MAJOR POINTS TO CONSIDER WHEN STUDYING FOR THE EXAM

1. Reasons for European countries to colonize. The effects of the dominant reasons on the type of society which developed.

2. The nature of colonial class structure and its development. How, if any, did the structure change in the years after the Revolution? WHY?

3. The Imperial Relationship: What theories or ideas dictated the way Britain dealt with her colonies at different times? How did treatment differ at different times? What effects did these varying treatments have on the colonists? How did the colonies react, and why?

4. The importance and effects of religion, religious beliefs, religious organization, etc., on American life and society.

5. The First Great Awakening: What was it all about? Why is it considered important? What influence did it have?

6. The Revolution: Why did it come about? What was it all about? Was it really successful in achieving its real ends? Why and how?

7. The Articles of Confederation: What was the nature of the government and of society under this system? Was it a successful system? Why or why not?

8. Why was the Constitution written? What was its effect on the new nation? In what sense was it a reflection of the political, social, cultural, and/or economic climate of the times? Was it a reversal or the culmination of the ideals of the Declaration of Independence.

9. Alexander Hamilton and his ideas on politics, society, economics, foreign policy, and the nature of man: How did they influence American History, both during and after the man's lifetime?

10. Thomas Jefferson -- same as with Hamilton.

11. The American System.

12. John Marshall: His key decisions, his role in the development of the United States

13. The causes and effects (both immediate and long-term) of industrialization. Mechanization, specialization, national distribution, railroads and other forms of transportation, patterns of trade, new class structure, etc.

14. Nationalism, sectionalism, and the theory of state sovereignty. Their interrelation and separate periods of prominence. Why was one of these ideas dominant at any given time, another at another time? What have been the effects of these ideas on American life?

15. The role of business and/or capitalism in American life: The Profit Motive, forms of business organization (joint-stock companies, corporations, etc.) the interrelationship with government, rise, change, and development of the free-enterprise system (if it ever actually existed,) labor relations, etc.

16. Territorial Expansion of the United States -- why, how, when, etc.

17. Ethnocentrism -- the sense of mission, of being superior, of being chosen.

18. Why was slavery established? Why did Southern Whites hold on to it for so long and with such almost irrational passion? What impact did the institution have on government, society, politics, cultures -- both North and South? How did it affect slaves, slaveholders, and non-slaveholders, North and South?

19. Why was the War of 1812 fought? What did it solve? What lessons did it teach to those in power? What immediate and long-term effects did it have?

20. Why did the reform movement develop in the early 19th century? What effects did it have? What was the importance of Charles G. Finney?

21. The American Economy changed from Agrarian and decentralized to Industrial and national. Why did the change occur? What factors helped or hindered it? What affects did the change have? How did the alteration affect, or how was it affected by, the philosophies of Hamilton and Jefferson?

22. The Age of Jackson and Jacksonianism, presidential power, the changing image of political parties, new methods of politics and campaigning, the Whig Party and its policies.

23. What was the greatest single cause of the Civil War? Why were none of the compromises offered able to defuse the tension? What was the spark that set things off? What was the "Point of No Return"? What affects did the war have on the country -- personal, psychological, physical, political, etc.

24. What were the various attempts at compromise of class or sectional differences? What, if anything, did they have in common? What difficulties did they face?