APUSH Period 5 Review (1844-1877)

Overview

• Period 5 is critical for APUSH curriculum (1844-1877).
• Weighted equally as periods 3-8 (10-17% of the AP exam).
• Likely to appear in multiple choice, SAQ, DBQ, and LEQ.

Key Concepts

Expansion and Foreign Policy

• The US became more interconnected globally, pursued expansionist policies in the Western Hemisphere, and became a destination for migrants.
• Manifest Destiny: Belief that the US was destined to expand westward to the Pacific Ocean.
  • Economic opportunities, white superiority attitudes, religious refuge, and legislation facilitated this.
  • Mexican-American War: Expansion of US borders led to transportation and economic growth.
  • Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: Ended the war, defined US-Mexico borders, and increased debates over slavery.
  • Gadsden Purchase (1853): Added land and intensified slavery debates.

Migration and Nativism

• Significant increase in immigrants (Germans, Irish, Chinese).
• Rise of Nativism: Anti-immigrant sentiment, leading to the No Nothing Party.

Civil War Causes

• Compromise of 1850: California as free state, stricter Fugitive Slave Law, popular sovereignty in new territories.
• Regional differences (North - manufacturing/free labor, South - agriculture/slave labor) fueled tensions.
• Free Soil Movement: Opposed expansion of slavery in new territories.
• Kansas-Nebraska Act: Ended Missouri Compromise, allowed popular sovereignty, and led to violence in Kansas.
• Dred Scott Decision: Declared African-Americans were not citizens, invalidated Missouri Compromise.
• Election of Lincoln: Triggered Southern secession and formation of the Confederate States.

Civil War and Reconstruction

• Union Victory: Factors include key battles (e.g., Antietam), advantages, and strategies.
• Government Policies:
  • Emancipation Proclamation: Freed Confederate slaves, shifted war purpose.
  • Gettysburg Address: Motivated Union continuation.
  • Conscription and suspension of habeas corpus were notable.
• Reconstruction:
  • Political changes (13th, 14th, 15th Amendments) aimed at redefining citizenship.
  • Reconstruction failures regarding lasting societal change and economic self-sufficiency for African-Americans.
  • Contested Election of 1877 ended military reconstruction in the South.

Skill Development: Comparison

• Compare Civil War impacts on American values and individual rights.

Important Terms

• Manifest Destiny, Mexican-American War, Compromise of 1850, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Dred Scott Decision, Emancipation Proclamation, etc.

Key Themes

• American and National Identity: Impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction.
• Politics and Power: Political parties' evolution, secession, and government role.
• America in the World: Mexican-American War and international trade.
• Culture and Society: Regional differences, slavery, and social structures.

Learning Objectives

• Explain causes and effects of Westward Expansion.
• Understand the chronological events leading to the Civil War.
• Analyze the impact of Reconstruction policies.