Social Studies
U.S. History
From Indigenous America and colonization to the Civil War, the world wars and today.
- 10 chapters
- 30 lessons
- All free
Chapters
How Historians Study the Past (Free preview)
Explore how historians study the past through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.
3 lessons
- 1.1Timelines and chronologyA timeline puts events in order. It helps you ask what came before, but a sequence alone does not explain why something happened.
- 1.2Primary versus secondary sourcesA source is evidence for a question, not a magic guarantee of truth. Ask who made it, when, and what they could know.
- 1.3Claims and evidenceBuild a historical explanation like a bridge: the claim is one bank, the evidence is the other, and reasoning connects them.
Indigenous America and Colonization
Explore indigenous america and colonization through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.
3 lessons
- 2.1Indigenous societiesIndigenous America contained many distinct societies. Geography mattered, but it did not make every community follow one way of life.
- 2.2European colonizationColonial projects differed across empires and regions. Compare their goals, labor systems, and relationships with Indigenous peoples.
- 2.3Exchange and conflictContact connected continents but imposed unequal costs. Follow goods, diseases, land claims, and power rather than calling all exchange voluntary.
Revolution and the New Nation
Explore revolution and the new nation through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.
3 lessons
- 3.1Colonial tensionsColonial protests grew from disputes over authority, taxation, and rights. Look at the developing conflict rather than one tax in isolation.
- 3.2IndependenceIndependence was an argument, a political decision, and a war. Its ideals and the people who actually enjoyed rights were not identical.
- 3.3The ConstitutionThe Constitution answered some problems of the early union while preserving major disagreements and exclusions. Study its design and its limits together.
Expansion and Reform
Explore expansion and reform through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.
3 lessons
- 4.1Westward expansionExpansion changed territory and opportunities for settlers while displacing Indigenous peoples and sharpening conflict over slavery.
- 4.2Economic changeEconomic change connected farms, towns, factories, and markets. Benefits and hardships differed across workers, owners, and regions.
- 4.3Reform movementsReformers challenged institutions using meetings, publications, petitions, and organizing. Movements differed in goals and in whom they included.
Slavery, Civil War, and Reconstruction
Explore slavery, civil war, and reconstruction through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.
3 lessons
- 5.1Slavery and resistanceSlavery was enforced coercion, not simply an economic arrangement. Enslaved people resisted and sustained communities under severe constraints.
- 5.2Causes and events of the Civil WarThe Civil War developed from conflict centered on slavery and its expansion. Distinguish causes, military events, and changing war aims.
- 5.3ReconstructionReconstruction involved rebuilding political membership and institutions after slavery. New legal protections faced organized resistance and uneven enforcement.
Industrialization and Immigration
Explore industrialization and immigration through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.
3 lessons
- 6.1Industry and laborIndustry grew through machines, finance, and organization. Study workers' experiences and bargaining power alongside output and business expansion.
- 6.2ImmigrationImmigration histories involve reasons for moving, admission systems, work, family, and unequal treatment. No one story represents every arrival.
- 6.3Urban lifeCities concentrated work and services, but overcrowding and unequal access also grew. Connect urban problems with the institutions that responded.
Reform and Global Conflict
Explore reform and global conflict through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.
3 lessons
- 7.1Progressive reformsProgressive reform addressed some industrial and political problems. Compare what reformers achieved with the exclusions they left intact.
- 7.2U.S. expansionU.S. overseas expansion involved strategic ambitions, economic interests, and resistance from affected peoples. Treat those peoples as participants, not scenery.
- 7.3World War IWorld War I began before U.S. entry. Separate the international conflict, the decision to enter, and the home-front consequences.
Depression and World War II
Explore depression and world war ii through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.
3 lessons
- 8.1The Great DepressionThe Depression had many connected causes. A stock-market event mattered, but unemployment, banking failures, and shrinking demand also shaped the crisis.
- 8.2The New DealThe New Deal used federal programs to respond to the Depression. Distinguish immediate assistance, recovery efforts, and institutional reform.
- 8.3World War IIU.S. participation in World War II transformed work and public life. Include military outcomes, civilian experiences, and rights violations.
Cold War and Civil Rights
Explore cold war and civil rights through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.
3 lessons
- 9.1Cold War tensionsThe Cold War was a broad rivalry, not a single battle. Its effects extended into alliances, domestic politics, and conflicts in many regions.
- 9.2Civil rights movementsCivil-rights change came through organizing, legal challenges, legislation, and resistance. One law did not automatically remove every inequality.
- 9.3Social changeSocial change involved many movements with different goals. Compare their experiences rather than treating one group's story as everybody's.
The United States Since the 1970s
Explore the united states since the 1970s through explanations, original examples, concept flashcards, and section-linked practice.
3 lessons
- 10.1Political and economic shiftsFrom the 1970s onward, economic and political shifts had uneven consequences. Use dated records and avoid assuming the most recent pattern is permanent.
- 10.2Globalization and technologyGlobalization and digital technology connect people and production across borders. These connections create opportunities and disruptions at the same time.
- 10.3Interpreting recent-history sourcesRecent history leaves many records but also moving targets. Save dates, versions, and context before making a claim about what happened.