READING GUIDES & LESSON LINKS
Semester One
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Taking Sides, Fifteenth Edition, Vol. I.
Below is the PDF resource that suppliments our classroom set of books.
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| TS.pdf |
Reading Guide I
Periods 1 (1491-1607), 2 (1607-1754), and 3 (1754-1800)
European nations plant colonies in North America, as Native-Americans, Europeans, and captive Africans shape a New World--Three Worlds Collide, the results still shape our world to this day!
Chapter 1. New World Beginnings, 33,000 BCE-1769 CE
Chapter 2. The Planting of English America, 1500-1733
Chapter 3. Settling the Northern Colonies, 1619-1700
Chapter 4. American Life in the 17th Century, 1607-1692
Chapter 5. Colonial Society on the Eve of Revolution, 1700-1775
Themes:
Geography and the Environment (GEO)
Work, Exchange, and Technology (WXT)
American and National Identity (NAT)
Politics and Power (POL)
America in the World (WOR)
Migration and Settlement (MIG)
Culture and Society (CUL)
Chapter 2. The Planting of English America, 1500-1733
Chapter 3. Settling the Northern Colonies, 1619-1700
Chapter 4. American Life in the 17th Century, 1607-1692
Chapter 5. Colonial Society on the Eve of Revolution, 1700-1775
Themes:
Geography and the Environment (GEO)
Work, Exchange, and Technology (WXT)
American and National Identity (NAT)
Politics and Power (POL)
America in the World (WOR)
Migration and Settlement (MIG)
Culture and Society (CUL)
Exam Skills: Analyzing Images-1546 Map by Sabastian Munster (Pageant, p. 7)
From the Cengage Learning Teacher's Resource Guide, 2016
Click the document below.
From the Cengage Learning Teacher's Resource Guide, 2016
Click the document below.
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Exam Skills: Analyzing Images of "Conquistadores, ca. 1534" & "An Aztec View of Conquest, 1531" (pp. 18-19)
From the Cengage Learning Teacher's Resource Guide, 2016
Click the document below.
From the Cengage Learning Teacher's Resource Guide, 2016
Click the document below.
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Conflicting Spanish Views
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Conflicting Spanish views concerning the Indigenous People of Central America in the Early 1500’s
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What happened to the native peoples the Spanish encountered in the Caribbean?
Exam Skills: Document Analysis-"An Indian Massacre of 1622" in de Bry's America, 1628.
From the Cengage Learning Teacher's Resource Guide, 2016
Click the document below.
From the Cengage Learning Teacher's Resource Guide, 2016
Click the document below.
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Dig History!
The New World
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In 2005, this movie gave a glimpse into the first permanent English settlement in the North America, Jamestown. This first scene depicts the events of 14 May 1607. The Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery are commanded by Christopher Newport (Christopher Plumber), as John Smith (Colin Farrell) escapes trouble. The history in the movie may not be entirely accurate, but the cinematography is exquisite. I wish this scene upload had included the first contact with the Powhatans, which comes next in the movie! So typically, Pocahontas is portrayed as a young woman and not the child Smith described.
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Unearthing Secret America
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PBS-Scientific American Frontier's
Alan Alda takes us on an historic journey to "Unearth Secret America" |
Video Currently Unavailable, dang!
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Here, we discover the truth about English colonial difficulties, the historical value of sub-floor pits, the power of historic portrayal, and the "Peculiar Institution's" impact on Thomas Jefferson and the people who lived on his plantation.
Colonial Failures
New England
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What must it have been like to live in 1628 as a colonist in the New World? Check out what happened when, in 2004, the BBC experimented with having people experience life 17th century life in New England! This is episode 2, "Harsh Reality." Can modern people deal with the basics of life? Click below to find out.
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The Puritans were the biggest factor in establishing New England, but we Americans focus on the first small group of English in the area, the Separatists known as the Pilgrims. They didn't want to purify the Church of England, they wanted separation. Their very Christian and common thanks for the grace of God eventually becomes a holiday. Enjoy the website. Click the button below.
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The Puritan Mission
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Johnathan Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Charity" (1630) "From the beginning, ministers like Robert Cushman and civil magistrates like William Bradford and John Winthrop urged their citizens to recognize that they were drawn together for a [unique and special] purpose far beyond their own liberty, or even security, and to place the welfare of the community as a whole above their own." How might this motivation have led to the success of the Puritan colony? |
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Salem Witchcraft
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"Few events in American history are better known than the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692. Their popularity is doubtless attributable to a number of things: a persistent fascination with the occult; a perverse pleasure to expose the underbelly of an American culture that boasts of toleration, social harmony, and progress; and an appreciation for a compelling, dramatic narrative replete with heroes and villains. Skeptics, like the preeminent twentieth-century historian Perry Miller, question whether the Salem trials constituted anything more than an inconsequential episode in colonial history. But most historians consider Salem worthy of continuing investigation even if it was less than a major turning point in history." Click the botton below to explore this remarkable event. Thank you, Richard Latner!
