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Unit 1 American Colonies Before the Revolution, 1607—1763 Text Readings—Chapters 1—6 Text Pages Read all of Chapters One through Six Text Reading Assessments Use the information located in chapters one through six of the Text, The American Pageant, to answer the questions below: 1. It is sometimes said that the Europeans who came to the Americas settled a “virgin land” that was unused and unspoiled. Explain thoroughly whether this is an accurate description of what occurred. 2. Select any two settlement areas (South, New England, Middle) and compare and contrast them. Focus on the motives of their founders, religious and social orientation, economic pursuits and political developments. 3. To what degree was the government of Massachusetts Bay simultaneously theocratic, democratic, oligarchic, and authoritarian? Explain thoroughly. 4. Argue either that an “American” way of life had emerged by the end of the seventeenth century or that two wholly distinct ways of life, on New England and the other Southern, had emerged by the end of the seventeenth century. 5. Summarize the key features of the American society in the early 18th century. Consider its sources, size, location, diversity, and social mobility. 6. Explain the Great Awakening and discuss its short and long term impacts on the colonies. 7. Write your definition of democracy. Then, use this definition to argue that colonial politics had or hand not become democratic by 1760. Text Reading Essay Cite relevant historical and documentary evidence in support of your generalizations and present your arguments clearly and logically. “The economic policy of mercantilism had a more positive than negative impact on the American colonies.” Discuss the extent to which you agree with this statement in light of events from 1650—1750. Unit 2 From Colonies To Independence, 1763-1787 Text Readings—Chapters 7-9 Text Pages 119-135, 139-140, 142-146, 149-151, 153-156, 159-162, 164-175, 179-180, 184-185 Text Reading Assessments 1. Explain the relationship between mercantilism, the Navigation Laws, and British efforts to create an administrative structure for their empire after 1696. 2. What does the phrase, point of no return, mean to you? Identify that point in colonial-British relations between 1760 and 1776 and explain why you picked that event/date. 3. Which of the following do you think is most responsible for the conflict between Britain and its American colonies: the ineptness of parliamentary leadership, the colonists’ behavior, King George III, the British mercantilist system and Navigation laws, or the actions of the British officials in the colonies? Justify your choice. 4. Create a scenario for the period 1763-1776 to demonstrate that the Revolutionary War and colonial independence were not inevitable. 5. The combat of the Revolutionary War began in spring 1775. Why did colonists wait until the summer of 1776 to declare independence? 6. Colonists had debated with Parliament and protested its actions since 1763. Why, then, did the Declaration of Independence single out King George III as the tyrant threatening their liberties? 7. Compare and contrast the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution, especially in regard to the specific powers granted by each to the national government. 8. List all the reasons why the Articles of Confederation needed to be replaced in order of importance. Justify your rank order. Text Reading Essay Cite relevant historical and documentary evidence in support of your generalizations and present your arguments clearly and logically. “The new Constitution was a triumph of democracy.” Assess the validity of this statement in light of events during the decade of the 1780s. Unit 3 America As A New Nation, 1790-1828 Text Readings—Chapters 10-13 Text Pages 184-189, 195-197, 205-206, 211-216, 226-229, 230-238, 240-248 Text Reading Assessments 1. Write your definition of democracy. Then use this definition to argue that Jefferson or Hamilton was the better spokesperson for democratic government in the 1790s. 2. Write your definition of revolution. Then use this definition to argue that the “Revolution of 1800” was a real revolution or a more moderate “renovation” in American political history. 3. Suppose you were a faithful Republican party advisor to President Jefferson in 1803. What arguments would you present in favor of the Louisiana Purchase? What arguments opposing the purchase would you present? 4. The text’s authors believe that the Louisiana Purchase was “the most glorious achievement of Jefferson as president.” Explain whether or not you agree with their assessment. 5. Which do you think was the major cause of the War of 1812: western war hawk territorial expansion, British violations of American neutrality rights on the high seas, or the urge to uphold national honor and pride? Explain your reasoning. 6. Regarding opposition to the War of 1812, the authors remark that economics played a major role in the antiwar sentiment in 1812-1815. To what extent is this an accurate statement? 7. Was the label “the Era of Good Feelings” an accurate one for the decade following the War of 1812? Explain. 8. During the Missouri debates, Thomas Jefferson expressed the fear that the “question, like a firebell in the night, awakened and filled me with terror.” Why? What was at stake in the Missouri debate that generated such profound concern? Text Reading Essay Cite relevant and documentary evidence in support of your generalizations and present your arguments clearly and logically. What economic, cultural, and political conditions contributed to the development of the post War of 1812 time period known as the “Era of Good Feelings.” Unit 4 The Jacksonian Era, 1828-1845 Text Readings—Chapters 14-15 Text Pages 259-264, 266-269, 272-274, 281-282, 283-292, 296-297 Text Reading Assessments 1. Why was the election of 1824 so ridden with conflict and confusion? What was at stake between the competing candidates, especially Adams and Jackson? 2. The text’s authors claim that the election of 1828 “was a ‘revolution’ more than in 1800.” Explain whether you agree or disagree with their assessment. 3. Who among the following do you suppose would have supported Andrew Jackson and Jacksonian policies: Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, George Washington? Explain for each. 4. Compare and contrast the Whigs and Democrats in regard to their beliefs, public policies, and supporters. Briefly summarize the crucial differences between them. 5. Explain why John Quincy Adams’s presidency was frustrating for him and was ultimately judged a “failure.” 6. If you had been living in the age of Jackson, would you have been for or against the following: nullification, veto of the bank, and Indian removal? Justify your position for each. Text Reading Essay Cite relevant historical and documentary evidence in support of your generalizations and present your arguments clearly and logically. “Andrew Jackson, as president, reflected the views, values, and interests of the West much more so than those of the rest of the nation.” Assess the validity of this statement in light of events 1828-1840. |