Path to Citizenship

This lecture defines government in terms of its four main functions: protecting the country, keeping order, helping people, and making laws. Various government agencies are examined, determining which function they fulfill.

There is a written quiz at the end of the lecture (the answers will be given next week).

In this lesson there is a brief description of the philosophies of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, two English philosophers who influenced the thinking of the American Founding Fathers. One of the major issues of the day was whether or not nations should be governed by kings. If not, what was the alternative? Do we have kings today? If so, how do they govern?

There is a written quiz at the end of the lecture (the answers will be given next week).

This lecture gives a detailed description of the U.S. Constitution and its seven Articles. If you were to write a constitution, what would you include? Can you compare the U.S. Constitution to that of another country? What protections does it give to the people, the territories, and various branches of government themselves?

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

The Executive Branch of the U.S. Government is defined by the Constitution. The President has various duties and powers. He has a "cabinet," that is, a set of "ministers" who are charged with the various functions of agencies of the government. There are also rules and procedures governing his selection, his behavior, and requirements of his office. Would YOU like to be president one day?

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

The United States is governed by the Rule of Law. Where do laws come from? In some countries, laws are written by the king. According to the U.S. Constitution, laws are written by the Legislative Branch. This consists of two houses of Congress: the Senate and the House of Representatives. This lesson describes their terms of office, and how these two bodies create the laws that govern our land.

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

The U.S. Constitution lays out a system of checks and balances which prevent any one part of the government from becoming too powerful. The Judicial Branch forms an effective balance to stem the powers of the Legislative Branch and the Executive Branch. This lesson describes how the courts operate, from the lower courts to the appellate courts, all the way to the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land.

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

Many people think that the United States is one all-powerful institution, but that is not entirely true. Each state has its own autonomous government, and many states have very peculiar ways of doing things. Take, for example, the "Primary" elections, as opposed to the "Caucus." If you had your own state, how would YOU decide which candidates should run for office in each political party?

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

If you live in a Democracy, you are not expected to follow your leader, as a sheep. Citizens have many rights to stand up to and protest tyrannical behavior. On the other side of this coin, citizens have responsibilities, such as voting, paying taxes, and serving in the military. This lesson explains the rights and responsibilities of citizens, and also touches on the expectations of people who are in the country legally but who are not yet citizens.

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

This lesson is about participation. "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." (John F. Kennedy)

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

This lecture gives a nice review of the section entitled Foundations of Government. Topics include The Sovereign State, Origins of the Constitution, The Constitution, The Executive Branch, The Legislative Branch, The Judicial Branch, Powers of States, Rights & Responsibilities of Citizens, and How to Participate in a Democracy.

Starting with the Vikings, wave after wave of European explorers came to the New World. This lesson briefly touches on explorers from Spain, Portugal, France and England, important forerunners in the opening of North America to colonization by European nations.

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

Europeans had three basic reasons for wanting to come to North America to live. This lesson explains those reasons in detail. Before you begin this lesson, you might ask yourself why you want to come to a new country. Are your reasons the same as those people's of 400 years ago? Or do you have different reasons?

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

What was the first English colony in the New World? What were some others? Why did the Mayflower go to Massachusetts instead of Virginia? How did the people live? What happened to the colonists at Roanoke? These and many other questions will be addressed in this exciting lecture.

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

Declaring independence from Great Britain was no light decision in the eighteenth century. Doing so would guarantee a bloody war, but many people in the colonies believed it would be worth the cost. England's King George III was lording it over the colonists, who finally listed his many abuses in a Declaration of Independence. This lesson details the circumstances leading up to that Declaration.

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

The United States has not always been one nation. It started out as thirteen colonies on the East Coast. In 1803 its size roughly doubled with the Louisiana Purchase. After that, various wars and conquests resulted in the U.S. expanding to the West Coast. This lesson gives details of that expansion.

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

This lesson gives an overview of the Indian Nations who lived in the major regions of North America at the time of the European arrival. Some attention is given to individual tribes. Where possible, interesting details are given concerning outstanding individuals or groups who made contributions to society, whether the society of their own people, or that of the settlers.

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

You may think that the Civil War was the only war that mattered in the nineteenth century, but the 1800s were plagued with wars, both foreign and domestic. At home, settlers were constantly at war both with the Indians and with each other. The Civil War was one of those domestic wars, though it may be counted as a foreign war if the Confederacy is reckoned as an independent nation. This lesson focuses only on foreign wars, that is, wars that were fought with foreign nations.

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

Probably one of the most divisive issues that this nation has ever faced is that of slavery. Why did we do such a thing? Who benefited? Who suffered? In this lesson we will study the causes of the Civil War, as well as some of the major conflicts, and some of the major results of the war.

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

The twentieth century was not immune to the plague of war, any more than any other time in history. Sadly, alliances and treaties among various nations led to the breakout of two "world" wars. These and other conflicts, largely undeclared wars and wars of words, will be the focus of this lesson.

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

This lesson gives an overview of the accomplishments and major events that took place during the terms of all the presidents of the twentieth century.

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

This lecture gives a nice review of the section entitled American History. Topics include the Age of Exploration, Reasons for Colonization, The Thirteen Colonies, The Declaration of Independence, Territorial Expansion, Indian Tribes, Wars of the Nineteenth Century, Slavery & the Civil War, Wars of the Twentieth Century, and Presidents of the Twentieth Century.

"Life on the Mississippi" is only one part of this magnificent story. Creeks, streams, rivers, lakes and oceans, all form a glorious network of waters that enable man to move mountains, and form the lifeblood of a nation.

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

This lesson gives an overview of all the states that joined the Union after the original thirteen colonies. It also touches on U.S. territories that are not states, but still form an important part of the United States.

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

"We the People" is a well-known phrase, but what does it really mean? At various times in America's history, "we the people" have risen up to create social change, on an as-needed basis. This lesson describes some of those movements.

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

At present there are two mainstream political parties that largely dominate all elections in the United States. Was it always this easy? No. This lesson gives an overview of the development of political parties from the very beginning in 1776. Do you know which party George Washington belonged to?

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

Have you ever heard the song that they play at the beginning of sports events, or when an American wins an Olympic event? That's the national anthem. This lesson gives details about where, when, and why the song came to be written, as well as some competitors it had for being chosen as the official anthem.

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

This lesson gives a brief history of the American flag, from its humble beginnings until the present day. Before you begin, ask yourself a few questions. Why does the flag have red and white stripes? How many stripes are there? What about the stars, and the way they are arranged? How many stars are there? How would they be arranged if another state were added to the Union?

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

It used to be that holidays were celebrated on whichever day they rightly occurred. However, in recent years there has been a trend toward moving holidays to the nearest Monday, so people can have a three-day weekend! This never happens with Thanksgiving, though. Who wants to give up a four-day weekend for a three-day weekend?

There is a written quiz at the end of this lecture (the answers will be given next week).

This lecture gives a nice review of the section on Integrated Civics. Topics include Rivers & Oceans, States & Territories, Social Movements, Political Parties, The National Anthem, The Flag, and National Holidays.