US History Curriculum

We’re Free — Let’s Grow! Name: ** TEACHER GUIDE **

Atlantic
Ocean

Find Those States! The United States started out with just thirteen states. Use the list below
to correctly identify each one on the map. Watch out: Things were a little different back then!

Connecticut New Hampshire Rhode Island
Delaware New Jersey South Carolina
Georgia New York Virginia
Maryland North Carolina
Massachusetts Pennsylvania

Anticipation Activity

A We’re Free… Let’s Grow!

B F  (Your Name Here) 
C G

D HI

E

K
J

C. This Land is Occupied. Use the clues to find the location of ten 0 Miles 500
Native American tribes that lived in the region. (Just realize these are
not all the tribes, and the areas shown only give a general idea of  Shade in the state where you live.
where they lived.) Write the letter of each tribe’s location in the box.  Was it a state in 1783?  Yes  No
 Draw lines through the Northwest Territory like this:
Between Wisconsin R. and L. Michigan, below the Menominee  Was your state part of that territory?  Yes  No
Northwest side of L. Michigan, above the Ho-Chunk  If not, draw a line connecting your state to the old Northwest
In the area of the Wabash and Ohio rivers
Around the west, south, and east sides of L. Michigan Territory.
Around the shores of L. Superior and along L. Huron (2 letters)  About how many miles away is your state? __________ miles
Along the Muskegon River and the east shore of L. Michigan
Along the Mississippi River, from the Illinois to Wisconsin rivers
North of the St. Louis River.
In the area of the Scioto, Ohio, and Muskingum rivers

4 Along the south shore of Lake Erie

B. I’ve Got a Plan. As Congress debated how many states the new
territory should become, Thomas Jefferson made a suggestion. (It was
rejected.) Connect dots with the same numbers to draw the
boundaries of his proposal. Skip over lakes! Then, use the clues below
to label each proposed state with the names Jefferson thought of.

West of L. Michigan, east of Mississippi R., south of Michigania
Lake Michigan and Lake Huron form two sides of the state
East of Mississippi River, north of Polypotamia
East of Lake Michigan, West of Lake Erie
East of Mississippi River, west of L. Michigan, south of Sylvania
South of Ohio River, made completely from Virginia territory
East of Mississippi River, contains part of the Ohio River
North of Ohio River, west of Washington, east of Illinoia
Bordered by Mississippi R., Lake Superior, and L. Michigan
Bordered by Ohio River, Pennsylvania, and Lake Erie

A. Hey, That’s Ours! When America won its freedom, several states
already claimed parts of the new territory! Follow the directions to
draw each state’s claim on the map. Label which state claimed each
area.

23

We’re Free — Let’s Grow! Name: ** TEACHER GUIDE **

A. Survey the Settlers. The surveying directed by the Land Ordinance of 1785 led to the Public Land
Survey System still used by the United States today! A group of settlers decided to build near each
other on the banks of the Peaceful River. Use the reading and the diagrams to answer the questions.

Township

654321 Section 12 36
6 mi
(Divided into quarters) 1 mi

7 8 9 10 11 12 C

NW ¼ NE ¼

18 17 16 15 14 13

F SW ¼ SE ¼

19 20 21 22 23 24

30 29 28 27 26 25 B

31 32 33 34 35 36

B. Identify the Issues. Adding new territory raised a lot of issues for the U.S. government. Match each
situation with the issue it relates to. But watch out… Only 8 are real situations and issues! Cross out
the two fake situations and issues.

E
D
J
I
A
H
C
F
B
G

Activity p.1

We’re Free — Let’s Grow! Name: ** TEACHER GUIDE **

C. The Northwest Ordinance. Read each excerpt from the Northwest Ordinance
and answer the questions.

1. If Congress appointed the governor, who was 5. Who do you think this excerpt is talking
really in control of the territory’s government? about?

_________Congress_________ a) Free male inhabitants

2. Underline the length of the governor’s term. b) Runaway slaves

3. Underline the number of residents who had to c) People accused of a crime
live in the district before the citizens could d) People who work a lot
elect their own general assembly.
6. Fill in the blanks to paraphrase what this is
4. The district has 5,103 women and 4,998 men. saying:
Time to elect representatives?
___Slaves____ who ___escape____ into this
 Yes  No
territory will be ___returned___ to their owners.

11. There are nine rights listed in this excerpt.
Find and circle them: (answers are underlined)

7. Underline the number of people required for a 1 3
state to be admitted. Activity p.2
2
8. Did women count toward this number? 4
5
 Yes  No 6
7
9. Would a runaway slave count toward this 8
number?
9
 Yes  No

Circle the evidence for your answer.

10. Would the people still have the government
Congress appointed for them?

 Yes  No

Box the evidence for your answer.

A We’re Free… Let’s Grow!

B F  ** Teacher Guide ** 
C G (Your Name Here)

D HI

E

K
J

C. This Land is Occupied. Use the clues to find the location of ten 0 Miles 500
Native American tribes that lived in the region. (Just realize these are
not all the tribes, and the areas shown only give a general idea of Shade in the state where you live.
where they lived.) Write the letter of each tribe’s location in the box. Was it a state in 1783?  Yes  No
Draw lines through the Northwest Territory like this:
D Between Wisconsin R. and L. Michigan, below the Menominee Was your state part of that territory?  Yes  No
C Northwest side of L. Michigan, above the Ho-Chunk If not, draw a line connecting your state to the old Northwest
J In the area of the Wabash and Ohio rivers
H Around the west, south, and east sides of L. Michigan Territory.
About how many miles away is your state? __________ miles
B,G Around the shores of L. Superior and along L. Huron (2 letters)
Along the Muskegon River and the east shore of L. Michigan
F Along the Mississippi River, from the Illinois to Wisconsin rivers
E North of the St. Louis River.
A In the area of the Scioto, Ohio, and Muskingum rivers
K Along the south shore of Lake Erie

4

I

B. I’ve Got a Plan. As Congress debated how many states the new
territory should become, Thomas Jefferson made a suggestion. (It was
rejected.) Connect dots with the same numbers to draw the
boundaries of his proposal. Skip over lakes! Then, use the clues below
to label each proposed state with the names Jefferson thought of.

West of L. Michigan, east of Mississippi R., south of Michigania
Lake Michigan and Lake Huron form two sides of the state
East of Mississippi River, north of Polypotamia
East of Lake Michigan, West of Lake Erie

East of Mississippi River, west of L. Michigan, south of Sylvania
South of Ohio River, made completely from Virginia territory
East of Mississippi River, contains part of the Ohio River
North of Ohio River, west of Washington, east of Illinoia
Bordered by Mississippi R., Lake Superior, and L. Michigan
Bordered by Ohio River, Pennsylvania, and Lake Erie

A. Hey, That’s Ours! When America won its freedom, several states SYLVANIA
already claimed parts of the new territory! Follow the directions to MICHIGANIA
draw each state’s claim on the map. Label which state claimed each
area. METRO-
POTAMIA
2
ILLINOIA SARATOGA

“Poly” means POLY- PELISIPIA
many. “Potamos” POTAMIA
is the Greek word
for river. 3

After the Revolutionary War

The Revolutionary War was an insurrection by American
Patriots in the 13 colonies to British rule, resulting in
American independence.

The Revolutionary War (1775-83), also known as the American Revolution,
arose from growing tensions between residents of Great Britain’s 13 North
American colonies and the colonial government, which represented the British
crown. Skirmishes between British troops and colonial militiamen in Lexington
and Concord in April 1775 kicked off the armed conflict, and by the following
summer, the rebels were waging a full-scale war for their independence.
France entered the American Revolution on the side of the colonists in 1778,
turning what had essentially been a civil war into an international conflict.
After French assistance helped the Continental Army force the British
surrender at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781, the Americans had effectively won
their independence, though fighting would not formally end until 1783. This war stood
for freedom of the colonist rules which ended up being detrimental.

Lead Up to the Revolutionary War

For more than a decade before the outbreak of the American Revolution in
1775, tensions had been building between colonists and the British
authorities.

Attempts by the British government to raise revenue by taxing the colonies
(notably the Stamp Act of 1765, the Townshend Tariffs of 1767 and the Tea
Actof 1773) met with heated protest among many colonists, who resented
their lack of representation in Parliament and demanded the same rights as
other British subjects. Colonial resistance led to violence in 1770, when British
soldiers opened fire on a mob of colonists, killing five men in what was known

as the Boston Massacre. After December 1773, when a band of Bostonians
dressed as Mohawk Indians boarded British ships and dumped 342 chests of
tea into Boston Harbor, an outraged Parliament passed a series of measures
(known as the Intolerable, or Coercive Acts) designed to reassert imperial
authority in Massachusetts.

