U.S. History

Were the American colonies religiously diverse?

This inquiry asks students to consider the various ways in which the American colonies allowed for and restricted religious diversity. Many students understand that colonists wanted religious freedom, but this inquiry will challenge students to develop a more nuanced understanding of religious diversity and freedom in the New World.

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 forced removal from their land impact the lives of American Indians?

In this lesson, students will examine primary sources to understand the experiences and perspectives of Native people of the past and today connected to this pivotal moment in U.S. history: Indian Removal. Through a variety of documentary material, students will analyze the justifications, resistance, and consequences of policies like the Indian Removal Act of 1830. 

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.

Was Tammany Hall good for democracy?

In this lesson, students will examine primary sources to understand how political machines like Tammany Hall were both beneficial and harmful to American democracy. Through a variety of documentary material, students will analyze the specific ways in which Tammany Hall helped and hindered democracy, while ultimately arriving at a better understanding of American democracy today.

Did the Hello Girls advance women’s rights?

The Hello Girls were a group of women who served as telephone operators during World War I, providing crucial communication support for the U.S. Army. Students will examine the Hello Girls role in the war effort and the challenges they faced to gain recognition after the war to understand the role that the Hello Girls played in advancing women’s rights.

Did the New Deal go too far or not far enough?

During the Great Depression, Americans engaged in debate over the role of government and the extent to which government needed to be a part of American life. This lesson asks students to grapple with those questions as they examine criticism of the New Deal from both the left and the right, before considering how that discourse applies to the role of government today.

Note: This lesson is not asking students to determine who was right or wrong in the debate over the New Deal, despite the compelling question. Instead, it is an opportunity to examine and evaluate the role of government in American society.

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.

Did Americans experience an expansion or contraction of freedom in the postwar era?

Through analysis of primary source documents students will explore the expansion and contraction of freedom for Americans in the years following World War II. The postwar period was marked by significant social, political, and economic changes that both broadened and restricted the freedoms of different groups in society. While many Americans enjoyed new opportunities and civil rights gains, others faced renewed challenges in their pursuit of equality and justice. Documents in this lesson illustrate the complexity of the postwar era and students will arrive at a more nuanced understanding of American freedom.

Was the Indian Occupation of Alcatraz successful?

The Indian Occupation of Alcatraz, which began on November 20, 1969, was a pivotal protest by a group of Native American activists who occupied the abandoned prison island in San Francisco Bay. They claimed the land under the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, asserting that it had been wrongfully taken from Native people and was now a symbol of governmental neglect. The occupation lasted for 19 months, drawing national attention to Native American issues and playing a crucial role in the rise of the Red Power movement.