Your total resource for Advanced Placement United States History Review. This website is the sole creation of Adam Norris and is not endorsed by the College Board, AP, or any school district.
Yo, what’s going on APUSH peeps? I hope the exam went great for you today. Please remember, as I always say, YOU ARE MORE THAN A TEST SCORE. No matter what you get on the exam, it does not define your value or worth as a person! You are awesome regardless of your test score. Thanks for all your support and best of luck in the future!
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Key Terms/Events/People By Period
Period 1 (1491 – 1607)
Welcome to Period 1! This period accounts for roughly 5% of the exam. Although you will not see a Long Essay or DBQ based solely on this time period, you could see a topic that incorporates this period as part of a larger idea.
Why were these years chosen for this period?
1491 marks one year prior to the arrival of Columbus and Europeans in large numbers to the Americas. Additionally, 1607 is the year that the first permanent English settlement was established in Jamestown, Virginia. Period 1 focuses significantly on Native American life PRIOR to the arrival of Europeans. Furthermore, impacts of the Columbian Exchange on Africans, Native Americans, and Europeans are important to know.
Key vocabulary terms to know for this time period:
Autonomy – to have self-government, or independence. Native Americans and Africans sought to preserve autonomy in the face of contact with Europeans.
Subjugation – to take control of a person or group of people by force. Native Americans and Africans were subjugated by Europeans, often in the form of slavery.
Maize – corn, grown in present-day Mexico and spread to the Southwest portion of the present-day United States. Native Americans built societies around maize. Once it was introduced to Europe (Columbian Exchange), it helped lead to a drastic increase in population.
Columbian Exchange – Spread of goods, ideas, people, and diseases between Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
Encomienda System – Spanish system of granting land to colonists in the New World. This system exploited Native Americans and resources. Eventually, Native American labor was replaced with African slave labor.
Period 2 (1607 – 1754)
Welcome to Period 2! This period accounts for roughly 10% of the exam. Unlike period 1, you could very well encounter a Long Essay or DBQ that is based solely on this time period.
Key vocabulary terms to know for this time period:
Characteristics of Spanish colonization – focused on converting Natives and gaining wealth through tight control over colonies. Sent mostly men -> intermarry with Natives and Africans. (Think 3 Gs – period #1)
Characteristics of French and Dutch colonization – fewer inhabitants than other countries. The French and Dutch focused on trade (especially beaver fur), alliances, and intermarriage with Native Americans.
Characteristics of English colonization – colonies were based on agriculture. English colonies saw a large number of men AND women inhabit the colonies. The English had relatively hostile relations with Native Americans.
Pueblo Revolt – Native American revolt in the late 17th century in present-day New Mexico against the Spanish. The Spanish were expelled for over 10 years. Once they regained control, the Spanish began to take a more accommodating approach to Natives and allowed some religious accommodation.
The Enlightenment – Time period that focused on reason and knowledge and promoted new ideas about government (natural rights, consent of the governed, separation of powers). These ideas helped influence the American Revolution.
Mercantilism – Economic policy that focuses on making money for the mother country. This policy favors a positive balance of trade for the mother country and the accumulation of gold and silver.
Anglicization – Process of colonies becoming and acting British. This was influenced by print culture (newspapers and writings) and communities based on English models.
Characteristics of New England colonies – founded by mostly Puritans, a group of like-minded individuals. These colonies tended to be close-knit and had longer life expectancies than other English colonies. The economy was a mix of farming, trade, and fishing, and whaling..
Characteristics of middle colonies – These colonies were the most diverse religiously and saw the most immigrants from Europe. The economy was based on grain.
Characteristics of southern colonies – The Chesapeake (Maryland and Virginia) relied on indentured servants initially, later replaced by enslaved African. Staple crops like tobacco, rice, and sugar made the colonies prosperous. Very large plantations.
Period 3 (1754 – 1800)
Welcome to Period 3! This period accounts for roughly 12% of the exam. In past exams, this period has been a popular choice for essays and Short Answer Questions, so make sure you are able to explain main ideas!