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Doing The DBQ (1993)
"Colonial historians are virtually unanimous about the significance regional differences, which arose almost immediately along the Atlantic seaboard settlements, played in colonial development, despite their inhabitants' common English stock." Here, we compare two different ship manifests from 1635, one bound for Virginia and one for New England, to uncover some fundamental regional differences. A college Board Publication of the 1993 DBQ. Compare documents B and C below.
| docs_b_and_c.pdf |
Horrible Histories:
Charles II, "the King that brought back partying."
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You might not learn a lot from this video about Charles Stuart or the Restoration, but it is fun! On the other hand, the BBC Movie The Power and the Passion is a wonderful portrayal of the reign of Charles the II, although there is very little coverage of the Restoration's impact on England's American colonies.
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Lecture: Expanding Colonial America
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Inspired by one or our great US Historians, Ray Billington (Occidental College), I found a book from the 1960s that my uncle used in his class at Grossment, expanding on Billington's outlines here to present one of my early lectures as a Grossmont teacher. I remember my teacher, Gloria Jones, was impressed by my own use of the book as a student. How is that for continuity and legacy!
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The Colonial Slave Trade
Doing the DBQ (2016)
Here we will look at the College Board's main 2016 DBQ to learn how the institution of slavery developed in the American Colonies over its first 100 years. Click below, and scroll down to page #43 to compare, and pay special attention to, documents 3 and 5.
| slavery_dbq_practice_ipe_2016_us_history.pdf |
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“White Servitude”
In his seminal work, historian Richard Hofstadter explores American society and indentured servitude at 1750. Below, an exerpt from Eyewitness and Others: Readings in American History, Volume 1.
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William Byrd's Secret Diary
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"What follows are selected entries from the diary of William Byrd, a gentleman from Virginia who is representative of the southern landed aristocracy. Byrd's diary was kept in a secret shorthand and discovered only in the twentieth century. It provides insight into the mind of a southern gentleman. Byrd's diary also lets us see the daily schedule and the thoughts of a gentleman. Byrd committed to his diary some of his most private thoughts and actions." Click below.
From the National Humanities Center Resource Toolbox |
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Colonial Society and Dress
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Click below to discover Colonial American life on the Colonial Williamsburg Site! Manners and clothes maketh the colonist! Investigate what items of clothing were part of everyday life by clicking "Historical Threads"; dress different members of Colonial society by clicking on "Dressing the Part"; and explore any part of Colonial society by clicking on "Life in Colonial Society." This feature seems to have been removed for the time being. I hope it soon returns!
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What is happening in New England?
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There is a mystery afoot! Big changes are occuring in New England, as the region leaves the 17th century and enters the 18th. Can you use the clues to determine what is happening? Read the document clues provided, try and link this evidence, and explain the changes you see taking place. Click below to explore the changes occuring in New England and Boston as the 17th century turns to the 18th.
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Historian James A. Henretta, Professor Emeritus of American History at the University of Maryland, provides New England data from The Evolution of American Society, 1700-1815: An Interdisciplinary Approach. Also, Professor Gary Nash, of UCLA, contributes Boston data from Urban Wealth and Poverty in Pre-Revolutionary America.
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Taken from Discovering the American Past: A Look at the Evidence, "The Rhythms of Colonial Life."
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Using a Lorenz Curve
In Class Activity, Explorations In American History-A Skills Approach, Stoler & True
In Class Activity, Explorations In American History-A Skills Approach, Stoler & True
Lecture: Life and Thought in Colonial America
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"A study published in 2010 by Wichita State University compared two note taking methods in a secondary English classroom, and found that Cornell Note taking may be of added benefit in cases where students are required to synthesize and apply learned knowledge."
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Reading Guide II
Periods 2 (1607-1754) and 3 (1754-1800)
In Reading Guide I, we discovered how England's North American Colonials were distinct and unique by the 18th century--we have studied the long-term conditions that could make revolution possible and will now discover the events that determined when that potential revolution took place!
