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Welcome to your Revolutionary War unit lesson! Your packet includes a collection of articles, discussion questions, worksheets, activities, and projects, all FREE and ready-to-go to use in your class. Front Row’s content is designed to meet every student at his or her own individual learning level, so everybody can participate with minimal prep by you. Topics in this Revolutionary War unit include:

• Introduction to the Revolutionary War • Founding of the Colonies • British taxation • Boston Massacre • Declaration of Independence

Please note this is just a sampling of Front Row’s Revolutionary War materials! You can get access to these additional materials with a free Front Row account:

• French and Indian War • Sons and Daughters of Liberty • Boston Tea Party • Intolerable Acts/Coercive Acts • First and Second Continental Congresses • Battles of Lexington and Concord • Battle of Bunker Hill • Battles of Saratoga • Articles of Confederation • Treaty of Paris

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INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES

On the following page, there are 8 different character profiles. Print out enough for each student in your class to receive one, and pass them out randomly. Students will be using their character cards throughout the entire unit, so make sure they don’t lose them!

American Revolutionary War

Revolutionary War Character ProfilesTeacher Guide

ColonistMy family came to Virginia through help from the Virginia Company. We were poor in England, and we wanted to come to the New World to find a better life. We heard that we could get free land. When we arrived, we saw that there were many Native Americans already here, but we were assured that we could take their land for ourselves.

ColonistI live in Boston, Massachusetts. My family came from England to Plymouth colony years before because they wanted the freedom to practice their religion the way they wanted to. I grew up learning about how important freedom is.

ColonistI live in New York, New York. I do a lot of trade with Britain. There are a lot of good partnerships with the British that are helping me and my friends to be successful. Trading with Britain brings a lot of good things to the colonies that it would be hard to get without them.

SlaveI am an African American slave working in South Carolina at a cotton plantation. My father was taken from his home when he was young. All I want is to be freed from slavery. There is talk on the streets about colonists wanting freedom from Britain, but will they give us that same freedom too?

CherokeeMy family has lived on this land for generations and the land is very important to us. When European settlers arrived and brought the disease of smallpox, nearly half of the Cherokee died within a year. We have often worked with the British to fight against the French.

ColonistI am an African American living in Boston, Massachusetts. I used to be a slave, but now I am a free person. I know firsthand how important and valuable freedom is for everyone to have. I want everyone to be able to experience that freedom.

IroquoisI am part of the Seneca people, who are part of the Iroquois with five other nations. I trade fur to the Europeans in exchange for tools and weapons. We had thought that the colonists were British people, and now the colonists and British are two different groups. We need to think about which side to be on in this war.

Parliament Member


I live in Britain, and am a member of the Parliament. We helped many colonists move to the New World, and we spend a lot of money to help keep the colonists safe. We have a trading relationship with the colonies that helps all of us.

Mapping the Revolutionary War

As you learn about the major battles of the Revolutionary War, mark on the map where each battle took place


On the following pages, you will find three timelines. The first is for key battles of the Revolutionary War, the second for the British taxes and colonists’ reactions to the taxes that led to the war, and the third for key colonial meetings and documents of the United States of America.

Each timeline comes with a line and booklets. Each line has a box for the right number of booklets, and there are extra booklets in case students need to remake any. Students should print out each booklet and fold them in half. On the inside, they should describe that event and its importance. An example of what a completed timeline looks like is below.

Lexington &

Concord

Battle of

Bunker Hill Treaty of

Paris

Battle of

Yorktown

Valley Forge

Battles of

Saratoga

[ picture ] [ description ]

TimelineTeacher Guide


Key Battles

Lexington & Concord

Battles of Saratoga

Valley ForgeBattle of Bunker

Hill

Battle of Yorktown

Treaty of Paris

British Taxes/Colonists’ Reactions

French & Indian W

arStam

p Act

Townshend Acts

Royal Proclam

ation of 1763

Boston M

assacreIntolerable/

Coercive Acts

Boston Tea Party

Key Colonial Meetings/Battles

First Continental Congress

Declaration of Independence

Articles of Confederation

Second Continental Congress

U.S. Constitution

FOUNDING OF THE COLONIES

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student automatically receives the article that is at his/her individual level. Your students would also receive the reading comprehension questions

without the answers marked.

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Grade: 2.9

In the 1600s and 1700s, Europeans went to NorthAmerica. Some of these people on the East coast createdthe thirteen colonies.

The British Come WestIn the 1500s, Europe had problems. There wasn’t enoughfood. Farmers stopped growing crops. They wanted toraise sheep instead, to sell wool. Trade also grew.England wanted more business. They created colonies tomake money.

There were also more people in England. They neededmore money to take care of everyone.

Many middle-class people left England for this “NewWorld”. Few farmers wanted to leave. English farmerscould lose their land. Others left to practice their religionfreely.

The First SettlementsIn 1587, the first Europeans set up a community onRoanoke. By 1590 people here disappeared. Nobody wasleft.

In 1606, King James I of England divided the coast ofNorth America. The London Company got the southernpart and the Plymouth Company got the northern part.The London Company’s first colony was calledJamestown. It was created in 1607. At first, they tried tofind things like gold to send to England. In 1616, theystarted to grow tobacco. This became the colony’s maincrop. Later, with slaves, they grew even more.

A map of the Jamestown colony

New England Colonies

WritingAnchor Skill: Narrative

You live in one of the thirteencolonies. Write a diary entry about lifein the "New World."

ReadingAnchor Skills: Summarizing & Main Ideas, TextStructure & Development

What is the section 'The FirstSettlements' mostly about?

What is the section 'British Control'about?

What do you learn in the section'The British Come West'?

Under which section can you learnhow England tried to control thecolonies?

the Southern colonies

the first groups to live in the "NewWorld"

the issues with England

the crops that could grow in NorthAmerica

why the colonies felt the British hadtoo much control

how each of the colonies got theirnames

where the first English settlementwas located

how the number of people in thecolonies grew over time

why the Carolina colony split intotwo colonies

why the British people wanted tomove to the "New World"

why the colonies felt the British hadtoo much control

why the Southern colonies werecreated later

The British Come West

Middle Colonies

Southern Colonies

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New England ColoniesAfter Jamestown, a group of English Puritans--peoplewanting freedom for their religion--created Plymouth.They did this in 1620. Later, the Massachusetts BayCompany, a larger group of rich Puritans, came. Theyworked with the native people there. They learned tofarm, fish, and hunt.

