Ultimate Guide to AP® US History The United States has only been around for some 240 years, but there is plenty to discuss. 

From the foundations of modern democracy to today, Americans have built an international powerhouse, but does everyone benefit from this equally? #apush 

55 multiple choice, 3 short-answers, 1 long-essay, & 1 document-based question  

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Table of Contents Quick Look Understand the Exam Content Overview 

Period 1: Colonization of North America (1491-1607) Period 2: Colonial America (1607-1754) Period 3: The American Revolution (1754-1800) Period 4: Democracy & Expansion (1800-1848) Period 5: The Civil War (1844-1877) Period 6: The Gilded Age (1865-1900) Period 7: Progressivism & Global Conflict (1898-1945) Period 8: The Cold War (1945-1980) Period 9: Contemporary America (1980 - present) Most Important Dates to Know 

Past Essay Questions by Topic Recommended Resources 

Facebook Group for Students Prep Books Apps Live Reviews  

Quick Look   Exam Breakdown  Content Breakdown 

  ● Multiple Choice —  55 Questions | 55 mins | 40% of Exam 

● Short Answer —  3 Questions | 40 mins | 20% of Exam 

● Document Based —  1 Question | 60 mins | 25% of Exam  

● Long Essay —  1 Question | 40 mins | 15% of Exam 

1. Period 1 (1491-1607) = 5% 2. Period 2 (1607-1754) = 10% 3. Period 3 (1754-1800) = 12% 4. Period 4 (1800-1848) = 10% 5. Period 5 (1844-1877) = 13% 6. Period 6 (1865-1898) = 13% 7. Period 7 (1890-1945) = 17% 8. Period 8 (1945-1980) = 15% 9. Period 9 (1980 to present) = 5% 

*AP® and Advanced Placement® are registered trademarks of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product 

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Understand the Exam   Multiple Choice (MC) 

1. There are 55 questions to answer in 55 minutes. 2. Every question is weighted equally and there is no penalty for guessing. You get a point for every 

question you answer correctly and you don’t get a point if you are wrong. Points are never lost. 3. Multiple choice questions will appear in sets of 2-5 with a stimulus attached. The stimulus can be a 

text, image, map, chart, or any other primary or secondary source document that the set of questions will refer to. 

 Short Answer (SAQ) 

1. There are 3 SAQs to be completed in 40 minutes.  2. Question 1 and 2 are required and will be based on content from periods 3-6. 3. You can then choose either Question 3 (periods 1-3) or Question 4 (periods 4-6). 4. SAQs may or may not include stimuli, similar to the multiple-choice. If there is a source attached, 

responses should refer specifically to the document in their response. 5. Each SAQ is worth 3 points, for a total of 9 points in this section. 6. Points are only awarded, not taken away, so there is no penalty for guessing. 7. SAQ answers are constricted to one box on one page, so they must be concise.  

 Document-Based Question (DBQ) 

1. There is one DBQ to be written in 60 minutes.  2. The question will refer to content from periods 3-6 and there is no choice with the prompt. 3. The DBQ includes a set of 7 documents that must be used to develop an argument. 4. DBQs are graded on a scale of 7 points using the following rubric: 

a. Thesis/Claim (1 pt): Responds to the prompt with a historically defensible claim b. Contextualization (1 pt): Describes a broader historical context relevant to the prompt c. Evidence from the documents (2 pts): Uses content of three docs for 1 pt, six docs for 2 pts d. Evidence beyond the documents (1 pt): Uses at least one piece of evidence not in the docs e. Sourcing (1 pt): Explains point-of-view, purpose, context, or audience for at 3 three docs f. Complexity (1 pt): Demonstrates a complex understanding of the development  

 Long Essay (LEQ) 

1. There is one LEQ to be written in 40 minutes.  2. Students can choose between 3 prompts. Option 1 refers to periods 1-2, option 2 refers to periods 

3-4, and option 3 refers to periods 5-6. All options will have the same theme and skill. 3. LEQs have three different skills - comparison, continuity and change over time (CCOT), causation. 4. LEQs are graded on a scale of 6 points using the following rubric: 

a. Thesis/Claim (1 pt): Responds to the prompt with a historically defensible claim b. Contextualization (1 pt): Describes a broader historical context relevant to the prompt c. Evidence (2 pts): Provides specific historical examples to support an argument d. Historical Reasoning (1 pt): Uses comparison, causation, or CCOT to address prompt e. Complexity (1 pt): Demonstrates a complex understanding of the development  

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Content Overview *The following outline was adapted from the AP® United States History Course Description as published by College Board in 2017 found here. This outline reflects the most recent revisions to the course.  

Period 1: Colonization of North America (1491-1607)  KEY CONCEPTS……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………..………..……… 

1.1. Native American Populations I. Diverse native societies adapted to their environments. 

A. Maize cultivation in Mexico & American Southwest supported communities. B. Great Basin & grasslands were arid, so communities were mobile. C. Northeast, Mississippi River, and Atlantic coast communities practiced a mix of 

agriculture and foraging in permanent settlements. D. Northwest and Pacific coast communities mostly foraged and fished. 

 1.2. The Columbian Exchange 

I. Arrival of Europeans in the Americas led to massive changes for Europe. A. Europeans motivated by wealth accumulation, spreading Christianity, and 

conquering territory (god, gold, & glory). B. New crops from Americas increased pop in Europe, shifted feudalism to capitalism. C. Better technology led to more trade facilitated by joint-stock companies. 

II. Columbian Exchange had demographic consequences. A. Europeans brought new diseases which wiped out most Native Americans. B. Native Americans forced to work plantations through encomienda system. C. African slave trade expanded to replace declining Native American populations. D. Racial caste system implemented to define status of Native American and Africans. 

III. Europeans and Native Americans had different worldviews. A. Conflicts between Native Americans and Europeans defined the early years. B. Native peoples defended their land and societies through diplomacy and military. C. Debates sparked among Europeans about treatment of Native peoples. 

 PERIOD 1 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS…………………..………………………………………………………………………..………..……… 

1. In what ways were Native American societies similar and different? 2. What historical forces caused Europeans to conquer territories in the Americas? 3. How did the Columbian Exchange lead to demographic shifts on both sides of the Atlantic? 

 PERIOD 1 EVENTS, PEOPLE, & CONCEPTS…………………………………………………………..……..………..…………............. 

