U.S. History Chapter 8, Chapter 9, and Chapter 10
choose one of the following questions to answer:
1. How did American revolutionaries sustain their initial military efforts against superior British forces? What roles did George Washington and his Continental Army play? What motives led France to enter the conflict as America’s ally? Explain Great Britain’s “Southern Strategy” and how it resulted in their eventual defeat at Yorktown, Virginia?
2. One of the most complex figures of the Revolutionary War, Benedict Arnold, is remembered today for his acts of treason. However, many Americans are unaware of his great services to the American cause during his first three years. How did Arnold go from being a patriot to being a traitor? What were the consequences of his treason?
3. In 1793, Revolutionary France and Great Britain went to war, while the United States struggled to remain neutral. How did the era of Napoleon Bonaparte influence American politics? What factors motivated the United States to declare war on Great Britain by 1812? Using examples, explain whether the U.S. won or lost the war.
4. How did Protestant women emerge as forces for social change by 1840? What roles did the religious Second Great Awakening and the Age of Reform play in this metamorphosis? How did predominantly white women become active in the anti-slavery movement? What other notable social causes of the era did they endorse? Why was 1848 such an important year for women?
5. Since the 1787 Constitutional Convention, American lawmakers would compromise repeatedly over the issue of African slavery. Identify three of the most important compromises and/or developments leading up to 1830. Which faction(s) benefited the most overall? Why did compromise over slavery become more difficult post-1830?
