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Section 2: Texts

Core

  • Digital Access
    • “The Real Birth of American Democracy,” Joseph Stromberg, The Smithsonian, September 20, 2011
    • “To Understand How Religion Shapes America, Look to Its Early Days,” Tom Gjelten, National Public Radio, June 28, 2017
  • Unit Reader
    • “A Quilt of a Country,” Anna Quindlen, Newsweek, 2001
    • “Address to the Nation on the September 11 Attacks,” George W. Bush, Public Domain, 2001
    • “President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address,” 2009, Barack Obama, Public Domain, 2009
    • “The 14th Amendment and the History of Birthright Citizenship in the U.S.,” Ari Shapiro and Martha Jones, National Public Radio, Inc., October 30, 2018
    • The Declaration of Independence, Second Continental Congress, Public Domain, 1776
    • “The Great Society,” Lyndon B. Johnson, Public Domain, 1964
    • The Preamble to the Constitution and The 14th Amendment, United States Congress, Public Domain, 1787, 1868
    • “What Makes an American,” Raoul de Roussy de Sales, The Atlantic Media Co., 1939

Optional

  • Unit Reader
    • “American Culture: Traditions and Customs of the United States,” Kim Ann Zimmermann, LiveScience, 2017
    • Excerpt from “America’s Changing Religious Identity,” Robert P. Jones and Daniel Cox, Public Religion Research Institute, 2017
    • “Inaugural Address by President Barack Obama,” 2013, Barack Obama, Public Domain, 2013
    • “Race, American Identity and the Census,” William H. Frey, The Brookings Institution, May 24, 2017
    • “World War I Changed America and Transformed Its Role in International Relations,” Meredith Hindley, Public Domain, 2017
  • Digital Access
    • Excerpts from “Immigration & Civics: What Every American Should Know,” The Aspen Institute, The Aspen Institute Citizenship and American Identity Program, 2018
    • “Most Americans Express Positive Views of Country’s Growing Racial and Ethnic Diversity,” Hannah Fingerhut, Pew Research Center, June 14, 2018
    • “The American Road Trip Tradition,” Farah Al Qasimi and Liana Aghajanian, The New York Times, November 2, 2019
    • “The Cost of War for the U.S. Taxpayer since 9/11 Is Actually Three Times the Pentagon’s Estimate,” Jack Moore, Newsweek, November 8, 2017
    • “The Way North,” Damien Cave and Todd Heisler, The New York Times, May 17, 2014