american history Academic library
​American History continues the process of developing in students an understanding of and appreciation for God’s activity as seen in the record of man and his relationships. The course covers early American exploration to the present day, placing special emphasis on the politics of the 18th and early 19th centuries and the Civil War. These areas of focus target three major content strands: History, Geography, and Government and Citizenship.
AMERICAN HISTORY ONLINE
Unit 1 - FOUNDATIONS OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC
  1. Course Overview
  2. Revival of Trade and Commerce
  3. New Ideas and Religious Changes
  4. Quiz 1: Foundation of the American Republic
  5. Colonization Begins in the New World
  6. Project: Jamestown - Imagine you are living in England during the early 1600s and employed by the newly-formed London Company. The company directors have appointed you to be the chairman of a committee to plan and organize a colony, called Jamestown, in the new world of America. How would you devise a plan to insure the Jamestown colony will be prosperous and successful? It is important to think about and include the following items in your planning: The kind of people you would send, supplies that would be needed, the type of government, a choice of a location, plans for growth. Your research findings should be summarized in a report of 350 words in length.
  7. Puritan Background and Plymouth Settlement
  8. Puritan Migration and the Settlement of New England
  9. Quiz 2: Colonization Begins
  10. The Middle Colonies
  11. The Southern Colonies
  12. Growth of the Colonies
  13. Quiz 3: Middle and Southern Colonies
  14. Test
  15. Alternate Test
  16. Reference
Unit 2 - DEVELOPMENT OF CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT
  1. Relations with England
  2. French and Indian War
  3. Colonial Resistance
  4. Quiz 1: Relations with England
  5. Second Continental Congress
  6. Opposition and Aid
  7. War in the South and West
  8. Quiz 2: The Revolutionary War
  9. Birth of a Nation
  10. Articles of Confederation
  11. Constitution of the United States
  12. Essay: Constitutional Republic - Write a 750-word paper exploring two examples that the founders adopted to ensure that our Constitutional Republic would remain relevant throughout our history. Use a trusted search engine to research and support your topics with specific examples. Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Include your research sources in the report.  ​You may choose from: 
    1. The "Great Compromise"
    2. The Three Branches
    3. The Federal System
    4. Checks and Balances
    5. The Bill of Rights
    6. Constitutional Amendments 
  13. Quiz 3: Birth of a Nation
  14. Test
  15. Alternate Test
  16. Reference
Unit 3 - NATIONAL EXPANSION
  1. Federal Government
  2. First Political Parties
  3. Essay: Responsibilities - According to Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:12-14, and 1 Timothy 2:1-4, what responsibilities do Christians have as citizens of a nation that gives liberties to its people? Type a 500 word essay describing the various responsibilities, using proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
  4. Quiz 1: Ship of State
  5. The Revolution of 1800
  6. The War of 1812
  7. Quiz 2: Revolution of 1800 and War of 1812
  8. Nationalism and the Monroe Administration
  9. Essay: Foreign Policy – Contemporary government policy on foreign policy can relate to this requirement and be an important writing assignment for the student to establish their own position on this national and world matter in the 21st century. Choose one of the following topics and write a 750 word essay. Use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation in your essay. Washington and Monroe believed the United States should not become involved in European affairs, or The Monroe Doctrine expressed the idea that new countries should be allowed to develop without interference from stronger nation.  Be sure to express how these could work in today’s global community or if they can work.
  10. Sectionalism and the Jackson Administration
  11. Essay: Missouri Compromise - Write an original essay explaining your view of the Missouri Compromise. The problem with compromises is that no one gets their way. This leads to future conflicts. Explain why this statement may or may not be true of the Missouri Compromise. Some things to think about are the advantages and disadvantages of the compromise. Decide whether compromises are necessary in a democratic republic. Explain the reasons for your opinion. State your conclusions in a 750 word essay using proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
  12. Quiz 3: Nationalism and Sectionalism
  13. Test
  14. Alternate Test
  15. Reference
Unit 4 - A NATION DIVIDED
  1. The Emergence of Sectionalism
  2. Project: Leaders of the States' Rights Debate - Write a biography explaining the significant role that each leader played in the sectionalism issue. Using an encyclopedia, the Internet, or other resource, explain the significant role that each of the following leaders played in the sectionalism issue. Type a 200 word biography about each of the following leaders: Calhoun, Clay, Hayne, Jackson, and Webster. Your entire report should be 1000 words in length. You should construct your biography using the following arrangement of information: name, birthplace and date, early career, resident state, political offices held, view on states' rights, and solutions enacted. The biography should be written using proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. List your research sources in the biography
  3. The Division of Land
  4. The Establishment of New Territory
  5. The Division of the People
  6. Quiz 1: The Emergence of Sectionalism
  7. The Emergence of Slavery
  8. Essay: Free-born Residents - Write a report on the accomplishments of free-born residents in colonial America. Benjamin Banneker and Paul Cuffe were free-born residents in colonial America. Use the encyclopedia, Internet, or other resource books to research the lives of these men. As you research, think about the significant role, impact, and accomplishments of each one to the slavery issue. Write a report of 350 words. Be sure to include the accomplishments of each of these men.
