Tyler Clark
America’s Top 40
1. Discovery of America – In order to study America you need to first look at its roots. Where did it
come from? How did it start? Who founded it?
2. Early explorers – The Early Explorers are the ones who founded this country. In order to
understand the foundation of our country we need to know about the people and their reasons
for coming here.
3. Roanoke Colony – The Roanoke Colony is not only the first Colony established on American soil,
but it was established in present day North Carolina. Add in the mysterious disappearance of
the people and this is a very important part of NC History.
4. Early settlers – Students need to learn about not only the people that settled, but the reason’s
they settled. Things like religious freedom and having a voice in the government are two major
ideas that this country is built on.
5. 13 Colonies – The development of the 13 colonies is the development of the Greatest Country in
the World.
6. Magna Carta – While the Magna Carta was a document for the British Government, The Roots of
the US Constitution lie in the Magna Carta
7. Bacon’s Rebellion – Bacon’s Rebellion was a precursor for the American Revolution. It was like
real life foreshadowing. Plus it’s a good excuse to talk about bacon.
8. French and Indian War – The Roots of the American Revolution lie in the French and Indian War.
The taxation that lead to colonial uproar was enacted to help pay for the war.
9. The Enlightenment – One of the greatest periods of philosophical thought in World History must
be taught to all students. The Men that highlighted the Enlightenment were not just the
founders of our country, but some of the greatest minds in the past millennia.
10. Mecklenburg Resolves – The Mecklenburg Resolves paved the way for the Declaration of
Independence. It is the piece of history that North Carolinians should be most proud of. By
declaring independence from England, it gave the other states the courage to do so as well.
11. Declaration of Independence – Arguably the greatest document in American History. It started
the United States of America.
12. American Revolution – The greatest war in American history and arguably the biggest upset in
World history, the American colonies had no chance against the larger, better equipped British
Army, but they fought for what they believed in and it’s something that every student should
learn to do.
13. US Constitution – The US Constitution IS America. It is the basis of our government – the
greatest government in the World. The Constitution is so great that the ideas from over 200
years ago are still applied in today’s changing world.
14. The American Government – In order for students to become informed US citizens, they need to
know about the United States Government. They need to know about the system of checks and
balances and the liaise faire attitude on business. Sometimes I wonder if those in the US
Government know how the US Government is supposed to work. We can’t let that happen with
the next generation.
15. The Louisiana Purchase – The Louisiana Purchase was the greatest bargain buy in the history of
the universe. It doubled the size of the country and gave the US most of the land it now has
today.
16. Pirates – Pirates are an important piece of NC History. Students should know their history and
their effect of the US and NC economies.
17. War of 1812 – The War of 1812 is often forgotten in American History. It was one of the most
important wars in US History where the White House was actually burnt down.
18. Gold Rush – The Gold Rush was extremely important for the expansion of the United States.
Imagine where this country would be without California? The Gold Rush was extremely
important for this country.
19. Slavery – While it’s a touchy subject, Slavery was the biggest black mark on American History. It
needs to be taught so it is never repeated.
20. Abolitionist Movement – If you are going to look at Slavery you need to focus a good portion of
time toward the heroes trying to stop it.
21. Civil War – The Civil War was the weakest point in American History, but it is a very important
part of it. The Civil War is an obvious inclusion in any American/ NC History curriculum.
22. Lincoln Assassination – The Lincoln Assassination was a monumental event in US History. He
was the first president to be assassinated and was arguably the greatest president in history.
23. Reconstruction – Reconstruction helped take the South out of the old economic ways and into
an economic situation closer to taday’s society. Reconstruction rebuilt the country and helped
form the country we have today.
24. Industrial Revolution – The Industrial Revolution took America from a good country to a great
country. We became a power with our advancements in industry.
25. World War I – Not many people know what caused WWI, but it is very important to learn. WWI
shows students important ideas like striving for power and Prisoner’s Dilemma.
26. Roaring 20s – The Roaring 20s were one of the most interesting times in American History. The
culture, the change in social norms, the sports, the music, it was all so fascinating.
