Welcome to United States History I, This course is a required course for all freshmen and incorporates the Massachusetts framework core knowledge, skills and concepts. In U.S. History I, students examine the historical and intellectual origins of the United States during the Revolutionary and Constitutional eras. Students will learn about the important political and economic factors that contributed to the outbreak of the Revolution as well as the consequences of the Revolution including the writing and the key ideas of the U.S. Constitution. Students will also study the framework of American democracy and the basic concepts of American government such as federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, popular sovereignty, and individual rights. Finally, students will examine America’s westward expansion, the establishment of political parties, economic and social change, the growth of sectional conflict, how sectional conflict led to the Civil War, and the consequences of Civil War, including Reconstruction.