Wednesday, February 9, 2011

US History I: Early Colonizations to 1877 CLEP

My version of the exam did not have any real questions from early explorers. Most of InstantCert is not in the exam. The Petersons exam was harder than the real thing, but some questions were similar. I think studying the answers from Petersons would be beneficial. The exam wasn’t too difficult, but I felt like InstantCert covered too much information that I didn’t need.

After taking the exam I went through and circled my notes from InstantCert that were applicable. Looks like 'Sectional Tensions and the Civil War (1850-1877)', and 'Philosophy and Politics of the Time Period' were very applicable.

I only had 4 questions on material from 1490's-1650s. Several on events, Acts, and Laws of 1763.

Suggested Study material:
InstantCert
SparkNotes 101 book – reading the Essays at the end of each chapter gives you a perspective
Biography of America videos #1-6 at Resource: A Biography of America – not too many details, but it’s a nice overview and their only 25 minutes each
Petersons Practice exam – I only got 43 out of 120 right, but using it as a study guide would help
CLEP Official study guide looks harder than real test, but some questions are similar or reference same topics, could be helpful as study guide

*Note I did not really study the CLEP Official Study Guide or Peterson Practice Exam answers/explanations so you should score higher if you do.

NOTHING on Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, Townshend, Tea Act, almost nothing on main historical names like John Adams, Abigail Adams, George Washington, Spanish explorers, Sir Walter Raleigh, John Rolfe, Cornwallis, or Declaration of Independence – my version anyway – they seemed to like slavery, women’s suffrage, Indians, and “side” famous people.

I would concentrate on Jefferson, Hamilton, Ben Franklin, and Andrew Jackson

As a co-worker said this seems more like a 'footnotes' exam. I really doubt a lot of what's on this exam is covered in a normal college history class. There's a lot of questions on obscure facts that you would only know if you read books on the specific material. I scored in the high 50s.


I studied from Barron's EZ-101 Study Key American History to 1877. Here are some topics from my study notes. Of course, it is not exhaustive.

U.S. History I
Spanish Explorers (Balboa, de Soto, De Leon, Cortez, Coronado)
French Explorers
English Explorers
Sir Walter Raleigh
John Rolfe and Tobbaco
Jamestown Settlement
Massachusetts Bay Colony
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
New York, New Amsterdam
James, Duke of York
Carolinas
King Charles
Bacon's Rebellion
King George's War, 1739
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle
French and Indian War
Treaty of Paris
King Phillip's War
Navigation Acts
Colonies with NO Established church (DE,PA, NJ, RI)
Five Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole)
Proclaimation of 1763
Sugar Act
Stamp Act
Declaratory Acts
Townshend Acts
Tea Act (gave East India Co. monopoly)
Currency Act
Boston Tea Party
Coersive (Intolerable) Acts
Samuel Adams
Sons of Liberty
Great Awakening
Christian Faith of founding fathers
Declaration of Independence
Articles of Confederation
U.S. Constitution
Shay's Rebellion
Whiskey Rebellion
Battle of Saratoga
Jay Treaty
Sedition Acts
Enlightenment
Trancendentalists
Thoreau
Emerson
Erie Canal (Hudson River to Lake Erie, 1st U.S. Canal)
Rush-Bagot Treaty
Embargo of 1807
Non Intercourse Acts
Macon Bill 2
XYZ Affair
Monroe Doctrine
Jeffersonians v. Hamiltonians
Democratic Republicans v. Federalists
Texas Independence
Mexican Cession
War of 1812
Treaty of Ghent (Ended War of 1812)
U.S. Treasury (Martin Van Buren hand-picked successor to Jackson who dissolved Federal Bank)
Second Great Awakening
Henry Clay's The American System (Protective tariff, Internal impvmts, bank)
Missouri Compromise
Missouri and Maine
Election of 1800
Election of 1840
Compromise of 1850
Kansas-Nebraska Bill
National Road of 1818
Auburn System
Gadsden Purchase
Wilmot Proviso
Personal Liberty laws
Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
Suffolk Resolves
Cotton Gin
King Cotton
John C. Calhoun
Nullification Crisis
Samuel Slater
Indian Removal, 1830, Andrew Jackson
5 Nations Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca
(5 MOOCS Nations is how I remembered them. Had a question asking to list the 5 Nations, Recalled "MOOCS")
-Treaty of Dancing Rabbitt Creek, Choctaws of Mississippi
- Treaty of New Echota, Cherokee Trail of Tears
Adam-Onis Treaty (Spanish Florida)
Nat Turner's Rebellion
John Brown and Killings
Harper's Ferry Raid
Robert E. Lee
Secession
Dred Scott Case
Black Codes
Dorthea Dix
Susan B. Anthony
Women's Sufferage
Seneca Falls Convention
Secret Six
William Lloyd Garrison (moral suasion, The Liberator)
Freedman's Bureau
Lincoln's 10% Plan
Johnson's Reconstruction
Radical (Rabid) Republicans
Jeffersonian Republicans v. Lincolnian Republicans

Court Cases to Note:
Marbury v. Madison
McCulloch v. Maryland
Gibbons v. Ogden
Dred Scott v. Sanford
Worchester v. Georgia (Cherokee rights)
Fletcher v. Peck
Dartmouth College v. Woodward
Prigg v. Pennsylvania

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