AP U.S. History: Unit 4 Overview

May 10, 2024

Unit 4 of AP U.S. History Review

  • Time period covered: 1800-1848
    • Key themes:
      • Expanding role of the US in world affairs
      • Transformation of society and economy in the early years of the republic
      • Growth of democratic impulses

The Early Republic and Domestic Affairs

  • Election of Thomas Jefferson (1800)

    • Saw fierce debates between Democratic-Republicans and Federalists, focusing on:
      • American relations with foreign powers
      • Scope of federal power domestically

  • Debates on Federal Power - Democratic-Republicans (strict constructionists) vs. Federalists (loose constructionists). - Louisiana Purchase controversy, highlighting the constitutional debate on president's power.

Supreme Court Decisions

  • Marbury v. Madison (1803): Established judicial review.
  • McCulloch v. Maryland (1819): Federal law trumps state law.

Foreign Affairs and Expansion

  • Barbary Pirates issue: Led to Naval engagements and policy shifts under Jefferson.
  • War of 1812: Causes and consequences, highlighting nationalism and the demise of the Federalist Party.
  • Missouri Compromise (1820): Dealt with the balance of free vs. slave states.
  • Treaties and the Monroe Doctrine: Defined the US-Canadian border, acquired Florida, and established Western Hemisphere as US influence zone.

Society, Economy, and the Market Revolution

  • Technology and Infrastructure: Cotton gin, interchangeable parts, steamboats, and canals.
  • Cultural Shifts: Immigration, urbanization, and the emergence of a distinct American culture (Noah Webster, transcendentalism).
  • Abolitionism and Women's Rights Movements: Rise of abolitionist sentiment and the parallel growth of women's rights activism, climaxing in the Seneca Falls Convention (1848).

Politics and Democracy

  • Expansion of voting rights post-Panic of 1819.
  • Era of Good Feelings: Brief national unity under Democratic-Republicans.
  • Jacksonian Democracy:
    • Andrew Jackson's presidency marked by debates over federal power, tariffs, Bank of the US, and Indian Removal.
    • Opposition from the Whig Party and internal conflicts within the Democratic Party.

Key Legislation and Historical Events

  • Tariff of Abominations and the Nullification Crisis.
  • Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears.
  • Internal improvements and debates over national vs. state powers.