 ● Algonquin ● Aztecs ● Bartolome de las Casas ● chattel slavery ● Chinook ● Christopher Columbus ● Columbian Exchange ● Conquistadors ● encomienda ● Francisco Pizarro ● Henry Hudson 

● Hernan Cortes ● Incas ● Iroquois ● Iroquois Confederation ● Jacques Cartier ● John Cabot ● joint-stock companies ● Juan de Onate ● Juan de Sepulveda ● Juan Ponce de Leon ● maroons 

● Pueblo ● Roanoke ● Samuel de Champlain ● sextant ● Smallpox ● Spanish Mission  ● St. Augustine ● Treaty of Tordesillas ● Vodun ● Walter Raleigh ● Zambo 

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Period 2: Colonial America (1607-1754)  KEY CONCEPTS……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………..………..……… 

2.1. European Colonization of North America I. Spanish, French, Dutch, and British colonizers differed in their goals and development. 

A. Spanish colonizers extracted wealth and developed coercive labor systems, which included converting Natives to Christianity. 

B. French & Dutch colonizers relied on trade alliances and intermarriage to acquire wealth. 

C. English colonizers included a large number of British migrants who settled on land taken from Native Americans and developed segregated societies. 

II. British colonies on the Atlantic coast had regional differences. A. Chesapeake & North Carolina prospered from exporting tobacco on the backs 

indentured servants and African slaves. B. New England colonies developed small Puritan towns with family farms. C. Middle colonies exported cereal crops and attracted diverse European migrants. D. Southern colonies developed large plantations to export staple crops, which 

depended on enslaved Africans for labor. E. Britain left the colonies alone to develop self-governing democratic institutions. 

III. Conflict between European rivals and American Indians continued.  A. Atlantic economy expanded based on exchange of goods and slaves. B. Continued trade further spread diseases, which wiped out native populations. C. Europeans allied with, armed, and fought American Indian tribes. D. Colonists and European leaders differed on interests, which sparked issues. E. Military confrontations occurred between Europeans and natives (Metacom’s War). F. Native resisted through revolts (Pueblo Revolt). 

 2.2. Connections between Britain & the Colonies 

I. British colonies were increasingly connected to Britain as they developed. A. Religious & ethnic pluralism sparked debates which were enhanced by the First Great 

Awakening and Enlightenment. B. British colonies were Anglicanized overtime by English political models and trade. C. Britain tried to develop a coherent imperial administration over the colonies, but 

conflicts with Native Americans made things difficult. D. Colonists increasingly resisted imperial control as they experienced greater diversity, 

independence, and evolving political thought. II. Slavery developed across all British colonies. 

A. All British colonies had slaves. New England used less, Chesapeake & South more, but most enslaved Africans were sent to the Caribbean and South America. 

B. New laws were created to segregate and oppress communities based on race. C. Africans resisted in overt and covert ways to maintain traditions. 

          

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PERIOD 2 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS……………………..…………………………………………………………….………………………… 1. In what ways did Europeans develop different patterns of colonization? 2. How did European colonization of North America intensify conflicts between colonizers and 

Natives? 3. What impact did the increase in exchanges within the Atlantic World have on colonial societies? 

 

PERIOD 2 EVENTS, PEOPLE, & CONCEPTS……………….………………………………..…………………………...………..………..  ● Act of Toleration ● Anne Hutchinson ● Bacon's Rebellion ● cash crops ● City upon a hill ● Cotton Mather ● First Great Awakening ● Fundamental Orders of 

Connecticut ● George Whitfield ● Glorious Revolution ● Great Migration ● Halfway Covenant ● headright system ● indentured servants ● James Oglethorpe 

● Jamestown ● John Rolfe ● John Winthrop ● Jonathan Edwards ● Lord Calvert of 

Maryland ● Mayflower Compact ● mercantilism ● Metacom's War ● Middle Passage ● Navigation Acts ● Olaudah Equiano ● Pequot War ● Pilgrims ● Plymouth Colony ● Pocahontas 

● Powhatan Confederacy ● proprietary colonies ● Puritans ● Quakers ● Roger Williams ● royal colonies ● Salutary Neglect ● Separatists ● Stono Rebellion ● tobacco farms ● triangular trade ● Virginia Company ● Virginia House of 

Burgesses ● William Penn 

       

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Period 3: The American Revolution & Establishment of Democracy (1754-1800)  KEY CONCEPTS……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………..………..……… 

3.1. The American Revolution I. The Seven Years’ War led to the British defeat of France and allied Native Americans. 

A. Colonial rivalry between Britain and France intensified. B. Britain’s territory expanded, but it was costly and required raising taxes. C. British officials attempted to prevent colonists from moving westward. 

II. Colonial independence movement formed in the wake of intensified imperial efforts. A. Colonists united because the British were taxing them without representation. B. Colonial leaders called for representation to reflect Enlightenment ideas. C. Popular movements for independence were energized by activists. D. Americans mobilized finances and materials for the Patriot movement. E. The Patriots beat the British because of strong leadership, ideological commitment, 

and assistance by European allies.  

3.2. New American Government I. New ideas about politics, religion, and society continued through the revolution. 

A. Enlightenment ideas inspired American thinkers and promoted social mobility. B. Republican ideals were reflected through Common Sense & the Dec. of Independence. C. Some groups called for abolition of slavery in the new state & national governments. D. Women’s role highlighted in “Republican motherhood” - to teach American values. E. American Revolution inspired similar revolts in Haiti and Latin America. 

II. State and federal constitutions sought to protect liberties while limiting central power. A. Power was given to legislative branches and voting rights were limited. B. Articles of Confederation unified the states, but limited central power, which made 

things difficult for the federal government to handle trade, finances, and unrest. C. The Constitutional Convention was held with state representatives to negotiate a new 

federal government that would embody federalism and separation of powers. D. The issue of slavery was at the forefront of constitutional compromises. E. Anti-federalists opposed the constitution while Federalists promoted ratification by 

promising a Bill of Rights that would focus on individual freedoms. III. American national culture & political institutions developed despite of regional differences. 

A. George Washington and John Adams created political precedents. B. Political parties formed as leaders differed in their positions of issues. C. Slavery continued to divide Americans as it expanded in the south & west. D. National identity was reflected in works of art, literature, and architecture. 

 3.3. Migrations within North America intensified conflicts 

I. After independence, increased interactions between groups resulted in competition, alliances, and cultural blending. 

A. Native tribes fluctuated in alliances with Europeans and other tribes. B. More people moved westward, which fueled social, political, and ethnic tensions. C. The Northwest Ordinance was developed to admit new states. D. Treaties with Native Americans were often violated. E. Spanish mission settlements expanded in California. 

II. The US had to protect its borders amidst European powers throughout North America. A. Diplomatic initiatives sought to protect settlers from the British and Spanish. B. The French Revolution and war between France and Britain posed new foreign policy 

challenges to the US.  C. Washington’s Farewell Address discouraged political parties and warned of alliances. 

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PERIOD 3 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS…………………………….…………………………………………………………………………….…  

1. What were the causes and consequences of the American Revolution? 2. How did leading Americans address regional differences to develop a federal government? 3. In what ways did migrations across North America intensify conflicts? 

