Unit 1: Becoming America

Unit Description

While the USA may be a global superpower today, it was once a land of 13 independent colonies, all subservient to England. The relationship between mother country and colonist was mirrored in the relationships between the wealthy colonial elites and the people they enslaved and brought here, and the Native Americans who they massacred in pursuit of their own growth and development. Still, despite disunion, the young colonies pulled together to overthrow a global superpower, who they thought had wronged them. Our country promised to be the “land of the free” – but did it stay that way throughout our history?

Then, rising from the ashes of the American Revolution, our 13 colonies were almost independent states. Our Founding Fathers, fearful of a strong central government that would resemble the monarchy they detested, decided to try out a weak one. That government failed. With this knowledge in mind, our Founding Fathers returned to the drawing board. This time, they crafted a strong central government that has survived since they created it. Our Founding Fathers did not have an easy undertaking; many criticisms and changes accompanied this process, until those with memories of British tyranny were satisfied that the government protected the rights of the people. This has not lasted into today; many lambast that the government no longer gets its power from the people, but instead those in power are responsive to the whims of the wealthy elite.

In this unit, we will learn how we became America through the history of the colonies and the American Revolution. We will explore how our government is set up, why it is set up that way, and whether our government lives up to the promises set forth in the Preamble to the United States Constitution.

Essential Question

When is overthrowing government justifiable?

Themes

    • Historians must challenge the dominant historical narrative because it is often told from the perspective of the oppressor.
    • Governments should protect their people, and if they do not, citizens have the right to change or abolish the government.
    • Nations enter conflicts to increase their power and defend their way of life.
    • Social and practical innovations affect how people live throughout the course of history.

Standards Addressed

    • 7.1.1 Produce clear and coherent writing for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences
    • 7.2.3: Evaluate the development of United States government from the First Continental Congress through the ratification of the United States Constitution
    • 7.2.4 Produce clear and coherent writing for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences
    • 7.6.1 Analyze settlement patterns of racial and ethnic groups in the United States from 1763–1877
    • 7.8.1: Evaluate the major purposes of government according to the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States
    • 7.8.2: Differentiate between various forms of government
    • 7.8.3: Explain how key ideas expressed in historical documents influence the formation of U.S. government
    • 7.8.4: Evaluate the principles of government according to the U.S. Constitution
    • 7.8.5: Describe the structure and powers of the three branches of the federal government
    • 7.8.6: Illustrate how a bill becomes a law at the national level
    • 7.8.7: Describe the process used to amend the Constitution
    • 7.8.8: Examine how key legislation and court decisions influenced the course of United States history from 1763-1877
    • 7.8.9: Explain how federal officials are elected or appointed
    • 7.9.1 Compare and contrast political divisions of the world from 1763–1877
    • 7.9.2 Explain various ways nations interact and the impact of these interactions from 1763–1877
    • 7.9.3 Explain how United States foreign policy was developed and carried out from 1781–1877
    • 7.10.1: Describe the influences on and the development and expansion of individual rights and freedoms
    • 7.10.2: Identify and describe ways in which citizens influence change in a democratic society
    • 7.10.3: Explain the duties and responsibilities of United States citizens
    • 7.10.4: Describe the qualifications or requirements for United States citizenship
    • 7.10.5 Describe the development and roles of political parties and special interest groups in the United States from 1787–1877
    • 7.11.2 Explain how economic interdependence developed between regions of the United States and with foreign countries
    • 7.11.3 Describe government policies that influenced the United States economy

Unit Outcomes

Students will know:

  • Differences in physical geography created 3 distinct colonial regions – New England, Middle, and Southern colonies. Each had its own type of government, economy, and society
  • Slavery, which was practiced by Europeans prior to their arrival in the Americas, was important to all of the colonial powers and existed in all of the European North American colonies.
  • Slavery and the slave trade were central to the development and growth of the economy across British North America and, later, the United States.
  • Slavery expanded in the South given its climate (good for growing cash crops).
  • Colonists’ desire for expanded settlement areas impacted relations with Indians and with Britain.
  • Rising tensions between England her colonies were caused by what colonists deemed unfair treatment
  • There were differing opinions about whether the colonies should separate from England
  • The relative strengths and weaknesses of both sides prior to the outbreak of war
  • Help from the French allowed the Americans to defeat England, the world’s foremost superpower.
  • America’s government is not an original idea, but rather the accumulation of ideas from the past
  • The Articles of Confederation, America’s first government, was deliberately weak. It was scrapped after a rebellion exposed its weaknesses.
  • America has a representative or indirect democracy
  • The Preamble explains the major purposes of America’s government
  • Principles embedded in the Constitution (separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, Electoral College, the legislative process) are designed to prevent the central government from becoming too powerful
  • Oppression has been embedded in our Constitution since it was written through slavery
  • Disagreement over the strength of the new government caused our first two political parties to form
  • That disagreement led to the creation of the Bill of Rights, amendments designed to protect the basic freedoms of all citizens
  • Our Constitution contains a process for it be changed so that it can respond to the changing needs of the country.
  • Newcomers to the country must go through a formal process before they are able to receive the protections from our government and perform the responsibilities of citizens.
  • There have been many debates about the rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights; these issues are usually settled by the Supreme Court

Students will be able to:

Historical Thinking:

  • Annotate documents
    • Use the different steps for different types of documents when analyzing their contents
  • Source documents
    • Identify author’s point of view/position on a historical event
    • Identify author’s purpose in producing the document
    • Consider the source’s audience

Writing:

  • U1: Strong body paragraphs
    • TOSEEC
    • Topic Sentences
    • 2 types of evidence

Unit Misconceptions

Students should receive homework to help them memorize the 50 states within the first few weeks of school, otherwise they will struggle with learning about the colonies and westward expansion.

