At the end of each chapter, there are critical thinking exercises. Choose ONE question from each chapter and submit your answer here.
Chapter 8:
Why would delegates to the Second Continental Congress hope
that the colonies and the mother country could be reconciled? Why
did they ultimately change their minds?
Why do you think that Thomas Jefferson and those on the
committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence decided
to use the pursuit of happiness instead of John Lockes
property as a natural right?
What could the British have done to prevent violence at Lexington
and Concord?
How did the ideas of the revolution inspire abolitionists such as
Benjamin Franklin?
Chapter 9:
How did the state constitutions show the promise and the limits of
American revolutionary thought?
During the ratification period, supporters of the Constitution
referred to themselves as Federalists, even though they
supported a government that could be called national due to its
structure and the central governments amount of accrued power.
Why did they choose this name? What did they hope to achieve
among the American populace? And why was Antifederalists, the
name taken by the opponents of the Constitution, an unfortunate
choice?
In what ways did the necessary and proper clause and the Tenth
Amendment create the basis for conflict between the states and the
national government?
Why is the Tenth Amendment a natural inclusion in a statement of
rights that belong to U.S. citizens?
Chapter 10:
Throughout American history, international developments have
affected domestic public policy. How did they alter the nations
course in the Federalist Era? How might the experiences of George
Washington and John Adams compare to the presidents of the
twenty-first century?
Political parties in the United States have constantly evolved. How
do Federalists and Republicans in the first party system compare
to the Democrats and Republicans today? What similarities and
differences do you see between these parties in terms of political
philosophy and important public policy issues?
The popular press played an active role in the political debates of
the 1790s. What did the newspapers provide to national leaders,
and why did they become so important? How do the papers of the 1790s compare to modern social media? Do they play the same
role?
Rubric
