American History I Founding Principles

Unit 1 Colonial America through the Revolution

Part A: Days 1-5

Topics/Themes:

Motivations for exploration and colonization

Columbian Exchange / Biological Exchange

Mercantilism

Reasons for immigrating to the colonies
Jamestown & Massachusetts Bay

Learning Outcomes:

The learner will:

  • understand the motivations for British, French, and Spanish colonization.
  • understand and evaluate the relationships between political traditions, economic relationships, and social institutions in the formation of the American Colonies.
  • evaluate the difficulties in maintaining colonies in the Americas.
  • contrast Native American and colonial powers' ideas of land ownership.
  • interpert maps and primary sources to understand life in American colonies.
  • compare and contrast traditions established in Massacheusetts Bay and Virginia.

Essential Questions

  1. What motivates colonization?
  2. How does geography affect a society’s culture and economy?
  3. Why is it important to draw research from both primary and secondary sources?

Part B Days 6-10

Topics/Themes:
Early Colonies
Colonial Life
The 13 Colonies

Learning Outcomes:

  • The learner will understand the similarities and differences between American colonies.
  • The learner will evaluate the significance of geography.
  • The learner will research colonial leaders.

Essential Questions:

  1. How does geography affect a societies culture and economy?
  2. What motivated colonization?

Part C Days 11-15

Topics/Themes:

French Indian War

Salutary neglect / Proclamation of 1763

Greenville's plan

"No taxation without representation"

Rise to Revolution

Boston Massacre

Critical Period-Tea Party

Learning Outcomes

The learner will:

  • analyze the shift from peace to revolution, including the changing diplomatic, social, economic, and political interactions between Parliament and the English colonies.
  • evaluate how America was becoming increasingly politically, economic, and socially independent.
  • examine turning points that changed the relationship between Britain and the colonies.
  • evaluate the impact of various ethnic and religious groups in the culture of the colonies.

Essential Questions

  1. What rights should all people have?
  2. Why are boycotts a useful tool for rebellion?
  3. What is the proper balance between freedom and security?

Part D Days 16-20

Topics/Themes:

Thomas PaineEnlightenment

Declaration of Independence Intolerable Acts

1st & 2nd Continental CongressThe Revolutionary War

Treaty of ParisFrench Support

Learning Outcomes

The learner will:

  • connect Enlightenment ideas to the colonists motivations for the Revolution.
  • contrast how different colonists felt about the Revolution (ex: the New England merchant classes compared to Southern farmers).
  • examine the Revolution as a national movement of loose and semi-organized guerrilla militias.

Essential Questions:

  1. How is the legacy of war preserved within a culture?
  2. What are the short-term and long-term effects of war?
  3. When does rebellion turn into a revolution?
  4. How can war be avoided?
  5. How does war change daily life?