School District of New London
Social Studies – United States (Semester 1)
75 Benchmarks
The American People
Standard 1: Understands cultural and ecological interactions among previously
unconnected people resulting from early European exploration and
colonization
SS12.1.1
Understands the long-range social and ecological impact of the Columbian
Exchange (e.g., how the horse, the pig, and the dandelion brought about changes in
the land; how the sugar trade affected Caribbean slaves, Indian laborers, and
European urban proletarians)
• understands the Columbian Exchange in terms of how the horse, the pig, and
the dandelion brought about changes in the Americas
• understands the Columbian Exchange in terms of how the sugar trade affected
Caribbean slaves, Indian laborers, and European urban proletarians
SS12.1.2
Understands social and economic characteristics of European colonization in the
17th and 18th centuries
• knows immigration and settlement patterns of the Puritans
• knows immigration and settlement patterns of the Quakers
• knows immigration and settlement patterns of the Germans
• understands slave trade and chattel slavery in Chesapeake
SS12.1.3
Understands the nature of the interaction between Native Americans and various
settlers (e.g., Native American involvement in the European wars for control
between 1675 and 1763, how Native American societies responded to European
land hunger and expansion)
• understands Native American involvement in the European wars for control
between 1675 and 1763
• knows how Native American societies responded to European land hunger
and expansion
SS12.1.4
Understands shifts in federal and state policy toward Native Americans in the first
half of the 19th century (e.g., arguments for and against removal policy, changing
policies from assimilation to removal and isolation after 1825)
• understands shifts in federal policy toward Native Americans in the first half
of the 19th century
• understands shifts in state policy toward Native Americans in the first half of
the 19th century
• understands arguments for the removal policy of Native Americans in the first
half of the 19th century
• understands arguments against the removal policy of Native Americans in the
first half of the 19th century
• understands the changing policies toward Native Americans from assimilation
to removal and isolation after 1825
School District of New London
SS12.1.5
Understands the impact of the Civil War on Native Americans (e.g., the positions of
major Indian nations during the Civil War and the effect of the war on these
nations, the internal conflicts among the "Five Civilized Tribes" regarding their
support for the Union or Confederacy, the long-term consequences for Native
Americans)
SS12.1.6
Understands influences on and perspectives of Native American life in the late 19th
century (e.g., how the admission of new western states affected relations between
the United States and Native American societies; leadership and values of Native
American leaders; depiction of Native Americans and whites by 19th century
artists)
SS12.1.7
Understands how the New Deal influenced the civil and political rights of diverse
groups (e.g., the involvement of women and minorities in the New Deal and its
impact upon them, FDR's commitment to advancing the civil and political rights of
African Americans, how African Americans planted the seeds of a civil rights
revolution during the 1930s, how the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 affected
Native Americans, the role of John Collier in securing a "new deal" for Native
Americans)
Standard 2: Understands why the Americas attracted Europeans, why they brought
enslaved Africans to their colonies and how Europeans struggled for control
of North America and the Caribbean
Standard 3: Understands how the values and institutions of European economic life took
root in the colonies and how slavery reshaped European and African life in
the Americas
SS12.3.1
Understands how slavery influenced economic and social elements of Southern
society (e.g., how slavery hindered the emergence of capitalist institutions and
values, the influence of slavery on the development of the middle class, the
influence of slave revolts on the lives of slaves and freed slaves)
• understands how slavery influenced economic elements of southern society
• understands how slavery influenced social elements of southern society
• understands how slavery hindered the emergence of capitalist values
• understands the influence of slave revolts on the lives of slaves
SS12.3.2
Understands elements of slavery in the colonies in the 17th century (e.g., the
emergence of chattel slavery in Virginia and Maryland, why free labor and chattel
slavery did not provide an alternative for labor in the Chesapeake colonies before
1675)
• understands why free labor did not provide an alternative for labor in the
Chesapeake colonies before 1675
• understands why chattel slavery did not provide an alternative for labor in the
Chesapeake colonies before 1675
School District of New London
SS12.3.3
Understands the arguments of advocates and opponents of slavery from different
regions of the country during the revolutionary period (e.g., how pro-slavery
Americans justified their defense of slavery with their espousal of inalienable
rights to freedom, how enslaved African Americans employed revolutionary
ideals to obtain their freedom)
• understands the arguments of advocates of slavery from different regions of
the country during the revolutionary period
• understands the arguments of opponents of slavery from different regions of
the country during the revolutionary period
• understands how enslaved African Americans employed revolutionary ideals
to obtain their freedom
SS12.3.4
Understands how slavery influenced economic and social elements of Southern
society (e.g., how slavery hindered the emergence of capitalist institutions and
values, the influence of slavery on the development of the middle class, the
influence of slave revolts on the lives of slaves and freed slaves)
SS12.3.5
Understands the positions of northern antislavery advocates and southern proslavery
