In this lesson, students review the history of the Panama Canal. A set of discussion questions is provided. In an associated activity, students will consider other "great enterprises" in American history and hypothesize what they think the next great enterprise will be.

In this lesson, students will use political cartoons to become familiar with the core issues and concerns of the treaty process, including President Woodrow Wilson's support of the Treaty of Versailles and US Congressional (mostly Republican) opposition.

A chapter from The American Yawp open source history textbook focusing on, "The Triumph of the Right."

In this lesson, students review examples of America's nation-building efforts in various countries. In an associated activity, students will consider several situations and discuss whether they could and should be labeled as nation-building missions.

In this lesson, students will identify important information from a variety of document types relating to the United States' participation at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. Secondly, students will focus on sequencing and rating the importance and/or usefulness of the documents to the overall theme. Finally, students will work in a small group setting to create a proposal for Woodrow Wilson as to what should be done with Alsace-Lorraine. The final objective allows students to compare their proposal to the actual Treaty of Versailles.

In 1960, as President Eisenhower’s second term was drawing to a close, the mood of American voters reflected one of restlessness. Between the U.S. economy experiencing a recession and recent Cold War achievements by the Soviets including the successful launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 and the development of long range missiles, Americans were feeling vulnerable. Along with U.S. foreign powers setbacks in 1960 (the U-2 incident and the alignment of Cuba with the Soviet Union) many Americans were beginning to question whether the U.S. might be losing the Cold War. Therefore, as two very different personalities campaigned for the Presidency, the role of the media took center

As progressives worked for domestic reform in political, economic, and social matters, others focused on and pushed for U.S. expansion overseas. American Imperialism was partly rooted in 'American exceptionalism,' the idea that the United States was different from other countries due to its specific world mission to spread liberty and democracy. While many Americans favored imperialistic endeavors, others wondered if the contradiction to democratic ideals was too large of a gamble in the area of foreign affairs

As Soviet and U.S. soldiers worked together to liberate Germany at the end of World War II in Europe, many on both sides hoped for continued friendship between the two countries. However, problems had been building between the two nations both before and during the war. Combined with the incompatibility of the economic and political systems that drove both countries, significant foreign policy clashes were imminent.

In this lesson, students review the history of immigration quotas in the United States and the issue of how to assist Jewish refugees in the time of WWII. A set of discussion questions is provided. In an associated activity, students role play a meeting between President Roosevelt and members of his cabinet where they will review 5 proposals concerning the issue of aid to Jews during the war.

In this lesson, students will be able to understand imperialism through the use of political cartoons and class discussion. Students will analyze political cartoons and quotes and decide which side each cartoon and quote sides with, then create their own political cartoon with an opposing quote which will allow them to present two different points of view on a particular topic.

In this lesson, students will use political cartoons to become familiar with the role of the United States in the Post-World War One Era.

The influence of President Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921) on American foreign policy has been profound and lasting. In this curriculum unit, students will study the formation, application, and outcomes--successes and failures alike--of Wilson's foreign policy. Ultimately, students will evaluate the legacy of Wilsonianism in U.S. foreign relations and its extension into contemporary U.S. history.

In this lesson, students explore how President Wilson sought a way for nations to join together to achieve peace. A set of discussion questions is provided. In an associated activity, students will evaluate Wilson's Fourteen Points.

Discover the key fronts of World War I and the impact of the United States’ involvement.

A chapter from The American Yawp open source history textbook focusing on, "World War II."

A chapter from The American Yawp open source history textbook focusing on, "World War I & Its Aftermath."