An End-of-Year Review Activity Related to the Earning of the APUSH Contextualization Point

This activity produced in collaboration with ChatGPT

For this activity, students should first attempt to contextualize one or more of the twelve prompts below; then, compare their attempt(s) to the attempts appearing after Prompt #12.

This exercise should provide students with a wonderful opportunity to refresh their understanding of the material.

1. Evaluate the extent to which the Watergate Scandal impacted America from 1972 to 1980.
2. Evaluate the extent to which the rise of the environmental movement impacted US politics in the period from 1962 to 1982.
3. Evaluate the extent to which World War II impacted American society from 1939 to 1945.
4. Evaluate the extent to which the Columbian Exchange fostered change in the Americas from 1491 to 1700.
5. Evaluate the extent to which the post-World War II African American Civil Rights movement influenced other social justice movements in the United States in the period from 1960 to 1980.
6. Evaluate the extent to which the Industrial Revolution fostered economic change in the United States from 1865–1900.
7. Evaluate the relative importance of different causes for the expanding role of the United States in the world from 1865–1980.
8. Evaluate the relative importance of the factors that contributed to changes in women’s roles in United States society from 1940 to 2000.
9. Evaluate the relative importance of the causes of internal migration within the United States in the period from 1900–1970.
10. Evaluate the relative importance of the causes of the American Revolution in the period from 1763–1776.
11. Evaluate the relative importance of the causes of the United States’ entry into World War I in the period from 1914 to 1917
12. Evaluate the relative importance of the reasons for the growth of the civil rights movement in the United States in the period from 1954 to 1968.

P1. Evaluate the extent to which the Watergate Scandal impacted America from 1972 to 1980.

Before 1972, the Watergate Scandal had not yet occurred. During this time, President Richard Nixon was in office, and his administration was dealing with the ongoing Vietnam War, which had already been going on for several years. While the public was becoming increasingly disillusioned with the war effort, Nixon remained popular, having won a landslide victory in the 1972 presidential election. However, the seeds of the Watergate Scandal had already been planted, as Nixon’s administration was involved in a number of controversial and illegal activities, including the secret bombing of Cambodia and the illegal wiretapping of political opponents.

P2. Evaluate the extent to which the rise of the environmental movement impacted US politics in the period from 1962 to 1982.

Before 1962, the environmental movement was not yet a major force in US politics. However, there were individuals and groups who were already advocating for environmental protection. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Progressive movement helped to establish national parks and other protected areas, recognizing the importance of preserving natural landscapes for future generations. The National Park Service was created before 1962 to oversee the management of these protected areas, and other legislation was passed to regulate hunting, fishing, and mining in certain areas. In other words, the environmental movement did not begin until the 1960s and 1970s.

P3. Evaluate the extent to which World War II impacted American society from 1939 to 1945.

Before 1939, the United States was not yet involved in World War II. The country was still dealing with the aftermath of the Great Depression, which had caused widespread economic hardship and social dislocation. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had implemented a series of programs and reforms aimed at helping to alleviate the worst effects of the Depression, including the New Deal, which provided funding for public works projects and social welfare programs. In addition, tensions were rising in Europe and Asia, as fascist regimes in Germany, Italy, and Japan were becoming increasingly aggressive and expansionist, which would eventually lead to the outbreak of World War II. In other words, prior to 1939, the US pursued an isolationistic policy when it came to tensions in Europe.

P4. Evaluate the extent to which the Columbian Exchange fostered change in the Americas from 1491 to 1700.

Before 1491, the Columbian Exchange had not yet occurred — Columbus didn’t arrive until the following years — and the Americas were isolated from the rest of the world. This means that smallpox had not yet made its way to the Americas. Nor the horse, guns, axes, wheat, rice, sugar, and certain kinds of livestock. In turn, tobacco and the potatoes had not yet made their way to Europe.

P5. Evaluate the extent to which the post-World War II African American Civil Rights movement influenced other social justice movements in the United States in the period from 1960 to 1980.

Before 1960, the African American Civil Rights movement was still in its early stages, and the struggle for racial equality had yet to achieve many of its major victories. Activists such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks emerged as leaders in the movement, organizing protests, boycotts, and other actions to draw attention to the issue of civil rights. These efforts culminated in the landmark Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, which declared segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional. However, progress was slow and often met with resistance and violence, as seen in incidents such as the story of the Little Rock Nine.

