Category: U.S. History Reading Passages

A republic form of government involves the people democratically voting for their own representatives. The people do not directly govern themselves. A republic is a practical form of government when...

A U.S. territory is an area controlled by the national government that has not become a state. The five populated territories today are: American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana...

Federalism is a way to divide power between the central government (in Washington DC) and smaller local governments (states and cities). It's a big part of the United States Constitution, but other...

In the 1950s, there was a widely-held belief in the United States that a domestic communist threat existed, prompting a Red Scare and leading to measures that threatened civil liberties. Communism...

Citizens have a special role in society, with extra rights and duties. But, we are all part of society, which brings with it both civic duties and civic responsibilities. Duties are requirements...

The American Civil War was a “brother vs. brother” conflict. Each side had many similarities and the differences were often a matter of degree. The Union and Confederacy each had large militaries...