US History Reading Passages United States History Reading Comprehension American

United States Reading Comprehension Passages Questions and Annotations Bundle

This bundle contains a total of 35 Engaging, Non-Fiction Reading Comprehension Passages with Directions for Student Annotations! Reading Comprehension Questions also included! It contains 7 StudentSavvy Reading Passage & Expository Text Resources!

Units include: Ancient and Native American History, First Americans | Explorers, The Age of Exploration, Trade Routes | Colonist and Native American Relations | The Original 13 Colonies | Events Leading Up to the American Revolution | The American Revolution and Declaration of Independence | The Constitution, Articles of Confederation, and the Constitutional Convention

Questions & Answer Keys for Each of the 35 Reading Passages!

COMMON CORE ALIGNED!

Aligned with US History Interactive Notebook and US History Interactive PowerPoints (Not required to use alongside, but recommended)

What’s included in the bundle (overviews of each unit):

Unit 1: Ancient American, First American and Native American History
1.) First Americans: The Paleo-Indians

-15,000-7,000BC

-where the lived (evidence in Alaska- eventually all over the Americas) , how they survived (hunting animals, fishing, and gathering plants. Farmed in order to grow crops such as corn, beans, squash)

-early agriculture – no longer a nomadic lifestyle

-overview of factors that allowed them to create a civilization (agriculture, hunting/gathering, no longer nomadic, growing population)

Keywords: agriculture, nomad, civilizations, migration

2.) The Southwest Native Americans

-Overview of Southwest Native American Tribes (Hopi and Navajo)

The Hopi – where they lived, style homes, pueblos

-overview of “dry farming”

The Navajo – “great planted field”, lived in hogans (dome-shaped homes)

-relatives of the Apache Indians

-similar farming methods of Hopi

-what the Navajo learned from the Hopi

-differences of Navajo and Hopi

Keywords: dry farming, Apache, Navajo, Hopi, hogans, pueblos, adobe

3.) The Great Plains

-Overview of landscape (prairies) and Native American Tribes (The Comanche, The Pawnee and Omaha)

-Overview of Comanche in the Western Plains

-warrior tribe, skilled at hunting and horse riding, nomadic lifestyle

-Overview of Pawnee and Omaha in Eastern Plains

(more rainfall, more farming, earth lodges)

-Similarities and differences between Eastern and Western plains

Keywords: earth lodges, prairie, nomad

4.) The Northwest Native Americans

-Overview of Northwest locations and various tribes (Tlingit, Chinook, Tillamook)

-known for totem pole, showcases generations and social rank

-Description of the Tlingit groups, located in Sitka Alaska.

-hunted and fished in the sea, traded salmon

-woodworkers, created totem poles, large canoes called dugouts

-used cedar bark to make clothing

-overview of other natural resources used by Tlingit community

-description of potlatch feasts and celebrations

Keywords: potlatch feasts, Tlingit, totem poles, dugout, cedar,

5.) The Eastern Woodlands Tribes

-Locations of the Eastern Woodlands, description of environment

-Description of the Natchez tribes (descendants of the Mound Builders

-brief overview of Mound Builders

-description of wigwam homes

-Description of the Haundenosaunee/Iroquois

-longhouse and wampum

-clans

Keywords: Mound Builders, wigwams, wampum, longhouse, clans)

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Unit 2: Age of Exploration

1.) Exploration and the Age of Discovery

-15th century – 17th century period, overview of the Silk Road and motivation for discovery of new cultures, inventions, and European trade.

-locations of major trade routes

-Famous explorers during this period Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, Vasco de Gama, etc.

2.) Tools for the Age of Discovery

Overview of how explorers used different types of tools and their purposes.

-Description of a compass and how it is used

-Description of the astrolabe and octant and how they are used

-Description of sextant and how it is used

-Description of chronometer and how it is used

-Description of gunpowder and how it is used

Keywords: compass, astrolabe, sextant, chronometer, gunpowder

3.) Marco Polo and The Description of the World

Overview of Marco Polo and his life, known for his story telling

-How he spent 17 years in China and became friends with Kublai Khan.

