This unit covers many of the important events between 1791 and 1820. The commercial development of the new nation and its international implications are examined in lessons on Robert Fulton’s steamboat and the Barbary Wars. The expansion beyond the Appalachians and clashes with Native Americans are addressed in lessons on settlement along the Ohio frontier, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Treaty of Greenville. The growing antagonism between political factions is examined in a lesson on the Alien and Sedition Acts. The development of a separate and distinct American language is studied in a lesson on Noah Webster. The African-American experience is explored through an examination of the lives of Richard Allen and Betsey Stockton. 

Academic activities include identifying with people in history, participating in discussion, collaborative learning, and writing essays, journal entries, and articles.