US history
- Free
- No certificate
Khan Academy's US history course covers the country's past in nine chronological units, followed by three supporting units. It begins with Worlds collide (1491 to 1607), covering Indigenous America, European exploration, the Columbian Exchange and Spanish colonization, then moves through Colonial America, the Revolutionary Era, the Early Republic, the Civil War Era, the Gilded Age, the rise to world power (1890 to 1945), the Postwar Era and the Modern Era from 1980 to the present. Units on teacher resources, surveys of history and primary documents close the course.
The page lists 44 skills that the site tracks from Not started to Mastered, and each chronological unit ends with a unit test; a course challenge covers the whole course. The content is free, with no paid features and no certificate. No duration is stated, and you can start at any era.
What you’ll learn
- Describe Indigenous societies, European exploration and Spanish colonization before 1607
- Trace colonial America, the Revolutionary Era and the Early Republic
- Explain the Civil War Era, Reconstruction and the Gilded Age
- Follow the United States' rise to world power and the Postwar and Modern Eras
- Work with primary documents and surveys of history
Who it’s for
Students in a US history survey, people preparing for citizenship or standardized tests, and adult learners who want a structured refresher with practice. Not a credential.
Source: Khan Academy (opens in a new tab) · Verified · Report a change
More free Khan Academy courses
Every Khan Academy course we have verified, with cost and certificate terms compared.
HistoryAll free history courses
Free and free-to-audit history courses from every provider, ranked.