Carolina K-12
Principles of the US Constitution
After breaking into groups according to major principles of government (i.e., popular sovereignty, separation of powers, checks and balances, etc.) in the United States, your class members will produce public service announcements...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
What Is Constitutional Democracy?
Rediscover the values at the heart of American democracy and what makes it unique with your pupils. Use a reading and discussion questions—in addition to an analytical activity—on the preamble to the Constitution. An additional activity...
Student Handouts
Constitutional Principles
Keep track of constitutional principles with a graphic organizer. Pupils define, describe the origins of, and note down the location of the following terms: checks and balances, federalism, individual rights, limited government, popular...
Curated OER
The Coming of Independence
Provide your learners with an opportunity to show what they know. Have them answer 10 questions on colonial America, 13 Colonies, colonial legislature, and popular sovereignty. There are 5 true/false and 5 multiple choice questions.
Curated OER
Maryland During the Secession Crisis
Learners identify the problems Maryland encountered during the secession crisis. They analyze census data and through an examination of the resolutions made by Maryland's Southern Rights Convention of 1861.
Curated OER
Sectionalism, Popular Sovereignty, and Secession
Young scholars examine sequence of national events that resulted in the Civil War by using primary sources, and creating timelines and maps.
University of Chicago
The Founders' Constitution: Popular Basis of Political Authority
Read the words of John Adams at the Constitutional Convention where he is debating the meaning of "the people" in the Constitution.
US National Archives
National Archives: Teaching Six Big Ideas in the Constitution
The Constitution can be broken down into 6 main themes: Limited Government, Federalism, Republicanism, Separation of Powers, Checks and Balances, and Popular Sovereignty. Learners will study background on the Founding Fathers and use...
OpenStax
Open Stax: 1775 1783: Britain's Law and Order Strategy and Its Consequences
This section of a chapter on "America's War for Independence" deals with Great Britain's response to the destruction of a British shipment of tea in Boston Harbor in 1773 and how it set the stage for the Revolution.
OpenStax
Open Stax: The Compromise of 1850
From a chapter on " Troubled Times: the Tumultuous 1850s," this section explains the contested issues that led to the Compromise of 1850 and describes and analyzes the reactions to the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act.
University of Chicago
The Founders' Constitution
The University of Chicago provides thousands of primary source documents concerning the diverse contents of the Constitution. Documents underlying the proposed Constitution, as well as documents of the time debating the proposed...
iCivics
I Civics: Constitutional Principles
The Founding Fathers created a government based on a set of fundamental principles carefully designed to guarantee liberty. This lesson lets students look at the Constitution from the perspective of its foundational principles and make...
Digital History
Digital History: "Bleeding Kansas" and "Bleeding Sumner"
Read about how the concept of popular sovereignty expressed in the Kansas-Nebraska Act resulted in political intrigue and murder in Kansas and the caning of a U.S. Senator in the Senate chamber.
Digital History
Digital History: American Revolution: Introduction
The American Revolution included so much more than just the War for Independence. Read about why it was the first modern revolution and discover the principles that the American revolutionaries were fighting for.
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: John Brown's Holy War: Pottawatomie Massacre
PBS provides information on John Brown's involvement in the Pottawatomie Massacre and the reasons behind the massacre.
Other
The American Civil War Fact Sheet: Bleeding Kansas
Fact sheet on Bleeding Kansas with the different views of each side.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: State Constitutions
The new states did a great deal of experimentation within the bounds of the new republican ideals. Read about three very different takes on how a state should be organized governmentally.
Library of Congress
Loc: Today in History: April 23: The Little Giant
Contains a short biography on U.S. congressman, senator, and presidential candidate Stephen A. Douglas.
Other
Famous Illinoisians With Civil War Ties: Stephen Douglas
Provides biographical facts about Stephen Arnold Douglas in bulleted list format.
PBS
Pbs: Core Values of American Constitutional Democracy
A list of terms presented by PBS and Newshour of the values that make up the foundation of American constitutional democracy and the preservation of political and economic freedoms.
Siteseen
Siteseen: Government and Constitution: Popular Sovereignty
Summary of the idea of Popular Sovereignty, the belief that government is created by and subject to the will of the people.