A Basic History of the United States

Social_studiesGrades 9–12

About This Curriculum

A six-volume paperback series covering over 1500 pages of American history from the European background through 2001, written by historian Clarence Carson with a Christian worldview and constitutional emphasis.

What makes it unique: Integrates natural law principles and Christian worldview with comprehensive coverage of American history from a constitutional perspective, emphasizing underlying ideas and foundational principles that affected the course of the nation.

A Basic History of the United States: Conservative College-Level Chronicle

A Basic History of the United States is a comprehensive six-volume series covering American history from 1607-2001, written by historian Clarence Carson at college/adult reading level with a conservative Christian worldview and constitutional emphasis. The curriculum spans over 1500 pages with detailed background information and literary writing style.

Best for

Mature high school students and homeschool families seeking comprehensive, conservative-perspective American history with strong constitutional emphasis and college-level rigor

Evaluation Criteria

3 strengths · 2 neutral · 2 insufficient evidence

Direct InstructionStrength

The curriculum supports direct instruction through comprehensive teacher guidance and structured content presentation.

Teacher's guide includes summaries, points to emphasize, discussion questions, and activity suggestions that support explicit instruction

Vocabulary BuildingStrength

The curriculum includes explicit vocabulary support through identification lists and comprehensive content coverage.

Teacher's guide contains 'lists of people and terms to identify' and the series provides 'much background information to enhance understanding of events'

Chronological KnowledgeStrength

The curriculum builds systematic chronological knowledge through six volumes covering distinct historical periods from colonial times through 2001.

Volumes are organized chronologically: Colonial Experience 1607-1774, Beginning of the Republic 1775-1825, Sections and Civil War 1826-1877, Growth of America 1878-1928, Welfare State 1929-1985, and America: From Gridlock to Deadlock

Teacher TrainingNeutral

The curriculum provides teacher support through a comprehensive guide but limited professional development materials.

Teacher's guide contains summaries, discussion questions, key terms, and activity suggestions, though written at college level suggesting teachers need strong content knowledge

Retrieval PracticeNeutral

Limited evidence of systematic retrieval practice or spaced review mechanisms.

Teacher's guide includes discussion questions and identification lists but no mention of cumulative review or retrieval practice strategies

Primary SourcesInsufficient Evidence

No evidence provided about primary source integration in this social studies curriculum.

Review mentions literary writing style and background information but does not reference primary documents or sources

Geographic KnowledgeInsufficient Evidence

Geographic and civic knowledge integration is unclear from available evidence.

Review emphasizes constitutional focus and mentions 'constitutional emphasis' but provides no specific details about geography or broader civic education components

Sources: cathyduffyreviews.com