Unit Two Exam Review. A Griot's History. (2.1-2.24)

In this A Griot’s History Unit 2 Review, we break down The Making of Race, Slavery, and Black Life in the Atlantic World—one of the most important foundations for the AP African American Studies exam. This is one of the most thorough and detailed reviews of Unit Two will find on youtube. This is not just a content review, it’s about understanding how the system was built, how it functioned, and how African Americans resisted, adapted, and created within it. We begin with presence, not absence in exploring early Africans in the Atlantic world as actors and participants before racial slavery hardened into a system. From there, we trace the development of the transatlantic slave trade, the Middle Passage, and the legal construction of race through laws like partus sequitur ventrem and slave codes. But just as important, we examine resistance at every level from shipboard revolts to maroon communities, from cultural expression to revolutionary movements like the Haitian Revolution. By the end of this review, you should be able to: • Explain how racial slavery was constructed • Analyze key required sources and historical developments • Connect specific evidence to broader themes of power, resistance, and change over time If you can do that—you’re not just reviewing Unit 2. You’re mastering it. Subscribe for more AP African American Studies content, exam strategies, and deep dives.