This course provides a basic history of American social, economic, and political development from the colonial period through the Civil War. It examines the colonial heritages of Spanish and British America; the American Revolution and its impact; the establishment and growth of the new nation; and the Civil War, its background, character, and impact. Readings include writings of the period by J. Winthrop, T. Paine, T. Jefferson, J. Madison, W. H. Garrison, G. Fitzhugh, H. B. Stowe, and A. Lincoln.

A great virtual plan for students to learn more about the events and people that lead to the American Revolution.

The decision of Britain's North American colonies to rebel against the Mother Country was an extremely risky one. In this unit, consisting of three lesson plans, students will learn about the diplomatic and military aspects of the American War for Independence.

This lesson plan is designed to help 5th grade students explore the events and effects of the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolutionary War through research of informational text, video presentation and pictures, with the ultimate goal of understanding the effect of the battle on the war. The lesson is best delivered in an in person whole group setting, but could be modified to be used in an online format. Time Frame: 45 - 60 minutesPhoto by Melanie Nixon

In this activity students will identify and define seven key ideas contained in the U.S. Constitution by making matches from the grid. They will then analyze documents that demonstrate each big idea in action.

This activity is designed to prepare students for the Constitution-in-Action Learning Lab at the National Archives in Washington, DC. It is a part of a package of pre-visit activities associated with the lab experience.

By exploring historical accounts of events surrounding the Boston Tea Party, students learn about the sources and methods that historians use to reconstruct what happened in the past.

This 3-room video tour of the U.S. Capitol, featuring the Crypt, Rotunda, and National Statuary Hall.

This activity is designed to help students understand the debates at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 that shaped America’s legislative branch of government. The primary goal of this activity is for students to discover how a compromise balanced the needs of large states and small states and how this led to the creation of the current House of Representatives and Senate.

The Constitution acted like a colossal merger, uniting a group of states with different interests, laws, and cultures. Under Americaâ"s first national government, the Articles of Confederation, the states acted together only for specific purposes. The Constitution united its citizens as members of a whole, vesting the power of the union in the people. Without it, the American Experiment might have ended as quickly as it had begun.

This lesson plan looks at the major ideas in the Declaration of Independence, their origins, the Americans' key grievances against the King and Parliament, their assertion of sovereignty, and the Declaration's process of revision.

A complete listing of EDSITEment's lessons on the causes, the course and the consequences of the American Revolution and Independence

The significance of -- Brigham Young, colonizer -- is discussed in this media item extracted from the 22-part video series THE GEOGRAPHY OF UTAH, conceived and written by Albert L. Fisher, PhD (University of Utah). The series encompasses the political, cultural, historical and sociological geography of the state of Utah. It describes the activities, the land and the people. Much of the video material was videotaped on location throughout the state of Utah, giving the student and interested viewer valuable field trip experiences.

The significance of -- Mormon Presence in Utah -- is discussed in this media item extracted from the 22-part video series THE GEOGRAPHY OF UTAH, conceived and written by Albert L. Fisher, PhD (University of Utah). The series encompasses the political, cultural, historical and sociological geography of the state of Utah. It describes the activities, the land and the people. Much of the video material was videotaped on location throughout the state of Utah, giving the student and interested viewer valuable field trip experiences. === "The Geography of Religion" was one program in the 22 part series, "The Geography of Utah," produced in 1982. The importance religion holds for understanding Utah's Pioneer past, its present, and future is discussed. Traditional areas of Mormon influence and the notion of "Mormon Territoriality" are described. The meaning of the Mormon Ward is also defined. The late Leonard Arrington, former director of the Joseph Fielding Smith Center for LDS Church History, contributes to the discussion in interview excerpts. ===

The significance of -- Sugar industry in Utah, pioneer period -- is discussed in this media item extracted from the 22-part video series THE GEOGRAPHY OF UTAH, conceived and written by Albert L. Fisher, PhD (University of Utah). The series encompasses the political, cultural, historical and sociological geography of the state of Utah. It describes the activities, the land and the people. Much of the video material was videotaped on location throughout the state of Utah, giving the student and interested viewer valuable field trip experiences.

This resource is a Social Studies student activity that utilizes Utah's Online Library resources - specifically, Gale's Biography in Context, EBSCO's Biography Reference Center, and World Book Encyclopedia to help students learn about the heroes of the American Revolution. 

Explore the philosophical contributions that Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson made to the movement for American independence. The lesson introduces students to some of the important precursor documents, such as Franklin's Albany Plan of 1754 and Jefferson's Draft of the Virginia Constitution, that led to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Using elementary documents, this lesson aims to introduce students to how the American revolutionaries employed religion in their arguments for independence.

George Washington became President"”reluctantly"”at a critical time in the history of the United States. The Confederation had threatened to unravel; the weak central government (which included a weak executive with the sole responsibility of presiding over meetings of Congress and no special power to initiate laws beyond that of any member of Congress, enforce laws, or check acts of Congress) created by the Articles of Confederation had failed.

In this lesson, students examine Washington as a military leader and explore some of the difficulties he faced during the Revolutionary War.

This resource is a Social Studies student activity that utilizes Utah's Online Library resources - specifically, Gale's Kids InfoBits, Gale's Research in Context Grades 6-8, Gale's InfoTrac Student Edition, EBSCO's Explora Elementary and Middle Schools, and World Book Encyclopedia to help students learn about The Liberty Bell.