This book is designed to help students prepare for the AP US History Test and the SAT II US History Test. Unlike the vast majority of other test preparation books, the review material in this book is organized by theme and not by time period. Both the AP and the SAT II tests are primarily concerned with a limited number of crucial topics, like Foreign Policy, the African-American Political Experience, the Economic Role of Government, and the Constitution. Indeed, the four topics just mentioned account for over half the multiple-choice questions on each test in recent years Knowing what themes to study and how to study them is therefore the route to the most efficient and effective preparation for both tests. Sparing students the time-consuming and unnecessary task of trying to condense and retain information spread out over a vast number of different historical eras, the guide groups together recurring features in American history like the conflict over the size and economic role of the federal government in a way that helps students retain the information and play it back on the tests. The guide provides a comprehensive treatment of the above four main topics along with fourteen others for a total of eighteen topic areas, including areas of growing interest such as the Rights of Women and Religion in American History. Each topic discussion includes an engaging and easy to follow overview as well as charts, graphs, timelines and tables that include all the specific information likely to show up on tests. The second section of the guide contains comprehensive "how-to" exercises that provide detailed, step-by-step overviews and examples of how to write free response and DBQ essays, among other topics. The third and final section of the guide contains useful reference information for the test, including biographical sketches of over 100 major historical figures and a list of major works in American literature and philosophy. The author has found this guide to have made a major difference in the performance of his US history students and hopes that other students can benefit from its insights as well. Good luck and happy studying