Reference no: EM133708269

Assignment: News Article

Find an online news article that is focused on a history topic that we have discussed in class after the first test. It can be discussing the topic as a pure history lesson. OR it can be discussing a historical event to make a point about a current event, but it must be focused on the history topic, not the current event. Do not send an article in which YOU are the one making a connection between a current event and a topic we discussed in class, the author must be doing so--and they must be mainly focused on the historical event, not the current one.

These may not be older than six months and must be from legitimate news sources (Wikipedia is not a legitimate source, nor is History.com--which is the History Channel's website). The historical topic must be one that we have already covered since the first test.

Further, keep in mind that the easiest way to do this is to do a Google NEWS search. (Do a Google search for a topic that interested you, then limit the results by clicking on the "news" tool link).

Module Overview

This module contains four lectures, all of which discuss the creation of our American Republic. The first one details our government under the Articles of Confederation, with an eye towards explaining why that form of government failed and how it created problems that had to be solved by creating another form of government. The second lecture examines the creation of our Constitution, arguing that it was a product of compromise that gave an enormous amount of power to our federal government, yet limited the government so that it would not become a tyranny. In the third lecture we discover that political parties developed in our country rather quickly, and yet their bitter fighting did not result in war because of our Republican form of government, and because the parties ignored sectional issue of slavery. Lastly, the fourth lecture considers the presidency of Thomas Jefferson, how and why we went into a another war with the British, and how that war ultimately proved that our Republican form of government worked.

In a chapter reading from American Realities, students will learn the exciting story of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition and how its success played a role in the presidency of Thomas Jefferson.

Module Goals

During this module, students will:

A. Consider the reasons that a national government with few powers can be an ineffective form of government

B. Contemplate the ways in which our government was a product of compromise that was meant to facilitate compromise

C. Discover the reasons our founding fathers feared the development of parties political parties, and yet that ironically they were as politically divided as we are today

D. Learn how the War of 1812 proved that a Republican form of government could be successful.