spokesmen on a variety of issues (e.g., race, chattel slavery, the nature of the Union,
states’ rights, Lincoln-Douglas debates)
SS12.3.6
Understands events that fueled the political and sectional conflicts over slavery and
ultimately polarized the North and the South (e.g., the Missouri Compromise, the
Wilmot Proviso, the Kansas-Nebraska Act)
Standard 4: Understands massive immigration after 1870 and how new social patterns,
conflicts, and ideas of national unity developed amid growing cultural
diversity
SS12.4.1
Understands patterns of immigrant life after 1870 (e.g., where people came from
and where they settled; how immigrants formed a new American culture; the
challenges, opportunities, and contributions of different immigrant groups; ways in
which immigrants learned to live and work in a new country)
• understands where immigrants came from after 1870
• understands how immigrants formed a new American culture after 1870
• understands the challenges of immigrant life after 1870
• understands the contributions of different immigrant groups after 1870
SS12.4.2
Understands the experiences of diverse groups and minorities in different regions of
the country (e.g., the experiences of African Americans, Asian Americans, and
Hispanic Americans; the anti-Chinese movement in the West; the rise of lynching
in the South; the impact of Jim Crow laws on African Americans)
• understands the experiences of diverse groups in different regions of the
country
• understands the experiences of minorities in different regions of the country
• understands the experiences of Asian Americans in different regions of the
country
• knows about the anti-Chinese movement in the West
School District of New London
SS12.4.3
Understands how racial and ethnic events influenced American society during the
Progressive era (e.g., the movement to restrict immigration; how racial and ethnic
conflicts contributed to delayed statehood for New Mexico and Arizona; the impact
of new nativism; influences on African, Native, Asian, and Hispanic Americans)
SS12.4.4
Understands characteristics of the Kennedy presidency (e.g., the role of the media
in the election of 1960; Kennedy’s commitment to liberalism and his ideas about
citizenship, rights, and responsibilities)
Standard 5:
Understands economic, social, and cultural developments in the contemporary
United States
SS12.5.1
Understands the major social issues of 1920s America (e.g., the emergence of the
"New Woman" and challenges to Victorian values, the purpose and goals of the
"New Klan," the causes and outcome of Prohibition, the ethnic composition of
immigrants and fears these changes represented, the "Red Scare," the Sacco and
Vanzetti trial)
• understands the purpose and goals of the "New Klan" in 1920s America
• understands the ethnic composition of immigrants in 1920s America
• understands the "Red Scare" in the 1920s
• understands the Sacco / Vanzetti trials
SS12.5.2
Understands how recent immigration and migration patterns, and demographic
shifts, impacted social and political issues (e.g., major issues that affect immigrants
and conflicts these issues engendered; changes in the size and composition of the
traditional American family; demographic and residential mobility since 1970)
• knows how recent immigration and migration patterns impacted social issues
• knows how recent immigration and migration patterns impacted political
issues
• knows major issues that affect immigrants
• knows about conflicts that can arise because of issues that immigrants face
• knows about changes to the size and composition of the typical American
family
• knows about demographic and residential mobility since 1970
SS12.5.3
Understands how recent immigration and migration patterns, and demographic
shifts, impacted social and political issues (e.g., major issues that affect immigrants
and conflicts these issues engendered; changes in the size and composition of the
traditional American family; demographic and residential mobility since 1970)
School District of New London
Cultural Diversity in America
SS12.6.1
Understands the similarities and differences in colonial concepts of community
(e.g., Puritan's covenant community, Chesapeake colonial emphasis on
individualism)
• knows about the Puritan’s covenant community
• knows about the Chesapeake colonial emphasis on individualism
SS12.6.2
Understands characteristics of religious development in colonial America (e.g., the
presence of diverse religious groups and their contributions to religious freedom;
the political and religious influence of the Great Awakening; the major tenets of
Puritanism and its legacy in American society; the dissension of Anne Hutchison
and Roger Williams, and Puritan objections to their ideas and behavior)
• knows about the contributions of diverse religious groups to religious freedom
in colonial America
• understands the political influence of the Great Awakening
• understands the religious influence of the Great Awakening
• understands the legacy of Puritanism in American society
• knows about the dissension of Anne Hutchinson
• knows about the dissension of Roger Williams
SS12.6.3
Understands the elements of ethnic, class, and race relations in conflicts between
backwoodsmen and planters of colonial America (e.g., Bacon's Rebellion, Leisler's
Rebellion, the Carolina Regulators and Paxton Boys revolts)
• understands the element of ethnic relations in conflicts between
backwoodsmen and planters of colonial America
• understands the element of class relations in conflicts between backwoodsmen
and planters of colonial America
• knows about Bacon’s Rebellion
• knows about Leisler’s Rebellion
• knows about the Paxton Boys revolts
SS12.6.4
Understands challenges immigrants faced in society in the late 19th century (e.g.,
experiences of new immigrants from 1870 to 1900, reasons for hostility toward the
new immigrants, restrictive measures against immigrants, the tension between
American ideals and reality)
SS12.6.5
Understands the influence of public education on American society after 1870 (e.g.,
the role of public and parochial schools in integrating immigrants into mainstream
America, how the rise of public education and voluntary organizations promoted
