The American Revolution

SOL USI.6

Social Studies

The Path to Independence

LESSON 1

Causes of the American Revolution

SOL USI 6a

SOL

USI. 6a: identifying the issues of dissatisfaction that led to the American Revolution.

Essential Question

Why and how do new ideas lead to conflict between people and their governments?

What Do I Need to Know?

New ideas can lead to conflict between people and their governments.

HOOK

Ask students to think about and then write how they would react to new rules at school. What if the rules were unfair and unjust? What if people were paid to walk around and seek out students who might misbehave? That is what happened to the colonists during the American Revolution

Great Britain’s Reasons for Control

Great Britain desired to remain a world power.

In the American colonies, Great Britain’s desire to remain a world power resulted in a conflict with the French known as the French and Indian War.

Great Britain imposed taxes, Stamp Act, to raise revenues to pay the cost of the French and Indian War.

Great Britain’s Reasons for Taxation

To help finance the French and Indian War.

To help with the maintaining of British troops in the colonies.

Sources of colonial dissatisfaction

Colonies had no representation in Parliament.

Some colonists resented power of colonial governors.

Great Britain wanted strict control over colonial legislatures.

Colonies opposed taxes.

The Proclamation of 1763, which followed the French and Indian War, restricted the western movement of settlers.

What was the Proclamation of 1763?

A law that said the colonists could not settle in the Ohio Valley

The colonists found this unfair: some wanted to move to the west!

Why did the King issue the Proclamation of 1763?

He thought it would be too expensive to protect the colonists in the Ohio Valley.

2000 settlers had already died there.

What steps did England take to increase its control over the colonies?

What was the Sugar Act?Put a new tax on molasses.It replaced an earlier higher tax

that no one could pay.Colonial response was to

smuggleBritish response was that the

colonists was expected to pay and bring to trial

What was the Stamp Act?Said colonists must

buy stamps for all printed material

When: 1765A tax to pay off the

debts of the French and Indian War

The Stamp Act Colonists threatened

to tar and feather stamp commissioners

The British government responded by repealing or canceling the Stamp Act, but passed a law asserting that Parliament had the right to raise taxes.

What were the Townshend Acts of 1767

Taxed goods such as glass, paper, paint, lead and tea.

Also had writs of assistance: officers would be allowed to inspect a ship’s cargo without giving a reason.

English Response: Repeal of the Townshend Acts

Colonial Response: Protests, boycotts

What was the Tea Act (1773)

Allowed the British East India Company bypass the tea merchants and sell directly to colonists.

Reason: to encourage Americans to buy more British Tea.

Colonial Response: boycott, Boston Tea Party

British Response: Passed the Intolerable Acts

Intolerable Acts (1774)

4 acts: shut down the port of Boston, forbade Massachusetts to hold town meetings, allowed customs officers and other officials to be tried in England instead of colonies, and passed the Quartering Act.

What was the Quartering Act?

British soldiers must be given food and housing in the colonies.

When: 1765

Reason for the Act: to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party.

Colonial Response: support of MA, set up militias, Battle of Lexington and Concord

British Response: sent more troops to the colonies.

Write to Learn

•How can war be avoided?

Quick Quiz SOL 6a

•Get Ready•Set•Go

1.England wanted to remain a ___________ power.

2.England imposed taxes to pay for the ________________

3.England wanted to maintain English ____________ in the colonies.

4.Colonists had no representation in ____________.

5.Some colonists resented power of the ____________.

6.England wanted control of the colonial _____________.

7.Colonies opposed _________.

8.________________ hampered the western movement of settlers.

9. What act put a tax on molasses?

10.What act put a tax on all printed materials?

11.What act allowed the British officials to search ships without permission?

12. What act resulted in the Boston Tea Party?

LESSON 2

John Locke and the Declaration of Independence

SOL 6b

SOL

SOL 6b: identifying how political ideas shaped the revolutionary movement in America and led to the Declaration of Independence, with emphasis on the idea of John Locke.

Essential Question

Do people have inalienable rights?

What do I need to know?

People have natural (inherent) rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Hook

Make a list of complaints they have about the treatment of young people.

Then answer the following:

Who makes the rules you don’t like?

Who decides if they are fair or not?

How does one get them changed?

What does it mean to be independent from the rules?

How does a group of people declare they will no longer follow the rules?

There are moments when all of us are eager to express what’s wrong than we are to think critically about the problem and possible solutions.

The ideas of John Locke

John Locke was an English philosopher who wrote a book that greatly influenced the patriots.

John Locke said:People have natural rights

(cannot be taken away) to life, liberty, and property

Government is created to protect the rights of people.

Government has only the limited and specific powers the people consent to give it.

Key philosophies in the Declaration of Independence were based upon ideas first expressed by European philosophers.

New political ideas led to a desire for independence

and a democratic government in the American colonies.

The Declaration of Independence said the colonies wanted to be “free and independent states”

What are the key ideas and philosophies in the D. of I.?

