AP US HistoryAP
From the colonial era to the present.
Overview
AP U.S. History examines American history from pre-Columbian societies to the present across 9 historical periods.
Why it matters
Builds historical reasoning, source analysis, and argumentation skills essential for college-level history.
Skills you’ll build
- Analyzing primary sources
- Historical argumentation
- Causation & continuity/change
Topic Breakdown (Units)
Period 1: 1491–1607
- Native societies
- European contact
Period 2: 1607–1754
- Colonization
- Regional development
Period 3: 1754–1800
- Revolution
- New nation
Period 4: 1800–1848
- Democracy & reform
- Market revolution
Period 5: 1844–1877
- Sectionalism
- Civil War & Reconstruction
Period 6: 1865–1898
- Gilded Age
- Westward expansion
Period 7: 1890–1945
- Progressivism
- World Wars
- Depression
Period 8: 1945–1980
- Cold War
- Civil Rights
Period 9: 1980–Present
- Conservatism
- Globalization
Lessons & Notes
Period 1: 1491–1607
Pre-contact Americas and early encounters.
- Columbian Exchange
- cultural interactions
Period 2: 1607–1754
Colonial societies and labor systems.
- mercantilism
- slavery
Period 3: 1754–1800
American Revolution and constitutional foundations.
- republicanism
- federalism
Period 4: 1800–1848
Expansion, politics, and reform movements.
- Jacksonian democracy
- industrialization
Period 5: 1844–1877
Conflict over slavery and its aftermath.
- emancipation
- 13th-15th Amendments
Period 6: 1865–1898
Industrial growth and social change.
- laissez-faire
- Populism
Period 7: 1890–1945
Reform and global conflicts.
- New Deal
- imperialism
Period 8: 1945–1980
Postwar prosperity and social movements.
- containment
- Great Society
Period 9: 1980–Present
Political realignment and modern issues.
- Reaganomics
- digital economy