Students may enter the unit with the idea that America has always been an independent country, which may confuse the understanding that we were ruled by England for a very long time. Additionally, students may not understand the United States as a group of disjointed colonies, but rather may only see them as the group of united states that they see and hear about today.

Americans did not all immediately get on board with the new government. There was a tremendous amount of debate over whether the new government should have power over the states.

America today is the world’s oldest modern democracy, but many of our institutions have changed from their original form. Students should compare then to now, but keep in mind that our Constitution is a living document.

Students confuse federalism, federal, and the Federalists because of how similar the words are.

Although the Great Compromise and 3/5ths Compromise are different, both settle the issue of representation. Students often are confused about the concept of representation so be sure to check mastery often. This is a fundamental concept for other things they will learn throughout the year.

Unit Vocabulary

  1. colony- land in a country that is controlled by another country
  2. mercantilism- trade controlled by the mother country
  3. Triangular Trade- trade system between Europe, Africa, and the Americas; introduced the slave trade to the Americas
  4. raw materials- resources that comes from the earth and is used to make other products (ex: cotton)
  5. manufactured goods- products that are made by machine (ex: tshirts)
  6. Middle Passage- long, horrible journey that enslaved people were forced to take to the Americas, part of Triangular Trade between Africa and the Americas
  7. French and Indian War- the war fought between Britain and France over control of the Ohio River Valley
  8. Proclamation of 1763- law passed by Britain after the French & Indian War that said that colonists could not move into the land west of the Appalachian Mountains
  9. Quartering Act- law that said colonists must allow British soldiers to sleep in their houses
  10. Stamp Act- tax on paper products purchased by colonists
  11. Townshend Acts- a series of laws that were considered tyrannical by Americans, including taxes and the Quartering Act
  12. “taxation without representation” - the reason why colonists were angry with the British; the colonists were not allowed to choose representatives to parliament in London, which passed the laws under which they were taxed.
  13. tyranny- cruel and oppressive government
  14. boycott- to stop doing something as a form of protest (usually buying)
  15. protest- a go against something by writing, marching, organizing, etc
  16. Boston Massacre- a riot in Boston between British troops and American citizens, resulting in the death of 5 colonists
  17. Sons of Liberty- groups of Patriots who organized themselves to protest against the British government
  18. Boston Tea Party - a protest against British taxes in which the Sons of Liberty disguised as Native Americans dumped valuable British tea into the Boston Harbor.
  19. Patriots- people who wanted to separate from England and make a new country
  20. Loyalists-people who wanted to remain a part of England
  21. 1st Continental Congress- 1st meeting of delegates to deal with rising tensions
  22. Battle of Lexington and Concord- 1st battle of the Revolution
  23. 2nd Continental Congress- 2nd meeting of delegates who wrote the Declaration of Independence
  24. Declaration of Independence- list of grievances (reasons) why America separated from England
  25. Natural rights (inalienable rights)- rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that all people are born with and cannot be taken away
  26. American Revolution- a war between the 13 colonies and Great Britain for independence; won by the 13 American colonies; the beginning of America as an independent country
  27. Battle of Saratoga- turning point of the American Revolution, France joins
  28. Battle of Yorktown-final battle of the American Revolution
  29. ally- a country who “has your back”
  30. Treaty of Paris - agreement between Great Britain and America that ended the Revolutionary War and recognized American independence
  31. direct democracy: citizens vote on decisions
  32. republic / representative democracy: citizens elect representatives to vote on their behalf
  33. monarchy - power is concentrated in the hands of a King and Queen
  34. oligarchy - a small group of people that has power to make decisions
  35. dictatorship - one person, usually an army leader, takes control of the country and has all the power
  36. Articles of Confederation: America’s first government which had a weak federal government
  37. veto - reject a decision; say no
  38. Shays’ Rebellion: farmer rebellion that exposed weaknesses of AOC
  39. compromise: each side gives up a little of what they want to get most of what they want and come to an agreement
  40. Great Compromise: created our bicameral legislature
  41. bicameral - a legislative body with two chambers
  42. 3/5 Compromise: 3/5 of total slave population would be added to free population to determine a state’s population for representation in House
  43. constitution—outlines the purpose, powers, and structures of the U.S. government
  44. preamble– The introduction to a constitution.
  45. separation of powers—the division of powers between executive, judicial, and legislative branches
  46. checks and balances—a system to allow each branch of government to have a check over the other; prevents governments from becoming too powerful
  47. executive branch - responsible for enforcing laws
  48. legislative branch - responsible for making laws
  49. judicial branch - responsible for interpreting laws and declaring laws unconstitutional
  50. Congress - aka legislative branch; made up of House of Representatives and Senate
  51. federalism: splitting power between national and state governments
  52. ratify - formally accept or make valid
  53. political party: group of people who want the same thing from gov’t
  54. Federalists: led by Hamilton, in favor of strong central government
  55. Anti-Federalists: led by Jefferson, in favor of strong state governments; also known as Democratic-Republicans
  56. amendments - changes to the law or Constitution
  57. Bill of Rights: first 10 amendments to the Constitution, protects individual freedoms
  58. appointment process- process of President picking a nominee, getting approved by the Senate, in order to pick judges and Cabinet members
  59. citizen: a person who has both the rights and responsibilities of a society
  60. naturalization: process of becoming an American citizen