The first Thanksgiving at Plymouth

As this colony grew, people spread out. A more religiousgroup created Connecticut and New Haven. In 1665,these became one colony. Another formed Rhode Island.Lastly, an adventurous group created New Hampshire.

Middle ColoniesIn 1632, England gave 12 million acres of land to CeciliusCalvert. He named the colony Maryland after the Britishqueen. They grew tobacco and used slaves. ManyCatholics came to Maryland.

Between the New England colonies and Virginia, therewere a lot of Dutch people. In 1664, England took it andcalled it New York.

In 1680, the king of England gave land to William Penn.He got 45,000 square miles to make a colony. Penncalled it Pennsylvania. It was a strong colony that treatedeveryone as equal.

Which of the following options is apicture caption from the text?

In which section can you findinformation about the settlement ofRoanoke?

British Control


A Large Map

The first Thanksgiving at Plymouth

Southern Colonies


The First Settlements


Southern Colonies


William Penn

Southern ColoniesThe Carolina colony was between Virginia and Florida.They had a hard time with farming. They grew corn,lumber, beef, pork, and later rice. The colony becamemore stable later. It divided into two colonies in 1729. In1732, the colony of Georgia was created between Floridaand South Carolina.

A map of the Southern Colonies

British ControlBy 1700, 250,000 people lived in these colonies. Each hadits own government based on English law. They were ledby people who had land. They had local governments.

These new colonies had some freedom, but were stillconnected to England. England needed the colonies tomake them money. They wanted control over thecolonies. They required leaders to get approval fromEngland for major decisions.


Later, England had more demands. At the same time, thecolonies had their own identities. The colonies workedtogether instead of with England. This made Englandmad. They tried to control the colonies even more. Thisall led to the Revolutionary War.


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Grade: 3.8

In the 1600s and 1700s, Europeans settled in NorthAmerica. Some of the communities on the East coastbecame known as the thirteen colonies.

The British Come WestIn the 1500s, there were problems in Europe. Therewasn’t enough food because farmers stopped growingcrops. They wanted to raise sheep instead, to sell wool.Trade also grew. England wanted more businessopportunities. They created colonies to make money.

In addition, there were more people in England. Theyneeded more resources to take care of everybody.

Many middle-class people left England for this “NewWorld”. Few farmers wanted to leave. Because of laws,English farmers could lose their land. This meant that ifthey left England and tried to come back, they wouldhave to start over. Others left to practice their religionfreely.

The First SettlementsIn 1587, the first Europeans set up a community on theisland, Roanoke. However, by 1590 people on Roanokedisappeared. Nobody was left.

In 1606, King James I of England divided the coast ofNorth America in two. The London Company got thesouthern part and the Plymouth Company got thenorthern part. The London Company set up its firstcolony in 1607 called Jamestown. At first, they tried tofind gold and other resources they could send toEngland. In 1616, they started to grow tobacco. Thisbecame the colony’s primary crop. Later, with slavelabor, they grew even more tobacco.

WritingAnchor Skills: Narrative, Writing Conventions

You live in one of the thirteencolonies. Write a diary entry that tellsabout life in the "New World." Writeabout the work you do and the foodyou eat. Include how you feel aboutBritain.


What is the main idea of the text?

Which detail from the article wouldbe most important to include in asummary?

What is the main idea of thesection 'The British Come West'?

The colonies learned to growtobacco to make money.

The colonies were ruled by wealthyEnglishmen.

The colonies realized they nolonger wanted to be controlled byBritain.

The colonies were created to makenew opportunities for the English.

Many people wanted to go to the"New World" for businessopportunities.

The colony of Carolina divided intotwo colonies in 1729.

William Penn got 45,000 squaremiles to develop a Quaker colony.

New York used to be called DutchNew Netherlands.

The British tried to use too muchcontrol over the colonies.

English laws said that farmerscould not get their land back if theyleft.

Many English people wanted newbusiness opportunities andreligious freedom.




New England ColoniesAfter Jamestown, a group of English Puritans--peoplewanting religious freedom--settled in what is nowMassachusetts. They created a town called Plymouth in1620. Later, the Massachusetts Bay Company, a largergroup of wealthy Puritans, came. They worked with thenative people living in the area. They learned to farm,fish, and hunt.

Artist's rendition of the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth

As the Massachusetts colony grew, people spread out. Amore religious segment of the Puritans createdConnecticut and New Haven. In 1665, these became onecolony. A more liberal group formed Rhode Island. Lastly,an adventurous group created New Hampshire.

Middle ColoniesIn 1632, England gave 12 million acres of land to CeciliusCalvert. He named the colony Maryland after the Britishqueen. They also grew tobacco and used slave labor.Maryland was a place for Catholics who faced hard timesin England.

The area between the New England colonies and Virginiawas mostly Dutch. In 1664, England took the area, andrenamed it New York.

In 1680, the king of England gave land to William Penn.He got 45,000 square miles to make a colony. Penn madea strong colony that treated everyone as equal known asPennsylvania.

In which section would you addinformation about the Quaker religion?

Under which section will you findinformation about how England tried tocontrol the colonies?

Which of the following would beanother good subheading for thesection 'The British Come West'?

The first colonies discovered thattobacco was a the best crop togrow.



Middle Colonies

Southern Colonies


The First Settlements

Middle Colonies

Shared Feelings of The Colonies

New Opportunities

Dutch New Netherlands

British Control

The Revolutionary War


William Penn

Southern ColoniesThe Carolina colony was between Virginia and Florida.However, they had a hard time with farming. They had arougher culture than Virginia’s. They grew corn, lumber,beef, pork, and later rice. The colony became morestable and divided into two colonies in 1729, creatingNorth and South Carolina. In 1732, the colony of Georgiaformed between Florida and South Carolina.


