Kaplan SAT subject test u s history 2013 2014 kaplan

SAT® Subject Test:
U.S. HISTORY

Mark Willner, Joann Peters, Eugene V. Resnick, and Jeff
Schneider and the Staff of Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions


Table of Contents
PART ONE: The Basics
Chapter 1: About the SAT Subject Test: U.S. History
Frequently Asked Questions
Understanding the SAT Subject Test: U.S. History
Chapter 2: Strategies to Test Your Best
Know the Directions
Know the Format
Skip the Difficult Questions; Come Back to Them Later
Be a Good Guesser
Be a Good Gridder
Think About the Questions Before You Look at the Answers
Pace Yourself
Two-Minute Warning
Stress Management
The Days Before the Test
The Next Step

PART TWO: Diagnostic Test
How to Take the Diagnostic Test
How to Calculate Your Score

Diagnostic Test

Answer Key
Answers and Explanations
How to Use the Results of Your Diagnostic Test in Your Review

PART THREE: U.S. History Review
Chapter 3: The Meeting of Three Peoples


Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Native Peoples of the Americas on the Eve of European Contact
Europe and the Background of Exploration
Africa and the Slave Trade
Results of Exploration
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 4: The Colonial Period
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Early Colonial Settlements
Southern Colonies
New England Colonies
New England and Colonial Unity
The Middle Colonies
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations

Chapter 5: Colonial Society in the 1700s
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Colonial Society by 1750
The French and Indian War (1754–1763)
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 6: The American War for Independence
Timeline


Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Colonists Protest British Actions
The War of Independence
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 7: Experiments in Government
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
The Articles of Confederation
The Writing of the Constitution
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 8: The Federalist Era

Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Washington’s Administration (1789–1797)
Adams’s Administration (1797–1801)
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 9: The Republicans in Power, 1800–1824
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Jefferson’s Administration (1801–1809)
The War of 1812
The Era of Good Feeling
The Monroe Doctrine


The Missouri Compromise
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 10: Jacksonian Democracy, 1824–1836
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Election of 1824
Election of 1828
Indian Removal
Bank War

Nullification and Slavery
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 11: Growth, Slavery, and Reform, 1800–1850
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Growth
Slavery
Reform
Literature
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 12: Expansion, Conflict, and Compromise, 1820–1850
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
The Roots of Conflict
Expansion


The Compromise of 1850
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 13: Slavery and the Road to Disunion, 1850–1861
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts

Introduction
Conflicts Over Slavery
Lincoln and Secession
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 14: The Civil War, 1861–1865
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
The Beginning of War
Secession
The Balance of Forces
The War
Lincoln and the Politics of Slavery and War
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 15: Reconstruction and Its Aftermath, 1865–1896
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Presidential Reconstruction (1865–1867)
Congressional (Radical) Reconstruction (1867–1877)
The Post-Reconstruction South (1877–1896)
Summary


Review Questions
Answers and Explanations

Chapter 16: The Closing of the Frontier, 1876–1900
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Moving West
The Transformation of the West
The Removal of Native Americans
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 17: Industry, Big Business, and Labor Unions, 1865–1900
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
New Technologies
The Rise of Big Business
Labor Conflicts (1877–1914)
Industry and the South
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 18: Society and Culture in the Gilded Age, 1865–1900
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Urbanization
The Impact of Inventions
The Changing American Society
Summary
Review Questions

Answers and Explanations


Chapter 19: Politics of the Gilded Age, 1877–1900
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
National Politics
Unrest Among Farmers (1867–1896)
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 20: Imperialism, 1880–1914
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Causes of American Imperialism
The United States as an Imperialist Power
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 21: The Progressive Era, 1900–1920
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Background and Influences
Progressive Reformers
Progressive Issues
Progressive Presidents
African Americans in the Progressive Era

Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 22: The United States and World War I, 1914–1920
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts


Introduction
The World at War
The United States Remains Neutral
“Over There”: The United States at War
Wilson, Peace, and the League of Nations
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 23: Tradition and Change in the 1920s
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Politics: The Return to Normalcy
Economic Conditions
Society in the 1920s
Tradition and Reaction
Culture of the 1920s
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 24: The Crash, the Depression, and the New Deal
Timeline

Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Causes of the Depression
Hoover’s Response to the Crisis
Roosevelt’s New Deal
Reaction to the New Deal
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 25: Politics and Society in the 1930s
Timeline


Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Growth in the 1930s
Political Developments of the 1930s
Culture of the 1930s
The Depression and Social Groups
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 26: World War II: From Neutrality to Hiroshima, 1936–1945
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
The Winds of War in Europe
The U.S. Response to Pearl Harbor
The Home Front
The United States at War in Europe

The United States at War in the Pacific
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 27: The Cold War, 1945–1963
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Agreements During World War II (1943–1945)
Soviet Satellites in Eastern Europe
The Arms Race
Other Global Events in the Cold War
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 28: Affluence and Conservatism, 1946–1960


Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Political Developments
Economic Growth
Social Trends in the 1950s
1950s Culture
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 29: The Kennedy and Johnson Years
Timeline

Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
The Kennedy Administration (1961–1963)
The Johnson Administration (1963–1969)
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 30: The Civil Rights Movement, 1954–1968
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Roots of the Civil Rights Movement
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
Violence
Role of Government
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 31: The Vietnam War, 1954–1975
Timeline


Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
The Growing American Involvement in Vietnam
The War
The Growing Antiwar Protest
Nixon and the War
The End of the War

Results
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 32: Cultural and Social Change in the 1960s
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
The Political Activists
Political Organizations
Currents in History Writing
Music
Hippies
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 33: Politics and Society, 1968–1980
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Social Issues
Feminism
The Environment
The Economy
Foreign Affairs
The Watergate Scandal
The Carter Administration


Summary

Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 34: The Triumph of Conservatism, 1980–1992
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Election of 1980
Domestic Affairs
Foreign Policy
The Iran-Contra Affair
Election of 1988
The First Bush Presidency
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 35: America at the Turn of the Century
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
Clinton as President
The Contested Election of 2000
Summary
Review Questions
Answers and Explanations
Chapter 36: Years of Crisis, 2001–2008
Timeline
Important People, Places, Events, and Concepts
Introduction
The “War on Terror”
Domestic Affairs

The Election of 2008
Summary


Review Questions
Answers and Explanations

PART FOUR: Practice Tests
How to Take the Practice Tests
How to Calculate Your Score
Practice Test 1
Answer Key
Answers and Explanations
Practice Test 2
Answer Key
Answers and Explanations
Practice Test 3
Answer Key
Answers and Explanations
Glossary
About the Authors


Part One
The Basics


Chapter 1: About the SAT Subject Test:
U.S. History

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Understanding the SAT Subject Test: U.S. History
You’re serious about going to the college of your choice. You wouldn’t have opened this
book otherwise. You’ve made a wise choice, because this book can help you to achieve
your goal. It’ll show you how to score your best on the SAT Subject Test: U.S. History. The
first step to a better score is to understand the test.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The following information about the SAT Subject Test is important to keep in mind as you
get ready to prep for the SAT Subject Test: U.S. History. Remember, though, that
sometimes the test makers change the test policies after a book has gone to press. The
information here is accurate at the time of publication, but it’s a good idea to check the test
information at the College Board website at collegeboard.com.
Originally, SAT stood for Scholastic Aptitude Test. Then, when the test changed in the mid-1990s, the official
name was changed to Scholastic Assessment Test. Finally, in 1997, the test makers announced that SAT no
longer stands for anything, officially.

What Is the SAT Subject Test?
The SAT Subject Test is actually a set of more than 20 different Subject Tests. These tests
are designed to measure what you have learned in such subjects as literature, physics,
biology, and Spanish. Each test lasts one hour and consists entirely of multiple-choice
questions.

How Does the SAT Subject Test Differ from the SAT?
The SAT is largely a test of verbal and math skills. True, you need to know some
vocabulary and some formulas for the SAT, but it’s designed to measure how well you read
and think rather than how much you remember. The SAT Subject Tests are very different.
They’re designed to measure what you know about specific disciplines. Sure, critical

reading and thinking skills play a part on these tests, but their main purpose is to determine
exactly what you know about writing, math, history, physics, and so on.
Colleges use your SAT Subject Test scores in both admissions and placement decisions.

