Using an integrated approach to American history and literature from colonial beginnings through the 20th century, this course explores the big questions of American history: What motivated the colonists to leave the familiar for the new world? How did a biblical worldview influence the writing of the Constitution? How have those ideas shaped the formation of the early republic and the continuation since? Corresponding to the history is an in-depth examination of the great works of American literature from Puritan poets and preachers, to political pamphleteers, to the writers who shaped the infant nation’s creative explosion during the 19th-20th centuries. Students will discover how average farmers, pastors, merchants, politicians, journalists, and fisherman developed a distinctly American style and voice through non-fiction, poetry, short stories, and Great American Novels. The course also teaches analytical essay writing at the TPS English 3 level. In addition to essays, students will analyze the significant historical events using primary sources and scored discussions. Students will learn to read scholarly non-fiction books, learn to discern reliable sources, and learn to write a research paper with an effective argument. Students will also engage in a constructive process of self-evaluation and editing. A TPS English 3 level course is the most essential English course a student will take in high school because it will raise essay grades in all of the courses taken after it. This two-credit course covers English 3 analytical writing, American Literature, and U.S. History all in one great and challenging course.