Grades 9-12: U.S. History: America in the World

U.S. History: America in the World

History, Culture, and Perspectives

Era 1 - Colonization and Settlement (1585–1763)

Era 2 - Revolution and the New Nation (1754–1820s)

Era 3 - Expansion and Reform (1801–1861)

Era 4 - Civil War and Reconstruction (1850–1877)

Era 5 - The Development of the Industrial United States (1870–1900)

Era 6 - The Emergence of Modern America: Progressive Reforms (1890–1930)

Era 7 - The Emergence of Modern America: World War I (1890–1930)

Era 8 - The Emergence of Modern America: Roaring Twenties (1890–1930)

Era 9 - The Great Depression and World War II: The Great Depression (1929–1945)

Era 10 - The Great Depression and World War II: New Deal (1929–1945)

Era 11 - The Great Depression and World War II: World War II (1929–1945)

Era 12 - Postwar United States: Cold War (1945 to early 1970s)

Era 13 - Postwar United States: Civil Rights and Social Change (1945 to early 1970s)

Era 14 - Contemporary United States: Domestic Policies (1970–Today)

Era 15 - Contemporary United States: International Policies (1970–Today)

Era 16 - Contemporary United States: Interconnected Global Society (1970–Today)

Explain how British North American colonies adapted the British governance structure to fit their ideas of individual rights, economic growth, and participatory government.

Use multiple sources to analyze the factors that led to an increase in the political rights and participation in government.

Explain how geographic variations impacted economic development in the New World, and its role in promoting trade with global markets (e.g., climate, soil conditions, other natural resources).

Explain how economic ideas and the practices of mercantilism and capitalism conflicted during this time period.

Assess the impact of the interactions and conflicts between native groups and North American settlers.

Prepare and articulate a point of view about the importance of individual rights, separation of powers, and governmental structure in New Jersey's 1776 constitution and the United States Constitution.

Examine the emergence of early political parties and their views on centralized government and foreign affairs and compare these positions with those of today's political parties.

Compare and contrast the arguments of Federalists and Anti-Federalists during the ratification debates and assess their continuing relevance.

Use primary sources to explain how judicial review made the Supreme Court an influential branch of government and construct an argument regarding the continuing impact of the Supreme Court today.

Analyze how the United States has attempted to account for regional differences while also striving to create an American identity.

Use multiple sources to evaluate the effectiveness of the Northwest Ordinance in resolving disputes over Western lands and the expansion of slavery.

Explain how the United States economy emerged from British mercantilism.

Assess the effectiveness of the new state and national governments attempts to respond to economic challenges including domestic (e.g., inflation, debt) and foreign trade policy issues.

Analyze how technological developments transformed the economy, created international markets, and affected the environment in New Jersey and the nation.

Create a timeline that relates events in Europe to the development of American trade and American foreign and domestic policies.

Assess the importance of the intellectual origins of the Foundational Documents and assess their importance on the spread of democracy around the world (i.e., Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and Bill of Rights).

Using primary sources, describe the perspectives of African Americans, Native Americans, and women during the American Revolution and assess the contributions of each group on the outcome of the war.

Analyze the impact and contributions of African American leaders and institutions in the development and activities of black communities in the North and South before and after the Civil War.

Explain why American ideals put forth in the Constitution have been denied to different groups of people throughout time (i.e., due process, rule of law and individual rights).

Construct responses to arguments in support of new rights and roles for women and for arguments explaining the reasons against them.

Research multiple perspectives to explain the struggle to create an American identity.

Analyze primary and secondary sources to determine the extent to which local and state issues, publications, and the rise of interest group and party politics impacted the development of democratic institutions and practices.

Describe how the Supreme Court increased the power of the national government and promoted national economic growth during this era.

Compare and contrast the successes and failures of political and social reform movements in New Jersey and the nation during the Antebellum period (i.e., the 1844 State Constitution, abolition, women's rights, and temperance).

Judge the fairness of government treaties, policies, and actions that resulted in Native American migration and removal.

Examine the origins of the antislavery movement and the impact of particular events, such as the Amistad decision, on the movement.

Evaluate the impact of Western settlement on the expansion of United States political boundaries.

Relate the wealth of natural resources to the economic development of the United States and to the quality of life of individuals.

Analyze how technological developments transformed the economy, created international markets, and affected the environment in New Jersey and the nation.

Evaluate the impact of education in improving economic opportunities and in the development of responsible citizens.

