APUSH Unit 5 covers the pivotal period of American territorial expansion and the Civil War era (1844-1877). This comprehensive review examines manifest destiny, westward expansion, slavery's impact on territorial growth, and the resulting sectional conflicts that led to the Civil War and Reconstruction.
Key points:
- James K. Polk's presidency marked aggressive territorial expansion
- The concept of Manifest Destiny drove westward expansion
- Slavery's expansion into new territories became a critical political issue
- The Civil War transformed federal-state relations and emancipated slaves
- Reconstruction attempted to reintegrate the South and establish rights for freed slaves