Welcome to Part 2 of Thematic US History. We will continue the journey we started in part 1, with new questions and themes, and more chances to connect past and present.
You’re here because you want to understand how we got here—in our politics, our power struggles, our place in the world. This isn’t just another history class. This is your chance to ask real questions, investigate bold ideas, and uncover the patterns that have shaped the United States—and still shape your life today.
⭐ This is part 2 of a full year class. Together, the two parts constitute one credit that can be used on a high school transcript.
📌 What You’ll Experience:
* You’ll start with a question tied to today’s world—so the history we uncover feels relevant from the beginning.
* Then, we dig into the past: reading letters, investigating speeches and political cartoons, watching videos, and more.
* Along the way, you’ll learn to spot patterns, challenge assumptions, and think critically—just like a historian.
📌 By The Time You Complete This Class, You Will Have:
* A broader understanding of American history and identity
* Stronger critical thinking and reading comprehension skills
* Greater confidence analyzing primary and secondary sources
* Practice connecting current events to historical trends
* A framework for understanding civic issues and your own role in democracy
📌 In Part 2, we’ll tackle three major themes:
* What role should the government take in managing the economy? Is the role of the government to protect citizens or business and industry?
* Why have people chosen the United States as a destination for immigration? How were they treated upon arrival, and how have immigrant groups impacted American history and society?
* How have American citizens worked to shape the country into what they believed it should be? How have we tried to create political and social change?
📌Why Thematic History Works:
Thematic learning encourages deeper thinking and real-world relevance. This approach keeps learners engaged, encourages curiosity, and improves their ability to think critically about what they read, watch, and hear in the world around them.
Is There Homework?
Yes! Students will be provided with weekly assignments (reading, watching, listening, writing) to do in advance of class meetings. Students can expect to spend 3-4 hours outside of class each week on work to prepare for class.
Can A Student Earn A Grade?
Yes! Grades are based on class participation (35%), weekly written journal responses (35%) and a final project (30%). Class participation can be by voice or by chat. If either of those are a hurdle for a student, other options are available. Students receive weekly feedback on their work, and can choose to receive a progress report midway through the semester.
Is This An “Honors” Course?
An honors or advanced designation is decided by a school district or state department of education. Homeschooling parents choose how to designate the classes their learners engage in. Students who want additional rigor are provided with a “Digging Deeper” option that adds additional homework material, higher standards for written assignments, and are required to do a final project.
Approximate Weekly Schedule
Week 1: Modern presidential statements about government and the economy; John C Calhoun and the slave economy
Week 2: The market revolution and the women of the Lowell Mills: Reconstruction and the Freedmen’s Bureau
Week 3: The Progressive Era and the Muckrakers; Government in the Great Depression
Week 4: Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty; The Reagan Revolution
Week 5: Cesar Chavez and government support of unions; Intro to theme 2
Week 6: The first Europeans in North America, why did they come?: Forced movement of enslaved Africans
Week 7: The Irish need not apply-immigrants and US cities before the Civil War; Chinese immigrants, the railroad, and exclusion
Week 8: Eastern and Southern European immigrants at the turn of the 20th century; the Mexican Revolution and immigration to the US
Week 9: Japanese immigrants and internment; the 1965 Immigration Act and modern issues in immigration
Week 10: Intro to theme 3; the Declaration of Independence as the first push for change
Week 11: The diligent work of the enslaved; shaping America by influencing history with the UDC
Week 12: Carrie Nation and the temperance movement; Woody Guthrie, the dustbowl and the Great Depression
Week 13: Black Americans, the March on Washington movement and the Double V campaign; Chicano Civil Rights and the LA walk outs
Week 14: The disability rights movement; the competing visions of the moral majority and the ERA
Week 15: Historical noodling with analysis and final projects
