Growth is the key concept of our third unit of study.  We will see the nation grow apart in three sections, expand to the Pacific Ocean, get involved in another international war, and evolve in the area of social reform.  Unit 3 begins with a simulation on sectionalism, demonstrating the divisive forces in the nation in the mid-19th century.  We will have a discussion about the Age of Jackson, in which we examine the important changes in the presidency as a result of Andrew Jackson's two terms in the White House. We will analyze Manifest Destiny and the continual westward movement of the United States. We will look at the migration to the Oregon Country, the war for Texan Independence (Remember the Alamo!) and the Mexican War.  We will see the growth of antebellum slavery as well as the rise of the abolition movement, and we will see how the issue of enslaved Americans further contributes to sectionalism in the nation. Our studies on slavery will dovetail with selected readings in English class as well.  We will examine additional aspects of the reform movement in the U.S., focusing on the first women’s rights movement in our nation. Our study will lead us to a divided nation on the brink of conflict as we set the stage for the Civil War.