You have now studied American history from the first peoples to 2000, in U.S. History I and this course. The AP U.S. History course divides that story into nine periods. Knowing them gives every event a home, and makes it easier to explain how one era led to the next.
Key idea
Anchor each period with its start date and one or two events: 1491, 1607, 1754, 1800, 1844, 1865, 1890, 1945, 1980. Then place events in their periods and in order, and link a cause in one period to an effect in the next.
| Period | Years | Anchors |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1491–1607 | Native societies; Columbus (1492); the Columbian Exchange |
| 2 | 1607–1754 | Jamestown (1607); the thirteen colonies; colonial slavery |
| 3 | 1754–1800 | French and Indian War (1754); Declaration (1776); Constitution (1787) |
| 4 | 1800–1848 | Jefferson (1800); the market revolution; Jacksonian democracy; Indian removal |
| 5 | 1844–1877 | Manifest destiny; the Mexican War; the Civil War; Reconstruction |
| 6 | 1865–1898 | Railroads and the West; big business; immigration; the Gilded Age |
| 7 | 1890–1945 | Empire; Progressives; World War I; the Depression and New Deal; World War II |
| 8 | 1945–1980 | The Cold War; the civil rights movement; the Great Society; Vietnam |
| 9 | 1980–present | Reagan; the end of the Cold War; the technology economy (this course ends about 2000) |
Why it works
Why do the periods overlap? Historians draw periods by themes, not just by dates. Period 5 runs to 1877 to finish Reconstruction, while Period 6 starts in 1865 to begin the story of industry and the West, which started during the war. In the same way, 1890 to 1898 belongs to both the Gilded Age (Period 6) and the age of empire and reform (Period 7). An event in an overlap can be placed in either, depending on the theme.
Work it through
Worked example: Cause in one period, effect in the next
Link the Great Depression (Period 7) to an effect in Period 8.
- Cause: the Depression led to the New Deal and a larger federal role in the economy (1930s).
- Effect: after 1945, Americans expected the federal government to manage the economy and provide a safety net; the Great Society (1964 to 1966) expanded it.
- The link: a new idea of government's job carried from one period to the next.
Answer: The New Deal's larger federal role led to the Great Society's programs.
Common mistake
Students memorize events but cannot place them. Anchor each period with two or three dates (1607, 1754, 1800, 1848, 1877, 1898, 1945, 1980) and build out from them. A related slip: mixing up centuries. The 1800s are the 19th century, and the 1900s the 20th.