How Do Colleges Use the SAT Subject Test?
Many people will tell you that these standardized tests are flawed—that they measure
neither your reading and thinking skills nor your level of knowledge. But these people don’t
work for colleges. Those schools that require SATs feel that they are an important indicator
of your ability to succeed in college. Specifically, they use your scores in one or both of two
ways: to help them make admissions and/or placement decisions.
Like the SAT, the SAT Subject Tests provide schools with a standard measure of academic
performance, which they use to compare you with applicants from different high schools
and different educational backgrounds. This information helps them to decide whether
you’re ready to handle their curriculum.
SAT Subject Test scores may also be used to decide what course of study is appropriate
for you once you’ve been admitted. A low score on the Literature Test, for example, might
mean that you have to take a remedial English course. Conversely, a high score on an SAT
Subject Test: Mathematics might mean that you’ll be exempted from an introductory math
course.
Many colleges require you to take certain SAT Subject Tests. Check with all of the schools you’re interested in
applying to before deciding which tests to take.

Which SAT Subject Test Tests Should I Take?
The simple answer is: those that you’ll do well on. High scores, after all, can only help your
chances for admission. Unfortunately, many colleges demand that you take particular tests,
but some schools will give you a degree of choice in the matter, especially if they want you
to take a total of three tests. Before you register to take any tests, therefore, check with
the colleges you’re interested in to find out exactly which tests they require. Don’t rely on
high school guidance counselors or admissions handbooks for this information. They might
not give you accurate or current information.

You can take up to three SAT Subject Tests in one day.


When Can I Take the SAT Subject Test?
Most of the SAT Subject Tests, including U.S. History, are administered six times a year: in
October, November, December, January, May, and June. A few of the tests are offered
less frequently. Due to admissions deadlines, many colleges insist that you take the SAT
Subject Test no later than December or January of your senior year in high school. You
may even have to take it sooner if you’re interested in applying for “early admission” to a
school. Those schools that use scores for placement decisions only may allow you to take
the SAT Subject Test as late as May or June of your senior year. You should check with
colleges to find out which test dates are most appropriate for you.

How Do I Register for the SAT Subject Tests?
The College Board administers the SAT Subject Tests, so you must sign up for the tests
with them. The easiest way to register is online. Visit the College Board’s website at
collegeboard.com and click on “Register for the SAT” for registration information. If you
register online, you immediately get to choose your test date and test center, and you have
24-hour access to print your admission ticket. You’ll need access to a credit card to
complete online registration.
If you would prefer to register by mail, you must obtain a copy of the SAT Paper
Registration Guide. This publication contains all of the necessary information, including
current test dates and fees. It can be obtained at any high school guidance office or directly
from the College Board.
If you have previously registered for an SAT or SAT Subject Test, you can reregister by
telephone. If you choose this option, you should still read the College Board publications
carefully before you make any decisions.
Want to register for the SAT Subject Test or get more info? Visit the College Board online at collegeboard.com.
By phone: You can register by phone only if you have registered for an SAT test in the past.

How Are the SAT Subject Tests Scored?
Like the SAT, the SAT Subject Tests are scored on a 200–800 scale.
The mean SAT Subject Test: U.S. History Test score for 2009 college-bound seniors was 599.

What’s a “Good” Score?


That’s tricky. The obvious answer is: the score that the colleges of your choice demand.
Keep in mind, though, that SAT Subject Test scores are just one piece of information that
colleges will use to evaluate you. The decision to accept or reject you will be based on
many criteria, including your high school transcript, your SAT scores, your
recommendations, your personal statement, your interview (where applicable), your
extracurricular activities, and the like. So failure to achieve the necessary score doesn’t
automatically mean that your chances of getting in have been damaged.

What If I Get Sick During the Test or Really Blow It?
If, after taking the test, you have serious doubts about your performance on the test and
believe for any reason the score will not reflect your abilities, you may cancel your score.
Cancelling your score means that the score will not become part of your test record or be
reported to colleges. You must submit the necessary paperwork by the Wednesday after
the test. Once your scores are cancelled, you may not reinstate them. If you took more
than one SAT test on the same date, you must cancel all scores for that date. More
information is available at collegeboard.com.