  9. The Politics of Slavery
  10. The Politics of Slavery
  11. Essay: Escaped Slave- Write an original essay on slavery. Imagine you are a skilled slave artisan living on a well-run, prosperous plantation. Write an essay of 200 words telling why you have decided to escape to the North.
  12. Quiz 2: The Emergence of Slavery
  13. Test
  14. Alternate Test
  15. Reference
Unit 5 - A NATION DIVIDED AND UNITED
  1. Regional Lifestyles: The East and West
  2. Regional Lifestyles: The South
  3. Quiz 1: Regional Lifestyles
  4. Civil War: Division and Antagonism
  5. Essay: The Trent Affair - A Civil War diplomatic crisis between the United States and Great Britain occurred in November 1861 when an overzealous Union captain stopped and searched the British vessel, Trent. The ship was stopped and boarded in international waters to search for two Confederate ambassadors. Using the Internet, libraries, and other research sources, research the Trent Affair. You should consider the circumstances, participants, and the outcome of this crisis to the North and the South. Construct a typewritten report of 300 words to summarize your research findings. Use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation when constructing your report.
  6. Civil War: Union Blockade and Hostilities
  7. The Civil War: Final Phase
  8. Quiz 2: Civil War
  9. Reconstruction
  10. Quiz 3: Reconstruction
  11. Test
  12. Alternate Test
  13. Reference
Unit 6 - UNITED STATES INVOLVEMENT AT HOME AND ABROAD
  1. U.S. Industry: Birth and Growth
  2. U.S. Industry: Economic Expansion
  3. Quiz 1: Industrial Growth in the United States
  4. Industrial Lifestyle: Trends
  5. Industrial Lifestyle: Labor Movement
  6. Quiz 2: Industrial Lifestyle
  7. Foreign Policy: Isolationism
  8. Essay: Seward’s Proposal - Imagine you are a member of Congress in 1867 and debating William Seward's proposal for the purchase of Alaska. You are asked to explain how you plan to vote on the proposal. Prepare a speech of 350 words explaining either your support for or opposition to the proposal. Thoroughly explain and justify your support for or opposition to the purchase. Use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation as you write your speech. Note: Be sure to write your speech as if you are a member of Congress in 1867, not someone who lives in the present day. Proper documentation includes both parenthetical citations within the body of your report anytime you summarize or quote a source, as well as a works cited page.
  9. Foreign Policy: International Realism
  10. Quiz 3: Foreign Policy
  11. March Toward Conflict: Causes
  12. March Toward Conflict: Factions
  13. Quiz 4: March Toward Conflict
  14. Test
  15. Alternate Test
  16. Reference
Unit 7 THE SEARCH FOR PEACE
  1. The First Global Conflict
  2. A Plan For Peace
  3. Report: A Just Peace - Both supporters for and opponents of the League of Nations hoped to preserve peace. Using the internet, libraries, or other research sources, identify what each group proposed as a means to secure peace for the United States. Analyze the debate between Wilson and the opponents of the League. Then, construct a series of suggestions for a treaty agreement that would have satisfied both sides. Write a 300 word report that defends your version of the treaty. Use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. As Woodrow Wilson, how would you have presented your argument for a just peace rather than a peace of vengeance? Be thorough and persuasive, challenging your arguments with those from the opposing side.
  4. Quiz 1: The Great War and Its Aftermath
  5. The Golden Twenties
  6. Quiz 2: The Golden Twenties
  7. The Great Depression
  8. Quiz 3: The Great Depression
  9. The New Deal
  10. Essay: New Deal- Choose three of the acts of Roosevelt's New Deal and write a report of 750 words. Include in your report the effect of each act on the United States.