Shared Feelings of the ColoniesBy 1700, 250,000 people lived in the North Americancolonies. Each had its own government system based onEnglish law. These colonies were led by landowners andhad local governments.

These new colonies had some freedom, but they werestill connected to England. England needed the coloniesto make them money. They wanted to exercise control


over the colonies’ governments. They required localleaders to get approval from England for majordecisions.

By the 18th century, England had more demands of thecolonies. At the same time, the colonies had their ownidentities. The colonies worked together instead ofasking England for help. This made England mad, causingthem to try to control the colonies even more. This all ledto the Revolutionary War.


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Grade: 5.0

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, Europeans,mostly from Great Britain, settled in North America.Some of the communities on the East coast becameknown as the thirteen colonies.

The British Come WestIn the 16th century, there was unrest in Europe. Therewere food shortages because farmers stopped growingcrops. They wanted to raise sheep instead so they couldsell wool. As this was taking place, trade also grew.Englishmen wanted to more business opportunities fortheir country. They did this by creating colonies, whichwould provide goods for England.

In addition, the population in Britain was also growing.To get more money for Britain and to provide for morepeople, England wanted to create colonies.

Many middle-class people left England for this “NewWorld”. Few farmers volunteered to move though. Theylearned that they might lose their land if they stoppedfarming it. This meant that if they left England and triedto come back, they would have to start over again. Otherpeople left to practice their religion freely.

The First SettlementsIn 1587, the first European settlers came to NorthAmerica. They set up a community on the island ofRoanoke. The first English child, Virginia Dare, was bornthere that year. However, by 1590 the settlementdisappeared. Nobody remained.

In 1606, King James I of England divided the coast ofNorth America for two large companies. The LondonCompany got the southern part and the PlymouthCompany got the northern section. The LondonCompany set up its first colony in 1607 at Jamestown onthe James River. At first, the Jamestown colony tried tofind gold and other resources it could send to England.Eventually in 1616, they started to grow tobacco. Thisbecame the colony’s primary industry. Three years later,with the introduction of slave labor, the tobacco industrygrew.


You are a colonist in one of thethirteen colonies. Write a diary entrythat describes life in the "New World."Write about the work you do and thefood you eat. Describe how you feelabout Britain.


What is the main idea of the text?

What is the main idea of thesection 'The British Come West'?

Which details from the textsupport the idea that the colonies wereunder British control? Select all thatapply.

The thirteen colonies weresupported mostly by growingtobacco and other crops.

The thirteen colonies were createdwith land granted to wealthyEnglishmen.

The thirteen colonies soon realizedthey no longer wanted to becontrolled by Britain.

The thirteen colonies were createdas an extension of Britain and gavenew opportunities to colonists.

The British tried to exercise toomuch control on the colonies.

English laws said that farmerscould not reclaim their land inEngland if they left.

Many English people moved to the"New World" for businessopportunities and religiousfreedom.

The first colonies discovered thattobacco was a profitable crop.

England depended on the coloniesto provide them with profits.




New England ColoniesAfter the Jamestown colony succeeded, a group ofEnglish Puritans settled in modern day Massachusetts.They created a town named Plymouth in 1620. A decadelater, the Massachusetts Bay Company, a largercommunity of wealthy Puritans, arrived. Thesecommunities partnered with the native people living inthe area, learning to farm, fish, and hunt.


As the Massachusetts colony grew, its inhabitants spreadout. A particularly religious segment of the Puritanscreated Connecticut and New Haven. In 1665, thesebecame one colony. A more liberal group formed RhodeIsland, and an adventurous group of pioneers createdNew Hampshire.

Middle ColoniesIn 1632, England gave 12 million acres of land at theChesapeake Bay to Cecilius Calvert. He formed a colonynamed Maryland after the British queen. They also grewtobacco and used slave labor. Maryland was also a placefor Catholics who were persecuted in England.

The area between the New England colonies and Virginiawas mostly Dutch. In 1664, England took the area of theDutch New Netherlands, renaming it New York.

In 1680, the king of England gave land to William Penn.He got 45,000 square miles to develop a Quaker colony.Penn developed a strong colony that treated everyone asequal known as Pennsylvania.

What is the primary text structureused in this article?

How does the last sectioncontribute to the text?

How does the structure of the texthelp the author make the point that thecolonies wanted to be separate fromEngland?

England tried to control thecolonies’ governments.

Leaders in the colonies had to askEngland before making anydecisions.

Each colony had its owngovernment system based onEnglish common law.

descriptive

cause & effect

chronology/sequence

compare & contrast

It describes the first colony thatwas established.

It explains why many British peoplewanted to go to the "New World."

It compares each of the colonies toshow how they were all verydifferent.

It explains that the colonies all feltthat Britain had too much controlover them.

The problem and solution textstructure helps the author explainhow the colonies gained completefreedom.

The chronological text structurehelps the author to explain how thecolonies developed their ownidentities separate from England.

The descriptive text structure helpsthe author give specific examplesof how England tried to control thecolonies.

The comparison text structurehelps the author explain how eachcolony felt differently aboutEngland.


William Penn

Southern ColoniesThe Carolina colony formed between Virginia andFlorida. However, they struggled to make their farms andhad a rougher culture than Virginia’s. The Carolina colonygrew corn, lumber, beef, pork, and later rice. Carolinaformed a strong connection to the Caribbean Island ofBarbados. This island relied heavily on slave labor tosupport its agricultural economy. The colony becamemore stable and divided into two colonies in 1729, Northand South Carolina. In 1732, the colony of Georgiaformed between Florida and South Carolina.


Commonalities of the ColoniesBy 1700, 250,000 people lived in the North Americancolonies. Each colony had its own government systembased on English common law. These colonies were ledby landowners and had local governments.


While these new colonies had some freedom, they werestill connected to England. England depended on thecolonies to provide them with profits. As such, theywanted to exercise control over the colonies’governments. They required that local leaders getapproval from England before making major decisions.

By the 18th century, Britain had more demands of thethirteen colonies. At the same time, the colonies hadtheir own identities. The colonies worked together toaddress concerns rather than turning to the England.This growing independence angered the Brits, causingthem to exercise even greater control. Thus, thefoundation was laid for the development of a war forindependence, the Revolutionary War.


