What is American 1 American History 1 begins with Native Americans before 1492 and continues through the year 1877, this date allows us to complete a Unit on Reconstruction and introduce the West after the Civil War. The focus of this course provides students with a framework for studying political, social, economic, and cultural issues, and for analyzing the impact these issues have had on American society. This course goes beyond memorization of isolated facts to the development of higher level thinking skills, encouraging students to make historical assessments and evaluations. Students will be using a variety of primary sources on a weekly basis to become critical readers and writers. A skill that will help them throughout their lives.