Essential Question: How did the first five Presidents of the United States impact the development of the United States?
Introduction:
The first five Presidents of the United States set many precedents for other to follow. They influenced the development of America's early foreign policy, they set the stage for America's future growth and expansion, and they brought forth on of America's greatest constitutional struggles: The power and the limits of the chief executive
After fighting the Revolutionary War and gaining independence from Great Britain in 1783, the next task for early American leaders was to create a government that could unite all states and make the country prosper; this task proved to be very difficult. In 1781 the United States created a basic system of laws and government called The Articles of Confederation.This system proved to be too weak and ineffective to hold the young nation together. In 1789 American leaders replaced The Articles of Confederation with a new system of government: The Constitution of the United States.
The Constitution included the creation of the office of the President of the United States. This "Chief Executive" would be the head of the executive branch and would be responsible carrying out the nation's laws. In this webquest, you will research about the actions of the first five presidents of the United States: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. You will read about how their actions in those early years helped shape the identity of a young nation, and at times set examples that are followed by our President today.
After fighting the Revolutionary War and gaining independence from Great Britain in 1783, the next task for early American leaders was to create a government that could unite all states and make the country prosper; this task proved to be very difficult. In 1781 the United States created a basic system of laws and government called The Articles of Confederation.This system proved to be too weak and ineffective to hold the young nation together. In 1789 American leaders replaced The Articles of Confederation with a new system of government: The Constitution of the United States.
The Constitution included the creation of the office of the President of the United States. This "Chief Executive" would be the head of the executive branch and would be responsible carrying out the nation's laws. In this webquest, you will research about the actions of the first five presidents of the United States: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. You will read about how their actions in those early years helped shape the identity of a young nation, and at times set examples that are followed by our President today.
Task:
The links in the next section contain great information about the most important events and accomplishments of the first five presidents. Your task is to click on all the links and use the information in them to answer the questions on the reading guide provided by your teacher. Proceed to President #1: Washington, by clicking the name at the top of the page or the red "Washington" hyperlink.