-How he discovered paper money, printing, and gunpowder in China

Overview of his writings: The Description of the World, The Book of Marvels, and The Travels of Marco Polo

-Description of how mapmakers used his books to create drawings and maps of routes for expeditions

-His writing created an interest in exploring Asia, it also had details about the Silk Road

4.) Trade, Exploration, and the Silk Road

-Overview of the Silk Road, growth of trading during 1400’s

-made up of both land and water routes.

-European merchants traveled to purchase silk and spices from China. Discovered new inventions

-List of exploration tools and how they were used

-Overview of what was traded in different locations (China: silk, tea, gunpowder spices, etc. / India: Ginger, sandalwood, cane, sugar, gold / Europe: silver, gold, jewels, metals, walnuts/ Africa: Salt, gold, etc).

-traded news and information as well as goods.

Keywords: The Silk Road

5.) Columbus, Magellan, and Hernàn Cortés

-Overview of Christopher Columbus, the Spanish Reconquista, and his first voyage.

-Description of how the Spanish Reconquista had an impact on Christopher Columbus.

-Description of where the European sailors landed during the first voyage (who they met and where they thought they were instead)

-Overview of Ferdinand Magellan and how his crew was able to circumnavigate the world. (Unfortunately he was killed in Asia and was not part of the crew to return to Spain)

-Overview of Hernan Cortes and his expedition to Mexico for gold in 1519.

-Claimed all of Mexico and defeated Aztec empire.

Keywords: the Spanish Reconquista, circumnavigation, Aztec Empire

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Unit 3: Colonist and Native Relations

1.) Competition for Control of North America

-Overview of how the “Age of Discovery” inspired European powers to engage in competition for control of North America – hoped to discover riches and control of land.

-why colonists came to the new word (gold and riches, abundant land, escape disease and poverty in England, looking for a better life, religious freedom/tolerance (Puritans, Pilgrims, Catholics, Quakers)

-Overview of how Native Americans first traded with colonists (fur trade began) and were hospitable and offered food to colonists. Peace did not last long once they realized English were not going to leave.

2.) American-Indian Wars

Description of American-Indian War (a series of armed conflicts spanning 300 years between colonists, European empires, American settlers, and Native Americans)

-The Pequot War (July 1636-1638) in New England

-overview of war, the colonists attacked over 500 Pequot in a brutal war.

-King Philip’s War (June 1675-April 1678) in New England (also known as Metacom’s War)

3.) Anglo-Powhatan Wars in Virginia

-Description of the Powhatan Wars

-Peace of Pocahontas – the marriage of Pocahontas and John Rolfe in 1614 created a period of peace between Powhatan’s tribes and the Jamestown colonists.

-Overview of 2nd War (1622-1632) Further encroachment on Powhatan territories. Chief Opechancanough led major attacks on colonists and they retaliated

-Overview of 3rd War (1644-1646)

Attacks from Opechancanough, Chef Opechancanough refused to sign a peace treaty and was shot in the back by an English guard.

4.) The French and Indian War

-War fought by the French and British (1754-1763)

-Overview of battles, first battle was at Fort Duquesne – George Washington led troops to force the French out of Ohio River Valley.

-Military tactics that the French learned from the Indians.

-William Pitt changed the outcome for the British – a secretary of state committed to spend money on the resources necessary to win.

-British won with Treaty of Paris signed (officially ended the war)

-British gained all of France’s land in Canada and Ohio River Valley

5.) Indian Removal Act of 1830 and The Trail of Tears

-Overview of Indian Removal Act Law signed by Andrew Jackson in 1830

-details of law – ordered all of the Indian nations east of Mississippi river to move west.

