AP US History Exam Preparation

Overview

• A comprehensive review for scoring 5 on the AP US History exam.
• Focus on major themes, key events, and most tested concepts.

Period 1: 1491 - 1607

• Pre-1492: Diverse and complex Native American societies.
  • Northwest: Permanent settlements supported by fishing/hunting.
  • Great Plains: Nomadic tribes followed buffalo herds.
  • Southwest & Mesoamerica: Maize cultivation supported settled communities.
• 1492: Christopher Columbus arrives, initiating European contact.
  • European motivations: God, gold, glory.
  • Exploitation of natives through systems like encomienda.
  • Devastating impact of diseases (e.g., smallpox).
• Colombian Exchange: Transfer of crops, animals, diseases.
  • Rise of the Atlantic slave trade.

Period 2: 1607 - 1754

• 1607: Jamestown, Virginia, first permanent English colony.
• Spanish: Sought gold, used encomienda system.
• French/Dutch: Focused on fur trade and Native alliances.
• English: Settler colonies for profit/religious freedom (e.g., Plymouth).
• Regional Economies:
  • New England: Small towns, family farms, religious communities.
  • Middle Colonies: Diverse, mixed agriculture.
  • Southern Colonies: Cash crops like tobacco, reliant on slave labor.
• Religious and Social Tensions:
  • Anne Hutchinson banishment (1637), Salem Witch Trials (1692).
  • Conflicts with Native Americans (e.g., King Philip's War).
• Economic and Political Ties:
  • Mercantilism and Navigation Acts.
  • First Great Awakening (1740s).

Period 3: 1754 - 1800

• French and Indian War (1754):
  • Britain vs. France over Ohio River Valley.
  • Resulted in British debt, tighter colonial control.
• Proclamation of 1763: Limited colonial expansion.
• British Taxes and Colonial Reactions:
  • Stamp Act (1765), Townshend Acts (1767), Tea Act (1773).
  • Boston Massacre (1770), Boston Tea Party (1773).
• American Revolution:
  • Declaration of Independence (1776).
  • Revolutionary War (1775-1781).
  • Treaty of Paris (1783).
• US Government Formation:
  • Articles of Confederation (1781), US Constitution (1787).
  • Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists.
• Expansion and Conflict:
  • Westward expansion, Native conflicts.

Period 4: 1800 - 1848

• 1800: Jefferson's election, rise of democratic ideals.
• Judicial Review: Marbury v. Madison (1803).
• Louisiana Purchase (1803): Doubled US territory.
• Indian Removal Act (1830): Forced relocation of tribes.
• Second Great Awakening: Inspired reforms (abolition, women's rights).
• Market Revolution: Economic transformation.
  • Innovations: Telegraph, canals, factories.
• Sectional Differences:
  • North: Industrialized.
  • South: Agricultural, slavery-dependent.
• Missouri Compromise (1820): Balance of slave/free states.
• Monroe Doctrine (1823): Warned against European interference.

Period 5: 1844 - 1877

• Manifest Destiny: Westward expansion.
• Wave of Immigration: Irish/German contributions & nativism.
• Slavery Debates: Post-Mexican-American War tensions.
• Civil War (1861-1865): Triggered by Lincoln's election.
• Reconstruction Era:
  • Amendments: 13th, 14th, 15th.
  • Compromise of 1877, end of Reconstruction.

Period 6: 1865 - 1898

• Second Industrial Revolution: Railroads, steel, electricity.
• Rise of Big Business: Carnegie, Rockefeller.
• Labor Movements: Union formation, major strikes.
• Immigration Surge: Ethnic enclaves, urban challenges.
• Native American Displacement: Reservations, Wounded Knee Massacre.
• Gilded Age: Economic growth, inequality, political corruption.

Period 7: 1890 - 1945

• Second Industrial Revolution: Continued expansion.
• Progressive Era: Social reforms, labor conditions.
• Great Depression (1930s):
  • New Deal programs by FDR.
  • Long-lasting reforms like Social Security.
• Harlem Renaissance: African-American cultural movement.
• US Global Involvement:
  • WWI participation.
  • WWII involvement post-Pearl Harbor (1941).

Period 8: 1945 - 1980

• Cold War: US vs. Soviet Union.
  • Containment strategies (Marshall Plan, proxy wars).
• Civil Rights Movement:
  • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Civil Rights Act (1964).
• Domestic Changes:
  • Baby Boom, suburban growth, cultural shifts.

Period 9: 1980 - Present

• Conservative Movement: Reagan's policies.
• Military and Foreign Policy:
  • Increased military funding, global terrorism post-9/11.
• Ongoing Debates: Government size, national security, America's global role.

Exam Tips

• Focus on understanding key events and themes over memorizing dates.
• Practice essay writing to articulate historical arguments.
• Review primary sources for deeper insights into historical periods.

Good luck on your AP exam!