U.S. General Won’t Commit to Ending Airstrikes on Taliban

Use this lesson at the end of the unit to review foreign policy throughout U.S. history.

In the early years of the United States, American foreign policy focused on maintaining neutrality and protecting national sovereignty while dealing with conflicts between Britain and France. Presidents Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison struggled with issues such as British impressment of American sailors, attacks on U.S. shipping, and pressure to take sides in European wars. Key events included Washington’s Proclamation of Neutrality, Jay’s Treaty, the XYZ Affair, the Louisiana Purchase, and Jefferson’s Embargo Act. Rising tensions with Britain eventually led to the War of 1812, which ended with the Treaty of Ghent in 1815. By the war’s conclusion, the United States had grown stronger and gained greater respect as an independent nation capable of defending its interests.

In honor of President’s Day, BRI staff members Rachel and Kirk are joined by Christopher Evans, BRI Teacher Council member and Teacher Advisor for the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, as they discuss the executive office through the lens of foreign affairs. They’ll be engaging in a close reading of the Monroe Doctrine and other important foreign policy statements from U.S. history.

In this episode, we will review American Foreign Policy from the Washington administration to the twenty-first century.

A review lesson for Unit 6 (1898-1945) that will help students review key events of the period related to the role of government and how they connect to Founding principles.

How did U.S. foreign policy change after the Cold War?

In 2016 alone, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or ISIL, has claimed responsibility for several attacks around the world. Acts of terror in Belgium, Germany, the United States, and many other countries perpetrated by individuals pledging loyalty to the organization and its mission of spreading the Islamic religion have claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent people and wounded many more.