  11. Quiz 4: The New Deal
  12. Test
  13. Alternate Test
  14. Reference
Unit 8 - A NATION AT WAR
  1. World War II: Causes of the War
  2. World War II: Theaters of Operation
  3. Quiz 1: World War II
  4. Communist Threat: World Unrest
  5. Korean Conflict: The Cold War Becomes Hot
  6. Report: Containment Policy - Many Americans have questioned whether fighting a full-scale war against China or a war of containment was the best policy for fighting the Korean War. Using the Internet, library, and other sources, research how Truman and MacArthur differed over strategy in fighting the Korean War. After analyzing each position, determine whether MacArthur or Truman had the best strategy. In a report of 200 words, state your reasons and arguments for the position you have chosen. Use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation in the essay. Make your arguments as strongly convincing as possible.
  7. Quiz 2: Korean Conflict
  8. Vietnam: Fighting Communism in S.E. Asia
  9. Vietnam: Withdrawal by the United States
  10. Quiz 3: Vietnam Conflict
  11. Test
  12. Alternate Test
  13. Reference
Unit 9 - CONTEMPORARY AMERICA
  1. America in the 1960s: Part 1
  2. Report: Kennedy Assassination
  3. Report: I Have a Dream
  4. America in the 1960s: Part 2
  5. The International Scene of the 1960s
  6. Quiz 1: America in the 1960s
  7. America in the 1970s: Part 1
  8. America in the 1970s: Part 2
  9. The International Scene of the 1970s
  10. Quiz 2: America in the 1970s
  11. America in the 1980s and 1990s: Part 1
  12. America in the 1980s and 1990s: Part 2
  13. America in a New Century
  14. Quiz 3: America in the 1980s and 1990s
  15. The International Scene - 1980-Present: Part 1
  16. The International Scene - 1980-Present: Part 2
  17. Our Nation Saw Evil. . .
  18. America's Department of Homeland Security
  19. Report: Department of Homeland Security - Because the Department of Homeland Security is such a new organization, its limits and powers have yet to be tested and fully defined. The scope of its power and influence can only be determined over time. All American citizens must ask themselves if this organization formed for their security has the potential to threaten their liberties. Each citizen has a responsibility to ensure that the government and its agencies operate within the limits of the Constitution, just as our forefathers intended. While one of the government's main roles is to protect its citizens, at the same time, the citizens of the United States must remain the guardians of their own freedoms. Using at least three sources (magazines, the Internet, or other resources), research the Department of Homeland Security and its relationship with the Constitution. Use your information to write a 400-word report. For your three main points: 1) Discuss the need for the Department of Homeland Security. 2) Discuss the importance of protecting individuals' Constitutional freedoms. 3)  Discuss how the Department of Homeland Security can best do its job of protecting the American people without infringing the rights of the people. Where or how do we "draw the line" between security and rights?
  20. Terrorism Has a Name: Bin Laden
  21. Quiz 4: The International Scene 1980-1995
  22. Test
  23. Alternate Test
  24. Reference
Unit 10 - UNITED STATES HISTORY REVIEW
  1. ​​Changes in Europe
  2. Early Colonization
  3. Quiz 1: Europe and the American Colonies
  4. Rising Tensions in the Colonies
  5. Second Continental Congress
  6. Colonial Government
  7. Quiz 2: The American Revolution
  8. United States of the 1800s
  9. Jackson Era
  10. Report: Regional Lifestyles – Using an encyclopedia, the Internet, or other references, research the regional lifestyles of the people in the Northeast, the West, and the South in the years 1800-1840. Write a 750-word essay in which you compare and contrast the differences in regional lifestyles. Use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation in your essay
  11. Report: Sectionalism and Slavery - Using an encyclopedia, the Internet, or other resources, research how regional differences and sectionalism added to the problem of slavery. Write an 400-word report explaining how these regional attitudes contributed to America's increasing dispute over slavery. Use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
  12. Civil War
  13. Reconstruction of the South
  14. Quiz 3: United States of the 1800's
  15. Industrialization of the United States
  16. World War I
  17. Quiz 4: Industrialization of the United States
  18. The United States: From World War II to Vietnam
  19. From John F. Kennedy to Gerald R. Ford
  20. From Jimmy Carter to George W. Bush
  21. Quiz 5: Current History of the United States
  22. The '80s and Beyond
  23. Quiz 6: The 80s and 90s
  24. Test
  25. Alternate Test
  26. Reference