Smartest way to take notes for APUSH???!

I’m taking notes for the first chapter of the APUSH Textbook. However, it’s fricking long. My teacher said to only jot down important information, but im having a hard time figuring out whats important and whats not. I don’t wanna spend unnecessary time on APUSH every night. Any tips?

As you read, think in terms of big concepts. APUSH is about remembering big concepts, less about dates/specifics. Trust me on this- I got a 5 on the exam and an A in the class. If you can make connections between historical periods and ideas, you will do far better than if you can remember the date of one battle.