APUSH STUDY GUIDE

This study guide is just a couple different resources mashed together and
made easier to look at. It doesnt cover everything, but it does give a
really solid amount of context for answering any question that might be on
the test.

1491-1607
Period 1
Themes

Atlantic Trade
Exchange and Interaction
Identity and Politics
Labor
Migration
Native Americans
Search for Resources

Key Information

Africa and Americas seek to maintain autonomy (independence) after

European contact
Columbian Exchange: Europe/Africa/America exchange disease, goods,
people, and ideas
o African changes: slave trade, Middle Passage
o American changes: diseases, guns, horses, racially mixed
populations (Mestizos)
o European changes: potatoes, maize, heavier focus on capitalism
Encomienda System: Spanish land grants to settlers, who promise to
convert Native Americans to Christianity; eventually replaced by
African slavery
Maize(corn): Grown in Southwest and Mexico by Native Americans
Nomadic Lifestyles: Result of limited resources in Great Plains and
Great Basin
British Policy: occupy land, forcing Native Americans (seen as
inferiors) to move inland
Dutch Policy: traded closely with Native Americans, treating them as
business associates and allowing them to remain on their land, with
some Dutch paying rent
French Policy: Native Americans as economic and military allies,
conversion to Christianity, fur trapping
Spanish Policy: conquer and rule, intermarriage, Native Americans as
inferiors

1607-1754
Period 2
Themes

Agriculture
Authority
Conflict
Labor
Religion
Self-Government

Key Information

Anglicization of British Colonies: colonies adopt British

characteristics
o commercial ties, transatlantic print culture
Chesapeake Colonies: tobacco crops, reliant on indentured servants
(later African slaves)
o Maryland, Virginia
Middle Colonies: grains, diverse backgrounds and views
o Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania
New England Colonies: Puritan communities of like-minded people,
blending agriculture and commerce
o Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island
Southern Colonies and West Indies: staple crops (sugar), heavily
reliant on slave labor
o Carolinas (North and South post-1712), Georgia
Enlightenment: focus on reason and intelligence
o forms of government questioned; Locke, Montesquieu
Mercantilism: trade for benefit of mother country
Pueblo Revolt: Native American rebellion against Spanish, who aimed to
Christianize Native culture; Spanish expelled for 10 years

1754-1800
Period 3
Themes

Arts and Sciences

Colonial Unrest
Economic Policies
Empire
Expansion
Ethnicity

Foreign Affairs
Government
Native Americans
A New Nation
Philosophy
Religion
Separation
War

Key Information

Articles of Confederation: ratified 1781, first constitution

o weak central government, no power to tax, 9/13 states for law, 13
for amendment
Bill of Rights: after Constitutional Convention, guarantees certain
rights to satisfy antifederalists
British taxes on colonies lead to unrest
o Stamp Act Stamp Act Congress Repeal of Stamp Act
Declaratory Act
Common Sense: urges break from Britain
Constitution
o federalism, separation of power, no solution to slavery, series
of compromises
o Great Compromise: established a bicameral legislature, one house
based on population, one with equal representation per state
o Three-Fifths Compromise: three in five slaves count as population
towards representation
o Slave Trade Compromise: no international slave trade after 1808
Declaration of Independence: list of grievances against King George
III, inspired by Enlightenment ideas
French Revolution: inspired by Enlightenment ideas, contributes to
Hamilton/Jefferson divide
o more rebellions in Haiti and Latin America
Northwest Ordinance: public education, no slavery in Northwest
Territory, process for admission of states into the Union
Republican Motherhood: women raise children with republican values in
mind, leading to greater access to education
Seven Years War: British and colonists against French and Native
Americans, British victory removes France from continent
US victory in American Revolution due to French support and ideological
commitment, in spite of British military and financial advantages
Washingtons farewell address warns against political parties and
foreign involvement

1800-1848
Period 4

Themes

Abolition Efforts
Economics
Exploration
Identity and Conflict
Ignorance
Industry
Foreign Affairs
Migration
Public Confidence
Reformers
Religion
The Slave Industry
Supreme Court
The West
Womens Rights

Key Information

American System: unify national economy through Bank of US, tariffs,

and international improvements
Democrats and Whigs: second political party system, with Whigs formed
in response to King Andrew I
o Democrats: Common Man, universal white male suffrage, Spoils
System, lower tariffs
o Whigs: favor tariffs, strong Congress, Bank of the United States,
internal improvements
Developments in technology include spinning jenny, steam engines,
interchangeable parts, canals, railroads, telegraph, steel plow,
mechanical reaper
Emphasis on state and regional interests, resist federal attempts at
asserting authority
Federalists and Democratic-Republicans: first political parties, formed
in response to Hamiltons Financial Plan and the French Revolution
o Democratic-Republicans: middle-class, pro-France, strict
interpretation of Constitution, pro-farmer, anti-Bank of the
United States
o Federalists: upper class, pro-Britain, loose interpretation of
Constitution, pro-merchant, pro-Bank of the United States
Louisiana Purchase: beginning of Manifest Destiny, Jeffersons
transition from strict to loose interpretation of Constitution, doubled
size of US
Market Revolution: more goods produced outside the home, increase in
technology and transportation
Missouri Compromise: temporary solution that sets slave and free states
equal by adding Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state;
above 3630 slave, below 3630 free
Second Great Awakening: focus on secular reform (abolition, womens
rights, Seneca Falls) and attaining perfection
South defended slavery as a positive good

