AP United States History Key Terms (Period 1 - Period 9)

A set of vocabulary flashcards outlining key terms, themes, and historical periodizations from the AP United States History Curriculum Framework.

Period 1 (1491–1607)

The historical era when contact among the peoples of Europe, the Americas, and West Africa created a new world on a North American continent controlled by American Indians.

encomienda system

A labor and economic system utilized by Spanish explorers and traders in the Western Hemisphere during Period 1.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of goods, plants, animals, and diseases between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres; included European goods that transformed Native life and American goods that transformed European life.

Period 2 (1607–1754)

The era during which Europeans and American Indians maneuvered and fought for dominance, control, and security in North America, leading to distinctive colonial and native societies.

Puritans

A religious group in the New England colonies that sought to create a homogeneous society during Period 2.

Pueblo Revolt

An uprising of Pueblo people against Spanish rule in North America during Period 2.

Period 3 (1754–1800)

The period defined by British imperial attempts to reassert control over its colonies, colonial resistance leading to the American Revolution, and the creation of a new American republic.

Common Sense

A influential pamphlet written by Thomas Paine during Period 3 advocating for republican government and independence from British imperial rule.

Republican Motherhood

An ideal during and after the American Revolution that framed women's role as instilling republican values and civic virtue in the nation's youth.

Northwest Ordinance

An act under the Articles of Confederation government during Period 3 establishing a system for admitting new states in the trans-Appalachian west.

Period 4 (1800–1848)

The era in which the new republic struggled to define and extend democratic ideals amid rapid economic, territorial, and demographic changes.

the American System

An economic plan during Period 4 consisting of a national bank, protective tariffs, and internal improvements.

Second Great Awakening

A religious revival movement during Period 4 that emphasized human perfectibility and inspired secular reforms and abolitionist activism.

Period 5 (1844–1877)

The historical era when territorial expansion and regional tensions over slavery culminated in the Civil War, followed by Reconstruction.

Dred Scott v. Sanford

A landmark Supreme Court decision during Period 5 regarding slavery, constitutional rights, and African American citizenship.

Compromise of 1850

A series of legislative measures aimed at defusing regional tensions over slavery in newly acquired territories.

Period 6 (1865–1898)

The era marked by the transformation of the United States from an agricultural society to an increasingly industrialized and urbanized nation.

Social Darwinism

A belief system applied during the Gilded Age to justify big business, monopolies, and social hierarchy based on natural selection concepts.

settlement houses (Hull House)

Community facilities established during Period 6 to assist urban populations and help assimilate new immigrants into American society.

Period 7 (1890–1945)

An era in which an increasingly pluralistic United States faced domestic challenges like the Great Depression and global conflicts including World War I and World War II.

New Deal

A collection of programs and reforms initiated by the federal government during the Great Depression to provide relief and establish a limited welfare state.

Great Migration

The large-scale movement of African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North and West during Period 7.

Period 8 (1945–1980)

The post-World War II era characterized by Cold War containment policies, international responsibilities, economic prosperity, and civil rights movements.

Great Society

A domestic reform program proposed by President Lyndon Johnson aimed at expanding the government social safety net and eliminating poverty and racial injustice.

Period 9 (1980–Present)

The modern era marked by renewed ideological debates, economic globalization, technological innovations, and foreign policy developments following the Cold War.

supply-side economics

An economic policy framework associated with neo-conservatism and the Ronald Reagan Administration focusing on deregulation and tax cuts.

Iran-Contra Affair

A major foreign policy failure and political controversy during the Ronald Reagan Administration in Period 9.