Lesson Plans

The American Nation: A History of the United States ©2000

by John A. Garraty and Mark C. Carnes

Focus Lesson 3

Chapter 5: "The Federalist Era: Nationalism Triumphant"

AP* Course Description

• Constitution and New Republic, 1776–1800
  • Philadelphia Convention: drafting the Constitution
  • Federalists versus Anti-Federalists
  • Bill of Rights
  • Washington's presidency
    • Hamilton's financial program
    • Foreign and domestic difficulties
    • Beginnings of political parties
  • John Adams' presidency
    • Alien and Sedition Acts
    • XYZ affair
    • Election of 1800

Key Components

• Instructor's Manual: pp. 43–53
• Study Guide, Vol. I: pp. 72–87
• Test Bank: pp. 71–89

Key Web Sites

• Thomas Jefferson on Politics and Goverrnment
• Tax History Project
• Constitution of the United States (searchable)
• The Papers of George Washington

Key Words and Terms

Suggested Pacing

Test Strategy

Key Concepts

• States' rights versus the central government
  One legacy of British rule was the tug 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 and continues into the 21st century with recent Supreme Court rulings on the liability of states in relation to federal statutes. This conflict 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 developments 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.
  
  
• The importance of Washington's presidency
  A major accomplishment of Washington's presidency was the stabilization of the new nation. After reading Chapter 5, students should be able to discuss how Washington dealt with the struggle for control of the national government in incidents such as the Whiskey Rebellion and why he selected such diverse men as Jefferson and Hamilton to serve in his cabinet. Students should also be able to list the precedents that Washington established during his terms in office.
  
  

Summing Up Student Understanding

1. Continue the discussion of cause and effect begun in Focus Lesson 2 by discussing with students how the structure of the new nation showed the effects of years of British rule. Two examples of such effects are a weak central government with no chief executive and the central government's lack of taxing power. Divide the class into small groups for a hands-on poster activity. The groups are to create one poster each that illustrates an aspect 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.
   
   
2. Students should begin to keep a running list of themes and examples of themes that they encounter as they study the development of the United States. Two themes from this chapter are economic busts and booms and states' rights versus the federal government. These lists may prove useful both for reviewing for the AP* exam and for providing examples when writing the AP* essays.
   
   

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• American Issues: Vol. I to 1877, edited by Unger and Tomes—Chapters 6 and 7
• The Power of Words: Vol. I to 1877, edited by Breen—Chapters 7 and 8
• Constructing the American Past, Vol. I, edited by Gorn, Roberts, and Bilhartz—Chapters 6 and 7