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Social Studies 8 B
Course Summary
This course offers a broad survey of United States history from the end of the War of 1812 to the
Reconstruction Era. The course examines U.S. political, economic, and social history from a
chronological point of view. Throughout the course, the student will make connections between
historical events and their impact on the American people and landscape. The student will enhance his
social studies skills by completing activities that teach understanding primary sources, reading time
lines and graphs, comparing and contrasting, recognizing bias, and more. Lessons are designed to
develop the student's abilities to question, read, analyze, interpret, and evaluate different forms of
information. The student will also practice geography skills as he explores the evolution of America's
geography and its historical impact. Glencoe's The American Republic to 1877 provides the basis for
instruction.
1. The New Republic Part II
1. Economic Growth
 Describe how the Industrial Revolution began in the United States
 Describe how the United States changed as it became more economically
independent
2. Westward Bound
 Explain how transportation improved in the early 1800s
 Understand how Western settlements affected the nation's economy and
politics
3. Unity and Sectionalism
 Describe why sectional differences grew in the 1820s
 Identify the effect the Monroe Doctrine had on foreign policy
4. The New Republic Virtual Field Trip
 Explore topics in U.S. history through Web research
5. The New Republic Unit Review
 Review material in preparation for the unit test
6. The New Republic Unit Test
 Complete the unit test
2. The Growing Nation
1. Jacksonian Democracy
 Explain why the nation's sixth president was chosen by the House of
Representatives
 Identify the changes President Jackson brought to the American political
system
2. Conflicts Over Land
 Understand how Native Americans were forced off their lands in the Southeast
 Explain how President Jackson defied the Supreme Court
3. Jackson and the Bank
 Examine the reasons why Jackson wanted to destroy the Bank of the United
States
 Understand why the Whigs came to power in 1840
4. The Oregon Country
 Explain why large numbers of settlers headed for the Oregon country
 Understand how the idea of Manifest Destiny contributed to the nation's
growth
5. Independence for Texas
 Understand why problems arose between the Mexican government and
American settlers in Texas
 Describe how Texas achieved independence from Mexico and later became a
state
6. War with Mexico
 Explain why Americans began to settle in the Southwest
 Describe how the United States acquired New Mexico and California
7. New Settlers in California and Utah
 Understand how the hopes of getting rich quick drew thousands of people to
California
 Describe how the search for religious freedom led to the settlement of Utah
8. The North's Economy
 Understand how advances in technology shaped the economy of the North
 Explain how new kinds of transportation and communication spurred economic
growth
9. The North's People
 Summarize how working conditions in industries changed
 Compare and contrast how immigration affected American economic, political,
and cultural life
10. Southern Cotton Kingdom
 Explore how settlement expanded in the South
 Determine why the economy of the South relied on agriculture
11. The South's People
 Describe what life was like on Southern plantations
 Understand how enslaved workers maintained strong family and cultural ties
12. Social Reform
 Understand how religious and philosophical ideas inspired various reform
movements
 Explain why educational reformers thought all citizens should attend school
13. The Abolitionists
 Describe the ways some Americans worked to eliminate slavery
 Explore the reasons why many Americans feared the end of slavery
14. The Women's Movement
 Examine how the antislavery and the women's rights movement were related
 Evaluate what progress women made toward equality during the 1800s
15. The Growing Nation Virtual Field Trip
 Explore topics in U.S. history through Web research
16. The Growing Nation Unit Review
 Review material in preparation for the unit test
17. The Growing Nation Unit Test
 Complete the unit test
3. Civil War and Reconstruction
1. Slavery and the West
 Describe how the debate over slavery was related to the admission of new
states
 Understand what the Compromise of 1850 accomplished
2. A Nation Dividing
 Explain how the Fugitive Slave Act and the Kansas-Nebraska Act further
divided the North and South
 Describe how popular sovereignty led to violence
3. Challenges to Slavery
 Understand why the Republican Party formed
 Describe how the Dred Scott decision, the Lincoln-Douglas debates, and John
Brown's raid affected Americans
4. Secession and War
 Explain how the 1860 election led to the breakup of the Union
 Understand why secession led to the Civil War
5. The Two Sides
 Explain why the border states played an important part in the war
 Compare Northern and Southern populations, industries, resources, and war
aims
6. Early Years of the War

Identify Northern and Southern successes and failures in the early years of
war
 Explain how the North's naval blockade hurt the South
7. A Call for Freedom
 Describe why Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation
 Understand the role that African Americans played in the Civil War
8. Life During the Civil War
 Describe what life was like for soldiers during the Civil War
 Identify the role that women played in the war
 Compare how the war affected the economies of the North and the South
9. The Way to Victory
 Identify the battles that turned the tide of the war in 1863
 Cite the events that led to the South's surrender in 1865
10. Reconstruction Plans
 Compare Lincoln's plan for Reconstruction and the plan of the Radical
Republicans
 Explain Andrew Johnson's proposal for handling Reconstruction
11. Radicals in Control
 Identify what some Southerners did to deprive freed people of their rights, and
explain how Congress responded
 Cite the main features of Radical Reconstruction
12. The South During Reconstruction
 Identify what groups participated in the South's Reconstruction
 Explain how Southern life changed during Reconstruction
13. Change in the South
 Cite the changes that occurred in the South during the last years of
Reconstruction
 Describe how African Americans were denied their rights
14. Civil War and Reconstruction Virtual Field Trip
 Explore topics in U.S. history through Web research
15. Civil War and Reconstruction Unit Review
 Review material in preparation for the unit test
16. Civil War and Reconstruction Unit Test
 Complete the unit test
4. Modern America Emerges
1. The Western Frontier
 Explain why settlers moved west
 Discuss the reasons why settlers came into conflict with Native Americans
2. Invention and Industry
 Analyze how American cities and industries changed at the turn of the century
 Describe the challenges immigrants to the United States faced
3. Reform at Home, Expansion Abroad
 Examine the ways in which the Progressive movement changed America
 Review the reasons the United states sought to expand overseas
4. World War I and Its Aftermath
 Understand what role the United States played in World War I
 Summarize how the nation changed during the 1920s
5. Depression and a Second World War
 Explain how President Roosevelt responded to the Great Depression
 Understand the actions that led to the outbreak of World War II
6. Turning Points
 Examine the ways the United States attempted to stop the spread of
communism
 Review the actions African Americans took to secure their rights
7. Modern America
 Analyze the ways in which the Watergate scandal affected the nation
 Summarize how the Cold War ended
8. The War on Terrorism
 Describe how Americans responded to terrorism
 Discuss the actions the government took to fight terrorism