expand their reach, following the various herds. Any settlements would more likely be temporary encampments.Learning Objective: PEO-5Historical Thinking Skill: Appropriate Use of Relevant Historical EvidenceHistorical Thinking Skill: InterpretationKey Concept: 1.2.IStimuli: yes

2.3The above excerpt best supports which of the following arguments regarding the introduction of the horse to the American Indian?

(A) The introduction of the horse was a turning point in economic and societal development in the plains of North America.

(B) The introduction of the horse led to rapid domestication of buffalo and cattle.(C)The introduction of the horse brought many peoples from the plains of South

America to the plains of North America.(D)The increased mobility brought by the horse brought the plains people into

increased contact with the people of the Northwest coastal areas.

Answer: AFeedback: One of the key patterns of interaction between Europeans and American Indians was the exchange of crops, diseases, and animals. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, American Indians had lacked large domesticated animals, aside from dogs. With the introduction of the horse, the plains American Indians, could now take advantage of the abundant buffalo and wild cattle. This change to a more nomadic culture changed how their societies developed.Learning Objective: WXT-1Historical Thinking Skill: Appropriate Use of Relevant Historical EvidenceHistorical Thinking Skill: PeriodizationHistorical Thinking Skill: Patterns of Continuity and Change over TimeKey Concept: 1.2.IStimuli: yes

2.4The introduction of the horse most directly helped facilitate which of the following?

(A) The introduction of the horse would eventually decrease the economic wealth of the American Indians.

(B) In trading for horses and other commodities, the American Indian would become more dependent on the colonists and lose their ability to hunt.

(C) Like the introduction of the gun, the introduction of the horse helped increase the intensity of American Indian warfare.

(D) The introduction of the horse helped stave off the eventual defeat of American Indians by the European settlers by transforming them into

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AP U.S. History Period 1 Multiple Choice Questions

hunting societies, which meant that the American Indians, as a whole, needed less land.

Answer: CFeedback: Like the introduction of guns, the introduction of horses to North America would intensify the nature of the warfare between the European settlers and the American Indians, by offering advantages to the American Indian, which would help in the American Indian being more effective than they otherwise might have been.Learning Objective: WXT-1Historical Thinking Skill: ContextualizationHistorical Thinking Skill: Historical CausationKey Concept: 1.2.IKey Concept: 2.2.IIStimuli: yes

Questions 3.1-3.3 refer to the excerpt below

“6. This enterprise may stay the Spanish King from flowing over all the face of that waste firm of America, if we seat and plant there in time, … And England possessing the purposed place of planting, her Majesty may, … have plenty of excellent trees for masts of goodly timber to build ships and to make great navys, of pitch, tar, hemp, and all things incident for a navy royal, and that for no price, and without money or request. How easy a matter may yet be to this realm, … to be lords of all those seas, and to spoil Phillip's Indian navy, and to deprive him of yearly passage of his treasure into Europe, and consequently to abate the pride of Spain and of the supporter of the great Anti-Christ of Rome and to pull him down in equality to his neighbour princes, and consequently to cut of the common mischiefs that come to all Europe by the peculiar abundance of his Indian treasure, and this without difficulty.

12. By the great plenty of those regions the merchants and their factors shall lie there cheap, buy and repair their ships cheap, and shall return at pleasure without stay or restraint of foreign prince;

16. We shall by planting there enlarge the glory of the gospel, and from England plant sincere religion, and provide a safe and a sure place to receive people from all parts of the world that are forced to flee for the truth of God's word.

18. The Spaniards govern in the Indies with all pride and tyranny; … Her Majesty and her subjects may both enjoy the treasure of the mines of gold and silver, and the whole trade and all the gain of the trade of merchandise, that now passeth thither by the Spaniards only hand, of all the commodities of Europe; … and by customs to fill her Majesty's coffers to the full.”

-- Richard Hakluyt, an early supporter of English colonization,A Discourse Concerning Western Planting, 1584

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AP U.S. History Period 1 Multiple Choice Questions

3.1The evidence in the above passage most directly reflects which of the following turning points in the 16th century?

(A) The downfall of the Spanish empire in the Americas(B) The English desire for gold and silver from the New World(C)The conflict between Catholics and Protestants over who could convert the

most American Indians to their faiths (D)England’s decision to challenge Spain’s dominance in the Americas

Answer: D Feedback: During the 1500s, England and Spain competed mightily for power and influence both in Europe and the Americas. Successful English settlement in North America, it was argued, could permit the English to challenge Spanish commercial dominance in trade and resource production. This is considered a turning point by many historians in the shift in the balance of power in the Atlantic World from Spain to England.Learning Objective: WOR-1Historical Thinking Skill: Appropriate Use of Relevant Historical EvidenceHistorical Thinking Skill: PeriodizationKey Concept: 1.2.IIStimuli: yes

3.2Hakluyt’s argument most closely parallels which of the following American ideological concerns from the mid-19th through the early 20th centuries?

