Considering we live in the United States of America it is important to know how this nation came to be. Why is America how it is? Why is it known as the "Land of the Free"? In order to discover these answers we must look to the past. Our nation was founded on ideals expressed in the Enlightenment calling for individualism, liberty, and rethinking government influenced by the Ancient Romans/Greeks. Therefore, students need to not only learn about the ideologies, but critically think on why and how these ideologies were so influential across the globe and especially in America. This movement gave Patriots the inspiration to break away from England and to become its own nation. But what then? Our founding fathers had to install a new government and how that came to be is essential knowledge needed in order to become a successfully productive member of the United States. Students will analyze the debates and decided for themselves which sides they would taken, what dispositions do they agree or disagree to, how does this define them as an "American", and how these ideologies of freedom and rights are installed in today's society. All of the foundational ideas had shifting cause and effects leading to other historical events such as the French Revolution and on becoming the blueprint for other countries' independence. Therefore it is vitally important for students to learn! It makes students question and examine their personal morale and the morale of the country, analyze what it means to be a citizen of the United States, and critique and evaluate various point of views in order to decide what perspectives have value and biases--all skills any person needs to obtain in order to live a successful, meaningful life. Students need to know and examine what it means to be an American. American ideals have been installed and re-enforced in students their whole lives, but it is important for students to realize where those ideals originated from and thus obtain deeper understanding on what they mean. Students will discover themselves and their place in this nation, in this world--what is more important than that?