Grade 4

Social Studies Practice

The History of the United States: Revolution to Reconstruction

The History of the United States: Revolution to Reconstruction 

Creating a New Government (1781-1789) 

Building the New Nation (1790-1830)

The Growth of the Republic (1800s-1850)

The United States Prior the Civil War (1820s-1861)

The Civil War and Reconstruction (1861-1870s) 

Gather information from a variety of primary and secondary sources, including: Printed materials (e.g., literary texts, newspapers, political cartoons, autobiographies, speeches, letters, personal journals), Graphic representations (e.g., maps, timelines, charts, artwork), Artifacts, Media and technology sources 

Critically examine a primary or secondary source in order to: Summarize significant ideas and relevant information, Distinguish between fact and opinion, Draw inferences and conclusions, Recognize author’s purpose, point of view, and reliability 

Organize data from a variety of sources in order to: Compare and contrast multiple sources, Recognize differences between multiple accounts, Frame appropriate questions for further investigation 

Construct and communicate arguments supported by evidence to: Demonstrate and defend an understanding of ideas, Compare and contrast viewpoints, Illustrate cause and effect, Predict likely outcomes, Devise new outcomes or solutions

Develop historical awareness by: Recognizing how and why historical accounts change over time, Recognizing how past events and issues might have been experienced by the people of that time, with historical context and empathy rather than present-mindedness, Identify patterns of continuity and change over time, making connections to the present

Develop geographic awareness by: Determining relationships among people, resources, and ideas based on geographic location (local, national, global),  Determining the use of diverse types of maps based on the purpose, Analyzing the spatial relationships between people, circumstances, and resources, Analyzing interaction between humans and the physical environment, Examining how geographic regions and perceptions of the regions change over time  

Analyze the impact of conflicts between colonists and American Indian nations brought on by the intrusions of colonization. 

Describe the contributions of Benjamin Franklin during this era, including the development of the Albany Plan of Union and the “Join or Die” political cartoon.

Analyze the causes and consequences of the French and Indian War, and recognize Fort Loudoun’s role in it.

Evaluate how political and economic ideas and interests brought about the American Revolution, including: Tea Act, 1773, Resistance to imperial policy, “Taxation without Representation” (Proclamation of 1763), Intolerable/Coercive Acts, 1774, The Stamp Act, 1765, The role of Patrick Henry, The Townshend Acts, 1767

Explain the different forms of protests colonists used to promote change in British policies, including: the Boston Tea Party, tarring and feathering, letter writing, and boycotts.

Determine the historical and present-day significance of the Declaration of Independence, including the roles of Thomas Jefferson and John Hancock. (T.C.A. § 49-6-1028)

Contrast how the principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence clashed with treatment of different groups including: women, slaves, and American Indians

Determine the importance of the following groups to the American Revolution: Loyalists (Tories), Redcoats, Minutemen, Sons of Liberty, Patriots

Examine major events and battles of the American Revolution, including: Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, Battle of Saratoga, Battles of Lexington and Concord, Valley Forge, Battle of Bunker (Breed’s) Hill, Battle of Yorktown

Evaluate the contributions made by women during the American Revolution, including: Abigail Adams, Betsy Ross, Mary Ludwig Hays (Molly Pitcher), Phillis Wheatley

Identify the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, including: no power to tax, weak central government, and the impact of Shays’ Rebellion. 

Identify the roles of James Madison and George Washington during the Constitutional Convention, and analyze the major issues debated, including (T.C.A. § 49-6-1028): Distribution of power between the states and federal government, Great Compromise, Slavery and the Three-Fifths Compromise 

Describe the conflict between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists over ratification of the Constitution, including the need for a Bill of Rights. (T.C.A. § 49-6-1028)

Describe the principles embedded in the Constitution, including (T.C.A. § 49-6-1028): Purposes of government (listed in the Preamble), Separation of powers, Branches of government, Checks and balances, Recognition and protection of individual rights (in the 1st Amendment) 

Examine the legacy and significance of the presidency of George Washington, including: the creation of cabinet member positions, two-party split, and the push for a strong central government. 

Map the exploration of the Louisiana Territory, and describe the events, struggles, and successes of the purchase, including the significance of: Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and Sacagawea. 

Identify major causes, events, and key people of the War of 1812, including: Trade restrictions, Burning of Washington, D.C., Impressment, Francis Scott Key, Battle of New Orleans, Andrew Jackson

Analyze the impact of Andrew Jackson’s presidency, including: the Indian Removal Act, Trail of Tears, and preservation of the union. 

Contrast regional differences in the early 19th century, including: the emerging urbanization in the North, the expansion of the plantation system in the South, and the developing West.  

Analyze the impact of the American Industrial Revolution, including the significance of: Watermills (influence of geography), Robert Fulton (steamboats), Samuel Slater (factory system), Eli Whitney (cotton gin)  

Compare and contrast the characteristics of slave life in plantations, cities, and other farms

Describe the experiences of settlers on the overland trails to the West, including the purpose of the journeys and influence of geography. 

Examine the impact of President James K. Polk’s view of Manifest Destiny on westward expansion. 

 Explain the significance of the California Gold Rush in westward expansion. 

Analyze the sectional differences between the North and the Antebellum South, including: Economic, Social, Political, Transportation, Population 

Identify abolitionist leaders and their approaches to ending slavery, including: Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Tubman

Explain how slavery became a national issue during the mid-19th century, including the significance of: Missouri Compromise, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Compromise of 1850, Dred Scott v. Sandford decision, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, John Brown’s Raid (on Harper’s Ferry)

Compare and contrast the various sectional stances on states’ rights and slavery represented by the presidential candidates in the election of 1860, including Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. 

Evaluate the significance of the Battle of Fort Sumter and the impact it had on secession

Explain the efforts of both the Union and the Confederacy to secure the border states for their causes

Explain how the Union’s Anaconda Plan used geographic features to isolate and defeat regions of the south and the Confederacy as a whole

Describe the roles of major leaders during the Civil War, including: Jefferson Davis, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, President Abraham Lincoln

Evaluate the significant contributions made by women during the Civil War, including Clara Barton and Dorothea Dix. 

Examine the significance and outcomes of key battles of the Civil War, including: First Battle of Bull Run, Battle of Shiloh, Battle of Antietam, Battle of Gettysburg 

Explain the purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation, and identify its impact on the country.

Describe the significance of the Gettysburg Address. 

Describe the physical, social, political, and economic consequences of the Civil War on the southern U.S. after the surrender at Appomattox Court House

Describe the impact President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination had on the nation. 

Identify the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments as efforts to help former slaves begin a new life. 

Compare and contrast the Reconstruction plans of President Abraham Lincoln, President Andrew Johnson, and Congress. 

Examine the significance of the Compromise of 1877 on the U.S.