-Overview of the Trail of Tears – 1838 the Cherokee nation was forced to move into “Indian Territory” (present day Oklahoma)

-The journey the Cherokee nation took was referred to as the “Trail of Tears”

-facts about the journey (1/4th of the people did not survive, faced starvation, disease, and a cold winter)

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Unit 4: The 13 Colonies

1.) The 13 Colonies: New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies

-The colonies were considered the first “13 States” of America (broad overview of the three types of colonies)

-Separated into three sections based on lifestyle (New England Colonies, The Middle Colonies, and The Southern Colonies)

-New England Colonies Overview: Colonists came for religious freedom, weather and terrain.

-Middle Colonies Overview: More diverse religions and cultures– Quakers, Lutherans, Dutch

Calvinists, and other religious groups

-Farming was much easier in the Middle Colonies

-Southern Colonies Overview: cash crops played a big role

-slaves and indentured servants were used as a workforce on plantations

-experienced outbreaks of malaria and yellow fever.

-bays, rivers, wetlands

Keywords: terrain, indentured servants, cash crop, whale oil, plantation, tobacco

2.) The New England Colonies (Massachusetts {Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay}, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island)

-Plymouth Colony (Founder/Governor, year founded, Mayflower Compact overview

-Massachusetts Bay (Founder, “City upon a hill” (John Winthrop wanted this colony to set an example for the rest)

-Connecticut Colony (Thomas Hooker, year founded, – disagreed with Puritans, created the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut”, limiting government powers and it guaranteed more rights to individuals

-New Hampshire (year founded, founder, dominated by puritans – whales, fur, and fish were natural resources)

-Rhode Island (Year founded, founder) Roger Williams founded the colony but was later banished for spreading “dangerous opinions” – wanted separation of church and state

Keywords: Mayflower Compact, Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, Puritans, religious tolerance

3.) The Middle Colonies (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware)

-New York Colony

Year founded, founded by Dutch Colonists

-describe climate and natural resources -no specific religion

-New Jersey Colony

-Year founded, founders

-first split into East and West, both had their own constitution set in place.

-Iron ore resource

-Pennsylvania Colony

-year founded, founder

-had religious tolerance, but mostly dominated by Quakers

-referred to as “holy experiment” colony by William Penn – wanted freedom of religion

-Delaware Colony

-year founded, founders

-founded because of rich soil, known as a breadbasket colony

-overview of how the ownership of this colony frequently changed

Keywords: Religious Freedom, Quakers, Breadbasket colony, William Penn

4.) The Southern Colonies (Virginia, Maryland, Georgia)

-Virginia Colony

1607, John Smith

-First searched for gold, then built plantations to grow cash crops (overview of plantations)

-Overview of Powhatan Wars (building plantations and taking over Powhatan territory)

-Maryland Colony

-foundation date, founded by

- -religious freedom for Catholics

-The Toleration Act (promised Christians could worship freely)

-plantations grew corn, fruit, cotton, and tobacco

-Georgia Colony

-foundation date, founded by

-Land given from King George II – where debtors seek refuge from the money they owed back in England – would be thrown in jail if you couldn’t earn the money back. The colony was used as a solution

-Slavery was (at first) not allowed, but later changed.

Keywords: Cash crops, plantations, Powhatan wars, The Toleration Act, debtors

5.) Southern Colonies Continued: (North and South Carolina)

North Carolina Colony

-foundation date, founded by

-overview of how The Carolinas were once a single colony but then separated into North and South.

-King Charles II gave the land to eight noblemen (the Lord Proprietors)

-the Lord Proprietors separated the colonies

South Carolina Colony

-foundation date, founded by

-Colonists first settled in Southern part – land was better for farming, more plantations developed. Slaves made up a large portion of population, they were the work force.

-Overview of what the plantations grew, overview of Atlantic slave trade, tobacco, cotton, cash crops

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Unit 5: Events Leading up to the Revolutionary War

1.) The Intolerable Acts and Events Leading up to the Revolutionary War

-Description of how conflicts between the British and colonists were escalating. Taxes were being placed upon colonists to pay for the French and Indian War.

