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US History Regents Thematic Essay Topics and DBQ since 2004 (United States Regents Review Sheet) NOTE - THE COMPLETE ESSAYS AND EXAMS CAN BE FOUND AT THE BOARD OF REGENTS WEBSITE. THIS IS MERELY A BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHAT THE ESSAYS WERE ABOUT.
2015 January THEMATIC - Legislation. Choose two laws, explain them, and show their impact on the United States and/or American society. (Missouri Compromise, Homestead Act, Pure Food and Drug Act, Title IX) DBQ - Controversial Presidential decisions: FDR and Japanese Internment, Lincoln and suspending habeas corpus, and George W. Bush's Patriot Act.
2014 January THEMATIC - Geography - Territorial Expansion. Explain how the US acquired 2 territories, and if they had a positive or negative impact. (Louisiana Territory doubles the size of the nation, Alaska provides vast oil reserves, California becomes a free state in the controversial Compromise of 1850.) DBQ - The similarities and differences between Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
June THEMATIC - Change - Supreme Court Decisions. Choose two decisions, explain them, and show how they impacted the United States and/or American society. DBQ - Influence of writers: Martin Luther King, Jr., Rachel Carson, and Betty Friedan.
August THEMATIC - Technology - Choose two inventions and show how they changed society. Illustrate why it was either a positive or negative change. (Cotton gin, automobile, nuclear energy, television) DBQ - The impact of the Korean War, Vietnam War, and Persian Gulf War on the United States and/or another region.
2013 January THEMATIC - Government - Legislation. Choose 2 laws, explain their historical circumstances, and if they had a positive or negative impact. (Pure Food and Drug Act protects consumers, Social Security Act provides money for the elderly in the Great Depression, Indian Removal Act forces Native Americans to move west of the Mississippi River). DBQ - Major events of the 1950s and their impacts on society. (Korean War, Montgomery Bus Boycott, and launching of Sputnik). June THEMATIC - Foreign Policy - National Interests. Choose 2 examples of foreign policy that affected US interests, and show if they were successful or not. (Open Door Policy, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, Panama Canal). DBQ - Impact of Supreme Court Decisions on the United States. (Dred Scott Case takes away rights of slaves, Plessy v. Ferguson supports "separate but equal," Brown v. Board of Education gets rid of segregation in schools). August THEMATIC - Foreign Policy - Cold War. Choose 2 examples of containment, and explain if those actions were successful in stopping the spread of communism. (Truman Doctrine, Korean War, Vietnam War, "Star Wars", Berlin Airlift). DBQ - Issues that divided the nation (Ratification of the Constitution, Louisiana Purchase, extension of slavery).
2012 August THEMATIC - Reform movements: Industrialization. Choose two problems resulting from industrialization. Show how the government tried to fix each problem, and to what extent they were successful. (Overpopulation, pollution, nativism, unsafe food, trusts, exploitation of workers). DBQ - Controversial Acts. Choose two of the following, and show both why the government supported the act, and why people opposed it: Executive Order 9066 (1942), Patriot Act (2001), and Espionage and Sedition Acts (1917-1918) June THEMATIC - Foreign policy; Presidential Decisions. Choose two decisions, and show their impacts on BOTH the US and on a foreign country. (Truman's decision to use the atomic bomb, JFK quarantining Cuba, GW Bush's decision to invade Iraq). DBQ - Movements in American History. Choose 2 of the following: Labor Movement, Women's Suffrage, or Abolition. January THEMATIC - Impact of Supreme Court cases. Choose two cases, and show their impact on American society. Use any two court cases you like! DBQ - Sectionalism and differences between the North and South before the Civil War.
2011 August THEMATIC - Geographical features influencing history. Choose 2 events related to geography and explain the impacts of the event. (Erie Canal construction, Panama Canal, Transcontinental Railroad) DBQ - Expansion of Democracy in America - Suffrage, Progressivism, etc) June THEMATIC - Amendments. Choose 2 Amendments and show how they impacted America (13th = Abolition, 17th = Direct Election of Senators, 19th = Women's Suffrage) DBQ - Explain the differences and/or similarities of society in the 1920s and 1930s. January THEMATIC - Diversity and Court Cases. Choose 2 court cases that either limited or expanded the rights of specific groups. (Korematsu limited rights for the Japanese, Brown expanded Black rights, whereas Plessy limited them). DBQ - Cold War ... analyze the events of Presidents JFK, Nixon, and Reagan
2010 January THEMATIC - Writing and Reform. Choose 2 writers, and show how they caused the government to act. (Upton Sinclair and meatpacking / FDA, Thomas Paine and the Revolution, Harriet Beecher Stowe and abolition) DBQ - Explain how water affected the development of the US (Rivers, canals, etc) June THEMATIC - Positive and negative affects of technology. Choose 2 ... Car, internet, television, radio) DBQ - Reform Movements - Women's Suffrage, Temperance, Child Labor. What was the problem? To what extent was the problem solved? August THEMATIC- Choose 2 Presidential decisions in American history, and show the impacts. (Lincoln and emancipation, Truman and the atomic bomb, Washington and Neutrality.) DBQ - Negative and positive effects of geography on American History.
