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AP US History Units: All 9 Periods, Explained
The College Board organizes AP US History into 9 chronological periods, each with its own exam weighting. Periods 3 through 8 — the Revolutionary era through the Cold War — carry the heaviest weight, at 10–17% each. Periods 1, 2, and 9 are lighter, at 4–8% each. Here’s the full sequence, with guides going live as they’re built.
The 9 Periods
- Unit 1 — Period 1 (1491–1607): Native American societies before contact, European exploration, and the Columbian Exchange. 4–6% of the exam. Live now.
- Unit 2 — Period 2 (1607–1754): Early English, French, Dutch, and Spanish colonies; colonial labor systems, including the growth of slavery. 6–8% of the exam. Coming soon.
- Unit 3 — Period 3 (1754–1800): The French and Indian War, the Revolution, and the founding of the republic. 10–17% of the exam. Coming soon.
- Unit 4 — Period 4 (1800–1848): The early republic, westward expansion, and the market revolution. 10–17% of the exam. Coming soon.
- Unit 5 — Period 5 (1844–1877): Manifest Destiny, sectional conflict, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. 10–17% of the exam. Coming soon.
- Unit 6 — Period 6 (1865–1898): Industrialization, urbanization, and the Gilded Age. 10–17% of the exam. Coming soon.
- Unit 7 — Period 7 (1890–1945): Progressivism, the World Wars, and the Great Depression. 10–17% of the exam. Coming soon.
- Unit 8 — Period 8 (1945–1980): The Cold War, the civil rights movement, and postwar social change. 10–17% of the exam. Coming soon.
- Unit 9 — Period 9 (1980–Present): The conservative resurgence, globalization, and the contemporary era. 4–6% of the exam. Coming soon.
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