1. United States History Thematic Review

2. Historical Time Periods
Colonial America – 1600 – 1776
Revolution –
Antebellum America –
Civil War and Reconstruction –
Gilded Age –
Progressive Era – 1900 – 1914
WWI –
Roaring Twenties
Great Depression
WWII –
Cold War –
Civil Rights Movement –

3. Presidential Programs
Teddy Roosevelt – Square Deal
FDR – New Deal
Truman – Fair Deal
JFK – New Frontier
LBJ – Great Society

4. Congressional Legislation
Missouri Compromise
Fugitive Slave Act
Interstate Highway Act
Social Security
Homestead Act
Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act
Medicare/Medicaid
Meat Inspection Act/Pure Food and Drug Act
Americans with Disabilities Act
GI Bill
Indian Removal Act
NAFTA
Federal Reserve Act

5. Theme: Government (Congressional Legislation)
Throughout United States history, Congress has passed legislation to address important political, social, or economic issues. These laws have often had a significant impact on American society.
Task:
Select two laws passed by the United States Congress and for each:
Discuss the historical circumstances that led to the passage of the law
Discuss the impacts of the law on American society
You may use any federal law that was intended to address an important issue from your study of United States history. Some suggestions you might wish to consider include:
Embargo Act (1807), Pure Food and Drug Act (1906), Indian Removal Act (1830), Social Security Act (1935), Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), GI Bill/Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (1944), Interstate Commerce Act (1887), Civil Rights Act (1964), Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)
You are not limited to these suggestions.
You may not discuss constitutional amendments.

6. Technological Advancements
Cotton Gin
Railroad
Assembly Line
Automobile
Television/Radio
Nuclear Power
Computer

7. Theme: Technological Developments
Technological developments have had both positive and negative effects on the United States economy and on American society.
Task:
Identify two different technological developments and for each
• Discuss the positive and/or negative effects of the technological development on the United States economy or on American society
You may use any technological developments from your study of United States history. Some suggestions you might wish to consider include:
The cotton gin, steam-powered engines, the assembly line, nuclear power, the automobile, television, and computers.
You are not limited to these suggestions.

8. Supreme Court Cases Expand Civil Liberties Restrict Civil Liberties
Gideon v. Wainwright (6)
Miranda v. Arizona (5,6)
Brown v BOE (14)
Roe v. Wade (9)
Mapp v. Ohio (4)
Tinker v. Des Moines (1)
Restrict Civil Liberties
Worcester v. Georgia
Dred Scott (5)
Plessy v. Ferguson (14)
Shenck v. US (1)
Korematsu v. US (14)
Other Cases
Marbury v. Madison
Gibbons v. Ogden
Nixon v. US

9. Theme: Diversity (Constitutional Rights)
Throughout United States history, Supreme Court decisions have addressed the issue of the constitutional rights of various groups. These decisions have limited or expanded the rights of members of these groups.
Task:
Identify two Supreme Court cases related to the rights of specific groups and for each
• Describe the historical circumstances surrounding the case
• Explain the Supreme Court’s decision in the case
• Discuss how the Supreme Court decision limited or expanded the
constitutional rights of members of this group
You may use any Supreme Court case from your study of United States history in which the Supreme Court addressed the issue of the constitutional rights of various groups. Some suggestions you might wish to consider include:
Worcester v. Georgia (1832), Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857), Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), Korematsu v. United States (1944), Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States (1964), and Roe v. Wade (1973).
You are not limited to these suggestions.

10. Foreign Policy Isolation Imperialism Containment Internationalism
Washington – Proclamation of Neutrality, Wilson – Neutrality Act of 1914, Roosevelt – Neutrality Act of 1939, Lend-Lease
Imperialism
Roosevelt Corollary, Panama Canal, Open Door Policy, Big Stick Diplomacy, Dollar Diplomacy
Containment
Marshall Plan, Truman Doctrine, Korean War, Vietnam War, Bay of Pigs, Detente
Internationalism
Persian Gulf War, Clinton and Bosnia

11. Presidential Actions - Foreign
Washington – Proclamation of Neutrality
Roosevelt – Panama Canal, Roosevelt Corollary
Wilson – Fourteen Points
Truman – Decision to use Atomic Bomb, Marshall Plan
JFK – Bay of Pigs
Johnson – Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Carter – Camp David accords
Bush – Persian Gulf War