Supreme Court helped assert federal power over state laws, determines
the meaning of the Constitution
Xenophobia: fear of foreigners, similar to nativism

1848-1877
Period 5
Themes

Compromising
Corruption
Economic Growth
Equality
Expansion
Free Land
Politics in Crisis
Reconstruction
Slavery
Violent Responses
War
The West
Writing Power

Key Information

Abolitionists a vocal minority, using fierce arguments and violence as

well as helping escaped slaves
Civil War: determine survival of the Union, underlines differences
between slave states and free states
o Northern Victory: result of military leadership, effective
strategies, key victories, more resources, and more people
Compromise of 1850: Popular sovereignty in Mexican Cession, stricter
Fugitive Slave Law, no slave trade in Washington, D.C., California
admitted as free state, Texas paid to give up claims to bordering
states
o angered North, strengthening abolitionist movement
Dred Scott: African Americans are not citizens, slaves are property,
Missouri Compromise is unconstitutional
Election of 1860: caused Southern Secession and Civil War with victory
of Lincoln, who ran on a free-soil platform (no expansion of slavery)
Emancipation Proclamation: freed slaves in areas of rebellion
o changed purpose of war, increased black soldiers in military,
stopped Europe from backing the South
o comparable to 13th Amendment and Gettysburg Address
Following 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, African Americans stripped of
rights through violence, segregation, and political tactics
Homestead Act and Morill Land Grant: encourage westward expansion
Influx of Old Immigrants before Civil War leads to nativism, KnowNothing Party

Kansas-Nebraska Act: overturned Missouri Compromise, allowed for

popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska
Manifest Destiny: US has God-given right to expand, based in ideas of
white and American superiority
Mexican-American War: Mexico unprepared fighting US focused on
expansion, resulting in US victory, Mexican Cession
o Wilmot Proviso: proposed ban on slavery in land gained from
Mexican Cession
Radical Republicans: increase power in South and rights for African
Americans, unsuccessful due to declining Northern support of African
Americans and the end of Reconstruction with the Compromise of 1877
Womens rights groups split on Amendments
13th Amendment: abolished slavery
14th Amendment: African Americans and American-born are citizens,
entitled to equal protection of law
15th Amendment: universal suffrage for adult males

1865-1898
Period 6
Themes

Arts and Writing

City Growth
Conservation Movement
Economic Policies
Education
Frontier Closing
Immigration
Industry
Native Americans
Organized Labor
Popular Culture
Racial Discrimination
Reformers
Role of Government
Southern Development
Technology
Transportation
Work and Migration
The West

Key Information

American Protective Association: keep Catholics out of office

Businesses consolidate power, clash over natural resources with
conservationists

Farmers hurt by railroads, corporate control of markets, and mechanized

agriculture
Gilded Age: things looked great on the surface, but there were a lot of
problems underneath
o political debates on tariffs, currency, corporate expansion
Government encouraged westward expansion with subsidies to railroads
and cheap land for Americans
o violated treaties with Native Americans
military force (ex: Wounded Knee)
policy of assimilation, seeking to end tribal identities
o near-extinction of buffalo
Increased immigration from Asia and Southern and Eastern Europe leads
to heightened nativism
The New South: sharecropping and tenant farming prevail in spite of
advocates for its industrialization
Plessy v. Ferguson: upholds Jim Crow laws
Political machines: provide services for political support
Populist Party (Peoples Party): advocated for political reform and
increased government involvement in the economy
o Omaha Platform: graduated income tax, government control of
railroads and telegraphs, Free Silver
o ideas adopted during Progressive Era
Settlement Houses: help immigrants and women adapt to American society
Social Darwinism and the Gospel of Wealth: reinforce ideas of wealth
being deserved, a sign of superiority coming with great responsibility
Workers organize into local and national unions (ex: Knights of Labor,
AFL)

1890-1945
Period 7
Themes

African Americans
Arts and Writing
City and State Government
Civil Liberties
Dollar Diplomacy
Foreign Policy
The Great Depression
Home Front
Immigration
Isolationism
A Modern Culture
Moral Diplomacy
Progressive Movement
Prohibition
Religion

