SAQ practice is one of the most important ways to prepare for the APUSH exam! Review these student responses to a unit
1 practice prompt focused on the Columbian Exchange, as well as the corresponding feedback from Fiveable teacher Caleb Lagerwey! It is opinion-based but definitely helps strengthen your skills for short answer questions. 

 commodity or otherwise transmitted item was the most important consequence of the Columbian Exchange? Give an 

 and/or justification for why your choice was the 

I definitely think that transporting enslaved people was the big item that impacted both the Americas and Europe during the Columbian Exchange. Considering that slavery is such a HUGE part of American history, I would say it is the most important thing transferred. It wasn’t just about bringing people to work in the U.S. It developed the American culture and eventually led us to the Civil War. The impacts of slavery can still be seen today!

Great answer! Enslaved people coming over from African were certainly important to later US History, and you made that case well. Supporting an assertion with evidence is important for the APUSH exam FRQs, and you did that well. Consider adding even more evidence such as the Middle Passage just to strengthen that APUSH knowledge. Nice work!

I definitely believe that potatoes were an essential crop item transmitted from the Americas to Europe during the Colombian exchange. Potatoes were highly nutritious and introduced a new diet to the Europeans which prompted a huge population explosion all across the continent. Potatoes were the most important because they were a calorie dense food that was easy to grow in European soil, and the Europeans reliance on the crop would later on lead to events such as the potato famine in Ireland prompting the Irish to seek refuge in America and migrate to its shores.

This is a great answer. I personally think the potato was hugely important in world history. If you ever get the chance to read 

What If 2: Prominent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been

check out the essay by McNeill called “What If Pizarro Had Not Found Potatoes In Peru?”

. It’s a great read and makes many of the points you make about the importance of calorie-rich potatoes for central European peasants (especially since the potatoes grow underground and can thus survive the trampling of armies). 

Tomatoes were the most important of the items exchanged by the columbian Exchanged. By introducing tomatoes into the new world, the common associations made between tomatoes and European cultures were able to be made. This new food source allowed for a variety in food and culture not previously available. This exchange allowed for the eventual creation of foods consumed throughout the world that were developed or created in Europe such as the pastas, pizza and other tomato based foods of Italy.

Nice work! This isn’t a formal Short Answer Question (SAQ), so it’s more of an opinion question. Your reasoning was definitely valid! 

One commodity that was arguably the most important consequence of the Columbian Exchange was the sugar brought to the New World from Asia. The Caribbean Islands and tropical areas grew a large amount of sugar, and thus needed a plentiful amount of African labor (also since it was difficult to grow). Since many Native Americans died due to the diseases that were brought from the Columbian Exchange, many colonists resorted to African labor brought from the gruesome Middle Passage. Thus, the growing of sugar led to the initial heavy usage of African labor, which continued to be a pivotal part of all American society and debates throughout U.S. history (socially, politically, economically, etc.). It was the main cause of many historically significant events, such as the Civil War and Reconstruction.

This was a great response. You tied it into a specific commodity (sugar) well, plus you gave lots of persuasive evidence as to why sugar mattered in later history.

I think the most important exchanged commodity during the Columbian Exchange would be tobacco because it not only helped to redefine Europe’s economy, but it is still around the world today! Tobacco aided Jamestown to recover from the harsh winters and to thrive as a colony and it was sent to Europe where it could be used too. Tobacco changed Europe forever while aiding people in the Americas, therefore it is the most important transmitted item.

Nice work! This answer supports its assertion (tobacco) well by using evidence on both sides of the Atlantic.

One commodity that was traded in the Columbian Exchange was weapons that the Europeans brought to the Americas. For example, the Europeans traded guns to the Native Americans in exchange for crops. This was an important exchange because the guns helped the Natives fight back against the colonists that tried to overtake their land.

This is a good answer. I like how you explained how guns enabled more Native resistance against European incursions. If this was a formal SAQ, consider adding a war or battle (e.g., King Philip’s War) as addition evidence to show how Natives used Europeans firearms successfully.

The transportation of slaves if the most important consequence of the Columbian Exchange because it leads to the even more extreme Triangular Trade which led to mass populations of enslaved Africans being sold off to rich white men in the Americas and Europe. The increased prevalence of chattel slavery went along with this and dehumanized slaves and treated them like abused animals. The transportation of slaves during the Columbian exchange led to the continuation of American slavery until the 19th century which therefore indicates an important consequence and continuity.

That was a well-written response. Slavery is one of the saddest parts of the Columbian Exchange, but it certainly is one of the most consequential. Your use and description of “chattel” added excellent evidence too. Nice work.

I believe that the most important commodity would be the potatoes that were sent to Europe from the Americas. Crops in general that were sent to Europe helped increase their population but potatoes were convenient as their roots were deep and can withstand a lot. Not only did their population increase significantly, but it allowed Europe to shift from feudalism to capitalism. This in turn, allowed European countries to turn their sights on expansion into the New World: leading the English (and other European countries) to pursue permanent colonies in the Americas.

Nice work! Your mentioning population growth and the shift to capitalism was a great move that supported your potato argument well. Someone earlier mentioned potatoes too, and here’s what I said:

I personally think the potato was hugely important in world history. If you ever get the chance to read 

For the New World, the spreading of the diseases, like the smallpox, was the most important consequences of The Columbian Exchange. Because of the disease, the Native African population suddenly dropped. It is more important than other exchanged food products or horses because the population decreased faster than the gains from more food and resources. For the Old World, potatoes were the most important because it greatly increased the population. Potatoes have a lot of starch in them. They are also nutritious and make people feel full, It is better than other products in increasing European population.