national unity and American values)
SS12.6.6
Understands how scientific theories of race affected society in the late 19th century
(e.g., arguments of advocates and opponents, the impact of these theories on public
policy)
School District of New London
SS12.6.7
Understands the challenges diverse people encountered in late 19th century
American society (e.g., the role of new laws and the federal judiciary in instituting
racial inequality; arguments and methods by which various minority groups sought
to acquire equal rights and opportunities; experiences of African American families
who migrated from the South to New York City in the 1890s)
SS12.6.8
Understands changes in social and class development in late 19th century America
(e.g., Victorianism and its impact on architecture, literature, manners and morals)
SS12.6.9
Understands how diverse groups united during the civil rights movement (e.g., the
escalation from civil disobedience to more radical protest, issues that led to the
development of the Asian Civil Rights Movement and the Native American Civil
Rights Movement, the issues and goals of the farm labor movement and La Raza
Unida)
SS12.6.10 Understands major contemporary social issues and the groups involved (e.g., the
current debate over affirmative action and to what degree affirmative action policies
have reached their goals; the evolution of government support for the rights of the
disabled; the emergence of the Gay Liberation Movement and civil rights of gay
Americans; continuing debates over multiculturalism, bilingual education, and
group identity and rights vs. individual rights and identity; successes and failures of
the modern feminist movement)
American Government
Standard 7: Understands how political, religious, and social institutions emerged in the
English colonies
SS12.7.1
Understands influences on the development of representative government in
colonial America (e.g., conflicts between legislative and executive branches in
Virginia, New York, and Massachusetts; how different colonies adopted different
laws and governmental frameworks; how demography influenced different forms of
government in the colonies; the influence of colonial institutions; how an
abundance of land, devotion to private property, and a competitive entrepreneurial
spirit influenced the idea of participatory government)
• understands how different colonies adopting different governmental
frameworks influenced the development of representative government in
colonial America
• understands how demography influenced the development of different forms
of government in the colonies
• understands how colonial institutions influenced the development of
representative government in colonial America
• understands how devotion to private property influenced the development of
representative government in colonial America
School District of New London
Standard 8: Understands the institutions and practices of government created during the
Revolution and how these elements were revised between 1787 and 1815 to
create the foundation of the American political system based on the U.S.
Constitution and the Bill of Rights
SS12.8.1
Understands influences on the ideas established by the Constitution (e.g., the ideas
behind the distribution of powers and the system of checks and balances; the
influence of 18th-century republican ideals and the economic and political interests
of different regions on the compromises reached in the Constitutional Convention)
SS12.8.2
Understands how Federalists and Anti-Federalists differed (e.g., their arguments for
and against the Constitution of 1787, their relevance in late 20th century politics,
their backgrounds, service during the Revolution, political experience)
SS12.8.3
Understands the Bill of Rights and various challenges to it (e.g., arguments by
Federalists and Anti-Federalists over the need for a Bill of Rights, the Alien and
Sedition Acts, recent court cases involving the Bill of Rights)
SS12.8.4
Understands the significance of Chief Justice Marshall’s decisions on the
development of the Supreme Court (e.g., Marbury v. Madison [1803]; Dartmouth
College v. Woodward [1819]; Gibbons v. Ogden [1824]; McCulloch v. Maryland)
SS12.8.5
Understands how the stature and significance of the federal judiciary changed
during the 1790s and early 19th century, and the influence of the Supreme Court
today
SS12.8.6
Understands the factors that led to the development of the two-party system (e.g.,
the emergence of an organized opposition party led by Thomas Jefferson,
Hamilton's financial plan)
SS12.8.7
Understands the factors that led to the Whiskey Rebellion (e.g., the extent to which
the rebellion was a confrontation between the haves and the have-nots; the
government's reaction; similarities and differences between grievances of the
Whiskey Rebels and those of the Regulators, the Paxton Boys, and the Shaysites)
Standard 9: Understands the extension, restriction, and reorganization of political
democracy after 1800
SS12.9.1
Understands increased political activity in the first half of the 19th century (e.g., the
importance of state and local issues, the rise of interest-group politics, and the style
of campaigning in increasing voter participation; factors that affected the vitality of
the National Republican, Democratic, Whig, and "Know-Nothing" parties)
School District of New London
Women in America
SS12.10.1
Understands how gender, property ownership, religion, and legal status affected
political rights (e.g., that women were not allowed to vote even if they held property
and met religious requirements)
• understands how gender affected political rights in colonial America
SS12.10.2
Understands characteristics of the social structure of colonial America (e.g., the
property rights of single, married, and widowed women; public education in the
New England colonies and how it differed from the southern colonies, different
patterns of family life; different ideals among diverse religious groups, social
classes, and cultures; different roles and status of men and women)
• understands the property rights of single women in colonial America
• understands the property rights of married women in colonial America