2009 January THEMATIC - Pieces of writing that influenced society. Choose 2 (Thomas Paine's Common Sense, Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.) DBQ - The decisions of the Warren Court (Supreme Court of the 50s and 60s) June THEMATIC - Discrimination of rights. Explain policies that helped, or hurt specific groups. Choose 2. (Native Americans and Indian Removal, Korematsu case for the Japanese, slavery for African Americans) DBQ - Impact of industry on American society from the Civil War to WWI August THEMATIC - Supreme Court Cases. Choose 2, explain the historical circumstances, decision, and impact. (Brown, Korematsu, Miranda, Tinker, Schenck, Gideon, Mapp, etc) DBQ - Challenges facing Presidents Washington, Lincoln, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
2008 January THEMATIC - Groups affected by War. Choose 2 (African Americans after the Civil War, Indian Wars, women in WWI and WWII, Japanese in WWII) DBQ - Reformers of the 19th and 20th Centuries. Abolition, Populism, Progressive Era) June THEMATIC - Change by individuals other than Presidents. Choose two, and show how their actions led to government actions. (Muckrakers, Carnegie and industrialization, Martin Luther King Jr., and civil rights, Henry Ford and the automobile) DBQ - Presidential actions during crisis. Civil War, Bonus March, and Little Rock 9. August THEMATIC - Economic Policy. Describe two actions taken by the government to help the economy. (FDR's New Deal, Tariffs, Social Security, Reagan's tax cuts) DBQ - Political and Economic impacts of the automobile.
2007 January THEMATIC - Geography - Discuss 2 actions taken by the US Government because of Geography. (Monroe Doctrine, Lewis and Clark, Homestead Act, Panama Canal) DBQ - The Vietnam War and it's impact home and abroad.
June THEMATIC - Industrialization: Choose two problems that resulted from industrial growth in America. (Immigration, Technology, Monopolies, Urbanization, Reform Movements.) DBQ - Similarities and differences between the women's rights and civil rights movements. August THEMATIC - Choose 2 individuals who had an impact solving problems in America. (Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Robinson, Henry Ford Betty Friedan) DBQ - Government policy and technology influencing growth in the US economy.
2006 January THEMATIC - Controversial Issues. Choose 2 controversial issues that divided the country and explain how the government addressed each issue. (Prohibition, Civil Rights, Segregation, Immigration, Native American Removal) DBQ - Geography's influence on American expansion. June THEMATIC - Turning Points. Choose 2 economic, political, and/or social turning points that led to landmark changes. (Automobile, Brown v. Board of Education, Declaration of Independence, or really, anything important.) DBQ - Mass Media's impact on American society. August THEMATIC - Migrations of People. Choose 2 groups, and explain why they moved, and the impact of the migration. (The Great Migration, Native American Removal) DBQ - The Cold War's affect on the nation.
2005 January THEMATIC - Foreign Policy. Choose 2 American foreign policy actions, the immediate or long term consequences, and if self-interest was promoted. (Big Stick Diplomacy, Marshall Plan, Lend-Lease Act, Fourteen Points) DBQ - Goals of the Progressive Reformers.
June THEMATIC - Reform Movements. Choose 2 Reform movements, their goals, and if their goals were achieved. (Abolition, Prohibition, Women's Suffrage, Progressive Era) DBQ - Foreign Policy: Isolation vs. War before WWII. August THEMATIC - Cold War. Explain 2 Cold War conflicts and how the government operated during them. (Cuban Missile Crisis, nuclear weapon limits of SALT, Berlin Airlift) DBQ - Problems in America during the Great Depression.
2004 January THEMATIC - Amendments. Choose 2, and explain why they were adapted, and how they affected American society. (any amendment will do) DBQ - Expanding education to all Americans. June THEMATIC - Actions taken by the US because of geographic factors. Choose 2. Explain the action, influences, and impact of each action. (Panama Canal, Monroe Doctrine, Louisiana Purchase) DBQ - Civil War and Reconstruction -- explain social, economic, and political changes that took place. August THEMATIC - Reform Movements. Choose 2, and explain the circumstances and impact. (Progressive Era, Abolition, Prohibition, Women's Suffrage) DBQ - Westward Expansion during the 1800s.
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