"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal . . . " In this video, Kim explores the origins of the Declaration of Independence in the ideas of Enlightenment philosopher John Locke and its resounding message in history.

Looking at American history as a whole, Defining America examines America both as a place and an idea, and describes how these two elements helped shape the American identity. American identity comprises ideas that developed and eventually became associated with the nation. Foremost among these ideas are freedom and equality, concepts that are contested from beginning to end. As a third part of American identity, consider an old and persistent question: Who is an American?

The economic transformations in the North and the movement of settlers westward during the early nineteenth century brought about new opportunities and challenges for many Americans. This video provides the context for a broader discussion of the changing political climate of the 1820s and 1830s.

How British were the British colonies in North America in 1754? In this video, Kim discusses how the British colonies participated in political, social, cultural, and economic exchanges with Great Britain that encouraged both stronger bonds with Britain and resistance to Britain’s control.

From 1800 to 1848, the United States grew tremendously as a country, adding new territory and building national connections of business and transportation. But just twelve years later, the Civil War erupted! In this period, was the United States developing a unified national identity or a divided regional identity?

By the end of the eighteenth century, two distinct political parties had emerged from the differences of opinion within the United States: the Federalists and the Republicans. While sometimes unsettling, the functioning of political parties sharpened the debates on political issues and established political practices that affected the nation for generations.

Like the election of 1800, the 2000 presidential election challenged the stability of democracy in America. Once again, in spite of the historically close race, a peaceful transfer of power took place. When watching the video, consider what parallels exist between the elections of 1800 and 2000?

In the 1790s, the United States tried to remain neutral as war raged between Great Britain and France. However, the United States soon found itself in an undeclared war with France. This video analyzes the causes and consequences of this quasi-war. When watching the video, consider why did the United States declare neutrality regarding conflicts between Britain and France in the 1790s? What was the Jay Treaty?

The Civil War holds a special place in American memory. Battlefield sites, historical markers, books, websites, and family histories are just some of the reminders of the conflict that tested the very survival of the nation. 

As the western movement of American settlers increased in the 1840s, the northwest territory of Oregon came into dispute. Oregon Fever examines the root causes and ultimate resolution of that dispute. When watching the video, consider why did Americans want to go to Oregon? How did they get there? What hardships did they endure in migrating? What did the settlers find when they got there? How did men and women cope with the conditions?

This video examines the tensions between the Mexican government and Anglo settlers in Texas, the subsequent battle for Texas's independence, and the eight-year debate over whether the resulting Republic should be annexed by the United States. When watching the video, consider why and how did the Mexican government recruit Anglo-Americans to Texas? Why did Texans revolt against Mexico? How were they able to win independence?

By the mid-eighteenth century, the expansion of slavery in the southern colonies was having profound effects on the shaping of a class system in the South and on the emerging racial society in America. A Distinctive Society is a lesson summary that analyzes the influence of the slave labor system on the southern economy, politics, and social system.

As America evolved in the first half of the nineteenth century, two different identities, the North and the South, emerged. The South was known for its slower agrarian way of life dependent on slavery, while the North was known for its rapidly changing commerce and free-labor ideology. These divisions set the stage for the looming civil war, but why is it that this war lives on in American memory?

During the seventeenth century in the British southern colonies, the early Indian dominance of the region transitioned to dominance by colonists. Ownership of land became possible for many white colonists, but the ownership of land and slave labor became a double-edged sword in the South.

The 1857 Supreme Court case Dred Scott v. Sandford inflamed sectional tensions over slavery and propelled the United States toward civil war. In this video, Kim discusses the case with scholars Christopher Bracey and Timothy Huebner. To learn more about US History, visit Khan Academy at https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-us-history To read more about constitutional law, visit the National Constitution Center’s website: https://constitutioncenter.org On this site, leading scholars interact and explore the Constitution and its history. For each provision of the Constitution, experts from different political perspectives coauthor interpretive explanations when they agree and write separately when their opinions diverge.

Kim discusses how after many years of unsuccessful settlements, the English founded the colony of Jamestown in Virginia.

This video analyzes two of the most important decisions made by President Lincoln during the Civil War: issuing the Emancipation Proclamation and using black troops. When watching the video, consider why was President Lincoln's original position on emancipation very cautious? What sort of pressure did Frederick Douglass and other abolitionists put on Lincoln? 

Indians in the region, who were initially cooperative, undertook a devastating war against the expanding Puritan communities in the mid-1670s. The complex relationship that developed between New England colonists and Indian peoples is examined in Encountering the Wilderness. When watching the video, consider how did Puritans react to the American Wilderness? What fundamental question was brought forward when Puritan settlers were taken captive by Indians?

British patience with American provocations expired after the Boston Tea Party, and they finally took steps in 1774 to force the colonials to comply with British policy. By this time, however, the Americans were willing and able to make a unified response. Indeed, they were on the brink of declaring independence.