 PERIOD 3 EVENTS, PEOPLE, & CONCEPTS…………………………………....…………..…………………………...………..……….. 

 ● Abigail Adams ● absolute monarch ● Adam Smith ● Albany Plan of Union ● Alien & Sedition Acts ● Articles of 

Confederation ● Battle of Bunker Hill ● Battle of Saratoga ● Battle of Yorktown ● Bill of Rights ● Coercive Acts ● Committees of 

Correspondence ● Common Sense ● Declaration of 

Independence ● Declaratory Act ● Deism ● Democratic-Republicans ● Enlightenment ● First Continental 

Congress ● French Revolution 

● George Washington ● Great Compromise ● Hamilton's Financial 

Plan ● Intolerable Acts ● James Otis ● Jay's Treaty ● Jean-Jacques Rousseau ● John Adams ● John Jay ● John Locke ● Lexington & Concord ● Loyalists (Tories) ● Minutemen ● Northwest Ordinance ● Patrick Henry ● Patriots ● Paul Revere ● Peace of Paris ● Pinckney's Treaty ● Political parties ● Pontiac's Rebellion ● Proclamation of 1763 ● Quartering Act 

● Quebec Act ● Rationalism ● Republican Motherhood ● Revolution of 1800 ● Samuel Adams ● Second Continental 

Congress ● Seven Years' War ● Shay's Rebellion ● Sons & Daughters of 

Liberty ● Stamp Act ● Sugar Act ● Tea Act ● Thomas Jefferson ● Townshend Acts ● Treaty of Paris ● unicameral legislature ● US Constitution ● Valley Forge ● Washington’s Farewell ● Writs of Assistance ● XYZ Affair 

   

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Period 4: Democracy & Expansion (1800-1848)  KEY CONCEPTS……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………..………..……… 

4.1. Developing a Modern Democracy I. Suffrage was expanded, which led to the growth of political parties. 

A. Political parties in the early 1800s debated tariffs, federal powers, and foreign policy. B. The Supreme Court defined judiciary powers as interpreting the Constitution. C. New political parties including Democrats and Whigs continued to debate the role of 

the federal government in terms of banking, tariffs, and infrastructure. D. Slavery and economic policy continued to divide Americans through regional politics. 

II. Distinctive cultures developed across America as national culture strengthened A. Second Great Awakening sparked moral and social reforms. B. New national culture developed to combine American & European influences. C. Romantic styles inspired literature, art, and architecture. D. Black communities both enslaved and free developed distinctive cultures and 

resistance strategies to protect their families and traditions. III. Activists worked outside of government to advance ideals. 

A. Volunteer organizations sought to improve society through temperance. B. Abolition movements gradually achieved emancipation in the North. C. Movement for women’s rights hosted Seneca Falls Convention. 

 4.2. Innovations accelerated the American economy 

I. New transportation expanded production. A. The market revolution resulted in more organization of production. B. Innovations (machinery, steam engine, telegraph) increased efficiency of production. C. Legislation developed infrastructure and transportation networks. 

II. The market revolution had a significant impact on US society. A. More Americans worked in factories and no longer relied on subsistence agriculture. B. The middle class emerged as industrialization made expanded the gap between 

wealthy elite and poor laborers.  C. Gender and family roles changed as more women worked in factories. 

III. Economic development unified the nation and encouraged regional differences. A. Immigration to northern cities increased and many Americans moved west. B. Southern cotton production increased and Northern manufacturing developed. C. Southern identity was built on agriculture. D. Attempts to unify the US economy (the American System) sparked debates. 

 4.3. Foreign Policy 

I. The US continued to claim territory throughout North America. A. After the Louisiana Purchase, the US continued to seek more control over North 

America through exploration, military actions, American Indian removal, and diplomacy through the Monroe Doctrine. 

B. The federal government relocated Native American communities to clear the frontier. II. New lands in the west increased tensions over slavery. 

A. Overcultivation in the south forced plantations to relocate west of the Appalachians. B. Anti-slavery activists continued efforts throughout the country. C. The Missouri Compromise attempted appeasement, but only curbed tensions over 

slavery temporarily.    

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PERIOD 4 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS…………………………...………………………………………………………………………………… 1. How did the United States government adapt to changing demographics in the early 19th century? 2. In what ways did the market revolution impact American society? 3. How did the US participate in foreign affairs in the early 19th century? 

  PERIOD 4 EVENTS, PEOPLE, & CONCEPTS………………………………………………..…………………………...………..……….. 

 ● "Star-Spangled 

Banner" ● abolition ● American System ● Andrew Jackson ● Barbary pirates ● Battle of New Orleans ● Charles Finney ● Cult of domesticity ● Dorothea Dix ● Eli Whitney ● Embargo Act ● Era of Good Feelings ● Erie Canal ● factory system ● Frederick Douglas ● Free African Society ● Gibbons v. Ogden ● Grimke sisters ● Hartford Convention ● Henry Clay ● Hudson River School 

● Indian Removal Act ● industrialization ● John C. Calhoun ● John Marshall ● judicial review ● King Cotton ● labor unions ● Lewis & Clark 

Expedition ● Louisiana Purchase ● Lowell system ● Marbury v. Madison ● market revolution ● McCulloch v. Maryland ● Mexican-American War ● Missouri Compromise 

(1820) ● Monroe Doctrine ● Mormons ● Napoleon Bonaparte ● nativism ● Nat Turner 

● Nullification Crisis ● Samuel Slater ● Second Bank of the US ● Second Great 

Awakening ● sectionalism ● Seminole Wars ● Seneca Falls 

Convention ● specialization ● Spoils System ● Susan B. Anthony ● Tecumseh ● Toussaint l'Ouverture ● Trail of Tears ● transcendentalism ● Treaty of Ghent ● war hawks ● War of 1812 ● Whigs ● William Henry Harrison 

              

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Period 5: The Civil War & Reconstruction (1844-1877)  

KEY CONCEPTS……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………..………..……… 5.1. Westward Expansion 

I. New territories were acquired in the west and more people moved west. A. People moved west for opportunities, religious refuge, and access to resources. B. Many advocated that the US was destined to expand to the Pacific (Manifest Destiny). C. Through the Mexican-American War, the US added a lot of territory, which triggered 

debates over slavery, Native Americans, and Mexicans in the newly acquired lands. D. New legislation promoted westward migration. E. The US expanded its interests in Asia 

II. The debates about rights and citizenship for some groups continued. A. Immigrants from western Europe created ethnic enclaves in the North. B. Anti-Catholic nativism spread and limited political power over immigrants. C. Mexican Americans and American Indians in the west faced continued oppression. 