Determine how expansion created opportunities for some and hardships for others by considering multiple perspectives over different time periods (e.g. Native American/European, Native American/White settlers, American/Latin American, American/Asian).

Examine a variety of sources from multiple perspectives on slavery and evaluate the claims used to justify the arguments.

Use evidence to demonstrate how states' rights (i.e., Nullification) and sectional interests influenced party politics and shaped national policies (i.e., the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850).

Use primary sources representing multiple perspectives to explain the impact of immigration on American society and the economy and the various responses to increased immigration.

Evaluate the role of religion, music, literature, and media in shaping contemporary American culture over different time periods.

Compare and contrast historians' interpretations of the impact of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments on African American's ability to participate in influencing governmental policies.

Analyze how ideas found in key documents contributed to demanding equality for all (i.e., the Declaration of Independence, the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Gettysburg Address).

Draw from multiple sources to explain the ways in which prevailing attitudes, socioeconomic factors, and government actions (i.e., the Fugitive Slave Act and Dred Scott Decision) in the North and South (i.e., Secession) led to the Civil War.

Use maps and primary sources to describe the impact geography had on military, political, and economic decisions during the civil war.

Use evidence to demonstrate the impact of population shifts and migration patterns during the Reconstruction period.

Assess the role that economics played in enabling the North and South to wage war.

Compare and contrast the immediate and long-term effects of the Civil War on the economies of the North and South.

Analyze the extent of change in the relationship between the national and state governments as a result of the Civil War and the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments during the 19th century.

Relate conflicting political, economic, social, and sectional perspectives on Reconstruction to the resistance of some Southern individuals and states.

Use primary sources to compare and contrast the experiences of African Americans who lived in Union and Confederate states before and during the Civil War.

Compare and contrast the impact of the American Civil War with the impact of a past or current civil war in another country in terms of the consequences of costs, reconstruction, people's lives, and work.

Analyze the debate about how to reunite the country and determine the extent to which enacted Reconstruction policies achieved their goals.

Analyze the effectiveness of governmental policies and of actions by groups and individuals to address discrimination against new immigrants, Native Americans, and African Americans.

Assess the impact of governmental efforts to regulate industrial and financial systems in order to provide economic stability.

Analyze the economic practices of corporations and monopolies regarding the production and marketing of goods and determine the positive or negative impact of these practices on individuals and the nation and the need for government regulations.

Explain how the Homestead Act, the availability of land and natural resources, and the development of transcontinental railroads and waterways promoted the growth of a nationwide economy and the movement of populations.

Generate/make an evidence-based argument regarding the impact of rapid urbanization on the environment and on the quality of life in cities.

Compare and contrast economic developments and long-term effects of the Civil War on the economics of the North and the South.

Analyze the cyclical nature of the economy and the impact of periods of expansion and recession on businesses and individuals.

Evaluate how events led to the creation of labor and agricultural organizations and determine the impact of those organizations on workers' rights, the economy, and politics across time periods.

Using primary sources, relate varying immigrants' experiences to gender, race, ethnicity, or occupation.

Assess the effectiveness of public education in fostering national unity and American values and in helping people meet their economic needs and expectations.

Use a variety of sources from multiple perspectives to document the ways in which women organized to promote government policies designed to address injustice, inequality, and workplace safety (i.e., abolition, women's suffrage, and the temperance movement).

Relate the creation of African American advocacy organizations (i.e., the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) to United States Supreme Court decisions (i.e., Plessy v. Ferguson) and state and local governmental policies.

Use a variety of sources from multiple perspectives to evaluate the effectiveness of Progressive reforms in preventing unfair business practices and political corruption and in promoting social justice.

Compare and contrast issues involved in the struggle between the unregulated development of natural resources and efforts to conserve and protect natural resources during the period of industrial expansion.

Determine the role geography played in gaining access to raw materials and finding new global markets to promote trade.

Determine how supply and demand influenced price and output during the Industrial Revolution.

Analyze the impact of money, investment, credit, savings, debt, and financial institutions on the development of the nation and the lives of individuals.

Explore factors that promoted innovation, entrepreneurship, and industrialization and determine their impact on New Jersey (i.e. Paterson Silk Strike) and the United States during this period.

Compare and contrast the foreign policies of American presidents during this time period and analyze how these presidents contributed to the United States becoming a world power.

Analyze the successes and failures of efforts to expand women's rights, including the work of important leaders and the eventual ratification of the 19th Amendment (i.e., Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul, and Lucy Stone).

