Unit 2

This unit bundles student expectations that address the exploration and colonization of North America, specifically the British colonies. Beginning with the 1565 founding of St. Augustine, the colonization of the Americas resulted in changes in global trade patterns and new settlement patterns in the Americas. The establishment of colonies in North America by the British was the first step towards the eventual creation of the United States. A study of United States history is rooted in an understanding of the heritage of the British colonization.

Prior to this unit, students practiced the critical thinking skills related to historical inquiry.

During this unit, students study about the European colonization of the Americas, the economic patterns established by the colonists, and the establishment of representative governments in the colonies. Students continue to practice geographic analysis by examining maps that depict colonial claims and settlement patterns in the American colonies.