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Unit 1 SAQ (The New World) Answers

3 min readjune 18, 2024


AP US History 🇺🇸

454 resources
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APUSH Short Answer Question Answers for The New World

👋 Welcome to the APUSH Unit 1 SAQ (The New World) Answers. Have your responses handy as you go through the rubrics to see how you did!
⏱ Remember, the AP US History exam has a mixture of free-response questions and allotted times. For these types of questions, there will be 3 SAQs, and you will be given 40 minutes to complete the SAQ section. (This means you should give yourself ~13 minutes to go through each practice SAQ.)

Questions with Answers & Rubric


(a) Briefly describe ONE specific historical difference between the Spanish and English exploration of the New World.
🏆 Successful answers would explain how:
  • The Spanish conquistadors landed in the Caribbean or Central America and most English explorers arrived along the eastern coast of North America
  • Spanish conquistadors were successful at finding gold and silver in Mexico and Peru, whereas the English had little success in finding mineral wealth
  • The Spanish had created many more successful missions like St. Augustine during the time period as the English do not develop a successful colony until 1607 with Jamestown
📄 Additional Resources:

(b) Briefly describe ONE specific historical similarity between the Spanish and English exploration of the New World.
🏆 Successful answers would explain how:
  • Both the Spanish and English explored the new world to colonize other countries in the pursuit of gold and resources
  • Both the Spanish and the English based their explorations off of the concept of mercantilism and improving the wealth of the mother country
  • Both the Spanish and English attempted to convert Native Americans to Christianity
  • Both the Spanish and English used new technologies like the caravel and compass to guide their exploration
📄 Additional Resources:

(c) Briefly explain ONE specific historical change in the New World as a result of Spanish or English exploration.
🏆Successful answers would explain how:
  • The development of slave labor societies began to develop as indicated by the encomienda system and use of slave labor from Africa
  • The Columbian Exchange would take place allowing for the sharing of foods (such as the potato) and animals (such as horses and pigs)
  • The spread of disease by Europeans would kill millions of Native Americans by 1607, resulting in huge population losses in the New World
  • Class and caste systems would change dramatically as English and Spanish developments begin to grow
📄 Additional Resources:

Next Steps

  • 🧠 Want to continue reinforcing your knowledge of Unit 1? Check out Unit 1 Trivia, either as a document or as a game
  • ⏭ Ready to move on to the next topic? Take a look at the collection of Unit 2 resources.
  • 📚 Want to review multiple units? Check out all of the APUSH SAQs, LEQs, and DBQs

Browse Study Guides By Unit
🌽Unit 1 – Interactions North America, 1491-1607
🦃Unit 2 – Colonial Society, 1607-1754
🔫Unit 3 – Conflict & American Independence, 1754-1800
🐎Unit 4 – American Expansion, 1800-1848
💣Unit 5 – Civil War & Reconstruction, 1848-1877
🚂Unit 6 – Industrialization & the Gilded Age, 1865-1898
🌎Unit 7 – Conflict in the Early 20th Century, 1890-1945
🥶Unit 8 – The Postwar Period & Cold War, 1945-1980
📲Unit 9 – Entering Into the 21st Century, 1980-Present
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