The material covered in the CLEP exam in American History I: Early Colonizations to 1877 (which is reflected in the lecture notes and study guide which follow) is generally considered equivalent to a one semester lower division college course.

Exam type:
CLEP: 100 multiple choice questions in two 45-minute sessions
Typical credits: 3 units
GRE: 220 multiple choice questions
Typical credit: 12 - 18 units

For more details about the GRE click here.

The CLEP Exam

NOTE: There is no on-line course that appears to relate directly to the CLEP Exam. I have drawn from two on-line texts, on-line lecture notes in detailed outline form and related sites that seem to reflect the content required on the CLEP. Featured faculty and their home pages can be found at the end of this page.
I didn't promise you a rose garden. See disclaimer.)

Getting Started

Here is one way that you can begin. (If you haven't read a general step-by-step guide, this might be a good time. See also How to Budget Your Time)

A) Spend at least two sessions with a good encyclopedia (United States of America - History). You might also want to go through the section on Government. Read the early history of each state of the original 13 colonies (each state has a separate entry in the encyclopedia). As history unfolds and new territories and states are added to the Union, read the early history of each territory and state in the encyclopedia.

B)As you read this material draw up a list for future cross referencing. This list would contain the names of prominent individuals, Supreme Court decisions, laws, amendments to the Constitution, major events, political parties, industries, etc. The list will provide a useful outline for review, and you can look up the other references as you fill in your regular study sessions.

C) Quickly review the titles of linked sites in the Study Guide which follows so you can have an overview of the course.

D) You can use any standard textbook published within the last 8-10 years (frequently available for just a few dollars at a thrift shop or used book store). You will also need to obtain a book of sample tests. (See the Bookstore.)

Using the Free University Project Study Guide

A) Read the Introductory Material suggested in the Study Guide.

B) Read the material in each section of the Study Guide. In order to stay focussed, only follow those links within the lectures and outlines that seem to be directly related to the subject matter at hand. Take your own notes. If you print out the material, highlight key definitions and concepts for review. Add your own marginal notes.

C) Read corresponding material in a textbook of your choice.

Remember to keep your diary up to date.

Introduction

NOTE:For a painless way to learn history, spend 15 minutes every day at The American Memory site The American Memory and click on Today in History
Also look at:
The History Channel and click on This Day in History

Breakdown of CLEP exam .Always check the College Board site for the latest information.

• Political institutions and behavior and public policy 50%
• Social and economic change 20%
• Cultural and intellectual developments 20%
• Diplomacy and international relations 10%

About one-third of the questions deal with the period from 1500 to 1789
about two-thirds are on the period from 1790 to 1877.

Among the specific topics tested are the following:

The character of Colonial society; British relations with the Atlantic colonies; motivations and character of American expansionism.

The content of the Constitution and its amendments, and their interpretation by the Supreme Court.

The growth of political parties and the changing role of government in American life

The intellectual and political expressions of nationalism

Agrarianism, abolitionism, and other such movements

Long-term demographic trends

The process of economic growth and development

Origins and nature of Black slavery in America

Immigration and the history of racial and ethnic minorities

Causes and impacts of major wars in American history

Major movements and individual figures in the history of American arts and letters

ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY GUIDE

The Study Guide is divided into 6 Study Units, which were derived from the chapter breakdown of an on-line text. You should plan to spend between 10-12 hours on each of Units 1 to 3 and 15 to 20 hours on each of Units 4 to 6.

Each Unit starts with a chapter in the on-line text Outline of American History, followed by additional readings and other related links.
At the end of each unit are one or more chapter summaries, chapter quiz, and primary source material from The American People: Creating a Nation and Society, Nash, et.al. (Note that additional questions follow each of the primary sources.) Bookmark and browse the Click on Glossary from the publisher (Longman).

