Diary in the Young United States Assignment

Description: This ongoing assignment will have you chronicling the life of an individual living
during the following time periods. (1)The British occupation of the colonies, (2) the Critical
Period, and (3) the Ratificatication of the Constitution. This assignment will be completed
through a diary question now included within the weekly syllabus work. Each diary question will
require a ​300-word minimum​ in order to receive credit. The writing style of this assignment will
be informal. Make it sound like a real person wrote this. ​There are two options you can choose
from to complete this assignment. ​Please pick one ​and stick with it throughout the unit.

The Diary of a Common Person

This version follows the life of an ordinary person living during this time period. This does not
have to be a real person, you can make anyone up. You have complete freedom to decide who
the person is, what they believe, what their job is, where they live in the colonies, etc. The story
of this person is what you make it. Each week with the syllabus work, you will tell how the
government at the time influences this person’s life. Each week will have a set of required vocab
to help structure your writing.

The Diary of a Relevant Historical Figure

This version follows the life of a historical figure relevant to this time period. Examples include
George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison,
Aaron Burr, James Armistead, Baron von Steuben, Eliza Hamilton, etc. You will be tasked with
researching and writing in your own words your figure’s beliefs on the topics discussed that
week. Please cite where you retrieved this information. Describe where they are at the time, what
they are doing, what are their beliefs, and their reasoning for those beliefs. This is not a
biography of a person’s life. This is similar to a private journal. Each week will have a set of
required vocab to help structure your writing.

Purpose:
The purpose of this project is to demonstrate your understanding of how the government
influenced and changed the lives of people living at specific moments in history. The structure of
the United States government drastically changed multiple times during the early years of its
independence. By examining how each government influenced the lives of its citizens, we can
better understand the basis of the government we have today.
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