AMERICANS HISTORY

Over the past few months, we’ve gone from looking at early contact between Native peoples and Europeans, to the upheavals of the 1700s and the American Revolution, to the contest over slavery, federal authority, and western expansion in the lead-up to the Civil War. From American Independence forward, consider whether the United States has lived up to its promises and principles. After writing an introduction, dedicate a paragraph to each of the following as a way of answering this question: 1) As you think back to the American Revolution, what were the principles of independence that Americans were writing and fighting about? 2) What steps did Americans take to protect and promote these principles after they established their country? 3) And how did those principles come into question again during the era of the Civil War and its aftermath? Did the Civil War help fulfill or negate these original promises? Finally, in your concluding paragraph, share your thoughts on whether the United States has lived up to its ideals in the post-Civil War era. Are there any outstanding issues that remained to be dealt with after 1865? Have any of those major issues lingered until our current era of American history?