HIUS 221: SURVEY OF AMERICAN HISTORY I - HONORSREVIEW SHEET – FINAL EXAM

The final exam will be somewhat different from the previous two exams. It is worth 150 points. First, there will be two essays worth forty points each (pick from three; roughly one-to-one-half pages minimum for each) and a short answer question on President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address worth twenty points. Note that this section of the exam will cover ONLY the material addressed in class since Exam Two.

The possible essay topics are (three will be on the exam, pick two to write on):

1) How did Texas become a part of the United States?

2) Westward Expansion – discuss the factors which drove westward migration (ideas, attitudes, economics, etc.).

3) The Mexican War – discuss the causes of the war and its outcome.

4) The Coming of the Civil War – discuss the factors and events that brought on the war, beginning with the crisis brought on by the winning of territory from Mexico.

5) The Civil War – discuss the key turning points and important figures of the conflict.

The “second part” of the final will be an additional essay question worth 50 points which will address a major issue in American history that will require you to analyze information from the earlier sections of the course.

The following are the two possible topics for the 50-point essay (one of these will be on the exam). Due to the point total, this should be a well-developed essay, backed by examples from both the PowerPoints and the MindTap textbook.

1) War and conflict – How did war shape the development of the United States from the establishment of the Jamestown colony in 1607 through the Civil War? (Think in terms of how the English first established their presence in North America, then how England’s wars with France impacted the Americans, then what the Revolution did, etc.) Which of these conflicts was the most important and why?

2) Constitutional government – What factors in American colonial history contributed to the development and adoption of the Constitution in 1787? (Think in terms of how the colonies became virtually self-governing and the factors which brought on the Revolution.) What challenges did the Constitution face between its adoption and the Civil War? (Think in terms of the development of political parties, conflict over banks, slavery, etc.)

GOOD LUCK!