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Grade: 7.9

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, Europeans,mostly from Great Britain, came to North America tosettle. Some of the communities that they formedbecame known as the thirteen colonies: Delaware,Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut,Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, NewHampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, andRhode Island, and the Province Plantations.

The British Come WestIn the 16th century, unrest developed in England due toa number of factors. Food shortages arose becausefarmers shifted from growing crops to raising sheepwhose wool they could sell. As this was taking place,mercantilism, earning money through trade, also grew.Englishmen wanted to expand the businessopportunities available to Britain. They did this bydeveloping large numbers of colonies, which wouldprovide goods for England to profit from.

In addition, the population in Britain was also growing. Inorder to get more money for Britain and to provide for agrowing population, England wanted to settle on theeastern coast of North America.

Many middle-class people left England for this “NewWorld”. Artisans, craftsmen, weavers, cobblers,blacksmiths, and bakers prepared to move to NorthAmerica, but few farmers volunteered to relocate.Because of “copy hold” regulations, English farmers werenot guaranteed to keep the land they owned or leased ifthey stopped farming it. This meant that if they leftEngland and tried to come back, they would have to startover again. Thus, they declined to leave the country.Along with the middle-class individuals were some whowanted more religious freedom.

The First SettlementsIn 1587, the first group of settlers came to NorthAmerica. Led by Sir Walter Raleigh, they set up acommunity on the island of Roanoke. The first Englishchild, Virginia Dare, was born in the Roanoke colony thatyear. However, by 1590 the settlement had mysteriouslydisappeared. None of its inhabitants remained.

In 1606, King James I of England divided the Atlanticcoast of North America between two large landcompanies. The London Company was given thesouthern part of the coast and the Plymouth Company


Imagine that you are a colonist inone of the thirteen colonies. Write adiary entry that describes life in the"New World." Explain how your colonywas first created, the work you do, thefood you eat, and how you feel aboutBritain.


What is the central idea of the text?

How does the section'Commonalities of The Colonies'develop the central idea of the article?

The thirteen colonies dependedmostly on tobacco to sustain theireconomies.

The thirteen colonies were createdby various wealthy Englishmen towhom the king of England gaveland.

The thirteen colonies developed agrowing sense of independence,realizing they no longer wanted tobe controlled by Britain.

The thirteen colonies were createdas an extension of Britain andprovided expanded opportunitiesfor those who ventured there.

It describes the first colony thatwas established, setting anexample of success for the othercolonies.

It explains the reasons why theBritish people decided to expand tothe "New World."

It compares each of the colonies sothat readers can gain an accuratepicture of what each one was like.

It explains how the colonies jointlyfelt that Britain was exercising toomuch control over them.



was given the northern section. The London Companyset up its first colony in 1607 at Jamestown on the JamesRiver. The Jamestown colony struggled as colonistsinitially tried to find gold and other resources it couldexport to England. Eventually in 1616, they learned togrow tobacco, which became the colony’s primaryindustry. Three years later, with the introduction of slavelabor, the tobacco industry grew.


New England ColoniesAfter the success of the Jamestown colony, a group ofEnglish Puritan separatists settled in modern dayMassachusetts. They created a town they namedPlymouth in 1620. A decade later, the Massachusetts BayCompany, a larger community of wealthy Puritans,arrived and developed additional settlements in thecolony. These communities partnered with the nativepeople living in the area, learning to farm, fish, and hunt.


As the Massachusetts colony grew, its inhabitants spreadout amongst the northern section of the eastern coast. Aparticularly pious segment of the Puritans splintered off,forming Connecticut and New Haven, which combinedinto one colony in 1665. A more liberal faction ofPuritans formed the colony of Rhode Island, and anadventurous group of pioneers created the NewHampshire colony.

Middle ColoniesIn 1632, the English monarchy granted 12 million acresof land at the Chesapeake Bay to Lord Baltimore, CeciliusCalvert. He formed a colony there named Maryland inhonor of the British queen. They based their economy on

Which details from the textsupport the idea that the colonies hadsome independence? Select all thatapply.

What does the section 'The BritishCome West' contribute to the article?

What is the importance of thesection 'The First Settlements'?

Why does the author separate thetext into sections?

King James I of England divided theAtlantic coast of North Americabetween two large land companies.

Each colony had its owngovernmental system based onEnglish common law.

The colonies worked together toaddress governmental concernsrather than turning to themotherland.

The Jamestown colony struggled tofind gold and other resources itcould export to England.

It explains the factors that led tothe formation of the colonies.

It explains why farmers in Englandwere having success during the16th century.

It explains why the Massachusettscolony broke off into severalsmaller colonies.

It explains how the colonistsreacted to the overreach of Britishcontrol.

It explains why the Puritanstraveled to the "New World."

It explains how the colony of NewYork got its name.

It explains how the earliest "NewWorld" settlements were formed.

It explains how the colony ofCarolina gained stability.

to help the reader learn how thelocal government worked in eachcolony

to help the reader understand thedifferent areas in which coloniesformed

to help the reader see how theBritish were unfairly treating thecolonies

to help the reader memorize thenames of the different colonies


Virginia’s, growing tobacco and supporting agriculturethrough slave labor. They also created a refuge forCatholics who were persecuted in England.

While Britain controlled most of the land north ofMaryland, the area between the New England coloniesand Virginia was mostly Dutch. In 1664, England took thearea of the Dutch New Netherlands, renaming it NewYork.

In 1680, the king of England again awarded land to aprominent Englishman, William Penn. He was given45,000 square miles west of the Delaware River todevelop a Quaker colony. With the promise of good soilfor farming and a religiously tolerant community, Penndeveloped a strong, egalitarian colony known asPennsylvania.

William Penn

Southern ColoniesFollowing the model of Jamestown in Virginia, theCarolina colony formed between Virginia and Florida.However, they struggled to cultivate their farms and hada rougher, less refined culture than Virginia’s. TheCarolina colony grew corn, lumber, beef, pork, and laterrice. Carolina formed a strong connection to theCaribbean Island of Barbados, which relied heavily onslave labor to support its agricultural economy. Thecolony became more stable and divided into twocolonies in 1729, North and South Carolina. In 1732, thecolony of Georgia formed between Florida and SouthCarolina.



