Primary Sources Beal1

The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of

America
This is the first issue of the Declaration of Independence
complete with the printed names of the signers.
The text of this Declaration resides in two
columns; while the columns of the names were
signed in four columns. The Declaration ends
with the statesmen ordering an authenticated
copy of the Declaration of Independency with
the names of the members of Congress then it
will be sent to each of the United States.
Researching further about this document I
discovered that John Hancock made this
particular request.
This lesson would consist of allowing my
students to compare and contrast parts of this
document with the real Declaration of Independence. Since this
document is written to be more mature than an elementary reading
level, I will give students a few sentences from a particular section to
analysis in depth. Then we will come together as a class to discuss the
entire section; each group will explain the sentences they analyzed.
Students will have the opportunity to use technology to assist them
(i.e. to look up definitions of words they dont understand).

Veto Message from the President of the United States

This is the veto message from Andrew
Jackson, during his presidency, referring to
returning the bank bill, with his objections to the
senate. His reason for doing so was that Andrew
Jackson was firmly against the second Bank of the
United States. Luckily he was supported b the
banks president Henry Clay. Nicholas Biddle
requested an early recharter however, it was
vetoed by Jackson. Even in his second term Jackson
successfully prevented the bank from regaining its
charter.
This resource would be best used when
teaching about duties of the President. This document can be analyzed
in small groups of students then used for further discussion. Students
will study his writing style, what he was asking for, and why he was
Primary Sources Beal2

asking for it. Also by the end of this lesson students will have meaning
of what it means to veto and be familiar with the veto process.

US Senate Journal
These are a series of documents dating from 1774-1873 of our
former Senate discussing the obstacles of creating our nation to be
what it is today. The journal entrees are split into four parts: the
struggle for independence, charting the republic, conflict and
resolution, and the crucible of nations. The Struggle for Independence
was writing during the times of our nation fighting the British for our
independence. Charting the Republic is the story of the rise of our
government as an independent nation. Conflict and resolution
discusses foreign and domestic issues of that time. The Crucible of
Nationhood focuses on the ways of our economy and what led us to
the civil war. These documents give insight to how our Senate handled
issues back in the building days of our nation. These also allow for a
unique perspective of what was happening in our country at these
times and how our Senators viewed it.
Students will analysis different parts of these journals and be
able to compare the separate sections. Since this journal covers a wide
range of topics, these resources can be utilized for multiple lessons.
The Charting the Republic section refers to what our government was
like back then; I can have students compare and contrast our old
government with our current government (using outside resources for
assistance). During an economy focused lesson, the Crucible of a
Nationhood explains the economy before and during the Civil War. This
could also be used as a compare and contrast lesson of then vs now.
Primary Sources Beal3