Unit 2: Development of Constitutional Government, 1750-1808

Unit Overview:

This unit covers the French and Indian War through the signing and ratification of the US Constitution. Some important themes covered in this unit:

Causes and effects of the French and Indian War
Deteriorating relationship between Britain and the Colonies
The Continental Congress and the American Revolution
The Constitutional Convention and the development of a national government.

Unit Essay: The American Revolution DBQ (2005)

In order to get credit for this project, you must write an essay on the following topic:

The American Revolution

DBQ: To what extent did the American Revolution fundamentally change American society? In your answer, be sure to address the political, social, and economic effects of the Revolution in the period from 1775 to 1800. (2005)

Many historians consider the American Revolution to have been a galvanizing experience in the formation of the United States of America. Prior to the Revolution, the various colonies more or less considered themselves stand-alone nations with a distant connection to the British Empire, but the Revolution would change all that. The poster to the left penned by Benjamin Franklin illustrates one of the significant changes: greater political unity between the colonies. This DBQ examines not only the political changes the Revolution brought, but the social and economic effects as well, and is an interesting document illustrating ideals of the times.

Join, or Die. Pennsylvania Gazette, 1754. Artist: Benjamin Franklin

Attachments: 2005 Questions.pdf

Unit Videos: Key Terms:

Last of the Mohicans Film Clips, 15:00

Liberty! 1, The Reluctant Revolutionaries: 53: 57

John Adams, the declaration of independence: 5:55

Liberty! 2, Blows Must Decide, 54:05

Unit Lectures:

AP US History Unit 2 Essay Live Class

Unit Primary Sources:

Albany Plan for Union, 1754

Poor Richard's Almanac, 1759

Resolutions of the Stamp Act Congress, 1765

Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre, 1770

A Summary View of the Rights of British America, 1774

The Northwest Ordinances, 1787

On the Adoption of the Federal Constitution, 1788

Spark Notes Summaries:

Revolution to Constitution

A New Nation: Washington to Monroe

Maps, Charts, Images:

Maps Page

AP US History Unit 2 Key Terms

For this project you must define the terms listed below and explain each term's significance to the unit/era being studied. Your definition should be 2-3 sentences long and may be copied and pasted from a source like Wikipedia, but the significance of the term must be in your own words and based on your own understanding. To fill out a term's significance, ask yourself, "Why is this item included in my study of this unit? Why is this term in a history book?" The answer to this question is your term's significance.

Unit 2 Key Terms:

Navigation Acts

Proclamation of 1763

Common Sense

Articles of Confederation

Albany Congress

Stamp Act

Olive Branch Petition

Northwest Ordinance

King George's War

Sons of Liberty

Battle of Trenton

Constitutional Convention

French and Indian War

Boston Massacre

Battle of Yorktown

Federalists/Anti-Federalists

Treaty of Paris (1763)

Continental Congress

Treaty of Paris (1783)

"Great Compromise"

Below is an example of a key term done with the proper format:

William the Conqueror: William I (c. 1028[2] – 9 September 1087), also known as William the Conqueror (Guillaume le Conquérant), was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II. Before his conquest of England, he was known as William the Bastard because of the illegitimacy of his birth.To press his claim to the English crown, William invaded England in 1066, leading an army of Normans, Bretons, Flemings, and Frenchmen (from Paris andÎle-de-France) to victory over the English forces of King Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings, and suppressed subsequent English revolts in what has become known as the Norman Conquest.[3] (I copied and pasted this definition from Wikipedia)

Significance: William the Conqueror is significant because his conquest of England created the first nation state in Europe. His rearrangement of English feudal territories to give himself dramatically more power than the the barons and nobles around him caused him to be the most powerful monarch in Europe and eventually led to the rise of other nation states over the next few centuries. (These are my words based on my knowledge of English and European history.)