Commonalities of the ColoniesBy 1700, 250,000 people lived in the North Americancolonies. Each colony had its own governmental systembased on English common law, having local control bylandowners and local or provincial governments.

While these new colonies had some autonomy, theywere bound economically and politically to England.Because they were created as part of the mercantilistexpansion of the nation, England depended on thecolonies to provide them with profits. As such, the Britishcrown wanted to exercise control over the colonies’governments. Britain required that colonies’ local leadersget approval from England before making majordecisions.

By the 18th century, Britain grew more demanding of thethirteen colonies. At the same time, the colonies alsobegan forming their own identities, working together toaddress governmental concerns rather than turning tothe motherland. This growing sense of independenceangered the Brits, causing them to exercise even greatercontrol over the colonies. Thus, the foundation was laidfor the development of a war for independence, theRevolutionary War.


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Grade: 9.5

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, Europeans,primarily Britons, came to North America to settle. Someof the communities that they formed became known asthe thirteen colonies: Delaware, Pennsylvania, NewJersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland,South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York,North Carolina, and Rhode Island, as well as the ProvincePlantations.

The British Come WestIn the 16th century, unrest developed in England due toa number of factors. Food shortages arose as farmersshifted from growing crops to raising sheep for theirwool. As this internal reallocation was taking place,mercantilism also grew. Englishmen sought to expandthe business opportunities available to their nation bydeveloping a large number of colonies that could providegoods for England to profit from.

Adding to the increasing drive to make more money, thepopulation in Britain also grew. In order to satisfymercantilist aspirations and to relieve the nation’spressure to provide for an expanding population,England set its sights on the eastern coast of NorthAmerica.

Among those leaving England for this “New World” weremiddle-class business people. Artisans, craftsmen,weavers, cobblers, blacksmiths, and bakers prepared tomove to North America, but few farmers volunteered torelocate. According to “copy hold” regulations, Englishfarmers were not guaranteed to keep the land theyowned or leased if they stopped farming it. Should theyattempt to return to England, they would have to startover again. Thus, they declined to leave the country.Along with middle-class individuals, many who soughtgreater religious freedom opted to move to the “NewWorld” as well.

The First SettlementsIn 1587, the first group of European settlers came toNorth America. Led by Sir Walter Raleigh, they set up acommunity on the island of Roanoke. Though the firstEnglish child, Virginia Dare, was born in the Roanokecolony that year, by 1590, the settlement hadmysteriously disappeared. None of its inhabitantsremained.


Imagine that you are a colonist inone of the original thirteen colonies.Write a diary entry that describes life inthe "New World." Be sure to explainhow your colony was first created, thework you do, the food you eat, and theway you feel about Britain.


How does the central idea developover the course of the text?

How does the section 'The BritishCome West' shape the central idea ofthe text?

The author explains how thecolonies struggled to survive atfirst, but then introduces tobaccoas the crop that enabled them tocontinue to exist.

The author explains the process bywhich wealthy Englishmen weregranted plots of land in NorthAmerica and how they developedthose plots to create the colonies.

The author explains the ways inwhich Britain tried to exert controlover the colonies and detailsnumerous clashes that occurreddue to this power struggle.

The author explains the forcebehind the creation of the colonies,giving an overview of how each oneformed and then explaining whythey later sought independence.

It describes the first colony thatwas established, setting anexample of success for the othercolonies.

It explains the reasons why theBritish people decided to expand tothe "New World."



In 1606, King James I of England divided the Atlanticcoast of North America between two large landcompanies. The London Company was granted access tothe southern portion of the coast and the PlymouthCompany was awarded the northern section. Underthese new terms, the London Company set up its firstcolony in 1607 at Jamestown on the James River. TheJamestown colony struggled as its inhabitants initiallyfocused on locating gold and other resources it couldexport to England. Eventually, in 1616, the people ofJamestown learned to grow tobacco, which became thecolony’s primary economy. Three years later, with theintroduction of slave labor, the tobacco industry grew.


New England ColoniesFollowing the success of the Jamestown colony, a groupof English Puritan separatists settled in modern dayMassachusetts in 1620 in a town they named Plymouth.A decade later, the Massachusetts Bay Company, a largercommunity of wealthy Puritans, arrived and developedadditional settlements in the colony of Massachusetts.These communities partnered with the native peopleliving in the area, learning to farm, fish, and hunt.


As the Massachusetts colony grew, its inhabitants spreadout amongst the northern section of the eastern coast. Aparticularly pious segment of the Puritans splintered off,forming the colonies of Connecticut and New Haven,which combined into one in 1665. A more liberal factionof Puritans formed the colony of Rhode Island, and anadventurous group of pioneers created the NewHampshire colony.

Middle Colonies

Which of the following details fromthe text are important to include in asummary? Select all that apply.

Why did the author choose to writethe section 'The British Come West'using cause and effect?

What makes the structure of thistext effective in presenting the author'sclaim that the colonies had grown asense of independence?

It compares each of the colonies sothat readers can gain an accuratepicture of what each one was like.

It shows how the king of Englandtried tried to exert too muchcontrol over the colonies.

In 1587, Sir Walter Raleigh led thefirst group of settlers to NorthAmerica and established asettlement in Roanoke.

“Copy hold” regulations stated thatEnglish farmers were notguaranteed to keep the land theyowned or leased if they stoppedfarming it.

The colonies had some autonomy,but were bound economically andpolitically to England.

As the Massachusetts colony grew,it split into smaller colonies.

The author wanted to explain thefactors that led to the formation ofthe colonies.

The author wanted to explain whyfarmers in England were sosuccessful during the 16th century.

The author wanted to explain whythe Massachusetts colony broke offinto several smaller colonies.

The author wanted to explain howthe colonists reacted to theoverreach of British control.

The problem and solution textstructure allows the author toexplain how the creation of thecolonies gave the colonists thecomplete independence they haddesired.

The chronological text structureallows the author to explain howover 150 years, the coloniesdeveloped unique identities thatincluded being separate fromBritain.