• understands the property rights of widowed women in colonial America
• understands the different roles of men and women in colonial America
• understands the different status of men and women in colonial America
SS12.10.3
Understands changing gender roles in the antebellum period (e.g., men and
women's occupations, legal rights, and social status in the North, South and West;
how gender roles were influenced by class, ethnic, racial, and religious lines)
SS12.10.4
Understands the goals of different groups of people after the Revolution (e.g., the
importance of African American leaders and institutions in shaping free black
communities in the North, the influence of the American victory in advancing or
retarding goals of different groups, the degree to which women were able to enter
the public realm after 1776)
• understands the influence of the American victory in retarding goals of certain
groups
• understands the degree to which women were able to enter the public realm
after 1776
SS12.10.5
Understands the ideas associated with women's rights during the antebellum period
(e.g., the goals and ideas of the antebellum women's movement for equality
compared to 20th-century feminism, how the Seneca Falls "Declaration of
Sentiments" relates to the ideas of the Declaration of Independence, the connection
between the evangelical movement and the idea of southern woman, and the extent
to which southern women endorsed the "Declaration of Sentiments")
SS12.10.6
Understands how the Civil War influenced both military personnel and civilians
(e.g., the treatment of African American soldiers in the Union Army and
Confederacy, how the war changed gender roles and traditional attitudes toward
women in the work force)
SS12.10.7
Understands the extent to which social and political issues were influenced by the
Civil War and Reconstruction (e.g., why women's rights leaders felt betrayed by
Reconstruction, the extent to which crooked business deals encouraged corruption
in the government)
School District of New London
SS12.10.8
Understands influences on the workforce during the late 19th century (e.g., gender,
race, ethnicity, and skill; how big business and the impersonal nature of factory
work affected workers; inroads made by women in male-dominated jobs; legal
status of women; the type of work children performed; occupations in which
children were employed; dangers they faced during the workday)
SS12.10.9
Understands efforts to achieve women’s suffrage in the early twentieth century
(e.g., methods used by Carrie Chapman Catt in her leadership of the National
Women’s Suffrage Association to get the 19th amendment passed and ratified, why
President Wilson changed his mind about the amendment, which of Catt’s tactics
were most successful)
SS12.10.10 Understands how the New Deal influenced the civil and political rights of diverse
groups (e.g., the involvement of women and minorities in the New Deal and its
impact upon them, FDR's commitment to advancing the civil and political rights of
African Americans, how African Americans planted the seeds of a civil rights
revolution during the 1930s, how the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 affected
Native Americans, the role of John Collier in securing a "new deal" for Native
Americans)
SS12.10.11 Understands social, religious, cultural, and economic changes at the onset of the
Cold War era (e.g., the causes and results of new governmental spending on
educational programs, the expansion of suburbanization and the impact of the
"crabgrass frontier," the role of religion, the impact of the GI Bill on higher
education, how the Cold War influenced the lives and roles of women, how artists
and writers portrayed the effects of alienation on the individual and society after
1945)
SS12.10.12 Understands conflicting perspectives on different issues addressed by the women’s
rights movement (e.g., the Equal Rights Amendment, Title VII, and Roe v. Wade)
The Fight for Individual Civil Rights
Standard 11: Understands the sources and character of cultural, religious, and social
reform movements in the antebellum period
SS12.11.1
Understands elements of slavery in both the North and South during the antebellum
period (e.g., similarities and differences between African American and white
abolitionists, defense of chattel slavery by slaveholders, growing hostility toward
free blacks in the North, how African American leaders fought for rights)
School District of New London
SS12.11.2
Understands factors that inhibited and fostered African American attempts to
improve their lives during Reconstruction (e.g., how foundations were laid for
modern black communities, how traditional values inhibited the role of the
Freedmen's Bureau, the struggle between former masters and former slaves, the role
of black churches and schools in providing self-help within the African American
community)
• understands factors that inhibited African American attempts to improve their
lives during Reconstruction
• understands factors that fostered African American attempts to improve their
lives during Reconstruction
• understands how foundations were laid for modern black communities during
Reconstruction
• understands how traditional values inhibited the role of the Freedmen’s
Bureau
• understands the struggle between former masters and former slaves
SS12.11.3
Understands how the New Deal influenced the civil and political rights of diverse
groups (e.g., the involvement of women and minorities in the New Deal and its
impact upon them, FDR's commitment to advancing the civil and political rights of
African Americans, how African Americans planted the seeds of a civil rights
revolution during the 1930s, how the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 affected
Native Americans, the role of John Collier in securing a "new deal" for Native
Americans)
SS12.11.4
Understands significant influences on the civil rights movement (e.g., the social and
constitutional issues involved in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and Brown v. Board of
Education (1954) court cases; the connection between legislative acts, Supreme