 5.2. Causes of the Civil War 

I. Differences over slavery led to a range of opinions. A. The North relied on wage labor for manufacturing while the South depended on 

slave labor. Some Northerners were okay with the principle of slavery, but feared it would affect the wage-labor market. They created the Free-Soil movement. 

B. Abolition activists continued to campaign against slavery and helped free slaves. C. Many argued that slavery was a positive good and that states’ rights were protected. 

II. The debate about slavery culminated in the secession of southern states in 1860. A. Debates in the 1850s centered on whether to allow slavery in new territories. B. Attempts to solve the issue failed to reduce conflict (Kansas-Nebraska, Dred Scott). C. Sectional political parties emerged as issues of slavery and nativism grew stronger. D. Lincoln’s victory on the free-soil platform led to southern states seceding.  

 5.3. Aftermath of the Civil War 

I. The North won because of strong leadership, manpower, & industrial resources. A. The economies and societies of the North and South were both mobilized. B. Lincoln began the war to preserve the union, but the Emancipation Proclamation 

made the war squarely about the institution of slavery.  C. Through speeches, Lincoln framed the war as a battle to preserve democratic ideals. D. The Confederacy had a strong military push in the beginning, but the Union won 

because of stronger leadership, strategy, and greater wartime resources. II. Slavery ended after the Civil War, which led to new debates about citizenship. 

A. The 13th amendment abolished slavery and the 14th & 15th amendments granted citizenship and protected equal rights. 

B. The 14th amendment divided the women’s movement because white women did not want black men to get the vote before them. 

C. Reconstruction initially created more opportunities for black Americans, but eventually failed because of Southern resistance. 

D. Life in the south was difficult for former slaves and many were forced into new exploitative systems of sharecropping because of limited opportunities. 

E. Rights for African Americans were stripped away bit by bit until the 20th century.  

   

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PERIOD 5 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS…………..……………………………………………………………………...………………………… 1. What were the motives and consequences of westward expansion? 2. What were the causes and consequences of the Civil War? 3. How did the US government react to post-Civil War pressures from Northerners and Southerners? 

  PERIOD 5 EVENTS, PEOPLE, & CONCEPTS…….……………………………………...…..…………………………...………..………..  

● 13th Amendment ● 14th Amendment ● 15th Amendment ● Abraham Lincoln ● Anaconda Plan ● Antietam ● Appomattox Court House ● Black Codes ● Bleeding Kansas ● border states ● Bull Run ● carpetbagger ● Civil Rights Act of 1866 ● Compromise of 1850 ● Compromise of 1877 ● Confederacy ● Crittenden Compromise ● Dred Scott v. Sandford ● Emancipation 

Proclamation 

● Freedmen's Bureau ● Free Soil Party ● Fugitive Slave Law ● Gadsden Purchase ● Gettysburg Address ● Gold Rush ● Greenback ● Habeas corpus ● Harpers Ferry Raid ● Harriet Beecher Stowe ● Homestead Act ● Jefferson Davis ● Kansas-Nebraska Act ● Ku Klux Klan ● Know Nothing Party ● Little Big Horn ● MA 54th Regiment ● manifest destiny ● Matthew Perry ● Minstrel Shows 

● missionary ● Morrill Land Grant ● Morrill Tariff ● popular sovereignty ● Radical Republicans ● Reconstruction ● Robert E. Lee ● Sand Creek Massacre ● scalawag ● secession ● sharecropper ● Sherman's March ● Stonewall Jackson ● Treaty of Guadalupe 

Hidalgo ● Underground Railroad ● Wilmot Proviso 

 

     

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Period 6: The Gilded Age (1865-1898)   KEY CONCEPTS……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………..………..……… 

6.1. Rise of Industrial Capitalism I. Industrialization led to massive economic development. 

A. New transportation and communication systems opened new markets. B. Technological innovations dramatically increased the production of goods. C. Wages increased and prices decreased, which improved standards of living. D. Businesses increased profits by consolidating power, which concentrated wealth. E. The US expanded markets by gaining influence and control in Asia and Latin America. 

II. Financial downturns sparked new perspectives on the economy. A. Some opposed government intervention in support of laissez-faire policies. B. The work force expanded because of migrations. C. Laborers formed unions and battled management on wages and conditions. D. The south continued to rely on agricultural industries. 

III. Farmers responded to new systems of production and transportation. A. Industrialization increased production and substantially decreased food prices.  B. Farmers created local and regional cooperatives. C. Populism gained momentum to fight economic instability. 

 6.2. Migrations 

I. Urban populations increased because of international and internal migrations. A. Cities attracted immigrants from Asia, south and eastern Europe, and African 

Americans from the south as they escaped oppression and sought opportunities. B. Ethnic neighborhoods formed in cities. C. Immigrants had to assimilate to American culture, while preserving traditions. D. Political machines powered cities by providing the poor with social services. E. The middle class continued to grow as access to education increased, which 

expanded consumer culture. II. Many people moved west in search of land and opportunity, provoking conflict. 

A. The transcontinental railroads created new communities and centers of activity. B. Motivated by ideals of self-sufficiency, migrants moved west building railroads, 

mining, farming, and ranching. C. Increased migrations decimated the bison population, which increased competition 

for land and resources between white settlers, Natives, and Mexican-Americans. D. In response to migrations, the US government violated treaties with Native 

Americans and then resorted to military force, confining Natives to reservations.  E. American Indians attempted to preserve tradition, despite oppression.  

 6.3. The Gilded Age 

I. Social norms were challenged by new intellectual movements. A. Theories of social darwinism were used to justify racial hierarchies.  B. Some business leaders advocated philanthropy through the Gospel of Wealth. C. Alternative economic theories spread including utopian, socialist, and communist.  

II. Social changes inspired debates over the relationship between business and government. A. Political parties sparred over tariffs and currency issues as reformers argued that 

greed had corrupted government. B. Women fought for more equality with men through social and political reforms. C. Racial segregation was upheld in the courts through Plessy v. Ferguson. Increased 

violence against black communities sparked debates about race and reform.  

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 PERIOD 6 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS……………...……………………………………………………………………………………………… 

1. How did industrial capitalism affect US business and politics? 2. What were the motives and consequences of 19th century migrations? 3. In what ways were social norms challenged during the Gilded Age? 

