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Period 1 of 9
New World Beginnings
1491–1607
Before European contact, millions of Native Americans built diverse societies across the continent. Driven by trade, faith, and rivalry, Europeans crossed the Atlantic — and the collision of worlds reshaped the Americas, Africa, and Europe forever.
3Chapters
4–6%Of the exam
Chapters in this period
Each chapter opens on its summary; the study bar at the top of every chapter switches between its vocabulary, timeline, ordering game and quizzes.
Where this sits in the course
- P1 · 4–6% New World Beginnings 1491–1607 3 chapters
- P2 · 6–8% Colonial Society Takes Shape 1607–1754 2 chapters
- P3 · 10–17% Revolution & a New Republic 1754–1800 5 chapters
- P4 · 10–17% The Young Republic Expands 1800–1848 7 chapters
- P5 · 10–17% Civil War & Reconstruction 1844–1877 5 chapters
- P6 · 13–17% The Gilded Age 1865–1898 4 chapters
- P7 · 13–17% Boom, Bust, and Global War 1890–1945 9 chapters
- P8 · 13–17% Postwar America and the Cold War 1945–1980 4 chapters
- P9 · 4–6% The Contemporary Era 1980–present 3 chapters
Segment width = that period's share of the AP exam, using the College Board's published weightings.