From the first years of the republic under the Constitution through the 1850s, America experienced rapid growth and expansion, opening new lands and opportunities for its people, and experiencing a variety of growing pains in the process. Political, social, and economic challenges confronted American political leaders, in some cases threatening the union. This toolkit provides guiding questions and links to essential documents, resources, and lesson plans related to expansion and sectionalism.

Eleven short videos feature constitutional experts, lawyers and judges who discuss juries and jury service, including the American and English histories, the types of juries, how a trial works, and the perspective from the judge, defense and prosecution.

One of the most famous political speeches on freedom in the twentieth century was delivered by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in his 1941 State of the Union message to Congress. This lesson examines the rhetorical use of "freedom" with the objective of encouraging students to glimpse the broad range of hopes and aspirations that are expressed in the call of and for freedom.

The Fair and Impartial Judiciary Symposium convened lawyers, scholars, judges and thought leaders at the University of Pennsylvania Law School to address the meaning and impact of an independent judiciary. The topics included the meaning of âfair and impartial judiciaryâ; the difference between state and federal courts; the challenges to judicial independence; deciding difficult cases; and the Supreme Court. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy gave the closing talk on âThe Nature of Judicial Independence.â The symposium was organized by the Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Education in partnership with the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. Discussion guides accompany the videos.

A list of fascinating facts about the Supremem Court of the United States of America

Students will distinguish between what constitutes culture and what makes up personal individuality. This activity invites students to identify aspects of culture that influence our own behavior and sometimes make it difficult to understand the behavior of other people. Culture is a complex idea, and teachers should be prepared to offer students many examples of cultural features.

A list of powers in the United States along with a graphic organizer to show whether these powers belong with the nation, state, or are shared. Easy reference for the student to use throughout the semester to identify who holds which powers. Can be used to assess understanding of power distribution also.

Explore the evolving division of duties and powers between the federal and state governments throughout the eras of federalism using an interactive timeline and associated resources.

As a part of the Federalist Papers, James Madison wrote Federalist No. 10 in 1787. In this essay, Madison defended the republican form of government created by the Constitution. He discussed the concepts of majority rule and minority rights and the factions in preventing tyranny. Clips from Journalist George Will and Senators James Lankford and Ted Cruz are included along with guiding questions about specific ideas found in Federalist 10.

This lesson explores the content, meaning, authorship, and application of Federalist 51. It contains various video clips and a graphic organizer to be used in analyzing Federalist 51.

This lesson focuses on the debates among the U.S. Founders surrounding the distribution of power between states and the federal government. Students learn about the pros and cons of state sovereignty vs. federalism and have the opportunity to argue different sides of the issue.

As students read have them note the ways in which Hamilton says the judiciary's power will be limited.

This curriculum unit explores some of the most important arguments of those opposing or supporting the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

The ratification of the Constitution was hotly debated across the country but nowhere as fiercely as in New York. Students read Federalist and Anti-Federalist positions from the New York State Convention to explore the different sides of the debate and to understand who stood on each side.

The Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1870, the third of three “Reconstruction Amendments” ratified in the wake of the Civil War. It prevented the U.S. government and States from denying citizens the right to vote based on “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Prominent suffragists, including Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, advocated for the inclusion of “sex” among these categories, but were ultimately unsuccessful.

In this lesson, students will gain an understanding of how the Supreme Court's interpretation of the First Amendment changed in light of the Fourteenth Amendment. They will also analyze Thomas Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, evaluate the Supreme Court's application of Jefferson's metaphor about the wall of separation between church and state, and assess how much weight should be given to Jefferson's letter in determining the constitutionality of state action with respect to religion.

After completing the lessons in this unit, students will be able to summarize the contents of the First Amendment and give examples of speech that is protected by the Constitution and speech that is not protected by the Constitution.

Fear of factionalism and political parties was deeply rooted in Anglo-American political culture before the American Revolution. Leaders such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson hoped their new government, founded on the Constitution, would be motivated instead by a common intent, a unity. But political parties did form in the United States, with their beginnings in Washington's cabinet.