Mr. Powell's U.S. History Class

Our primary objective is to show an understanding of the causes, consequences, and details related to Manifest Destiny and America’s westward expansion. Students must demonstrate a working knowledge of events related to U.S. geography, immigration patterns (push/pull factors), conflict with England and Mexico (specifically the Texan war for independence and the Mexican-American War), as well as the impact of the Gold Rush on California.

Don’t forget to study for our Chapter 7 test tomorrow. Your INB will be due on Tuesday and you do not need to complete pages 13 or 25. Email me if you have any questions.

Our Education in America lesson will be postponed until we cover the reform movement in Chapter 8.  Our plan for Wednesday is to focus on preparing for the Ch7 test.

North and South Take Different Paths Study Guide

In class yesterday we examined more fully the concept of Manifest Destiny. Key concepts covered were the explosive growth of the American west and improvements in roads / canals. We saw how this new transportation infrastructure not only improved lives for people “out west”, but also was critical to growth of Northern cities such as New York. Finally, the class considered why the admissionof Missouri to the Union was so contentious and the comprise the pacified tensions temporarily between the North and the South.

During our last class we examined the causes and effects of “King Cotton” in the South. We saw that causes included an increase in demand for cotton from Northern and English factories as well as the invention of the Cotton Gin. Effects of the South’s dependence on cotton production included an increased demand for slave labor and a cultural justification of slavery.

Students today (with a substitute teacher) examined how transportation technology accelerated industrial growth in the North and made the nation “smaller”. They also took a close look at living and working conditions for America’s labor force  in a rapidly industrializing nation. The class concluded the period by reading about immigration to the United States.

We started the lesson off by discussing how technology affects our lives today. We went on to examine how the factory system started as a by-product of the new technologies that were changing manufacturing. We stressed how the factory system and industrial growth affected people’s lives and the working conditions that emerged.

One of the values of history is that it explains how things came to be the way they are. This is no less true for our national borders that stretch “from sea to shining sea”. The story of how our countrymen expanded this nation came be summed up in the phrase “Manifest Destiny”. This story can be illustrated through maps, and that where we spent our time on Monday. We started with this subject, and these maps, to put the remaining parts of our current unit in physical and social context. We will continue working on the map during this unit.

Last class we learned how a spirit of democratic participation led to the election of Andrew Jackson. We discussed why he believed a corrupt bargain was struck that had previously kept him out of office and the changes he made once elected (i.e. the spoils system).

FYI: We will not have a test on Chapter 6. The upcoming Benchmark covers material from this chapter. That score will be added to the 2nd Qtr. grade.

During our last class we considered and investigated the role that the United States played in shaping events in the Western Hemisphere. We saw how the U.S. increased in both power and influence as a result of instances such as Jackson’s seizure of Florida and the Monroe Doctrine.