This was a well-formed answer. Smallpox is a useful example of an Old World disease, and you supported it well. The same is true of potatoes. Remember, if it’s a real SAQ, you don’t have to give two examples unless you have time. But, for the purposes of this prompt and the modified DBQ we’re doing this year, you’re off to a great start!

One of the most important commodities was sugar. This is because as sugar canes were discovered in the Caribbean Islands, the mass production of sugar began. This required lots of manual labor which made the slave trade increase even more with the high demand for sugar.

Your answer gets the point! Nice work in tying the effects of sugar (a specific crop) to the slave trade. You backed up your argument well.

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SAQ practice is one of the most important ways to prepare for the exam! Review 4 APUSH SAQ student writing practice samples and corresponding feedback from Fiveable teacher Caleb Lagerway.

Use the image below to answer the following questions:

Using the map above, answer (a.), (b.), and (c.).


a) Briefly explain ONE specific cause of the changes in land ownership depicted in the map in the period from 1700 to 1763.
b) Briefly explain ONE specific effect of the changes in land ownership shown in the map in the period from 1763 to 1775.
c) Briefly explain ONE specific way in which the pink/light red land shown in the map above would continue to be a site of conflict or controversy from 1775 to 1800.

a) One specific cause would be the outcome of the Seven Years’ War. Before the war, the French owned a vast amount of land in North America, but after their defeat in the War, they only have Haiti left. Both the Spanish and British gained some of the land the French had owned.
b) One effect in 1763 was Pontiac’s Rebellion. This was a conflict with Native Americans and the British colonists’ expansion westward into the land they inhabited. Although the British did own the land all the way to the Ohio River Valley, the Native Americans did not want them to encroach on their land, and thus it led to greater tension between the two groups.
c) The land in the map continued to be a site of conflict in the American Revolution. The war was fought on American soil, so the British army had to travel all the way to North America to fight the colonists and the Continental Army. Therefore, the territories shown in the map continued to be locations of conflict, where in this case was the fight for independence from Great Britain and self-government.

You correctly described the map as the aftermath of the Seven Years’ War and your description of its effects in A earned a point. Pontiac’s Rebellion works well for B and you defined it well. C works too: the deep red is the site of lots of fighting during the Revolutionary War. The lighter red/pink areas continued to be contested territory between White Americans settlers and Native Americans (think the Treaty of Greenville).

a) As a result of the Seven Years War, the British ownership of land in the western hemisphere increased. Due to their loss, the French lost their holdings in America, giving their land to the British in the Treaty of Paris.
b) One effect of the land ownership change was the increased tensions between the American colonists and the British. Through acts such as the Stamp Act, the Intolerable Acts, etc. the British ended the salutary neglect policies of the past that allowed for some freedoms in the colonies. Additionally the stationing of british soldiers condoned by the Quartering Act also angered the colonies increasing the tensions that lead to the American Revolution.
c) As a new nation after the American Revolution, Americans wished to expand their territory and power among the land, something that could not easily occur due to the divisions on slavery. This land would be a conflict due to the tensions that arose in the issues of its expansion and the spread of slavery.

You correctly described the map as the aftermath of the Seven Years’ War and your description of the Treaty of Paris in A earned a point. For B, you’re not wrong, but 

 need to explicitly connect your answer to the map. I see where you’re going, but it’s on you to explain how the British victory in the Seven Years’ War led to increased tensions and taxation (for example, talk about the huge debt the British ran up while fighting the war that they then wanted to pay off through direct taxation in the North American colonies). For part C, your answer might technically be correct, but in order to earn the point, you’d need a specific example (maybe mention the Northwest Territory in 1787 and its prohibition on slavery). Most of the specifics on fighting over slavery and westward expansion are in Unit 4 and thus after 1800. Just be careful.

a) British gains more land in 1763 because they won the seven-year-war, earning more territories.
b) Britain was in debt, thus taxing the colonies, including the Stamp act.
c) American Revolution happened starting 1775.

Your answers were all correct, except that you needed more depth to fully earn the points. You need to explain how the map is connected to debt in B and to the American Revolution in C. If this was a full SAQ (or on the 2020 modified DBQ), you want to make sure you’re doing the full ACE (Answer-Cite-Explain) for each vocab word so that you’re not only dropping proper nouns like you did, but also defining those (so the reader knows that you know what you’re talking about) and then connecting them back to the prompt/thesis to show how your evidence proves the point you’re trying to make.

a) The 7 years war resulted in a major change of land ownership. After the French were defeated in 1763, they were removed from North America and the British gained a vast amount of land. They expanded West till the Mississippi River and parts up North.

b) Now that land was open for colonists to expand after the 7 years war, conflict erupted with Native Americans. Natives resisted encroachment on their lands and it resulted in Pontiacs Rebellion. Soon after, England passed the Proclamation Line of 1763 to prevent further conflicts.

c) Even after the American Revolution the land still was the center of controversy. Many debated whether the new territory should allow or ban slavery. The Northwest Ordinance, which banned slavery in the northwest territory, was passed in 1787, but the debate didn’t end there. The Constitution didn’t address the issues of slavery, so this controversy intensified with the country not unified on what to do with the new land.

Nice work! For A, consider mentioning something specific about that territory (even calling it the Ohio River Valley might help). B was great and dropped specifics. Your answer in C was good too. Because I can’t resist, I’ll add some nuance: the Northwest Ordinance was passed with votes from Southern states too: the Northern ones wanted to stop the spread of slavery, but the Southern ones wanted to avoid competition from potential tobacco farms in the Northwest territory. Thus, while the Northwest Ordinance’s ban on slavery was bi-sectional at first, it merely covered up the underlying tensions.

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