AP US History Ultimate Study Guide (copy)

Contact Period

The era marked by the beginning of sustained European contact with the Americas, starting with Columbus in 1492 and ending in 1607.

Bering Land Bridge

The land connection between Eurasia and North America, over which the first peoples are believed to have migrated.

Pre-Columbian era

Refers to the time before Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas in 1492.

Culture clash

The conflict and misunderstandings that occurred between European settlers and Native Americans due to differing cultures, religions, and technologies.

Columbian Exchange

A period of rapid exchange of plants, animals, foods, and diseases between the Old World and the New World after Columbus's arrival.

Mercantilism

An economic theory that emphasizes the importance of a favorable balance of trade and government regulation, prevalent during the colonial period.

Navigation Acts

A series of laws that restricted colonial trade to England and specified how goods should be transported.

House of Burgesses

The first elected legislative assembly in the New World, established in Virginia in 1619.

Indentured servitude

A labor system where individuals work for a set number of years in exchange for passage to America, food, and shelter.

Encomienda system

A Spanish labor system that granted colonists the right to demand tribute and forced labor from Native Americans.

Nativism

The policy of protecting the interests of native-born or established inhabitants against those of immigrants.

The Great Awakening

A series of religious revivals in the 18th and early 19th centuries in America, emphasizing individual piety and a personal relationship with God.

Dred Scott decision

An 1857 Supreme Court ruling that upheld slavery and stated that African Americans were not citizens and could not sue in court.

The Gilded Age

A period in American history from the 1870s to about 1900 marked by rapid economic growth, industrialization, and social problems hidden by a facade of prosperity.

Isolationism

A foreign policy stance where a country seeks to remain uninvolved in international conflicts or alliances.

The New Deal

A series of programs and reforms enacted by Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Landmark legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Vietnamization

Nixon's strategy for ending U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, involving the transfer of military responsibilities to South Vietnamese forces.

Domino Theory

The idea that the fall of one country to communism would lead to the fall of its neighbors.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

A resolution passed by Congress in 1964 giving President Johnson authority to assist Southeast Asian nations under attack.

The Persian Gulf War

A conflict in 1990-1991 in which a coalition led by the United States expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)

A trade agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico aimed at eliminating trade barriers.

George W. Bush Doctrine

A foreign policy principle asserting that the U.S. would take preemptive action against threats to its security.

TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program)

A program created in response to the 2008 financial crisis to purchase toxic assets and inject capital into financial institutions.

Tea Party Movement

A conservative movement in the U.S. that emerged in 2009, advocating for lower taxes and reduced government spending.

Black Lives Matter

A social movement advocating against violence and systemic racism towards Black individuals.

Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)

A comprehensive health care reform law enacted in March 2010, aimed at expanding health insurance coverage.

The Great Recession

A significant economic downturn that occurred worldwide from late 2007 through 2009, marked by a housing market crash.