Key vocabulary terms to know for this time period:
Impact of the 7 Years’ War – France was removed from North America; Great Britain was in massive debt, began to consolidate control over colonies – taxes; many colonists resisted
Common Sense (1776) – Written by T-Paine, an Enlightenment thinker. Urged that it was “Common Sense” that colonies should break away from Great Britain
Declaration of Independence – Inspired by Common Sense and Enlightenment ideals; inspired France and countries in Latin America to experience revolutions
Reasons for Patriot Victory in the Revolutionary War – Colonists’ familiarity with the land; political and military leadership (Washington); ideological commitment (Natural Rights); Support from European Allies (France after Saratoga)
Northwest Land Ordinance – Passed under Articles – banned slavery in NW territory (OH, MI, IN, etc.); created a process for admitting new states (60,000 inhabitants)
Articles of Confederation – First governing document of US – created a WEAK central government; issues with trade – different currencies in each state, tariffs on goods traded between states
Constitution – Replaced the Articles – series of compromises (Great, 3/5, Slave Trade); provided limits on federal power (separation of powers); did not address problems of slavery
Washington’s Farewell Address – Warned of entangling foreign alliances and political parties; helped inspire foreign policy until after WWII
Republican Motherhood – Expectation that women would instill Republican values in children and be active in families; helped increase education for women
Bill of Rights – Added AFTER the Constitutional Convention; created to gain support of anti-Federalists; guaranteed rights of individuals
Period 4 (1800 – 1848)
Welcome to Period 4! This period accounts for roughly 10% of the exam. In past exams, this period has been a popular choice for essays and Short Answer Questions, so make sure you are able to explain main ideas!
Key vocabulary terms to know for this time period:
Impact of the Supreme Court decisions of the early 1800s – The primacy of the judiciary in determining the meaning of the Constitution (think judicial review)) and giving federal laws power over state governments (think Gibbons v. Ogden and McCulloch v. Maryland)
Whigs and Democrats Disagreed over – Role and powers of the federal government, National Bank, tariffs, federally funded internal improvements (Think Henry Clay’s American System)
Impact of the Second Great Awakening – Moral and social reforms (think abolitionism, women’s rights, temperance, etc.)
Seneca Falls Convention– Women’s Rights convention that sought greater equality (attended by men too such as Frederick Douglass)
New innovations during the Market Revolution – Textile machinery (spinning jenny), steam engines, interchangeable parts (Eli Whitney), telegraph, and agricultural inventions (cotton gin – Whitney again)
How did the Market Revolution change the production of goods? – Goods were increasingly made outside the home. Women and men began working in factories.
Where did immigrants settle? – Irish settled in northern cities, Germans settled on the frontier – worked as farmers (CINCINNATI!)
American System – Henry Clay!’s plan to unify the American economy. Focused on a 2nd BUS, Internal Improvements, and Tariffs. The north and midwest benefitted more than the south.
Monroe Doctrine – President Monroe’s message to Europe to NOT colonize any new land in Latin America. The US would stay out of European affairs.
Missouri Compromise (Compromise of 1820) – 3 parts: Maine was a free state, Missouri was a slave state, everything above 3630 latitude line would be free, everything below would be slave. This applied to ONLY the Louisiana Purchase. Later overturned by the Kansas-Nebraska Act (possible synthesis point).
Period 5 (1844 – 1877)
Welcome to Period 5! This period accounts for roughly 13% of the exam. In past exams, this period has been a popular choice for essays and Short Answer Questions, so make sure you are able to explain main ideas!
Key vocabulary terms to know for this time period:
Reasons for westward migration (Manifest Destiny) – Access to natural and mineral resources, economic opportunities for settlers, religious refuge (Mormons).
Arguments to annex western lands included – Manifest Destiny and American institutions (democracy)
Impact US acquiring the Mexican Cession– Debates over the status of slavery (Wilmot Proviso), Native Americans, and Mexicans in the newly acquired land.
How did the government encourage westward migration?– Passing new legislation (think Homestead Act) encouraging settlers to move west, government gave land and subsidies to RR companies.
Goal of the Nativist Movement? – It was especially Anti-Catholic. The nativists hoped to limit the power and cultural influence of the immigrants (Irish and Germans).
What was the free soil movement? – Sought to keep slavery from expanding into newly acquired territories.
What were ways abolitionists campaigned against slavery? – Moral arguments (think William Lloyd Garrison), assisting slaves’ escapes (think Underground RR), using violence (think Bleeding-Kansas and Harpers Ferry).
How did the South justify and defend slavery? – They claimed slavery was a positive good (John C. Calhoun).
What was the Compromise of 1850? – Dealt with the Mexican Cession – popular sovereignty would be used in the territory, slave trade was banned in Washington D.C., California was added as a free state, a more strict fugitive slave law was created.
What was the Kansas-Nebraska Act? – Overturned the MO Compromise – introduced popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska. Helped lead to the creation of the Republican Party.
What did the Supreme Court rule in Dred Scott v. Sanford? – Slaves were property, not citizens; Congress could NOT legislate slavery in the territories.
What did Lincoln campaign on in the Election of 1860? – A free soil platform – non extension of slavery.
How did Lincoln’s views towards the war change over time? – Lincoln viewed the war initially as preserving the union, but eventually sought to end slavery -> Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address
How did the Union ultimately prevail in the Civil War? – Improvements in leadership and strategy (Grant and the “Anaconda Plan”), Key Victories – Gettysburg and Antietam; Greater resources – more factories and RRs, the South’s infrastructure was destroyed.
What did the 13 – 15 amendments do? – 13 – abolished slavery; 14 – granted citizenship and equal protection; 15 – universal adult male suffrage.