Did you know? Now most famous as a traitor to the American cause, General
Benedict Arnold began the Revolutionary War as one of its earliest heroes,
helping lead rebel forces in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga in May 1775.
In response, a group of colonial delegates (including George
Washington of Virginia, John and Samuel Adams of Massachusetts, Patrick
Henry of Virginia and John Jay of New York) met in Philadelphia in September
1774 to give voice to their grievances against the British crown. This First
Continental Congress did not go so far as to demand independence from
Britain, but it denounced taxation without representation, as well as the
maintenance of the British army in the colonies without their consent, and
issued a declaration of the rights due every citizen, including life, liberty,
property, assembly and trial by jury. The Continental Congress voted to meet
again in May 1775 to consider further action, but by that time violence had
already broken out. On April 19, local militiamen clashed with British soldiers
in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, marking the first shots fired in the
Revolutionary War.

Declaring Independence (1775-76)

When the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, delegates–
including new additions Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson–voted to
form a Continental Army, with Washington as its commander in chief. On
June 17, in the Revolution’s first major battle, colonial forces inflicted heavy
casualties on the British regiment of General William Howe at Breed’s Hill in
Boston. The engagement (known as the Battle of Bunker Hill) ended in British
victory, but lent encouragement to the revolutionary cause. Throughout that

fall and winter, Washington’s forces struggled to keep the British contained in
Boston, but artillery captured at Fort Ticonderoga in New York helped shift
the balance of that struggle in late winter. The British evacuated the city in
March 1776, with Howe and his men retreating to Canada to prepare a major
invasion of New York.

By June 1776, with the Revolutionary War in full swing, a growing majority of
the colonists had come to favor independence from Britain. On July 4, the
Continental Congress voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence,
drafted by a five-man committee including Franklin and John Adams but
written mainly by Jefferson. That same month, determined to crush the
rebellion, the British government sent a large fleet, along with more than
34,000 troops to New York. In August, Howe’s Redcoats routed the
Continental Army on Long Island; Washington was forced to evacuate his
troops from New York City by September. Pushed across the Delaware River,
Washington fought back with a surprise attack in Trenton, New Jersey,
on Christmas night and won another victory at Princeton to revive the rebels’
flagging hopes before making winter quarters at Morristown.

Saratoga: Revolutionary War Turning Point
(1777-78)

British strategy in 1777 involved two main prongs of attack, aimed at
separating New England (where the rebellion enjoyed the most popular
support) from the other colonies. To that end, General John Burgoyne’s army
aimed to march south from Canada toward a planned meeting with Howe’s
forces on the Hudson River. Burgoyne’s men dealt a devastating loss to the
Americans in July by retaking Fort Ticonderoga, while Howe decided to move
his troops southward from New York to confront Washington’s army near the
Chesapeake Bay. The British defeated the Americans at Brandywine
Creek, Pennsylvania, on September 11 and entered Philadelphia on

September 25. Washington rebounded to strike Germantown in early October
before withdrawing to winter quarters near Valley Forge.

Howe’s move had left Burgoyne’s army exposed near Saratoga, New York,
and the British suffered the consequences of this on September 19, when an
American force under General Horatio Gates defeated them at Freeman’s
Farm (known as the first Battle of Saratoga). After suffering another defeat on
October 7 at Bemis Heights (the Second Battle of Saratoga), Burgoyne
surrendered his remaining forces on October 17. The American victory
Saratoga would prove to be a turning point of the American Revolution, as it
prompted France (which had been secretly aiding the rebels since 1776) to
enter the war openly on the American side, though it would not formally
declare war on Great Britain until June 1778. The American Revolution, which
had begun as a civil conflict between Britain and its colonies, had become a
world war.

Stalemate in the North, Battle in the South
(1778-81)

During the long, hard winter at Valley Forge, Washington’s troops benefited
from the training and discipline of the Prussian military officer Baron Friedrich
von Steuben (sent by the French) and the leadership of the French aristocrat
Marquis de Lafayette. On June 28, 1778, as British forces under Sir Henry
Clinton (who had replaced Howe as supreme commander) attempted to
withdraw from Philadelphia to New York, Washington’s army attacked them
near Monmouth, New Jersey. The battle effectively ended in a draw, as the
Americans held their ground, but Clinton was able to get his army and
supplies safely to New York. On July 8, a French fleet commanded by the
Comte d’Estaing arrived off the Atlantic coast, ready to do battle with the
British. A joint attack on the British at Newport, Rhode Island, in late July

failed, and for the most part the war settled into a stalemate phase in the
North.

The Americans suffered a number of setbacks from 1779 to 1781, including
the defection of General Benedict Arnold to the British and the first serious
mutinies within the Continental Army. In the South, the British
occupied Georgia by early 1779 and captured Charleston, South Carolina in
May 1780. British forces under Lord Charles Cornwallis then began an
offensive in the region, crushing Gates’ American troops at Camden in mid-
August, though the Americans scored a victory over Loyalist forces at King’s
Mountain in early October. Nathanael Green replaced Gates as the American
commander in the South that December. Under Green’s command, General
Daniel Morgan scored a victory against a British force led by Colonel Banastre
Tarleton at Cowpens, South Carolina, on January 17, 1781.

Revolutionary War Draws to a Close
(1781-83)

By the fall of 1781, Greene’s American forces had managed to force
Cornwallis and his men to withdraw to Virginia’s Yorktown peninsula, near
where the York River empties into Chesapeake Bay. Supported by a French
army commanded by General Jean Baptiste de Rochambeau, Washington
moved against Yorktown with a total of around 14,000 soldiers, while a fleet
of 36 French warships offshore prevented British reinforcement or evacuation.
Trapped and overpowered, Cornwallis was forced to surrender his entire army
on October 19. Claiming illness, the British general sent his deputy, Charles
O’Hara, to surrender; after O’Hara approached Rochambeau to surrender his
sword (the Frenchman deferred to Washington), Washington gave the nod to
his own deputy, Benjamin Lincoln, who accepted it.

Though the movement for American independence effectively triumphed at
Yorktown, contemporary observers did not see that as the decisive victory
yet. British forces remained stationed around Charleston, and the powerful
main army still resided in New York. Though neither side would take decisive
action over the better part of the next two years, the British removal of their
troops from Charleston and Savannah in late 1782 finally pointed to the end
of the conflict. British and American negotiators in Paris signed preliminary
peace terms in Paris late that November, and on September 3, 1783, Great
Britain formally recognized the independence of the United States in
the Treaty of Paris. At the same time, Britain signed separate peace treaties
with France and Spain (which had entered the conflict in 1779), bringing the
American Revolution to a close after eight long years.

Australia History

Prior to documented history, travelers from Asia may have reached Australia.
China’s control of South Asian waters could have extended to a landing in
Australia in the early 15th century. Likewise, Muslim voyagers who visited and
settled in Southeast Asia came within 300 miles (480 km) of Australia, and
adventure, wind, or current might have carried some individuals the extra
distance. Both Arab and Chinese documents tell of a southern land, but with
such inaccuracy that they scarcely clarify the argument. Makassarese seamen
certainly fished off Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory, from the late 18th
century and may have done so for generations

About 50,000 years ago, a small band of humans landed in northern Australia,
arriving on a primitive boat or raft. It is likely that the journey was planned
because enough men and women arrived to find a new population there.
Perhaps guided by rivers, the group ventured deeper inland, where they found
giant mammals, birds, and reptiles ripe for hunting, and no other humans to
challenge them. This intrepid group had stumbled upon a new continent, and
they had it all to themselves.

The ocean crossing from Asia to Australia is one of humanity’s great early
achievements, but it’s one that is shrouded in mystery. Why modern humans
made the journey, and when, are still open questions that scientists are keen to

Prehistory

It is generally held that Australian Aboriginal peoples originally came from
Asia via insular Southeast Asia (now Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, East Timor,
Indonesia, and the Philippines) and have been in Australia for at least
45,000–50,000 years. On the basis of research at the Nauwalabila I and
Madjedbebe archaeological sites in the Northern Territory, however, some
scientists have claimed that early humans arrived considerably sooner,
perhaps as early as 65,000 to 80,000 years ago. That conclusion is consistent
with the argument made by some scholars that the migration of anatomically
modern humans out of Africa and adjacent areas of Southwest Asia to South
and Southeast Asia along the so-called Southern Route predated migration to
Europe. Other scholars question the earlier dating of human arrival in
Australia, which is based on the use of optically stimulated luminescence
(measurement of the last time the sand in question was exposed to sunlight),
because the Northern Territory sites are in areas of termite activity, which can
displace artifacts downward to older levels.

