AP United States History - 2015 Free-Response Questions

Sep 22, 2026

Uploaded by Violet

2015 AP U.S. History Free-Response Questions for Section I, Part B, including four short-answer prompts and Section II document-based question directions. Students must answer in complete sentences and may plan in the booklet but receive credit only for responses written on the designated pages. Questions cover similarities and differences in British colonial development (1607–1754), implications of John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt on land use policy, competing interpretations of the American Revolution (1760–1800), and what best marks the beginning of U.S. industrialization plus supporting and counter-evidence.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Section I, Part B - Short Answer

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Section II - Document-Based Question

AP® United States History 2015 Free-Response Questions © 2015 The College Board. College Board, Advanced Placement Program, AP, AP Central, and the acorn logo are registered trademarks ofthe College Board. Visit [the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org](the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org). AP Central is the official online home for the AP Program: [apcentral.collegeboard.org](apcentral.collegeboard.org). 2015 AP® US HISTORY FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS UNITED STATES HISTORY SECTION I, Part B Time—50 minutes 4 Questions Directions: Read each question carefully and write your responses in the Section I, Part B: Short Answer booklet on the lined pages provided for that question. Use complete sentences; an outline or bulleted list alone is not acceptable. You may plan your answers in this exam booklet, but no credit will be given for notes written in this booklet. Only your responses on the designated pages of the Section I, Part B: Short Answer booklet will be scored. 1. Answer (a), (b), and (c) . a) Briefly explain ONE important similarity between the British colonies in the Chesapeake region and the British colonies in New England in the period from 1607 to 1754. b) Briefly explain ONE important difference between the British colonies in the Chesapeake region and the British colonies in New England in the period from 1607 to 1754. c) Briefly explain ONE factor that accounts for the difference that you indicated in (b) . © 2015 The College Board. Visit [the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org](the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org). GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. 2015 AP® US HISTORY FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS “None of Nature’s landscapes are ugly so long as they are wild.” John Muir, 1901 “I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land; but Ido not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us.” Former president Theodore Roosevelt, 1910 2. Using the excerpts, answer (a), (b), and (c) . a) Briefly explain ONE implication for public policy of John Muir’s view on land use. b) Briefly explain ONE way in which an implication for public policy of Theodore Roosevelt’s view contrasts with the implication for public policy of Muir’s view. c) Identify ONE specific example of land use policy in the United States from 1890 to 1945 and briefly explain how the example is consistent with the view of either Muir or Roosevelt. © 2015 The College Board. Visit [the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org](the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org). GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. 2015 AP® US HISTORY FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS “As to the history of the revolution, my ideas may be peculiar, perhaps singular. What do we mean by the revolution? The war? That was no part of the revolution; it was only an effect and consequence of it. The revolution was in the minds of the people, and this was effected from 1760 to 1775, in the course of fifteen years, before a drop of blood was shed at Lexington.” Former president John Adams to former president Thomas Jefferson, August 1815 “There is nothing more common than to confound the terms of the American Revolution with those of the late American war. The American war is over: but this is far from being the case with the American Revolution. On the contrary, nothing but the first act of the great drama is closed. It remains yet to establish and perfect our new forms of government; and to prepare the principles, morals, and manners of our citizens, for these forms of government, after they are established and brought to perfection.” Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence and delegate to the Continental Congress, January 1787 3. Using the excerpts, answer (a), (b), and (c) . a) Briefly describe ONE significant difference between Adams’understanding and Rush’s understanding of

FAQs

What are the time limits and number of questions in Section I, Part B?

Section I, Part B provides 50 minutes for 4 questions.

What response requirements apply to Section I, Part B answers?

Responses must be written in complete sentences; an outline or bulleted list alone is not acceptable. Only answers on the designated pages will be scored.

What topics do the short-answer questions address?

They address British colonial similarities and differences (1607–1754), land-use policy implications from John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt, contrasting understandings of the American Revolution (1760–1800), and the best indicator for the beginning of industrialization in the United States.

Sep 22, 2026

Uploaded by Violet

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