United States History (Section 1)

We will begin with a review of the Founding of our Nation.  We will talk about colonial America and the American Revolution, but we will go deeper and analyze the reasons for independence and the logic behind it.  We will analyze and debate the compromises and issues that arose during our nation's early years (i.e., state vs. religion).  We will then discuss the emergence of the Industrial Revolution; the rise of the U.S. as a role power through its role in Hawaii, the Spanish-American War, and World War I; the Roaring 20s with the various events ranging from the KKK to women's rights; and finally the Great Depression.  It is during this semester that the English and history departments will join forces on assigning a research paper. 

In the second semester, we start with a discussion of World War II, analyzing its major impact on the world.  We will then trace the events of the Cold War, while including the life of the 1950s.  Major focus will be placed on events such as the Vietnam War.  We will then discuss the Civil Rights Era, covering the African-American, American Indian, Hispanic-American, Asian-American, disabled, gay, and women's movements.  We will then finish the year with contemporary America focusing on the domestic policies of Presidents Eisenhower to Bush.  In this unit we will also discuss modern day issues, such as the War on Terror.