-Overview of the Proclamation of 1763

-Overview of Sugar Act of 1764 (tax laws) and Quartering Act (forced colonists to accommodate British troops)

-Overview of Stamp Act (Patrick Henry gave compelling speech against the Stamp Act “Give me liberty, or give me death!”)

-The Townshend Acts of 1767 (more taxes and restrictions)

Keywords: The Intolerable Acts, taxes, proclamation, Patriot, Loyalist, rights, representation, Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Townshend Acts,

2.) The Sons and Daughters of Liberty

-Definition of Liberty (how it is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority / Colonists were responding to the unfair taxes the British were placing on them)

-Overview of how the Sons of Liberty were created (colonists who were organizing protests and boycotts)

-Overview of who the Daughters of Liberty were and their impact on the American Revolution (organized and participated in boycotts. Ran local small local shops and didn’t use British goods – created their own goods) They replaced many British products (or avoided using) by using skill and wit

Keywords: boycott, liberty, Sons of Liberty, Daughters of Liberty, smuggling, Patriot, Samuel Adams

3.) Conflicts in Boston

Overview of the Boston Massacre in 1770

Crispus Attucks was one of the five colonists killed – he may have been a slave or freeman and was an important icon of the anti-slavery movement.

Overview of Boston Tea Party in 1773

-Brief overview of Tea Act

-Colonists responded to the Tea Act by dumping England’s tea into the harbor. “Boston will be a teapot tonight!”

Keywords: Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, Crispus Attucks

4.) The First Continental Congress

-Brief overview of the events leading up to the meeting

-Delegates from the 13 Colonies (except Georgia) met in Philadelphia to organize a resistance to the Intolerable Acts

-Description of all the steps they decided on taking

-Petition to stop the Intolerable Acts, agreed to stop trade, wanted minutemen to defend colonies,

Keywords: minutemen, Intolerable Acts, Continental Congress, rights

5.) Paul Revere’s Ride

-Overview of Paul Revere (colonist and silversmith)

-He was part of the Boston’s Committee of Safety and he designed a system of lanterns to warn other colonists and minutemen of a British invasion

-On April 18, 1775, he rode to Lexington to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock of the British approaching.

-How his ride was made famous by the Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

-His ride also represented the very beginning of the Revolutionary War (alerted the first Battles of Lexington and Concord)

Keywords: Paul Revere, minutemen, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Battle of Lexington and Concord

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Unit 6: The Revolution and Declaration of Independence

1.) {The Battles of the American Revolution}

-Overview of how the American Revolution is made up of many political battles between colonists and Great Britain. -timeline (1765-1783)

-Timeline and overview of the Battle of Lexington and Concord – April 18, 1775

-Timeline and overview of the Battle of Bunker Hill – June 17, 1775

-Timeline and overview of the Battle of Trenton - Dec 25, 1776

-Timeline and overview of the Battle of Saratoga - Sept 1777

-Timeline and overview of the Battle of Yorktown - Sept – Oct 1781

Keywords: Loyalist, Patriot, Continental Army

2.) {The Second Continental Congress and Common Sense}

-Timeline and overview of The Second Continental Congress

-Overview of who attended, decisions that were made, and how Common Sense (pamphlet written by Thomas Paine) influenced their decisions.

-More detail of Common Sense pamphlet, purpose of the pamphlet and the impact it created

Keywords: Common Sense, petition, rights, Continental Congress, Thomas Paine,

3.) {The Declaration of Independence}

-Events leading up to the Declaration of Independence, why it was written (wars and frustration with Great Britain)

-Overview of what the document represented (how a government should protect the people and their rights. If they do not, the people should have the right to create a new government.)