Study Unit 1

• The First Americans
• Mound Builders and Pueblos
• Native American Cultures
• The First Europeans
• Early Settlements
• Jamestown
• Massachusetts
• New Netherland and Maryland
• Colonial-Indian Relations
• Second Generation of British Colonies
• Settlers, Slaves and Servants

Sidebar:The Enduring Mystery of the Anasazi

On-line Lecture Notes - detailed outline

The World Before ColumbusDan Rankin, Department of History, Stephen F. Austin State University

Additional Readings:

• 1492 Exhibit - Library of Congress
• "American Memory Exhibit" - Library of Congress
• "The Tristram's Saga," vellum fragment in Icelandic, 15th century (William Dudley Foulke Papers).

Read related material from a textbook of your choice.

On-line Chapter Summary, Quiz, and Primary Sources

Chapter 1: Three Worlds Meet (Nash)

Study Unit 2

• New Peoples
• New England
• The Middle Colonies
• The Southern Colonies
• Society, Schools and Culture
• Emergence of Colonial Government
• The French and Indian War

Sidebar: The Witches of Salem

On-line Lecture Notes - detailed outline

English Colonization (Rankin)

Off-Line:

The October, 1997 issue of The National Geographic has an interesting article about current research that indiciates native populations had reached the Western Hemisphere many thousands of years earlier than originally thought.

Featured sites:

Colonial Williamsburg
Click on experience colonial life and follow all links to gain insights into the way of life in colonial America.

1755: The French and Indian War
A well thought out site.

Archiving Early America
Click on Milestone Events

On-line Lecture Notes - detailed outline

The Struggle for Empire (Rankin)

You will also want to look at the special features from PBS as part of The American Experience Click on Web Site Archive and scroll down to Complete Archive.

Additional reading:

• Petition for bail from accused witches, ca. 1692 (John Davis Batchelder Autograph Collection).
• Indian treaty signed at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 13 July 1713, and addendum signed at same location, 28 July 1714 (Levi Woodbury Papers).

History Channel series: [NOTE: The History Channel does not support direct links to archival material. You must enter the keywords in the search box]

The Hidden History of Boston

Read related material from a textbook of your choice.

On-line Chapter Summary, Quiz, and Primary Sources

Chapter 2: Colonizing a Continent (Nash)
On-line Chapter Summary, Quiz, and Primary Sources

Chapter 3: Mastering the New World (Nash)

Study Unit 3

• A New Colonial System
• Stamp Act
• Taxation Without Representation
• Townshend Acts
• Samuel Adams
• Boston "Tea Party"
• The Coercive Acts
• The Revolution Begins
• Common Sense and Independence
• Defeats and Victories
• Franco-American Alliance
• The British Move South
• Victory and Independence

Sidebar: Loyalists During the American Revolution

On-line Lecture Notes - detailed outline

The Road To Revolution (Rankin)

Featured Sites:

Benjamin Franklin: Glimpses of the Man

Series from The History Channel:[NOTE: The History Channel does not support direct links to archival material. You must enter the keywords in the search box]

The American Revolution Part I: The Conflict Ignites

The American Revolution Part II: 1776

The American Revolution: Part III: Washington & Arnold

The American Revolution Part IV: The World At War

The American Revolution Part V: England's Last Chance

The American Revolution Part VI: Birth of the Republic

The Revolutionary War: The American Spirit

November Warriors : Noble Dreams, American Realities

Basic Readings in U.S. Democracy
PART I: The Declaration of Independence (1776)

1. The Declaration of Independence

Basic Readings in U.S. Democracy
PART II: Creating a Government

2. The Mayflower Compact (1620)
3. Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1639)
4. Albany Plain of Union (1754)
5. The Northwest Ordinance (1787)
6. Constitution of the United States (1787)
7. James Madison, The Federalist No. 10 (1787)
8. The Judiciary Act of 1789
9. Marbury v. Madison (1803)
10. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
From: PART VII: Freedom of Expression
42. Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786)
From: PART VIII: Facing the World
49. George Washington, Farewell Address (1796)

Additional Reading:

• Petition for bail from accused witches, ca. 1692 (John Davis Batchelder Autograph Collection).
• Indian treaty signed at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 13 July 1713, and addendum signed at same location, 28 July 1714 (Levi Woodbury Papers).
• Virginia Declaration of Rights
• Declaration of Independence
• Declaration of Arms, 1775
• Federalist Papers #10
• Federalist Papers #51
• US Articles of Confederation
• US Constitution
• Treaty of Greenville
• Resolves of the Continental Congress
• Letter of Transmittal of US Constitution
• George Washington (1789-1797)
  
• John Adams (1797-1801)
  

  Read related material from a textbook of your choice.

