This course analyzes political, social, economic, cultural, diplomatic, and intellectual factors to study the people, events and movements of America’s past and present, ultimately connecting the events and issues from the past to the concerns of the present. It considers the whole picture of U.S. history, to paint the bigger picture of how Christian faith and Deistic worldviews collided and combined in the founding and building of our “One Nation Under God.” The course uses a textbook chosen for its thoroughness and balance in this regard. The teachers add to the text by bringing in photo archives, historical speeches, literature excerpts, videos, and source documents, to make this a content-rich course that fosters dynamic class discussions around and beyond the textbook. The teachers also provide the biblical foundation for understanding the challenges, victories, and failures of our history. America is a continual work in progress, and understanding our past will prepare students to more effectively participate in and even influence the continued unfolding of our history.
Note: This course surveys Colonial to Present, and emphasizes the period from Civil War Reconstruction to Present. TPS U.S. History for Middle School surveys Colonial to Present, and emphasizes the period from Colonial to Reconstruction.