In either case, the first settlement would have occurred during an era of
lowered sea levels, when there were more-coextensive land bridges between
Asia and Australia. Watercraft must have been used for some passages,
however, such as those between Bali and Lombok and between Timor and
Greater Australia, because they entail distances greater than 120 miles (200

km). This is the earliest confirmed seafaring in the world. By about 35,000
years ago all of the continent had been occupied, including the southwest and
southeast corners (Tasmania became an island when sea levels rose
sometime between 13,500 and 8,000 years ago, thus isolating Aboriginal
people who lived there from the mainland) as well as the highlands of the
island of New Guinea. Archaeological evidence suggests that occupation of
the interior of Australia by Aboriginal peoples during the harsh climatic regime
of the last glacial maximum (between 30,000 and 18,000 years ago) was
highly dynamic, and all arid landscapes were permanently occupied only
roughly 10,000 years ago.

The dingo, a type of wild dog, appeared in Australia only 5,000 to 3,000
years ago, which postdates the time that Aboriginal people began hafting small
stone implements into composite tools some 8,000 years ago. Whereas the
dingo was introduced from Southeast Asia, the small implements appear to be
independent inventions from within Australia. Within the past 1,500–3,000
years, other important changes occurred at the general continental level:
population increases, the exploitation of new habitats, more efficient resource
exploitation, and an increase in the exchange of valued items over wide areas.
There is evidence for complex social behaviours much earlier, however,
including cremation before 40,000 years ago, personal ornamentation (shell

beads) by 30,000 years ago, and long-distance trade in objects before 10,000
years ago. It has not yet been ascertained whether there were single or
multiple waves of migration into Australia, although recent genetic evidence
indicates multiple donor groups, whether from a single heterogeneous
migration or multiple waves. While there is no doubt that only anatomically
modern humans (Homo sapiens sapiens) have ever occupied Australia, skulls
found in the southeast suggest to some the existence of two distinct physical
types. However, most now accept that there was a wide range of variation in
pre-European populations. It has also been argued that one group on the
Murray River practiced a form of cosmetic cranial deformation that led to their
different appearance. Some have posited that Aboriginal cultures have one of
the longest deep-time chronologies of any groups on Earth.

The Geography of Australia Australia is the world’s smallest continent; it is roughly the
size of the continental United States. Australia and Antarctica are the two continents
that are islands. Australia is bordered to the west and south by the Indian Ocean and to
the north and east by the Pacific Ocean. More specifically the Coral Sea, a subdivision of
the Pacific Ocean, lies to the northeast of Australia. The nearby large islands of

Tasmania and New Guinea, as well as some smaller islands, are all considered to be
part of the Australian continent. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef system in the
world with nearly 3,000 reefs and 900 islands. It is located in the Coral Sea off the
northeast coast of Australia. Culturally, most the non-native people of Australia are
related to British or Irish ancestors. Yet Australia lies close to southern Asia and people
have close economic ties to the Asian continent and Oceania. Oceania is the name
given to the combination of Australia, New Zealand, and the island groups in the Pacific
Ocean called Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia. Micronesia includes the Caroline,
Gilbert, Mariana and Marshall island groups plus Wake Island, together having about
2,250 small islands. Melanesia is a grouping of Pacific islands that includes New
Caledonia and the Bismarck, Solomon, New Hebrides, and Fiji island groups. Polynesia
contains the Hawaiian Islands, Tonga, Samoa and other nearby islands. The Australian
Alps are a mountain range located in southeastern Australia. The highest mountain in
the chain and the highest point in Australia is Mount Kosciusko, just 7,316 feet in
height. The Hamersley Range is located in Western Australia and contains some of the
oldest portions of the earth’s crust. More famous to travelers are the snow-capped
Southern Alps of New Zealand. New Zealand is a country of two large islands and other
small islands southeast of Australia. This mountain chain contains Mount Cook, the
highest point on the island of New Zealand at 12,316 feet. There are many mountains
about this height in the Southern Alps. Except for a few mountainous areas, the
continent of Australia is mostly flat. The western half of the continent is arid and one-
fifth of Australia is desert

answer because they could hold the key to understanding when our ancestors
first left Africa and whether they did so in one wave or in a staggered exodus
spread out over millennia.

Archaeological evidence reveals that modern humans had spread into Southeast
Asia from Africa by about 60,000 years ago, and that they were in Australia by
about 50,000 years ago. The earliest known evidence of human occupation in
Australia is a rock shelter in the Northern Territory that is about 55,000 years
old, while the oldest human fossils ever discovered in Australia are about 10,000
years younger. Spencer Wells, a geneticist and a National Geographic explorer-
in-residence, has speculated that the first Australians landed in northern
Australia and Papua New Guinea—then part of the same landmass—and
gradually moved inland by following the river systems of Queensland and
southern Australia.

Introduction

Geography Fast Facts

Australia has a very diverse landscape. There are large Flag:
areas of grasslands in the east with lots of cattle ranches.
The western and central part is very dry; it is called “the Population: 23 million
outback.” Most Australians live in cities in the eastern and Capital: Canberra
southern part of the country. Major Cities: Sydney, Melbourne
Language: English
History Currency: Australian Dollar
Government: Constitutional monarchy
Aboriginals are the native Australians who have lived in
Australia for over 40,000 years.

In 1788, the southeastern part of Australia (New South
Wales) was colonized by the British. They used this place as
a prison colony, because the prisons in Great Britain were
overcrowded.

Over the years, more Europeans decided to settle in
Australia and the Aboriginals were driven away from their
land. Australia is a part of the British Commonwealth. It is a
‘family’ of independent countries, which used to be part of
the British Empire.

People and Culture Source: WorldAtlas.com

Australia is a multicultural country, with around 25% of the
people living there having been born in other countries. Most
people come from the United Kingdom and other countries
in Europe. But there are also many people from China, the
Middle East and Africa.

Australia has a warm and sunny climate and there are lots of parks and open spaces. The Australian people
particularly enjoy outdoor sports and activities, such as cricket, rugby, surfing and swimming.

Government and Economy

Australia is part of the British Commonwealth. So, the head of state is the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II.
Nonetheless, many Australians think that their country should not be a monarchy but a republic. In 1999, the
Australians could vote for or against separating from the United Kingdom. A slight majority voted against
separating from the UK and hence the debate still goes on.

The Australian economy is mostly based on the export of agricultural goods, such as wheat, wool, fruit, wine and
beef. Apart from that, Australia has many natural resources like metals and minerals and is one of the biggest
gold producers in the world.

Aborigines

Exercise 4: Complete the text with the words below.

It is believed that Aboriginals, who settled in Australia, came from Indonesia around 50,000 years ago. The oldest
Aboriginal _____________________ that was found dates back over 38,000 years and traces of _____________________
paint were found on the bones. There were over 600 different aboriginal _____________________ , which all spoke
different languages and only met each other on _____________________ or other special occasions.
Most Aboriginals were _____________________ , they would move to different parts of the country and return to
specific places to _____________________ their dead. These special places were sacred because the aborigines
associated them with the ‘Dreamtime’. They believed that the ‘Dreamtime’ is the time when the earth was
_____________________ and the beginning of life. Since the Aboriginals had no written language, it is difficult to really
understand their meaning of the ‘Dreamtime’. Some Aboriginal legends and songs tell things about the
_____________________ who created their land. Rock paintings, which are _____________________ practically all over
the country, also show this creation. Some rock paintings are well _____________________ and can be seen in museums
and in the Kakadu National Park in northern Australia.
The arrival of _____________________ and settlers brought an end to the way of life of the Aboriginals. The
immigrants began to build cities and farms on the land of the Aboriginals. Most Aboriginals today have
_____________________ to the Western way of life and live in towns or cities. Only a few, however, continued their
_____________________ way of life and live in isolated settlements near their original tribal lands.

In recent years, the Australian people have become more aware and sensitive to the _____________________ of the
Aboriginals. The government invested in their health and educational services and greater _____________________ of
Aboriginal land rights. Many people in Australia show their appreciation for Aboriginal art, musical instruments and
artifacts.

