American Literature I (1650–1860) examines significant literary works of early American and Puritan literature, the Enlightenment, American Romanticism, and pre-Civil War era. The course includes primary texts (many accompanied by video/audio options), historical background, literary criticism and interpretation, and instruction on writing about literature.

An 8th grade social studies unit, co-taught with the school librarian, about the impact of American Public PolicyThis lesson plan is meant to serve as one lesson in a wider 8th grade social studies unit on the impact of American public policy.  The lesson focuses on the impact of the public policy of slavery.  The wider unit would also include whole-class study of the impact of Native American Removal and Indian Schools.  At the end of the unit, students would investigate a contemporary issue of American public policy and develop and put into practice a plan to draw attention to that public policy issue.   

While the heyday of the canals lasted only a few decades, they transformed the American economy by connecting the areas west of the Appalachian Mountains to eastern population centers and Atlantic ports. Concentrated largely north of the Mason-Dixon line, they shaped American regionalism too by linking the northeast and northwest together into a region that increasingly came to see itself as the "North."

The Drunkard’s Progress; Two hundred years ago, it was hard for Americans to miss the message that they had a serious drinking problem.

The decades between the banning of the international slave trade in 1808 and the abolition of slavery during the Civil War saw the massive and harrowing relocation of approximately 850,000 enslaved men, women, and children. While some enslaved people were moved when their owners relocated to the western frontier, about two-thirds were bought and sold in America’s slave market. They were forcibly uprooted from their homes, separated from their loved ones, and marched and shipped across the South on railroads and steamships.

The Future of our Confederate Monuments Rests With the Kids; The perspectives of older Americans have dominated the debate. It's time we pay more attention to what younger people have to say.

Like so many other government agencies during the New Deal, HOLC and its parent bureau, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, shaped Americans' lives and livelihoods profoundly during and after the Great Depression of the 1930s. Both proved critical to protecting and expanding home ownership, to standardizing lending practices, and to encouraging residential and commercial real estate investment in a flagging economy. Across the middle third of the twentieth century, arguably the most prosperous decades in American history, these agencies worked with public and private sector partners to create millions of jobs and help millions of Americans buy or keep their homes. At the very same time, federal housing programs helped codify and expand practices of racial and class segregation. They ensured, moreover, that rampant real estate speculation and environmental degradation would accompany America's remarkable economic recovery and growth.

Mum’s the Word; In the height of the Cold War, the NSA created a series of posters to keep its secrets from leaking. They're both wonderful and creepy.

This textbook covers American Literature from the Colonial Period to Contemporary Times. There is a mix of historical context, literature excerpts, photographs/drawings, and analysis.

During the 1840s tens of thousands of American migrants made long journeys through the American West seeking land in Oregon, gold in California, and religious liberty in Utah.

Through a study of the moon, students will be guided through an inquiry process using primary sources to learn how we shape our understanding of the past (history). They will also learn how new discoveries and observations change our perceptions over time, as each succeeding generation creates knowledge and adds new technology. Students will then pose their own questions to wonder how future discoveries or new technology might change our understanding of the world and our universe.

For a quarter century, the federal government provided funding for cities large and small to raze "blighted" or "slum" neighborhoods. Though improved housing opportunities was the ostensible goal, over time, cities used federal funds to stimulate commercial and industrial redevelopment. Through these programs, cities displaced hundreds of thousands of families from their homes and neighborhoods. Renewing Inequality visualizes those displacements and urban renewal more generally.

The Supply-Side Swindle; For decades, the GOP has used tax cuts to achieve its political goals. So why do Dems keep treating "supply-side" as an economic strategy?

How did these places in Boston effect the start of the Revolutionary War? Follow the red brick road and learn about the Revolutionary War.

The Constitution Day Roadmap is designed to help your students understand the significance and history of the document. It contains a variety of lessons, activities, songs, and videos that can be easily adapted to your STATE REQUIRED day to provide instruction.

U.S. History is designed for a two-semester American history sequence. It is traditional in coverage, following a roughly chronological outline, and using a balanced approach that includes political, economic, social, and cultural developments. At the same time, the book includes a number of innovative and interactive features designed to enhance student learning. Instructors can also customize the book, adapting it to the approach that works best in their classroom.