Boston Massacre in facts and numbers
Just the facts, just like Dragnet
02: Revolutionary America
The Declaration of Independence | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Declaration Project | Connect with your revolutionary heritage. Share your political voice. Take action.
![George Washington's Dog's names - recorded in his diary - Observations [May 1768] - (He had a dog named "Drunkard")](https://rdl.ink/render/https%3A%2F%2Ffounders.archives.gov%2Flib%2Fmedia%2FWashington-200x200.png?width=92&height=&ar=&mode=&format=avif&dpr=2)
George Washington's Dog's names - recorded in his diary - Observations [May 1768] - (He had a dog named "Drunkard")
Perhaps 5th grade teachers shouldn't share all of the names George Washington used to name his dogs, but this shows how useful a diary is to learn about the past.
Dr.Poelvoorde on what makes ideas catching on - YouTube
A few minutes
"Impeachment Day" by Dr. Jeff Poelvoorde for Constitution Day 2018 at Converse College - YouTube
A few minutes
How the Lowly Mosquito Helped America Win Independence | Science | Smithsonian
You won't find this on any teacher's list of "reasons for Patriot victory", but clearly there's an exceptionally strong argument that is a primary cause of Cornwallis's surrender. What is more important to learn - the causes for the surrender, or the fact that we've never acknowledged one of them?
A Conversation on Slavery, 26 January 1770 - Ben Franklin
In this fictional conversation between an American and an Englishman, Ben Franklin has his "American" explain to the Englishman that slavery in England is worse than slavery in America. He is referring to English soldiers - who are forced into the army and must kill. Franklin claims that an American slave is not forced to commit murder
Letter from Abigail Adams to John Adams, 22 September 1774
Abigail Adams tells her husband of colonists training for war seven months before Lexington and Concord. She also tells him of a "conspiracy of Negros" while asking why it is colonists can fight for their own freedom while enslaving others.
Taxation No Tyranny - Samuel Johnson 1775
Teachers looking for a Tory or British perspective can find many quotes here to use with students.
Boston Tea Party Debate | C-SPAN.org
On the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, re-enactors and observers recreated the debate that took place in the Old South Meeting House, blocks away from Griffin’s Wharf. On December 16, 1773 thousands of Massachusetts colonists gathered at Old South Meeting House in Boston to discuss a shipment of tea that had recently arrived in port from Britain. The arrival of the tea escalated an already existing debate over the new tea tax, and the Sons of Liberty led an effort to protest the King’s new measure. After the debate, colonists marched to Griffin’s Wharf and dumped the tea into Boston Harbo
Avalon Project - Articles of Confederation : March 1, 1781
From James Madison to Joseph Jones, 28 November 1780
Many recognize this as the first reference of James Madison to slavery - in this letter suggesting that the colonies enlist black soldiers in the Continental Army
Advertisement for a Runaway Slave, 7 September 1769
Runaway slave advertisement written by Thomas Jefferson could be used in a DBQ or for a lesson introduction. How do students react to this advertisement? What can be inferred from Jefferson's description of the horse, the stolen shoemaker's tools and Sandy himself.
Plaster soldier calls attention to race and the Revolutionary War
This short story of the creation of the mannequins used in Philadelphia's Museum of the American Revolution illustrates the way the present makes understanding of the past. This reflects American's growing understanding of an element of the American Revolution that was ignored in popular understanding of the War for centuries, despite all of the evidence in the historical record
A Look Back … The Story of Nathan Hale — Central Intelligence Agency
The taught narrative canon casts Nathan Hale as the American hero, who inspired patriots to fight for their freedom, regretting that he "only had one life to give" for his country. The problem with this is finding evidence that he said that and that other colonials heard he said than and, third, that they were inspired by it. This CIA article provides some of the leads someone could follow to find out just what happened to him, just what he said and whether anyone else even knew he said that
Nathan Hale Revisited (July/August 2003) - Library of Congress Information Bulletin
Teachers who include the Nathan Hale story or quote in their teaching should look at this first. Knowing "how we know" is as important as what we know - Hale is a great vehicle for exploring that dynamic.
What caused the American War of Independence? | Origins of the American Revolution - YouTube
7 Minute video from Royal Holloway, University of London, for a different perspective on the causes of the American Revolution
Evaluating Evidence: Primary Materials and the Lifelong Value of the Humanities (A Conversation with Professor Joanne B. Freeman) | Readex
5 minutes of Yale professor Joanne Freeman explains why she feels that primary document research is at the heart of the historical discipline. Although this is an advertisement for a commercial product, it provides a real historian's view of primary sources. If students know the human side of what they are doing, they may be better situated to see the value in it
Perspectives on the Boston Massacre - Massachusetts Historical Society
Lots of resources and links to primary source document
Boston 1775: Ebenezer Richardson: Customs informer and killer
This short article fills out the details of Ebenezer Richardson, the Customs official who murdered 11 year old Christopher Snider and was convicted of murder by a jury but pardoned by the king
Massachusetts House of Representatives 1775 - smallpox quarantine
While the British army was trapped and surrounded in the city of Boston by George Washington and the newly formed Continental Army, the Massachusetts House of Representatives were ready to take in some of the residents of Boston, except those who had small pox. Those would be sent to quarantine houses in Salem
From George Washington to Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Reed, 15 D …
Washington writes fro his encampment at Boston that Lord Dunmore should be "instantly crushed" [for offering slaves freedom to fight for the British] and also that if the army escaped small pox "it will be miraculous"
How picturing the Boston Massacre matters | National Museum of American History
Descriptions of portrayals of the Boston Massacre to be included in Boston Massacre lessons
Museum of the American Revolution – MoAR Virtual Tour
Letter from Abigail Adams to John Adams, 1 May 1780
In this letter from Abigail to her husband in Europe, she complains about taxes (four years into the Revolution), but also asks for cloth for their daughter's clothes. "Nabby" was 14 at the time and wanted to look like others her age
From George Washington to William Shippen, Jr., 6 February 1777
George Washington explains his decision to inoculate the Continental Army in Morristown after the 1776 campaign. Notice how he claims that an uncontrolled outbreak small pox would be more dangerous that the enemy
From George Washington to William Crawford, 17 September 1767
This letter shows that Washington wanted land and plenty of it. And he did not want anyone to know about his plans to accumulate land in western Pennsylvania for two reasons. First, he did not want to be perceived as violating the Proclamation of 1763. Second, he did not want anyone else to violate the Proclamation. Why? Because if they broke the law and speculated in western territory (like he was doing) he would have competitors in his quest for land. Washington gave his land agent an alibi in case he got caught. It went something like this: “just say you were hunting.” Teacher can cut the section of the text that show this - then have student decipher it. Tell the students what one historian says it means, have them judge
Sam Wineburg on Teaching History | Diane Ravitch's blog
New Jersey in the American Revolution, 1763-1783: A Documentary History | New Jersey State Library
This collection of NJ primary source documents could be reviewed by teachers for an up close and personal view of the Revolution for New Jersey students