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About the Course
How did the United States become THE United States? What happened to the American economy when factories went from being powered by water to powered by coal? Or how have definitions of who is, and who is not, a U.S. citizen changed over time? In AP United States History, you’ll explore and try to answer questions like these, while discussing the ways in which Americans have debated their values, practices, and traditions since even before the country’s founding.
Skills You'll Learn
Evaluating primary and secondary sources
Analyzing the claims, evidence, and reasoning you find in sources
Putting historical developments in context and making connections between them
Coming up with a claim or thesis and explaining and supporting it in writing
Equivalency and Prerequisites
College Course Equivalent
A two-semester introductory college course in U.S. history
Recommended Prerequisites
None
Exam Date
About the Units
The course content outlined below is organized into commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. Your teacher may choose to organize the course content differently based on local priorities and preferences.
Course Content
Unit 1: Period 1: 1491–1607
You’ll learn about Native American societies as well as how and why Europeans first explored, and then began to colonize, the Americas.
Topics may include:
- Native American societies before European contact
- European exploration in the New World
- The Columbian Exchange
- Labor, slavery, and caste in the Spanish colonial system
- Cultural interactions between Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans
On The Exam
4%–6% of score
Unit 2: Period 2: 1607–1754
You'll study the colonies established in the New World by the Spanish, French, Dutch, and British.
Topics may include:
- How different European colonies developed and expanded
- Transatlantic trade
- Interactions between American Indians and Europeans
- Slavery in the British colonies
- Colonial society and culture
On The Exam
6%–8% of score
Unit 3: Period 3: 1754–1800
You'll explore the events that led to the American Revolution and the formation of the United States and examine the early years of the republic.
Topics may include:
- The Seven Years’ War
- The American Revolution
- The Articles of Confederation
- The creation and ratification of the Constitution
- Developing an American identity
- Immigration to and migration within America
On The Exam
10%–17% of score
Unit 4: Period 4: 1800–1848
You’ll examine how the young nation developed politically, culturally, and economically in this period.
Topics may include:
- The rise of political parties
- American foreign policy
- Innovations in technology, agriculture, and business
- Debates about federal power
- The Second Great Awakening
- Reform movements
- The experience of African Americans
On The Exam
10%–17% of score
Unit 5: Period 5: 1844–1877
You’ll learn how the nation expanded and you’ll explore the events that led to the secession of Southern states and the Civil War.
Topics may include:
- Manifest Destiny
- The Mexican–American War
- Attempts to resolve conflicts over the spread of slavery
- The election of 1860 and Southern secession
- The Civil War
- Reconstruction
On The Exam
10%–17% of score
Unit 6: Period 6: 1865–1898
You’ll examine the nation’s economic and demographic shifts in this period and their links to cultural and political changes.
Topics may include:
- The settlement of the West
- The "New South"
- The rise of industrial capitalism
- Immigration and migration
- Reform movements
- Debates about the role of government
On The Exam
10%–17% of score
Unit 7: Period 7: 1890–1945
You’ll examine America’s changing society and culture and the causes and effects of the global wars and economic meltdown of this period.
Topics may include:
- Debates over imperialism
- The Progressive movement
- World War I
- Innovations in communications and technology in the 1920s
- The Great Depression and the New Deal
- World War II
- Postwar diplomacy
On The Exam
10%–17% of score
Unit 8: Period 8: 1945–1980
You’ll learn about the rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States, the growth of various civil rights movements, and the economic, cultural, and political transformations of this period.
Topics may include:
- The Cold War and the Red Scare
- America as a world power
- The Vietnam War
- The Great Society
- The African American civil rights movement
- Youth culture of the 1960s
On The Exam
10%–17% of score
Unit 9: Period 9: 1980–Present
You’ll learn about the advance of political conservatism, developments in science and technology, and demographic shifts that had major cultural and political consequences in this period.
Topics may include:
- Reagan and conservatism
- The end of the Cold War
- Shifts in the economy
- Migration and immigration
- Challenges of the 21st century
On The Exam
4%–6% of score
Credit and Placement
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Course Resources
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