P6. Evaluate the extent to which the Industrial Revolution fostered economic change in the United States from 1865–1900.

Before 1865, the Industrial Revolution had not yet had a significant impact on the United States, as the country was still primarily agrarian and rural. True, the cotton gin had been invented; so too interchangeable parts, and the steam engine, the latter leading to the construction of steam-power trains (the steam-powered locomotive) and steam-powered ships (the steamship). That said, the period of time before 1865 is often referenced as the First Industrial Revolution with serious and widespread economic change not occurring until after 1865,

P7. Evaluate the relative importance of different causes for the expanding role of the United States in the world in the period from 1865 to 1910.

Before 1865, the United States was not focused on expanding its role in the world due to its involvement in the Civil War. Prior to that, the country was also not yet focused on eexpanding its role in the world due to its focus on westward expansion and the growth of industry. However, there were some exceptions, such as the Mexican-American War (which ended in 1848 and resulted in the annexation of new territories. Commordore Perry’s trip to Japan could also be construed as an attempt, but the US, to expand it’s role in the world prior to 1865

P8. Evaluate the relative importance of the factors that contributed to changes in women’s roles in United States society from 1940 to 2000.

Before 1940, women’s roles in American society were largely limited to traditional roles such as housewives, mothers, and caretakers. However, in the early 20th century, the women’s suffrage movement helped to gain women the right to vote and to participate more fully in civic life. The growth of industrialization and the labor movement also provided new opportunities for women to enter the workforce. During World War I, women played an important role in the workforce, as many men were serving in the military. This helped to shift attitudes towards women’s work and led to new opportunities for women in the workplace.

P9. Evaluate the relative importance of causes of internal migration within the United States in the period from 1900 to 1970.

Before 1900, the United States experienced significant internal migration, particularly westward expansion. The California Gold Rush in 1848 drew people from all over the country to the West Coast in search of wealth and opportunity. The Mormon migration of the 1840s and 1850s brought thousands of Mormons from the Midwest to Utah. Additionally, the opening of the Oregon Trail in the 1840s led to the movement of thousands of pioneers to the Pacific Northwest. The growth of industrialization and changes in agriculture created new opportunities for people to move from rural areas to urban areas, while the development of new transportation systems (the railroad and the steamship) made it easier for people to move from one part of the country to another.

P10. Evaluate the relative importance of the causes of the American Revolution in the period from 1763 to 1776.

Before 1763, the relationship between Britain and its American colonies was characterized by a policy of “salutary neglect,” in which the colonies were largely left to govern themselves. Hence, there was no widespread revolutionary spirit among the colonists prior to this time. Many colonists, particularly in the South, remained very loyal to Britain.

P11. Evaluate the relative importance of the causes of the United States’ entry into World War I in the period from 1914 to 1917.

Before 1914, the United States had largely adhered to a policy of isolationism, as articulated in Washington’s Farewell Address. This address reflected the belief that the United States should stay out of European affairs and focus on its own development, which is what America essentially did prior to 1914. This was the the time of the Gilded Age, a period of rapid industrialization and economic growth. Many Americans were focused on building their own businesses and accumulating wealth, and there was little appetite for involvement in foreign conflicts

P12. Evaluate the relative importance of the reasons for the growth of the civil rights movement in the United States in the period from 1954 to 1968.

Before 1954, African Americans in the United States faced significant legal and social discrimination, including segregation and voter suppression. The Supreme Court’s ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, which upheld the constitutionality of “separate but equal” segregation, helped to enshrine segregation into law. This decision, combined with the rise of Jim Crow laws and the activities of organizations like the Ku Klux Klan, created a hostile environment for African Americans and limited their opportunities for education, employment, and political participation. World War II also played a role, as many African Americans served in the armed forces and were exposed to different experiences and ideas about race and equality. This helped to spur the civil rights movement in the years that followed, as activists organized protests, boycotts, and other actions to demand equal rights and challenge segregation. The relative importance of each of these factors varied over time, but together they helped to bring about significant changes in American society and politics.