History U | The American Revolution

The American Revolution

This History U course focuses on the story of the birth and initial growth of the United States of America. 

 

Course Instructor: Professor Carol Berkin, Baruch College and The City University of New York
Eligibility: High school students

 

Image Source: François X. Habermann, La Destruction de la Statue Royale a Nouvelle Yorck [New York], Augsburg, Germany, ca. 1776 (The Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC06952)

Print of the New York Sons of Liberty destroying a statue of King George III.
  • History U

  • Free for high school students

Course Description

This History U course focuses on the story of the birth and initial growth of the United States of America, beginning with a discussion of how the thirteen colonies moved from relatively content members of the British empire to independent states eager for self-government. The course will provide insight into many different perspectives on the Revolution, including those of women, the common soldier, and loyalists. We will conclude with a discussion about the successes and failures of the new nation through an examination of the Articles of Confederation, the Constitutional Convention, and the fight for the ratification of the Constitution.

Register Now

The views expressed in this course are those of Dr. Carol Berkin.

Content

  • Twenty-four video sessions led by Professor Carol Berkin
  • Links to optional resources
  • Short quizzes to review your knowledge
  • A certificate of completion for 12 hours of course time

How to Access

  1. Click Log In and either log into your account or click the Sign Up link on the login screen to create an account.
  2. Click the Register Now button and complete the order form.
  3. After registering, you may access your course by signing in and visiting your My Courses link under My Account.

Course Introduction

Kevin Cline explains what you will learn in this course.

About the Scholar

Carol Berkin, Presidential Professor of History, Emerita, Baruch College and The City University of New York

Carol Berkin is Presidential Professor of History, Emerita, Baruch College and The Graduate Center, The City University of New York. She is editor of History Now, the Gilder Lehrman Institute’s online journal of American history, and author of many groundbreaking books on the history of the Revolutionary era, including First Generations: Women and Revolution in America, A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution, and The Bill of Rights: The Fight to Secure America’s Liberties.

Other History U Courses You May Like

Foundations of American Government

led by Denver Brunsman

This course examines the “why” and the “how” of American government through in-depth discussion of its history and workings.

  • Free
  • K-12 Student

The Declaration of Independence

led by Eric Slauter

This course investigates the origins, meanings, and contested legacies of one of the most consequential political documents in world history.

  • Free
  • K-12 Student

America's First Civil Rights Movement

led by Kate Masur

This course explores the little-known movement for racial equality in free states from the nation’s founding to the Civil War and Reconstruction.

  • Free
  • K-12 Student