  

PERIOD 6 EVENTS, PEOPLE, & CONCEPTS………………………………………………...…………………………...………..………..  ● Alexander Graham Bell ● American Federation of 

Labor ● Andrew Carnegie ● assimilationists ● Bessemer Process ● Booker T. Washington ● boomtown ● Chief Joseph ● Chinese Exclusion Act  ● Civil Rights Cases of 1883 ● civil service reform ● Commerce Act ● conservationists ● Cornelius Vanderbilt ● Dawes Act ● Elizabeth Cady Stanton ● Ellis Island ● ethnic enclaves ● Eugene Debs ● Frank Lloyd Wright ● Frederick Jackson Turner ● Ghost Dance ● Gilded Age ● Gospel of Wealth ● Haymarket Strike ● Horatio Alger ● horizontal consolidation ● Hull House ● Ida B. Wells 

● impressionism ● Interstate Commerce Act ● Jane Addams ● jazz ● Jim Crow Law ● John Muir ● John Rockefeller ● Joseph Pulitzer ● JP Morgan ● Knights of Labor ● labor unions ● laissez faire ● Land-Grant Colleges ● Las Gorras Blanca ● lynching ● Mark Twain ● Mother Jones ● Munn v. Illinois ● NAWSA ● New South ● Ocala Platform ● Pendleton Act ● political machine ● Populist Party ● preservationists ● Protestant work ethic ● public high school ● Pullman Strike ● Queen Liliuokalani ● railroad strike of 1877 

● realism ● referendum ● refrigeration ● Salvation Army ● Samuel Gompers ● Second Industrial 

Revolution ● Sherman Antitrust Act ● social darwinism ● socialism ● Solid South ● spectator sports ● stalwart ● survival of the fittest ● Tammany Hall ● temperance ● tenant farming ● tenements ● The Grange ● transcontinental railroads ● trust ● Tuskegee Institute ● vertical integration ● W.E.B. DuBois ● Wabash v. Illinois ● white supremacy ● William Hearst ● William Jennings Bryan 

  

 

 

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Period 7: Progressivism & Global Conflict (1890-1945) KEY CONCEPTS……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………..………..……… 

7.1. Reforms in US Society I. The US continued to transition from rural to urban economies led by large corporations. 

A. New technology increased production of consumer goods. B. Most Americans lived in cities by 1920, which had more opportunities. C. The Great Depression forced calls for more financial regulation. 

II. Progressive activists called for reforms to combat political corruption and instability. A. Journalists investigated inequality and injustice (muckrakers). B. Activists fought for federal legislation to expand rights (prohibition, suffrage). C. Environmentalists sought to protect natural resources. D. Progressive activists disagreed on racial justice and immigration restrictions. 

III. Legislation was enacted in the 1930s to recover and reform the economy while providing relief for mass unemployment and financial crises.  

A. Roosevelt enacted New Deal policies in an attempt to end the Great Depression. B. Progressive activists pushed FDR to do more while conservatives pushed for less. C. The New Deal did not end the Great Depression, but it left a legacy of reforms and 

align many groups with the Democratic Party.  

7.2. Growth of Mass Culture I. Popular culture influenced and connected more people. 

A. New mass media (radio, cinema) spread national culture and connected regions. B. Migrations sparked new forms of art and literature C. Fear of communism during World War I led to restrictions on speech. D. Controversies over gender, science, religion, race, and immigration. 

II. Migration patterns were influenced by global conflict. A. After WWI, immigration quotas were passed that favored white migrants. B. Americans migrated to cities for economic opportunities during war. C. Black men and women migrated north and west to escape violence in the south.  D. Migration to the US from Mexico increased. 

 7.3. Global Conflicts 

I. The US participated in imperialism ventures around the world, which sparked debates. A. The argument for imperialism cited opportunities, racist ideologies, and competition. B. The argument against imperialism cited self-determination and isolationism. C. Victory in the Spanish-American war gave the US lands in the Caribbean and Pacific. 

II. World War I intensified debates about the role of the US in the world. A. The US eventually joined WWI, reversing neutrality policy. B. US forces in WWI tipped the balance in the favor of the Allies. C. Neither the Treaty of Versailles or the League of Nations were ratified by the senate. D. After WWI, the US pursued foreign policy using investment, treaties, and intervention. E. During the 1930s, most Americans opposed actions against Nazi Germany or 

Imperial Japan, until after the attack on Pearl Harbor pulled the US into WWII. III. WWII transformed American society and resulted in the US as a global superpower. 

A. Americans saw the war as defending freedom. B. Wartime mobilization helped end the Great Depression. C. Women and minorities had more opportunities for mobility and work during the war. D. The Allies won WWII because of technology, cooperation, and military strategy. E. With Asia and Europe ravaged from the war, the US emerged as the most powerful. 

  

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PERIOD 7 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS……………...………………………………………………………………………………..….………… 1. What were the goals and achievements of the Progressive Era 2. How did the growth of mass culture affect US society? 3. In what ways did the global conflicts of the early 20th century affect the United States? 

 PERIOD 7 EVENTS, PEOPLE, & CONCEPTS………………………………………………………..………………..…...………..……….. 

 ● 16th Amendment ● 17th Amendment ● 18th Amendment ● 19th Amendment ● 20th Amendment ● 21st Amendment ● Albert Einstein ● American plan ● annexation ● Anti-imperialist League ● Appeasement ● assembly line ● Atlantic Charter ● Australian ballot ● Big-Stick Policy ● Birth of a Nation ● Black Tuesday ● Bolshevik Revolution ● Bonus Army ● Central Powers ● Charles Lindbergh ● Civilian Conservation 

Corps ● Clayton Antitrust Act ● code talkers ● Committee on Public 

Information ● consumer culture ● Court-packing plan ● Dawes Plan ● direct primary ● dollar diplomacy ● Double V ● Dust Bowl ● Eleanor Roosevelt ● Espionage Act ● Executive Order 9066 ● fascism ● Father Charles 

Coughlin 

● Florence Kelley ● Franklin D. Roosevelt ● Gentlemen's 

Agreement ● Good Neighbor Policy ● Great Migration ● Harlem Renaissance ● Harry Truman ● Hawley-Smoot Tariff ● Henry Cabot Lodge ● Henry Ford ● Hoovervilles ● Huey P. Long ● Hundred Days ● Immigration Quotas 

1921 & 1924 ● imperialism ● initiative ● isolationism ● Jacob Riis ● jingoism ● Kellogg-Briand Pact ● Keynesian economics ● Korematsu v. US ● Langston Hughes ● League of Nations ● Lend-Lease Act ● Lost Generation ● Manhattan Project ● Marcus Garvey ● Meat Inspection Act ● muckrakers ● Muller v. Oregon ● NAACP ● Neutrality Act ● New Deal ● Open Door Policy ● overproduction ● pan-Africanism ● Panama Canal 

● Pearl Harbor ● pragmatism ● progressivism ● Pure Food & Drug Act ● Quarantine speech ● Red Scare ● referendum ● reparations ● Roosevelt Corollary ● Rosie the Riveter ● rough riders ● Sacco & Vanzetti ● Schenck v. United States ● scientific management ● Scopes Trial ● self-determination ● Sigmund Freud ● social gospel ● socialism ● Social Security Act ● Spanish-American War ● Square Deal ● Teapot Dome Scandal ● Tennessee Valley 

Authority ● Treaty of Versailles ● U-boats ● Upton Sinclair ● Volstead Act ● Wagner Act ● War Production Board ● War Refugee Board ● Wilson's 14 Points ● Women's Christian 

Temperance Union ● xenophobia ● yellow journalism ● Zimmerman note 

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Period 8: The Cold War (1945-1980) KEY CONCEPTS……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………..………..……… 

8.1. The Cold War I. US policymakers sought to contain the expansion of communism and create a free-market. 

A. After WWII, the alliance between the US and USSR dissolved and the US developed foreign policy that would protect non-Communist nations. 