  On-line Chapter Summary, Quiz, and Primary Sources
  

• Chapter 4: The Maturing of Colonial Society (Nash)
  On-line Chapter Summary, Quiz, and Primary Sources
  
• Chapter 5: Bursting the Colonial Bonds! (Nash)
  On-line Chapter Summary, Quiz, and Primary Sources
  
• Chapter 6: A People in Revolution (Nash)

Study Unit 4

• State Constitutions
• Articles of Confederation
• The Problem of Expansion
• Constitutional Convention
• Debate and Compromise
• Ratification and the Bill of Rights
• President Washington
• Hamilton vs. Jefferson
• Citizen Genet and Foreign Policy
• Adams and Jefferson
• Louisiana and Britain
• War of 1812

Sidebar: The Second Great Awakening

Basic Readings in U.S. Democracy PART III: The Growth of American Society

11. Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural (1801)
12. Black Hawk, Surrender Speech (1832)
13. Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America (1835)
14. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance (1841)
15. Dorothea Dix, Memorial to the Massachusetts Legislature (1843)
16. Horace Mann, Report No. 12 of the Massachusetts School Board (1848)
17. Seneca Falls Declaration (1848)

On-line Lecture Notes - detailed outline

The New American Government (Rankin)

Additional reading:

• Enclosure, John Hancock to George Washington concerning the reading of the Declaration of Independence to the Revolutionary army, 4 July 1776 (George Washington Papers).
• Letter, Benedict Arnold to George Washington pleading for mercy for his wife, 25 September 1780 (George Washington Papers).
• Letter, John Adams to Thomas Jefferson describing the cordial greeting he received from King George III as the first American minister to Great Britain, 3 June 1785 (Thomas Jefferson Papers).
• Alexander Hamilton's notes for a speech proposing a plan of government at the Federal Convention, [18 June 1787] (Alexander Hamilton Papers).
• Thomas Jefferson's drawing of a macaroni machine and instructions for making pasta, ca. 1787 (Thomas Jefferson Papers).
• George Washington's first inaugural address, 30 April 1789 (George Washington Papers).
• Letter, James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, partially written in cipher with translation by Jefferson, 23 May 1789 (James Madison Papers).
• Letter, Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Banneker expressing his belief that blacks possess talents equal to those of "other colours of men," 30 August 1791 (Thomas Jefferson Papers).
• Thomas Jefferson's design for a plow, ca. 1794 (Thomas Jefferson Papers).
• John Fitch's sketch and description of piston for steamboat propulsion, ca. 1795 (John Fitch Papers in the Peter Force Papers).

Read related material from a textbook of your choice.

On-line Chapter Summary, Quiz, and Primary Sources

Chapter 7: Consolidating the Revolution (Nash)
On-line Chapter Summary, Quiz, and Primary Sources

Chapter 8: Creating a Nation (Nash)
On-line Chapter Summary, Quiz, and Primary Sources

Chapter 9: Society and Politics in the Early Republic (Nash)

Study Unit 5

• Building Unity
• Extension of Slavery
• Latin America and the Monroe Doctrine
• Factionalism and Political Parties
• Nullification Crisis
• Battle of the Bank
• Whigs, Democrats and "Know-Nothings"
• Stirrings of Reform
• Women's Rights
• Westward

Sidebar: Seneca Falls

On-line Lecture Notes - detailed outline

Growth of the Nation, 1800-40 (Rankin)

On-Line Course Notes and Links from George Mason University
Taught by Michael O'Malley, Ph.D.
History 404: Jacksonian Democracy, 1820-1850
Click on Jacksonian Democracy for an overview and then click on A Syllabus and on the images for notes and links. Follow the links to useful sites.

Read a short essay on The Trail of Tears the forced removal of the Cherokee Nation from Georgia to Oklahoma.

