Common APUSH Terms, Phrases, and Exam Tips

Political

• Laws and citizenship

• Economic policies and trade

• Cultural movements and art

• Technological advancements and inventions

Historical reasoning skills

• Causation, Comparison, and Continuity and Change Over Time

• Analysis of primary sources

• Understanding historical context

• Evaluating historical significance

How many specific pieces of evidence do you need to support an SAQ?

• Usually just ONE specific piece of evidence.

• At least THREE specific pieces of evidence.

• Two specific pieces of evidence if asked to explain a similarity.

• Only a general statement is needed.

Evaluate the relative importance of...

• LEQ or DBQ command term, asks you to give a multi-claim thesis weighing how much different factors caused or effected something

• A method to summarize historical events without analysis

• A technique for memorizing dates and names in history

• A way to compare two unrelated historical events

describe

• Provide a summary of the topic without specific evidence.

• Give the relevant characteristics of using at least ONE specific piece of evidence.

• List all possible pieces of evidence without explanation.

• Explain the topic using general statements.

labor

• type of work OR the workers

• a type of machinery

• a form of entertainment

• a legal document

elaborate

• Command term usually seen in MCQs and SAQs. Asks you to explain how 1 piece of evidence not mentioned in the source would support an author's argument or the historical event discussed in the source. To prove your point, you MUST identify the author's argument or historical development in the source.

• A term that requires you to summarize the main points of a text without providing additional evidence.

• A command to provide a brief overview of a topic without going into detail.

• A request to analyze the author's writing style and its impact on the reader.

If an SAQ asks you to do anything to an author or source's argument- explain, elaborate, support, refute- ..

• You MUST identify the argument of the author or source in order to prove your claim.

• You can ignore the author's argument and focus on your own opinion.

• You should summarize the author's argument without analysis.

• You must provide a personal anecdote to support your claim.

Essay format for LEQ and DBQ

• Intro paragraph -> 3 body paragraphs -> Conclusion (can be 1 sentence)

• Intro paragraph -> 2 body paragraphs -> Conclusion (can be 2 sentences)

• Intro paragraph -> 4 body paragraphs -> Conclusion (can be 1 sentence)

• Intro paragraph -> 3 body paragraphs -> Summary

domestic policy

• laws and actions taken by a government regarding decisions within their border

• international agreements made by a government with other countries

• economic strategies to promote foreign trade

• military actions taken by a government outside its borders