Good Research Paper Topics for AP United States History

AP students are held to the same standards as first-year college students.

Students of advanced placement U.S. history learn critical thinking skills to apply to topics unfolding in our nation's current events. A large component of the AP class is to prepare students for college by encouraging independent investigation and analytical essay writing. There are several topics pertaining to our nation's history that also have a strong modern-day relevance.

Social Movements

The gay rights movement is just one social movement to emerge in our nation's history.

America has witnessed tremendous social revolution, from suffrage to the civil rights movement, to the various waves of feminism that have transformed the landscape of women's rights, to the gay rights movement of today. Explore our nation's history of social movements and what gains were made for American citizens over the decades.

Evolution of the Republican Party

The political parties have evolved considerably since our nation's founding.

The Republican Party of our founding fathers was rather liberal by today's standards. Examine the evolution of the GOP throughout history. How have their political stances changed on things like private enterprise, suffrage, civil liberties and government power? What do the conservatives of our nation's birth have in common with the neoconservative movement of today?

U.S. Foreign Wars

The United States has a history of engaging in foreign conflicts.

Explore the parallels between the U.S. involvement in foreign wars throughout the centuries. What was common about the way in which the United States was engaged in conflicts abroad? What were the main motivations for joining a foreign war? Examine what, if anything, has changed from the major motivators of the past to our current involvement in overseas conflict.

Federal Reserve Bank

The Fed essentially loans money to the U.S. government.

Investigate the founding of the Federal Reserve Bank. What were Franklin Delano Roosevelt's major motivations for having a centralized bank? What have been some of the modern-day impacts of having a Federal Reserve that is a private company as opposed to a government-established institution? Explore how the national debt is connected to having a centralized banking system.

References

• CollegeBoard: AP U.S. History