What were the challenges faced by early settlers, how did colonial societies develop, and what role did the growing tensions with Britain play?

What were the circumstances that led to the American Revolution?

What problems did the new nation face under the Articles of Confederation and why was the creation of the Constitution proposed as a solution?

How can understanding the principles of the Constitution help citizens participate effectively in a democratic society?

How did the Constitution influence decisions in the Early Republic?

How did Americans and democratic institutions respond to the rapid economic changes of the early nineteenth century?

How did the drive for territorial expansion shape the nation’s identity and create new challenges for the United States?

How did fundamental disagreements over slavery and its expansion lead to a devastating civil war that transformed the United States?

How successful was Reconstruction in addressing the challenges of rebuilding the nation and ensuring equal rights for African Americans?

How did the English colonies develop unique identities compared with the colonies of other nations? 

What factors influenced the establishment of different types of colonies in North America? 

Identify the factors that influence the establishment of different types of colonies.

How did climate and available resources affect the development of the 13 Colonies? 

Discover how mercantilism influenced the development of colonies in North America.

How did enslaved people and free Blacks shape the cultural, social, and political landscape of the colonies?

How did self-government lead to the development of unique colonies in America?

What practices and institutions did colonists create to govern themselves? 

How did existing Native communities, European colonists, religious communities, and enslaved Africans shape the cultural, social, and political landscape of the colonies?

How did various cultures interact with each other in the colonial world?

What were the main causes of tension between Great Britain and the colonies? 

How did British and colonial perspectives on taxation, representation, and self-governance compare in the decades leading up to the American Revolution?

How were civic virtues demonstrated and Founding principles upheld in the Revolutionary era?

What were the key events and turning points of the American Revolution? 

What were the key events and turning points of the American Revolution? 

What challenges did the new nation face after gaining independence? 

How did the Articles of Confederation address the challenges the new nation faced? 

Analyze the relationship between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution by looking at key phrases from each document.

Explore the purpose, structure, and flaws of the Articles of Confederation.

What were the primary problems faced by the United States under the Articles of Confederation?

Explore the disagreements between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.

How did the division of power for the United States shape early American history?

What were the key arguments for and against ratification of the Constitution, and how were the debates shaped by constitutional principles?   

How does the principle of federalism balance power between the national and state governments? 

How did principles shape the republican framework of the new constitutional government?

Students will analyze the Bill of Rights amendments and categorize those into thematic groups.

How is the government’s power is limited by the Bill of Rights?

How can understanding the principles of the Constitution help citizens participate effectively in a democratic society?

How do the three branches of government interact to create a system of checks and balances?

Explore case studies of branches asserting their constitutional authority to check one another.

How can understanding the principles of the Constitution help citizens participate effectively in a democratic society?

What are the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democratic society?

Explore two of Washington's famous speeches and its impact on the country.

How did George Washington's leadership and decisions shape the early republic?  

How did the emergence of political parties influence the development of American democracy?

How did the emergence of political parties influence the development of American democracy?

How did the Constitution influence decisions in the Early Republic?

Describe the attempts to remain neutral and explain the conflicts of the early republic.

How did democratic participation expand in the United States?

How did reform movements in the early nineteenth century address the social and economic challenges of the era?

How did industrialization and urbanization transform the economy, society, and culture of the United States in the nineteenth century?

How did reform movements in the early nineteenth century address the social and economic challenges of the era?

How did Americans and democratic institutions respond to the rapid economic changes of the early 19th century?

How did Andrew Jackson's presidency reshape American politics?

How has geography influenced economic development, population trends, and historical events in the U.S.?

How did economic factors drive westward expansion and create new opportunities and challenges?

How did the acquisition of new territories impact the nation's growth and development?

What can we learn from the stories of individuals traveling westward to find new opportunities?

What drove immigration westward and what challenges and opportunities did those who undertake it experience?

How did U.S. expansion affect Native American communities?

How can primary source documents help us understand the perspective on slavery of the author's of the U.S. Constitution?

How did the expansion of slavery into new territories intensify sectional tensions?  

What did Americans think about slavery in the nineteenth century?

How did enslaved people resist slavery in their daily lives?

What were the underlying causes of the Civil War and how did slavery divide the nation?

Why did some individuals chose to join the secession movement?

What were the range of views on slavery in the United States leading up to the Civil War?

Explain the major turning points and events of the Civil War.  

What were the major turning points and events of the Civil War? 

What were the different views of people from other countries about the Civil War?

How did the Civil War come to an end at Appomattox?

Explore the stories of Northerners and Southerners during the Civil War and their views of the conflict.

How did Lincoln show prudence in constitutional decisions during the Civil War?

Use the skills of research and historical analysis to investigate a Civil War battle. 

How successful was Reconstruction in addressing the challenges of rebuilding the nation and ensuring equal rights for African Americans?

How did federal and state government actions differ during reconstruction?

What were President Andrew Johnson's goals for Reconstruction?

Explain how Reconstruction impacted the lives and experiences of African Americans

What were the experiences of African Americans during Reconstruction?

How did Reconstruction impact the lives of formerly enslaved people and their families?

Explore the personal stories of formerly enslaved individuals and their experiences after the Civil War.

Identify and explain the factors leading to the end of Reconstruction and describe the legacy of Reconstruction on the nation

To what extent did Reconstruction help African Americans? Did African Americans get trapped in a situation similar to slavery, or did they make any progress during this period? 

What was the legacy of Reconstruction for the nation?

In what ways did different groups, such as religious communities, traders, and settlers in the American colonies establish and practice self-government?

How did British and colonial perspectives on taxation, representation, and self-governance compare in the decades leading up to the American Revolution?

What were the principles of the new Constitution and how did they shape the debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists during the ratification debate? 

How can understanding the principles of the Constitution help citizens participate effectively in a democratic society?

Help students provide historical context for primary source documents in a deconstructed DBQ.

How did Americans and democratic institutions respond to the rapid economic changes of the early nineteenth century?

How did the drive for territorial expansion shape the nation’s identity and create new challenges for the United States?

Use historical analysis skills to answer a document based question.

Analyze primary sources using the VIEW method, group them by historical themes, and use evidence and context to develop and support a clear thesis about a historical topic.