Middle ColoniesIn 1632, the English monarchy granted 12 million acresof land at the Chesapeake Bay to Lord Baltimore, CeciliusCalvert. He brought with him settlers who formed acolony there that they named Maryland, in honor of theBritish queen. They based their economy on that ofVirginia, growing tobacco and supporting agriculturethrough slave labor. They also created a refuge forCatholics who were persecuted in England.

While Britain controlled most of the land north ofMaryland, the area between the New England coloniesand Virginia was dominated by the Dutch. In 1664,England absorbed the area of the Dutch NewNetherlands, renaming it New York.

In 1680, the king of England awarded land to aprominent Englishman named William Penn, providinghim with 45,000 square miles of land west of theDelaware River to develop a Quaker colony. With thepromise of good soil for farming and a religiouslytolerant community, Penn developed a strong,egalitarian colony known as Pennsylvania.

William Penn

Southern ColoniesFollowing the model of Jamestown in Virginia, theCarolina colony formed between Virginia and Florida.However, they struggled to cultivate their farms, creatinga rougher, less refined culture than that of Virginia. TheCarolina colony grew corn and supplied lumber, beef,pork, and later rice. After forming a strong connection tothe Caribbean island of Barbados, which relied heavily onslave labor to support its agricultural economy, thecolony became more stable and divided into two

The author claims that the newcolonies had some autonomy. How isthis claim revealed in the text? Select allthat apply.

The descriptive text structureallows the author to give specificdetails about the power Britaintried to exercise over the coloniesand how each of them resisted.

The comparison text structureallows the author to explain howeach colony felt differently aboutthe demands that the Britainplaced on them.

The author explains that eachcolony had its own governmentalsystem based on English commonlaw.

The author explains that localleaders had to get approval fromEngland before making majordecisions.

The author explains that thecolonies were bound economicallyand politically to England.

The author explains thatlandowners and local or provincialgovernments were the ones directlyin control of each colony.


colonies, North and South Carolina, in 1729. Three yearslater, the colony of Georgia formed between Florida andSouth Carolina.


Commonalities of the ColoniesBy 1700, 250,000 people lived in the North Americancolonies. Each colony had its own governmental systembased on English common law, which allowed for localcontrol by landowners and local or provincialgovernments.

While these new colonies had some autonomy, theywere bound economically and politically to England.Because they were created as part of the mercantilistexpansion of the nation, England depended on thecolonies to provide them with profits. As such, the Britishcrown sought to exercise control over the colonies’governments, requiring that their local leaders getapproval from England before making major decisions.

By the 18th century, Britain grew more demanding of thethirteen colonies. At the same time, the colonies alsobegan forming their own identities, working together toaddress governmental concerns rather than turning tothe motherland. This growing sense of independenceangered the British, causing them to exercise evengreater control over the colonies. Thus, the foundationwas laid for the development of a war for independence,the Revolutionary War.

Founding of the Colonies Discussion Questions

1. What were some factors that led Europeans to move to the New World?

2. What made the colonies similar to one another? How did they differ?

3. What do you think daily life was like in the first colonies as they were founded?

4. Do you think it would be possible to found new colonies in today’s world? Explain why or

why not.

5. What are some factors that would cause you to leave your current country for a new life in a different country?

6. If you were to start your own colony, what would be its founding principles? Why are these principles important to you?


BRITISH TAXATION

Divide students into an even number of groups. Assign one of two sides to each group: half of the groups will argue for British taxation being justified, and the other half will argue against British taxation being justified.

Hand out the following two pages to students. The first page outlines the structure of the debate as well as facts that support each side. The second, the graphic organizer, provides questions for students to answer as the debate progresses. There are built-in times for students to fill out their graphic organizer throughout the debate.

Structure the groups to fit your classroom: you can have 2 groups for the entire class to participate in the same debate, or have smaller groups and multiple debates going on at once!

Was British Taxation Justified?Teacher Guide


The facts:The facts:


Debate guidelines:

• The French and Indian War benefitted the colonists the most.• The French and Indian War was really expensive, and the British needed a way to pay for it.• The colonists didn’t want to pay for a war they didn’t start (the French and Indian War).• The British needed to pay for troops left in the colonies after the French and Indian War meant to help

protect colonists.• Britain had been ignoring the colonies, but now was paying attention because it needed money.• Since the colonies were from Britain, Britain had the right to tax them.• The Sugar Act actually lowered taxes on the colonies.• The Sugar Act came at a time when many colonists were struggling to make money, and made it harder

for them to do so.• Britain limited the colonies’ ability to trade with other countries, which meant the colonists couldn’t make

as much money.• British citizens in Great Britain also had to pay the Stamp Act; the colonists weren’t the only ones.• The smuggling done by the colonists was not allowed in any other part of the British Empire.• The colonies overall had to pay less taxes than did people living in Britain.• England gave the colonies the chance to impose a tax upon themselves before the Townshend Acts.• England didn’t tell the colonies how much it wanted to raise taxes on the colonies before it passed the

Townshend Acts. The colonies assumed there would be no end to higher taxes by England.• The colonists thought internal taxes—taxes on things that happens amongst colonists and not with

Britain—were unfair (the Stamp Act was an example of this, as it taxed documents colonists sent to each other).

• Free trade did not exist in England, and all Englishmen paid their taxes.• The colonists were angered by customs officials searching colonial homes, stores, and offices.• The colonists were questioning Parliament’s right to tax and rule them.• British citizens had the right to have no taxation without representation—the colonists felt they deserved

to have their needs represented in the British Parliament as well if they were going to be taxed. • Not everyone in England was directly represented in Parliament, and the colonists simply fell under this

group of unrepresented peoples.

Flip a coin to see which side will present first. Then, follow the structure laid out below. Make sure to fill out your graphic organizer during the debate to keep your arguments organized. Remember to use facts in your arguments!

Was British taxation justified?

Each group prepares for questioning

First group questions the second group

Second group questions the first group

Each group prepares final statements

First group presents final statement

Second group presents final statement

Each group prepares their arguments

First group presents their arguments

Second group presents their arguments

Each group prepares a response

First group responds to second group

Second group responds to first group

10 mins

2 mins

2 mins

5 mins

2 mins

2 mins

5 mins

3 mins

3 mins

5 mins

2 mins

2 mins

Was British taxation justified?