Chapter 6. The Duel for North America, 1608-1763
Chapter 7. The Road to Revolution, 1763-1775
Chapter 8. America Secedes from the Empire, 1775-1778
Chapter 9. The Confederation and the Constitution, 1776-1790
Chapter 10. Launching the New Ship of State, 1789-1800
Themes:
Geography and the Environment (GEO)
Work, Exchange, and Technology (WXT)
American and National Identity (NAT)
Politics and Power (POL)
America in the World (WOR)
Migration and Settlement (MIG)
Culture and Society (CUL)
Chapter 7. The Road to Revolution, 1763-1775
Chapter 8. America Secedes from the Empire, 1775-1778
Chapter 9. The Confederation and the Constitution, 1776-1790
Chapter 10. Launching the New Ship of State, 1789-1800
Themes:
Geography and the Environment (GEO)
Work, Exchange, and Technology (WXT)
American and National Identity (NAT)
Politics and Power (POL)
America in the World (WOR)
Migration and Settlement (MIG)
Culture and Society (CUL)
The French and Indian War
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"Watch 300 years of Colonial Expansion develop in North America as Spain, France, England and Holland explore, claim, and settle vast territories. Eventually British and French interests collide in the French and Indian War. French and British colonial ambitions collide in 1753 as 21-year-old Major George Washington accidentally ignites the French and Indian War. The War is but one component of the worldwide Seven Years War, but the war will determine the future of North America and set the stage for both the American Revolution and the French Revolution. The animation offers more detailed coverage George Washington’s fight at Fort Necessity, Braddock’s disastrous expedition of 1754, and the fabled Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759." Click below to see the war unfold before your eyes! This site is gone for the moment.
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The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757 (1826)
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James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans was one of the first great American novels. The story is set in the French and Indian War in the colony of New York. This great novel has been made into a movie many times, one of the last being 1992's version staring Daniel Day Lewis as hero Natty Bumpo (Hawkeye). In this scene, Major Duncan Heyward witnesses American colonial militia interacting with British military leadership. Pay attention to the relationship that exists between colonists and the British.
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Link Broken
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Lecture: The Road to Revolution
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The Sons of Liberty and the Committees of Correspondence.
Boston, 1770
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Benjamin Franklin compared sending English soldiers to Boston to setting up a blacksmith's forge in a room full of gunpowder. In the winter of 1770 an incident that seemed destined occured between soldiers and civilians, galvanizing colonial resistance to British colonial policy. From HBO's John Adams series.
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Causes of the American Revolution
Thank you, Stanford University Press
Click below for this Actively Learn assignment
Lives of the American Revolution
In Class Activity, Explorations In American History-A Skills Approach, Stoler & True
In Class Activity, Explorations In American History-A Skills Approach, Stoler & True
The "Party"
The Patriot Spy
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Just a bit of fun, Boston, 1775. Can you slip past Loyalists and English soldiers to deliver a message to Paul Revere? The message is to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock, leaders of The Sons of Liberty in Lexington, of their imminent arrest! Click below to try on this National Park Service page. WebRangers activities were retired at the end of 2019. Another loss.
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April Morning
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April Morning is a novel by Adam Cooper about a young man shaped by the events of April 19, 1775. A film version was made for television starring Chad Lowe as Adam and Tommy Lee Jones as Moses, and is one of the few cinematic portrayals of the events at Lexington Green. I saw this in Gloria Jones' US History class at Grossmont a lifetime ago (1985 or 1986). Enjoy.
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Colonial Unity?
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Peek into the Pennsylvania State House (soon to be "Independence Hall") meeting of the Second Continental Congress, after the fighting has already occured at Lexington and Concord in the Spring. How close do you think they are to declaring independence? From HBO's John Adams series.
Patrick Henry's "Give me liberty or give me death" speech.
Thomas Paine's "Common Sense"
The American Revolution Animated
HistoryAnimated.com provides an interesting and unique look at the American Revolution. "If a picture is worth a thousand words, a good animation is worth ten thousand. After reading book after book about . . . war and finding only complicated maps with dotted lines and dashed lines crisscrossing the pages, we decided to depict the key naval and land battles using animation technology." Click below to see the conflict unfold! This site is gone for the moment. Tragedy!
The Conway Cabal
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If you thought everyone loved General Washington you are wrong! By the end of 1776, there were a growing number of influencial people in Congress and in the Army that had doubts about Washington's ability to command. At this point in the War there had been only defeat, and everyone was in a desperate mood. Whether it was part of a plot (conspiracy or cabal) or not, a letter criticizing Washington is sent from Thomas Conway to General Horatio Gates--Washington learns of this letter, and other talk, promting him to inform Congress that, if they have any doubts, he would resign his command. This threat to leave ended any serious attempts to replace Washington as head of the Continental Army. In this scene from "The Crossing," Gates (Nigel Bennett) visits Washington (Jeff Daniels) days before the famous Crossing of the Delaware River. Enjoy.