Exercise 5: Choose the best answers for the questions below.

1) Aboriginals originally come from _____ . 5) How many Aboriginal tribes currently live in Australia?

a. Indonesia b. Tasmania a. 50,000 b. 600 c. none d. Not given

c. China d. America 6) Most Aboriginal tribes …
a. Did not live in permanent settlements
2) There are no Aboriginal scriptures because .. b. Have maintained their original way of life
a. They all got lost over time. c. Spoke the same language
b. They had no written language. d. None of the above are correct
c. British colonizers destroyed them.
d. A and C are correct. 7) How did the arrival of the colonizers change the life of
Aboriginals?
3) What is the ‘Dream Time’? a. They gradually adapted to a western lifestyle.

a. The afterlife b. Aboriginal religion b. Much of their land was taken away.
c. They all moved to isolated settlements.
c. The Aborigine god d. The beginning of life d. A and B are correct.

4) Scientists study the ‘Dream Time’ by _____ .

a. songs b. legends 8) How has the situation of Aboriginals changed in recent
years?
c. paintings d. All of the above a. They have become more isolated.
b. They have become more appreciated.

Exercise 6: Unscramble the words. Hints are given
below.

1) oaesninid _______________________

Most Australian Aboriginal people originally come from
….. .

2) iaetdrmme ______________________

The formation of the Earth and the beginning of life.

3) wtseern ______________________

Most Aboriginal people have adapted to a ….. lifestyle.

4) gnitnpsia ______________________

Several rock ….. can be seen in the Kakadu National
Park.

5) aaugnlge _______________________

Aboriginal tribes did not have the same ….. .

6) aomdsn _______________________

Most Aboriginals were ….. , they were always on the
move.

7) tnviae _______________________

The Aboriginals are the ….. people of Australia.

Aboriginal child

History

The first Europeans to reach Australia were the Dutch, in 1606. They charted
a part of the Australian east coast and were also the first to meet the
Aboriginal people. Duyfken was the first ship that reached the land of the
Aboriginals and Willem Janszoon was the captain of the ship. Between 1606
and 1777, over 50 ships from European countries had expeditions to
Australia. Most of them were Dutch traders from the Dutch East Indies
Company. Abel Tasman was another Dutch explorer who charted parts of
the north, west and south coast of Australia and named it New Holland.

In 1770, James Cook ‘discovered’ the southeast coast of Australia on his first Willem Janszoon
expedition. He initially wanted to observe the planet Venus as it passed

between the Earth and the Sun. With his findings, astronomers could

calculate the distance of the sun from the earth. Another reason for

the first expedition was finding the southern continent. At first, the

expedition went to Tahiti and New Zealand; the next stop was the

east coast of Australia. In Australia, James Cook and his crew found

all kinds of plants and animals that they had never seen before, such

as the kangaroo. They had to stay in Australia for a little while

because they had to repair their ship that had been badly damaged

by coral reef along the east coast. Thirty of Cook’s crew members

Duyfken died because they got infected by malaria during their stay. In 1771,
they finally returned home.

In 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip arrived in Australia with eleven ships and around
1,500 people. There were over 700 convicts, 400 sailors, 300 marines and
some women and children. Arthur Phillip had the instructions to establish
the first British colony in Australia and deport prisoners. At first, the
settlers had many problems. They did not have enough food and
many newly arrived convicts were too ill. As more people
arrived, they started to set up farms and other facilities.
Captain Phillip became the governor of the new colony.

James Cook

Exercise 7: Find the best answers for the questions below.

1) Who was the first European to reach Australia? 4) Why did the British colonize some parts of

a. James Cook b. Duyfken Australia?

c. Willem Janszoon d. Arthur Phillip a. To deport convicts. b. To build a navy base.

2) What was the first name of Australia given by the c. To set up trading posts. d. All of the above.

European explorers? 5) After its discovery, many ships sailed to Australia
to ______ .
a. New Holland b. Australia a. Trade
b. Find the Southern Continent
c. Tasmania d. New Britain c. Meet Aboriginal people
b. Make maps
3) What was the goal of James Cook’s first
expedition? 6) What were some difficulties that the Europeans
a. To discover Australia.
b. To observe the planet Venus. experienced during their stay in Australia?
c. To discover Antarctica.
d. B and C are correct. a. Australian convicts b. New diseases

c. A lack of food d. B and C are correct

Exercise 8: Write down what happened on the dates below.

1606: _________________________________________________________________________________________________
1606 - 1777: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
1770: _________________________________________________________________________________________________
1771: _________________________________________________________________________________________________
1788: _________________________________________________________________________________________________

James Cook and Aboriginal people.

Tasmania

Tasmania was formed around 12,000 years ago when
it was separated from Australia because of a rising
sea level. It is believed that Aboriginals already
lived in the region approximately 35,000 years ago.
There were nine main ethnic groups of Aboriginals
on the island.

Dutch explorer Abel Tasman discovered the island in Source: WorldAtlas.com
1642. He named the island after his superior, Van Diemen’s
Land. Tasman found evidence of Aborigines living on the island,
but he never made contact. Even though the Dutch made no settlements, they
planted a flag to claim possession of the land.

Captain James Cook claimed possession of Australia in 1777 and Van Diemen’s Land
was included in 1788. The first British settlers arrived in 1803. They were sent from
Sydney in order to stop the French from claiming the island. Most of the settlers in
Tasmania were convicts and their military guards. They had the task to set up farms
and other industries. In 1856, the name of the island was officially changed to
Tasmania. The British colonizers had always used this name in recognition of the man
who discovered the island 200 years earlier.

Abel Tasman In the late 1800’s, the British had separate colonies in Australia. They wanted to unify
all parts to create a strong federation. In 1901, the Commonwealth of Australia was
proclaimed, and Tasmania became one of the six states of the new nation.

Tasmania is Australia’s smallest state, but its Southwest National Park, Tasmania
nature is very diverse. There are wild oceans
beaches, rainforests and mountain ranges.
Today, Tasmania is a popular tourist
attraction because of its amazing scenery and
wildlife. It is home to rare animals such as
wombats and Tasmanian devils. Around 20% of
the island has been declared a World Heritage
site and around a third of the island is
protected by national parks. The economy of
the island is based on mining, forestry,
agriculture and tourism.

Exercise 9: Answer the questions about Tasmania. 4) What name was first given to Tasmania and why
was it changed?
1) When and how was Tasmania formed?
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ 5) How did Tasmania become a part of Australia?

2) Explorers from which country discovered _________________________________________________
Tasmania?
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
6) Why can Tasmania be considered a unique island?
3) When did the British find Tasmania and why did Explain.
they settle there?
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

Exercise 10: Fill in the gaps below.

1) Tasmania is named after _________________________ , he discovered the island in _________________________.

2) Most of the British settlers in Tasmania were _________________________ and _________________________.

3) In 1901, the _________________________ was proclaimed,
and Tasmania became a _________________________
of the nation.

4) Many tourists like to visit Tasmania because of
its _________________________ and

_________________________.

5) _________________________ and
_________________________ are examples of
rare animal species that inhabit Tasmania.

Tasmanian devil

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is located on the east coast of Australia and consists of a series of smaller reefs. It stretches
1,250 miles along the coast. The total area of the Great Barrier Reef covers around 80,000 square miles. Reefs are
formed in clean, warm and shallow seas and are made of coral, sand or rock. The top of most reefs sits around 3 feet
below the surface. Large coral reef areas, such as the Great Barrier Reef, take thousands of years to develop. They
grow less than 2 inches per year.

In 1770, James Cook accidentally discovered the Great Barrier Reef when he
crashed into it with his ship, the Endeavour. The coral ripped a large hole in the
bottom of the ship, but they were able to keep their ship from sinking.

There are three different kinds of coral reef. Fringing reef is the first type,

which is formed when coral grows in shallow and warm waters near the coast.

The second type is barrier reef, such as the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef This kind of reef grows at some distance from the coast before coming close
off coast of Queensland. to the surface. A lagoon separates barrier reef from the shores of the land.

The third type is atoll reef, which is a circular reef with a lagoon in the center.

The waves of the lagoon cover a submerged island and the reef grows in layers over the island.

The Great Barrier Reef has many islands that are made of piled up coral
sand. Coral sand forms when waves hit dead coral breaking it into sand.
These kinds of islands are called Coral Cays. They are difficult to see and
practically impossible to reach by boat because sharp corals can tear out
the bottom of the boat. Near some Coral Cays, ancient shipwrecks can be
found.

