Lessons

Why did Americans argue over the ratification of the Constitution?

During and after the Constitutional Convention, Americans engaged in a debate over the role of government in their local and state governments as well as their individual rights and interests. This argument has continued to permeate American society over time, and offers students an interesting bridge to begin wading into the Early American Republic.

How did the Missouri Compromise intensify debate over slavery?

This inquiry asks students to delve into the Missouri Compromise and consider its influence on the abolition movement. According to historian Manisha Sinha in her book The Slave’s Cause: A History of Abolition, “The Missouri controversy revived northern criticisms of southern slavery. Men who had taken the lead in the Missouri debate became prominent in abolition.” As such, students explore the phenomena through the perspectives of two abolitionists (along with a Southern newspaper optionally), think about what changed, and evaluate the legacy of the Missouri Compromise.

How did the Second Great Awakening influence reform during the Antebellum period?

In this lesson, students consider the connections between the Second Great Awakening, an Evangelical spiritual revival, and various reform movements of the Antebellum period, such as the temperance movement, abolition, public education, and women’s rights. 

Through this, they will explore both the religious motivations of Antebellum reformers and how Christian symbolism and language was used in their works to appeal to revivalist calls to rid American society of sin.

Was violence in the Antebellum Congress a cause or effect of sectionalism in the United States?

In the midst of sectional strife and conflict over slavery, students will be surprised to learn that politicians in Congress were literally at each other’s throats. Indeed, according to Joanne Freeman in her book The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to the Civil War, Congress was frequently a scene of physical conflict.

This lesson asks students to both contextualize the violence as well as consider the effects it might have had on Americans who found themselves increasingly divided.

What did freed people want after claiming their freedom?

The conclusion of the Civil War saw an end to chattel slavery in the United States and an effort to rebuild the South and the nation as a whole. At the same time, upon being emancipated, freed people found themselves confronting new, along with familiar, challenges in the new South.

This lesson asks students to explore the wants of freed people from their own voices to better understand their challenges and actions during Reconstruction.

How did Japanese Americans respond to incarceration?

During World War II, over a hundred thousand people of Japanese descent were incarcerated over a perceived security risk on the West Coast. Over two thirds of those who were incarcerated were American citizens.

This lesson has students explore four different perspectives to better understand the experiences of those who were incarcerated. From those sources, students will consider the different ways in which Japanese Americans responded to incarceration.