APUSH Exam Review Summary

Period 1: Pre-Columbian to Early European Exploration (1491-1607)

• Native American Cultures: Developed unique societies based on climate and geography.
  • Central & South America: Aztecs and Mayas with complex societies, trade networks, and agricultural practices (maize cultivation).
  • North America: Diverse tribes; Great Plains (buffalo hunters), Great Lakes (agriculture and permanent dwellings).
• Columbian Exchange: Exchange of plants, animals, ideas, people, and diseases between Old and New Worlds.
  • Europeans gained wealth and population growth; Native populations devastated by diseases like smallpox.
• Spanish Colonization: Conquistadors like Hernán Cortés
  • Encomienda System: Enslavement and conversion of natives.
  • Casta System: Racial hierarchy.
  • Valladolid Debates: Moral debates over native treatment.

Period 2: Colonization and Settlement (1607-1754)

• French & Dutch Colonies: Small settlements, fur trade, friendly native relations.
• English Colonization: Mass migrations; establishment of Jamestown (1607).
  • Chesapeake Economy: Tobacco plantations, indentured servitude.
  • New England Colonies: Religious motivations; Puritan societies.
  • Middle Colonies: Diverse, Quaker ideals in Pennsylvania.
• Conflicts: Tension with Native Americans, e.g., King Philip's War.
• Mercantilism & Self-Government: Economic policies (Navigation Acts) and governance (Mayflower Compact).

Period 3: Revolution and Nation Building (1754-1800)

• French and Indian War: British expansion conflicts; Treaty of Paris (1763).
• Pre-Revolution Tensions: Stamp Act, Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party.
• Revolutionary War: Continental Army's success due to leadership and alliances.
• Articles of Confederation: Weak federal government; led to Constitutional Convention (1787).
  • Constitution & Bill of Rights: Federalist vs. Anti-Federalist debates.
• Early Republic: George Washington's precedents; political party formation (Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans).

Period 4: Expansion and Reform (1800-1848)

• Jefferson's Presidency: Louisiana Purchase, foreign policy challenges.
• War of 1812: British conflicts, Treaty of Ghent (1814).
• Era of Good Feelings: Monroe Doctrine, Missouri Compromise.
• Jacksonian Democracy: Controversies over national bank, Indian Removal.
• Market & Transportation Revolutions: Industrialization, urbanization, new technologies.
• Second Great Awakening & Reform Movements: Abolitionism, women's rights (Seneca Falls Convention).

Period 5: Civil War and Reconstruction (1844-1877)

• Manifest Destiny & Mexican War: Expansionist policies, Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848).
• Slavery & Sectional Conflict: Compromise of 1850, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Dred Scott decision.
• Civil War: Union vs. Confederacy, Emancipation Proclamation, Union victory due to industrial advantage.
• Reconstruction: Amendments (13th, 14th, 15th), Radical Reconstruction, struggles with racial equality.

Period 6: Industrialization and the Gilded Age (1865-1898)

• Industrial Growth: Rise of corporations, monopolies, labor unions.
• Social & Economic Philosophies: Social Darwinism, Gospel of Wealth, Social Gospel Movement.
• Immigration & Urbanization: New immigrant waves, urban growth, political machines.
• Western Expansion: Homestead Act, conflicts with Native Americans (Plains Wars).
• Populism: Farmer struggles, Omaha Platform.

Period 7: Global Conflict and American Society (1890-1945)

• Imperialism & Spanish-American War: US expansion, debates over imperialism.
• Progressive Movement: Social and political reforms, muckrakers.
• World War I & Aftermath: US entry, Treaty of Versailles debates.
• The Roaring Twenties: Cultural change, prohibition, economic prosperity.
• Great Depression & New Deal: Economic crisis, FDR's policies.
• World War II: US neutrality to involvement, major battles, atomic bomb.

Period 8: Cold War and Civil Rights (1945-1980)

• Post-War America: Suburbanization, economic prosperity.
• Cold War: Containment policy, Korean and Vietnam Wars.
• Civil Rights Movement: Legal advancements, activism, opposition.
• Social Movements: Feminism, environmentalism, minority rights.

Period 9: Modern America (1980-present)

• Reagan Era: Conservatism, Reaganomics, end of Cold War.
• Middle East Conflicts: Gulf War, War on Terror.
• Political Polarization: Debates over federal roles, social issues.
• Globalization: Technology, interconnected economies, cultural exchange.

This overview provides a concise review of key themes and events across various periods of American history for APUSH exam preparation. For deeper understanding, students are encouraged to explore study guides and supplementary resources.