27. The Great Depression – The lowest economic point in American History. The Stock Market crash
and the subsequent Depression are important topics for students to learn for their future.
28. Sports in America – I don’t like when teachers talk about what pieces of history are and are not
important in History. Sports are a huge part of the American culture and should not be ignored
in American History. Athletes have done so much for the American people, we cannot ignore
them.
29. The History of Pop Culture – Kids nowadays don’t have any culture. I wish we could have an
entire class where we could teach them the history of film, television, art, music, etc. They
develop culture and give students an appreciation of the classics.
30. World War II – WWII was a universal peace of shame around the world. The Germans, The
Japanese, and even the Americans engaged in extreme prejudice and ended the war with
Nuclear War.
31. The Holocaust – The Holocaust was one of the worse mass killings in all of history. The
American involvement in ending it was great, but even in US History Students need to
understand the causes and developments of the Holocaust.
32. Civil Rights Movement – The Civil Rights movement was one of the saddest and proudest
moments in American History depending on how you see it. We need to teach our students that
racism, prejudice, and “separate but equal” are wrong.
33. Vietnam War – The Vietnam War is the low point in the American Military’s history. We need to
focus more attention to this war.
34. Kennedy Assassination – When an event in history is talked about on par with 9/11 you know
the impact it had on our country.
35. Watergate – Another low point. We need to look at the low points as well as the high points in
American History. I never experienced that in school and I know I’m not alone.
36. The Cold War – I never learned about the Cold War until I got into college. That’s wrong. We
need to look at more recent wars because they are more prevalent to our lives today. We can’t
just focus on old history, we need to look at modern history.
37. Miracle on Ice – I think this is one of the biggest events in the past century. It was the biggest
battle of the Cold War, and it was a spark of patriotism and pride in America. We don’t teach
those ideas in the classroom, but we need to. This wasn’t just a hockey game. This is a symbol
of pride and patriotism.
38. Gulf War – Another modern war that is over looked in the classroom. We need to focus on
these modern wars more.
39. 2000 Election – The 2000 election was not only an important event in history, but it goes into
great detail the importance of voting, democracy, and the election process. If you show these
things you can get students to take advantage of their right to vote when they can.
40. 9/11 – The most tragic event in the past century and the first attack on American soil since the
1800s. It is extremely important to address this event.
Ten Important People
1. Benjamin Franklin – Growing up outside of Philadelphia, I know the importance of Benjamin
Franklin. He was a jack-of-all-trades who framed America. As the only person to sign both the
Declaration of Independence and Constitution, you can see how much he was valued during his
life time.
2. George Washington – The Father of our County is one of the most important men in US History.
3. Harriet Tubman – We need to teach our students about the leader of the Underground Railroad,
however we need to look at other leaders as well.
4. Alexander Hamilton – The former US treasurer is often over-looked, but his contributions to
America cannot be.
5. Henry Clay – The great compromiser was at the forefront of many great American Policies.
6. Sacagawea – She shows the importance of working with Native Americans rather than against
them. She was a true American Hero that helped explore new parts of the country.
7. Susan B. Anthony – The leader of Women’s Rights can often be over-looked but shouldn’t. She
had major contributions to this country and should be honored.
8. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr – What can you say about MLK? He was a fantastic human being that
needs to be honored and discussed in the classroom.
9. Franklin D Roosevelt – You can’t talk about any Great American President without discussing the
only man to hold 4 terms in office. He helped the country through the Great Depression as well
as led them through WWII. He has a hold of a major piece of American History.
10. Muhammad Ali – I want to throw a person not involved with the government out there.
Muhammad Ali was an American leader of the people, not a leader of the government. He
fought hard with his gloves, but fought harder for what he believed in. He was a proponent of
piece (odd as it is for a boxer) and went to prison for those beliefs. In the wake of 9/11 he is a
fantastic human being to teach about, showing that it wasn’t “Muslims” who attacked, but
instead “terrorists.” He can be an idol for anyone, but in particular African Americans and
Muslims who don’t see as many idols in their history text books.