Why did the 15th amendment split the women’s rights movement? – Some women advocated suffrage be extended to women as well as African American males.
Why did Reconstruction end? – Compromise of 1877 withdrew troops from the South; The North’s WANING resolve led to many in the North to no longer support Reconstruction.
What is sharecropping? – Renting of land to former slaves – limited economic opportunities to former slaves and poor whites in the south.
What were ways the South resisted the 14th and 15th amendments? (Great Short Answer Question) – Segregation – Jim Crow laws; Violence – KKK and White League; Supreme Court Decisions – Plessy v. Ferguson (“Separate but equal”); Local political tactics – poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather clauses
Period 6 (1865 – 1877)
Welcome to Period 6! This period accounts for roughly 13% of the exam.
Key vocabulary terms to know for this time period:
Gilded Age: Coined term by Mark Twain; period from 1870s – 1890s, businesses grew at a rapid rate and many problems lied below perceived prosperity
Social Darwinism: Charles Darwin’s ideas applied to humans, “survival of the fittest.” Used by wealthy to justify their position in life
Labor Unions: Knights of Labor – skilled and unskilled; AFL – skilled labor only; sought to improve working conditions and increase pay
“New South”: Idea that the south should industrialize after the Civil War. Despite calls for industrialization, sharecropping and tenant farming persisted in the South
Sharecropping: Persisted in the South (especially for African Americans.) They had to give a share of their crops to plantation owners. Way for southerners to get around the 13th amendment.
Mechanized Agriculture: Using machines in farming to increase farm production; displaced many farmers; farmers created organizations to resist corporate power (Grange)
People’s (Populist) Party: Created in response to the growth of corporate power; called for political reform (election of senators, secret ballot) and increased government involvement in economy
Political Machines: Appealed to immigrants and urban poor; provided services in exchange for support. Think Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall
Settlement Houses: Helped immigrants adjust to American life. Focused on providing education and other skills for women, immigrants, and children
Decimation of the buffalo: Buffalo almost became extinct due to westward expansion and over hunting of buffalo (buffalo hide); impacted Native Americans
Plessy v. Ferguson: Established the doctrine of “separate but equal.” Upheld Jim Crow laws in the South, led to increased discrimination against African Americans; later overturned by Brown v. Board.
Social Gospel: Protestant Church Movement that sought to improve the conditions of cities
Assimilation of Native Americans: Process of making Natives “American”; Dawes Act – assimilated through cutting hair, changing tribal identities, providing individual land plots
Period 7 (1890 – 1945)
Welcome to Period 7! This period accounts for roughly 17% of the exam, the biggest section of the exam.
Key vocabulary terms to know for this time period:
“Closing” of the Frontier: Frederick Jackson Turner’s Frontier Thesis argued the frontier was “closed.” Led many Americans to call for overseas expansion
Progressive Era: 1890 – 1920, Progressives tended to be women, middle class, and live in urban areas. Progressives sought to use government influence to solve societal problems.
Transition from Rural to Urban Society: US society adjusted as more people moved to cities – 1920 census – more people live in cities than rural areas
Harlem Renaissance: Celebration of African American culture through music, poetry, and writing. Key people – Langston Hughes, Claude Monet, Zora Neale Hurston
World War I: US entrance in 1917. US played a relatively minor role in the war, but large role in postwar negotiations.
Treaty of Versailles and League of Nations: Treaty that ended WWI; League led to debates over the role of the US in the world; ultimately, the US did NOT join the League
Great Migration: Mass movement of African Americans from the South to the North during WWI for economic opportunities
Red Scare: Fear of Communism after WWI, caused by: Russian Revolution, labor strikes post WWI, nativism; led to a crackdown on immigrants and radicals (suppression of rights)
Restrictive Immigration Quotas: 1921 and 1924 acts that severely limited immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe (“New immigrants”)
Great Depression: Worst financial crisis in US history, led to calls for the creation of a stronger financial regulatory system
New Deal: Drew on ideas from the Progressive Era, sought to address causes of the Depression; faced opposition by the left and right; left a legacy of reforms that are still around today
World War II: US remained neutral until Pearl Harbor; US and Allies won due to: political and military cooperation, industrial production, and scientific advancements; US emerged as a world power
Japanese Internment: Japanese and Japanese Americans were placed in camps beginning in 1942; upheld by Korematsu v. US
Decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan: Many reasons – save American lives, end the war quickly, etc.; raised questions about American values
Please don’t let certain words in question stems trip you up. Knowing the definitions of the following terms will greatly help you. Plus, if you can incorporate them into Short Answer Questions or Essays, they will strengthen your writing!
Be sure to follow me on Instagram @AdamNorrisTutor and TikTok @AdamNorrisAPUSH for daily multiple-choice questions and tips.
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