SOCIALSTUDIESHELP.COM

American History Topics

Discovering America: A Deep Dive into History – Over 100 Lessons on American History (located below)

The American saga is vast, filled with legends of Indigenous tribes, tales of revolution, and the constant ebb and flow of societal and cultural metamorphosis. Welcome to the American History Resource Center, your compass to navigate the profound episodes that have sculpted this great nation.

Our compendium boasts over 100 meticulously curated lessons that seek to answer pivotal questions and unravel complex narratives. Delve into the essence of the ‘American Dream’, explore the motives behind the colonization of America, and understand the Puritanical influence on the nation’s evolution. Navigate the cultural chasm between the North and the South, gauge the democratic spirit of colonial America, and trace the intellectual footprints of the Enlightenment. Probe into the roots of the French and Indian War, chart the origins of the American Revolution, and critically assess the modern relevance of the Declaration of Independence.

As we transition to our second unit, we reexamine foundational documents like the Articles of Confederation, weighing their strengths against their limitations in shaping a nascent nation.

History is not just about major events, but the people, emotions, and ideals interwoven with them. Here, every lesson is more than just a chapter; it’s a conversation, a reflection, and an invitation to engage with the past to better understand our present. Dive in and uncover the multifaceted narrative of America!

UNIT ONE – AMERICAN BEGINNINGS

Topic 1: What is the American Dream?

Topic 2: To what extent was the colonization of America forged by greed?

Topic 3: How did the Puritans effect the development of America?

Topic 4: In what ways did the North develop a distinctly different culture from the South?

Topic 5: How democratic was colonial America?

Topic 6: How did the enlightenment effect colonial thought?

Topic 7: How did the French and Indian War sow the seeds of discontent?

Topic 8: How did the American revolution begin?

Topic 9: Are the ideas of the Declaration of Independence still valid today?

UNIT TWO – A NEW NATION

Topic 10: Did the Articles of Confederation create a weak government or did it meet the needs of the nation?

Topic 11: How did compromise help create a more unified nation at the second constitutional convention?

Topic 12: Why was a federal system of government created?

Topic 13: How does our system of checks and balances help protect our rights?

Topic 14: How does a bill become a law?

Topic 15: Why do some consider our method of electing a President undemocratic?

Topic 16: Why has the role of the President of the United States become so complex

Topic 17: How does the Supreme Court serve as the defender of the Constitution?

BONUS Topic 17 A: Recent Ethical Concerns on the Supreme Court

BONUS Topic 17 B:  The role of the media in exposing and covering Supreme Court ethical problems

BONUS Topic 17 C: The role of public opinion in shaping Supreme Court ethical standards

BONUS Topic 17 D: The role of Congress in reforming the Supreme Court’s ethical rules

BONUS Topic 17 E: The role of the president in appointing ethical justices to the Supreme Court

Topic 18: How does the bill of rights protect our basic rights and liberties?

Topic 19: How does the unwritten constitution help preserve our system of government?

Topic 19 A: The Unwritten Constitution

Topic 20: Why can the Constitution be referred to as a “living” document?

Topic 21: How did the existence of political parties affect a young American nation? (Adams)

Topic 22: How effective were the domestic policies of Washington and Hamilton?

Topic 23: How did the foreign policies of Washington and Jefferson affect our nation?

Topic 25: Did America make the right decision in going to war in 1812?

Topic 26: What changes took place in America during the Presidency of James Monroe?

Topic 27: Should Andrew Jackson be considered a champion of democracy?

Topic 28: Can individuals have an impact on the problems of society?

Topic 28 A: Biography of Dorothea Dix

Topic 28 B: Mott & Stanton: Pioneers in Women’s Rights

UNIT THREE – THE NATION GROWS, DIVIDES AND REUNITES.

Topic 29: Mid-1800s American Sectionalism: Understanding the Divisions

Topic 30: Southern Defense of Slavery: Analyzing the Vigorous Advocacy

Topic 31: Abolition’s Challenges: Unraveling Slavery’s Complex History

Topic 32: Westward Expansion: Manifest Destiny’s Impact

Topic 33: Solving the Slave Issue: America’s Response to Westward Expansion

Topic 33A: Frederick Douglass Biography

Topic 33B: Harriet Beecher Stowe Biography

Topic 33C: William Lloyd Garrison Biography

Topic 34: What Caused the Beginning of the Civil War?

Topic 35: Exploring the North’s Victory in the Civil War

Topic 36: How did the assassination of Lincoln affect Reconstruction?

Topic 37: How successful was Reconstruction in dealing with the problems of freedmen?

Topic 38: To what extent did the reconstruction amendments create political equality for freedmen?

Topic 39: What happened to blacks after Reconstruction came to an end?

Topic 39a: How was legal segregation created in the south?

