Central Question: How did President Washington influence the American presidency?
In April 1789, the ink on the recently ratified Constitution was barely dry when George Washington began the trek from his Mount Vernon plantation in Virginia to the national capital in New York City. Washington was well aware that he had been given the power to shape the American presidency. “I walk on untrodden ground,” was a frequent comment he made in the days leading up to his first inauguration. He clearly understood that he needed to bring the executive branch to life in the republic he’d helped found with no historic models to follow. Washington believed that the precedents he set must make the presidency powerful enough to function effectively in the national government but, at the same time, could not show any tendency toward monarchy, dictatorship, or favoritism abroad. In defining the traditions, public role, and political powers of the American president, Washington left a lasting legacy on the office that still guides officeholders today.
For more background, read “Presidential Precedents” on the Mount Vernon website and “George Washington and the Constitution” on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website (free login required).
Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 6 Key Terms:
Scholars understand the major decisions of President Washington and can explain how these decisions set the precedent for future American presidents and defined the American political system.
Preparation
Launch (2 minutes)
Read (5 minutes)
Watch (3 minutes)
Discuss (5 minutes)
Homework
Central Question: Why did political parties emerge in the early United States?
When the newly elected Congress and president gathered to implement the Constitution, the federal government benefited from extraordinary leadership at the top. But the new leaders soon divided into rival political parties, a development that shocked them all. Washington, Adams, and Hamilton claimed the name of Federalists, whereas Jefferson and Madison organized an opposition party known as the Democratic-Republicans, or Republicans (which should not be confused with the Republican Party of today). The two parties became polarized over several big issues: political economy, foreign policy, constitutional interpretation, and American industry.
For more background, read “The Presidential Election of 1800: A Story of Crisis, Controversy, and Change” on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website (free login required).
Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 6 Key Terms:
Scholars understand the conflicting viewpoints of the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans and can explain why these party divisions emerged in the early United States.
Preparation
Launch (2 minutes)
Watch (3 minutes)
Discuss (5 minutes)
Homework
Central Question: Was opposition to the Louisiana Purchase driven more by politics or by principle? Why?
President Thomas Jefferson believed that the United States should be a nation of independent farmers. When France offered to sell the Louisiana Territory to the United States in 1803, Jefferson wanted to seize the opportunity to double the size of the nation and to provide future generations with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of new farmland. But Jefferson was a strict constructionist — and the purchase marked an unprecedented use of executive power. The prospect of purchasing Louisiana evoked strong resistance from Federalists, motivated by ideological opposition and practical concerns, as well as political agendas.
For more background, read “Louisiana Purchase” on the History Channel website.
Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 6 Key Terms:
Scholars can apply their knowledge of early U.S. history to interpret original sources and use these sources to write clear, concise, and compelling claims about opposition to the Louisiana Purchase.
Give scholars 2 minutes to revise their main ideas or claims based on the discussion.
Teacher Feedback Guidance
Central Question: Was opposition to the Louisiana Purchase driven more by politics or by principle? Why?
Scholars can plan and draft clear and compelling written arguments that answer a historical question with strong theses and evidence that supports or proves their theses.
Outline (15 minutes)
Draft (15 minutes)
Teacher Feedback Guidance
Central Question: Was opposition to the Louisiana Purchase driven more by politics or by principle? Why?
Scholars revise their essays based on individualized teacher feedback to make their essays stronger and clearer and to understand how to use their feedback to grow as writers.
Preparation
Homework
Teacher Feedback Guidance
Central Question: How did the War of 1812 affect American politics and society?
Less than 30 years after the American Revolution, the United States was once again at war with Great Britain. The United States had declared war on Great Britain in 1812, but by the summer of 1814, neither side was winning. Then in August 1814, the British landed 5,000 soldiers near Washington, D.C., the nation’s new capital, and defeated the American soldiers who were defending the city. The British soldiers burned much of the city, including the White House, and President Madison and his wife, Dolley, barely escaped. The destruction of D.C. and the ensuing American victory at the Battle of Baltimore galvanized a nation that had been divided to unite behind the war effort. Although largely a draw, the War of 1812 also served as the first test of the new nation’s ability to defend itself on the world stage and ushered in a new foreign policy shortly thereafter: the Monroe Doctrine. The war began a period of increased nationalism and unity, known as the Era of Good Feelings, that in addition to celebrating American strength on an international scale, emphasized the potential of the nation. The good feelings from the war brought about a strengthening in federal power, the growth of capitalism and the economy, and a newfound sense of unity with the decline of the Federalist Party.
For more background, read “War of 1812” on the History Channel website.
Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 6 Key Terms:
Scholars understand the complex events leading up to the War of 1812 and the war’s outcomes, and they can explain how the war ultimately unified Americans and strengthened American foreign policy.
Launch (2 minutes)
Listen (5 minutes)
Discuss (3 minutes)
Homework
Central Question: How did individual Americans influence government and society in the early United States?
The Founding Fathers have captivated the imaginations of American historians and citizens alike. Their names evoke childhood tales and an almost mythical stature: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton. Their reputation, collectively, is not undeserved — in many cases, their leadership was vital to the success of our fragile new republic. But even though they were oftentimes necessary to this success, they were also insufficient. These names that have become such a part of the American lexicon were helped along the way by many lesser known individuals, including many women and black Americans who fought to ensure that this new nation fulfilled its founding vision — that all men are created equal — in their own time, and for posterity.
For more background on individual figures in the early United States, study the scholar source material provided for Lessons 7 through 9 on pages 28-48 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook.
Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 6 Key Term:
Scholars understand the importance of individuals in the revolutionary generation and begin to explain the influence of early American presidents, first ladies, politicians, and citizen-activists on the United States by planning commemorative biographies of their chosen individuals.
Preparation
Launch (2 minutes)
Discuss (3 minutes)
Planning — 35 minutes
Teacher Feedback Guidance
Central Question: How did individual Americans influence government and society in the early United States?
Scholars organize, reread, and revise their projects in preparation for presenting them to the class in the following lesson.
Preparation
Homework
Central Question: How did individual Americans influence government and society in the early United States?
Scholars finalize their biographies and present them to the class.
Preparation
Homework
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Prompts: Scholars may choose one of the following prompts about Big Ideas in American history.
Project Menu: Scholars may then choose to respond to the prompt chosen above with one of the formats outlined below.
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