US History I Syllabus

This course is open to Juniors who have taken Modern World History and it fulfills the second year of the three year Social Studies graduation requirement (one year Modern World History, two years United States History). The content begins with European exploration and settlement of the New World in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and ends with Reconstruction (1877). Themes emphasized throughout the year include: the balancing of liberty and order in politics and society; the growth of representative government; national versus state power; changing definitions of freedom and equality; the roles and challenges of women, African-Americans, and Native Americans; the American reform tradition; America and the world. Students will work to improve their reading, writing, note-taking, and discussion and decision-making skills, in addition to gaining an appreciation of the study of history and an understanding of the duties of citizenship.

Materials

Text: Pathways to the Present (Prentice Hall, ISBN# 0130536253

Various primary and secondary source assignments/handouts throughout the year.

Assignments (all refer to the text unless otherwise noted)

Introduction

• What is history?
• Stories with lessons, human nature
• Decision-making
• Emerson on “reading history”
• American Ideology (What do we as Americans believe?)

Exploration and “Discovery”

• Push/pull factors
• Columbian Exchange
• Europeans and Native Americans (Chapter 1, outline pp. 6-7)

Handout: Iroquois Constitution

Discussion: Cultural Conflict

Settlement

• Spanish, Dutch, and French
• New England (Ch. 2.3, ques 1+2

Handout: Map of Thirteen Original Colonies

Discussion: King Philip’s War or Metacom’s Rebellion?

Handouts: Winthrop, Thacher

• Middle colonies (Ch. 2.4 pp. 51-53)
• South (Ch. 2.4, pp. 53-54, ques 1+2)

Colonial Life

• British Heritage (Ch. 3.1, ques 1+2)

Discussion: Mercantilism, Salutary Neglect, Self-government

• Society (Ch 3.2, ques 1+2)
• African-Americans (Ch. 3.3, ques 1+2)
• Tensions and Conflicts among Colonists (Ch. 3.4 ques 1+2)

Discussion: Great Awakening and Religious Freedom

Read in Class: “Why Study History?” on pg. 81

Read to Revolution

Handout: American Revolution Timeline

• French and Indian War (Ch. 4.1 question 1+2)
• Issues (Ch. 4.2, ques 1+2)

Reenactment: Boston Massacre Trial

• Ideas (Ch. 4.3, ques 1+2)
• Read the Declaration of Independence on pp. 102-104;ques 1-8 in “Comprehension” p. 105

American Revolution

• War (Ch. 4.4, ques 1+2)
• American Independence (Ch. 4.5, ques 1+5)

Discussion: American Ideology (read p. 115)

Paper: American Ideology

Creating a New Government

• Articles of Confederation and State Constitutions (Ch. 5.1 ques 1+2)
• Constitutional Convention (Ch. 5.2, ques 1+2)
• Adopting the Constitution (Ch. 5.3, ques 1+2)

Discussion: The Constitution and Bill of Rights

• First Administration (Ch. 5.4, ques 1+2)

Politics and Foreign Affairs in the Early Republic

• Balancing Liberty and Order (Ch. 6.1, ques 1+2)

Read in Class: Washington’s Farewell Address

Discussion: Political Parties, Then and Now

• Adams’s Presidency (Ch. 6.2, ques 1+2)
• Jefferson’s Presidency (Ch. 6.3, ques 1+2)
• Native Americans Resist (Ch. 6.4, ques 1+2)

Handout: Native American Statistics

Discussion: Native Americans Today

• War of 1812 (Ch. 6.5, ques 1+2)

Life in the Early Republic

• Westward Expansion (Ch. 7.1 ques 1+5)
• Industrial Revolution (Ch. 7.2, ques 1+2)

Read in Class: “Why Study History?” on page 223

Discussion: Information Age

• Society and Religion (Ch. 7.3, ques 1+2)

The Market Revolution

• Market Economy (Ch 8.1, ques 1+2)
• Northern Economy (Ch 8.2, ques 1+2)
• Southern Economy (Ch 8.3, ques 1+2)

Nationalism and a New Political Era

• Nationalism (Ch. 8.4, ques 1+2)
• Jacksonian Era (Ch. 8.5, ques 1+3)

Discussion: Was Jacksonian Democracy Democratic?

Age of Reform

• Reforms and Reformers (Ch. 9.1, ques 1-3)

Read in Class: Emerson and Thoreau handouts

Discussion: Transcendentalism

• Abolitionism (Ch. 9.2, ques 1+2)

Discussion: Uncle Tom’s Cabin handouts

• Women’s Rights (Ch. 9.3, ques 1+2)
• Disagreements and Divisions (Ch. 9.4 ques 1+2)

Read in Class: “Why Study History?” on pg. 283

Discussion: Reform Today

The Frontier

• Turner Thesis
• Plains Indians (Ch. 10.1, ques 1+2)
• Hispanic North America (Ch. 10.2, ques 1+3)
• Trails West (Ch. 10.3, ques 1-3)
• Manifest Destiny (Ch. 10.3, ques 1-3)

Discussion: Role of the Frontier in American Life

Road to Civil War

Handouts: Civil War Timeline & maps

• North vs. South (Ch. 11.1, ques 1-3
• New Politics (Ch 11.2, ques 1+3)

Debate: Compromise of 1850

• Violence (Ch. 11.3, ques 1+5)

Read in Class: First Inaugural Address

• Start of War (Ch. 11.4, ques 1+2

Paper: Was the Civil War Preventable?

Civil War

• Early Battles (Ch. 12.1, ques 1+2)

Read in Class: Emancipation Proclamation

Read in Class: “Geography & History” on pp 374-5

• Life Behind the Lines (Ch. 12.2, read p 357 & do questions)
• Tide Turns (Ch. 12.3, ques 2+5)

Read in Class: Gettysburg Address

• Northern Victory (Ch. 12.4, ques 2+5)

Read in Class: Second Inaugural Address

Handouts: Lincoln’s Assassination & John Wilkes Booth

Discussion: Lincoln’s Contribution to American Ideology

Reconstruction

• Presidential Reconstruction (Ch. 13.1, ques 2+5)
• Congressional Reconstruction ( Ch. 13.2, ques 1+2)
• “New South” (Ch. 13.3, ques 1-3)

Handouts: Ku Klux Klan

• End of Reconstruction (Ch. 13.4, ques 2+5)

Discussion: Successes & Failures of Reconstruction

Project: Better Angels Academy (written & oral)

Conclusion

• American Ideology (What do we as Americans believe?)
• Course Evaluations