1. Ancient Africa, Europe, and America

Essay Question:

This course began with an exploration of African, Native American, and European cultures. Why is it important for courses in U.S. history to begin here? How does studying the histories of these three parts of the world help you to understand their later contributions to American history?

Considerations: - origins of humans in Africa - the rich cultures of Africa and early North America - religious, political, and economic changes in early modern Europe - the long-term impact of the Columbian Exchange

3. Eighteenth-Century Colonial Society Essay Question:

Essay question:

Much more than a religious revival, the Great Awakening influenced patterns of thought and behavior among many different groups in colonial America, often in unintended ways. Discuss the social and political effects of the Great Awakening, including its impact in urban New England, in the rural South, and among both white and black populations.

Considerations:

- the growth of thoughts and behaviors that threatened established authority

- the ability of the Great Awakening to cross regional, racial, and class divisions

- the different ways in which the religious revival was experienced by different groups

- the relationship of the Great Awakening to the Enlightenment