1. The Road to the American Revolution

2. Essential Question:
How did England’s changing policy towards its colonies lead to rising calls for independence?
Warm-Up Question:
How did the French & Indian War change the way Britain ruled the American colonies?
Lesson Plan for Friday, August 28, 2009: Warm-Up Question, Path to Revolution Action/Reaction Activity, Closure Questions

3. Activating Strategy
From 1763 to 1776, key events occurred that slowly convinced colonists to sever ties with Britain & declare independence
In groups, examine the next 6 slides and decide as a group how much unrest that would have caused the colonists.
None A LOT

5. Proclamation of 1763
“ Don’t move West!!!!”

8. Boston Massacre

9. Intolerable
Acts

12. Mob reaction to the Stamp Act
The “Sons of Liberty” & “Daughters of Liberty” were formed to protest British restrictions & became the leaders of colonial resistance
Mob reaction to the Stamp Act
For the 1st time, many colonists refer to fellow boycotters as “patriots”
The colonial boycotts were effective & Britain repealed the Stamp Act

13. This was a series of “indirect” taxes on lead, glass, paper, tea, etc.

14. More Boycotts

15. Colonists created committees of correspondence to communicate with each other
Thomas Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry, and Francis Lightfoot Lee meeting at Raleigh Tavern, Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1773 to establish the Committee of Correspondence

17. Crispus Attucks was the first person killed during the massacre
Paul Revere’s etching of the Boston Massacre became an American best-seller
Colonists injured British soldiers by throwing snowballs & oyster shells
With only 4 dead, this was hardly a “massacre” but it reveals the power of colonial propaganda
Crispus Attucks was the first person killed during the massacre 11

18. “Bostonians Paying the Excise Man”
Tarring and feathering of Boston Commissioner of Customs John Malcolm

19. Boston Tea Party Led by Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty.
Main purpose was to prevent payment of British-imposed tax on tea and protest to Tea Act.
On December 16, 1773, American Patriots dressed as Indians threw almost 15,000 lbs of tea from British ships into Boston Harbor.
Consequence was for Parliament to pass Intolerable Acts.

21. First Continental Congress
“We have to help Boston”

23. Lexington & Concord
The first shots were fired just as the sun was rising at Lexington. Militia outnumbered and fell back.
About 700 British Army regulars were ordered to capture and destroy military supplies that were reportedly stored by the Massachusetts militia at Concord.
Casualties
Colonists:50 killed,5 missing,39 wounded
British: 73 killed, 6 missing, 174 wounded

24. The Second Continental Congress
Met from
May 10, 1775,
to March 1, 1781
Communicated with the King through the Olive Branch Petition
Created the Continental Army (from local militias); Appointed George Washington leader of the Army; Signed the Declaration of Independence

25. Conclusions
By December 1775, the British and American colonists were fighting an “informal revolutionary war”…but:
Colonial leaders had not yet declared independence
In 1776, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense convinced many neutral colonists to support independence from Britain
By July 1776, colonists drafted the Declaration of Independence

26. Examining Excerpts from Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
With a partner, read the excerpt from Common Sense and cite six pieces of evidence to support Paine’s position on independence.

27. Declaration of Independence Intro. Video clip at http://www. youtube
Declaration of Independence Intro. Video clip at (Stop the clip when the singer begins playing the violin.) Why was it, “ too late to apologize” ?

28. What can you infer from the lettering of this document?

29. The Declaration of Independence (1776) stated that when a government does not function for the betterment of its people, the government is ineffective, and it is the right of the people to overthrow that government (based on the ideas of John Locke).
In June 1776, fifty-six delegates from the thirteen colonies met in Philadelphia to debate the question of independence from Great Britain.
Congress appointed a “Committee of Five” to draft a statement presenting the colonies case for independence. Although there was a committee, Thomas Jefferson is known as the primary author of the Declaration of Independence.

30. With a partner, read the excerpt from the Declaration of Independence and cite six pieces of evidence to support Jefferson’s position on independence.

31. Common Sense
Declaration of
Independence

32. Class Discussion:
Rank order the top 3 events that contributed the most to the growing divide between Britain & her colonies
Should Common Sense be included in this top 3 ranking? If so, where? If not, why?
What changed the most over this 13-year period ( )?
What could the English gov’t have done to prevent this?
What could the colonists have done?

33. Group Activity
It is June 1776 & you are gathered to decide “Should the colonies declare independence?”
Students are divided into 2 groups: Patriots and Loyalists
Goal: Convince the “Undecided ” colonists to join your side by presenting reasoned arguments for the following issues:
Bullet #1: Sell to kids the “climate””: in June 1776, shots have been fired at Lex/Concord in 1775, Common Sense is being circulated, colonists are divided over the issue to separate.
Bullet #2: define Patriot, Loyalist, Undecided

34. 1. If the colonists declare independence, how will they govern themselves?

35. 2. If the colonists declare independence, how will they ensure that they will remain united?

36. 3. If the colonists declare independence, who will the new nation trade with?

37. 4. If the colonists declare independence, what will the new nation do about taxes?

38. 5. If the colonists declare independence, how will the new nation deal with Indians?

39. 6. If “liberty” is so important, what will independence mean for slaves, women, and poor people?

40. Summarizer
Explain how England’s changing policy towards its colonies lead to rising calls for independence.