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Exam Skills: SAQ (Short Answer Question)-Two Interpretations of the Revolution
From the Cengage Learning Teacher's Resource Guide, 2016
From the Cengage Learning Teacher's Resource Guide, 2016
"Expanding Varying Viewpoint-"The Constitution: Revolutionary or Counterrevolutionary" (pp. 180)" Open the document below.
| the_american_revolution.pdf |
A House Divided
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The relationship between Patriot father Ben Franklin and Loyalist son William symbolized the division that existed between Americans in the American Revolution. It wasn't just the Civil War that divided families! Watch the Nation Archive speech with author Daniel Mark Epstein.
Was Our Revolution Revolutionary?
Many look at the American Revolution as far less significant than other revolutions. Why is our Revolution given less respect? Here are some of the most respected historians on the issue:
1. The Radicalism of the American Revolution (edited), by Gordon S. Wood, 1992.
2. The American Revolution Considered as a Social Movement (edited), by J. Franklin Jameson, 1926.
3. A People's History of the United States (chapter 5) , by Howard Zinn, 1980.
4. Progressive Historiography of the American War for Independence, by Author Mike Crane
Click your Period's Button to complete this Actively Learn Assignment.
Click below to compare the opinions of these historians.
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The Articles of Confederation
Was America's first constitution a total disaster? Together, with the spreadsheet below, we will weigh the good and bad.
| 1_the_articles_of_confederation_and_perpetual_union.3.xl.pdf |
The Constitution & Compromise
The Constitution was a series of compromises meant to ease fears of too strong or too weak a government. Can you identify the atributes of the Constitution meant to ease those fears? Click below to use the Constitution worksheet and the Constitution itself to complete the assignment.
The Constitution was a series of compromises meant to ease fears of too strong or too weak a government. Can you identify the atributes of the Constitution meant to ease those fears? Click below to use the Constitution worksheet and the Constitution itself to complete the assignment.
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We are a nation founded on three documents, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Better said, we are the first nation founded on Enlightenment ideas, proving the validity of those ideas to this day--that ordinary people can create a government to protect their God-given rights.
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The Beginning of Political Parties
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Peek behind the governing curtain to see divisive faction develop in Washington's cabinet. Thomas Jefferson (Stephen Dillane-Stannis Baratheon) questions Alexander Hamilton (Rufus Sewell) on his financial measures. From HBO's John Adams series
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Washington's Farewell Address
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Lecture: The Federalist Period
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Reading Guide III
Periods 4 (1800-1848) and 5 (1844-1877)
A political revolution changes the leadership of our country, as Jefferson's philosophies shape the era. America expands and grows but must still navigate the dangerous waters that keep it in the middle of European politics and the rise of Napoleon and French drama. Ultimately, economic growth and American concepts of equality put the Nation on a treacherous yet destined course to confront its founding principles.
Chapter 11. The Triumphs and Travails of the Jeffersonian Republic, 1800-1812
Chapter 12. The Second War for Independence nd the Upsurge of Nationalism, 1812-1824
Chapter 13. The Rise of Mass Democracy, 1824-1840
Chapter 14. Forging the National Economy, 1790-1860
Themes:
Geography and the Environment (GEO)
Work, Exchange, and Technology (WXT)
American and National Identity (NAT)
Politics and Power (POL)
America in the World (WOR)
Migration and Settlement (MIG)
Culture and Society (CUL)
Chapter 12. The Second War for Independence nd the Upsurge of Nationalism, 1812-1824
Chapter 13. The Rise of Mass Democracy, 1824-1840
Chapter 14. Forging the National Economy, 1790-1860
Themes:
Geography and the Environment (GEO)
Work, Exchange, and Technology (WXT)
American and National Identity (NAT)
Politics and Power (POL)
America in the World (WOR)
Migration and Settlement (MIG)
Culture and Society (CUL)
The Jefferson Presidency
The Corps of Discovery; the Journey of Lewis and Clark
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"When Thomas Jefferson dispatched Lewis and Clark to find a water route across North America and explore the uncharted West, he expected they'd encounter woolly mammoths, erupting volcanoes, and a mountain of pure salt. What they found was no less surprising. Click below to begin the journey: journal entries, historical photos, drawings, and more." Thank you to the Missouri Historical Society for this great website. Shame on National Geographic for taking theirs down. Click below to begin the journey! Journal questions are included with the document below.