The Great Barrier Reef is home to many different kinds of species of Clownfish

living animals. There are small organisms like microscopic plankton and

massive animals such as sharks and whales. The whole reef has more than 1500 different species of fish, around 350

species of hard and soft coral, nearly 200 kinds of seabirds and over 4000 different species of mollusk and shellfish,

such as clams, crabs and lobsters. Apart from these marine animals, there are also many different kinds of mammals

living in the area, such as whales and dolphins.

Scientists believe that climate change will cause huge damage to the Great Barrier Reef.
Warmer and more acidic water will slow the calcification of the reef, which is needed
for it to grow and become strong. The reef may lose its color and many species
in the area may be in danger as well. The Australian Government has spent
lots of money towards making the area near the coral reef safe. Another
threat that the reef is facing is the poor quality of water that is pouring into
the ocean from the mainland. A lot of this water is polluted with farm
insecticides and rubbish from nearby towns.

Exercise 11: Read the passage and answer the questions.

1) What is the Great Barrier Reef and where is it 6) Who was the first European to discover the Great
located? Barrier Reef? Do you think he was happy with his
discovery? Why?
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

2) In what kind of waters does coral reef grow? _________________________________________________

_________________________________________________ 7) What is a lagoon?
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
3) What are Coral Cays?
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ 8) What threats is the Great Barrier Reef facing?

4) What are the different kinds of coral reef? Write _________________________________________________
their names under the images below.
_________________________________________________
_____________ _____________ _____________
9) What can the Australian government do to protect
5) Name ten different kinds of animals that live in the the Great Barrier Reef?
Great Barrier Reef.
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

Exercise 12: Match the words from the text below to their definitions.

shallow little
surface invertebrate sea animal
submerged breed
mollusk not deep
lagoon shallow coastal body
outer part
reef under water
microscopic ridge of rock near the surface
plant-like organism
coral
species

Animals

Exercise 13: Match the animals with their descriptions.

( ) Platypus ( ) Kangaroo

The platypus is often called the duck-billed platypus. It Kangaroos live in forests and bush lands in Australia and
lays eggs, and lives in the eastern part of Australia. Male Tasmania, they are the largest marsupials. Female
platypuses have poison spurs on their hind legs that can kangaroos have a pouch in which they carry their young.
kill small animals and severely injure larger ones. They The pregnancy only lasts 25 days, but newly born
use their plates on its bill to crush food. Their diet kangaroos are premature so they must live in the pouch
consists of worms, mollusks and plants. Most platypuses for about 8 months.
live near riverbanks but are also able to survive on land.
( ) Crocodile
( ) Frilled Lizard
The saltwater crocodile is the world’s largest living
Frilled lizards are often called ‘dragons’. Just like other crocodile. Males can grow up to 17 feet long and weigh
reptiles, the frilled lizard is active during the day. It over 1,000 pounds. They eat pretty much anything they
needs the sun to keep its body warm. Frilled lizards live can get their jaws on. They even eat sharks! Without
in the woods and dry forests in the north of Australia. warning, crocodiles explode from the water and grasp
They often climb trees and can move easily between their victim with their powerful jaws.
branches.
( ) Sugar Glider
( ) Wombat
Sugar gliders live in the northern part of Australia and
There are two kinds of wombats. The first type is the they are small marsupials. Female sugar gliders have a
Vombatus. They have coarse fur and no hair on their pouch in which they raise their young. They have a gliding
nose. The other type is the Lasiorhinus, they have soft membrane that stretches from their ankle to their
fur and a hairy nose. Wombats are marsupials and only wrist. It allows them to glide from tree to tree. Sugar
eat plants. They dig burrows to live in. gliders spend most of their life in trees.

( ) Tasmanian Devil ( ) Koala

Tasmanian devils can only be found in Tasmania. They The koala is often called the Australian bear, but in fact
eat small mammals, such as lizards, birds and insects. it is related to the kangaroo and belongs to the
Tasmanian devils are small, but are extremely strong. marsupial family. Koalas are only found in the forests of
They look a bit like bears, but in fact, Tasmanian devils Australia. They eat leaves from the eucalyptus tree.
are marsupials, which means that they carry their young
in a pouch.

3 5 7
8 1 6

4 2

Exercise 14: Are the following statements true or false?

1) A sugar glider has a pouch to carry their young. ()
2) A koala is closely related to a bear. ()
3) Frilled lizards are active during the day because of ()
the temperature.
4) Tasmanian devils can be found all over Australia. ()
5) The saltwater crocodile is the largest crocodile. ()
6) Kangaroos, koalas and sugar gliders are marsupials. ()
7) Wombats are carnivores. ()
8) Platypus use venom to kill their prey. ()
9) Wombats live in holes in the ground. ()

Exercise 15: Unscramble the words. Hints are given
below.

1) APSLRIMUA ___________________________

A mammal that carries its baby in a pocket of skin.

2) ATMAISAN ___________________________

Where do Tasmanian Devils live?

3) AWSJ ___________________________

Exercise 16: Why do you think that Australia is Crocodiles have very powerful ….. .
inhabited by so many unique animal species?
Explain. 4) OGNDSAR ___________________________

______________________________________________ Frilled lizards are also called ….. .
______________________________________________
______________________________________________ 5) AOALK ___________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________ This animal eats leaves from the eucalyptus tree.
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________

Attractions

Twelve Sydney Opera House
Apostles
The Sydney Opera House is one of Australia’s most
The Twelve Apostles famous and recognizable structures. It is located in the
are a collection of central business district of Sydney. Each year, more
limestone pillars off than 7 million people visit the Opera House, making it
the coast of Southeast one of the most popular tourist attractions in Australia.
Australia. They were There are five
formed by erosion that theaters where
started around 20 million years ago. The cliff is still a large variety
being eroded at a rate of 0.8 inches per year, so it is of shows can be
likely that more pillars will be formed in the future. seen.
Some pillars rise up to 160 feet tall. The Twelve
Apostles are part of a spectacular 150 miles coastline Kangaroo Island
southwest of Melbourne.
Kangaroo Island is an island with
Kata Tjuta breathtaking landscapes and
fascinating wildlife. It is located
The Olgas or near the coast of South Australia.
Kata Tjuta are 36 The island is home to a large
domed red rocks variety of animals, including
in the desert of kangaroos, wallabies and goannas. Apart from its
Australia. The wildlife, the island is also famous for its sheep’s cheese,
rocks are very wines, yogurt and fresh seafood.
important for the
Anangu people. Uluru
According to this Aboriginal tribe, the rocks are of
huge spiritual and cultural significance. The massive Uluru is the largest
rocks are separated by steep-sided gorges and single piece of
valleys. The tallest rock in the area is called Mount stone in the world,
Olga and is 1,790 feet tall, which is much higher than it is formerly known as Ayers Rock. Uluru is the original
Ayers Rock. There are several walking tracks in the name of the rock; which was given by the Aboriginal
area with lookouts, picnic areas and waterholes. people. They believe that Uluru has spiritual powers.
The massive rock is a spectacular sight as it located in
Kakadu National Park the desert without any other mountains surrounding it.
The biggest part of the rock is hidden under the ground.
Kakadu National Park is located 125 miles southeast of
Darwin in the north of Australia. The park covers Fraser Island
around 3.2 million acres and is the home to several
Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world. The
Aboriginal tribes. There are island is home to endangered wild dog species, Dingo
more than 5,000 rock- and fish species that can
painting sites and is only be found in Australia.
considered a sacred land by It is a very popular tourist
many Aboriginals. The park is destination for people all
also the habitat of a large over the world because of
variety of animals and plants, its beautiful beaches.
including the notorious
saltwater crocodile.

Exercise 17: Choose the best answers for the questions below.

1) What are the Twelve Apostles? 6) What is Kangaroo Island famous for?

a. A national park b. Domed red rocks a. Animals b. Domed red rocks

c. A rock with spiritual powers d. None of the above c. Aboriginals d. All of the above

2) What is the difference between Uluru and Kata 7) How were the Twelve Apostles formed?
Tjuta? a. By water, waves and winds that wore away the
a. Nothing, they are the same rock. surface.
b. Uluru is taller than Kata Tjuta. b. By a volcanic eruption.
c. Kata Tjuta has spiritual powers, but Uluru has not. c. By growing coral reefs.
d. None of the above. d. None of the above.

