Sure! Here are detailed notes for Period 5 (1844–1877) in AP U.S.
History (APUSH), covering
major themes, events, and developments:
PERIOD 5: 1844–1877
Key Concepts:
1. Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion
2. Sectional Conflict over Slavery
3. The Civil War
4. Reconstruction and Its Challenges
I. Expansion and Manifest Destiny (1844–1853)
Key Themes:
● Belief in American expansion (Manifest Destiny)
● Westward migration
● Tensions over slavery in new territories
Major Events:
1. Election of 1844
○ James K. Polk (Democrat) wins
○ Strong supporter of Manifest Destiny
2. Annexation of Texas (1845)
○ Texas admitted as a state, causes tension with Mexico
3. Oregon Territory (1846)
○ “Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!” slogan
○ Compromise with Britain at the 49th parallel
4. Mexican-American War (1846–1848)
○ Causes: Annexation of Texas, border dispute (Rio Grande vs. Nueces River)
○ Ends with Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)
■ U.S. gains Mexican Cession: Southern California, Nevada, Utah, parts of
AZ, NM, CO, WY
5. Wilmot Proviso (1846)
○ Proposal to ban slavery in Mexican Cession
○ Fails, but increases sectional tensions
II. Sectionalism and the Road to Civil War (1850–1861)
Key Themes:
● Increasing sectionalism over slavery
● Breakdown of political compromise
Major Events:
1. Compromise of 1850
○ CA admitted as a free state
○ Stronger Fugitive Slave Law
○ Popular sovereignty in Utah and New Mexico
○ Slave trade banned in D.C.
2. Fugitive Slave Act (1850)
○ Required return of escaped slaves
○ Sparked outrage in the North, increased abolitionist sentiment
3. Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852)
○ Harriet Beecher Stowe
○ Influential anti-slavery novel
4. Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)
○ Stephen Douglas
○ Repealed Missouri Compromise
○ Popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska
○ Leads to “Bleeding Kansas” (violent clashes)
5. Formation of the Republican Party (1854)
○ Anti-slavery Whigs, Democrats, Free Soilers
○ Opposed spread of slavery into territories
6. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
○ African Americans not citizens
○ Congress cannot ban slavery in territories
○ Invalidates Missouri Compromise
7. Lincoln-Douglas Debates (1858)
○ Debate over popular sovereignty vs. moral opposition to slavery
○ Lincoln gains national attention
8. John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry (1859)
○ Failed attempt to incite a slave rebellion
○ Further polarized North and South
9. Election of 1860
○ Lincoln wins without Southern electoral votes
○ South Carolina secedes, followed by other Southern states
III. The Civil War (1861–1865)
Key Themes:
● Preservation of the Union
● Emancipation and transformation of the war’s purpose
Major Events:
1. Fort Sumter (1861)
○ First shots of the war
○ Unites North in favor of war
2. Union vs. Confederacy
○ Union advantages: Industry, population, railroads
○ Confederacy: Strong military leadership, defensive war
3. Key Battles:
○ Antietam (1862): Bloodiest day, leads to Emancipation Proclamation
○ Gettysburg (1863): Turning point, major Union victory
○ Vicksburg (1863): Union gains control of the Mississippi River
4. Emancipation Proclamation (1863)
○ Frees slaves in rebelling states
○ Shifts war aims to include abolition
5. Gettysburg Address (1863)
○ Reaffirms commitment to democracy and equality
6. Sherman’s March to the Sea (1864)
○ Total war strategy to break Southern will
7. Surrender at Appomattox (1865)
○ General Lee surrenders to Grant
○ Ends Civil War
8. Assassination of Lincoln (1865)
○ Killed by John Wilkes Booth
IV. Reconstruction (1865–1877)
Key Themes:
● Rebuilding the South
● Civil rights for freed slaves
● Struggles between President and Congress
Phases of Reconstruction:
1. Presidential Reconstruction (1865–1867)
○ Led by Andrew Johnson
○ Lenient terms for readmission
○ Allows Black Codes to be passed
2. Congressional (Radical) Reconstruction (1867–1877)
○ South divided into military districts
○ Stricter readmission requirements
○ Protection of African American rights
3. Key Amendments:
○ 13th Amendment (1865): Abolishes slavery
○ 14th Amendment (1868): Citizenship and equal protection
○ 15th Amendment (1870): Voting rights regardless of race
4. Freedmen’s Bureau (1865–1872)
○ Aid for freed slaves: education, legal help, housing
5. Resistance and Setbacks:
○ Rise of the Ku Klux Klan
○ Black Codes and later Jim Crow laws
○ Southern Redemption: Democrats regain control
6. Impeachment of Andrew Johnson (1868)
○ Violated Tenure of Office Act
○ Acquitted by one vote
7. Election of 1876 and Compromise of 1877
○ Rutherford B. Hayes becomes president
○ Federal troops removed from South
○ End of Reconstruction
Important Themes/Trends to Remember:
● Expansion vs. Sectionalism: Territorial gains increased debates over slavery.
