DSST College Algebra Study Guide: AP European History

Introduction

• AP is a program allowing high school students to pursue college-level studies.
• AP European History exam includes multiple-choice and short-answer questions focused on specific historical themes.

Key Exam Themes

• Renaissance and Exploration (c. 1450 – c. 1648)
• Age of Reformation (c. 1450 – c. 1648)
• Absolutism and Constitutionalism (c. 1648 – c. 1815)
• Scientific, Philosophical, and Political Developments (c. 1648 – c. 1815)
• Conflict, Crisis, and Reaction in the Late 18th Century (c. 1648 – c. 1815)
• Industrialization and Its Effects (c. 1815 – c. 1914)
• Nineteenth-Century Perspectives and Political Developments (c. 1815 – c. 1914)
• Twentieth-Century Global Conflicts (c. 1914 – present)
• Cold War and Contemporary Europe (c. 1914 – present)

Exam Format

• Includes document-based and long essay questions testing thesis development, context placement, compelling evidence, and logical analysis.

Major Topics

1. Renaissance and Exploration

• People of Interest: Petrarch, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, etc.
• Key Concepts: Humanism, New monarchies, Mercantilism.
• Key Terms: Vernacular, Intercursus Magnus, Columbian exchange, etc.
• Timeline Highlights:
  • 1345: Petrarch discovers Cicero's letters
  • 1450: Gutenberg press and the Gutenberg Bible
  • 1492: Columbus' first voyage funded by Ferdinand and Isabella

2. Age of Reformation

• People of Interest: Luther, Calvin, Loyola, etc.
• Key Concepts: Justification by faith alone, Predestination.
• Key Terms: Indulgences, Edict of Nantes.
• Timeline Highlights:
  • 1517: Luther's 95 Theses
  • 1618–1648: Thirty Years War

3. Absolutism and Constitutionalism

• Key Concepts: Absolutism, Balance of power.
• Timeline Highlights:
  • 1688: The Glorious Revolution
  • 1756–1763: Seven Years War

4. Scientific, Philosophical, and Political Developments

• People of Interest: Bacon, Newton, Voltaire, etc.
• Key Concepts: Scientific method, Heliocentrism, Deism.
• Timeline Highlights:
  • 1543: Copernicus' heliocentrism
  • 1776: Smith's "The Wealth of Nations"

5. Industrialization and Its Effects

• Key Concepts: Utopian socialism, Marxism.
• Timeline Highlights:
  • 1815: Congress of Vienna
  • 1848: Communist Manifesto, 1848 Revolutions

6. Twentieth-Century Global Conflicts

• Key Concepts: National self-determination, Fascism, Totalitarianism.
• Timeline Highlights:
  • 1914–1918: World War I
  • 1929: Wall Street Crash
  • 1939: Hitler invades Poland

7. Cold War and Contemporary Europe

• Key Concepts: Containment, Decolonization.
• Timeline Highlights:
  • 1948: Marshall Plan
  • 1961: Berlin Wall built
  • 1989–1991: End of Communist rule in Europe

Sample Questions and Answers

• Provided throughout the guide to illustrate thematic emphasis and exam question style.

Conclusion

This guide reviews major historical topics with a focus on key people, places, events, and documents. Sample questions are included to familiarize students with exam formats and expectations.