3) Ayers Rock is the largest mountain in the world. 8) Aboriginal people live in the Kakadu National Park.

a. True b. False a. True b. False

4) Where is the Opera House located? 9) Why is Fraser Island a popular tourist destination?
a. Because of the wild dogs.
a. Sydney b. Melbourne b. Because of the beaches.
c. Because of the sand.
c. Canberra d. Brisbane d. All of the above.

5) Which places are considered sacred by the

Aboriginals? 10) What are the Olgas?
a. Massive rocks
a. Kangaroo Island b. Ayers Rock c. A national park

c. Tasmania d. Opera House b. A picnic area
d. Islands

Exercise 18: The words below are chopped in half. Find the pieces that fit together.

1) ________________________ 4) ________________________
2) ________________________ 5) ________________________
3) ________________________ 6) ________________________

Exercise 19: Complete the crossword.

Down

1) The rocks of Kata Tjuta
are separated by … .

4) Kakadu National Park is home to several Aboriginal … .
5) The Olgas are also known as … .
6) Fraser Island is the largest … island in the world.

Across

2) Lots of shows can be seen in the … .
3) The Twelve Apostles are … pillars.
7) The Aboriginals believed that Ayers Rock has … powers.
8) Ayers Rock is also known as … .

Reflection

Exercise 20: Write the names of the things related to Australia below and find the hidden word.

1) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 56
2) _ _ _ _ _
3) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 2 41
4) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3
5) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
6) _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Answer: _ _ _ _ _ _

Exercise 21: Match the states, cities and attractions to their location on the map.

3 ( ) Western Australia ( ) Northern Territory
4 ( ) Sydney ( ) Great Barrier Reef
( ) Queensland ( ) Tasmania
15 7 ( ) Ayers Rock ( ) New South Wales

8

62

Exercise 22: The words below are chopped in half. Find the pieces that fit together.

LONE DREAM DOL KET 1) ____________________ 4) ____________________
PHIN CRIC SYD ZOON 2) ____________________ 5) ____________________
TIME CYC JANS NEY 3) ____________________ 6) ____________________

Australia

Exercise 1: Match the words with the pictures and find them in the word search.

( ) Cricket L E S UOHAR E P O Y E N D Y S
( ) Koala G R E ATBAR R I E R R E E F O
( ) Great Barrier Reef CC Z ONQFV G D N E G L Q JM
( ) Boomerang VR R JOUF FWV E V K Y J BO
( ) Dolphin D F I ORRDH E U J Z GVOU K
( ) Great White Shark I Q D CCKAO H V B OMH N Y H
( ) Kangaroo DVQEKOHG L G Q O DA L C F
( ) Sydney Opera House G E XHOEDRN PWD AG H I C
( ) Uluru E Z P DABT I TA H G N Y H GM
( ) Crocodile RRMF L JNT L C K I G L H U Y
( ) Aboriginal I M H AABOOM E R A N GWL U
( ) Didgeridoo D L E NABOR I G I N A L T UW
( ) Tasmanian Devil OK K RAHS E T I H WTA E R G
O L I VEDNA I NAM SATU Z

94 11 10

2 5 7
3
12
13
6
81

Exercise 2: Are the following statements true or false?

1) Australia’s nature is very diverse. () 8) Most Australian people want to separate ()
() from the UK.
2) The British used Australia as a prison for ()
their convicts. () 9) The outback is a populated area. ()
()
3) Australia belongs to the United Kingdom. 10) The British Commonwealth is a group of ()
() countries that have some things in common. ()
4) 40,000 Aborigines currently live in () ()
Australia. 11) Australia is a country of immigrants. ()
()
5) Australia has a multi-cultural society. 12) Australia is a republic.

6) Many Australian people like outdoor 13) Sydney is the capital city of Australia.
sports because of the sunny weather.
14) The US Dollar is the official currency of
7) Queen Elizabeth is the current head of Australia.
state of Australia.

Exercise 3: Complete the crossword puzzle.

Across

2) Australia's capital city.
4) A resource that can be found in
Australia.
5) Who is the head of state of
Australia?
6) A group of countries that were
once part of the British Empire.
8) A major city in Australia.

Down

1) A popular sport in Australia.
3) Native Australian people.
7) A large and dry area in
Australia.

The Outback

Claiming Victory from Defeat

The Americans were angry with the British for happened along Lake Champlain and the
many reasons. American forces withdrew in late November.

• The British didn't withdraw from American In 1813, the Americans tried an intricate attack
territory in the Great Lakes region as they on Montreal by a combined land and sea
agreed to in the 1783 Treaty of Paris. operation. That failed.

• Britain kept aiding Native Americans. One bright spot for the Americans was Oliver
• Britain would not sign favorable commercial Hazard Perry's destruction of the British fleet on
Lake Erie in September 1813 that forced the
agreements with the U.S. British to flee from Detroit. The British were
• Impressment: Britain claimed the right to take overtaken in October defeated at the battle of the
Thames by Americans led by William Henry
any British sailors serving on American Harrison, the future President It was here that the
merchant ships. In practice, the British took Shawnee chief and British ally, Tecumseh fell.
many American sailors and forced them to
serve on British ships. This was nothing short Minor victories aside, things looked bleak for the
of kidnapping. Americans in 1814. The British were able to
• In 1807, The British ship Leopard fired on the devote more men and ships to the American
American frigate Chesapeake. Other arena after having defeated Napoleon.
American merchant ships came under
harassment from the British navy. England conceived of a three-pronged attack
• War Hawks in Congress pushed for the focusing on controlling major waterways.
conflict. Control of the Hudson River in New York would
seal off New England; seizing New Orleans
But the United States was not really ready for would seal up the Mississippi River and
war. The Americans hoped to get a jump on the seriously disrupt the farmers and traders of the
British by conquering Canada in the campaigns Midwest; and by attacking the Chesapeake Bay,
of 1812 and 1813. Initial plans called for a three- the British hoped to threaten Washington, D.C.
pronged offensive: from Lake Champlain to and put an end to the war and pressure the U.S.
Montreal; across the Niagara frontier; and into into ceding territory in a peace treaty.
Upper Canada from Detroit.

The Treaty of Ghent was signed by British and American The USS Chesapeake engages the HMS Shannon during
delegates on December 24, 1814, effectively ending the the War of 1812. The Chesapeake had become famous
when the HMS Leopard attacked the ship off Cape Henry
War of 1812.
in 1807 looking for deserters.
The first American attacks were disjointed and
failed. Detroit was surrendered to the British in
August 1812. The Americans also lost the Battle
of Queenston Heights in October. Nothing much

All the while, was losing support in America. With their fingers on the triggers, these American
Costs associated with the war skyrocketed. New infantrymen demonstrate the uniforms and weaponry used
England talked of succeeding from the Union. At
the Hartford Convention, delegates proposed in the War of 1812.
constitutional amendments that would limit the
power of the executive branch of government. Popular memory of the War of 1812 might have
been quite so dour had it not been for a major
So weak was American military opposition that victory won by American forces at New Orleans
the British sashayed into Washington D.C. after on January 8, 1815. Although the peace treaty
winning the Battle of Bladensburg and burned had already been signed, news of it had not yet
most of the public buildings including the White arrived on the battlefront where General Andrew
House. President Madison had to flee the city. Jackson led a decisive victory resulting in 700
His wife Dolley gathered invaluable national British casualties versus only 13 American
objects and escaped with them at the last minute. deaths. Of course, the Battle of New Orleans had
It was the nadir of the war. no military or diplomatic significance, but it did
allow Americans to swagger with the claim of a
But the Americans put up a strong opposition in great win.
Baltimore and the British were forced to pull
back from that city. In the north, about 10,000 Furthermore, the victory launched the public
British army veterans advanced into the United career of Andrew Jackson as a new kind of
States via Montreal: their goal was New York American leader totally different from those who
City. With American fortunes looking their had guided the nation through the Revolution
bleakest, American Captain Thomas and early republic. The Battle of New Orleans
MacDonough won the naval battle of Lake vaunted Jackson to heroic status and he became a
Champlain destroying the British fleet. The symbol of the new American nation emerging in
British army, fearful of not being supplied by the the early 19th century.
British navy, retreated into Canada.

