SURVEY OF UNITED STATES HISTORY

Competency 1002.1.1: English Colonization and the Road to Revolution – The graduate analyzes the colonial experience and the foundations of the American Revolution.
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Introduction:

During the seventeenth century, Great Britain established thirteen colonies along the Atlantic coast of the North American continent. Though they were united by their connection to English society and the British government, each colony had a very different experience in the New World: the settlers who established the colonies brought with them different motivations and expectations, and the unique geographic characteristics of each colony shaped the development of those colonial societies. After more than a century of colonial rule, the ties that united the colonies to their home country frayed. In the decades following the Seven Years’ War, the colonial relationship degenerated into a series of provocations and counter-provocations over the future of North America. The Revolutionary War transformed the American colonies into the United States,and brought tremendous changes to the political and social institutions of the new country.

In this assessment, you will examine the motivations for English colonization and the organization and government of several English colonies. You will also consider the causes of the American Revolution and describe its effects on the population of the new United States.

Requirements:

C. Explain the major ideas and events (i.e., Enlightenment philosophies, colonial conflicts, imperial regulations, acts of rebellion) that led to the American Revolution (suggested length of 2 or 3 paragraphs).

D. Describe how each of the following groups were affected by the political and/or social changes that followed the American Revolution (suggested length 2 or 3 paragraphs):
• Native Americans
• African Americans
• women

E. Provide acknowledgement of source information, using in-text citations and references, for quoted, paraphrased, or summarized content.
1. Include the following information when providing source references:
• author
• date
• title
• location of information (e.g., publisher, journal, or website URL)

Note: APA citation style.
Note: No more than a combined total of 30% of a submission can be directly quoted or closely paraphrased from outside sources, even if cited correctly.
Note: For definitions of terms commonly used in the rubric, see the Rubric Terms
Book: Chapters 1 and 2 for now

SURVEY OF UNITED STATES HISTORY
Competency 1002.1.2: The Early Republic and the American Civil War – The graduate analyzes the challenges of partisan politics and sectionalism in the Early Republic and Civil War eras.
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Introduction:

The adoption of the Constitution in 1787 established a strong federal government for the United States and codified the principles of a country that balanced the interests of divergent political, social, religious, and economic groups. The logistical necessities of organizing these interests on a federal level contributed to the establishment of national political parties during George Washington’s first term in office. Though President Washington warned of the dangers of factionalism in his farewell address, the advantages these organizations possessed for achieving their policy goals made parties an integral part of the political system. During the first half of the nineteenth century, the United States experienced a period of tremendous territorial expansion. The challenges resulting from the spread of political and social institutions—most notably, slavery—across the continent deepened sectional divisions into a national crisis by the 1850s. The Civil War was the bloodiest conflict in American history, and the war and its aftermath profoundly altered the political, social, and economic characteristics of the United States.

In this assessment, you will explain the characteristics of the First Party System in the United States and its legislative consequences. You will also examine the growth of the sectional divisions in the United States during the nineteenth century leading up to the outbreak of the Civil War.

Requirements:
A. Explain (suggested length of 1–2 paragraphs) the reasons for the rise of partisan politics in the Early Republic (i.e., major conflicts and concerns, development of the First Party System).

B. Discuss the development of the Second Party System (suggested length of 1–2 pages) by doing the following:
1. Compare the platforms of the Whig and Democratic parties.

Note: You may include both similarities and differences of the two parties.

2. Describe the leaders and constituents that defined each party.
3. Explain how the Second Party System contributed to increased democratization of American politics.

C. Discuss the major movements and events that led to the Civil War (suggested length of 2 pages) by doing the following:
1. Explain the pro-slavery and abolitionist arguments of the antebellum period.
2. Describe the role of westward expansion in increasing sectional tensions.
3. Evaluate how three major events (e.g., significant legislation, territorial conflicts, court cases, political debates) contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War.

D. Provide acknowledgement of source information, using in-text citations and references, for quoted, paraphrased, or summarized content.
1. Include the following information when providing source references:
• author
• date
• title
• location of information (e.g., publisher, journal, or website URL)

Note: APA citation style
Note: No more than a combined total of 30% of a submission can be directly quoted or closely paraphrased from outside sources, even if cited correctly.