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7th grade · Social Studies · Unit 7 of 18

A New Nation

The first presidents to the Monroe Doctrine

What your child practices

The first presidents and parties, judicial review, the Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark, the War of 1812 and early foreign policy.

New York State Learning Standards learning standard: 7.5d; 7.6b · the first presidents and parties, judicial review, the Louisiana Purchase, the War of 1812 and the Monroe Doctrine

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Washington was first president. The first parties formed around Hamilton and Jefferson.
  2. Marbury v. Madison (1803) set up judicial review. The US bought Louisiana from France in 1803, and Lewis and Clark explored it.
  3. The War of 1812 ended with the Treaty of Ghent (1814), with borders mostly unchanged.

Example: From which country did the US buy the Louisiana Territory in 1803? Napoleon ruled the seller at the time. He sold it to raise money for war. Answer: France

A New Nation in New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 7 of 18 in 7th grade Social Studies, after Rights & Amendments and before Factories & Reformers.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: New York State Education Department (NYSED)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    The Treaty of Ghent (1814) ended the War of 1812 with…

    • Borders mostly unchanged
    • Britain gaining Ohio
    • The US gaining Canada
    • France gaining Louisiana

  2. Question 2

    Jefferson's first inaugural address said…

    • "Give me liberty"
    • "Four score and seven years ago"
    • "We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists"
    • "Remember the Alamo"

  3. Question 3

    Who was the first president of the United States?

    • George Washington
    • John Adams
    • James Madison
    • Thomas Jefferson

  4. Question 4

    Who did Jefferson send to explore the Louisiana Purchase and beyond?

    • Daniel Boone
    • John Smith
    • Robert Gray
    • Lewis and Clark

  5. Question 5

    How did the Louisiana Purchase change the United States?

    • It made the country smaller
    • It gave away Florida
    • It ended the Revolution
    • It about doubled the size of the country

  6. Question 6

    In 1803, the US bought the Louisiana Territory from…

    • Spain
    • France
    • Britain
    • Mexico

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