The War of 1812 came to an end largely because
the British public had grown tired of the sacrifice
and expense of their twenty-year war against
France. Now that Napoleon was all but finally
defeated, the minor war against the United States
in North America lost popular support.
Negotiations began in August 1814 and on
Christmas Eve the Treaty of Ghent was signed in
Belgium. The treaty called for the mutual
restoration of territory based on pre-war
boundaries and with the European war now over,
the issue of American neutrality had no
significance.

In effect, the treaty didn't change anything and
hardly justified three years of war and the deep
divide in American politics that it exacerbated.

1. True or False: After the Revolutionary War, Britain 7. The low point of the war was where?
removed all forces from US territory.
a. Washington DC b. Baltimore
Highlight the evidence that supports this.
c. Hartford d. New Orleans
2. What is impressment?
8. What was the reason the British public turned
against the war?

3. How did the US plan to attack Canada work? 9. Name the treaty that ended the war.

10. What did the treaty change?

4. Early in the war, what was one of the only bright 11. What did the US gain from the Battle of New
spots for the US? Orleans?

a. Canada b. The navy a. Nothing b. Military might
c. Militias d. Ft. Detroit
c. Confidence d. All of these
5. The British strategy focused on what three
locations? 12. How should we remember the War of 1812?

A.

B.

C.

6. List two reasons why the war was losing
popularity.

A.

B.

Answer key
1. False, “The British didn't…
2. British kidnapping American sailors
3. Disaster and failure
4. B
5. Hudson River, New Orleans, Washington DC
6. Cost, New England secession
7. A
8. Cost
9. Ghent
10. Nothing
11. C
12. Various

Diplomatic Challenges in an Age of European War

While serving as a Kentucky Representative to the The Napoleonic Wars in Europe had a great effect on the
Congress, Henry Clay was a leading "War Hawk," strongly happenings of the 19th-century United States.
in favor of going to war for a second time with Britain to
The Embargo not only failed diplomatically, but
ensure America's place in the West. also caused enormous domestic dissent.
American shippers, who were primarily
While western movement and policies were concentrated in Federalist New England,
reshaping the republic, European wars also generally circumvented the unpopular law. Its
presented a major challenge to the new country. toll was clearly marked in the sharp decline of
The Napoleonic Wars (1802-1815) were a American imports from 108 million dollars
continuation of the conflict begun in the 1790s worth of goods in 1806 to just 22 million in
when Great Britain lead a coalition of European 1808. This unsuccessful diplomatic strategy that
powers against Revolutionary France, though mostly punished Americans helped to spur a
France was now led by the brilliant military Federalist revival in the elections of 1808 and
strategist Napoleon Bonaparte. As had also been 1812. Nevertheless, Republicans from Virginia
true in the 1790s, neither European superpower continued to hold the presidency as James
respected the neutrality of the United States. Madison replaced Jefferson in 1808.
Instead, both tried to prevent U.S. ships from
carrying goods to their enemy. Both Britain and Madison faced difficult circumstances in office
France imposed blockades to limit American with increasing Indian violence in the west and
merchants, though the dominant British navy war-like conditions on the Atlantic. These
was clearly more successful. combined to push him away from his policy of
economic coercion toward an outright
In response to this denial of American declaration of war. This intensification was
sovereignty, President Jefferson and his secretary favored by a group of westerners and southerners
of state James Madison crafted an imaginative, in Congress called "War Hawks," who were led
but fundamentally flawed, policy of economic by Henry Clay of Kentucky.
coercion. Their Embargo of 1807 prevented U.S.
ships from any trade with Europe in the belief
that dependence on American goods would soon
force France and England to honor American
neutrality. The plan backfired, however, as the
Republican leaders failed to understand how
deeply committed the superpowers were to
carrying on their war despite its high costs.

2. In order to hurt each other, what were these
countries doing to the US?

3. How did Jefferson respond to the actions?

a. War b. Submission

c. Blockade d. Stopping trade

4. True or False: The Embargo Act was successful.

Future President Andrew Jackson seized the day by Highlight the goal of the Act.
defeating the British at the Battle of New Orleans in
January, 1815. Unfortunately, neither army had learned 5. How did the Embargo Act effect US merchants?
that the War of 1812 ended on Christmas Eve, 2 weeks a. Helped b. Hurt
c. No effect d. All of these
earlier.

Most historians now agree that the War of 1812 6. Highlight the evidence that shows the impact of
was "a western war with eastern labels." By this the Embargo.
they mean that the real causes of the war
stemmed from desire for control of western 7. The “War Hawks” in Congress were in favor of
Indian lands and clear access to trade through what?
New Orleans. Further, the issue of national
sovereignty, so clearly denied by British a. War b. Peace
rejection of American free trade on the Atlantic,
provided a more honorable rationale for war. c. Trade d. Bird weapons
Even with the intense pressure of the War
Hawks, the United States entered the war 8. What were the goals of the War of 1812?
hesitantly and with especially strong opposition a. Respect from Britain
from Federalist New England. When Congress b. Controlling land in the West
declared war in June 1812, its heavily divided c. Trade in New Orleans
votes (19 to 13 in the Senate and 79 to 49 in the d. All of these
House) suggest that the republic entered the war

as a divided nation.

AUTHOR ushistory.org 9. True or False: A majority of the US favored going
Diplomatic Challenges in an Age of European to war.
TITLE OF PAGE War

TITLE OF U.S. History Online Textbook
PROGRAM
URL OF PAGE http://www.ushistory.org/us/21c.asp
DATE OF ACCESS Monday, February 27, 2017
COPYRIGHT 2017

1. European wars involving what two countries were Highlight the evidence that supports this.
becoming a problem for the US?

A.

B.

Answer key
1. France and England
2. Blockade
3. D
4. False, “belief that dependence…
5. B
6. 108 million…
7. A
8. D
9. False, “the republic…

Expansion and the War of 1812

Sacajawea East Trade
Conflict France Explore
Mandan Blockades Embargo Act
War Hawks Tecumseh Washington
McHenry Impressing Ghent
New Orleans

Across
2. At the battle of Ft. _______, Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner.
4. As the population grew in the West, so did _______ with Natives.
6. In 1803, the population centers of the US were on the ______ coast.
7. ____ _____ wanted to go to war with Britain.
10. The Battle of ____ ______ gave the US confidence going forward.
13. _______ led battles against the US government in the West.
14. During the War of 1812 the British burned _______ to the ground.
15. Cities like Cincinnati were becoming important ______ centers in the west.
16. _______ accompanied Lewis and Clark to help ensure safe passage.
Down
1. France and Britain set _______ on the US coastlines.
3. The _______ ____ was a US attempt to change European policy.
5. In 1803 the US bought the Louisiana Territory from _______.
8. Neither side gained much from the Treaty of ______.
9. As a result of contact with Easterners the _______ tribe was devastated by
disease.
11. Lewis and Clark led the mission to _______ the Territory.
12. The British Navy was _______, or kidnapping US merchants.

Across
2. At the battle of Ft. _______, Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner. McHenry
4. As the population grew in the West, so did _______ with Natives. Conflict
6. In 1803, the population centers of the US were on the ______ coast. East
7. ____ _____ wanted to go to war with Britain. War Hawks
10. The Battle of ____ ______ gave the US confidence going forward. New Orleans
13. _______ led battles against the US government in the West. Tecumseh
14. During the War of 1812 the British burned _______ to the ground. Washington
15. Cities like Cincinnati were becoming important ______ centers in the west. Trade
16. _______ accompanied Lewis and Clark to help ensure safe passage. Sacajawea
Down
1. France and Britain set _______ on the US coastlines. Blockades
3. The _______ ____ was a US attempt to change European policy. Embargo Act
5. In 1803 the US bought the Louisiana Territory from _______. France
8. Neither side gained much from the Treaty of ______. Ghent
9. As a result of contact with Easterners the _______ tribe was devastated by disease.
Mandan
11. Lewis and Clark led the mission to _______ the Territory. Explore
12. The British Navy was _______, or kidnapping US merchants. Impressing

Exploration: Lewis and Clark

Originally named the Corps of Discovery, the 1803 In mid-October, 1805 William Clark entered into his
expedition led by Lewis and Clark came in contact elkskin-bound diary — a map of the Columbia River.
One of the purposes of the expedition, which was not
with people and places never before seen, and
returned with stories that Americans in the East could realized, was to find a water route across the entire
hardly believe. On this map, the outbound leg of the United States.

