AP United States History

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About the Course

How did the United States become THE United States? What happened to the American economy when factories went from being powered by water to powered by coal? Or how have definitions of who is, and who is not, a U.S. citizen changed over time? In AP United States History, you’ll explore and try to answer questions like these, while discussing the ways in which Americans have debated their values, practices, and traditions since even before the country’s founding.

Skills You'll Learn

Evaluating primary and secondary sources
Analyzing the claims, evidence, and reasoning you find in sources
Putting historical developments in context and making connections between them
Coming up with a claim or thesis and explaining and supporting it in writing

Equivalency and Prerequisites

College Course Equivalent

A two-semester introductory college course in U.S. history

Recommended Prerequisites

None

Exam Date

Fri, May 9, 2025

8 AM Local

AP U.S. History Exam

This is the regularly scheduled date for the AP United States History Exam.

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About the Units

The course content outlined below is organized into commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. Your teacher may choose to organize the course content differently based on local priorities and preferences.

Course Content

Unit 1: Period 1: 1491–1607

You’ll learn about Native American societies as well as how and why Europeans first explored, and then began to colonize, the Americas.

Topics may include:

Native American societies before European contact
European exploration in the New World
The Columbian Exchange
Labor, slavery, and caste in the Spanish colonial system
Cultural interactions between Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans

On The Exam

4%–6% of score

Unit 2: Period 2: 1607–1754

You'll study the colonies established in the New World by the Spanish, French, Dutch, and British.

Unit 3: Period 3: 1754–1800

You'll explore the events that led to the American Revolution and the formation of the United States and examine the early years of the republic.

Unit 4: Period 4: 1800–1848

You’ll examine how the young nation developed politically, culturally, and economically in this period.

Unit 5: Period 5: 1844–1877

You’ll learn how the nation expanded and you’ll explore the events that led to the secession of Southern states and the Civil War.

Unit 6: Period 6: 1865–1898

You’ll examine the nation’s economic and demographic shifts in this period and their links to cultural and political changes.

Unit 7: Period 7: 1890–1945

You’ll examine America’s changing society and culture and the causes and effects of the global wars and economic meltdown of this period.

Unit 8: Period 8: 1945–1980

You’ll learn about the rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States, the growth of various civil rights movements, and the economic, cultural, and political transformations of this period.

Unit 9: Period 9: 1980–Present

You’ll learn about the advance of political conservatism, developments in science and technology, and demographic shifts that had major cultural and political consequences in this period.

Course Resources

Link

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