AP US History (APUSH) Lecture Summary

Period 1: 1491-1607

• Native American Cultures:
  • Developed unique cultures based on climate and geography.
  • Aztecs and Mayas relied on maize cultivation.
  • Northern tribes were small, semi-nomadic; Plains tribes hunted buffalo.
• Columbian Exchange:
  • Exchange of plants, animals, ideas, peoples, and diseases between Old and New Worlds.
  • Europeans gained wealth and new foods; Natives faced disease devastation.
• Spanish Colonization:
  • Conquistadors sought "Gold, God, and Glory," e.g., Hernán Cortés.
  • Encomienda system enslaved natives, leading to the Casta system.
  • Valladolid debates addressed native treatment.

Period 2: 1607-1754

• French and Dutch Colonization:
  • French settlements in Quebec, New Orleans; friendly with natives, focused on fur trade.
  • Dutch established New Amsterdam for trade.
• English Colonization:
  • Jamestown founded for profit; tobacco plantations thrived.
  • New England colonies (e.g., Massachusetts) established for religious freedom.
  • Middle colonies were diverse, had better native relations.
  • Conflicts: King Philip's War, self-government traditions emerged.
• Great Awakening & Bacon's Rebellion:
  • Religious revival led to questioning of British authority.
  • Bacon's Rebellion showed tensions between settlers and leaders.

Period 3: 1754-1800

• French and Indian War:
  • British expansion led to conflict; ended with Treaty of Paris 1763.
  • Proclamation of 1763 restricted settlement beyond Appalachians.
• Revolutionary Tensions:
  • New taxes (Stamp Act), protests (Boston Tea Party).
  • Declaration of Independence inspired by Enlightenment ideals.
• American Revolution:
  • Underdog Continental Army triumphed; Treaty of Paris 1783.
  • Articles of Confederation proved weak, led to Constitution.
• Constitutional Framework:
  • Great Compromise, 3/5 Compromise, Federalism.
  • Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists; Bill of Rights added.
  • George Washington's presidency set important precedents.

Period 4: 1800-1848

• Jeffersonian and Jacksonian Democracy:
  • Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase, limited federal power.
  • Jackson's controversial policies: Bank War, Indian Removal.
  • Nullification Crisis and emergence of Whig Party.
• Market and Industrial Revolutions:
  • Technological advancements like cotton gin, steamboats.
  • Second Great Awakening inspired reform movements.

Period 5: 1844-1877

• Manifest Destiny and Mexican-American War:
  • Polk's expansionist policies, Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
• Debates Over Slavery:
  • Compromise of 1850, Fugitive Slave Act, Kansas-Nebraska Act.
  • Dred Scott decision, John Brown's raid increased tensions.
• Civil War and Reconstruction:
  • Northern advantage leads to Union victory.
  • Reconstruction Amendments: 13th, 14th, 15th.
  • Reconstruction's successes and failures.

Period 6: 1865-1898

• Gilded Age and Industrialization:
  • Rise of corporations, monopolies, and labor unions.
  • Social Darwinism and Gospel of Wealth.
  • Immigration surge, urbanization, and political machines.
• Westward Expansion and Native American Conflicts:
  • Transcontinental Railroad, Homestead Act.
  • Plains Wars and Native American assimilation policies.
• Populist Movement:
  • Farmers' struggles led to political activism; Omaha Platform.

Period 7: 1890-1945

• Imperialism and Progressive Era:
  • McKinley's expansion, Spanish-American War.
  • Roosevelt's foreign and domestic policies.
  • Progressive reforms: antitrust acts, labor laws.
• World War I and The Roaring Twenties:
  • America's involvement and aftermath of WWI.
  • Cultural and economic changes of the 1920s.
  • Great Depression and New Deal policies.
• World War II:
  • US entry after Pearl Harbor; war efforts on home front.
  • Atomic bomb ends war, formation of United Nations.

Period 8: 1945-1980

• Post-WWII America and Cold War:
  • GI Bill, suburban growth, civil rights movement.
  • Containment policies, major Cold War conflicts.
  • Vietnam War and social upheavals.
• Civil Rights Movement:
  • Key figures, legislation, and radical approaches.
  • Expansion of civil rights to other minority groups.

Period 9: 1980-Present

• Reagan Era and End of Cold War:
  • Reaganomics, increased defense spending.
  • Diplomatic efforts with Soviet Union.
• Post-Cold War America:
  • Middle East conflicts, war on terror.
  • Political polarization and globalization.

These notes capture the key events and concepts of each period covered in the APUSH course. Further study aids and resources are recommended for detailed understanding.