Evaluate the effectiveness of labor and agricultural organizations in improving economic opportunities and rights for various groups.

Evaluate the impact of government policies designed to promote patriotism and to protect national security during times of war on individual rights (i.e., the Espionage Act and the Sedition Amendment).

Assess the immediate and long-term impact of women and African Americans entering the work force in large numbers during World War I.

Take a position based on evidence that evaluates the effectiveness of Woodrow Wilson's leadership during and immediately after WWI and compare it to another president's wartime leadership.

Determine the extent to which propaganda, the media, and special interest groups shaped American public opinion and American foreign policy during World War I and compare those factors to contemporary American involvement in another country.

Analyze the reasons for the policy of neutrality regarding World War I and explain why the United States eventually entered the war.

Evaluate the American government's response to the rise of authoritarian regimes between the world wars and compare that response to the rise of a modern authoritarian regime (e.g., North Korea, Venezuela, Syria, China, Iran).

Analyze the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations from the perspectives of different countries.

Analyze primary and secondary sources to explain how social intolerance, xenophobia, and fear of anarchism led to restrictive immigration and refugee laws, and the violation of the human rights of individuals and groups.

Determine the impact of the expansion of agricultural production into marginal farmlands and other ineffective agricultural practices on people and the environment.

Relate social, cultural, and technological changes in the interwar period to the rise of a consumer economy and the changing role and status of women.

Analyze the push-pull factors that led to the Great Migration.

Make evidence-based inferences to explain why the Great Migration led to heightened racial tensions, restrictive laws, a rise in repressive organizations, and an increase in violence.

Relate government policies to the prosperity of the country during the 1920s and determine the impact of these policies on business and the consumer.

Identify the conditions that gave rise to the Harlem Renaissance and assess the impact of artists, writers, and musicians on American culture.

Determine how agricultural practices, overproduction, and the Dust Bowl intensified the worsening economic situation during the Great Depression.

Explain how economic indicators are used to evaluate the health of the economy (i.e., gross domestic product, the consumer price index, the national debt, and the trade deficit).

Compare and contrast the causes and outcomes of the stock market crash in 1929 with other periods of economic instability.

Explain how government can adjust taxes, interest rates, and spending and use other policies to restore the country's economic health.

Explain the interdependence of various parts of a market economy (i.e., private enterprise, government programs, and the Federal Reserve System).

Analyze how the actions and policies of the United States government contributed to the Great Depression.

Explore the global context of the Great Depression and the reasons for the worldwide economic collapse.

Analyze the impact of the Great Depression on the American family and ethnic and racial minorities.

Analyze how the Supreme Court has interpreted the Constitution to define and expand individual rights and use evidence to document the long-term impact of these decisions on the protection of civil and human rights.

Assess the effectiveness of governmental policies enacted during the New Deal period in protecting the welfare of individuals (i.e., FDIC, NLRB, and Social Security).

Use primary and secondary sources to explain the effectiveness of New Deal programs designed to protect the environment.

Construct a claim that evaluates short- and long-term impact of the expanded role of government on economic policy, capitalism, and society.

Evaluate the effectiveness of economic regulations and standards established during this time period in combating the Great Depression.

Compare and contrast the economic ideologies of the two major political parties regarding the role of government during the New Deal and today.

Explain how Franklin Roosevelt and other key individuals, including minorities and women, shaped the core ideologies and policies of the New Deal (i.e., Mary McLeod Bethune, Frances Perkins, and Eleanor Roosevelt).

Use a variety of sources from multiple perspectives to determine the extent to which New Deal public works and arts programs impacted New Jersey, the nation, and the environment.

Analyze how other nations responded to the Great Depression.

Use a variety of sources to determine if American policies towards the Japanese during WWII were a denial of civil rights.

Assess the responses of the United States and other nations to the violation of human rights that occurred during the Holocaust and other genocides.

Explain the reasons for the creation of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and evaluate the effectiveness of United Nations' human rights policies and the commitment of the United States to them.

Evaluate the shift in economic resources from the production of domestic to military goods during World War II in terms of opportunity costs and trade-offs and analyze the impact of the post-war shift back to domestic production.

Analyze how scientific advancements, including advancements in agricultural technology, impacted the national and global economies and daily life.

Assess the impact of the arms race and the proliferation of nuclear weapons on world power, security, and national foreign policy.