B. The US engaged in military action abroad to contain Communism (Korea & Vietnam). C. The Cold War included direct and indirect action, then periods of coexistence. D. Decolonized nations were caught in between the US & USSR, with many nonaligned. E. Competition extended to Latin America where the US supported non-Communists. 

II. The Cold War sparked debate about means of pursuing goals while protecting liberties. A. Some policies were designed to expose Communists within the US. B. The Vietnam War inspired huge antiwar protests, unlike previous military actions. C. Debates over nuclear weapons, military-industrial complex, and the power of the 

President in pursuing military action dominated this era.  D. US involvement in the Middle East increased. 

 8.2. Civil Rights & Liberal Movements 

I. Activists and leaders achieved slow progress toward equality. A. Civil rights leaders used the courts, direct action, and nonviolent protest tactics. B. All branches of government used measures including desegregating the armed 

forces through executive action, desegregating schools through the courts, and the legislative passage of the Civil Rights Act. 

C. Racial equality progressed slowly, which questioned the efficacy of nonviolence.  II. The Civil Rights Movement inspired other liberal movements. 

A. Feminist and gay rights activists mobilized to achieve equality. B. Latino, American Indian, and Asian American movements demanded equality. C. Poverty became highlighted as a national problem. D. Environmental activists pushed for more regulations to protect natural resources. 

III. Liberalism influenced politics and court decisions, but was also attacked by the left & right. A. Liberalism as an anti-communist & pro-democratic policy reached high in the 1960s.  B. Liberal ideas were expressed through LBJ’s Great Society and Supreme Court cases. C. Conservatives in the 1960s challenged liberal laws to limit the role of government. D. Some activists on the left rejected liberal policies as not transformative enough. E. Confidence and trust in government reached a low in the 1970s with scandals and 

crises dominating political conversations.  F. Conservatives and liberals continued to clash over the power of government and 

movements for greater individual rights.  

8.3. Economic & Demographic Shifts After WWII I. Economic and social changes after WWII created optimism in the postwar era. 

A. Economic growth after WWII spurred by technology, spending, and the baby boom. B. Social mobility because of higher education opportunities encouraged the migration 

of the middle class to the suburbs. C. New immigration laws led to new waves of migrants seeking opportunities. 

II. New demographics and Cold War anxieties led to divisive political and moral debates. A. Artists and intellectuals challenged conformity in the 1950s and 1960s. B. Feminists and the young counterculture rejected social and sexual norms. C. The evangelical Christian right grew substantially and became politically involved. 

   

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PERIOD 8 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS……………...….…………………………………..……………………………………………………… 1. How did America foreign policy change and stay the same throughout the Cold War? 2. What were the goals and achievements of liberal movements during the 1960s? 3. How did post-WWII demographic shifts affect the United States? 

 PERIOD 8 EVENTS, PEOPLE, & CONCEPTS…………………………………………………..…………………………...………...…….. 

 ● American Indian 

Movement (AIM) ● baby boom ● Bakke v. U of CA ● Bay of Pigs ● beats ● Berkeley Free Speech 

Movement ● Black Panthers ● Black Power ● brinkmanship ● Brown v. Board of 

Education ● Camp David Accords 

1979 ● Cesar Chavez ● Chicago convention ● CIA ● Civil Rights Act of 1964 ● Clean Air Act ● Cold War ● containment ● CORE ● counterculture ● Cuban Missile Crisis ● decolonization ● desegregation ● detente ● Dixiecrats ● domino theory ● Dwight D. Eisenhower ● ESEA ● EPA ● Equal Rights 

Amendment ● Fair Deal ● Feminine Mystique 

● freedom rides ● gay liberation 

movement ● Gerald Ford ● GI Bill of Rights ● Gideon v. Wainwright ● Great Society ● Griswold v. 

Connecticut ● Highway Act ● HUAC ● Iranian hostage crisis ● Iron Curtain ● Jimmy Carter ● John F. Kennedy ● Julius & Ethel 

Rosenberg ● Kent State ● Korean War ● Little Rock Nine ● Lyndon B. Johnson ● Malcolm X ● Mapp v. Ohio ● March on Washington ● Marshall Plan ● Martin Luther King Jr.  ● McCarthyism ● medicaid & medicare ● military-industrial 

complex ● Miranda vs. Arizona ● moon landing ● mutually assured 

destruction ● NATO ● New Frontier ● NOW 

● OPEC ● Pentagon Papers ● Richard Nixon ● Robert Kennedy ● Roe v. Wade ● Rosa Parks ● SALT I & SALT II ● SCLC ● SDS ● sexual revolution ● silent majority ● Silent Spring ● SNCC ● Southern Strategy ● space race ● Sputnik ● stagflation ● Stokely Carmichael ● Stonewall Riot ● Sun Belt ● Tet Offensive ● Thurgood Marshall ● Title IX ● Tonkin Gulf Resolution ● Truman Doctrine ● United Nations ● Vietcong ● Vietnam Conflict ● Vietnamization ● Voting Rights Act of 

1965 ● War on Poverty ● War Powers Act ● Watergate ● Watts riot 

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Period 9: Contemporary America (1980-present) KEY CONCEPTS……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………..………..……… 

9.1. Conservatism I. Conservatives believed in the need for traditional social values and a reduced role for gov’t. 

A. Reagan’s victory ushered in an era of Conservative policies to cut taxes and deregulate industries. 

B. Conservatives argued that liberal policies were ineffective. C. Debates continued over free-trade, the power of government, and social reforms. 

 9.2. Technology & Demographic Changes 

I. New technology enhanced the economy and transformed society. A. Productivity increased as improvements in digital communication led to 

opportunities worldwide. B. Access to information dramatically increased with computing and mobile 

technologies, which changed social behaviors. C. Manufacturing and union membership decreased while service sectors increased. D. Stagnant wages for the middle class increased economic inequality. 

II. Demographic shifts in the population had cultural and political consequences. A. The influence of the South and West increased as populations migrated.  B. Migrants from Latin America and Asia increased dramatically. C. Intense debates over immigration, diversity, gender roles, and family continued. 

