This course provides a basic history of American social, economic, and political development from the colonial period through the Civil War. It examines the colonial heritages of Spanish and British America; the American Revolution and its impact; the establishment and growth of the new nation; and the Civil War, its background, character, and impact. Readings include writings of the period by J. Winthrop, T. Paine, T. Jefferson, J. Madison, W. H. Garrison, G. Fitzhugh, H. B. Stowe, and A. Lincoln.

This site includes documents from the Continental Congress, the Constitutional Convention and ratification debates, and the first two federal congresses. These documents record American history in the words of those who built our government.

This collection uses primary sources to explore the creation of the US Constitution. Digital Public Library of America Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop their critical thinking skills and draw diverse material from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. Each set includes an overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. These sets were created and reviewed by the teachers on the DPLA's Education Advisory Committee.

Common Sense: From Monarchy to an American Republic
How Much Revolutionary Change?
Debating Democracy
The Constitutional Convention and Federal Constitution

8-U3.3.3 Describe the issues debated at the Constitutional Convention including the distribution of political power, conduct of foreign affairs, rights of individuals, rights of states, election of executive, and slavery as a regional and federal issue.

8-U3.3.4 Explain how the new Constitution resolved (or compromised) the major issues including sharing, separating, and checking of power among the federal government institutions, dual sovereignty (state-federal power), rights of individuals, the Electoral College, the Three- Fifths Compromise and the Great Compromise.

8-U3.3.7-8 Using important documents (e.g., Mayflower Compact, the Iroquois Confederacy, Common Sense, Declaration of Independence, Northwest Ordinance, Federalist Papers). Describe the historical and philosophical origins of constitutional government in the United States using ideas of social compact, limited government, natural rights, rights of revolution, separation of powers, bicameralism, republicanism, popular sovereignty, and rule of law.

8-U3.3.5 Analyze the debates over the ratification of the Constitution from the perspectives of the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists and describe how the states ratified the Constitution.

8-U3.3.6 Explain how the Bill of Rights reflected the concept of limited government, protections of basic freedoms, the fear of many Americans of a strong central government.

8-U3.3.7 Using important documents (e.g., Mayflower Compact, the Iroquois Confederacy, Common Sense, Declaration of Independence, Northwest Ordinance, Federalist Papers). Describe the historical and philosophical origins of constitutional government in the United States using ideas of social compact, limited government, natural rights, rights of revolution, separation of powers, bicameralism, republicanism, and popular participation in government.