AP U.S. History — Practice Exam 2

Format: Section I — 20 multiple-choice questions · Section II — 1 short-answer question (SAQ) Suggested time: 35 min (MCQ) + 20 min (SAQ) Coverage: Periods 1–9 (1491–present). Answer key, reasoning, and SAQ rubric follow. (Correct answers are spread across A–D by design.)

Section I — Multiple Choice

1. The Columbian Exchange most directly resulted in: A) the transfer of crops, animals, and diseases between hemispheres B) the end of the slave trade C) European political unity D) the invention of the compass

2. The Spanish encomienda system was primarily a means of: A) religious conversion only B) free trade C) extracting forced Native labor D) granting Native sovereignty

3. Bacon's Rebellion (1676) is often cited as accelerating the shift toward: A) indentured servitude B) racialized chattel slavery C) free wage labor D) Native alliances

4. The Mayflower Compact is significant as an early example of: A) monarchy B) mercantilism C) religious persecution D) self-government by consent

5. "Salutary neglect" refers to Britain's policy of: A) loosely enforcing colonial regulations B) strict enforcement of trade laws C) taxing all colonies equally D) granting independence

6. The Declaration of Independence drew most directly on the ideas of: A) Karl Marx B) John Locke C) Thomas Hobbes D) Adam Smith

7. A key weakness of the Articles of Confederation was the national government's inability to: A) declare war B) sign any treaties C) appoint a committee D) levy taxes effectively

8. The Great Compromise at the Constitutional Convention resolved disputes over: A) slavery's morality B) legislative representation C) the national bank D) foreign policy

9. Marbury v. Madison (1803) established the principle of: A) federal supremacy over commerce B) states' rights C) executive privilege D) judicial review

10. The Missouri Compromise (1820) attempted to maintain: A) a balance between free and slave states B) British trade C) Native land rights D) a national bank

11. Manifest Destiny was the belief that the United States was destined to: A) abolish slavery B) expand across the continent C) industrialize the South D) avoid foreign wars

12. The immediate trigger for Southern secession in 1860–61 was: A) the Dred Scott decision B) the Missouri Compromise C) the Emancipation Proclamation D) the election of Abraham Lincoln

13. The 14th Amendment (1868) is most significant for granting: A) the right to vote regardless of race B) the abolition of slavery C) citizenship and equal protection D) women's suffrage

14. During the Gilded Age, "vertical integration" referred to: A) controlling all stages of production B) merging with direct competitors C) bribing officials D) forming labor unions

15. The Populist movement of the 1890s primarily represented the interests of: A) industrial bankers B) urban factory owners C) farmers D) railroad executives

16. The Progressive Era is best characterized by efforts to: A) address problems caused by industrialization B) restore monarchy C) expand slavery D) end all federal regulation

17. The United States entered World War I in 1917 partly due to: A) the attack on Pearl Harbor B) the Great Depression C) the fall of the Berlin Wall D) unrestricted German submarine warfare

18. The New Deal most significantly expanded the role of: A) state militias B) foreign governments C) the federal government in the economy D) private charities only

19. The Cold War policy of "containment" aimed to: A) stop the spread of communism B) spread communism C) colonize Asia D) disarm the United States

20. Brown v. Board of Education (1954) declared that: A) poll taxes were legal B) unions were illegal C) "separate but equal" schools were unconstitutional D) segregation in the military was required

Section II — Short Answer Question

SAQ (3 points). Using your knowledge of U.S. history from 1865 to 1900: (a) Briefly describe ONE specific cause of rapid industrialization in this period. (1 pt) (b) Briefly describe ONE specific effect of industrialization on workers. (1 pt) (c) Briefly explain ONE way the federal government responded to the power of large corporations. (1 pt)

Answer key (Section I)

Key distribution: A×6, B×4, C×5, D×5.

Reasoning (Section I)

1. (A) The Columbian Exchange moved crops, animals, people, and diseases across the Atlantic. 2. (C) The encomienda coerced Native labor and tribute. 3. (B) Elite fears after Bacon's Rebellion pushed planters toward enslaved African labor. 4. (D) The Mayflower Compact established governance by mutual consent. 5. (A) Salutary neglect = loose enforcement of trade rules, fostering self-rule. 6. (B) Locke's natural-rights philosophy shaped Jefferson's Declaration. 7. (D) The Articles' government could not tax effectively. 8. (B) The Great Compromise balanced population-based and equal representation. 9. (D) Marbury established judicial review. 10. (A) The Missouri Compromise preserved the free/slave state balance. 11. (B) Manifest Destiny justified continental expansion. 12. (D) Lincoln's 1860 election triggered secession. 13. (C) The 14th Amendment granted citizenship and equal protection. 14. (A) Vertical integration controls all production stages. 15. (C) Populism arose among indebted farmers. 16. (A) Progressives sought to fix industrial-era problems. 17. (D) Unrestricted U-boat warfare (and the Zimmermann Telegram) drew in the US. 18. (C) The New Deal expanded the federal economic role. 19. (A) Containment aimed to halt communism's spread. 20. (C) Brown overturned "separate but equal" in schools.

SAQ rubric (3 pts)

• (a) (1) Any specific cause: e.g. transcontinental railroad, abundant natural resources, immigrant labor supply, technological innovation, pro-business government policy.
• (b) (1) Any specific effect on workers: e.g. dangerous conditions, low wages, long hours, child labor, rise of unions, frequent strikes.
• (c) (1) Any federal response: e.g. the Interstate Commerce Act (1887) or the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890).

Pedagogy: SAQs reward specificity — name the railroad, the act, the strike. A vague "things got better/worse" earns no point; "the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 sought to break up monopolistic trusts" does.