What Should I Bring to the SAT Subject Test?
It’s a good idea to get your test materials together the day before the tests. You’ll need an
admission ticket, a form of identification (check the Registration Guide to find out what is
permissible), a few sharpened No. 2 pencils, and a good eraser. (Note that calculators are
not allowed on any of the SAT Subject Tests except for Math Level 1 and Math Level 2.) If
you’ll be registering as a standby, collect the appropriate forms beforehand. Also, make

sure that you know how to get to the test center.
Do not bring scratch paper, a dictionary or thesaurus, highlighters, colored pencils,
cameras, rulers, timekeeping devices with alarms, or any kind of electronic devices such as
iPods and cell phones. These are not allowed. However, if you’re taking any of the
Language with Listening Tests on the same day as the SAT Subject Test: U.S. History, you
may bring a CD player and extra batteries.
Gather your test materials the day before the test. You’ll need the following:
•
•
•
•
•

Your admission ticket
A proper form of ID
Some sharpened No. 2 pencils
A good eraser
A watch


UNDERSTANDING THE SAT SUBJECT TEST: U.S. HISTORY
Now that you know the basics about the SAT Subject Tests, it’s time to focus on the U.S.
History test. What’s on it? How is it scored? After reading this chapter, you’ll know what to
expect on Test Day.

Content
The SAT Subject Test: U.S. History expects you to have a mastery of the concepts and
principles covered in a one-year, college-prep U.S. history class. This one-hour exam
consists of 90 to 95 multiple-choice questions covering topics from our nation’s earliest
days through the present. It covers items of social, economic, political, intellectual, and

cultural history and foreign policy. An approximate percentage of questions covering these
items that appear on the test is listed here.
Topics

Approximate Percentage of Test

Political History
Economic History
Social History
Intellectual and Cultural History
Foreign Policy

32–36%
18–20%
18–22%
10–12%
13–17%

The material is divided into three time periods, as listed below.
Period
Pre-Columbian–1789
1790–1898
1899–present

Approximate Percentage of Test
20%
40%
40%

Preparation

The best preparation is to complete a one-year survey course in American history at the
college-preparatory or AP level. A great majority of the test questions are derived from
commonly taught subject matter in such a course in secondary schools. No one text or
mode of instruction is better than another. The test questions are written to measure
knowledge, skills, and abilities. According to the College Board, the questions may do the
following:
• Challenge you to recall standard information concerning facts, dates, people, terms,
concepts, and generalizations.


• Ask you to analyze and interpret visual material, including charts, cartoons, graphs,
paintings, photographs, and maps.
• Require you to form ideas based on given data.
• Direct you to use data for a specific purpose, such as proving or disproving a given
statement, based on internal evidence or external criteria such as accepted theories and
historical works.

Scoring Information
This exam is scored in a 200–800 range (in multiples of ten), just like a section of the SAT.
Your raw score is calculated by subtracting 1/4 of the number of questions you got wrong
from the number of questions you got right. If you answered 70 questions correctly and 25
questions incorrectly, your raw score would be as follows:
Number correct:
1/4 × Number incorrect:
Raw score:

70
− 6.25
63.75 (rounded to 64)

This raw score is then compared to all the other test takers’ scores to come up with a
scaled score. This scaling takes into account any slight variations among test
administrations. On a recent administration, it was possible to miss 10 questions and still
receive a scaled score of 800. A raw score of 65 on a recent SAT Subject Test: U.S.
History translated into a 730. So you can miss a few questions and still receive a
competitive score.


Chapter 2: Strategies to Test Your Best

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Know the Directions
Know the Format
Skip the Difficult Questions; Come Back to Them Later
Be a Good Guesser
Be a Good Gridder
Think About the Questions Before You Look at the Answers
Pace Yourself
Two-Minute Warning

Stress Management
The Days Before the Test
The Next Step

Now that you know a little about the SAT Subject Tests, it’s time to let you in on a few basic
test-taking skills and strategies that can improve your performance. You should practice
these skills and strategies as you prepare for the SAT Subject Tests.
The SAT Subject Tests are different from the tests that you’re used to taking. On your high
school tests, you probably go through the questions in order. You probably spend more
time on hard questions than on easy ones, because hard questions are generally worth
more points. And you often show your work, because your teachers tell you that how you
approach questions is as important as getting the right answers.
None of this applies to the SAT Subject Tests. You can benefit from moving around within
the tests, hard questions are worth the same as easy ones, and it doesn’t matter how you
answer the questions—only what your answers are.

