Eighth Grade Social Studies: Integrated United States History

Unit 2: Challenges to an Emerging Nation

Big Picture Graphic
Overarching Question:

How successful were political and social leaders in solving domestic and international
problems faced by the new nation?
Previous Unit:

Foundations of a New
Nation

This Unit:

Challenges to an Emerging Nation

Next Unit:

Regional and Economic

Growth

Questions To Focus Assessment and Instruction:

1. How did political and social leaders attempt to meet the domestic and foreign challenges facing
the new government?
2. How did competing ideas, experiences of political leaders, and fears of the Founders influence
the development of political parties?
3. How did the decisions by the President and Congress and decisions of the Supreme Court help
to define the authority of the national government?

Graphic Organizer

High School Foundations (see USHG F1.2)

Understand how the character of American life and political society changed with
respect to
competing views on the responsibilities of government;
the development of political parties;
Americas role in the world.

Public Issues (See 6.2)

Balance of Power:
Distribution of power
among central
government, state
governments, and the
people.

Liberty vs. Security:

Competing interests of
liberty and security

Unit Abstract
This unit addresses the role of political and social leaders in meeting the challenges of the new
government. Students explore the development of foreign policy, economic policy, politics, and
early expansion that transformed the United States as a nation from the time of George
Washingtons inauguration to the Monroe Doctrine. Beginning with the economic problems faced
by the new government, students examine and evaluate the economic policies proposed by
Jefferson and Hamilton and explore how these disagreements and others led to the rise of political
parties. Using primary sources, they assess the impact of the Marshall Court on the power of
federal and state governments. Students also evaluate Americas changing relationship with other
nations, and use evidence of treaties, wars, and policy decisions to support their positions.
Throughout the unit, students explore the tensions caused by the separating and balancing of
power within and among central and state governments and the people, as well as those derived
from the competing interests of liberty and security in both historical and contemporary times.
Focus Questions
1. How did political and social leaders attempt to meet the domestic and foreign challenges
facing the new government?
2. How did competing ideas, experiences of political leaders, and fears of the Founders
influence the development of political parties?
3. How did the decisions of the Supreme Court, including the power of judicial review, help to
define the authority of the national government?
Content Expectations
8 U4.1.1: Washingtons Farewell Use Washingtons Farewell Address to analyze the most
significant challenges the new nation faced and the extent to which subsequent
Presidents heeded Washingtons advice.
8 U4.1.2:

Establishing Americas Place in the World Explain the changes in Americas

relationships with other nations by analyzing treaties with American Indian nations,
the French Revolution, Jays Treaty (1795), Pinckneys Treaty (1795), Louisiana
Purchase (1803), War of 1812, Transcontinental Treaty (1819), and the Monroe
Doctrine (1823).1

1 This expectation has been modified by placing the events in chronological order and adding dates for
clarification.

8 U4.1.3: Challenge of Political Conflict Explain how political parties emerged out of the
competing ideas, experiences, and fears of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander
Hamilton (and their followers), despite the worries the Founders had concerning the
dangers of political division, by analyzing disagreements over
relative power of the national government (e.g., Whiskey Rebellion, Alien and
Sedition Acts)
foreign relations (e.g., French Revolution, relations with Great Britain)
economic policy (e.g., the creation of a national bank, assumption of revolutionary
debt).
8 U4.1.4:

Establishing a National Judiciary and Its Power Explain the development of the
power of the Supreme Court through the doctrine of judicial review as manifested in
Marbury v. Madison (1803) and the role of Chief Justice John Marshall and the
Supreme Court in interpreting the power of the national government (e.g.,
McCullouch v. Maryland, Dartmouth College v. Woodward, Gibbons v. Ogden).

Key Concepts
domestic policy
federalism
foreign policy
growing independence of US foreign policy
judicial review
national economic policy
neutrality
political conflict
political parties
transition of political power
treaty