Court decisions, and the civil rights movement; the role of women in the civil rights
movement and in shaping the struggle for civil rights)
SS12.11.5
Understands how various Warren Court decisions influenced society (e.g., the
Warren Court’s expansion of due process rights for the accused and criticisms of
this extension; Warren Court’s reasoning in establishing the "one man, one vote"
principle; the effectiveness of the judiciary in promoting civil liberties and equal
opportunities)
School District of New London
Manifest Destiny
Standard 12: Understands the United States territorial expansion between 1801 and 1861,
and how it affected relations with external powers and Native Americans
SS12.12.1
Understands the impact of the Louisiana Purchase (e.g., its influence on politics,
economic development, and the concept of Manifest Destiny; how it affected
relations with Native Americans and the lives of French and Spanish inhabitants of
the Louisiana Territory; how the purchase of the Louisiana Territory was justified)
• understands the influence of the Louisiana Purchase on economic
development
• understands the influence of the Louisiana Purchase on the concept of
Manifest Destiny
• understands how the Louisiana Purchase affected relations with Native
Americans
• understands how the purchase of the Louisiana Territory was justified
SS12.12.2
Understands the religious, political, and social ideas that contributed to the 19th
century belief in Manifest Destiny (e.g., the influence of U.S. trading interests in the
Far East on continental expansion to the Pacific, "City Upon a Hill" and subsequent
Protestant belief in building a model Christian community, millennialism and the
Great Awakening, Republicanism, the urge to keep foreign enemies from gaining
control of the Pacific Coast, the belief in America's duty to uplift "less civilized"
peoples in the West)
SS12.12.3
Understands significant religious, cultural, and social changes in the American
West (e.g., the degree to which political democracy influenced social and political
conditions on the frontier, cultural characteristics of diverse groups, the impact of
the Second Great Awakening and religious revivals on Mormon migration to the
West, the lives of women in the West)
SS12.12.4
Understands Mexican and American perspectives of events leading to the MexicanAmerican War (e.g., the Alamo, the treatment of Mexicans and Cherokees loyal to
the Texas Revolution in the Lone Star Republic prior to 1846)
SS12.12.5
Understands the initiating factors and outcomes of the Mexican-American War
(e.g., the extent to which President Polk bore responsibility for initiating the war,
whether the war was justified, arguments for and against the war, the impact of the
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on the U.S. and Mexico)
SS12.12.6
Understands the role of class, race, gender, and religion in western communities in
the late 19th century (e.g., hardships faced by settlers, how gender and racial roles
were defined, the role of religion in stabilizing communities)
School District of New London
18th and 19th Century Conflicts: Foreign and Domestic
Standard 13: Understands the causes of the American Revolution, the ideas and interests
involved in shaping the revolutionary movement, and reasons for the
American victory
SS12.13.1
Understands the characteristics of mercantilism in colonial America (e.g., the
Atlantic economy and triangular trade, overseas trade and the Navigation Acts,
economic development in French, English, and Spanish colonies)
SS12.13.2
Understands the events and consequences of the Seven Years War (e.g., the
significance of the Peace of Paris, options left to Native Americans)
• understands the significance of the Peace of Paris
• understands the options left to Native Americans after the Seven Years War
SS12.13.3
Understands the social, political, and religious aspects of the American Revolution
(e.g., decisions leading to crisis of revolution; + efforts by Parliament and colonies
to prevent revolution; ideas of different religions; economic and social differences
of Loyalists, Patriots, and neutrals)
SS12.13.4
Understands how the principles of the Declaration of Independence justified
American independence
SS12.13.5
Understands the major political and strategic factors that led to the American
victory in the Revolutionary War (e.g., the importance of the Battle of Saratoga, the
use of guerilla and conventional warfare, the importance of King’s Mountain in
defining the war)
• understands the major political factors that led to the American victory in the
Revolutionary War
• understands the major strategic factors that led to the American victory in the
Revolutionary War
SS12.13.6
Understands how the Treaty of Paris influenced U.S. relations with other countries
and indigenous peoples (e.g., the resulting boundary disputes with Spain; influences
on economic and strategic interests of the United States, Native Americans, Spain,
England, and France; the impact of the Jay Gardoqui Treaty of 1786)
Standard 14: (also under Manifest Destiny) Understands the United States territorial
expansion between 1801 and 1861, and how it affected relations with external
powers and Native Americans
SS12.14.1
Understands political interests and views regarding the War of 1812 (e.g., U.S.
responses to shipping harassments prior to the war; interests of Native American
and white settlers of the Northwest Territory during the war; congressional
positions for and against the war resolution of June 3, 1812)
School District of New London
SS12.14.2
Understands the major provisions of the Monroe Doctrine (e.g., the extent to which
its major purpose was to protect the newly won independence of Latin American
states or to serve notice of U.S. expansionist intentions in the hemisphere, why the
U.S. and other countries ignored the provisions of the doctrine for so long, its
impact today)
Standard 15: Understands the course and character of the Civil War and its effects on the
American people
SS12.15.1
Understands military events that influenced the outcome of the Civil War (e.g., the
"hammering campaigns" of Generals Grant and Sherman, the wartime leadership of
Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln)
SS12.15.2
Understands the influence of Abraham Lincoln's ideas on the Civil War (e.g., the
Gettysburg Address, how the Emancipation Proclamation transformed the goals of
the Civil War)
SS12.15.3
Understands how the Civil War influenced Northern and Southern society on the
home front (e.g., the New York City draft riots of July 1863, the Union's reasons for
curbing civil liberties in wartime, Lincoln's suspension of the writ of habeas corpus
during the war)
SS12.15.4
Understands factors in the outbreak and outcome of the Spanish-American War
(e.g., President McKinley's reasons for going to war; changing U.S. attitudes toward
Emilio Aguinaldo from 1898 to the issue of warrants for his arrest after the Treaty
of Paris)
SS12.15.5
Understands elements that contributed to late 19th century expansionist foreign
policy (e.g., geopolitics, economic interests, racial ideology, Protestant missionary
zeal, nationalism, and domestic tensions)
School District of New London
Social Studies – United States (Semester 2)
55 Benchmarks
The Impact of Science and Technology
Standard 16: Understands how the industrial revolution, increasing immigration, the
rapid expansion of slavery, and the westward movement changed American
lives and led to regional tensions
SS12.16.1
Understands policies affecting regional and national interests during the early 19th
century (e.g., how expansion-based economic policies, including northern
dominance of locomotive transportation, contributed to growing political and
sectional differences; the cheap price for the sale of western lands to residents of the
North, South, and West; Andrew Jackson's veto of the Bank Recharter Bill of 1832)
SS12.16.2
Understands characteristics of economic development during the 19th century (e.g.,
patterns of economic development in different regions of the country during the
first half of the 19th century; how early 19th century court cases promoted the
market revolution; the causes and results of economic depressions of 1819, 1837,
and 1857)
SS12.16.3
Understands the impact of the Industrial Revolution during the early and later 19th
century (e.g., the growth and spread of the factory system in New England, the
effects of ethnic, religious, and racial tensions on the emergence of a unified labor
movement)
SS12.16.4
Understands the rise of the American labor movement and how political issues
reflected social and economic changes
SS12.16.5
Understands labor issues of the late 19th century (e.g., organizational and agenda
differences between reform and trade unions, the extent of radicalism in the labor
movements, labor conflicts of 1894 and their effects)
SS12.16.6
Understands the appeal of various political parties and the positions they took (e.g.,
the Populist’s Omaha Platform of 1892; problems that prompted the establishment
of the Populist Party; the appeal of the Democratic, Republican, and Greenback
Labor parties to different socioeconomic groups)
SS12.16.7
Understands how economic issues influenced American society (e.g., the causes
and effects of the depressions of 1873-1879 and 1893-1897, and how government,
business, labor, and farmers responded; the reaction of western and southern
farmers to the cycle of falling prices, scarce money, and debt)
School District of New London
SS12.16.8
Understands the issues and results of the 1896 election (e.g., the extent to which
farmers were unable to adjust to the changing industrial scene and the Populist
decision to endorse the Democratic nominee, William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of
Gold" speech and how it affected the outcome of the election, arguments and
strategies used by William McKinley and Mark Hanna, urban women's support of
the Republican party, the major components of the "full dinner pail")
SS12.16.9
Understands factors that contributed to changes in work, production, and the rise of
a consumer culture (e.g., the "new paternalism" of the modern corporation, how
national advertising and sales campaigns affected the American economy)
SS12.16.10 Understands scientific and technological developments in America after World War
II (e.g., the new system of scientific research and development, advances in medical
science and how they improved the standard of living and changed demographic
patterns, the global influence of the communications revolution ushered in by
American technology)
Working Conditions, Monopolies, and Organized Labor
Standard 17: Understands how the rise of corporations, heavy industry, and mechanized
farming transformed American society
SS12.17.1
Understands the development of business in the late 19th century (e.g., types of
business organizations that affected the economy; the impact of industrialization on
availability of consumer goods, living standards, and redistribution of wealth; how
new industries gained dominance in their field; the changing nature of business
enterprise)
SS12.17.2
Understands issues associated with urban growth in the late 19th century (e.g., how
city residents dealt with urban problems; demographic, economic, and spatial
expansion of cities; how urban bosses won the support of immigrants)
SS12.17.3
Understands influences on economic conditions in various regions of the country
(e.g., effects of the federal government's land, water and Indian policy; the
extension of railroad lines, increased agricultural productivity and improved
transportation facilities on commodity prices; grievances and solutions of farm
organizations; the crop lien system in the South, transportation and storage costs for
farmers, and the price of staples)
SS12.17.4
Understands how rapid increase in population and industrial growth in urban areas
influenced the environment (e.g., inefficient urban garbage collection and sewage
disposal, how city leaders and residents coped with environmental problems in the
city)
School District of New London
The Progressive Movement
Standard 18: Understands how Progressives and others addressed problems of industrial
capitalism, urbanization, and political corruption
SS12.18.1
Understands the origins and impact of the Progressive movement (e.g., social
origins of Progressives and how these contributed to the success and failure of the
movement; Progressive reforms pertaining to big business, and worker’s and
consumer’s rights; arguments of Progressive leaders)
SS12.18.2
Understands major social and political issues of the Progressive era (e.g., Supreme
Court decisions that affected Progressivism)
• understands major social issues of the Progressive Era
• understands the major political issues of the Progressive Era
• knows about Supreme Court decisions that affected Progressivism
The Emergence of Modern America
Standard 19: Understands how the United States changed between the post-World War I
years and the eve of the Great Depression
SS12.19.1
Understands the major social issues of 1920s America (e.g., the emergence of the
"New Woman" and challenges to Victorian values, the purpose and goals of the
"New Klan," the causes and outcome of Prohibition, the ethnic composition of
immigrants and fears these changes represented, the "Red Scare," the Sacco and
Vanzetti trial)
SS12.19.2
Understands factors that contributed to changes in work, production, and the rise of
a consumer culture (e.g., the "new paternalism" of the modern corporation, how
national advertising and sales campaigns affected the American economy)
SS12.19.3
Understands the impact of new cultural movements on American society in the
1920s (e.g., the extension of secondary education to new segments of American
society, the emergence of artists in the postwar period, the origins and development
of jazz, how the creation of national parks affected Native American culture)
SS12.19.4
Understands how political issues in the 1920s influenced American society (e.g.,
the goals and effectiveness of the Republican party in the 1920s, the Harding and
Coolidge administrations and the effects of World War I on Progressivism)
School District of New London
The Great Depression and the New Deal (Socialism in the United States)
Standard 20: Understands the causes of the Great Depression and how it affected
American society
SS12.20.1
Understands influences on the national and global economy in the 1920s and 1930s
(e.g., economic policies of the Harding and Coolidge administrations and their
impact on wealth distribution, investment, and taxes; the global context of the
depression and the reasons for the worldwide economic collapse; characteristics of
the American economy in the 1920s)
SS12.20.2
Understands the impact of the Great Depression on American culture (e.g., art,
literature, and music, and the government’s role in promoting artistic expression;
how the works of various American artists reflected American conditions in the
1930s and influenced the New Deal)
SS12.20.3
Understands how the Great Depression influenced local, state, and charitable
resources in the period 1930-1938
Standard 21: Understands how the New Deal addressed the Great Depression,
transformed American federalism, and initiated the welfare state
SS12.21.1
Understands the first and second New Deals (e.g., the success of the relief,
recovery, and reform measures associated with each)
SS12.21.2
Understands how the New Deal influenced labor and employment (e.g., the impact
of the New Deal on non-union workers; factors contributing to the success of the
CIO leadership in organizing the rubber, auto, and steel workers in the period 1937
1941; labor's commitment to organizing; causes, strategies, and leadership of major
strikes during the New Deal; the effects of the New Deal agricultural programs on
farm laborers)
SS12.21.3
Understands influences on the New Deal (e.g., Supreme Court cases related to the
New Deal and Roosevelt’s response to the rulings; the class basis for support and
opposition to the New Deal in the Northeast, South, Midwest, and Far West)
SS12.21.4
Understands the significance and ideology of FDR and the New Deal (e.g., whether
the New Deal was able to solve the problems of depression, who the New Deal
helped the most and the least; how the New Deal changed the relationship between
state and federal government)
SS12.21.5
Understands the socioeconomic factors of the post-World War II period in America
(e.g., the gap between poverty and the rising affluence of the middle class, the
extent of poverty in post-World War II America)
School District of New London
SS12.21.6
Understands social, religious, cultural, and economic changes at the onset of the
Cold War era (e.g., the causes and results of new governmental spending on
educational programs, the expansion of suburbanization and the impact of the
"crabgrass frontier," the role of religion, the impact of the GI Bill on higher
education, how the Cold War influenced the lives and roles of women, how artists
and writers portrayed the effects of alienation on the individual and society after
1945)
SS12.21.7
Understands different social and economic elements of the Truman and Eisenhower
administrations (e.g., Truman’s policies in labor relations, housing, education and
health; postwar reaction to the labor movement, how Eisenhower’s domestic and
foreign policy priorities contrasted with his predecessors)
SS12.21.8
Understands the significance of the programs of the New Deal and the Great
Society on their long term impact on socialism in the United States, quality of life,
taxes, and debt.
20th Century Conflicts
Standard 22: Understands the changing role of the United States in world affairs through
World War I
SS12.22.1
Understands U.S. foreign policy and involvement in foreign countries in the early
20th century (e.g., Wilson’s moral diplomacy and the Mexican Revolution, the
commercial basis of foreign policy in East Asia, the Roosevelt Corollary and its
connection to the Monroe Doctrine, the U.S. role in the Panama Revolution of
1903)
SS12.22.2
Understands the causes, course, and impact of World War I prior to U.S. entry (e.g.,
motivations of leading world powers, the relative success of nations in mobilizing
their resources and populations, the relative success of their propaganda campaigns
to influence neutral nations, the successes of military strategies, the general spirit of
disillusionment)
SS12.22.3
Understands how the home front influenced and was influenced by U.S.
