Unit
Unit 5: Early Republic (1789-1815)
Guiding question
How did the Constitution influence decisions in the Early Republic?
Lessons
Explore two of Washington's famous speeches and its impact on the country.
How did George Washington's leadership and decisions shape the early republic?
How did the emergence of political parties influence the development of American democracy?
How did the emergence of political parties influence the development of American democracy?
How did the emergence of political parties influence the development of American democracy?
How did the Constitution influence decisions in the Early Republic?
Describe the attempts to remain neutral and explain the conflicts of the early republic.
Help students provide historical context for primary source documents in a deconstructed DBQ.
Unit resources
Explore Washington's Inaugural Address and the principles he laid out in it.
Video viewing guide that explores how George Washington's leadership and decisions shaped the early republic.
A student activity to help them research political party platforms in the Early Republic.
Questions to accompany the analysis of the political cartoons contained within this lesson.
A viewing guide to accompany the corresponding Homework Help video.
Understand the events of the Whiskey Rebellion and different opinions on Washington's actions during the time.
Explain how the election of 1800 led to the ratification of the Twelfth Amendment.
An essay to help students understand the attempts to remain neutral and explain the conflicts of the early republic.
How did political parties emerge in the Early Republic?
A pre-made slide deck to accompany this lesson.
Rubrics to assess the Unit 5 DBQ.
Standards
Related content
In this middle school lesson, students examine a political cartoon from 1807 to explore how the Constitution shaped decision-making in the early American Republic. Set during Napoleonic Wars, the lesson focuses on Thomas Jefferson and the controversial Embargo Act of 1807. As Britain and France interfered with American trade and practiced impressment, Jefferson and Congress faced constitutional questions about regulating commerce, separation of powers, and protecting national interests without going to war. Through guided analysis, students practice the historical thinking skill of providing context, asking who, what, when, where, why, and how to better understand the cartoon’s message. They evaluate debates between Democratic-Republicans and Federalists, consider principles like separation of powers and consent of the governed, and craft a clear thesis answering the essential question: How did the Constitution influence decisions in the early Republic?