Era 3: Expansion and Reform (1801–1861)

Summary: In this activity, students will analyze a petition filed by Eli Whitney with Congress to renew his patent on his infamous invention - the Cotton Gin. This activity can be used during a unit on slavery or intellectual property. This lesson concludes with an extension activity, asking students to draft an answer to the following: Imagine you were a member of Congress that received this petition from Eli Whitney. Would you have voted in favor or against Eli Whitney's petition to renew...

Summary: In this lesson, students will examine the Louisiana Purchase and its economic and political impacts on the United States—both immediate and long term. You will investigate what led up to the signing of the Louisiana Purchase treaty, how it affected the status of the United States among world powers, and the impact it would have on the people who would come to the territory and on the Native Americans already living there. Students will be prompted to take notes, gather and analyze...

Summary: In this extensive lesson, students will be able to explain the role and responsibilities of the Supreme Court with regard to interpreting the U.S. Constitution; analyze the competing perspectives that resulted in the Marbury v. Madison case; evaluate the lasting significance of Marbury v. Madison and judicial review; and evaluate the nature of how a system of checks and balances has functioned and changed over time.

Overarching Questions:

CIVICS: How well does the government balance...

Summary: In this lesson, students will analyze the causes, events, and effect of the War of 1812 from a New Jersey perspective. They will identify ways in which the Embargo Act impacted the economy of New Jersey; evaluate newspaper articles to determine whether New Jersey representatives should have supported or opposed the War of 1812; explain perspectives of New Jersey citizens and determine if the War in 1812 was to their benefit or detriment; describe how the Federalists and...

Summary: Students will be able to explain the existence of slavery in New Jersey during the colonial and antebellum periods; analyze efforts to abolish slavery in New Jersey during the colonial and antebellum periods; compare political and religious arguments made by NJ Quakers against slavery; explain why New Jersey provided an Underground Railroad route for slaves; identify important figures in the New Jersey Underground Railroad and finally, describe the risks and routes taken and many...

Summary: This lesson will look at the work of reformers that characterized mid-nineteenth century America, especially as it related to New Jersey.

Overarching Questions:

CIVICS: Have individuals and groups influenced public policy during this time period? If so, how and what has been the impact? NEW JERSEY: How have changes in New Jersey during this time period influenced U.S. history?

Standards:

 

Links to Lesson: coming soon.

Summary: Changes in voting qualifications and participation, the election of Andrew Jackson, and the formation of a two party system all contributed to making the election of 1828 a watershed in the evolution of the American political system. In this four-lesson unit, students analyze changes in voter participation and regional power between 1824 and 1832, and review archival campaign documents reflecting the dawn of politics as we know it today. Each lesson has a distinct focus: Lesson 1,...

Summary: President Jackson’s title as “the common man president.” Investigation into his decision-making introduces a series of questions. To what extent was Jackson a reflection of the new democracy emerging in the country? How might he have influenced this new ideology himself? How do we measure Jacksonian Democracy in light of his treatment of groups such as Native Americans? To what extent was Jackson truly a common man? Through participation in a mock trial of Andrew Jackson, students...

Summary: This interactive lesson examines the Tariffs of 1828 and 1832, John C. Calhoun’s South Carolina Exposition and Protest, President Andrew Jackson’s Nullification Proclamation and Daniel Webster’s 1830 Senate speech. Students will identify the distinct economies of the North and the South; explain the relationship between the economies and respective positions on tariffs; analyze the issue of sovereignty between nationalists and states’ rights advocates; articulate the key events of the...

Summary: There are two excellent approaches offered to explore this issue. In both, students will be invited into the debate authorizing the 1830 Indian Removal Act and eventual relocation of Native populations to land west of the Mississippi. A document based lesson offered by iCivics looks at the responses of the Cherokee and how they tried to maintain their6.1.12.HistoryUP.3.a: Determine how expansion created opportunities for some and hardships for others by considering multiple...

Summary: The Seneca Falls Convention, held in Seneca Falls, New York, on July 19 to July 20, 1848, was the first woman's rights convention held in the United States. At that convention, the Declaration of Sentiments was written that outlined demands for women’s equality. This lesson uses video clips to have students understand the important people and events that led to the Declaration of Sentiments and then apply the text of the Declaration to today.

Overarching Questions:

CIVICS: Have the...