● Failure of Compromise: Attempts (Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850,
Kansas-Nebraska Act) ultimately failed.
● Transformation of War Goals: Initially about Union, later about ending slavery.
● Reconstruction’s Limits: Though constitutional changes occurred, social and economic
equality for African Americans was limited.
Would you like a printable version of this or a chart/timeline to go with it?
TIMELINE:
Here’s a timeline for Period 5 (1844–1877) in APUSH, organized chronologically with key
events and short explanations:
1844
● Election of James K. Polk: Wins on a platform of Manifest Destiny—promises to
expand U.S. territory.
1845
● Annexation of Texas: Texas enters the Union, angering Mexico and contributing to
war.
1846–1848
● Mexican-American War: Sparked by border dispute; ends in major U.S. territorial
gains.
● Wilmot Proviso (1846): Proposed (but failed) ban on slavery in new territories.
● Oregon Treaty (1846): U.S. and Britain agree to divide Oregon Territory at the 49th
parallel.
1848
● Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: Ends Mexican-American War; U.S. gains the
Mexican Cession.
● Gold discovered in California: Triggers California Gold Rush.
1850
● Compromise of 1850: California enters as a free state; tougher Fugitive Slave Act
passed.
1852
● Uncle Tom’s Cabin published: Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel influences
anti-slavery views in the North.
1854
● Kansas-Nebraska Act: Repeals Missouri Compromise; allows popular sovereignty
in Kansas and Nebraska.
● Bleeding Kansas begins: Violent conflict over slavery in the territories.
● Republican Party formed: Created in opposition to the spread of slavery.
1857
● Dred Scott v. Sandford: Supreme Court rules slaves are not citizens; Congress
can’t ban slavery in territories.
1858
● Lincoln-Douglas Debates: Debates over slavery’s expansion; Lincoln rises to
national prominence.
1859
● John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry: Attempted slave rebellion; deepens
North-South divide.
1860
● Election of Abraham Lincoln: Wins presidency without Southern electoral votes.
● South Carolina secedes: Followed by other Southern states.
1861
● Confederate States of America formed
● Civil War begins at Fort Sumter (April)
1862
● Battle of Antietam: Bloodiest single day; leads to Emancipation Proclamation.
1863
● Emancipation Proclamation: Declares slaves free in rebelling states.
● Battle of Gettysburg: Major Union victory and turning point.
● Gettysburg Address: Lincoln redefines the war’s purpose.
1864
● Sherman’s March to the Sea: Total war strategy devastates the South.
1865
● Lee surrenders at Appomattox Court House (April)
● Lincoln assassinated (April)
● 13th Amendment ratified: Abolishes slavery.
1866
● Civil Rights Act of 1866: Grants citizenship and equal protection.
● Ku Klux Klan founded
1867
● Reconstruction Acts: Military rule in the South; states must ratify 14th
Amendment.
1868
● 14th Amendment ratified: Citizenship and equal protection under the law.
● Andrew Johnson impeached: Acquitted by one vote.
1870
● 15th Amendment ratified: Voting rights cannot be denied by race.
1872
● Freedmen’s Bureau ends: Program to help freed slaves expires.
1876
● Election of 1876: Disputed between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel Tilden.
1877
● Compromise of 1877: Hayes becomes president; federal troops withdrawn from
South.
● Reconstruction ends
Would you like a visual timeline graphic to go with this?
