1 How did geography impact the development of the United States? 2 How can we compare and contrast the settlements at Jamestown and Plymouth?

3 Why were the Mayflower Compact, the Virginia House of Burgesses, and New England Town Meetings considered early steps towards democracy?

4 How did British colonial policies lead to the war for American Independence?

5 Why did the Articles of Confederation fail as our first government?

6 How was the Constitution settled through various compromises?

7 How did Jefferson’s purchase of the Louisiana Territory impact the U. S.?

8 How did the Dred Scott case, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the Compromise of 1850 all contribute to the outbreak of the Civil War?

9 How was the U. S. impacted politically and socially by Reconstruction?

10 Why were big business leaders considered both philanthropists and “robber barons”?

11 How were Native Americans affected by U. S. government policies and actions from Andrew Jackson’s administration on forward?

12 How did westward expansion contribute to the growth and development of the U. S.?

13 How were “Jim Crow” laws legitimized by Plessy v. Ferguson?

14 How did working conditions lead to the establishment of unions?