American Revolution

American Revolution

Day 1

• The French and Indians went to war

with Great Britain over French land
the British wanted

• The war ended when the French

signed the Treaty of Paris 1763, and
gave its land to Great Britain

• British colonists were ready to spread

out, however, Britain passed the
Proclamation of 1763, forbidding
colonists to move west of the
Appalachian Mountains

French and Indian War

What?!
ARGH!

CLOSED

New
France

Treaty of Paris 1763

•Why was the French and Indian War
fought?

•How did British colonists feel about the
Proclamation of 1763?

Day 1

Turn and Talk

Day 1

Colonists Grow Angry

• To pay for the French and Indian

War, British Parliament began
taxing the colonists

• The colonists thought it was

unfair to be taxed because they
couldn’t vote for members of
Parliament

• Colonists felt their rights as

British citizens had been violated,
because of a lack of “consent of
the governed”

•Why did the British Parliament start taxing
its colonies?

•In your own words, what does “consent of
the governed” mean?

Day 1

Turn and Talk

Day 2

• The most hated act was the Stamp

Act which taxed all paper items
including calendars, playing cards,
journals, and newspapers

• A group called the Sons of Liberty

organized boycotts, protests, and
used violence against tax collectors

• Britain continued to tax items that

colonists used daily; the
Townshend Act taxed lead, paper,
paint, tea, and glass

Acts and Events

•What types of items did the British tax?

•Who were the Sons of Liberty?

Day 2

Turn and Talk

Day 2

Boston Massacre

• On March 5, 1770, a group of

colonists threw rocks, sticks,
snowballs, and insults at some
British soldiers

• Five colonists were killed, one of

which was an African American
named Crispus Attucks

• Paul Revere’s engraving of the

event was inaccurate and made it
seem the British were at fault,
which further angered the colonists

•What happened during the Boston
Massacre?

•Why did Paul Revere choose to make it
seem as if the colonists were innocent in
his engraving?

Day 2

Turn and Talk

Day 3

• At night, disguised as Natives, the

Sons of Liberty boarded British
ships carrying tea

• 342 chests of tea were dumped

into the harbor to protest the Tea
Act

• Britain punished the colonists by

passing the Intolerable Acts
which included closing the port
of Boston, and requiring colonists
to house British soldiers

Boston Tea Party

CLOSED

•What role did the Sons of Liberty play
during the Boston Tea Party?

•How did the British respond to the Boston
Tea Party?

Day 3

Turn and Talk

Day 3

Revolutionary War Begins

• On April 18, 1775, the British set out

to take weapons the colonists had
stored in the towns of Lexington and
Concord

• “Paul Revere’s Ride” is a poem that

inaccurately tells the events of his
ride to warn minutemen of the
advancing “redcoats”

• The British made it to Lexington, but

the minutemen made the British
retreat once they arrived in Concord

• The event was known as the “Shot

Heard ‘Round the World”; the
Revolutionary War had begun

•Why is Lexington and Concord a significant
event in the American Revolution?

•Why did the author of Paul Revere’s Ride
not tell the events correctly?

Day 3

Turn and Talk

Day 4

• Colonists who supported Great

Britain were called loyalists, and
those who wanted independence
were called patriots

• A group of patriot leaders formed the

Second Continental Congress, which
made important decisions for the
colonies during the war

• The Congress decided to make

George Washington the commander-
in-chief of the Continental Army,
because of his leadership skills shown
during the French and Indian War

American Revolution Groups

•Who did the Second Continental Congress
choose to be the commander-in-chief of
the Continental Army?

•Why was George Washington chosen to be
the commander-in-chief of the Continental
Army?

Day 4

Turn and Talk

Day 4

Drafting the Declaration

• In June 1776, the Continental Congress

felt it was time to officially separate
and be free from Great Britain’s rule

• Distinguished men were asked to help

write the Declaration of Independence
including:

• Thomas Jefferson - main author of the

document

• John Adams - supporter of independence

and helped write and revise the document

• Ben Franklin - inventor of bifocal glasses

and the lightening rod, diplomat during
the American Revolution, and helped
write and revise the document

•Who was the main author of the
Declaration of Independence?