How can you respond to the other side’s opening arguments?

What questions do you think the other side will ask you?

What questions can you ask the other side to make them reconsider their stance?

Which facts will support your side?


BOSTON

MASSACRE

Note: With a Front Row account, you would be able to assign articles so every student automatically receives the article that is at his/her individual level.

Your students would also receive the reading comprehension questions without the answers marked.

Sign up for a free Front Row account: www.frontrowed.com/revwar-signup

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Grade: 2.9

The Boston Massacre took place on March 5, 1770. Agroup of British soldiers opened fire on Americancolonists. Five men were killed and six others hurt. Thiswas a big event in American history. It made Americancolonists eager to rebel against the British. This led to theAmerican Revolution.

The Townshend ActsIn 1768, the British created some new taxes. These taxeswere on items made in Britain and brought to thecolonies. These items were tea, paint, glass, paper andlead. The taxes were part of new laws called theTownshend Acts. American colonists did not like thesenew laws. They felt that the Townshend Acts were unfair.The colonists protested. Things in Boston became tense.The British had to bring in soldiers to keep order.

The MassacreIt was the evening of March 5. An American namedEdward Garrick began bothering a British officer namedCaptain-Lieutenant John Goldfinch. He was on guardoutside the Custom House. Private Hugh White tried todefend Goldfinch. But Garrick picked on White too. Whitewas so angered that he hit Garrick with his gun. A crowdof around 50 colonists gathered. They began to make funof Private White. They threw sticks and snowballs. Soon,the crowd grew to over 400 people. Meanwhile, othermobs formed on the streets. They began picking onother British soldiers.

An engraving of the Boston Massacre

WritingAnchor Skill: Argument

You are the judge for the BostonMassacre. Whose fault do you think it isthat the Boston Massacre happened?

ReadingAnchor Skills: Analyzing Connections, TextStructure & Development

Why did John Adams help thesoldiers?

What happened when moresoldiers got to the Custom House?

Why were the colonists angry overthe Townshend Acts?

How do the subheadings help youunderstand the text?

Under which section can you learnabout the taxes the colonists had topay?

He was British too.

He was a soldier also.

He wanted them to have a fair trial.

He believed they did nothingwrong.

The colonists got angrier.

The colonists shot at the soldiers.

The crowd left the area.

The soldiers shot into the air.

They did not have the money to paythe taxes.

They did not guy the taxed goods.

They had other taxes they alreadyhad to pay.

They felt the taxes were unfair.

They ask questions about the text.

They make the text funny.

They tell what each part of the textis about.

They

The Townshend Acts

The Massacre

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To keep order, soldiers were sent to the Custom House.But the crowd grew even angrier at the sight of Britishsoldiers. They began shouting at them. They challengedthem to shoot. Captain Preston arrived to try to break upthe crowd. They only got more mad. An object wasthrown from the crowd and hit Private Montgomery. Itknocked him down, and he dropped his gun. PrivateMontgomery jumped up and fired into the crowd. Othersoldiers fired into the crowd as well. Three colonists diedand two were hurt.

The Boston Massacre

The TrialsThomas Hutchinson was the governor of Boston. Hebroke up the crowd. He promised that he would look intothe shootings. Thirteen people were arrested andcharged with murder. They were Captain ThomasPreston, 8 British soldiers, and 4 others. British troopswere removed from the city.

The soldiers needed a fair trial. But no lawyer wanted tohelp them. Captain Preston asked John Adams to help.He was a patriot, but believed the soldiers should have afair trial. Thomas Preston was tried in October. The jurysaid that he had not told the troops to fire. They let himgo. The trial of the soldiers was the next month. Adamssaid they were defending themselves. He told the jurythat they felt that their lives were in danger. Six of thesoldiers were freed. The other two were found guilty. Thefour others were tried, and all of them were let go.

In which section can you findinformation about how the massacrestarted?

The Trials

After the Boston Massacre

The Townshend Acts

The Massacre

The Trials

After the Boston Massacre


Notes from the Boston Massacre trials

After the Boston MassacreAfter the massacre, the Townshend Acts were removed.There were no taxes except for the one on tea. Bostonwas angry over the massacre. Still, Americans started tobring in British items again.

The Boston Massacre made Americans realize they werenot being treated fairly. It made them want to rise upagainst the British. The event made people to look atBritish rule in a different way. Five years later, theAmerican Revolution began.

The site of the Boston Massacre


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Grade: 3.9

The Boston Massacre took place on March 5, 1770. Agroup of British soldiers opened fire on Americancolonists. Five men were killed and six others injured.This was a turning point in American history. It madeAmerican colonists eager to rebel against the British,eventually leading to the American Revolution.

The Townshend ActsIn 1768, the British Parliament created some new taxes.These taxes were on several items manufactured inBritain and exported to the American colonies. Theseitems included tea, paint, glass, paper and lead. Thetaxes were part of new laws called the Townshend Acts.American colonists did not approve of these new laws.They felt that the Townshend Acts violated the theirrights. The colonists began protesting. The situation inBoston grew so tense that the British had to bring insoldiers to keep order.

Rising TensionsOn the evening of March 5, an American named EdwardGarrick began bothering a British officer named Captain-Lieutenant John Goldfinch. He was on guard outside theCustom House. Private Hugh White tried to defendGoldfinch. But Garrick started insulting White too. Whitewas so angered that he struck Garrick in the face with hisgun. A crowd of around 50 colonists gathered and beganto taunt Private White. They threw sticks and snowballs.Soon he was surrounded by over 400 angry people.Meanwhile, other mobs started forming on Boston'sstreets. They began taunting other British soldiers.

WritingAnchor Skills: Argument, Writing Conventions

You are the judge for thoseinvolved in the Boston Massacre.Explain how you would rule based onwhat happened. Give reasons for yourdecisions.


How did Thomas Hutchinson getthe crowd to clear after the massacre?

How did Adams argue that thesoldiers were innocent?

Why did the colonists dislike theTownshend Acts?

Which of the following could be analternate heading for the section 'Rising

He told people the event would beinvestigated.