People have “certain inalienable rights” of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

People establish government to protect those rights

Government derives power from the people.

People have a right and duty to change a government that violates their rights.

•What was Thomas Jefferson’s contribution to the D. of I.?

Thomas Jefferson wrote most of the D. of I.

He had been greatly influenced by the ideas of John Locke

Write to LearnWrite to Learn

•Do people have the right to change their government? Explain your answer.

Quick Quiz US1.6b

Ready, Set, Go!

Who had the idea of Life, Liberty, and Property?

What is an “inalienable” right?

Thomas Jefferson wrote Life, Liberty and_________?

Where did Thomas Jefferson believe the government derives power from?

What was the name of the document that proclaimed the 13 colonies independent from England?

LESSONS 3 and 4

Key IndividualsSOL 6 c

SOL

SOL 6c: describing roles of key individuals in the American Revolution.

Essential Question

Why do people rebel?

What Do I Need to Know?

Revolutions may occur when people seek a larger role in their government.

HOOK

Describe one time that you shared your opinion with someone and they got upset.

King George III (the king who lost America)

He was the British King during the Revolutionary Era.

Lord Cornwallis

He was the British General who surrendered at Yorktown.

John Adams

He championed the cause of independence

George Washington

He was commander of the Continental Army

Thomas Jefferson

Major author of the Declaration of Independence

Patrick Henry

Outspoken member of the House of Burgesses

Inspired colonial patriotism with “Give me liberty or give me Death” speech

Benjamin FranklinMember of

Continental Congress

Helped frame the Declaration of Independence

Helped gain French support

Thomas Paine

JournalistAuthor of Common

Sense Which convinced

people they should live free from England.

Phyllis Wheatley

A former enslaved African American wrote poems and plays supporting American independence

Paul Revere

Patriot who made a daring ride to warn colonists of British arrival

Write to LearnWrite to Learn

Choose two key people of the Revolutionary War period. Describe the role of each individual during this conflict and tell why what he or she did was important.

Quick Quiz US1.6c

Ready, Set, Go!

Who led the British during the Revolutionary era?

Who was commander of the Continental Army?

Who said “Give me liberty or give me death?”

Who wrote Common Sense?

Who said: “The British are coming!”

Who was the major author of the Declaration of Independence?

Who was a former slave that wrote plays and poems supporting the American Revolution?

Lessons 5 and 6

Key Events During the American Revolution

SOL

SOL 6c: describing key events in the American Revolution.

Essential Question

Why do people rebel?

What I Need to Know

Revolutions may occur when people seek a larger role in their government?

HookListen to the Revolutionary

War music: does music have the same impact on political, military, and social issues as it did in the 18th Century. Is the impact greater? Less? Explain

Boston Massacre

Colonists in Boston were shot after taunting British Soldiers

Boston Tea Party

Samuel Adams and Paul Revere led the patriots

They threw tea into Boston Harbor to protest tea taxes.

First Continental Congress

Delegates from all colonies except Georgia met to discuss problems with Great Britain and to promote independence

Second Continental Congress

Asked England for peace, but prepared for war

Second Continental Congress(continued)

Chose George Washington as the leader of the Continental Army

Second Continental Congress(continued)

Voted to declare independence from England

Battle of Lexington and Concord

The site of the first armed conflict of the Revolutionary War

Approval of the Declaration of Independence

Colonies declared independence from Great Britain

July 4, 1776

Battle of Saratoga

American victory

Turning point in the war

Surrender at Yorktown

The colonial victory over forces of Lord Cornwallis

Marked the end of the Revolutionary War

Signing of the Treaty of Paris

England recognized American Independence

Write to LearnWrite to Learn

You are one of the British soldiers surrending your weapons at Yorktown. Write a letter home expressing your thoughts.

Quick Quiz 6c

•Get Ready•Set•Go

What battle was the turning point of the war?

Where did Cornwallis surrender?

Who led the Boston Tea Party?

When was the Declaration of Independence approved?

The treaty where England recognized American independence?

What happened at the Boston Massacre?

Where was the first armed conflict of the war?

At what did delegates from all colonies meet to discuss problems with England and promote independence?

Lesson 7

Colonial Advantages in the American Revolution

SOL 6d

SOL

SOL 6d: explaining reasons why the colonies were able to defeat Britain.

Essential Question

How can skills of historical and geographical analysis help us interpret the past and understand the present?

What do I need to know?

Geographic and historical analysis can help us interpret the past and understand the present.

Hook

Imagine that you are in charge of an army? What circumstances would cause you to surrender? Why?

Colonial Advantage #1

They were defending their own land, principles, and beliefs!

Home team advantage!

Colonial Advantage #2

Colonists had help from France and Spain (these countries didn’t like Great Britain either!)

Colonial Advantage #3

Strong Leadership

Write to LearnWrite to Learn

Explain why having the advantage of being on their land and believing they were justified in fighting assisted the colonists in winning the Revolution.