02: Revolutionary America

02: Revolutionary America

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Let’s work together: A loyalist historian from Canada responds to American scholars | Borealia
Let’s work together: A loyalist historian from Canada responds to American scholars | Borealia
This article is proof that history still lives. Although it probably wouldn't make the cut in the competition for instructional time for students, teachers can share what they learn from this article to show not only are understandings of loyalists changing, but some Canadian historians are trying to entice their American counterparts to learn more about loyalists and how to understand them. At the very least, thinking of loyalists as people who wanted "evolution not revolution" is worthwhile to share with students.
Let’s work together: A loyalist historian from Canada responds to American scholars | Borealia
Founders Online: Home
Founders Online: Home
The papers of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams (and family), Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison. Over 175,000 searchable documents, fully annotated, from the authoritative Founding Fathers Papers projects.
Founders Online: Home
Mosquito Revolutions: Disease, War, and Independence in the U.S. South, Haiti, and Venezuela, 1776-1825
Mosquito Revolutions: Disease, War, and Independence in the U.S. South, Haiti, and Venezuela, 1776-1825
This 18 page lecture transcript is not for students, but rather teachers who are interested in the role of mosquitos in the American Revolution. Environmental history can show how teaching students about the "guerilla" tactics of George Washington ignores the fact that the continental army lost 50,000 or more soldiers from disease, and only 4,500 from combat.
Mosquito Revolutions: Disease, War, and Independence in the U.S. South, Haiti, and Venezuela, 1776-1825
Today in History: June 14
Today in History: June 14
Teachers who insist that ".gov" sites are reliable can look to this page at the Library of Congress if they want to confirm their convictions that these sites are reliable. Notice the statement about Betsy Ross. There is nothing specifically incorrect about what it states. However, the phrase "Scholars debate this legend" is far less than is necessary to debunk the myth that Betsy Ross designed the first American flag.
Today in History: June 14
American Affairs 1760-1783: Topic Page
American Affairs 1760-1783: Topic Page
More for teachers seeking lesson material and background information, this section of Dr. Majorie Bloy's English Web oF History focuses on American Affairs from 1760 through 1783. There are encyclopedic entries, primary documents and maps
American Affairs 1760-1783: Topic Page
How the British Won the American Revolutionary War - Journal of the American Revolution
How the British Won the American Revolutionary War - Journal of the American Revolution
Any teacher reading this article can realize that what they tell students through direct instruction in their Revolutionary War powerpoint is incomplete and inaccurate. Teachers who want a little more accuracy can scan through this article to find that the Revolutionary War was much more than a war of the colonies against the crown, but rather a world war in which a dozen countries were allied against Great Britain. When finished with that task, the teacher should then read Jr McNeil and to find even this conclusion was incorrect - it was a mosquito that won the revolutionary war.
How the British Won the American Revolutionary War - Journal of the American Revolution
Finding Aaron - HSI: Historical Scene Investigation
Finding Aaron - HSI: Historical Scene Investigation
This is a lesson in which students "do history" on a small scale - they help someone find out more about their long lost relative. After analyzing a series of primary source documents, students have to come up with a plausible explanation of what happened to Aaron between December, 1767 and January, 1771. Most importantly, they have to establish how they came to that particular conclusion.
Finding Aaron - HSI: Historical Scene Investigation
The Boston "Massacre" - HSI: Historical Scene Investigation
The Boston "Massacre" - HSI: Historical Scene Investigation
The Boston Massacre is one of those events that has been the subject of "doing history" lessons for some time. This is another take on the lesson, in which students review primary source documents at the request of the Daughters of the American Revolution - asking for a review of the case.
The Boston "Massacre" - HSI: Historical Scene Investigation
Battle of Lexington and Concord - HSI: Historical Scene Investigation
Battle of Lexington and Concord - HSI: Historical Scene Investigation
"Who started it?" - a question students have answered many times in many ways - but with this lesson they analyze a series of primary source documents to determine just what happened on the Lexington Green in 1775. This is a lesson that has students "doing history"
Battle of Lexington and Concord - HSI: Historical Scene Investigation
Essex County, New Jersey, Resolution - American Memory Timeline- Classroom Presentation | Teacher Resources - Library of Congress
Essex County, New Jersey, Resolution - American Memory Timeline- Classroom Presentation | Teacher Resources - Library of Congress
Students may appreciate a primary document from neighboring Essex County. But what makes this document truly useful is paragraph number 4. Teachers should be able to coach students through the understanding that this helps lend support to the argument that it was the end of salutary neglect that angered colonists the most.
Essex County, New Jersey, Resolution - American Memory Timeline- Classroom Presentation | Teacher Resources - Library of Congress
Online Activity: Rewriting the Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence | Teaching with the Library of Congress
Online Activity: Rewriting the Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence | Teaching with the Library of Congress

Rewriting the Rough Draft prompts students to examine edits in a section of Jefferson’s draft. For each edit, they must choose between Jefferson’s original text and the edited text. Through this process, students create a new draft and, after finding all of the edits, can compare their draft of the Declaration side-by-side with the first printed version.

