When we think about history, we can include quite a wide array of human activity: government (formation and law making), religion, art, money/jobs/economics, culture (the way people behaved, spoke, dressed, and so on), and much more. However, when you’re asked to write a 2-3 page paper on an historical artifact or event, all of this is just too much to consider. Historians find it much easier and more rewarding to focus deeply on one of these elements at a time.
This week, you’ll be focusing on political history, the oldest and most recognized branch of history. As is stated in the Assignment Connection section of this week’s lesson as well as in the Assignment module, you will be examining the constitutions of various colonies through the lens of political history, which means you’ll be examining the structure of government outlined in these documents as well as how these governmental structures affected people’s lives in the British colonies of North America.
Remember, the theme of this paper is to answer this question: How do these documents change or add to your understanding of the different forms of state government present in the Thirteen Colonies?
