In this lesson, students learn about the development of the welfare system as a response to the Great Depression. A set of discussion questions is provided. In an associated activity, students debate about who should be responsible for welfare based on four different proposed positions. After a class-wide discussion, students will write an editorial explaining why the position they support is the most preferable.

In this lesson, students explore how the first state constitutions provided the building blocks for the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights. Discussion questions are provided. In an associated activity, students investgate the use of "religious tests" in the state constitutions.

This lesson explores the Federalist Papers. First, students engage in a discussion about how they get information about current issues. Next, they read a short history of the Federalist Papers
and work in small groups to closely examine the text. Then, each small group presents its ideas to the class as a catalyst for further, large-group discussion. Finally, students work in small groups to research a Federalist or Anti-Federalist and role-play this person in a classroom debate on the adoption of the Constitution. Writing activities follow that allow students to use their understanding of the history and significance of the Federalist Papers.

This resource introduces students to primary source documents associated with the Revolutionary War. Associated learning activities extend students' knowledge through analysis and interpretation of the images.

In this lesson, students will use documents from 1865 to 1902 to examine the impact of Reconstruction on African American Rights. It is the student’s role to determine the extent to which this impact resulted more broadly in change or continuity for African Americans. By the end of this lesson, students will be able to evaluate the impact of Reconstruction on African American rights by analyzing documents and completing a Brief Constructed Response (BCR).

In this lesson, students read and analyze a series of excerpts from George Washington's letters, journal, speeches, and other documents in order to match the quotation to the event or date in his life.

Compelling Question:  Did Reconstruction after the Civil War succeed or Fail in its goals?Supporting Question I What were the successes of Reconstruction? 1 day    Supporting Question II What were the failures of Reconstruction?1 day    Supporting Question IIIWhat was the lasting impact on American society due to Reconstruction? 1 day 

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the political compromises over the issues of slavery in America to understand how political compromises lead to war.  Through an examination of secondary sources and geography, students will learn how to arguments over the expansion of slavery contributed to growing sectionalism in order to t answer the compelling question “Was compromise a good strategy to use to prevent the Civil War?”

Compelling Question: Was the American Revolution justified? Supporting Question I What were colonist’s justifications for revolution?Supporting Question II What were British justifications for revolution? Supporting Question III What just and unjust actions did both sides take leading up to the revolution?

Even in its first 30 years of existence, the U.S. Constitution had to prove its durability and flexibility in a variety of disputes. More often than not, James Madison, the "Father of the Constitution," took part in the discussion.

This video re-enactment portrays Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton debating issues of scope and power of the state and national governments.

In this lesson, students read about the Boston Massacre and the subsequent trials. A set of discussion questions is provided. In an associated activity, students will role play the jury in the trial of the British soldiers.

Discover the stories of the men, women, and children that were enslaved and lived at Vance Birthplace in the mountains of North Carolina from 1795-1865. This audio tour was completed in partnership with the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission.

This page provides a variety of resources to assist students in learning more about the Jefferson era.

Americans affirmed their independence with the ringing declaration that "all men are created equal." Some of them owned slaves, however,and were unwilling to give them up as they gave speeches and wrote pamphlets championing freedom, liberty, and equality. So "to form a more perfect union" in 1787, certain compromises were made in the Constitution regarding slavery. This settled the slavery controversy for the first few decades of the American republic, but this situation changed with the application of Missouri for statehood in 1819.

This lesson will focus on the chief objections of the Anti-federalists, especially The Federal Farmer (Richard Henry Lee), Centinel, and Brutus, regarding the extended republic. Students will become familiar with the larger issues surrounding this debate, including the nature of the American Union, the difficulties of uniting such a vast territory with a diverse multitude of regional interests, and the challenges of maintaining a free republic as the American people moved toward becoming a nation rather than a mere confederation of individual states.

Students examine the Autobiography of Frederick Douglass to discover how his skilled use of language painted a realistic portrait of slavery and removed some common misconceptions about slaves and their situation.

What conditions provided the impetus for the Sedition Act? Partisan animosity was strong during Adams's presidency. The first two political parties in the U.S. were in their infancy"”the Federalists, to which the majority of members of Congress belonged, and the Democratic-Republicans, led by former vice-president Thomas Jefferson and four-term Congressman James Madison, who had left the House in 1796.

Many accounts portray the campaign of 1840 as almost exclusively image-based. This lesson offers students the opportunity to reflect on the nature of the campaign. Though intended for the teacher, all or part of the following background information may be useful for some students.

This lesson will help students develop a better understanding of the election of 1824 and its significance.