University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Common Sense and Independence
Overview of the philosophy of Thomas Paine in his widely read Common Sense pamphlet, and "natural rights" philosphy as expressed in the opening passage of the Declaration of Independence.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Britain in the New World: Jamestown Settlement
Jamestown, although not a financial sucess, was the first succesful English colony in North America. Find out how the colony was financed, what the first colonists hoped to find, how the colony was governed, and the hardships that were...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Native American Resilience and Violence in the West
Learn about the struggles the new United States government had in coming to terms with the various Native American tribes who lived in the new country.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: When Does the Revolution End?
An interesting discussion of the precepts of the Declaration of Independence which claimed that all men were created equal, but still allowed slavery. See what the document had to say about people's rights and "the consent of the governed."
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Tough Issues
Read about the change of plans when delegates to the Philadelphia convention decided to write a new constitution to replace the Articles of Convention. See the ideas delegates had to address concerns of large and small states.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Progressivsim Sweeps the Nation
The government that supported laissez-faire policies and Social Darwinism was finally considered corrupt and immoral. Read about the ideas of the Progressive Era and see how these ideas were put into activist government policy.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Beginnings of Revolutionary Thinking
The American Revolution was close to 200 years in the making. Read about the philosophies and attitudes toward government, as well as the diverse populations who came to the British colonies, that eventually fomented rebellion.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Shays' Rebellion
Read about the Massachusetts government's handling of the crushing debt felt by the farmers in western Massachusetts and the resulting rebellion by those farmers.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Little Legislatures
This site from the University of Groningen clearly defines the role of committees in the legislative process, as well as a brief historical perspective on congressional committees. Essays, text and biography links related to American...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Progressives in the White House
Read a brief overview of the three presidents, two Republican and one Democrat, who believed in an activist government to help all the people, and pushed for legislation to reflect their views.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Roots of the Movement
Progressivism got a push from the Populist movement, a reaction to the forgettable presidents and laissez-faire government in the Gilded Age. Find a listing of authors who wrote about progressive ideas, and see what influence populism...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: New England Colonies: Reaching to Connecticut
Read about how the colony of Connecticut grew from an expansion of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. See how Thomas Hooker's idea of government resulted in a model of colonial charters, and find out how two very different settlements in...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Muckrakers
Sometimes a pen can be wielded more lethally than a sword. Read about the brave muckrakers who exposed corruption and injustice in government and business. These journalists attacked different areas, but the result was an introduction to...
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Drafting the Constitution
Essay covers from the Articles of Confederation and the problems of disunity of the new states after the Revolutionary War, internally as well as externally, to the Constitutional Convention, an attempt to address the Articles' problems....
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Diversity of Native American Groups
Look at the diversity in language, housing, government, and language among the Native American tribes that existed before the Europeans made contact. There is a brief discussion of the Navajo language and the use of Navajo code talkers...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Red Scare
A dark side to the Jazz Age was the increase in the fear of Communism. Read about the federal government's actions to stem anything that was thought to threaten American security.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Election of 1912
William Howard Taft was a disappointment to the progressive-minded Theodore Roosevelt. Read about how he tried to be the Republican Party candidate in 1912, and when that failed, he started a third party, the platform of which was filled...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Southern Homefront
Life in the Confederacy during the Civil War was one of shortages. Read about the shortages of food, and the unstable currency which resulted in rampant inflation. Women's roles expanded in many fields. See what occurred when the draft...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Federalists
A brief look at the men who supported the new Constitution and the reasons they supported it.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Reaganomics
Read a review of what Reaganomics entailed, and the longterm results of a failed theory.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Republicans vs. Democrats
A review of Bill Clinton's domestic policies and scandals in his two terms of office. Focus is on the rancor of the Republicans against Clinton.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Politics of the Gilded Age
Politics in the last half of the 19th century reflected mediocrity at best and corruption at worst. Read about the series of "forgettable presidents," beginning with Andrew Johnson. Find out how big business could buy the government that...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Jeffersonian Ideology
An easy to understand overview of the thinking of Thomas Jefferson in terms of politics and the role of the people in political action. See what he feared as the nation was becoming industrialized, and read about the contradictions in...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Politics in Transition: Public Conflict in the 1790s
A brief overview of the struggles taking place in politics in the 1790s. Even the honorable George Washington was not sheltered from contentious criticism. Read about the foreign and domestic problems that loomed in that decade.