Course Description
On a schedule of 35 weeks, we will explore American History and Civics, interwoven with church history in America, including:
- Three continents and First Contact;
- North American colonization to the American Revolution;
- Articles of Confederation to the Constitution, with America’s First President;
- Jefferson, Political Parties, and the Louisiana Purchase;
- The Era of Good Feelings, the “5 Civilized Tribes,” Slavery, and Missouri Compromise;
- Presidential Power, Trail of Tears, Protective Tariffs, and the Whig Party;
- Rise of Sectionalism, Abolition, and the Economics of King Cotton;
- Manifest Destiny, War with Mexico, and Oregon Territory;
- Compromise of 1850 through the Civil War.
This is Year One of a two-year American history/civics course. Year Two will be added in 2023.
In Year One, we will seek to understand the people, events, and changing dynamics of America by learning the historic context, by asking pertinent questions, by examining historic documents, and by walking in kindness and humility towards the people we “meet” in history. We will also view Christian events and personalities in each time period we are studying, to gain a better sense of how this influenced and impacted American history.
There will be rich discussion time, fascinating student projects, an honoring of various people groups, and an exploration of conflicting political ideas as Americans sought to create something new in the world.
The curriculum upon which this course will be based will be available to students in the course via recorded lectures, primary source documents (pdf), and assignments in the Learning Management System (Canvas).