Unit 1: Founding the Nation

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Unit 1: Founding the Nation Unit 1: Founding the Nation Name ________________________________ Per ___ Lesson One: Foundations Lesson one has four main assignments. At the end of these assignments you will take a closed note quiz. After these lessons you will be expected to be able to: (one or more of these objectives may appear as a short answer question on the quiz) Explain how our American government was influenced by: o Civic Republicanism o Classical Liberal Principles o English Parliament Discuss how the Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights, and the Mayflower Compact each represented small changes towards a democratic movement. Describe how the Great Awakening caused the American Colonists to begin to think about rebelling against Great Britain. Describe the geographical boundaries of the American Colonies Thoroughly describe the geography and economic activity of the New England Colonies, Middle Colonies, and Southern Colonies. Standards in This Lesson 8.1Students understand the major events preceding the founding of the nation and relate their significance to the development of American constitutional democracy. 1.1 Describe the relationship between the moral and political ideas of the Great Awakening and the development of revolutionary fervor. 1.4 Describe the nation’s blend of civic republicanism, classical liberal principles, and English parliamentary traditions. 2.1 Discuss the significance of the Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, and the Mayflower Compact. 1 Roots of American Democracy 1. What ideas come to mind when you read the word roots? How about American? Democracy? Whatever your thoughts are, they are uniquely your own. But most likely they grew out of something you’ve heard or read, or maybe seen on TV or in the movies. This is how most ideas grow. They start from something outside ourselves. Then we make them our own and sometimes improve on them. The Americans who led the Revolution and created the Constitution were no different from you. Starting with other people’s ideas, they created the government we live under today. The ideas they drew upon are the roots of American democratic thinking and institutions. Let’s look at some of these roots. 2. On the back of this page create an illustration with these features (you will use reading placards to complete this task): • sketch a large and strong tree trunk with three large roots, write the word America on its trunk, • Four roots beneath the tree with these three labels: English Parliamentary Traditions, Civic Republicanism, and Classical Liberal Principle • an explanation beneath each root that tells how each of these ideas has influenced life in the United States 3. There were three documents that served stepping stones in history in a movement towards an increase in the rights of citizens. Use the index of your textbook to locate the page numbers of these documents and complete the tasks below for: Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights, and Mayflower Compact 2 4. Reread the words you used to describe each historical document. Use those words to write a one sentence summary of each document. Use the back side of this page for your sentences. 3 First Amendment Puritan Views First Great Awakening Second Great Awakening Short Answer: Summarize the Great Awakening and how it changed how the colonists viewed their role in government. 4 Geography of the American Colonies Use the map on p.28 of your textbook and complete the following steps. New England French Territory All the bodies of water (color blue) Mississippi River Middle Colonies Spanish Territory The 13 colonies Draw in the Appalachian Mountains Southern Colonies 5 Colonial Sectionalism is a fancy way of stating that different types of lifestyles developed in the colonies depending on which “section” of the American colonies we study. There were three distinct sections: New England Colonies, Middle Colonies, and Southern Colonies. Your task is to use your textbook to identify the types of economic activities the people did in each section and WHY they focused on these activities. Below, you have three Bubble Maps. Add notes to the bubbles as you read, you will have to add a second layer of bubbles to explain they “why” part of your notes. One example has been done for you. Bad weather & soil Small family farms New England Colonies Middle Colonies 6 Southern Colonies After a class discussion on the three bubble maps, use the information you’ve learned to answer questions 1-5 below. 1. What prevented the New England colonies from focusing on large scale farming? 2. Why might the New England colonies build larger towns or cities than the other sections? 3. What conditions in the Middle Colonies favored more farming? What crafts/skills developed in this area? 4. Why did slavery grow more rapidly in the Southern Colonies? 5. In the 1860s a Civil War will break out among these very same colonies. A “civil war” is a war fought among the citizens of a country rather than between two foreign countries. What evidence can you see in the 1700s that might lead to such great differences? 7 Lesson Two: Revolution & independence Lesson two has four main assignments. At the end of these assignments you will take a closed note quiz. After these lessons you will be expected to be able to: (one or more of these objectives may appear as a short answer question on the quiz) Identify and describe the major causes leading up to the American Revolution Discuss the significance of the Declaration of Independence and explain the purpose of: o Preamble o Declaration of Natural Rights o List of Grievances o Resolution of Independence Know the goals of the First and Second Continental Congress’ Explain the meaning of the studied excerpts from the Declaration of Independence. Standards in This Lesson 1.2 Analyze the philosophy of government expressed in the Declaration of Independence, with an emphasis on government as a means of securing individual rights (e.g., key phrases such as “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights”). 8 After decades of being a colony of Great Britain the American colonists finally rebelled in 1775 at the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The following assignment has 10 events on this road towards revolution. Use the placards posted around the room to take notes on the circle maps. It does not matter what order you go in but in the year/s in your notes. 9 10 Directions: use this page to sketch out a road that has 10 sections (see teacher for example). Next to each road draw a road sign. Use the road sign to list the year and name of one of the events from the previous assignment. On the section of the road write a one sentence summary of that event. Be sure to write your road in date order. 11 The Declaration of Independence The First Continental Congress was called to meet in 1774 to come up with a plan to convince King George to address some of the concerns of the colonists, including: taxations without representation and the harshness of Intolerable Acts. They concluded their meeting by writing a letter of petition to the king. The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in May of 1775. All 13 colonies sent delegates. Even though the colonists were fighting the British, the delegates were divided over what actions to take. Some wanted the colonies to declare independence. Others were hoping to avoid a break with Britain. After much debate, the delegates voted to try to work things out with Britain. When these efforts failed, the delegates voted to have a committee draw up a declaration of independence. The committee asked Thomas Jefferson to write the final document. On July 2, 1776, the delegates voted that the colonies were “free and independent states.” The Declaration of Independence was accepted on July 4, 1776. The Declaration of Independence has four main parts: Part 1 Introduction explains why the document was written Part 2 Declaration of Natural Rights explains the basic rights of citizens and purpose of government Part 3 List of Grievances lists the complaints against the King and England Part 4 Resolution of Independence declares that the colonies are independent 1. What was the goal of the First Continental Congress? 2. What were the goals of the Second Continental Congress? 12 Read the “Declaration of Independence” on pages 55-58. Pay close attention to the notes in the margins, they help explain the original text. Answer the questions that follow: 3. WHY WAS THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WRITTEN? 4. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT? 5. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BASIC RIGHTS OF CITIZENS? USING YOUR OWN WORDS, GIVE 10 THINGS LISTED IN THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE THAT THE KING AND/OR ENGLAND HAVE DONE TO MAKE THE COLONISTS ANGRY: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (5) WRITE DOWN 2 OR 3 FAMILIAR PHRASES YOU FOUND WHILE READING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. (WRITE ON THE BACK OF P.12) 13 The Declaration of Independence: Read pp.52-53 to complete the chart below. Label the 4 parts of the D. of I. then take notes. 14 Declaration of Independence: What it Means! Excerpt Part & What it Means (your rephrasing) 1. When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
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