Boston 1775: Where Was Christopher Seider Buried?
Little is known of the 12 year old boy murdered weeks before the Boston Massacre simply because his death did not become part of the narrative canon.
02: Revolutionary America
Non-importation Agreement in reaction to the Townshend Acts
Signed by residents of Boston in reaction to the Townshend Acts, this also includes the names of 23 women, showing that women owned about 7% of the businesses in Boston. This is a scan of the original document.
The Connecticut Captivity of William Franklin, Loyalist - Journal of the American Revolution
Loyalists (Tories) were often treated more like common criminals than POWs, depending on the state or township. The members of each colony intensely debated whether Loyalists should be treated as enemy soldiers or treasonous citizens.A poignant example of ill treatment of Loyalists by the Rebel government is that of William Franklin. This is an article for all teachers and perhaps High School students as a supplement
MHS Collections Online: Boston Tea Party meeting minutes, 14-16 December 1773
Paul Revere's Boston Massacre print was copied from Henry Pelham's Print
This a great way to show students that plagiarism is not just a school issue. The most popular depiction of the Boston Massacre is attributed to Paul Revere and used teachers across the country. There's a good chance that Paul Revere stole that image and got away with it.
The Fruits of Arbitrary Power - The Boston Massacre image
This image was made by Henry Pelham before the more famous version of Paul Revere, but published afterwards. Do you think that Paul Revere copied it? Henry Pelham sure did. This is a scan of the original
Brendan McConville, "The Great Cycle: The Professional Study of the American Revolution, 1960-2015" - YouTube
60 minute talk on the history of history - the development of different understandings of the American Revolution over the last 50+ years. The taught narrative canon of survey courses in US History ignores this debate's very existence. Only the most committed history nerds should spend any time with this video, but the teachers who ignore this debate are missing an opportunity to teach one of the most basic foundations of the discipline they pretend to teach.
JOIN, OR DIE: Political and Religious Controversy Over Franklin's Snake Cartoon - Journal of the American Revolution
An article for history nerds and interested teachers who want to dig deeper into the materials they use in class. Many, many teachers use this cartoon as the basis for a full lesson or include it in the presentation of content. Teachers should read or even just skim through this article to recognize the vast depth of historical inquiry that lies beneath even the most commonplace elements of their instruction.
George Washington's Maryland Gazette Runaway Slave Advertisement, August 20, 1761 ·
Peros, Jack and Neptune sound like names from an animated Disney movie. Yet they were three slaves who escaped enslavement from George Washington. This is the runaway advertisement published by Washington and his offer of 60 shillings for the capture and return of his slaves
Agreement of Joseph Warren with Joshua Green regarding payment for a slave, 28 June 1770
Despite John Trumball's iconic painting of Warren's death on Bunker HIll, Joseph Warren is one of the greatest "unsung" leaders of the patriot cause. Teachers can craft a lesson that follows that path of thought - how Warren should be as well known as the other "founding fathers" than throw in this document - how should slavery fit into the Revolutionary War's narrative canon?
BBC Rebels and Redcoats Episode 1: The Shot Heard Around The World - Lexington and Concord section
This is the BBC's take on the first shots of the American Revolution, referred to them as a "Civil War". A few minutes of the video can expand students perspective beyond the simply the colonial view of the War for Independence
Heroes, Villains, and People Like Us: Teaching the History of the American Revolution Today – The Panorama
A college professor explains the choices in made in including historical figures and their actions in his narrative of the American Revolution while teaching a survey course in American history. College professors may be more aware of their discretion than high school teachers - but both can tell students that the history they are learning is a designed understanding of the past - not the past itself
1776 The Musical - American Conservatory Theater
Any teacher using the entire film or even an excerpt of "1776" should take a quick look at this 76 page examination of this history and the music behind the musical.
