7 min read•december 20, 2021
In AP® European History, period 2 spans from 1648 to 1815 CE. The following guide will be updated periodically with hyperlinks to excellent resources. As you are reviewing for this era, focus on the key concepts!
🇪🇺 Check the Fiveable calendar for this week's free AP Euro live streams!
STUDY TIP: You will never be asked specifically to identify a date. However, knowing the order of events will help immensely with cause and effect. For this reason, we have identified the most important dates to know.
1651 - Hobbes’ Leviathan published
1687 - Newton publishes Principia Mathematica
1688 - Glorious Revolution
1688 - English Bill of Rights
1689 - Locke publishes Two Treatises on Government
1763 - Treaty of Paris ends Seven Years’ War
1776 - American Revolutionary War begins
1776 - Adam Smith published Wealth of Nations
1789-1799 - French Revolution
1799 - Napoleon comes to power
1815 - Congress of Vienna / Age of Metternich
STUDY TIP: Content from the this era has appeared on the essays twenty times since 2010. Take a look at these questions before you review the key concepts & vocabulary below to get a sense of how you will be assessed. Then, come back to these later and practice writing as many as you can!
*The AP European History exam was significantly revised in 2016, so any questions from before then are not representative of the current exam format. You can still use prior questions to practice, however DBQs will have more than 7 documents, the LEQ prompts are worded differently, and the rubrics are completely different. All prompts from 1999-2015 can be found here.
2018 - SAQ 1: French Revolution
2018 - LEQ 3: Glorious vs. French Revolutions
2017 - DBQ: Glorious Revolution
2017 - LEQ 4: Government & Economy
2016 - LEQ 2: Women & the Enlightenment
2015 - LEQ 2: Napoleon & the French Rev
2015 - LEQ 7: Religion & Science
2014 - LEQ 3: Absolute Monarchs
2014 - LEQ 4: Roles of Women & Enlightenment
2013 - DBQ: Religious Toleration
2013 - LEQ 4: Newtonian Physics
2012 - LEQ 4: French National Identity
2011 - LEQ 3: Enlightenment vs. Romanticism
2011 - LEQ 4: English Civil War vs. French Rev
2011B - LEQ 2: Challenges to Royal Authority
2010B - LEQ 2: Russia vs. Netherlands
2010B - LEQ 3: Women & Reformation
*The following outline was adapted from the AP® European History Course Description as published by College Board in 2019 found here. This outline reflects the most recent revisions to the course.
1. Absolute monarchy was established in the 17th and 18th centuries
2. Challenges to absolutism led to alternative systems.
3. War was common because of expanding colonial empires.
4. The French Revolution challenged Europe’s existing political and social orders.
5. Napoleon imposed French control over Europe, which sparked nationalistic reactions.
🎥Live Stream Replay - French Revolution, Part I
🎥Live Stream Replay - French Revolution, Part II
🎥Live Stream Replay - Napoleon
🎥Live Stream Replay - Congress of Vienna
1. The market economy was developed in early modern Europe.
2. Europeans dominated the global economy.
3. Commercial rivalries influenced diplomacy and warfare between states.
🎥Live Stream Replay - Economics & Society (1450-1789)
1. Enlightenment thought challenged traditional norms.
2. Enlightenment ideas were popularized through public venues and print media.
3. Absolutism and mercantilism were challenged by new theories.
4. Religious practices were challenged by rationalism and toleration.
5. Art shifted to emphasize private life rather than religious themes.
6. Public expression of emotions and feeling challenged Enlightenment ideas.
🎥Live Stream Replay - Scientific Revolution
1. Agricultural Revolution stabilized population growth.
2. Consumer Revolution encouraged purchases and created new venues for leisure.
3. Commercial Revolution affected family and private life.
4. Cities attracted migrants because of opportunities.
🎥Live Stream Replay - European Families in the 1700s
STUDY TIP: These are the concepts and vocabulary from period 2 that most commonly appear on the exam. Create a quizlet deck to make sure you are familiar with these terms!
absolute monarchy
7 min read•december 20, 2021
In AP® European History, period 2 spans from 1648 to 1815 CE. The following guide will be updated periodically with hyperlinks to excellent resources. As you are reviewing for this era, focus on the key concepts!
