Course Overview

AP United States History A introduces students to the chronological and thematic study of U.S. history from 1491 through Reconstruction (1877). Equivalent to the first semester of a college-level survey course, this class emphasizes the development of historical reasoning skills, analysis of primary and secondary sources, and the construction of evidence-based arguments. Students explore how the foundations of American society and identity were shaped by cultural encounters, migration, conflict, and the emergence of democratic ideals.

Key Learning Focus

Students will:

• Study pre-Columbian societies, European colonization, and the Atlantic world.
• Analyze the development of colonial societies, independence movements, and the American Revolution.
• Examine the creation and early challenges of the U.S. Constitution and the new republic.
• Investigate westward expansion, slavery, sectional conflict, and the Civil War.
• Develop historical reasoning skills in contextualization, causation, comparison, and continuity/change over time.

Instructional Approach

Students engage in document-based questions (DBQs), thematic essays, debates, and AP-style multiple-choice practice, with emphasis on synthesizing evidence and interpreting historical significance.

Outcome

By the end of AP U.S. History A, students will:

• Demonstrate understanding of how early encounters, democratic ideals, and sectional tensions shaped the nation.
• Apply disciplinary practices to construct historical arguments supported by evidence.
• Be prepared to continue into AP United States History B, covering modern U.S. history through the present.