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Exam Skills: SAQ (Short Answer Question)-"The Present State of Our Country?" (Political Cartoon, p. 223)
From the Cengage Learning Teacher's Resource Guide, 2016 Could you answer the questions below? a) Briefly explain the point of view expressed by the political cartoonist about ONE of the following: -The Federalist Party -The Democrat-Republican Party -George Washington b) Briefly explain ONE development from 1789 to 1809 that may have led to the point of view expressed by the cartoonist. c)Briefly explain ONE way in which the developments from 1789 to 1808 challenged the point of view expressed by the cartoonist. |
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The War of 1812 in the Chesapeake
Much of the War of 1812's pivital events took place in the Great Lakes region, while the War's most memorable battle occured at New Orleans, after a treaty to end the War was already signed. Here, we will look at the battles that saw the Capital burned and inspired a peom that became our Nation's anthem. |
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Doing the DBQ: Federalist and Republican Hypocracy
1998's Document-Based Question has us look at evidence suggesting that our Nation's first two political parties were not above political expediency. Below, included with all College Board DBQs from 1973 to 1999, is 1998's. Scroll down to page 175.
| ap_ush_dbq_73-99.pdf |
John Marshall's Court
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"John Marshall became the fourth chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1801. He is largely responsible for establishing the Supreme Court's role in federal government. Chief Justice John Marshall was born on September 24, 1755, near Germantown, Virginia. In 1780, Marshall started his own law practice, defending clients against pre-war British creditors. From 1782 to 1795, he held various political offices, including the position of secretary of state in 1800. In 1801, he became chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, serving until his death, on July 6, 1835, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania." We will discover how Marshall increased the power of the Court and the Federal Government using the worsheet below.
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| marshalls_court_decisions.pdf |
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Lecture: The Era of Good Feeling
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Exam Skills: SAQ (Short Answer Question)-"We Owe Allegiance to no Crown" (Painting, p. 234)
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Could you answer the questions below?
a) Briefly explain the point of view expressed by the artist about ONE of the following: -New World (American) Political Institutions -Old World (European) Political Institutions -American National Culture b) Briefly explain ONE development from 1800 to 1820 that may have led to the point of view expressed by the artist. c)Briefly explain ONE way in which the developments from 1800 to 1820 challenged the point of view expressed by the artist. |
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| nationalism_saq.pdf |
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Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier
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There is no life that better represents the spirit of a young and growing nation than that of Davy Crockett. Here, we will began to understand just how important this man's life and legacy has become to our story, through a Biography episode about the life of a living legend.
Broken Link. |
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In the mid-1950s, Walt Disney created a series of movies celebrating the Frontier hero Davy Crockett (portrayed by Fess Parker). The success of movies led to Disneyland's inclusion of elements from the Crockett story to Frontierland and the Rivers of America. As the popularity of Crockett spread, the nation's youth adopted his story to make the image of Davy a permanent part of our culture--at least one high school made his image their mascot!!!
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At right. Billy Bob Thorton portrays Davy Crockett's last momments, in 2004's The Alamo. Not entirely accurate, but interesting--you can't outlive your legend!
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On Democracy in America
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De La Démocratie en Amérique was published in two volumes, the first in 1835 and the second in 1840, by Alexis de Tocqueville. Its title translates as On Democracy in America. While investigating America's prison system for France, Tocqueville writes his observations of the new American Republic. The following excerpts explore the relationship between the American "love of money" and the commitment to "democracy" and "equality." Also described is the incredible "restlessness" of Americans in the pursuit of "happiness." These observations about our early Republic highlight truly unique American characteristics. Click below.
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Lecture: Jacksonian Democracy
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Andrew Jackson
One of the most controversial figures of his age, no one could doubt his ability to lead. President Jackson saw himself as the "arm and the shield" of the common person--you decide if he lived up to his vision. Click below to visit the Hermitage, home of Andrew Jackson, or on the UVA's Miller Center site.
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"As president, Andrew Jackson strengthened the power of the presidency, defended the Union, gained new respect for the United States in foreign affairs, and pushed the country toward democracy."
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"Andrew Jackson, seventh President of the United States, was the dominant actor in American politics between Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. Born to obscure parents and orphaned in youth, he was the first "self-made man" and the first westerner to reach the White House. He became a democratic symbol and founder of the Democratic Party, the country's most venerable political organization. During his two-term presidency, he expanded executive powers and transformed the President's role from chief administrator to popular tribune."
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Another Revolution
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"The Incredible changes taking place in America, during the period 1820-1860 (the Early Industrial Revolution), can be illustrated in a number of ways. In less than one lifetime, the number of States increased from 13 to 34, the population rose from 4 million to 13 million, and revolutions in transportation and manufacturing (the Market Revolution) transformed the lives of everyone." Here, we will use numbers to investigate these changes and practice analyzing data. Click on the document to get started.
From the Skills Approach Lessons |
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Ordinary Americans in a Rapidly Changing Country
The Lady and the Mill Girl
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Gerda Lerner had always been a contrarian, from resisting Nazis in Germany to being a Socialist Communist in 1950s America--Gerda was fearless. Her convictions and talents saw her virtually create women's history in the 1960s. Here, we read one of her seminal articles, "The Lady and the Mill Girl: Changes in the Status of Women in the Age of Jackson," published in the American Studies Journal.
