United States Studies – Comprehensive

SS.USC.20

Demonstrate an understanding of the European settlement of North America.

• Compare and contrast the distinct characteristics of each colonial region in the settlement and development of America, including religious, social, political, and economic differences (i.e. Proclamation of 1763, French and Indian War).
• Identify and examine European colonial rivalries and the centralization British control.

SS.USC.21

Demonstrate an understanding of the establishment of the new Republic.

• Trace the major events leading to the American Revolution including the writing of the Declaration of Independence.
• Examine the contributions of key individuals in the development of the Republic.
• Determine the strengths and weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation and how their failure led to the development of the U.S. Constitution.
• Compare and contrast political ideologies and sectional differences in the development of the U.S. Constitution (e.g. economic development, slavery, and social reforms).

SS.USC.22

Demonstrate an understanding of westward movement and land acquisition.

• Examine the consequences of the expansion of the republic on the native population.
• Summarize the United States’ relations with foreign powers (e.g. Louisiana Purchase, War of 1812, Monroe Doctrine, Manifest Destiny and the Mexican-American War.)
• Compare and contrast the social, economic, and political development in different regions of the country during the antebellum period.

SS.USC.23

Demonstrate an understanding of the course of the American Civil War and Reconstruction in America.

• Identify and analyze the events which led to the secession of the south from the Union and the formation of the Confederate States of America.
• Trace the major events of the Civil War and evaluate the impact of political and military leadership during the war.
• Evaluate short-term and long-term effects of Reconstruction on the nation (e.g. Civil War Amendments, radical republicans, Jim Crow).

SS.USC.24

Demonstrate an understanding of the industrialization and reform movements.

• Analyze the contributions of business, industry, and entrepreneurs in the late 19th/early 20th century.
• Compare and contrast the societal, economic and population shifts in the United States in the late 19th century (i.e. Agrarian to Industrial, rural to urban, labor vs. industry, immigration, migration).
• Identify the goals and accomplishments of reformers and reform movements (e.g. women’s rights, minorities, labor, temperance, Progressivism etc.)

SS.USC.25

Demonstrate an understanding of the United States’ emergence as a world power.

• Evaluate the impact of United States foreign policy on global affairs (e.g., Open Door Policy, Good Neighbor Policy, Big Stick Diplomacy, Dollar Diplomacy, and Moral Diplomacy).
• Trace the shift from isolationism to intervention and imperialism (e.g. Spanish-American War, annexation of Hawaii, development of the Panama Canal).
• Analyze and explain how political, social, and economic factors influenced American involvement in World War I (e.g., treaties, alliances, and nationalism).
• List and explain underlying causes, major players, and the effects of World War I.

SS.USC.26

Demonstrate an understanding of the Great Depression and the New Deal.

• Examine causes of the stock market crash and draw conclusions about the immediate and lasting economic, social, and political effects on the United States and the World.
• Research the changing social values that led to the expansion of government in the 1920’s & 1930’s (e.g. constitutional amendments, New Deal legislation, etc.).
• Investigate the different cultural movements during the late 1920’s & 1930’s

SS.USC.27

Demonstrate an understanding of the events surrounding World War II.

• Explain how the world economic crisis initiated worldwide political change.
• Explore the causes and effects of World War II and describe the impact the war had on the world (e.g. failure of the Treaty of Versailles/League of Nations, militarism, nationalism, failure of appeasement).
• Investigate the abuse of human rights during World War II (e.g. Japanese Internment, Holocaust, stereotypes, propaganda).
• Identify contributions from the American-Homefront during the war (e.g. Rosie the Riveters, victory gardens, liberty bonds).
• Analyze the long-term consequences of the use of atomic weaponry to end the war.

SS.USC.28

Demonstrate an understanding of Post – World War II America.

• Compare and contrast the United States and the Soviet Union following WWII and their emergence as superpowers.
• Identify social, technological, and political changes that occurred in the United States as a result of the tensions caused by the Cold War.
• Trace the events of the Cold War and confrontations between the United States and other world powers.

SS.USC.29

Demonstrate an understanding of the social and political conflicts that brought forth an era of change in America.

• Investigate key people, places, and events of the African-American Civil Rights Movement.
• Research the various paradigm shifts during the 1950’s, 1960’s, & 1970’s (e.g. counterculture, rock n’ roll, women’s rights, Roe v. Wade, shifts in technology).
• Connect events to continued questions of trust in federal government (e.g., Watergate, Iran Contra and Pentagon Papers).

SS.USC.30

Demonstrate an understanding of America’s continued role in the complex global community.

• Evaluate the causes and effects of acts of foreign and domestic terrorism before and after 9/11. (e.g. Iran hostage crisis, 1993 World Trade Center, Oklahoma City, USS Cole, 2001 attacks on World Trade Center & Pentagon, PATRIOT Act, death of Osama bin Laden)
• Identify the positive and negative consequences of the advancement of technology.
• Evaluate and explain modern American policies (i.e., foreign and domestic), immigration, the global environment, and other current emerging issues.