expedition is red and the inbound route is blue. By mid-October 1804, the Lewis and Clark
expedition reached the Mandan villages on
Even before Jefferson had completed the the banks of the upper Missouri River in
Louisiana Purchase, he had begun to make present-day North Dakota. Here they found
plans for a bold journey to explore the vast several large, successful settlements with an
interior of North America that remained overall population of about 5,000 people.
completely unknown to American citizens. The Mandan villages were an important
That plan took on new importance once the trade center that brought together many
United States had acquired the huge new different native groups as well as a handful
territory from France. of multilingual Frenchmen. The expedition
chose to spend the winter in this attractive
In May 1804, a group of 50 Americans led location and it proved to be a crucial
by Meriwether Lewis, Jefferson's personal decision for the success of their journey.
secretary, and William Clark, an army
officer, headed northwest along the Missouri During the winter they established good
River from St. Louis. Their varied relations with the Mandans and received a
instructions reveal the multiple goals that great deal of information about the best
Jefferson hoped the expedition could route for heading west to the Pacific Ocean.
accomplish. While trying to find a route The expedition also hired several of the
across the continent, they were also Frenchmen who lived among the Mandans
expected to make detailed observations of to serve as guides and translators. Along
the natural resources and geography of the with them came a fifteen-year-old Shoshone
west. Furthermore, they were to establish named Sacajawea who was married to one
good relations with native groups in an of the Frenchmen. Her knowledge of the
attempt to disrupt British dominance of the west and language skills played an important
lucrative Indian fur trade of the continental role in the success of the expedition.
interior.

Additionally, the presence of Sacajawea and shared belief that the future prosperity of the
her baby helped assure other Indian groups republic required the expansion of yeoman
encountered further west that this could not farmers in the west. This noble dream for
be a war party. what Jefferson called an "empire of liberty"
also had harsh consequences. For instance,
Fort Clark was soon established at the
Mandan villages. At first it provided the
Mandans with a useful alternative to trading
with the British and also offered military
support from their traditional native enemies

the Sioux.

This painting by Olaf Seltzer, called Lewis' First During his travels across the continent with William
Glimpse of the Rockies, illustrates a remarkable Clark and the Corps of Discovery, Meriwether Lewis
fell 20 feet into a cavern, got poisoned and was shot
moment in the famous journey to the Pacific. in the thigh. In this engraving, An American having
struck a Bear but not kill'd him escapes into a Tree,
From the Mandan villages the now enlarged the American was none other than Meriwether Lewis.
expedition headed west to cross the Rockies,
the highest mountain range in North However, Americans at the fort unwittingly
America. By the winter of 1805 they had brought new diseases to the area that
reached the Pacific Ocean via the Columbia decimated the local native population.
River, becoming the first U.S. citizens to Where the Mandans had a thriving and
succeed in a trans-continental crossing north sophisticated trading center when Lewis and
of Mexico. They were not, however, the first Clark arrived in 1804, by the late 1830s their
whites to accomplish this feat since total population had been reduced to less
Alexander Mackenzie had done so for a than 150.
British-Canadian fur-trading company in
1793. Nevertheless, the Columbia River The nation's growth combined tragedy and
proved a much easier route than the one triumph at every turn.
Mackenzie had taken a decade earlier. When
the long overdue expedition finally returned
to St. Louis in September 1806, they were
celebrated as heroes who had accomplished
an extraordinary feat.

The expedition combined several qualities
from scientific and military to trade and
diplomatic, but the underlying motivation
was prompted by Thomas Jefferson's widely

1. The US bought the Louisiana Territory from 7. What route was followed to the Pacific?
what country?

2. How many people were in Lewis and Clark’s 8. When did the team return to St. Louis?
group?
How long were they gone for?
3. What were Jefferson’s three goals for the
trip? 9. What was the real reason Jefferson wanted
to acquire land?
A. A. National power
B. More room
B. C. Future prosperity
D. Wars with Natives
C.
10. How did the establishment of Ft. Clark hurt
4. Which large and successful tribe did the the Mandan Tribe?
group encounter in North Dakota?

5. True or False: The group established good 11. List one pro and one con of the journey?
relations with the Mandan. Pro:

What information did the Mandan provide Con:
them with?
12. What do you think is the most important
6. Which Mandan joined the expedition as a accomplishment of the Lewis and Clark
guide? expedition? Why?

Answer key

1. France

2. 50

3. Route across continent, natural
resources, good relationship with
Natives

4. Mandan

5. True, route to Pacific

6. Sacajawea

7. Columbia River

8. September 1802, over 2 years

9. C

10. Disease

11. Pro: maps, resources, trade Con:
disease, Mandan’s hurt

Native American Resistance in the Trans-
Appalachian West

Tenskwatawa, also Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa, Shawnee brothers,
known as Prophet were leading Indian traditionalists, and together
(pictured here), they crafted a novel resurgence among native
worked with his peoples in the west. Tecumseh, a political and
brother Tecumseh to military leader, is the better known of the two, but it
create a broad-based was their combined skills that made them especially
tribal coalition which powerful. Tecumseh had fought at Fallen Timbers
would resist in 1794, but refused to participate in the peace
American negotiations that produced the Treaty of Grenville
encroachment from the following year. Instead, he removed to east-
the east. central Indiana where he led a band of militant
young warriors.
In the 16th, 17th,
and 18th Tecumseh traveled to Tukabatchi, the capital of the Creek
centuries, the first people, to try and recruit Natives to join the Indian
white settlers in
America Confederacy, but he was met with resistance. Legend has it
inhabited the that he said he would return home to Ohio and stamp his foot
eastern seaboard. with such force, they would feel the earth move in Tukabatchi.
There the whites Several days after he left, a small earthquake did hit the Creek
either made treaties with the Native American
groups to buy land or they forcibly took Indian land. Capital.
By the Revolution's end and on into the early 19th
century, Native Americans were being displaced His younger brother Tenskwatawa provided the
across the Appalachians and toward what is today essential vision to launch a much broader Indian
the Midwest. For these exiled groups, there were social movement. Also known as the Prophet,
few places left to go. Tenskwatawa combined traditional native beliefs
with some aspects of Christianity to call for a pan-
Outright military conflict with native groups in the Indian resistance against American intruders from
northwest preceded the formal declaration of war in the east. He explained that when native peoples
1812. In fact, the "western war" in many ways joined together and rejected all contact with
represented a continuation of the American
Revolution with many autonomous Indian nations
again choosing to ally with the British against
Americans who fundamentally threatened their
survival.

The American invasion from the east deeply
disrupted native groups and generally caused a
sharp division within Indian nations between
"accommodationists," who chose to adopt some
Euro-American ways versus "traditionalists," who
called for native purity by rejecting contact with
whites. Both sides were authentically Native
American, but they each chose different routes to
deal with a terrible situation.

Americans and their ways (from alcohol to private 1. As the US population grew, what was happening to
property), God would restore Indian power by Native tribes?
"overturning the land so that all the white people
will be covered and you alone shall inhabit the 2. Many Native tribes were siding with the British. In the
land." reading, highlight the reasons why.

Tecumseh gradually converted to the Prophet's 3. What was the difference between
vision and together they built a broad movement “accommodationist” and “traditionalist” tribes?
that revived the Western Confederacy of the 1790s
and even reached out to southern tribes with a. Who they traded with
stronger accommodationist factions. In 1808 they b. Their belief in war
founded Prophetstown at the sacred junction of the c. Attitude toward Americans
Tippecanoe and Wabash Rivers, from which they d. All of these
built a strong Indian alliance that directly
challenged the U.S. government. 4. Who were the Shawnee brothers who resisted
American expansion in the West?
This growing Indian force threatened American
plans to move west and seemed especially A.
dangerous since it received economic and military
support from the British in Canada. In November B.
1811 the U.S. destroyed Prophetstown during the
Battle of Tippecanoe, under the leadership of future
president William Henry Harrison. Tecumseh was
away at the time recruiting southern Creeks to the
confederacy.

5. What was the Western Confederacy?

This view of Fort Niagara, with Native Americans in the 6. The US Army destroyed Prophetstown at which
foreground, was drawn by James Peachy in 1783. battle?

Tecumseh's successful military resistance continued 7. Tecumseh was killed at which battle?
and threatened white settlements throughout the
northwest. Tecumseh had so profoundly challenged
U.S. plans in the northwest that when he was finally
killed at the Battle of the Thames in October 1813 it
was seen as a major American victory even though
it meant quite little strategically.

8. How did Tecumseh affect the plans of the US in the
West?

a. Very little b. Significantly

c. Slightly d. Not at all