By helping students to critically examine evidence of the creative process that produced the Declaration of Independence, this online activity demonstrates the importance of language, tone and word choice. For example, even a seemingly insignificant change in wording, such as replacing “a people” with “one people,” dramatically altered the meaning and expression of our nation’s democratic principles, first declared to the world in this document.

Online Activity: Rewriting the Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence | Teaching with the Library of Congress
Black Soldiers in the Revolutionary War | Article | The United States Army
Black Soldiers in the Revolutionary War | Article | The United States Army
Although Lord Dunbar's proclamation offering freedom for slaves who fought to maintain the British Empire garners some attention in classrooms, this article published by the US Army claims that 10% to 15% of the army led by George Washington was black. Students should note the manner in which this article explains the use of the term "black" as opposed to "African American" and the direct manner in which it addresses the evidence upon which it is based.
Black Soldiers in the Revolutionary War | Article | The United States Army
"The Colonies Reduced." - Political Cartoon
"The Colonies Reduced." - Political Cartoon
Perhaps this may be a little too explicit for 5th grade students, but it is a powerful message to Great Britain not to treat it's colonies in such a poor fashion or she may lose them.
"The Colonies Reduced." - Political Cartoon
The Paris Peace Treaty of September 30, 1783
The Paris Peace Treaty of September 30, 1783
Instead of having students pick the name of the Treaty out from a list of three others on a multiple choice question, teachers should have students read Article 7 - what does this say about the new country of The United States? Specifically, what is to be done with colonial's slaves taken by the British Army?
The Paris Peace Treaty of September 30, 1783
Americans respond to the Tea Act
Americans respond to the Tea Act
Primary source collection organized by the America in Class program of the National Humanities Center
Americans respond to the Tea Act
Leutze’s Washington Crossing the Delaware: An ELA Lesson Plan
Leutze’s Washington Crossing the Delaware: An ELA Lesson Plan
An article for teachers preparing a historical thinking lesson using the iconic painting - how are historical understandings built? Is Leutze as guilty of revisionism with Washington as Disney is with Pocahontas?
Leutze’s Washington Crossing the Delaware: An ELA Lesson Plan
Lexington and Concord - Lesson Plan
Lexington and Concord - Lesson Plan
Four primary source documents, both public and personal, paint a vivid picture of the American colonists’ armed conflict with England. These texts also reveal how the American colonists’ values, loyalties, and ideals shifted during the conflict. This lesson takes students beyond the tale of the Boston Tea Party and explores the thoughts and emotions of individuals as they are deciding to separate from a ruling power through war. This lesson provides extensive support for the teacher in terms of questions answers and contextual explanations
Lexington and Concord - Lesson Plan
Successful Colonies in the New World – Lesson Plan
Successful Colonies in the New World – Lesson Plan
Why did some European colonies thrive while others failed? Through the cooperation and mercy of the Native Americans. This lesson uses two documents, both from the European colonists’ point of view and rife with European biases. These texts work as both a source of 17th-century American history and a provide a lens through which to study the impact of essentializing racial identities.
Successful Colonies in the New World – Lesson Plan
MHS Collections Online: Sarah Winslow Deming journal, 1775
MHS Collections Online: Sarah Winslow Deming journal, 1775

Within this 12-page letter written in the form of journal entries from 15-26 April 1775 Sarah Winslow Deming transmits news of Lexington and Concord and the first few days of the Siege including the unpleasant conditions in the town until her difficult departure from Boston on 20 April 1775. Deming, the wife of Captain John Deming, describes various locations in Boston: Charlestown Ferry, Bartons Point, Boston Common, Boston Neck, as well as outside of the town in Jamaica Plain, Roxbury Hill, Dedham, Attleborough, and Providence. Students can read the transcription to get a contextual sense of the period outside of the textbook narrative canon.

MHS Collections Online: Sarah Winslow Deming journal, 1775
The War to Begin All Wars - The New York Times
The War to Begin All Wars - The New York Times
This review of a book about the Seven years War shows students how the author's perspective determines the "history" he writes - what was the most important events of the 18th century - The American Revolution or the Seven Years War?
The War to Begin All Wars - The New York Times
America's 100 Other Declarations of Independence - POLITICO Magazine
America's 100 Other Declarations of Independence - POLITICO Magazine
Teachers may, at first, dismiss this article becuase it is published by Politico. But they should look more closely to see that it was written by Rutgers Professor. The article can provide teachers with a much more nuanced understanding of the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. Short of reading miller's book, this is the next best thing.
America's 100 Other Declarations of Independence - POLITICO Magazine
Was the Declaration of Independence Signed on July 4? How Memory Plays Tricks with History - Journal of the American Revolution
Was the Declaration of Independence Signed on July 4? How Memory Plays Tricks with History - Journal of the American Revolution
Teachers can use the information in this article to show students that primary sources can be just as slippery as secondary sources. For those who want to understand what the AMA's Tuning Project means by the "provisional nature of knowledge" - this is it.
Was the Declaration of Independence Signed on July 4? How Memory Plays Tricks with History - Journal of the American Revolution