 9.3. New World Order 

I. Reagan promoted interventionism that continued even after the Cold War.  A. Reagan opposed communism through speeches, diplomacy, military interventions, 

and a buildup of weapons. B. The Cold War ended because of military spending, diplomacy, and economic issues in 

the Soviet Union and across Eastern Europe. C. After the Cold War ended, the US continued to debate the use of American power 

internationally. II. The attacks on September 11, 2001 shifted US foreign policy efforts to fighting terrorism. 

A. The US launched lengthy and controversial military efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq. B. The War on Terrorism raised questions about protecting civil liberties. C. Debates over US dependence on fossil fuel were sparked by continued conflicts in 

the Middle East and concerns over climate change. D. The US continued to be the world’s leading superpower into the 21st century 

                

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PERIOD 9 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS……………...……………..…………………………………………………………………….………… 1. What were the goals and achievements of the Conservative movement? 2. How did advancements in technology affect the economy and society of the US? 3. In what ways did foreign policy change and stay the same after the Cold War? 

 PERIOD 9 EVENTS, PEOPLE, & CONCEPTS………………………………………………………..……………………...………..……….. 

● "Don't ask, don't tell" ● "Tear down this wall" ● 9/11 Attacks ● ADA ● affirmative action ● Affordable Care Act ● Al-Qaeda ● Barack Obama ● Bill Clinton ● Boston Marathon 

bombing ● Bush Doctrine ● Bush v. Gore ● Citizens United (2010) ● Contract with America ● Dept. of Homeland 

Security ● Dodd-Frank Act ● Enron 

● Evil Empire ● fundamentalism ● George H.W. Bush ● George W. Bush ● gerrymandering ● glasnost ● Great Recession ● Guantanamo Bay 

detention centers ● housing bubble ● Hurricane Katrina ● Iran-Contra Affair ● mass shootings ● moral majority ● National Rifle 

Association ● Newt Gingrich ● No Child Left Behind 

● Oklahoma CIty bombing 

● perestroika ● Persian Gulf War ● Ronald Reagan ● same sex marriage ● Sandra Day O'Connor ● Strategic Defense 

Initiative ● Tea Party ● televangelists ● Three Mile Island ● trickle-down 

economics ● War on Terrorism ● welfare reform ● WMDs ● Yuppies 

 

 

 

 

 

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Most Important Dates to Know There will never be a question on the AP US History exam that specifically requires you to remember a date. However, you do need to know the timeline of events to place cause and effect. Plus, you can earn evidence points for knowing dates. The following are the most important dates to remember.  Period 2 - Colonial America 1492- Columbus’ first voyage 1607 - Jamestown 1649 - Toleration Act 1688 - Glorious Revolution 1692 - Salem Witch Trials  Period 3 - American Rev. 1754-1763 - Seven Years’ War 1763 - Proclamation of 1763 1765 - Stamp Act 1770 - Boston Massacre 1773 - Boston Tea Party 1775 - Lexington & Concord 1776 - Dec. of Independence 1777 - Battle of Saratoga 1781 - Battle of Yorktown 1783 - Treaty of Paris 1787 - Constitutional Convention 1788 - Washington’s Election 1798 - XYZ Affair 1798 - Alien & Sedition Acts  Period 4 - Expansion 1800 - Jefferson’s Election 1803 - Louisiana Purchase 1812-1815 - War of 1812 1814 - Battle of New Orleans 1816-1824 - Era of Good Feelings 1820 - Missouri Compromise 1823 - Monroe Doctrine 1820s - Sectionalism 1828 - Jackson’s Election 1830 - Indian Removal Act 1832 - Nat Turner’s Rebellion 1830-1850 - Manifest Destiny 1836 - Battle of the Alamo     

Period 5 - The Civil War 1845 - Annexation of Texas 1845-1848 - Mexican-American War 1848 - Seneca Falls Convention 1850 - Missouri Compromise 1850 - Fugitive Slave Law 1852 - Uncle Tom’s Cabin 1854 - Bleeding Kansas 1857 - Dred Scott Case 1860 - Lincoln’s Election 1861-865 - Civil War 1862 - Homestead Act 1863 - Gettysburg 1867 - Reconstruction Acts 1867 - Purchase of Alaska 1877 - Compromise of 1877  Period 6 - The Gilded Age 1876 - Little Bighorn 1886 - Haymarket Square Riot 1887 - Dawes Act 1887 - Interstate Commerce  1890 - Wounded Knee 1890 - Sherman Antitrust Act 1894 - Pullman Strike 1896 - “Cross of Gold” speech 1896 - Plessy v. Ferguson  Period 7 - Global Conflict 1898 - Annexation of Hawaii 1898 - Spanish American War 1903 - Wright Brothers 1917 - US enters WWI 1920 - Women’s Suffrage 1920s - Red Scare 1920s - Prohibition 1929 - Stock Market Crash 1932 - Bonus Army 1935 - Social Security Act 1939 - WWII starts in Europe 1941 - Attack on Pearl Harbor 1944 - D-Day 1945 - Atomic Bomb dropped 

Period 8 - The Cold War 1945-1991 - Cold War 1947 - Truman Doctrine 1950-1953 - Korean War 1950s - McCarthyism 1954 - Brown v. Board of Ed. 1955 - Montgomery Bus Boycott 1957 - Sputnik 1962 - Cuban Missile Crisis 1963 - March on Washington 1963 - JFK assassinated 1964 - Civil Rights Act 1968 - MLK killed, RFK killed 1968 - Tet Offensive 1968 - Chicago Convention 1969 - moon landing 1972 - Watergate break-in 1973 - Roe v. Wade 1979 - Iranian hostage crisis  Period 9 - The Modern Era 1980 - Reagan elected 1989 - Cold War ends 1991 - Persian Gulf War 1994 - Contract with America 1995 - Oklahoma City Bombing 2000 - Bush v. Gore 2001 - 9/11 Attacks 2008 - Great Recession 2008 - Obama elected 2011 - Affordable Care Act            

 