The History Channel Series: [NOTE: The History Channel does not support direct links to archival material. You must enter the keywords in the search box]

The Real West: The Mexican War

The Real West: The Law Behind The Tin Star

The Real West: Cattle Barons

The Real West: Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce Wars

Sitting Bull & The Great Sioux Nation

Basic Readings in U.S. Democracy
PART IV: The Crisis of the Union

18. American Anti-Slavery Society, Declaration of Sentiments (1833)
19. Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience (1846)
20. Massachusetts Personal Liberty Act (1855)
21. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
22. Abraham Lincoln, "A House Divided" (1858)
23. Sullivan Ballou, Letter to His Wife (1861)
24. Abraham Lincoln, Emancipation Proclamation (1863)
25. Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address (1863)
26. Ex parte Milligan (1866)
27. Morrill Act (1862)

The History Channel Series: [NOTE: The History Channel does not support direct links to archival material. You must enter the keywords in the search box]

Pickett's Charge

The 54th Massachusetts Regiment

Additional reading:

• Letter, John Adams to federal department heads ordering the relocation of government offices from Philadelphia to the District of Columbia, 15 May 1800 (United States Commissioners of the City of Washington Records).
• Subpoena served on Thomas Jefferson to testify at Aaron Burr's trial for treason, 13 June 1807 (Aaron Burr Papers).
• Sales contract between Thomas Jefferson and James Madison for an indentured servant's remaining term, 19 April 1809 (Carter G. Woodson Collection).
• Letter, Thomas Jefferson to William Plumer regarding the Dartmouth College case, 21 July 1816 (Thomas Jefferson Papers).
• Letter, James Monroe to Thomas Jefferson seeking foreign policy advice, 17 October 1823 (Thomas Jefferson Papers).
• Proclamation of Neutrality, 1793
• Treaty of Paris, 1793
• Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
  
• James Madison (1809-1817)
  
• James Monroe (1817-1825)
  
• Monroe Doctrine
• Northwest Ordinance
• John Quincy Adams (1825-1829)
  
• Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)
  
• Martin Van Buren (1837-1841)
  
• William Henry Harrison (1841)
  
• John Tyler (1841-1845)
  
• James Polk (1845-1849)
  
• Zachary Taylor (1849-1850)
  
• Page of Abraham Lincoln's student sum book, ca. 1824-26 (Herndon-Weik Collection of Lincolniana).
• Henry Clay's appointment as secretary of state, 7 March 1825 (Henry Clay Papers).
• Manuscript map, probably made by a French voyageur, of Indian lands of eastern Wisconsin, when part of Michigan Territory, annotated by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, ca. 1831 (Henry Rowe Schoolcraft Papers).
• Letter, Andrew Jackson to Martin Van Buren discussing the nullification crisis, 13 January 1833 (Martin Van Buren Papers).
• Letter, Abraham Lincoln to Mary S. Owens reflecting the frustration of courtship, 16 August 1837 (Abraham Lincoln Papers).
• Illustrated letter, Amasa J. Parker to Harriet Parker describing the boardinghouse where he and two future presidents resided, 31 December 1837 (Amasa J. Parker Papers).
• "Plan of the Ancient Works at Marietta, Ohio," by Charles Whittlesey, 1837 (E. G. Squier Papers).
• Samuel F. B. Morse's colored sketch of railway telegraph, ca. 1838 (Samuel Finley Breese Morse Papers).
• "The Village Blacksmith," poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ca. 1839, published in 1841 in Ballads and Other Poems (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Collection).
• First telegraph message, 24 May 1844 (Samuel Finley Breese Morse Papers).
• Retained copy of letter, James K. Polk to the Committee of the Democratic National Convention accepting the Democratic presidential nomination, [12 June 1844] (James K. Polk Papers).
• Watercolor by George R. West of the Buddhist Temple of the Goddess of Mercy, Macao, China, where the first Sino-American treaty was signed in 1844 (Caleb Cushing Papers).

Read related material from a textbook of your choice.

On-line Chapter Summary, Quiz, and Primary Sources