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US / United States History - Prehistory to Reconstruction

Name: US / United States History - Prehistory to Reconstruction
Rating: 4.7 (821 reviews)

Uncover the political and social roots of the U.S. with this comprehensive guide to Early American History

Created byJ.F. Parcher

Last updated 11/2021

English

What you'll learn

Learn about the various political, social, and economic developments that have shaped and continue to shape the United States.
Gain a better understanding of how compromise led to the formation of our national government.
Understand the role of military conflict in shaping the nation's borders and character.
Focus on the men and woman who's important contributions made a lasting impression on our nation and its culture.

Course content

12 sections • 42 lectures • 10h 50m total length

Course Introduction2:04
Welcome to United States History: Prehistory to Reconstruction. Check out our introductory video to get all sorts of information including course content, focus, and teaching style.

America's First People24:45
This presentation discusses the arrival of people in North America and the factors that led to the formation of eight distinct cultural regions.
European Exploration and Conquest - The Spanish14:31
In this lecture you will learn how the New World was "discovered" by Spain and their efforts to both conquor and explore what will become the United States.
European Exploration and Conquest - England, France, and the Netherlands18:10
The early colonization efforts of England, France, and the Netherlands are at the forefront of this lecture. We will look at the challeneges each of these nations faced in carving our their own New World Empires.
Native American and European Arrival Quiz

The Geography and Culture of the Thirteen Colonies17:48
New England, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. All three of these regions had unique environments, economies, people, and cultures. This lecture will explore all three to help you better understand colonial America's cultural landscape.
The Development of English Law15:34
The roots of America's great democratic tradition, beginning with the Magna Carta of 1215, are traced by this breif lecture.
Life in the English Colonies22:14
Work, Food, Social Class, Family, and Education. Learn about what all of them were like in the 1700's.
English Colonies Quiz

The French and Indian War13:22
The French and Indian War seemingly gave Britain control of North America, but actually set up the circumstances which eventually robbed them of their American empire.
Causes of the American Revolution18:57
The lectures outlines the major causes of the American Revolution and looks at them from both an American and British point of view.
War or Peace? The Second Continental Congress15:20
What happened between the Battle of Lexington and the invasion of New York City by the British? This presentations clarifies the period of time where there was a lull in the fighting.
The Declaration of Independence16:15
Learn all about the importance and deeper meaning of the Declaration of Independence.
The Revolutionary War - New York to Saratoga17:50
This two-part lecture on the Revolutionary War follows the major events of the war up to the Battle of Saratoga.
The Revolutionary War - Valley Forge to The Peace12:24
The second part of our Revolutionary War lectures chronicles the conclusion of the war and the peace that followed.
American Revolution Quiz

Are We To Be A Nation? - The Call for a Convention11:51
Why was the Constitutional Convention called for? Learn about the catalysts that created our national government in this lecture.
A More Perfect Union - The Constitutional Convention18:05
The discussions, compromises, and debates that occurred during the Constitutional Convention come alive in this lecture.
The Bill of Rights and Ratification10:44
How did the Bill of Rights help ensure the ratification of the Constitution? This lecture tells all about the events which led to the adoption of the Constitution.
The Constitution Quiz

The Presidency of George Washington17:38
The beginning years of our government are outlined in this lecture. It also descibes the differences between America's first two political parties.
The Presidencies of Adams and Jefferson16:58
The contest between Federalists and Republicans is the subject of this lecture.
Foreign Policy in the Early Republic9:57
This lecture discusses the events that occured outside of the United States during the Washington and Adams administration and how they were dealt with.
The War of 181215:25
This lecture discusses the causes, course, and conclusion of the War of 1812.
Early Republic Quiz

Monroe and The Era of Good Feelings16:08
How did the economic and judicial reforms of the Era of Good Feelings help solidify our national identy? This lecture explains just that!
The American Identity and Popular Culture19:20
How did art, literature, symbols, and music all help contribute to an American identity?
The Jacksonian Age24:52
Andrew Jackson was both a heroic and villious figure. Learn how this president helped guide the country forward with a style all his own.
National Identity Quiz

Louisiana and Florida20:24
America doubles in size in a few short years thanks to the aquisition of two territories. Find out how we got them both in this lecture.
The Texas War of Independence11:58
Texas was the only independent republic to be willingly annexed by the U.S. The story of how it gained its independence and joined our nation is outlined in this lesson.
The Oregon Trail9:18
The challeneges of settling Oregon take center stage in this lecture.
The Mexican-American War14:22
The battle for control of California and the war that determined the future of the west is the subject of this this presentation.
The People of the West19:03
Who were the people who traveled west to settle it? Find out by watching this lecture.
Manifest Destiny Quiz

Geography, Economy, and Culture of the North and South12:41
The factors which set the North and South worlds apart is the subject of this lecture.
Slavery - Control, Resistance, and Defense16:33
How did slave masters control their slaves? How did slaves fight back against impossible odd? Find out in this presentation.
Causes of the Civil War I - Constitution to Compromise of 185010:46
What caused the Union to fall to pieces? This presentation explores this topic up to the year 1852.
Causes of the Civil War II - Kansas/Nebraska to Fort Sumter14:26
How did the Civil War begin? In this lecture we will trace the origins of the war right up to its explosive beginnings.
Slavery and The Causes of the Civil War Quiz

Requirements

Internet-ready device with properly upgraded software for video playback.

Description

James Joyce once said, "History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake."

Many people, both living in the United States and around the world, are interested in the history of America. A knowledge of history helps answer questions about how our country ended up where it is today, reveals the source of our diversity, and clarifies our current role and place in this vast world. Ultimately, someone who understands American history understands America, and by extension themselves.

This general survey course is intended to give participants a broad understanding of US History from the arrival of native peoples to the end of the Reconstruction era that followed the Civil War.

The course is divided into 11 thematic sections that are chronologically ordered. Each covers the people, places, ideas, and events that were most influential to our nations development. Each of these sections includes;

Multiple course lectures which combine carefully organized and outlined notes, images, and music to give you a broad overview of the topic.

A selection of carefully selected historic documents that provide the opportunity to read more about important events first-hand through the words of people who were there.

Each unit concludes with a quiz that tests your overall knowledge of the entire thematic unit.

This course is comparable to a full semester of college-level U.S. History, but is simplified to ensure it remains relevant to the widest audience possible. It can also be completed at your own pace, so you can breeze through it in a few weeks, or carefully analyze it over a few months.

Amateur historians, AP students looking for review material, people getting ready for vacation, and anyone else with a genuine interest in the presidents, military conflicts, social movements, locations, and everything else that is a part of our nation's story will find this course to be especially rewarding.

If you've ever wished you had a better understanding of our nation's origins, but don't want to suffer through a dry, boring textbook, this is the course for you!

Who this course is for:

This course was originally constructed to help parents better support their student outside of the classroom.
It has also been enjoyed by candidates for citizenship, amature historians, and AP students looking for review material.

US / United States History - Prehistory to Reconstruction

What you'll learn

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Course content

Course Introduction1 lecture • 2min

Arrival and Collision - Prehistory to 16503 lectures • 57min

English Dominion - 1600 to 17503 lectures • 56min

The American Revolution - 1750 to 17806 lectures • 1hr 34min

The Constitution - 1781 to 17903 lectures • 41min

The Early Republic - 1790 to 18154 lectures • 1hr

Nationhood and National Identity - 1815 to 18363 lectures • 1hr

Manifest Destiny - 1804 to 18485 lectures • 1hr 15min

An Era of Reform - 1820 to 18504 lectures • 1hr 1min

The Path to Civil War - 1850 to 18604 lectures • 54min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: