Now Viewing: Grade 8
From the Connecticut Social Studies Frameworks: In eighth grade, students engage in the study of events, documents, movements, and people emphasizing 18th/19th century America with a focus on inquiry into the development of the United States as a nation. The study of U.S. history in the 18th and 19th centuries requires that students generate and research compelling questions such as:
- How do Americans define freedom and equality and how have American conceptions of freedom and equality changed over the course of U.S. history for members of various racial, ethnic, religious, and gender minority groups?
- Is America a land of political, economic, and social opportunity?
- What was the significance of Connecticut’s contribution to America’s story?
- Is the United states a “just” society and how has the concept of justice evolved over time?
- Is there an American national identity; what does it mean to be an American?
- What should be the current role of the United States in world affairs?

Visions of Change: Colt and the Growth of Industrial Connecticut
What impact did industrialization have on people’s lives in the mid- to late-19th century?
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Life Along the Salmon Brook: A Connecticut Town in the Early Industrial Era
How did the Industrial Revolution change small towns in Connecticut/New England?
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Connecticut’s Ratification of the Constitution
How are decisions made about how a nation should be governed?
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Who Gets to Vote? History of Voting Rights in Connecticut and the United States
How have the American conceptions of freedom and equality changed over time?
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Kids in Connecticut History: Image Analysis Skill-Builder
In what ways have the lives of children in Connecticut changed or stayed the same over time?
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The Amistad Incident and the Face of Slavery
What role did the Amistad incident play in the abolitionist movement in the United States?
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Accused: 17th-Century Witch Trials
What factors led to the 17th-century witchcraft trials in Connecticut?
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Caleb Brewster & The Culper Ring
In what ways did “ordinary” Americans contribute to the American Revolution?
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New London’s Role in American Independence
What was Connecticut’s role in the American Revolution?
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George Washington’s Slave Census
What did the Founding Fathers really think about slavery?
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Venture Smith: From Slavery to Connecticut Businessman
How can a former slave prosper in a colony where slavery is legal?
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The Iron Industry of Northwest Connecticut
Would there have been a thriving iron industry in Connecticut without the geological and geographical advantages of the northwest corner?
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The Inventions of A. A. Hotchkiss And Sons
How did Sharon, Connecticut, manufacturers A. A. Hotchkiss and Sons contribute to major innovations in U.S. history?
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Abolition and African Americans in Connecticut
In what way did the abolition of slavery indicate progress, or decline, for the lives of African Americans?
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