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William Sidney Mount
Mr. Mount was a truly amazing painter, capturing, at ounce, the national pride and democratic spirit of his age. Portraying everyday American life (Genre Painting), Mount celebrated the common man and helped promote the belief in basic American goodness and virtue. He also painted landscapes and portraits, like the one below. Like the Hudson River School of painting, Mount celebrated uniquely American themes.
"Right and Left" met with great acclaim when it appeared in 1850: "This latest fruit of the genius of the artist, of whom the country is so justly proud, we confidently predict must make a hit. It is conceived with great spirit and truth of nature.... [The fiddler] is indeed a chef d’oeuvre of Ethiopian portraiture." Mount himself played the violin and was a great lover of music. From the GODS AND FOOLISH GRANDEUR site.
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Sectionalism
The Nation developed a strong sense of unity and nationalism after two wars. The Country also grew rapidly in size and success, but this rapid growth also highlighted regional differences. Sectionalism occurs when regions of the country put their interests ahead of the interest of the Nation as a whole.
The Nation developed a strong sense of unity and nationalism after two wars. The Country also grew rapidly in size and success, but this rapid growth also highlighted regional differences. Sectionalism occurs when regions of the country put their interests ahead of the interest of the Nation as a whole.
"A more enduring manifestation of hostility toward the nationalizing tendencies in American life was the reassertion of strong feelings of sectional loyalty. New Englanders felt threatened by the West, which drained off the ablest and most vigorous members of the labour force and also, once the railroad network was complete, produced wool and grain that undersold the products of the poor New England hill country. The West, too, developed a strong sectional feeling, blending its sense of its uniqueness, its feeling of being looked down upon as raw and uncultured, and its awareness that it was being exploited by the businessmen of the East.
The most conspicuous and distinctive section, however, was the South—an area set apart by climate, by a plantation system designed for the production of such staple crops as cotton, tobacco, and sugar, and, especially, by the persistence of slavery, which had been abolished or prohibited in all other parts of the United States. It should not be thought that all or even most white Southerners were directly involved in the section’s “peculiar institution.” Indeed, in 1850 there were only 347,525 slaveholders in a total white population of about 6,000,000 in the slave states. Half of these owned four slaves or fewer and could not be considered planters. In the entire South there were fewer than 1,800 persons who owned more than 100 slaves."
-Britannica
The most conspicuous and distinctive section, however, was the South—an area set apart by climate, by a plantation system designed for the production of such staple crops as cotton, tobacco, and sugar, and, especially, by the persistence of slavery, which had been abolished or prohibited in all other parts of the United States. It should not be thought that all or even most white Southerners were directly involved in the section’s “peculiar institution.” Indeed, in 1850 there were only 347,525 slaveholders in a total white population of about 6,000,000 in the slave states. Half of these owned four slaves or fewer and could not be considered planters. In the entire South there were fewer than 1,800 persons who owned more than 100 slaves."
-Britannica
Exam Skills: SAQ (Short Answer Question)-Jacksonian Democracy
From the Cengage Learning Teacher's Resource Guide, 2016
From the Cengage Learning Teacher's Resource Guide, 2016
"Expanding varying Viewpoints"-"What was Jacksonian democracy?" (pp. 275-276)? Click the button below.
Reading Guide IV
Periods 3 (1754-1800), 4 (1800-1848), and 5 (1844-1877)
In this next phase of American history, the Nation is destined to expand and spread from sea to sea. But it will be "as the man swallows the arsenic"--expansion will "poison" the American union, as the issue of slavery's expansion confronts the founding principles, nearly destroying the nation.
Chapter 15. The Ferment of Reform and Culture, 1790-1860
Chapter 16. The South and the Slave Controversy, 1793-1860
Chapter 17. manifest Destiny and its Legacy, 1841-1848
Chapter 18. Renewing the Sectional Struggle, 1848-1854
Chapter 19. Drifting Toward Disunion, 1854-1861
Themes:
Geography and the Environment (GEO)
Work, Exchange, and Technology (WXT)
American and National Identity (NAT)
Politics and Power (POL)
America in the World (WOR)
Migration and Settlement (MIG)
Culture and Society (CUL)
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Growth Explosion
The United States was growing at an incredible rate in the first half of the 19th century. Watch the video to see the explosion. Incredible! Our first stage, that of expansion is realized. Next will come internal and external growth. What stage are we in now? |
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Antebellum Reformers
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Jacksonian Democracy was characterized by growing political democracy, explosive economic opportunity, and the fight to improve the social condition of the average American. We looked at the political and economic aspects of Jacksonian Democracy in the last Reading Guide. We will now explore the changing social conditions of this era, and learn how many saught to elevate the status of the average American. Click below!