12. Theme: United States Foreign Policy
United States presidents often make foreign policy decisions in an attempt to deal with international problems. These decisions have had an impact on both the United States and on other countries or regions.
Task:
Select two presidential foreign policy decisions and for each
Describe the historical circumstances surrounding the decision
Discuss an impact of the decision on the United States
Discuss an impact of the decision on another country or region
You may use any presidential foreign policy decision that dealt with an international problem from your study of United States history. Some suggestions you might wish to consider include:
James K. Polk sending troops to the Rio Grande (1846), William McKinley deciding to annex the Philippines (1898), Woodrow Wilson asking for a declaration of war (1917), Harry Truman deciding to use the atomic bomb (1945), John F. Kennedy quarantining Cuba (1962), Lyndon B. Johnson sending combat troops to Vietnam (1965–1968), Richard Nixon improving relations with China (1972), George H. W. Bush sending troops to Kuwait ( ), and George W. Bush sending troops to Iraq (2003).
You are not limited to these suggestions.

13. Reform Movements Abolitionist Movement Woman’s Suffrage
Feminist Movement
Civil Rights Movement
Temperance Movement
Progressive Movement
Populist Movement
Settlement Movement

14. Theme: Reform Movements in the United States
Reform movements are intended to improve different aspects of American life.
Through the actions of individuals, organizations, or the government, the goals of
these reform movements have been achieved, but with varying degrees of success.
Task:
Identify two reform movements that have had an impact on American life and for each:
Discuss one major goal of the movement
Describe one action taken by an individual, an organization, or the government in an attempt to achieve this goal
Evaluate the extent to which this goal was achieved
You may use any reform movement from your study of United States history. Some
suggestions you might wish to consider include:
The abolitionist movement, woman’s suffrage movement, temperance movement, Progressive movement, civil rights movement, women’s rights movement, and environmental movement.
You are not limited to these suggestions.

15. Geography Louisiana Purchase Panama Canal
Migration to California (Gold Rush)
Okies – Dust Bowl
Purchase of Alaska
Civil War
Transcontinental Railroad
Interstate Highway system

16. Theme: Geography — Development of the United States
Many important events in United States history have been influenced by
geography. Geographic factors or conditions include location, size, climate,
natural resources, and physical features. These events in turn have had political,
social, and economic impacts on the development of the United States.
Task:
Identify two important events in United States history and for each
• Describe how a geographic factor or condition influenced the event
• Discuss the political, social, and/or economic impacts of this event on the
development of the United States
Suggestions:
You may use any important event that was influenced by geographic factors or conditions. Some suggestions you might wish to consider include:
The Louisiana Purchase, the construction of the Erie Canal, migration to California in the late 1840s, the Civil War, the purchase of Alaska, the building of the transcontinental railroad, the acquisition of the Philippines, the building of the Panama Canal, the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and the construction of the interstate highway system.
You are not limited to these suggestions.

17. Amendments Bill of Rights Civil War and Reconstruction Progressive Era
1-10 – Freedoms, Protections against powerful government
Civil War and Reconstruction
13th – end slavery
14th – citizenship, equal protection of the law
15th – Voting Rights
Progressive Era
16th – Income Taxes
17th – Direct Election of Senators
18th – Prohibition
19th – Women’s Suffrage
Civil Rights
24th – Ban on poll taxes
Vietnam War
26th – Voting Age - 18

18. Theme: Change — Constitutional Amendments
When the Founding Fathers wrote the United States Constitution, they included the amendment process. The amendments that have been passed brought political, social, and economic changes to American society.
Task:
Select two constitutional amendments that have changed American society and for each:
• Describe the historical circumstances that led to the adoption of the amendment
• Discuss the political, social, and/or economic changes the amendment brought to American society
You may use any constitutional amendments that have changed American society. Some suggestions you might wish to consider include:
13th amendment (abolition of slavery, 1865), 17th amendment (direct election of senators, 1913), 18th amendment (Prohibition, 1919), 19th amendment (woman’s suffrage, 1920), 22nd amendment (presidential term limits, 1951), 24th amendment (elimination of the poll tax, 1964), and 26th amendment (suffrage for 18-year-old citizens, 1971).
You are not limited to these suggestions.

19. Presidential Actions - Domestic
Washington – Whiskey Rebellion
Jackson – Indian Removal
Lincoln – Emancipation Proclamation
Theodore Roosevelt – Meat Inspection/Pure Food and Drug Act
Wilson – Clayton Antitrust Act
FDR – Social Security/FDIC/GI Bill
Eisenhower – Little Rock Nine
Johnson – Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act, Medicare and Medicaid
Reagan – Tax Cuts

20. Theme: Presidential Actions
United States presidents have taken actions that have had a significant effect on
United States foreign or domestic policies.
Task:
Identify two presidential actions that have had significant effects on United States
history and for each
• Describe the historical circumstances surrounding the action
• Discuss the impact of the presidential action on United States foreign policy or
on American society
You may use any presidential action that has had a significant effect on United States
history. Some suggestions you might wish to consider include:
George Washington decision to use troops in the Whiskey Rebellion, Abraham Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, William McKinley calling for war against Spain, Theodore Roosevelt supporting the Meat Inspection Act, Woodrow Wilson proposing the Fourteen Points, Franklin D. Roosevelt proposing the New Deal, Harry Truman making the decision to drop the atomic bomb, and Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
You are not limited to these suggestions.

