College Board-Aligned
AP United States History
This page follows the current official College Board course outline. Each unit/topic links to original local notes built for studying, practice, and review.
Course Snapshot
9
official units
53
linked topics/skills
Alignment Sources
Units & Topics
Unit 1: Period 1: 1491-1607
On the AP exam: 4%-6% of score.
- Unit 1 Topic 1: Native American societies before European contact Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 2: European exploration in the New World Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 3: The Columbian Exchange Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 4: Labor, slavery, and caste in the Spanish colonial system Original Notes
- Unit 1 Topic 5: Cultural interactions between Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans Original Notes
Unit 2: Period 2: 1607-1754
On the AP exam: 6%-8% of score.
- Unit 2 Topic 1: How different European colonies developed and expanded Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 2: Transatlantic trade Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 3: Interactions between American Indians and Europeans Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 4: Slavery in the British colonies Original Notes
- Unit 2 Topic 5: Colonial society and culture Original Notes
Unit 3: Period 3: 1754-1800
On the AP exam: 10%-17% of score.
- Unit 3 Topic 1: The Seven Years’ War Original Notes
- Unit 3 Topic 2: The American Revolution Original Notes
- Unit 3 Topic 3: The Articles of Confederation Original Notes
- Unit 3 Topic 4: The creation and ratification of the Constitution Original Notes
- Unit 3 Topic 5: Developing an American identity Original Notes
- Unit 3 Topic 6: Immigration to and migration within America Original Notes
Unit 4: Period 4: 1800-1848
On the AP exam: 10%-17% of score.
- Unit 4 Topic 1: The rise of political parties Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 2: American foreign policy Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 3: Innovations in technology, agriculture, and business Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 4: Debates about federal power Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 5: The Second Great Awakening Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 6: Reform movements Original Notes
- Unit 4 Topic 7: The experience of African Americans Original Notes
Unit 5: Period 5: 1844-1877
On the AP exam: 10%-17% of score.
- Unit 5 Topic 1: Manifest Destiny Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 2: The Mexican-American War Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 3: Attempts to resolve conflicts over the spread of slavery Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 4: The election of 1860 and Southern secession Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 5: The Civil War Original Notes
- Unit 5 Topic 6: Reconstruction Original Notes
Unit 6: Period 6: 1865-1898
On the AP exam: 10%-17% of score.
- Unit 6 Topic 1: The settlement of the West Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 2: The "New South" Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 3: The rise of industrial capitalism Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 4: Immigration and migration Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 5: Reform movements Original Notes
- Unit 6 Topic 6: Debates about the role of government Original Notes
Unit 7: Period 7: 1890-1945
On the AP exam: 10%-17% of score.
- Unit 7 Topic 1: Debates over imperialism Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 2: The Progressive movement Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 3: World War I Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 4: Innovations in communications and technology in the 1920s Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 5: The Great Depression and the New Deal Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 6: World War II Original Notes
- Unit 7 Topic 7: Postwar diplomacy Original Notes
Unit 8: Period 8: 1945-1980
On the AP exam: 10%-17% of score.
- Unit 8 Topic 1: The Cold War and the Red Scare Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 2: America as a world power Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 3: The Vietnam War Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 4: The Great Society Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 5: The African American civil rights movement Original Notes
- Unit 8 Topic 6: Youth culture of the 1960s Original Notes
Unit 9: Period 9: 1980-Present
On the AP exam: 4%-6% of score.
- Unit 9 Topic 1: Reagan and conservatism Original Notes
- Unit 9 Topic 2: The end of the Cold War Original Notes
- Unit 9 Topic 3: Shifts in the economy Original Notes
- Unit 9 Topic 4: Migration and immigration Original Notes
- Unit 9 Topic 5: Challenges of the 21st century Original Notes
Notes
Original EduCompanion Notes
These local notes follow the current College Board AP United States History unit/topic list.