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Past Essay Questions by Topic *The APUSH exam was significantly revised in 2015, so any questions from before then are not representative of the current exam format. You can still use prior questions to practice, however DBQs will have more than 7 documents, the LEQ prompts are worded differently, and the rubrics are completely different. Use questions from 2002-2014 with caution. Essays from 1973-1999 available here.  Period 1: Early Colonization No Essays!  Period 2: Colonial America 2018 - SAQ 3: Religion in the colonies 2018 - LEQ 1: Mercantilism 2016 - SAQ 2: English vs. Spanish colonies 2015 - SAQ 1: Chesapeake vs. New England colonies 2014 - LEQ: Compare religious / intellectual movements 2013 - LEQ 2: Economic development of colonies 2011 - LEQ 2: Slavery in the colonies 2010 - DBQ: Puritan influences 2008 - LEQ 2: Conflicts with American Indians 2006 - LEQ 2: Spanish vs. English colonies 2005 - LEQ 2: Politics in Massachusetts & Virginia 2002 - LEQ 2: Compare religion in colonies 2001 - LEQ 2: Expansion of slavery in southern colonies 2000 - LEQ 2: Relations with American Indians  Period 3: American Revolution 2018 - SAQ 1: Interpretations of American Revolution 2017 - SAQ 1: Articles of Confederation 2017 - DBQ: Ideas about American independence 2016 - SAQ 4: Causes of Revolution 2015 - SAQ 3: American Revolution 2015 - LEQ 2: Seven Years’ War 2012 - LEQ 2: Impact of Seven Years’ War 2010 - LEQ 2: American Revolutionary victory 2009 - LEQ 2: British imperial policies 2007 - LEQ 2: Violent protests in the backcountry 2006 - DBQ: Republican Motherhood 2005 - DBQ: Effects of the Revolution 2004 - DBQ: Seven Years’ War 2004 - LEQ 2: Impact of Revolution 2003 - LEQ 2: Articles of Confederation 2002 - LEQ 3: Constitutional leaders 2000 - LEQ 3: Opposition to slavery        

Period 4: Democracy & Expansion 2017 - LEQ 1: Effect of market revolution on women 2017 - SAQ 1: Pre-Civil War Immigration  2015 - LEQ 3: Mexican-American War 2014 - LEQ 3: Jacksonian Democrats vs. Whigs 2013 - DBQ: Opposition to Slavery 2013 - LEQ 3: US in the world 1789-1823 2012 - LEQ 3: Sectional tensions 2011 - LEQ 3: Development of political parties 2008 - LEQ 3: Impact of Market Revolution 2007 - LEQ 3: Second Great Awakening 2005 - LEQ 3: Mexican-American War 2004 - LEQ 3: Effectiveness of political compromise 2003 - LEQ 3: Developments in transportation 2002 - DBQ: Reform movements 2001 - LEQ 3: Jacksonian Era  Period 5: The Civil War 2017 - SAQ 3: Reconstruction 2016 - LEQ 2: 14th and 15th amendments 2014 - LEQ 3: Achievements of Reconstruction 2010 - LEQ 3: Slavery in western territories 2009 - DBQ: Responses to slavery 2006 - LEQ 3: Political effects of Civil War  Period 6: The Gilded Age 2018 - DBQ: US Imperialism 2018 - LEQ 2: Economic impact of Civil War 2016 - SAQ 3: Industrial Business 2015 - SAQ 4: Industrialization 2013 - LEQ 4: Impact of technology 2012 - DBQ: Impact of Big Business 2009 - LEQ 4: Labor unions 2008 - LEQ 4: The New South 2007 - DBQ: Changes to agriculture 2003 - LEQ 4: Regional impacts of Civil War 2001 - LEQ 4: Developments in transportation 2000 - DBQ: Labor Unions       

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Period 7: Progressivism & Global Conflict 2018 - SAQ 2: Progressive Era 2017 - SAQ 2: Effect of WWII on society 2017 - LEQ 3: 19th amendment 2016 - LEQ 3: WWI and US foreign policy 2015 - SAQ 2: Environmental policies 2014 - DBQ: US Foreign policy 1918-1953 2012 - LEQ 3: Cultural conflicts of the 1920s 2011 - LEQ 4: Opposition to Immigration 2011 - LEQ 5: African American leadership 2010 - LEQ 4: Progressive women 2009 - LEQ 5: WWII at home 2008 - LEQ 5: Shift of political parties 2007 - LEQ 4: Teddy Roosevelt 2006 - LEQ 4: Progressive reforms 2004 - LEQ 4: Progressive reforms vs. New Deal 2003 - DBQ: New Deal effectiveness 2003 - LEQ 5: United States society 2002 - LEQ 4: Foreign policy after WWI & WWII 2001 - LEQ 5: Rise of Nativism 2000 - LEQ 4: Objectives of WWI   

Period 8: The Cold War 2018 - SAQ 4: Internal migration patterns 2017 - SAQ 4: Vietnam Conflict 2016 - DBQ: Rise of Feminism 2015 - DBQ: Conservatism in America 2014 - LEQ 4: New Right Conservatism 2013 - LEQ 5: Reasons for protest 2012 - LEQ 5: Cold War foreign policies 2011 - DBQ: Nixon’s responses to challenges  2010 - LEQ 5: Population movements 2008 - DBQ: Vietnam Conflict 2007 - LEQ 5: Landslide Presidential elections 2006 - LEQ 5: Critiques of American society 2005 - LEQ 5: Movements of the 60s and 70s 2004 - LEQ 5: Containment 2002 - LEQ 5: Civil Rights Movement 2001 - DBQ: Cold War fears after WWII 2000 - LEQ 5: Cultural change in the 1960s  Period 9: Contemporary America 2018 - LEQ 3: Technological innovation 2005 - LEQ 4: Patterns of immigration 

     

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Recommended Resources *Just a heads up, the following list of resources contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, Fiveable will receive a small commission. This helps support our content creation and allows us to continue to make resources like this. Thank you for the support! 

Facebook group for AP US students 

Join the Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/apushstudents 

Prep Books: 

While you are reviewing, it is insanely helpful to have a prep book to guide you. These offer nice summaries of content, practice tests, and even graphic organizers to help you visualize the information. 

Each prep book offers a different value to your review, so it really comes down to how you learn best and which style you prefer. You should definitely have one to help you out. 

AMSCO AP US History - https://amzn.to/2IOvdlI Love this book. Short chapters detailed only with information you actually need.   ASAP US History - https://amzn.to/2EleKSs The MOST visuals out of any of these. Tons of graphic organizers and images.  Barron's AP US History - https://amzn.to/2N34AOF  Tough read, but lots and lots of great content. More like an alternative textbook. 

 Princeton Review's Cracking the AP US History Exam - https://amzn.to/2GAg6dI Much easier read, great summaries. 

 Kaplan's AP US Prep Plus - https://amzn.to/2Ha1zq8 Has an awesome tool to help you narrow down your studying. Easy to read, great summaries. 

 Crash Course: AP US History - https://amzn.to/2IqwJt0 Bulleted review, reads like AP US cliff notes. Really useful for last minute. 

Prep Apps: 

Romulus APUSH Review - iTunes App Store & Google Play 

Fiveable for AP US History At Fiveable, we host live AP US history reviews every week! You can tune in live to get your questions answered, listen to concept explanations, and practice essays. We’re live all year because it takes time to learn and understand everything you need to pass this exam. During the month of May, we have even more live sessions including every night leading up to the exam. To get access to all live sessions, replays, and exclusive content, visit http://fiveable.me/live.  Follow Fiveable on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube for all kinds of fun things all year round! 

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