🇪🇺 Check the Fiveable calendar for this week's free AP Euro live streams!
STUDY TIP: You will never be asked specifically to identify a date. However, knowing the order of events will help immensely with cause and effect. For this reason, we have identified the most important dates to know.
1651 - Hobbes’ Leviathan published
1687 - Newton publishes Principia Mathematica
1688 - Glorious Revolution
1688 - English Bill of Rights
1689 - Locke publishes Two Treatises on Government
1763 - Treaty of Paris ends Seven Years’ War
1776 - American Revolutionary War begins
1776 - Adam Smith published Wealth of Nations
1789-1799 - French Revolution
1799 - Napoleon comes to power
1815 - Congress of Vienna / Age of Metternich
STUDY TIP: Content from the this era has appeared on the essays twenty times since 2010. Take a look at these questions before you review the key concepts & vocabulary below to get a sense of how you will be assessed. Then, come back to these later and practice writing as many as you can!
*The AP European History exam was significantly revised in 2016, so any questions from before then are not representative of the current exam format. You can still use prior questions to practice, however DBQs will have more than 7 documents, the LEQ prompts are worded differently, and the rubrics are completely different. All prompts from 1999-2015 can be found here.
2018 - SAQ 1: French Revolution
2018 - LEQ 3: Glorious vs. French Revolutions
2017 - DBQ: Glorious Revolution
2017 - LEQ 4: Government & Economy
2016 - LEQ 2: Women & the Enlightenment
2015 - LEQ 2: Napoleon & the French Rev
2015 - LEQ 7: Religion & Science
2014 - LEQ 3: Absolute Monarchs
2014 - LEQ 4: Roles of Women & Enlightenment
2013 - DBQ: Religious Toleration
2013 - LEQ 4: Newtonian Physics
2012 - LEQ 4: French National Identity
2011 - LEQ 3: Enlightenment vs. Romanticism
2011 - LEQ 4: English Civil War vs. French Rev
2011B - LEQ 2: Challenges to Royal Authority
2010B - LEQ 2: Russia vs. Netherlands
2010B - LEQ 3: Women & Reformation
*The following outline was adapted from the AP® European History Course Description as published by College Board in 2019 found here. This outline reflects the most recent revisions to the course.
1. Absolute monarchy was established in the 17th and 18th centuries
2. Challenges to absolutism led to alternative systems.
3. War was common because of expanding colonial empires.
4. The French Revolution challenged Europe’s existing political and social orders.
5. Napoleon imposed French control over Europe, which sparked nationalistic reactions.
🎥Live Stream Replay - French Revolution, Part I
🎥Live Stream Replay - French Revolution, Part II
🎥Live Stream Replay - Napoleon
🎥Live Stream Replay - Congress of Vienna
1. The market economy was developed in early modern Europe.
2. Europeans dominated the global economy.
3. Commercial rivalries influenced diplomacy and warfare between states.
🎥Live Stream Replay - Economics & Society (1450-1789)
1. Enlightenment thought challenged traditional norms.
2. Enlightenment ideas were popularized through public venues and print media.
3. Absolutism and mercantilism were challenged by new theories.
4. Religious practices were challenged by rationalism and toleration.
5. Art shifted to emphasize private life rather than religious themes.
6. Public expression of emotions and feeling challenged Enlightenment ideas.
🎥Live Stream Replay - Scientific Revolution
1. Agricultural Revolution stabilized population growth.
2. Consumer Revolution encouraged purchases and created new venues for leisure.
3. Commercial Revolution affected family and private life.
4. Cities attracted migrants because of opportunities.
🎥Live Stream Replay - European Families in the 1700s
STUDY TIP: These are the concepts and vocabulary from period 2 that most commonly appear on the exam. Create a quizlet deck to make sure you are familiar with these terms!
absolute monarchy
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