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AP® European History

Basic & On Demand

Enrollment for Basic and On Demand courses is open on a rolling basis.

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Plus

Teachers can use the complete Plus course curriculum for flexible instruction.

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Course Summary

Delve into the political, economic, religious, social, intellectual, and artistic trends that shaped Europe from the fourteenth century to the present. Students learn the basic chronology of events and movements from this period as well as develop the ability to analyze historical documents and express historical understanding in writing. 

In this course, explore European history across the following themes: interaction of Europe with the rest of the world, poverty and prosperity, objective knowledge and subjective visions, states and other institutions of power, individual and society, and national and European identities. This course prepares students for the AP® European History exam.

Curriculum

This is a 2-semester course. We do not recommend taking both semesters simultaneously.

Unit 1: The Late Middle Ages
  • The Black Death
  • The 100 Years War
  • The Late Medieval Church
Unit 2: The Renaissance
  • The Italian Renaissance
  • Art and Patronage
  • Revival of Monarchy
Unit 3: Age of Exploration
  • Voyages of Discovery
  • New Empires
Unit 4: Protestant Reformation and Age of Religious Wars
  • Criticisms of the Church
  • Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation
  • The Catholic Reformation
  • The English Reformation
  • Religious Struggles
  • Struggle for Supremacy
Unit 5: The Economy and Society of Early Modern Europe
  • Changes in Traditional Institutions and Practices
  • Changing Family Life
Unit 6: The Scientific Revolution
  • The Scientific Revolution
  • Emergence of Natural Philosophy
  • Women in the Scientific Revolution
Unit 7: The Enlightenment
  • The Enlightenment
  • Society in the Enlightenment
  • Role of Religion
  • Enlightened Absolutism
Unit 8: The Ancien Regime and the Agricultural Revolution
  • The Ancien Regime
  • The Family Structure
  • The Agricultural Revolution
Unit 9: The Industrial Revolution, Mercantilism, and Trade Wars
  • The Industrial Revolution
  • The Transatlantic Economy
Unit 10: The French Revolution
  • French Society under the Ancien Regime
  • Phases of the Revolution
Unit 11: The Napoleonic Empire
  • Nationalism
  • The Age of Napoleon
  • The Romantic Movement
Unit 12: Nationalism and Nation-States
  • 1815-1838
  • The Great Powers
  • Resistance and Independence
Unit 13: Age of Revolutions
  • Age of Revolutions
  • The Industrial Revolution
  • 1848
Unit 14: The Building of Nation-States
  • Nation-States
  • Western Europe
  • Eastern and Ottoman Nationalism
Unit 15: The Growth of Industrialism
  • Second Industrial Revolution
  • Socialism and Labor Movements
Unit 16: European Modern Thought
  • New Movements
  • Genders and Minorities
Unit 17: New Imperialism
  • New Imperialism
  • Motives and Tools of New Imperialism
Unit 18: WWI
  • Causes of the War
  • The Great War
  • Russian Revolution
Unit 19: The Interwar Years
  • The Great Depression in Europe
  • New Governments
Unit 20: WWII
  • The War Begins
  • The End of WWII
Unit 21: The Cold War and Modern Times
  • The Cold War
  • The Modern Era