How did the collision of cultures create a "New World"?

Investigate British, French, and Spanish colonial policies in North America.

How did the American colonies gain independence from Britain?

How did the new Constitution shape U.S. politics?

Was this an 'Era of Good Feelings'?

What changes occurred in the U.S. during the Jacksonian era?

Why did sectionalism increase during the Antebellum era?

The Civil War and Reconstruction transform the U.S.

What impact did industrialization have on American society?

How did immigration/global affairs affect the U.S. from 1898-1919?

What challenges did the U.S. face in the post-WWI era?

How did the U.S. handle WWII and the Depression?

How did the Cold War shape U.S. society after WWII?

How did cultural tensions shape the 1960s?

How did a recession and an unpopular war affect the U.S.?

How did the end of the Cold War impact U.S. global influence?

In 1774, Parliament passed the Coercive Acts, which were known as the Intolerable Acts in the American colonies. The British government passed the four acts as punishment for the Boston Tea Party and growing colonial resistance to imperial rule.

These resolutions were passed by the legislatures of Kentucky and Virginia in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 and were authored by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, respectively. The resolutions argued that the federal government had no authority to exercise power not specifically delegated to it in the Constitution.

Virginia Statute for Establishing Religious Freedom was written by Thomas Jefferson and ushered through the state legislature by James Madison in 1786, banned government interference in religion and individual beliefs.

On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee brought what came to be called the Lee Resolution before the Continental Congress. This resolution stated “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states ...” Congress debated independence for several days.

The Constitution was written in the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by delegates from 12 states, in order to replace the Articles of Confederation with a new form of government. It created a federal system with a national government composed of 3 separated powers, and included both reserved and concurrent powers of states.

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution make up the Bill of Rights. James Madison wrote the amendments, which list specific prohibitions on governmental power, in response to calls from several states for greater constitutional protection for individual liberties.

This was the first governing document of the United States of America. It was adopted by the Second Continental Congress in November 1777 and ratified by the states in 1781.

Thomas Paine published Common Sense in January 1776 support of the Patriot cause. Using clear, plain language, Paine rallied the colonists to support the break from Britain.

After the Constitution was completed during the summer of 1787, the work of ratifying it (or approving it) began. As the Constitution itself required, 3/4ths of the states would have to approve the new Constitution before it would go into effect for those ratifying states.

President George Washington’s Farewell Address was not delivered as a speech, but rather printed in newspapers. Washington wrote over a period of months beginning with notes James Madison had prepared at the end of his first term. He also sought the advice of John Jay and Alexander Hamilton in formulating his message.

George Washington, the nation's first president, made his first inaugural address before both houses of Congress. He acknowledged Providence as guiding the nation’s steps: "No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States."

Abraham Lincoln's speech discussing his disappointment in the Dred Scott ruling. He remains hopeful that the ruling would not be the end of the discussion about slavery.

Excerpts of Letter from Birmingham Jail Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. April 16, 1963

Have you ever looked at your teacher with a puzzled face when they explain history? I know we have. In our new Homework Help Series we break down history into easy to understand 5 minute videos to support a better understanding of American History. In our first episode, we tackle the Columbian Exchange and early contact between Europeans, Natives and Africans.

Have you ever looked at your teacher with a puzzled face when they explain history? I know we have. In our new Homework Help Series we break down history into easy to understand 5 minute videos to support a better understanding of American History. In our second episode, we tackle the colonization of America.

Have you ever looked at your teacher with a puzzled face when they explain history? I know we have. In our new Homework Help Series we break down history into easy to understand 5 minute videos to support a better understanding of American History. In our fourth episode, we tackle Colonial Culture in the 1600 and 1700's.

Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? In our eighth episode, we tackle the Articles of Confederation and the need for a Constitution at the Constitutional Convention. Learn how the US Constitution made provisions for a stronger federal government, state rights and powers, and personal rights formally known as the Bill of Rights. Have you ever looked at your teacher with a puzzled face when they explain history? I know we have. In our new Homework Help Series we break down history into easy to understand 5 minute videos to support a better understanding of American History.

Have you ever looked at your teacher with a puzzled face when they explain history? I know we have. In our new Homework Help Series we break down history into easy to understand 5 minute videos to support a better understanding of American History. In our eighth episode, we tackle the Articles of Confederation and the need for a Constitution.

Have you ever looked at your teacher with a puzzled face when they explain history? I know we have. In our new Homework Help Series we break down history into easy to understand 5 minute videos to support a better understanding of American History.

Have you ever looked at your teacher with a puzzled face when they explain history? I know we have. In our new Homework Help Series we break down history into easy to understand 5 minute videos to support a better understanding of American History. In our fifth episode, we tackle the road to the American Revolution.

Have you ever looked at your teacher with a puzzled face when they explain history? I know we have. In our new Homework Help Series we break down history into easy to understand 5 minute videos to support a better understanding of American History. In our tenth episode, we tackle early American foreign policy.

Have you ever looked at your teacher with a puzzled face when they explain history? I know we have. In our new Homework Help Series we break down history into easy to understand 5 minute videos to support a better understanding of American History. In our eleventh episode, we tackle national identity in early America.

How did the United States attempt to reunite after the Civil War while also securing the rights of recently freed enslaved people with the passage of the 13th Amendment, 14th Amendment and 15th Amendment? How successful was our country in accomplishing these goals? Did the Reconstruction Amendments hurt or help the cause? What were the effects of the Reconstruction Amendments on the states due to incorporation? Our latest Homework Help video explores these questions while encouraging students to analyze the Reconstruction period and its relationship with the principles of liberty and equality.

Our latest Homework Help Evidence of History video tells the story of the rise and fall of Senator Joseph McCarthy, a fierce partisan and demagogue whose battles against Communism in early 1950s America utilized the new medium of television to garner public attention. Preying upon the public's fear of communism within the U.S. government, he hurled accusations against numerous political enemies often with little or no evidence, and with scant regard to the principles of due process, free speech, and liberty. The new medium of television, which helped his meteoric political rise, would ultimately play a key role in his undoing.

Our AP Preparedness webinars make sure you know the general strategies needed to excel on the AP U.S. History test. Join seasoned BRI AP U.S. History teacher Tom Richey as he breaks down the different formats of the test, including document-based questions, multiple-choice questions, and long essay questions. He also lets you in on some important study tips.

Use these videos to review essential questions, concepts, and themes fit into the AP U.S. History test.

In this Homework Help video, learn the story of the landmark Supreme Court case of Baker v. Carr. The case explores the question of a state’s right to control electoral lines otherwise known as gerrymandering. The case ruling concluded that the Supreme Court could hear cases pertaining to redistricting because of the Equal Protection Clause in the 14th Amendment through the process of incorporation which argues that states must adhere to the protections of guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. How did the ruling in this case contribute to the democratic principle of “one person-one vote”?

Does the Second Amendment prevent a city from effectively outlawing handgun ownership? In 2008, Otis McDonald attempted to purchase a handgun for self-defense purposes in a Chicago suburb. However, the city of Chicago had banned handgun ownership in 1982 when it passed a law that prevented issuing handgun registrations. McDonald argued this law violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s Privileges and Immunities Clause as well as the Due Process Clause. In a 5-4 decision, the Court ruled that McDonald’s Second Amendment right to bear arms was protected at the state and local level by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.