Students are expected to demonstrate a knowledge of basic chronology and of major events and trends from approximately 1450 to the present, that is, from the High Renaissance to the very recent past. The entire chronological scope and a range of approaches are incorporated throughout the examination. In the multiple-choice section, approximately one-half of the questions deal with the period from 1450 to the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic era, and one-half from the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic era to the present. A number of questions may be cross-chronological or combine several approaches. Students should also have some familiarity with those aspects of the late medieval period that have an impact on post-1450 events, but there will be no essay or multiple-choice question that will have pre-1450 material as its focus.

The study of European history since 1450 introduces students to cultural, economic, political, and social developments that played a fundamental role in shaping the world in which they live. Without this knowledge, we would all lack the context for understanding the development of contemporary institutions, the role of conflict and continuity in present-day society and politics, and the evolution of current forms of artistic expression and intellectual discourse.

In addition to providing a basic narrative of events and movements, the goals of the AP program in European History are to develop (a) an understanding of some of the principal themes in modern European history, (b) an ability to analyze historical evidence, and (c) an ability to analyze and to express historical understanding in writing.

Last Revised: July 21, 2005