KNOW THE DIRECTIONS
The SAT Subject Tests are highly predictable. Because the format and directions of the
SAT Subject Tests remain unchanged from test to test, you can learn the setup of each test
in advance. On Test Day, the various question types on each test shouldn’t be new to you.


One of the easiest things you can do to help your performance on the SAT Subject Tests is
to understand the directions before taking the test. Because the instructions are always the
same, there’s no reason to waste a lot of time on Test Day reading them. Learn them
beforehand as you work through this book and the College Board publications.
Learn SAT Subject Test directions as you prepare for the tests. That way, you’ll have more time to spend
answering the questions on Test Day.

KNOW THE FORMAT

The questions on the SAT Subject Test: U.S. History generally get harder as you work
through the test. This pattern can work to your benefit.
When working on more basic questions near the beginning of the test, you can generally
trust your first impulse: The obvious answer is likely to be correct. As you get to the end of
a test section, you need to be a bit more suspicious. Now the answers probably won’t
come as quickly and easily; if they do, look again because the obvious answers may be
wrong. Watch out for answers that just “look right.” They may be distracters—wrong
answer choices deliberately meant to entice you.

SKIP THE DIFFICULT QUESTIONS; COME BACK TO THEM
LATER
There’s no mandatory order to the questions on the SAT Subject Test. You’re allowed to
skip around on the SAT Subject Tests. High scorers know this fact. They move through the
tests efficiently. They don’t dwell on any one question, even a hard one, until they’ve tried
every question at least once.
When you run into questions that look tough, circle them in your test booklet and skip them
for the time being. Go back and try again after you’ve answered the easier ones if you’ve
got time. After a second look, troublesome questions can turn out to be remarkably simple.
If you’ve started to answer a question but get confused, quit and go on to the next question.
Persistence might pay off in high school classes, but it usually hurts your SAT Subject Test
scores. Don’t spend so much time answering one hard question that you use up three or
four questions’ worth of time. That’ll cost you points, especially if you don’t even get the
hard question right.
Do the questions in the order that’s best for you. Skip hard questions until you’ve gone through every question
once. Don’t pass up the opportunity to score easy points by wasting time on hard questions. Come back to them


later.

BE A GOOD GUESSER

You might have heard it said that the SAT Subject Test has a “guessing penalty.” That’s a
misnomer. It’s really a wrong-answer penalty. If you guess wrong, you get a small penalty.
If you guess right, you get full credit.
The fact is, if you can eliminate one or more answer choices as definitely wrong, you’ll turn
the odds in your favor and actually come out ahead by guessing. The fractional points that
you lose are meant to offset the points you might get “accidentally” by guessing the correct
answer. With practice, however, you’ll see that it’s often easy to eliminate several answer
choices on some of the questions. Eliminate the answer choices you can, then guess.
Don’t guess unless you can eliminate at least one answer choice. Don’t leave a question blank unless you have
absolutely no idea how to answer it.

BE A GOOD GRIDDER
The answer grid has no heart. It sounds simple, but it’s extremely important: Don’t make
mistakes filling out your answer grid. When time is short, it’s easy to get confused going
back and forth between your test booklet and your grid. If you know the answers but
misgrid, you won’t get the points. Here’s how to avoid mistakes.
Always circle the questions you skip. Put a big circle in your test booklet around any
question numbers that you skip. When you go back, these questions will be easy to
relocate. Also, if you accidentally skip a box on the grid, you’ll be able to check your grid
against your booklet to see where you went wrong.
Always circle the answers you choose. Circling your answers in the test booklet makes it
easier to check your grid against your booklet.
Grid five or more answers at once. Don’t transfer your answers to the grid after every
question. Transfer them after every five questions. That way, you won’t keep breaking your
concentration to mark the grid. You’ll save time and gain accuracy.
A common mistake is filling in all of the questions with the right answers—in the wrong spots. Whenever you
skip a question, circle it in your test booklet and make doubly sure that you skip it on the answer grid as well.