Rise of Unions
Social and Labor Reform
US Imperialism
Voting Rights
War
Womens Rights

Key Information

Harlem Renaissance: celebration of African American culture through

writing, music, etc.
The New Deal: response to the Great Depression focused on relief,
recovery, and reform
o influenced by Progressive ideas
o Conservatives and Supreme Court attempt to limit scope
o changes role of federal government in the economy
o changes voting patternsAfrican Americans and unions support
Democrats
New Technologies: improved standards of living, personal mobility,
better communication systems
Overseas expansion due to a closed frontier, desire for increased
trade, competition with European imperialists, and racial theories (ex:
White Mans Burden)
Progressive Era (1890-1920): government intervention in the economy,
expansion of democracy
o typically women, city-dwellers
Quota Acts (1920s): highly restrictive, aimed at New immigrants
Red Scare (1918-1920): Russian Revolution and labor unrest lead to
targeting of radicals and immigrants
Spanish-American War: war between Spain and US in Cuba and Philippines
o US victory after four months, gaining Guam, Puerto Rico, and the
Philippines
o debates between imperialists and anti-imperialists
o long insurrection in Philippines
World War I (1914-1918): war originating in Europe between Allies and
Central Powers
o US starts out neutral
o Wilson seeks to make the world safe for democracy
o heavy US involvement in postwar negotiations
Treaty of Versailles, League of Nations
Influenced by Wilsons Fourteen Points
o Great Migration: African Americans move North for economic
opportunities during WWI
World War II (1939-1945): war between Axis powers and Allies
o US neutral until Pearl Harbor
o mass mobilization leads to end of Depression
more opportunities for women and African Americans
o immigration from Mexico encouraged
o Japanese internment: executive order, upheld by Supreme Court
o US and Allies win through cooperation, industrial production, and
advancements in technology
o US emerges as superpower

1945-1980
Period 8
Themes

American Identities
Civil Rights
Cold War
Containment
Domestic Politics
Environmental Movement
Foreign Policy
Postwar Society
Second Red Scare
Social Conflict
War
1950s Culture

Key Information

Civil Rights Movement reaches height, draws support and opposition

nationwide and across branches of government
o Trumans executive action to desegregate military
o Brown v. Board of Education: reverses Plessy v. Ferguson
o Civil Rights Act of 1964: ends segregation
o White Resistance to Desegregation: Southern Manifesto, Little
Rock
o Nonviolent protests, direct action, legal action
o Inspires action of other groups: women, Latinos, LGBT people
Containment: post-WWII strategy of preventing the spread of Communism
Eisenhowers Farewell Address: warns against military-industrial
complex, large military in peacetime
Great Society: continuation of New Deal, Medicare/Medicaid, promotion
of Civil Rights
o helped motivate Conservatives
Griswold v. Connecticut: South Carolina struck down laws prohibiting
birth control, established right to privacy
Immigration Act of 1965: ends discriminatory quota system of the 1920s,
encouraging immigration from Asia and Latin America
Increased population and growth of industry in the Sunbelt
Marshall Plan and Truman Doctrine: provide money to European countries
to resist Communism
Miranda v. Arizona: increased rights of the accused
NATO: alliance between US and several European countries, first
peacetime alliance
Protests common during Vietnam War
Second Red Scare: designed to root out Communists from culture and
government

o McCarthyism, Trumans Loyalty Oath, HUAC

Silent Spring: brought awareness to the dangers of pesticides on the
environment
o Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Air Act formed as a
result
Tensions between the US and USSR fluctuate between dtente and
confrontation
o Cuban Missile Crisis: thirteen-day confrontation between US and
Soviet Union over Soviet missiles in Cuba
o SALT: limitations on arms between Soviet Union and United States
US supports non-Communist governments such as in Iran and South Vietnam
in spite of their less democratic stances
1960s counterculture: challenged the ideas of the previous generation,
helping to initiate a sexual revolution

1980-present
Period 9
Themes

Conservative Movement
End of Cold War
Foreign Policy
Globalization
Great Recession
War

Key Information

Abortion remains legal despite conservative efforts

Continued increase in immigration from Latin America and Asia
Decrease in manufacturing and union jobs
Denouncing big government despite growing government size, popular
social programs (ex: Medicare, Social Security)
Dont Ask, Dont Tell (1994): banned openly gay individuals from
serving in the military, overturned in 2011
Foreign policy failures (ex: Iran Hostage Crisis)
Reaganomics: trickle-down economics
o reduction in taxes
o deregulation of many industries
Reagan initially rejects dtente, using bellicose rhetoric (ex: Evil
Empire), then develops positive relationship with Gorbachev, arms
reduction
Rising conservatism as a result of economic problems, growing religious
fundamentalism, and a public loss of faith in governments problemsolving ability
War in Iraq
War on Terrorism: 9/11 response, war in Afghanistan