Unit 1: Period 1: 1491-1607
Unit 1 Topic 1: Native American societies before European contact
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 2: European exploration in the New World
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 3: The Columbian Exchange
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 4: Labor, slavery, and caste in the Spanish colonial system
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 1 Topic 5: Cultural interactions between Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2: Period 2: 1607-1754
Unit 2 Topic 1: How different European colonies developed and expanded
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 2: Transatlantic trade
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 3: Interactions between American Indians and Europeans
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 4: Slavery in the British colonies
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 2 Topic 5: Colonial society and culture
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3: Period 3: 1754-1800
Unit 3 Topic 1: The Seven Years’ War
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3 Topic 2: The American Revolution
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3 Topic 3: The Articles of Confederation
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3 Topic 4: The creation and ratification of the Constitution
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3 Topic 5: Developing an American identity
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 3 Topic 6: Immigration to and migration within America
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4: Period 4: 1800-1848
Unit 4 Topic 1: The rise of political parties
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 2: American foreign policy
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 3: Innovations in technology, agriculture, and business
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 4: Debates about federal power
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 5: The Second Great Awakening
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 6: Reform movements
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 4 Topic 7: The experience of African Americans
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5: Period 5: 1844-1877
Unit 5 Topic 1: Manifest Destiny
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 2: The Mexican-American War
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 3: Attempts to resolve conflicts over the spread of slavery
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 4: The election of 1860 and Southern secession
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 5: The Civil War
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 5 Topic 6: Reconstruction
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6: Period 6: 1865-1898
Unit 6 Topic 1: The settlement of the West
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 2: The "New South"
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 3: The rise of industrial capitalism
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 4: Immigration and migration
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 5: Reform movements
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 6 Topic 6: Debates about the role of government
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7: Period 7: 1890-1945
Unit 7 Topic 1: Debates over imperialism
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 2: The Progressive movement
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 3: World War I
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 4: Innovations in communications and technology in the 1920s
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 5: The Great Depression and the New Deal
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 6: World War II
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 7 Topic 7: Postwar diplomacy
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8: Period 8: 1945-1980
Unit 8 Topic 1: The Cold War and the Red Scare
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 2: America as a world power
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 3: The Vietnam War
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 4: The Great Society
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 5: The African American civil rights movement
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 8 Topic 6: Youth culture of the 1960s
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 9: Period 9: 1980-Present
Unit 9 Topic 1: Reagan and conservatism
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 9 Topic 2: The end of the Cold War
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 9 Topic 3: Shifts in the economy
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 9 Topic 4: Migration and immigration
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Unit 9 Topic 5: Challenges of the 21st century
Open College Board-aligned original notes
Shared Google Drive Notes
No shared Google Drive notes are currently mapped for this course. Local original notes are still available above.
Practice Questions
Each note page includes a quick practice prompt. Use these unit practice cards to review the same way AP questions ask you to apply ideas, evidence, and reasoning.
Unit 1 Practice
Use the linked notes for Period 1: 1491-1607 to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Unit 2 Practice
Use the linked notes for Period 2: 1607-1754 to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Unit 3 Practice
Use the linked notes for Period 3: 1754-1800 to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Unit 4 Practice
Use the linked notes for Period 4: 1800-1848 to answer AP-style prompts, then check your explanation against the official topic list.
- Define the most important concept from this unit.
- Apply it to a scenario, graph, source, passage, or data table.
- Explain the reasoning that connects evidence to the answer.
Study Guides
Use this as a unit review index. Open each unit, work through the topic notes, then return here to move to the next unit.
Unit 1: Period 1: 1491-1607
5 topics to review, 4%-6% of score
Unit 2: Period 2: 1607-1754
5 topics to review, 6%-8% of score
Unit 3: Period 3: 1754-1800
6 topics to review, 10%-17% of score
Unit 4: Period 4: 1800-1848
7 topics to review, 10%-17% of score
Unit 5: Period 5: 1844-1877
6 topics to review, 10%-17% of score
Unit 6: Period 6: 1865-1898
6 topics to review, 10%-17% of score
Unit 7: Period 7: 1890-1945
7 topics to review, 10%-17% of score
Unit 8: Period 8: 1945-1980
6 topics to review, 10%-17% of score
Unit 9: Period 9: 1980-Present
5 topics to review, 4%-6% of score