Learners will examine the political, economic, and social conditions shaping the lives of enslaved people and free Blacks in the antebellum United States.

The learner will be able to identify major 19th-century American art, music, and literary movements and analyze how specific works reflected the society of their era.

The learner will be able to identify causal relationships, compare historical events, and draw inferences and conclusions from historical sources.

Learners will describe the causes and effects of major eras and events in U.S. history from westward expansion through the Reconstruction era.

Learners will use a structured problem-solving and decision-making process to analyze and propose solutions for issues in U.S. history.

Learners will describe the major domestic problems of the early republic and summarize key economic and legal debates.

Define civil disobedience and analyze its role, historical examples, and impact on American democracy through 1877.

The learner will be able to communicate effectively about social studies topics through proper terminology, written research, presentations, and civil discourse.

Learners will use social studies terminology, write with proper citations, create presentations, and engage in civil discourse about historical topics.

Learners will analyze and contrast Lincoln's and Davis's key addresses to understand their competing visions for liberty, equality, union, and government.

Identify how conflicts between racial, ethnic, and religious groups were addressed and analyze the contributions of diverse groups to American national identity through 1877.

Learners will evaluate how legislative compromises attempted to balance sectional interests and how the Fugitive Slave Act intensified resistance to slavery.

Summarize the purposes for amending the U.S. Constitution and describe the impact of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.

Analyze the core principles embedded in the U.S. Constitution — including limited government, federalism, checks and balances, and popular sovereignty — and explain how key individuals like Locke, Montesquieu, and Hooker influenced American self-government.