This lesson looks at Thomas Paine and at some of the ideas presented in his pamphlet, "Common Sense,"Â such as national unity, natural rights, the illegitimacy of the monarchy and of hereditary aristocracy, and the necessity for independence and the revolutionary struggle.

This video describes the events and outcomes of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and George's Washington's role at the convention.

The delegates at the 1787 Convention faced a challenge as arduous as those who worked throughout the 1780s to initiate reforms to the American political system. In this unit, students will examine the roles that key American founders played in creating the Constitution, and the challenges they faced in the process.

The goal of this inquiry is for students to gain an informed, critical perspective on the United States Constitution as it stood at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. By investigating the justness of the Constitution, students examine how the Constitution structures the government, the Constitution’s relationship to slavery, and the extent to which the amendment process makes the government more democratic. Through taking a critical look at the Constitution, students should understand the government the Constitution created and develop an evidence-based perspective that serves as a launching pad for informed action.

The goal of this inquiry is to introduce students to historiography as they wrestle with historical significance within the context of a historical controversy. The common narrative about the end of slavery has given credit to President Abraham Lincoln, who earned the nickname “The Great Emancipator.” However, over the past 30 years, many scholars have sought to revise this narrative, with a critical mass now arguing that the slaves freed themselves. Students look at the laws that emancipated certain slaves over time and then examine the arguments contemporary historians have made about who was responsible for freeing the slaves. This inquiry invites students to engage with the actual historical debate, but rather than focusing on the veracity of claims, students concentrate on the significance of the issues behind the claims. By looking at the controversy about who freed the slaves, students should understand why this issue matters 150 years later. It is important to note that, in their contrasting interpretations, scholars do not really disagree on the facts of emancipation, but rather on the interpretation of those facts. This crucial difference is key to helping students engage in what it means to think and act like historians.

In this lesson, students read about the elections of 1800 and 1824, which both resulted in deadlock. A set of discussion questions is provided. In an associated activity, students participate in a simulation based on a hypothetical presidential election in which none of the three candidates wins a majority of electoral votes and the House of Representatives would need to choose the president.

In this lesson, students use secondary sources, maps, and charts to examine the election of 1824. Students then answer analysis questions about the case. There is an extension activity at the end of the lesson that connects the election of 1824 with current presidential politics.

In this activity, students examine the broadside and answer a series of questions. The questions are designed to guide students into a deeper analysis of the source and sharpen associated cognitive skills.

Why was the Emancipation Proclamation important? While the Civil War began as a war to restore the Union, not to end slavery, by 1862 President Abraham Lincoln came to believe that he could save the Union only by broadening the goals of the war. Students can explore the obstacles and alternatives America faced in making the journey toward "a more perfect Union."

Students will explore the question "What is an American" through both historical and modern lenses, discussing how the concept of American identity and the American Dream has evolved over time. Through a power point presentation, class discussion, reading historical and modern interpretations, and completing an art project, students will gain an understanding of the emergence of an American identity.

In this lesson, students will read and discuss an excerpt of Douglass' July 5th oration, examining the contradictions and hypocrisies he raised regarding a nation who owned slaves while celebrating the ideals of liberty and equal rights. Students will apply their understanding of the speech and its themes by planning their own modern day Fourth of July celebration for the White House.

This presentation is intended for use with the lesson "Exploring the Hypocrisy of American Slavery with Frederick Douglass' 'What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?'" In this lesson, students will read and discuss an excerpt of Douglass' July 5th oration, examining the contradictions and hypocrisies he raised regarding a nation who owned slaves while celebrating the ideals of liberty and equal rights. Students will apply their understanding of the speech and its themes by planning their own modern day Fourth of July celebration for the White House.

In this lesson, students will analyze primary documents and use biographical information to explore the effects of the coming American Revolution on one eighteenth-century family.

This resource provides information on Federalist No. 11. The Federalist Papers were originally newspaper essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym Publius, whose immediate goal was to persuade the people of New York to ratify the constitution.

This resource provides information on Federalist No. 12. The Federalist Papers were originally newspaper essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym Publius, whose immediate goal was to persuade the people of New York to ratify the constitution.

This resource provides information on Federalist No. 13. The Federalist Papers were originally newspaper essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym Publius, whose immediate goal was to persuade the people of New York to ratify the constitution.

This resource provides information on Federalist No. 14. The Federalist Papers were originally newspaper essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym Publius, whose immediate goal was to persuade the people of New York to ratify the constitution.

This resource provides information on Federalist No. 15. The Federalist Papers were originally newspaper essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym Publius, whose immediate goal was to persuade the people of New York to ratify the constitution.

This resource provides information on Federalist No. 16. The Federalist Papers were originally newspaper essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym Publius, whose immediate goal was to persuade the people of New York to ratify the constitution.

This resource provides information on Federalist No. 17. The Federalist Papers were originally newspaper essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym Publius, whose immediate goal was to persuade the people of New York to ratify the constitution.