Evaluate the role of New Jersey (i.e., defense industries, Seabrook Farms, military installations, and Battleship New Jersey) and prominent New Jersey citizens (i.e., Albert Einstein) in World War II.

Evaluate the effectiveness of international agreements following World War I in preventing international disputes (e.g., League of Nations, Treaty of Versailles, Washington Naval Conference, Kellogg-Briand Pact).

Analyze the roles of various alliances among nations and their leaders in the conduct and outcomes of the World War II.

Explain why women, African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and other minority groups often expressed a strong sense of nationalism despite the discrimination they experienced in the military and workforce.

Compare the varying perspectives of victims, survivors, bystanders, rescuers, and perpetrators during the Holocaust.

Explain the implications and outcomes of the Space Race from the perspectives of the scientific community, the government, and the people.

Assess the impact of agricultural innovation on the world economy.

Assess the role of the public and private sectors in promoting economic growth and ensuring economic stability.

Examine constitutional issues involving war powers, as they relate to United States military intervention in the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and other conflicts.

Analyze the impact of American governmental policies on independence movements in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

Analyze efforts to eliminate communism, such as McCarthyism, and their impact on individual civil liberties.

Explain how the development and proliferation of nuclear weapons affected international relations.

Analyze ideological differences and other factors that contributed to the Cold War and to United States involvement in conflicts intended to contain communism, including the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam War.

Explain the reasons for the creation of the United Nations and evaluate the effectiveness of United Nations' human rights policies and the commitment of the United States to them.

Use a variety of sources to explain how the Arab-Israeli conflict influenced American foreign policy.

Craft an argument as to the effectiveness of the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, New Jersey Supreme Court decisions (i.e., Hedgepeth and Williams v. Trenton Board of Education), and New Jersey's laws in eliminating segregation and discrimination.

Analyze the effectiveness of national legislation, policies, and Supreme Court decisions in promoting civil liberties and equal opportunities (i.e., the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, the Equal Rights Amendment, Title VII, Title IX, Affirmative Action, Brown v. Board of Education, and Roe v. Wade).

Make evidence-based inferences to determine the factors that led to migration from American cities to suburbs in the 1950s and 1960s and describe how this movement impacted cities.

Use quantitative data and other sources to describe the extent to which changes in national policy impacted immigration to New Jersey and the United States after 1965.

Construct an argument on the effectiveness of environmental movements, their influence on public attitudes, and the efficacy of the government's environmental protection agencies and laws.

Relate American economic expansion after World War II to increased consumer demand.

Evaluate the effectiveness of economic policies that sought to combat post-World War II inflation.

Explain how individuals and organizations used economic measures as weapons in the struggle for civil and human rights (e.g., the Montgomery Bus Boycott, sit downs).

Evaluate the effectiveness of social legislation that was enacted to end poverty in the 1960s and today by assessing the economic impact on the economy (e.g., inflation, recession, taxation, deficit spending, employment, education).

Compare and contrast the leadership and ideology of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X during the Civil Rights Movement, and evaluate their legacies.

Explore the reasons for the changing role of women in the labor force in post-WWII America and determine its impact on society, politics, and the economy.

Determine the impetus for the Civil Rights Movement and generate an evidence-based argument that evaluates the federal actions taken to ensure civil rights for African Americans.

Analyze the successes and failures of women's rights organizations, the American Indian Movement, and La Raza in their pursuit of civil rights and equal opportunities.

Determine the extent to which suburban living and television supported conformity and stereotyping during this time period, while new music, art, and literature acted as catalysts for the counterculture movement.

Use a variety of sources to explain the relationship between the changing role of women in the labor force and changes in family structure.

Draw from multiple perspectives to evaluate the effectiveness and fairness of the processes by which local, state, and national officials are elected.

Use case studies and evidence to evaluate the effectiveness of the checks and balances system in preventing one branch of national government from usurping too much power during contemporary times.

Analyze how the Supreme Court has interpreted the Constitution to define and expand individual rights and use evidence to document the long-term impact of these decisions on the protection of civil and human rights.

Use primary sources representing multiple perspectives and data to determine the effectiveness of the federal government in addressing health care, income equality, and immigration.

Use a variety of evidence, including quantitative data, to evaluate the impact community groups and state policies have had on increasing the youth vote.

Draw from multiple perspectives and cite evidence to explain the conflicting ideologies and actions of political parties regarding spending priorities, the role of government in the economy, and social reforms.