involvement in World War I (e.g., the impact of public opinion and government
policies on constitutional interpretation and civil liberties, the events of Wilson’s
second term; the role of various organizations in the mobilization effort; the "Great
Migration" of African Americans to northern cities)
SS12.22.4
Understands influences on the outcome of World War I (e.g., how point six of the
Fourteen Points dealt specifically with Russia, the effectiveness of the Versailles
Treaty)
School District of New London
Standard 23: Understands the causes and course of World War II, the character of the
war at home and abroad, and its reshaping of the U.S. role in world affairs
SS12.23.1
Understands the influence of international events on U.S. policies and political
developments (e.g., Roosevelt’s foreign policy toward Latin America and the
reasons for the Good Neighbor Policy; the effect of the Nazi-Soviet NonAggression Pact of 1939 on the U.S. Communist Party)
SS12.23.2
Understands events that led to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (e.g., why Japan
set up the East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere, U.S. reasons for cutting off oil to
Japan, U.S. response to the November 10 proposal from Japan)
SS12.23.3
Understands President Roosevelt’s ideas and policies during World War II (e.g.,
Roosevelt’s administration’s wartime diplomacy among the Allied powers, the
ideas presented in his Four Freedoms speech)
SS12.23.4
Understands how World War II influenced the home front (e.g., the impact on
science, medicine, and technology; how Americans viewed their achievements and
global responsibilities at the war’s end; how minorities contributed to the war effort
and the contradiction between their treatment at home and the goals that they were
fighting for in Europe; the effects of the relocation centers on Japanese American
families)
SS12.23.5
Understands characteristics of the end of World War II (e.g., why there was a delay
in creating a second front in Europe, the Soviet Union's role in helping to defeat the
Axis Powers and the reasons for the success of D-Day)
SS12.23.6
Understands the strategy in the Pacific, Pros and Cons of using the Atomic Bomb
Standard 24: Understands how the Cold War and conflicts in Korea and Vietnam
influenced domestic and international politics
SS12.24.1
Understands U.S. foreign policy from the Truman administration to the Johnson
administration (e.g., American policies toward independence movements in Africa,
Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East; U.S. policy regarding the British
mandate over Palestine and the establishment of the state of Israel; Kennedy’s
response to the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile crises; how the Korean War
affected the premises of U.S. foreign policy; the Kennedy-Johnson response to anticolonial movements in Africa)
SS12.24.2
Understands the various anti-communist movements after World War II (e.g.,
causes and consequences of the second "Red Scare" that emerged after World War
II)
SS12.24.3
Understands the political elements of the Vietnam War (e.g., the constitutional
issues involved in the Vietnam War, the legacy of the war)
School District of New London
SS12.24.4
Understands the social issues that resulted from U.S. involvement in the Vietnam
War (e.g., the composition of American forces recruited in the war, why the
Vietnam War contributed to a generational conflict and concomitant lack of respect
for traditional authority figures)
SS12.24.5
Understands factors that contributed to the development of the Cold War (e.g., the
mutual suspicions and divisions fragmenting the Grand Alliance at the end of
World War II, U.S. support for "self-determination" and the U.S.S.R’s desire for
security in Eastern Europe, the practice of "atomic diplomacy")
The United States Today and Tomorrow
Standard 25: Understands developments in foreign policy and domestic politics between
the Nixon and Clinton presidencies
SS12.25.1
Understands how the Nixon, Ford, and Carter administrations dealt with major
domestic issues (e.g., policies for dealing with problems of recession and inflation;
the Nixon administration’s "southern strategy;" Carter’s program for dealing with
the energy crisis)
SS12.25.2
Understands the events and legacy of the Watergate break-in (e.g., the
constitutional issues raised by the affair and the effects of Watergate on public
opinion; the involvement of the Nixon administration in the cover-up; how
Presidents Ford and Carter addressed the concept of the "imperial presidency" after
Watergate and attempted to restore credibility to the presidency)
SS12.25.3
Understands the impact of the Reagan presidency on relations with other countries
(e.g., the issues raised in the Iran-Contra affair, Reagan’s view of the Soviet Union
as an "evil empire" and how that shaped defense policy, the Reagan
administration’s policy toward South Africa)
SS12.25.4
Understands the major economic issues from the Reagan through the Clinton
presidencies (e.g., why labor unions declined in recent decades, the impact of
recession and the growing national debt on the Bush and Clinton administration's
domestic agendas, the impact of Reagan's tax policies on the national economy)
SS12.25.5
Understands the influence of U.S. foreign policy on international events from Nixon
to Clinton (e.g., the U.S.’s role in the evolving political struggles in the Middle
East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America; foreign policy in the post-Cold War era; U.S.
goals and objectives in the Middle East; the pros and cons of U.S. intervention in
the Persian Gulf under Reagan and G. Bush; how human rights has been used in
American foreign policy)
SS12.25.6
Understands the causes of terrorism and its influence on recent U.S. foreign and
domestic policy (e.g., the impact of the September 11, 2001 attacks; the G. W. Bush
administration’s policies regarding national security and the Middle East)
School District of New London
Standard 26: Understands economic, social, and cultural developments in the
contemporary United States
SS12.26.1
Understands how changes in the national and global economy have influenced the
workplace (e.g., sluggishness in the overall rate of economic growth, the relative
stagnation of wages since 1973, the social and political impact of an increase in
income disparities, the effects of increased global trade and competition on the U.S.
economy, the influence of new technology on education and learning, and the
relation between education and earnings in the workplace)
SS12.26.2
Understands how the rise of religious groups and movements influenced political
issues in contemporary American society (e.g., the position of major religious
groups on such issues as abortion, gay rights, women in the clergy, and educational
issues; the causes and significance of religious evangelism and its effect on
American political and religious culture in the 1980s; how Supreme Court decisions
since 1968 have affected the meaning and practice of religious freedom)
SS12.26.3
Understands the influence of social change and the entertainment industry in
shaping views on art, gender, and culture (e.g., how social change and renewed
ethnic diversity affects artistic expression in contemporary American society, the
reflection of values in popular TV shows, the effects of women's participation in
sports on gender roles and career choices)