Students explore and analyze the economic, political, and social transformation of the United States since the time of the first European encounters. Students are asked to master not only the wide array of factual information necessary to do well on the AP Exam, but also to practice skills of critical analysis of historical information and documents. Students read primary and secondary source materials and analyze problems presented by historians to gain insight into challenges of interpretation and the ways in which historical events have shaped American society and culture. The content aligns to the sequence of topics recommended by the College Board and to widely used textbooks. The course prepares students for the AP Exam.