Draw from multiple perspectives and cite evidence to determine the extent to which nongovernmental organizations, special interest groups, third party political groups, and the media affect public policy.

Use data and other evidence to determine the impact of recent immigration and migration patterns in New Jersey and the United States on demographic, social, economic, and political issues.

Use evidence to document how regionalization, urbanization, and suburbanization have led to social and economic reform movements in New Jersey and the United States.

Evaluate the impact of individual, business, and government decisions and actions on the environment and climate change and assess the efficacy of government policies and agencies in New Jersey and the United States in addressing these decisions.

Use economic indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of state and national fiscal (i.e., government spending and taxation) and monetary (i.e., interest rates) policies.

Use financial and economic data to determine the causes of the financial collapse of 2008 and evaluate the effectiveness of the government's attempts to alleviate the hardships brought on by the Great Recession.

Use current events to judge what extent the government should intervene at the local, state, and national levels on issues related to the economy.

Analyze economic trends, income distribution, labor participation (i.e., employment, the composition of the work force), and government and consumer debt and their impact on society.

Relate the changing manufacturing, service, science, and technology industries and educational opportunities to the economy and social dynamics in New Jersey.

Analyze campaign speeches and debates and other sources to determine the extent to which presidential candidates' rhetoric was inclusive, expansive, stereotypical or biased.

Create an evidence-based argument that assesses the effectiveness of actions taken to address the causes of continuing racial tensions and violence.

Determine the influence of multicultural beliefs, products (i.e., art, food, music, and literature), and practices in shaping contemporary American culture.

Develop an argument based on a variety of sources that compares George HW Bush's Iraqi policy with George W. Bush's.

Explore the various ways women, racial and ethnic minorities, the LGBTQ community, and individuals with disabilities have contributed to the American economy, politics and society.

Use a variety of sources from diverse perspective to analyze the social, economic and political contributions of marginalized and underrepresented groups and/or individuals.

Analyze the use of eminent domain in New Jersey and the United States from the perspective of local, state, and the federal government as it relates to the economy.

Determine how the 9/11 attacks contributed to the debate over national security and civil liberties.

Make evidenced-based inferences about the role of partisan politics in presidential impeachments and trials.

Evaluate the decisions to wage war in Iraq and Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks.

Evaluate the role of religion on cultural and social mores, public opinion, and political decisions.

Analyze the factors that led to the fall of communism in Eastern European countries and the Soviet Union and determine how the fall influenced the global power structure.

Evaluate the role of diplomacy in international conflicts and policies relating to refugees and asylum seekers.

Assess economic priorities related to international and domestic needs, as reflected in the national budget.

Assess the impact of the arms race and the proliferation of nuclear weapons on world power, security, and national foreign policy.

Analyze the impact of United States support for the policies and actions of the United Nations (i.e., Universal Declaration of Human Rights, United Nations Sustainability Goals) and other international organizations.

Evaluate the effectiveness of United States policies and actions in supporting the economic and democratic growth of developing nations.

Explain how and why religious tensions, historic differences, and a western dependence on oil in the Middle East have led to international conflicts and analyze the effectiveness of United States policy and actions in bringing peaceful resolutions to the region.

Analyze the reasons for terrorism and the impact that terrorism has had on individuals and government policies and assess the effectiveness of actions taken by the United States and other nations to prevent terrorism.

Evaluate the role of diplomacy in developing peaceful relations, alliances, and global agreements with other nations.

Construct a claim to describe how media and technology has impacted civic participation and deliberation.

Analyze government efforts to address intellectual property rights, personal privacy, and other ethical issues in science, medicine, and business that arise from the global use of new technologies.

Explain why natural resources (i.e., fossil fuels, food, and water) continue to be a source of conflict and analyze how the United States and other nations have addressed issues concerning the distribution and sustainability of natural resources and climate change.

Use quantitative data and other sources to assess the impact of international trade, global business organizations, and overseas competition on the United States economy and workforce.

Make evidenced-base inferences regarding the impact of technology on the global workforce and on entrepreneurship.

Evaluate the economic, political, and social impact of new and emerging technologies on individuals and nations.

Analyze the impact of American culture on other world cultures and determine the impact of social media on the dissemination of American culture.

Assess from various perspectives the effectiveness with which the United States government addresses economic issues that affect individuals, business, and/or other countries.

Determine past and present factors that led to the widening of the gap between the rich and poor, and evaluate how this has affected individuals and society