UNIT FOUR – THE RISE OF AN INDUSTRIAL GIANT

Topic 40: Were the policies and actions of the United States Government towards the Native Americans justified?

Topic 41: What was been America’s policy towards native Americans?

Topic 42: Why was the United Sates destined to become an industrialized nation?

Topic 43: Why was America’s philosophy “right” for economic development?

Topic 44: Were the founders of American industry “robber barons” or “captains of industry?”

Topic 45: How and why did American business seek to eliminate competition?

Topic 46: How successful was the American government in protecting the public from the elimination of competition?

Topic 47: What was the effect of the Industrial revolution on factory workers?

Topic 48: How did management respond to the efforts of workers to form unions?

Topic 49: How successful were efforts to organize a national labor movement in America?

Topic 50: Has the American government been a friend or foe to unionism

 Topic 51: How did farmers attempt to solve their problems during the industrial revolution?

UNIT FIVE – ONTO A WORLD STAGE

Topic 52: Why did urban America fail to meet the dreams and expectations of its tenants?

Topic 53: What was the legacy of urban political leaders from the late 1800’s to early 1900’s?

Topic 54: Why did immigrants come to America?

Topic 55: To what extent has the United States welcomed immigrants?

Topic 56: To what extent is America xenophobic?

Topic 58: Why did America have to become an important sea power in the late 18th century?

Topic 59: How did the United States justify imperialism?

Topic 60: Why did the United States go to war with Spain?

Topic 61: How did the Spanish American War make the United States a world power?

Topic 62: To what extent should the United States be proud of its policies towards Latin America?

Topic 63: How should Americans feel about the building of the Panama Canal?

Topic 64: How did America expand its influence into Asia?

Topic 65: How did the Progressive Movement seek to change America at the turn of the century?

Topic 66: How did America respond to the cries of the progressives?

Topic 67: To what extent did Theodore Roosevelt provide a “Square Deal” for the American people?

Topic 68: To what extent did Woodrow Wilson provide a “New Freedom” for the American people?

Topic 69: How did the transportation revolution change life in America?

Topic 70: How did life in the cities improve during the Progressive Era?

Topic 71: How did African American reformers at the turn of the century seek to improve the lives of their people?

UNIT SIX – WORLD WAR I, CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES

Topic 72: Why did the United States enter World War One?

Topic 73: To what extent is it acceptable to limit a citizens limit civil liberties?

Topic 74: To what extent was Woodrow Wilson successful in brokering a “just and lasting peace?”

Topic 75: How did World War I change the way Americans looked at the world?

Topic 76: How did American culture and attitude change in the 1920’s?

Topic 77: Can we legislate social custom?

Topic 78: What does the curriculum of the 1920’s tell us about the values of time?

Topic 79: Should we expect our politicians to be more honest than we are?

Topic 80: How did the passage of the 19th amendment change America?

Topic 81: How did the policies of Harding and Coolidge affect America?

Topic 82: Why was the Great depression a disaster waiting to happen?

Topic 83: How did the Great Depression affect the lives and dreams of those who lived through it?

Topic 84: What was Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s plan to end the depression?

Topic 85: How did Roosevelt’s New Deal go about fixing the problems of the depression?

Topic 86: What was the opposition to the New Deal and how did Roosevelt deal with it?

Topic 87: To what extent was America in danger of falling into the hands of radicals and communists in the 1930’s?

Topic 88: To what extent did minorities receive a “New Deal” in the 1930’s?

Topic 89: To what extent did FDR’s New Deal end the Depression?

UNIT SEVEN – WORLD WAR II, CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES

Topic 90: To what extent was the policy of neutrality a realistic one?

Topic 91: What is the role of a civilian population in a wartime society?

Topic 92: To what extent is it acceptable for the government to limit civil liberties in time of war?

Topic 93: How influential was America in deciding the outcome of World War II?

Topic 94: Was the U.S. justified in dropping the Atomic bomb?

Topic 95: To what extent was the end of World War II a reaction to the past?

The Cold War – An Outline of Events and an Essay

Topic 96: Who is to blame for the start of the Cold War?

Topic 97: How did America seek to “contain” the spread of communism?

Topic 98: Case Study: McCarthyism

Topic 99: What were the “hot points” of the Cold War?

Topic 100: In what ways did the Cold War lead to crisis in Latin America and Southeast Asia?

Topic 101: What efforts were made at cooling off the Cold War?

Topic 102: Why did America win the Cold War?

UNIT EIGHT – CONTINUITY AND CHANGE

Topic 103: How do John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson compare as Presidents?

Topic 104: How effective was the Civil Rights movement in bringing about social change in America?

Topic 105: How did the Warren Court use judicial review to protect the rights of citizens?

Topic 106: How has the Berger/Rehnquist Court effected the issue of rights in America?

Topic 107: How have recent U.S. Presidents dealt with domestic and foreign issues?