•What important accomplishments did Ben
Franklin achieve?

Day 4

Turn and Talk

Day 5

• The Declaration was written to

explain why the colonies wanted
to be free from British rule

• Patriots hoped the document

would encourage foreign
countries, and more of their
fellow colonists to join the fight

• The document identified the ideas

upon which the United States was
founded

Declaration of Independence

•What was the purpose of writing the
Declaration of Independence?

•Who was the Declaration of Independence
written for?

Day 5

Turn and Talk

Day 5

Declaration of Independence

• The Declaration’s introduction,

called the Preamble, included the
ideas that:

• All men are created equal

• People are born with unalienable

rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness

• Governments are created to protect

these rights, and if the government
does not do so, then the people can
change, or create a new government

Pursuit of
Happiness

•What belief was held about all men?

•According to the Declaration, what are the
3 unalienable rights that people are born
with?

Day 5

Turn and Talk

Day 5

Declaration of Independence

• The colonists listed 27 grievances

(complaints) against King George
III and Parliament

• At the end of the document, the

colonies declared themselves a
new country, the United States of
America, and 56 brave men
signed their names

• The United States of America

started celebrating its
independence on July 4, 1776

•What is a grievance?

•What is included at the end of the
Declaration of Independence?

Day 5

Turn and Talk

Day 6

• The British soldiers were:

• well-trained and wore red coats
• only trained in open battlefields and

were easy targets

• The American soldiers were:

• fighting to protect their homes and

lacked formal military training

• highly motivated and attacked by

firing in well-protected positions

• The song, Yankee Doodle, was first

sung by the British to insult the
untrained Americans, however, the
tune became the unofficial song of
the Continental Army

The Soldiers

•What was a weakness of the American
soldiers? How did the weakness turn into a
strength?

•What is the history behind the song,
Yankee Doodle?

Day 6

Turn and Talk

Day 6

Battle of Trenton

• Washington and the Continental Army

crossed the icy Delaware River in the
evening on Christmas Day

• The German soldiers, called Hessians,

were caught off guard and almost two-
thirds of them were captured

• The American victory at the Battle of

Trenton inspired soldiers to serve
longer and attracted more men to join

• Artist, Emanuel Leutze, created a very

famous painting called Washington
Crossing the Delaware to remember
the battle

•During what holiday did the Battle of
Trenton take place?

•Look back at the painting, Washington
Crossing the Delaware how does it reflect
the Battle of Trenton?

Day 6

Turn and Talk

Day 7

• The Battle of Saratoga was an

American victory in New York

• The battle was a turning point

because:

• the French decided to support the

Americans with military aid

• it boosted Americans’ morale, and

the country now felt it could win
the war

Saratoga

•Why was the Battle of Saratoga significant?

•Why was the Battle of Saratoga a turning
point?

Day 7

Turn and Talk

Day 7

Valley Forge

• During the winter months

there was no fighting; instead,
the Patriots camped at Valley
Forge

• Soldiers lacked shoes, blankets,

good shelter, and food was
scarce

• Diseases like smallpox, flu, and

typhoid spread, and nearly
2,000 soldiers died

•What was life like at Valley Forge?

•Valley Forge was not a battle, but many
died, how?

Day 7

Turn and Talk

Day 8

• Yorktown was the last battle of

the American Revolution

• The Americans surrounded the

British soldiers on land, and the
French navy blockaded British
ships at sea

• On October 19, 1781, British

General Cornwallis surrendered
to American General George
Washington

Yorktown

•What was significant about the Battle of
Yorktown?

•Why did General Cornwallis surrender?

Day 8

Turn and Talk

Day 8

Treaty of Paris 1783

• The Treaty of Paris 1783 was the

official end to the American
Revolution

• Great Britain recognized the

United States as an independent
country

• The Mississippi River became the

new western border of the U.S.

Treaty of Paris 1783

United
States

•Why was the Treaty of Paris 1783
significant in the American Revolution?

•What physical feature identified the
boundary of the United States?

Day 8

Turn and Talk