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Lesson Plans
Out of Many: A History of the American People ©2000
by Faragher, Buhle, Czitrom, and Armitage
Focus Lesson 5
Chapter 7: "The Creation of the United States, 1776–1786"
AP* Course Description
- The American Revolution, 1775–1783
- The Continental Congress
- Declaration of Independence
- The War
- French Alliance
- War and society; Loyalists
- War economy
- Articles of Confederation
- Peace of Paris
- Creating state governments
- Political organization
Key Components
- Instructor's Manual: pp. 32–36
- Study Guide, Vol. I to 1877: pp. 59–66
- Documents Set, Vol. I to 1877: pp. 63–76
- Test Item File: pp. 45–54
Key Web Sites
Given the changing nature of the Internet, you may wish to preview these sites. Always check PHSchool.com for updated links to U.S. history sites.
Key Words and Terms
- Continentals
- militias
- Loyalists
- Articles of Confederation
- Treaty of Paris, 1783
- Northwest Territory/Ordinances
- Shays' Rebellion
Suggested Pacing
Since this chapter includes the study of the Declaration of Independence, it requires two to three class sessions on a block schedule or five to six sessions on a traditional bell schedule. In order to save time, consider combining Chapters 6 and 7 for testing purposes.
Test Strategy
Critical viewing of maps is essential in taking the AP* exam. Have students scrutinize the maps on pp. 169, 170, 173, and 174. Through critical viewing and analysis, students should establish that the British view of the war changed from a police action to a conventional war to a people's war. In terms of the AP* exam, students do not need to concentrate on the actual fighting of the war.
Key Concepts
- The effects of British rule on the new nation
Continue the discussion of cause and effect by having students determine how the new nation that former colonists created showed the effects of years of British rule. Two examples you can use are the weak central government with no chief executive and the central government's lack of taxing authority. - States' rights versus the central government
One legacy of British rule was the tug of war between the states and the central government. This conflict between states' rights and the national government will define much of the development of the new nation through the Civil War. The same struggle will continue into the 21st century with recent Supreme Court rulings on the liability of states in relation to federal statutes. It is a theme that students should be aware of as they begin the study of the new nation. - Response to economic problems
Another theme that students should begin to trace is the effect of the economy on the political and social development of the nation. The first trade deficit and the first economic depression marked the years after independence. Students should note the response of the national government and the state governments and how these actions affected the political arena. - Northwest Territory and Northwest Ordinances
While the Articles of Confederation had many weaknesses and proved in the end to be unworkable, the Confederation Congress had one major success in its provisions for settling and admitting the Northwest Territory to the Union. The model established by the Northwest Ordinances would remain the system by which new territories were admitted to statehood as the nation spread across the continent.
Summing Up Student Understanding
Divide the class into small groups for a hands-on poster activity. The assignment is to create a poster that illustrates an effect of the legacy of British rule on the way the former colonists crafted their new national government. Students may use pictures, text for captions, a time line, or any other method that can be shown on a poster to represent the assignment.
Students should also start running lists of examples of the various themes they meet in the study of the development of the United States, such as economic depressions and open conflict in the fight over states' rights. These lists may prove useful to them when they need examples for their essays.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
You might also find these additional readings useful in developing students' background knowledge or for DBQ activities:
- American Issues: Vol. I to 1877, edited by Unger and Tomes—Chapter 5
- The Power of Words: Vol. I to 1877, edited by Breen—Chapter 6