United States History

Syllabus Topics

First Quarter Topic Outline

Second Quarter Topic Outline

Third Quarter Topic Outline
Fourth Quarter Topic Outline

Family History Project Outline

This class is designed to give students a thorough understanding of  United States History, as well as develop critical thinking skills.   Memorization of names, dates, and events is a starting point and required in all aspects of the class.  Additional emphasis is placed on understanding various historical perspectives.  The goal is for the student to develop an understanding of both the historical events and the context in which they occurred.  Knowing the event and then understanding it are of equal importance in this process.  Students are encouraged to question the way in which history is reported and the conventional meaning given to historical topic being discussed.

No single text book is used for this class.  Instead, students are required to read important literary works from different eras.  Projects require students to reference primary and secondary research sources.  The goal is for students to learn directly from the historical source being discussed.  Simulations are designed to encourage more research and develop critical thinking skills.

Lectures

The classes will consist almost entirely of lectures. The syllabus will be followed very closely. Lectures are supplemented with assignments, simulations, readings, and discussions.  Students are requried to keep detailed notes from the lectures, since this will be the primary source of test and quiz material.

Students are required to hand in all assigned homework as noted in the syllabus and reviewed in class.

1. Europeans entering into a strange new environment and responding to it.
2. An examination of the foundation and development of a new nation based primarily on an agrarian society.
3. The nation’s early tribulations caused by the transition from a rural, agricultural base to an urban, industrial base.
4. The struggle of a growing nation to take its place among the nations of the world.
5. A study of the nation today with its predominantly urban, consumer-oriented society, emphasizing its role as a world power.

An American who knows our nation’s experiences can serve the country intelligently. Our main objective in teaching United States History, then, is not to review the past for its own sake, but to show that the present is the result of the past: The future will be the result of the present. How wisely we as a nation live and plan from day to day will determine our future. Students will learn that upheavals are not new, that mankind has often confronted them, dealt with them, and gone on to better ways of living. They will also learn that quick and easy answers to human problems are seldom workable. They learn, in short, the value of historical perspective.

1. From a list of the original 13 colonies, select three and identify the founder (s) and his (their) philosophy of government, each colony’s religious stance, and the major economic activity in each colony.
2. Having studied six to eight British laws which the colonists found offensive, the student will list and explain three.
3. Give four reasons why the colonists succeeded in winning the war for independence.
4. Given a list of the presidents, the student will be able to construct a profile of six of them by incorporating information from at least four of the following areas: political affiliation, approximate dates of his administration, major national problems and interests during his term of office, the man’s policies, effectiveness and his policies.
5. Explain the term “manifest destiny” and its influence on American life from 1815 to 1855.
6. Compare and contrast northern and southern advantages at the onset of the Civil War.
7. Write a short paper explaining why post Civil War America began changing from a rural agrarian society to an industrial urban society.
8. Construct four specific incidents in American foreign policy during the period 1871-1900, which helped Americans develop an interest in world politics.
9. List several reasons why America entered World War I, America’s effective on the war’s direction, and two post war world conditions that are a direct result of American intervention.
10. The 1920s were a unique period in American history. Prove or disprove.
11. Identify six legislative attempts to end the great depression. Rate the effectiveness of each.
12. Explain America’s part in World War II with the emphasis on causes, goals, and degree of success in reaching these goals.
13. Identify: Fair Deal, Cold War, Marshall Plan, Truman Doctrine, Korean Conflict, Eisenhower Doctrine, New Frontier, and Great Society.
14. Demonstrate the importance of Watergate. Be able to tell what it was, who was involved, and several ways in which it changed the course of American history.
15. Tell how Gerald Ford came to be our first non-elected president. Briefly rate his presidency.
16. Explain the philosophical differences between the Carter and Reagan administrations.
17. Compare and contrast the Bush and Clinton presidencies.