21. Literature Common Sense – Thomas Paine
Federalist Papers – Hamilton, Madison, Jay
Uncle Tom’s Cabin – Harriet Beecher Stowe
The Jungle – Upton Sinclair
How the Other Half Lives – Jacob Riis
Influence of Sea Power Upon History – Alfred Thayer Mahan
Feminine Mystique – Betty Friedan
Letter from a Birmingham Jail – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Silent Spring – Rachel Carson

22. Theme: Individuals, Groups, Institutions — Writing and Reform
Throughout United States history, individuals have used writing as a way to focus attention on issues facing the American people. To resolve the issues raised in these writings, actions have been taken by the government, groups, or individuals.
Task:
Select two pieces of writing that have focused attention on issues facing American society and for each
• Describe the historical circumstances surrounding the issue addressed by the author
• Discuss an action taken by the government or a group or an individual in response to the issue raised by the author
You may use any piece of writing from your study of United States history that focuses attention on an issue facing American society. Some suggestions you might wish to consider include:
Common Sense by Thomas Paine (1776), Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852), How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis (1890), The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (1906), “I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes (1925), The Other America by Michael Harrington (1962), Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (1962), The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan (1963), and “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1963).
You are not limited to these suggestions.

23. Theme: Constitutional Principles — Individual Rights
Throughout United States history, many different groups have faced
discrimination. The federal and state governments have taken actions that have
either protected or limited the rights of these groups in American society.
Task:
Select two different groups in American society who have faced discrimination
and for each
• Describe one specific example of discrimination faced by the group
• Describe one action taken by the federal or state governments related to this example of discrimination
• Discuss how the action taken by the federal or state governments either protected or limited the rights of the group
You may use any example from your study of United States history. Some groups you might wish to consider include:
Native American Indians, African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, women, the elderly, and the disabled.
You are not limited to these suggestions.

24. Migrations/Movements
Colonial Settlement
Slave Trade
1800s – Westward Expansion
European Immigration – Late 1800s
Urbanization – Gilded Age
Dust Bowl (Okies) – Great Depression
Great Migration – WWI to WWII
Suburban Growth – 1950s

25. Theme: Movements of People—Migration
The movement of people into and within the United States has had a significant
impact on the nation. These movements have been both voluntary and
involuntary.
Task:
Select two periods of migration that had an impact on the United States and for each:
• Describe the historical circumstances that led to the migration
• Discuss the impact of the migration on the United States
You may use any period of migration from your study of United States history. Some
suggestions you might wish to consider include:
colonial settlement (1600s–1700s), westward expansion (1800s), rural to urban migration (1870s–1920s), European immigration (1880–1910), The Great Migration (1920s-1940s), the Dust Bowl (1930s), suburbanization (1950s–1960s), and illegal immigration (1990 to the present).
You are not limited to these suggestions.

26. Individuals Frederick Douglass – Abolition
Andrew Carnegie – Industrialization
Betty Friedan – Feminine Mystique
Upton Sinclair – The Jungle
Martin Luther King, Jr. – Civil Rights Movement
Rosa Parks – Montgomery Bus Boycott
Susan B. Anthony – Women’s Suffrage
Henry Ford – Assembly Line
Rachel Carson – Environmental Movement
Cesar Chavez – UFW Boycott

27. Theme: Change
Throughout United States history, individuals other than presidents have played
significant roles that led to changes in the nation’s economy, government, or
society.
Task:
Select two important individuals, other than presidents, and the area in which
they tried to bring about change, and for each:
• Discuss one action taken by the individual that led to changes in the nation’s
economy, government, or society
• Discuss changes that came about as a result of the individual’s action
You may use any important person from your study of United States history (other than a president). Some suggestions you might wish to consider include:
Frederick Douglass and slavery, Andrew Carnegie and industrialization, Jacob Riis and urban life, Upton Sinclair and consumer protection, Henry Ford and the automobile industry, Margaret Sanger and reproductive rights, Martin Luther King Jr. and civil rights, Cesar Chavez and migrant farm workers, and Bill Gates and the software industry.
You are not limited to these suggestions. However, you may not select
a president of the United States.