Using primary sources, this unit explores the founding of the 12th and most successful of the English colonies in North America, Pennsylvania. Established by the Quaker civil libertarian William Penn, Pennsylvania was intended to demonstrate that a society founded on mutual respect, tolerance, and individual responsibility could flourish. The…

This unit is one of a series that presents specific moments in history from which students focus on the meanings of landmark events. The lessons included in this unit attempt to make slavery comprehensible to students, showing its oppressiveness and yet explaining how white Southern culture rationalized and sustained it. The unit also explains how…

This unit is one of a series that represents specific moments in history from which students focus on the meanings of landmark events. By relying on primary sources, this unit explores the Puritans' attempt to create a utopian community in New England, the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The unit is built around 7 objectives: (1) to study historical…

This document is a unit that introduces students to the American Revolution by relying on primary sources. The lessons divide the conflict into 3 periods: (1) the friction leading to the War; (2) the struggle for independence; and (3) the expectations that shaped people's participation. The feature that distinguishes this treatment of the…

This unit is one of a series that represents specific moments in history from which students focus on the meanings of landmark events. By studying a crucial turning point in history students become aware that choices had to be made by real human beings, that those decisions were the result of specific factors, and that they set in motion a series…