APUSH Key Periods Summary

Overview

This lecture provides a fast-paced summary of key periods, themes, and concepts needed to score highly on the AP US History (APUSH) exam.

Native Americans had diverse societies based on environment, such as permanent fishing communities in the Northwest and nomadic buffalo hunters in the Great Plains.
Maize (corn) cultivation enabled settled societies in the Southwest and Mesoamerica.
Columbus arrived in 1492, initiating sustained European contact motivated by God, gold, and glory.
The encomienda system forced indigenous labor; European diseases devastated native populations.
The Columbian Exchange transferred crops, animals, and diseases between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
The Atlantic slave trade began, bringing Africans to work in the New World.

Jamestown, Virginia, was founded in 1607 as the first permanent English colony.
Spanish used forced labor for gold; French and Dutch focused on fur trade and alliances with natives.
English colonies varied: New England centered on towns and religion, middle colonies were diverse, the South relied on enslaved labor for cash crops.
Religious tensions and events like the Salem witch trials shaped communities.
Continued conflicts with Native Americans, e.g., King Philip's War.
Mercantilism and Navigation Acts tied colonial economies to Britain.
The First Great Awakening revived religious enthusiasm and individual salvation.

The French and Indian War gave Britain dominance but left it in debt, prompting new taxes (Stamp Act, Townshend Acts, Tea Act) and colonial unrest.
Events like the Boston Massacre and Tea Party increased tensions.
The Declaration of Independence was issued in 1776; Revolutionary War ended with US victory in 1781.
The Articles of Confederation created a weak national government, replaced by the stronger US Constitution in 1787.
Federalists and Anti-Federalists debated government power; Bill of Rights adopted in 1791.
Early US expansion and conflicts over national power and westward settlement followed.

Jefferson's election marked peaceful power transfer; Marbury v. Madison established judicial review.
The Louisiana Purchase doubled US territory; Indian Removal Act displaced native tribes.
The Second Great Awakening inspired reform movements: abolition, temperance, and women's rights.
The Market Revolution transformed the economy; Henry Clay's American System promoted growth.
Sectional differences deepened: North industrialized, South remained agricultural and slave-dependent.
Missouri Compromise tried to balance free and slave states; Monroe Doctrine warned Europe against intervening in the Americas.

Manifest Destiny justified westward expansion; immigration increased, sparking nativism.
Slavery debates intensified after new territories were acquired, leading to the Civil War (1861–1865).
Reconstruction aimed to rebuild the South and secure rights for freed slaves; 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments passed.
Reconstruction ended with the Compromise of 1877, leaving unresolved issues of racial equality.

Industrial capitalism surged; business leaders used monopolies to control industries.
Labor unions formed to protest harsh conditions, leading to major strikes.
Immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe increased urban diversity and poverty.
The transcontinental railroad expanded the nation but displaced Native Americans; Wounded Knee marked end of native resistance.
The Gilded Age saw economic growth but also corruption and inequality; populists pushed for reforms.

The US industrialized and urbanized rapidly, leading to progressive social reform.
Muckrakers exposed poor living and working conditions; reforms improved labor and safety.
The Harlem Renaissance celebrated African-American culture.
The Great Depression hit in the 1930s; New Deal programs offered relief and reforms like Social Security.
The US adopted imperialism, fought in WWI, and after initial isolation, entered WWII after Pearl Harbor.
WWII ended with US atomic bombings in Japan, establishing America as a superpower.

The Cold War began between the US and Soviet Union; the US tried to contain communism with interventions and the Marshall Plan.
Wars in Korea and Vietnam were fought to stop communism’s spread.
At home, anticommunism peaked during McCarthyism.
The Civil Rights Movement led to legislation ending segregation and protecting minority rights.
Postwar prosperity spurred suburban growth and cultural change.

The conservative movement gained strength under Reagan with tax cuts, deregulation, and reduced social spending.
Increased military spending and foreign interventions shaped Cold War’s end.
Post-9/11, US foreign policy focused on combating global terrorism.
Ongoing debates include government size, security, and America’s global role.

Columbian Exchange — transfer of crops, animals, and diseases between Old and New Worlds post-1492.
Encomienda System — Spanish labor system exploiting Native Americans.
Mercantilism — economic policy where colonies exist for the benefit of the mother country.
Manifest Destiny — belief in US right to expand across the continent.
Reconstruction — era of rebuilding and integrating the South post-Civil War.
Gilded Age — late 1800s period of economic growth and social inequality.
Progressive Era — early 1900s movement for political, economic, and social reforms.
Cold War — 1945-1991 rivalry between US and Soviet Union.
Civil Rights Movement — mid-20th-century campaign for African-American equality.

Review key events and terms from each historical period.
Practice DBQ and LEQ essay outlines for major themes.
Memorize key amendments, Supreme Court cases, and legislative acts.
Complete assigned textbook readings or practice exams as directed by your teacher.