One important theme in AP US History is geography and the environment. Questions on the exam will ask you to understand how these factors have shaped American history.
I'm a licensed teacher and professional tutor with over ten years of experience in education. I've helped dozens of students improve their grades in their AP US History class. This article will cover how humans interact with the environment. We'll also discuss how the environment has shaped American political conflicts and social hierarchies. Read on for tips you can use to improve your grades today!
Note: This post is part of a series on historical themes covered in AP US History. You can learn more about the all of the themes in AP US History at this link.
Table of Contents
Definition
Geography is the study of Earth's features and people. AP US History is most often concerned with physical geography. This means it emphasizes the impacts of factors like weather and soil on human history. AP US History also discusses the influence of land forms like oceans, mountains, and rivers on American history.
Human actions can influence geography. For example, farming often changes the soil. Technology has made it easier for humans to influence geographic features at a large scale. Fossil fuels, industrial plants, and agriculture can all pollute the land, water, and air. Technology also makes it possible for humans to change the landscape to meet our need better. This includes damming rivers and flattening mountain passes for trains and cars.
Man-made or natural, geography and the environment influence American political and social life. In addition to tracking changes as they occur, this course will consider the impact of the environment on laws, political conflicts, and social hierarchies.
Example
The British colonies developed differently because of the environment. This idea is explored in Unit 2. The first permanent British colony in the United States was Jamestown. Jamestown is located in the modern-day state of Virginia. Virginia and other Southern colonies had fertile soil, lots of land suitable for crops, and a long growing season. This made it possible for colonists to grow cash crops like tobacco. However, tobacco requires a lot of work to grow and harvest. Planters forced indentured servants and enslaved Africans to do this work. As a result, plantations and slavery became important parts of Southern culture and economics.
In contrast, the New England colonies had a short growing season and rocky, poor soil. It was impossible for them to grow cash crops like tobacco. As a result, plantations did not form in this region. There were indentured servants and enslaved Africans in New England. However, the practice was not as widespread. It was easier for to ban slavery in northern states because it was not as widespread.
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