-Description of all the authors / who signed it

4.) {Women During the Revolutionary War}

Quick overview of difficult times during the war (destruction, inflation, profiteering)

-Description of how women helped - Women also stayed at the army camps and cooked or brought water to the soldiers.

-Martha Washington (The very first First Lady of the United States, wife of George Washington. During the Revolutionary War, she stayed at the general’s camp and assisted the soldiers)

-Deborah Sampson’s contributions to the war (disguised herself as a man while serving in the Continental Army during the Revolution)

-Other important women that assisted during the Revolutionary War

Keywords: inflation, profiteering, disguise

5.) {The Treaty of Paris}

-Quick description of the last battle (Britain was forced to surrender at Yorktown, Virginia)

-Overview of how this document made it officially the end of the war. (two years later, the Treaty of Paris made it official that America was independent)

-Who signed it (John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, David Hartley) year it was signed (first 1782, then 1783 (final document), where (Paris, France), and why

-Important outcomes of the treaty: it provided America more land, they were officially independent, brought peace

Keywords: ratified, Treaty of Paris, independent

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Unit 7: The Constitution

1.) The Articles of Confederation and Shay’s Rebellion

-The idea that Americans were cautious after being under the rule of Great Britain, – they didn’t want a strong central government. Wanted each state to have it’s own laws and constitution.

-1781, The Continental Congress created The Articles of Confederation

-Left most of the power with the states (each state had it’s own laws, own printed money, and own taxes

-Problems with the model (states could not work together)

-Idea that in some ways it was considered a failure.

-Overview of what Congress could or could not do

-Description of Shay’s Rebellion (1786-1787)

-The protest demonstrated that the current national government was powerless to raise money to pay back the farmers’ debt.

Keywords: confederation, Shay’s Rebellion, debt, congress,

2.) Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia

-Overview of where, when, who (George Washington President of the Constitutional Convention) why it was held (to change the Articles of Confederation)

-What happened: (James Madison had a plan for a new government system. Instead of changing the Articles of Confederation, a whole new government was designed.)

-Overview of Virginia Plan (separation of Powers, proposed by Edmund Randolph and James Madison) and New Jersey Plan (Each state would get one vote, proposed by William Paterson)

-What decision saved the Convention (the Great Compromise, proposed by Roger Sherman to divide Congress into two houses)

Keywords: The Great Compromise, Constitutional Convention, James Madison, Edmund Randolph, William Paterson, New Jersey Plan, Virginia Plan

3.) The Constitution

-Overview of federal system (type of government, having the power to make money, declare war, make treaties, settle arguments of disputes among states)

The framers of the Constitution worked for a balance of power between the central government and the states. (James Madison drafted the document after the Constitutional Convention)

-Description of the Preamble (intro to the Constitution)

-Overview of what a democracy is

-The purpose and results of the Constitution (fundamental framework, puts the power in the hands of people, separates the powers of government, checks and balances)

Keywords: federal system, ratify, amendment, Federalist, Anti-Federalist, constitution, preamble

4.) Checks and Balances: The Three Branches of Government

-Overview of how the framers knew that each part of the government should be balanced, without one branch having too much power. They created a system known as checks and balances (limits the power to keep balance)

-Description Judicial Branch (Supreme Court)

Description Executive Branch (President)

-Description Legislative Branch (Congress)

Keywords: legislative branch, executive branch, judicial branch, veto, unconstitutional, democracy, supreme court, president, congress

5.) The Bill of Rights

-Overview of the Bill of Rights (is the first ten amendments to the constitution)

-James Madison wrote amendments – Limits powers of government and gives rights to citizens

-In response to several states for greater constitutional protection

-Overview of Federalists (wanted a strong national government, didn’t think Bill of Rights was needed) and Anti-Federalists (power in the individual states and local government, felt Bill of Rights was needed for individual rights and protection)

-Example of specific amendment, how it impacted the constitution

Keywords: bill of rights, amendment, Federalist, Anti-Federalists, constitution

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