AP US History

Unit 1 – Interactions North America, 1491–1607

Unit 2 – Colonial Society, 1607–1754

Unit 3 – Conflict and American Independence, 1754–1800

Unit 4 – American Expansion, 1800–1848

Unit 5 – Civil War and Reconstruction, 1848–1877

Unit 6 – Industrialization and the Gilded Age, 1865–1898

Unit 7 – Conflict in the Early 20th Century, 1890–1945

Unit 8 – The Postwar Period and Cold War, 1945–1980

Unit 9 – Entering Into the 21st Century, 1980–Present

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Join teacher Caleb Lagerwey for a review of the most important content of Period 1 plus study tips and sample questions.

Summary of Events

Key Context for Period 1

Major People and Events

Unit 1 Overview: Early Contact with the New World (1491-1607)

Contextualization 

Period 1 (1491-1607)

Bering Land Bridge

Context: European Encounters in the Americas

Native American Societies Before European Contact

Columbus Sails Circa 1492

The Age of Exploration

European Exploration in the Americas

Columbian Exchange

Colonization 

Native vs. European Views

Practice Short Essay Set (SEQ)

Columbian Exchange, Spanish Exploration, and Conquest

The Slave Trade

Spanish Labor Systems

Labor, Slavery, and Caste in the Spanish Colonial System

The Birth of a New Society

Native American Trade with Europeans 

Cultural Differences

European Encroachment

European Diseases

Spanish Policy Towards Natives

Cultural Interactions Between Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans

Causation Behind Early Transatlantic Voyages

Causation in Period 1

Unit 1 – Interactions North America, 1491-1607

Moving on to 1607 - 1754: Contextualizing the Unit

Unit 2 Overview: Colonization of North America (1607-1754)

Case Studies

Context: European Colonization

Jamestown


The French and Dutch 

European Colonization

New England Colonies

Middle Colonies

Chesapeake Colonies

Southern Colonies

The Regions of the British Colonies

Mercantilism

Triangular Trade

Transatlantic Trade

Introduction

Relations in New England

Relations in the Middle Colonies 

Relations in the Southern Colonies

Relations in the Spanish Colonies

Interactions between Native Americans and Europeans

Slavery in the Northern Colonies

Slavery in the Southern Colonies

Slaves' Response to Slavery

Slave Laws

Slavery in the British Colonies

Diversity in the Colonies

The First Great Awakening

Europe Influences Colonial Culture

Early Conflicts Between Europe and the Colonies

Colonial Society and Culture

Comparison in Period 2

Unit 2 – Colonial Society, 1607-1754

Overview of Period 3 (1754-1800)

Key Ideas

How to Study Unit 3

Unit 3 Overview: Conflict & American Independence (1754-1800)

The Short Story: Colonists Hate Great Britain!

The Long Story: A Tale of Three Phases

Context: The Revolutionary Period

Domestic Policies Under President George Washington

Foreign Affairs Under Washington

President John Adams

Shaping a New Republic

Demographics

Religion

Arts and Education

Technology

Developing an American Identity

European Immigrants

Native Americans and Enslaved Africans

Movement in the Early Republic

Conclusion

Continuity and Change in Period 3 (1754-1800)

Causes of the Seven Years' War

Major Events Surrounding the French and Indian War

Consequences of the French and Indian War 

The Seven Years’ War (The French and Indian War)

British Laws and Policies

Colonial Reactions

Taxation without Representation 

The Enlightenment

Common Sense

The Declaration of Independence

Philosophical Foundations of the American Revolution

Causes of the American Revolution

The Beginning of the War

Middle Stage: 1777-1779

Final Stage: 1780-1783

The American Revolution

Domestic Impact of the American Revolution

Global Impact of the American Revolution 🇺🇸

The Influence of Revolutionary Ideals

State Constitutions

Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation

Creating the Constitution

Debates over Ratification 

The Constitutional Convention and Debates over Ratification

The Delegates

Ratification

What is in the Constitution?  

The Constitution

Unit 3 – Conflict & American Independence, 1754-1800

Overview of Period 4 (1800-1848)

How to study unit 4?

Unit 4 Overview: Beginnings of Modern American Democracy (1800-1848)

A New Republic

The Market Revolution's Acceleration of American Growth

Timeline

Context of Early American Democracy

Change in Beliefs

Charles Grandison Finney

The Legacy of the Second Great Awakening

Baptists and Methodists

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons)

The Second Great Awakening

Temperance

Mental Health and Prison Reform

Public Schools

Women’s Rights 

Abolition

An Age of Reform

The "Peculiar Institution"

Life for Enslaved Peoples

Early Attempts Against Slavery

Life in the North

Nat Turner’s Rebellion

Passive Resistance 

Underground Railroad

African Americans in the Early Republic

The Cotton Economy 🧵

Southern Identity 👒

The Society of the South in the
Early Republic

Causation in Period 4, 1800-1848

First Party System

Presidency of Jefferson

Marshall Supreme Court Cases

The Rise of Political Parties and the Era of Jefferson

Attempted Secession

Native Americans

Henry Clay’s American System 

Panic of 1819

Missouri Compromise

Politics and Regional Interests

Build-up to the War of 1812

War of 1812

Hartford Convention 

Monroe Doctrine

Native American Removal

America on the World Stage

Roads, Canals, and Railroads

Interregional Trade

Market Revolution: Industrialization

Market Revolution: Society and Culture

Expanding Democracy

Andrew Jackson's Career

Jackson's Presidency

The Second Party System

Presidency of Martin Van Buren

Jackson and Federal Power

Significant Growth = Cultural Development!

The Development of an American Culture

Unit 4 – American Expansion, 1800-1848

Unit 5 Overview: Toward the Civil War & Reconstruction (1848-1877)

The Buildup to a Huge Historical Storm...

Moving Forward with the Story

Contextualizing Period 5

Reconstruction Amendments

Lincoln’s Reconstruction Plan

Congress and Wade-Davis Reconstruction

Freedmen's Bureau 

Reconstruction

Unit 5 – Civil War & Reconstruction, 1848-1877

Recap of Period 1 for Quizzes. Potential Multiple Choice Questions - Slides

Recap of Period 1 for Quizzes. Potential Multiple Choice Questions - Slides

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