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Jacksonian Era Reforms Outline
“The common man gained control of the nation’s political institutions and benefited economically from the opportunity provided by the Market and Transportation Revolutions in the early 1800s. With this power he found himself able to reshape America’s social life and thought to his own needs. Why not, he asked himself, use this new power to stamp out the last relics of aristocracy inherited from the colonial past, recasting religion in a more democratic mold, rewrite literature and produce art in terms understandable to all, launch humanitarian crusades to improve conditions, and provide opportunities for labor improvement that would allow the humblest commoner to scale the highest social peaks? With this as their goal, the ordinary people of the United States launched a social and intellectual revolution of more lasting importance than the political revolution (Jacksonian Democracy) of that same era.” Check out the outline below!
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La Amistad
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"In July of 1839, about fifty Africans who were being held captive aboard the Spanish ship La Amistad broke free and murdered all but two of their captors. They left them alive because they knew that these men could potentially help them get back to their homeland. They were deceived by the Spaniards however and instead ended up off the coast of Long Island where they were intercepted by the U.S. Navy. What ensued was one of the most important cases of the 1800's concerning the three main principles upon which the United States were founded: Life, Liberty, and Property.
The case started as a simple issue of property: who owned these slaves? It then transformed into an issue of the liberty of these people: should they be set free? It finally ended up challenging slavery and the very way of life practiced by many across America and was instrumental in the events leading up to the American Civil War. The slaves' journey began in West Africa, where they members of a peaceful tribe called the Mende. They were captured by fellow Africans who had struck a deal with the operators of the infamous Lomboko Slave Fortress and thrust into captivity. The Mende were then forced aboard the Portuguese transatlantic slave ship, The Tecora, where they endured unimaginable and inhuman conditions. The Tecora's crew had no respect whatsoever for the lives of the Africans onboard and routinely lashed them, raped them, and threw them overboard. When the Tecora finally reached its destination in Havana, Cuba, the Mende were sold to the Spaniards Pedro Montez and Jose Ruiz, operators of La Amistad." |
A favorite movie of mine, Amistad is an incredible experience, even if it is not entirely accurate. I saw this one in the theater--I remember an inclusion at the end of the movie informing the audience that the hero of the film, Cinqué, went back to Africa and participated in the slave trade! I wonder if political correctness has decided to change history, as this fact is no longer included at the end of the movie? The movie was adapted from Howard Jones' 1987 book, "Mutiny on the Amistad."
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Slavery as a Positive Good
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"The 'positive good' speech of February 6, 1837, is vintage Calhoun, an exercise of his conception of the proper role of a statesmen placed in the highest deliberative body of the Union. That role was to look beyond the present clamour and clatter of routine politics and discern the deeper forces at work and what present choices and trends meant for the future.
As Andrew Lytle said in his essay on Calhoun, the role of a statesmen is to define clearly for a people the alternatives before them. This Calhoun sought to practice not only in regard to abolitionism, but with all big issues. This is why thoughtful people of the North as well as the South for forty years gave serious attention to what he had to say. This is why, alone among the American public figures of his time, he is still studied as a thinker." SOURCE: From The Abbeville Institute Scholars’ 2008 Conference, ” “Northern Anti-Slavery Rhetoric.”
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teachingamericanhistory.org
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Slavery and the Making of America
The Classic! Oregon Trail!
The Mexican War
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"In the years preceding the U.S.-Mexican War, the United States and Mexico were two nations headed in opposite directions. The United States, fueled by new technological breakthroughs and inspired by the concept of "Manifest Destiny," confidently expanded its territories westward. The young country was regarded as a "go-ahead" nation, looking forward to a future of seemingly endless possibilities for itself and its people. Meanwhile, Mexico struggled to maintain control over the vast expanses of land it had inherited from Spain following its long war for independence. Lacking the resources to settle much of its territory and suffering from deep internal political divisions, Mexico looked to the past for its sense of meaning, back to a time when "New Spain" had once promised to be the continental power of the New World." Click below for a great experience from PBS. Broken Link |
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Lecture: Expansion and Slavery
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The Story of the US Told In 141 Maps
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.I love the work Michael Porath has done to visually explain the growth of the United States in such a comprehensive and explanatory way. Click the link below. "Manifest Destiny was the concept that the United States had a God-given right to take over territory all the way to the Pacific Ocean. The phrase 'Manifest Destiny' was created in 1845 by a newspaper writer named John L. O'Sullivan."
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Lecture: Decade of Controversy
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The Underground Railroad
Coming Soon.
The Politics of Slavery
Actively Learn Assignment for students wishing to learn more . . .