Notes of Proceedings in the Continental Congress, 7 June–1 Aug …
Teachers who continually stress how we know what we know may have students ask how do we know what happened during the debates to declare independence. Here is one source, Thomas Jefferson took notes
1861 Japanese Illustrated History of the American Revolution (Book)
Teachers and students who want to know how the American Revolution story is interpreted in different countries will be surprised by this.The author, Kanagaki Robun, and the artist , Utagawa Yoshitora created this book entitled Osanaetoki Bankokubanashi.
From Benjamin Franklin to Jane Mecom, 1 March 1766
Ben Franklin's advice to his little sister is good advice for all of us
Humphrey Ploughjogger to the Boston Gazette - October 1765
John Adams wrote several letters protesting the Stamp Tax to the editor of the Boston Gazette protesting under a pseudonym. In this one he explains how the colonists will never be the "negroes" of the British.
George Washington first became a slave owner at the early age of eleven.
African Americans & the Revolution | NCpedia
Concise article for teachers interested in a vital episode in the American Revolution that is entirely absent from the taught narrative canon.
A British view of rebellious Boston, 1774 - Bostonians Paying the Excise Man - cartoon
This cartoon is often used by teachers, but there is a back story to it that may change our understanding. Although it shows British impression of the lawlessness of patriots, a student's view of it, without the backstory that is depicts an actual event, may lead them to believe that the British were unjustified in depicting the Patriots this way. How about a compare contract between this and Revere's Boston Massacre woodcut - which is more accurate?
The Annotated Newspapers of Harbottle Dorr
The Massachusetts Historical Society presents the complete four volume set of Revolutionary-era Boston newspapers and pamphlets collected, annotated, and indexed by Harbottle Dorr, Jr., a shopkeeper in Boston.
Boston 1775: Checking John Adams's Numbers
This article exposes a distinction between different classes of primary sources we seldom contemplate - the contemporaneous sources written at the time of the event, and those written years later. US History students should read this article for insight into what we know about the Boston Massacre and how do we know it.
The Declaration of Independence: Compare Versions
It's always a good idea to remind students that writing is never donw, you just rin out of drafts. This shows comparisons of different drafts of the Declaration of Independence. There are other versions of this available but this shows the phrasing of the slavery cause, and recognizes it's absence from the final version. This can be the base a longer exercise or simply a "do now" lesson introduction that puts the three instances of slavery up on the screen with the blank final version - what does this say about slavery in the colonies before the Revolution itself?
The American Scholar: Black Lives and the Boston Massacre - Farah Peterson
Great writing that every history teacher should read before tackling any Boston Massacre lesson. This demonstrates the nature of some histories to dig into the record of the past and illuminate that which previous generations ignored, never thought about or couldn't understand.
Letter to Henry Lee | Teaching American History
Look how Jefferson explains the writing in the Declaration of Independence decades after he wrote it. Teachers can share this with students, it helps them understand the purpose of writing
BBC iPlayer - American History’s Biggest Fibs with Lucy Worsley - Series 1: 1. The American Revolution
disclaimer - I've never listened to this, but it looks like it has real promist
The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere: Literature v. History | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Detailed lesson plan with links to resources that guide students in a comparison between the iconic poem and the historical record (as recorded in a letter by Paul Revere recounting the ride). Teachers can explore adding an extension piece that explores the context of the period in which it was written and the intentions of Longfellow in writing it, as much as they can be knowm.
Common Sense - British Digital Edition
If you were given the job of printing Thomas Paine's Common Sense in London 1766, would you censor any portion of the text? This digitized version can show exactly what the British printer L. Almon took out of the text and what he left behind
Edmund Burke Speech on conciliation with America March 22 1775 (Speech)
The government of Great Britain is more than King George, and some in parliament did not think it was worth a war to keep control of the colonies
Slavery-entangled philosophy | Aeon
John Locke is a staple of Civics and US History classes. Teachers who like to confront students with counter-narratives, like Locke's support for slavery in drafting the constitutions of the Carolinas should read this more fully extended narrative which explains how Locke served in that role.