Essential Question: To what extent was the American Revolution “revolutionary”?
The first five lessons set the stage for the eruption of the Revolutionary War. While Lesson 1 introduces scholars to the economic and legal tensions between the colonies and Great Britain, Lessons 2 through 5 show how that tension manifests itself: protests, boycotts, riots, violence, and political propaganda. By the end of these lessons, scholars will understand the motivations to protect the natural human rights of citizens from a corrupt government, as outlined in the Declaration of Independence. As scholars dive into the ideas behind those natural rights and trace the ways in which the war unfolds, they are able to make connections to the Essential Question as they understand the revolutionary actions of the colonists uniting to uprise against a global superpower.
Lesson 1: Starting a Movement for Independence (Source Analysis)
- Central Question: Why did colonial Americans begin a movement for independence?
Lesson 2: The Boston Massacre (Mock Trial)
- Central Question: Who caused the Boston Massacre?
Lessons 3–5: Colonial Propaganda (Writing Seminar, PBL)
- Central Question: Why should colonists support the movement for independence?
Lessons 6 through 9 allow scholars to explore the perspectives of the different colonial constituencies involved in the Revolutionary War. Lesson 6 focuses on the values that comprise the Declaration of Independence, including the contradictory notions of freedom at its core. In Lesson 7, scholars will explore how the ideals of the Declaration of Independence inspired and united colonists to join the Continental Army. In Lessons 8 and 9, scholars dig deeper into the perspectives of colonists at this time, learning how and why they both participated in and experienced the war. This includes the reasons why some colonists, especially enslaved Africans, remained loyal to Great Britain. By the end of Lesson 9, scholars will be able to explain the nuanced reasons why different groups of colonists did or did not support the war and further understand the juxtaposition between the revolutionary ideas of the Declaration of Independence and the reality that these ideals were not revolutionary for all Americans.
Lesson 6: Declaration of Independence (Source Analysis)
- Central Question: To what extent was the Declaration of Independence a call for liberty?
Lesson 7: Continental Army (Source Analysis)
- Central Question: How did the Continental Army unite American colonists against the British?
Lessons 8–9: The Loyalists (Writing Seminar)
- Central Question: Why did some Americans remain loyal to Great Britain?
Lessons 10 through 12 bring scholars to the victory of the colonists in the Revolutionary War. Beyond understanding how the victory was won due to strong leadership and the alliances of the 13 colonies, scholars also begin to question what this victory meant for the rights and liberties of colonists in the aftermath. Scholars will engage with the accounts and points of view of men, women, African Americans, and Native Americans to learn how the Revolutionary War did or did not “revolutionize” the lives of all Americans. By the end of these lessons, scholars must be able to connect the perspectives and experiences of the different demographics in the colonies back to the “inalienable rights” outlined in the Declaration of Independence in Lesson 6 and articulate an argument about how revolutionary the war was to the American people long after the war ended.
Lesson 10: Winning the War (PBL)
- Central Question: Why did the American colonies win the Revolutionary War?
Lesson 11–12: Freedom for All? (Source Analysis, PBL)
- Central Question: To what extent did the American Revolution extend the freedoms of all Americans?