Reading Guide V
AP Period 5 (1844-1877)
Lincoln's election in 1860 prompts Southern secession, and forces President Lincoln to wage a war to preserve the Union. The American Civil War becomes the bloodiest conflict in American history, while the consequences of the war change the very nature and meaning of our Constitution and government. The biggest change would be an end to slavery, as Southerners had to find a way forward without aristocratic planter leadership and their "peculiar institution."
Chapter 20. Girding for War: The North and the South, 1861-1865
Chapter 21. The Furnace of Civil War, 1861-1865
Chapter 22. The Ordeal of Reconstruction, 1865-1877
Themes:
American and National Identity (NAT)
Politics and Power (POL)
America in the World (WOR)
Migration and Settlement (MIG)
Culture and Society (CUL)
Chapter 21. The Furnace of Civil War, 1861-1865
Chapter 22. The Ordeal of Reconstruction, 1865-1877
Themes:
American and National Identity (NAT)
Politics and Power (POL)
America in the World (WOR)
Migration and Settlement (MIG)
Culture and Society (CUL)
The Fort Sumter Crises
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"On March 4, 1861 Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as the 16th President of the United States from the new Republican Party. Between his election on November 6, 1860 and February 9, 1861, seven states in the Deep South seceded and formed a new nation – The Confederate States of America. President Lincoln has scheduled a meeting of advisers for March 29, 1861 to discuss the looming crisis in Charleston Harbor at Fort Sumter, where Major Robert Anderson is surrounded by Confederate forces and desperately short of provisions. He reports that by mid-April he will be forced to surrender unless relieved." Click the botton below to assume the role of Lincoln in Richard Latner's incredible simulation.
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Mary Chesnut, Nee Miller-Boykin's Diary
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Daughter of a powerful father, and wife of a major Confederate leader, Mary Chesnut saw her world change as few have. She was raised in one of the wealthiest societies in human history, and was witness to the total destruction of everything around her. Her dairy is a rare glimpse into a forgotten world. Watch the video to learn more.
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The Civil War in Links:
The Civil War-National Archives
A Wide Variety of Resources
A Wide Variety of Resources
The Civil War-EyeWitness to History.com
Primary Sources
Primary Sources
Battles of the American Civil War
Battle Maps and Descriptions
Battle Maps and Descriptions
The Gettysburg Address-Smithsonian
Valley of the Shadow-University of Virginia
A Comparison of two communities, Augusta County, Virginia and Franklin County, Pennsylvania.
A Comparison of two communities, Augusta County, Virginia and Franklin County, Pennsylvania.
The Entire Civil War in 4 Minutes!
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From the Lincoln Presidential Museum. This is a good overview of the exhibits, although I could not find the actual 4-minute video online. I have the disc, which is available on the official site. It is worth purchasing. Working on it.
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Congressional Debate over Reconstruction
Lincoln
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In this scene Thaddeus Stevens (played by Tommy Lee Jones) defends the idea of a Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution banning slavery, tearing into Delaware Democrat Representative George H. Pendleton, and his opposition to such an Amendment. From 2012's great movie, Lincoln. "As the American Civil War continues to rage, America's president struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on the decision to emancipate the slaves".
Director: Steven Spielberg Writers: Tony Kushner (screenplay), Doris Kearns Goodwin (based in part on the book "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln") -From IMDB |
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Reconstruction Era Amendments and Their Legacy
Here, with an Actively Learn assignment, we will learn how the end of the Civil War led to changes to the Constitution, and what those changes have meant for African-Americans. Click the correct button below.
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Lecture: Reconstruction
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Reconstruction Overview
Actively Learn
Actively Learn
The Legacy Of Robert Fitzgerald, A Teacher Of Freed People
Exam Skills: SAQ (Short Answer Question)-How Radical Was Reconstruction?
From the Cengage Learning Teacher's Resource Guide, 2016
From the Cengage Learning Teacher's Resource Guide, 2016
"Expanding Varying Viewpoints"-"How Radical Was Reconstruction?" (pp. 483-484) Click the button below.
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Exam Skills: SAQ (Short Answer Question)-"Is This a Republican Form of Government? (Political Cartoon) By Thomas Nast, Harper's Weekly, 1876" (p. 483)
From the Cengage Learning Teacher's Resource Guide, 2016 Could you answer the questions below? a) Briefly explain the point of view expressed by Nast about ONE of the following: -Constitutional Changes of the Reconstruction Period -The Rights of African Americans -Southern Resistance to Reconstruction b) Briefly explain ONE development from 1865 to 1877 that may have led to the point of view expressed by Nast. c)Briefly explain ONE way in which the developments from 1865 to 1877 challenged the point of view expressed by Nast. 
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The Cartoons below would be, and have been, used by the College Board to address similar themes involving the Reconstruction Period.
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