(A) American overseas expansionism (B) Manifest destiny(C)The push for a modernized American naval fleet(D)The Nativist/Anti-Catholic movement

Answer: AFeedback: Hakluyt’s endorsement of overseas colonization for reasons of financial gain and international prestige most closely parallels America’s movement into overseas expansion in the late 19th century. At that time, many in America were concerned about the nation’s image as a great power compared to the nations in Western Europe. They also supported economic policies in many Latin American and Pacific island countries that greatly favored American industries.Learning Objective: WOR-6Historical Thinking Skill: SynthesisKey Concept: 1.2.IIKey Concept: 7.3.IStimuli: yes

3.3The social and economic changes referred to in Hakluyt’s excerpt most directly led

to

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AP U.S. History Period 1 Multiple Choice Questions

(A) The European shift from a feudalistic model to eventually a capitalistic model (B) The reduction of European monarchs’ powers (C)The Spanish encomienda system spreading throughout North America(D)A dramatic decrease in Western European land values

Answer: AFeedback: The increased wealth in resources promoted trade and manufacturing, as well as promoted the development of a merchant class. The increased commerce facilitated the transition from feudalism to capitalism.Learning Objective: ENV-4Historical Thinking Skill: Historical CausationHistorical Thinking Skill: ContextualizationHistorical Thinking Skill: Patterns of Continuity and Change over TimeKey Concept: 1.2.IIStimuli: yes

Questions 4.1-4.3 refer to the excerpt below.

"They are innocent and pure in mind and have a lively intelligence, all of which makes them particularly receptive to learning and understanding the truths of the Christian faith and to being instructed in virtue; indeed, God has invested them with fewer impediments in this regard than any other people on earth. Once they begin to learn of the Christian faith they become so keen to know more, to receive the Sacraments, and to worship God, that the missionaries who instruct them do truly have to be men of exceptional patience and forbearance; and over the years I have time and again met Spanish laymen who have been so struck by the natural goodness that shines through these peoples that they frequently can be heard to exclaim: 'These would be the most blessed people on earth if only they were given the chance to convert to Christianity.'

It was upon these gentle lambs, imbued by the Creator with all the qualities we have mentioned, that from the very first day they clapped eyes on them the Spanish fell like ravening wolves upon the fold, or like tigers and savage lions who have not eaten meat for days."

-- Bartolome de las Casas, priest and historian,A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies, 1542

4.1Which of the following groups would be least likely to support the perspective of de las Casas as shown in the excerpt above?

(A) Spanish landowners in the Americas(B) Catholic missionaries(C) Indians from North America(D)English companies considering investing in the New World

Answer: A

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AP U.S. History Period 1 Multiple Choice Questions

Feedback: Europeans largely saw native peoples in the Americas as "savages" who were both uncivilized and unable to be civilized. This belief persisted from the time of initial contact well into the mid-1800s, and provided intellectual support for the conquest of native societies and for brutal actions against them. Even though they had first-hand knowledge of the American Indians, Spanish landowners treated the Indians as savages and brutalized them for their material wealth and land. They would be least likely to support the perspective of de las Casas.Learning Objective: CUL-1Historical Thinking Skill: Appropriate Use of Relevant Historical EvidenceHistorical Thinking Skill: ComparisonHistorical Thinking Skill: InterpretationKey Concept: 1.3.IStimuli: yes

4.2The ideas expressed in the above excerpt most directly reflect which of the following continuities in United States history?

(A) That Europeans and American Indians could forge profitable trade relationships

(B) The English (and consequent white American) belief that much could be learned from the American Indian

(C)That American Indians were too docile to resist European conquest(D)That European culture was believed to be naturally superior to that of

American Indians

Answer: DFeedback: Like other Spaniards, de las Casas suggests that the ultimate benefit of European interaction with Native Americans was the opportunity for Native Americans to adopt European cultural practices, particularly language and the conversion to Christianity. This attitude was also expressed by English colonists and many Americans through the 20th century.Learning Objective: CUL-1Historical Thinking Skill: Appropriate Use of Relevant Historical EvidenceHistorical Thinking Skill: Patterns of Continuity and Change over TimeHistorical Thinking Skill: InterpretationKey Concept: 1.3.IStimuli: yes

4.3The sentiments of de las Casas most directly arose due to which of the following?

(A) Intolerance of intermarriage by the Spanish colonists(B) Brutality against the American Indians and efforts to enslave them(C) Treaties to prevent warring sides from decimating one another(D) Development of the trans-Atlantic slave trade between Africa and the

Americas

Answer: B

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AP U.S. History Period 1 Multiple Choice Questions

Feedback: Within short decades of European arrival in the Americas, the Spanish had brutally overcome and enslaved many of the native peoples living in the region. They could justify their behavior through the view that the natives were “savages” and not exactly human. The harsh treatment of American Indians led to controversy and debate such as that exemplified by de las Casas's writing.Learning Objective: CUL-1Historical Thinking Skill: Appropriate Use of Relevant Historical EvidenceHistorical Thinking Skill: InterpretationKey Concept: 1.3.IStimuli: yes

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