He shot his gun into the air threetimes.

He brought John Adams over tospeak to everyone.

He promised to get rid of theTownshend Acts.

He proved that it was EdwardGarrick who started the massacre.

He made the jury think it was thecolonists who fired guns.

He argued the colonists told thesoldiers fire at them.

He said they were defendingthemselves from the mob.


They felt that the Townshend Actsviolated their rights.

They thought the Townshend Actswere old laws that were no longerneeded.




Paul Revere’s famous engraving of the Boston Massacre

To keep order, Captain Thomas Preston sent soldiers tothe Custom House. But the crowd grew even angrier atthe sight of armed British soldiers. They began shoutingat the soldiers, challenging them to fire. Captain Prestonarrived to try to break up the angry crowd. Theyresponded with more insults. An object was thrown fromthe crowd and hit soldier Private Montgomery. Itknocked him down, causing him to drop his gun. PrivateMontgomery recovered and fired into the crowd in a fitof anger. Other soldiers fired into the crowd as well.Three colonists died instantly. Two more died later frominjuries.

Another artist's depiction of the Boston Massacre

The Boston Massacre TrialsThomas Hutchinson was the acting governor of Boston.He managed to break up the crowd. He promised thatthe shootings would be investigated. Thirteen peoplewere arrested and charged with murder. They includedCaptain Thomas Preston, eight British soldiers, and fourcivilians. British troops were removed from the city.

The government wanted to give the soldiers a fair trial.But no lawyer wanted to represent them. Eventually,Captain Thomas Preston requested that John Adams

Tensions'?

Under which section will you findinformation about what happened tothose involved in the massacre?

In which section would you addinformation about the cost of thetaxes?

The American Revolution

Patriotism

The British Parliament

A Massacre in Boston

The Townshend Acts

Rising Tensions

The Boston Massacre Trials

Legacy of the Boston Massacre

The Townshend Acts

Rising Tensions




represent them. Although he was a patriot, John Adamsbelieved that the soldiers deserved a fair trial. ThomasPreston was tried separately in late October. The jurydecided that he had not ordered the troops to fire. Theylet him go. The trial of the soldiers began on November27, 1770. Adams argued that the soldiers were innocent.He said they were defending themselves. He told the jurythat the soldiers thought that their lives were in dangerfrom the mob. Six of the eight soldiers were freed by thejury. The other two soldiers were found guilty. The fourcivilians were tried on December 13,1770. All of themwere let go by the jury.


Legacy of the Boston MassacreAfter the massacre, the British Parliament got rid of theTownshend Acts. It removed all new taxes except for thetax on tea. Boston was angry over the massacre. Still,American merchants started to bring in British itemsagain.

The Boston Massacre was a key event that motivatedAmericans to rise up against the British. It representedpatriotism in the colonies. The event forced people tolook at British rule in a different way. Five years later, theAmerican Revolution began.


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Grade: 5.0

The Boston Massacre took place on March 5, 1770. Asquad of British soldiers opened fire on a group ofAmerican colonists. Five men were killed and six othersinjured. This was a turning point in American history. Itsparked rebellion in the hearts of the American public,eventually leading to the American Revolution.

The Townshend ActsIn 1768, the British Parliament imposed a number of newtaxes. These taxes were on a variety of items that weremanufactured in Britain and exported to the Americancolonies. The items with import tariffs included tea,paint, glass, paper and lead. These taxes were part of anew set of laws called the Townshend Acts. Americancolonists opposed these new laws. They felt that theTownshend Acts violated the rights of British subjects inthe American colonies. The colonists began protesting.Soon, the situation in Boston grew so tense that theBritish had to bring in soldiers to maintain order.

Rising TensionsOn the evening of March 5, an American named EdwardGarrick began harassing a British officer. The Britishofficer, Captain-Lieutenant John Goldfinch, was on guardoutside the Custom House. Another soldier, Private HughWhite, joined Goldfinch to defend him. But Garrickstarted insulting White too. White was so aggravated thathe struck Garrick in the face with his musket. Soon, acrowd of around 50 colonists gathered and began toheckle Private White. The crowd around Private Whitethrew sticks and snowballs. It grew until he wassurrounded by over 400 angry people. Meanwhile, othermobs forming on Boston's streets began provoking otherBritish soldiers.

WritingAnchor Skills: Argument, Writing Conventions,Drawing Evidence

You are the judge hearing thecases of those involved in the BostonMassacre. You will decide the cases ofThomas Preston, the soldiers, and thecivilians. Explain how you would rulebased on what happened.


How did Thomas Hutchinson getthe crowd to clear after the massacre?

How did Adams argue that thesoldiers were innocent?

Why did the colonists not agreewith the Townshend Acts?

He told people the incident wouldbe investigated.

He shot his gun into the air threetimes.

He brought John Adams over tospeak to everyone.

He promised to get rid of theTownshend Acts.

He proved that it was EdwardGarrick who instigated the event.

He made the jury think it was thecolonists who fired guns.

He found the colonists were at faultfor making the soldiers fire.

He said they had a legal right todefend themselves because theirlives were in danger.


They felt that the Townshend Actsviolated their rights.

They thought the Townshend Actswere old laws that were no longernecessary.





To keep order, Captain Thomas Preston sent a numberof soldiers to the Custom House. But the crowd greweven angrier at the sight of British soldiers armed withbayonets. They began shouting at the soldiers,challenging them to fire. Captain Preston arrived at thescene and tried to get the angry crowd to disperse. Thecrowd responded with more insults and ice chunks. Anobject thrown from the crowd hit soldier PrivateMontgomery and knocked him down, causing him todrop his musket. Private Montgomery recovered andfired into the crowd in a fit of anger. Other soldiers firedinto the crowd as well. Three colonists died instantly.Two more died later from injuries.


The Boston Massacre TrialsThomas Hutchinson was the acting governor of Boston.He managed to get the crowd to disperse. He promisedthat the shootings would be investigated. Thirteenpeople, including Captain Thomas Preston, eight Britishsoldiers, and four civilians, were arrested and chargedwith murder. British troops were removed from the city.

Which text structure does theauthor use throughout the article?

How are the text structures of thesection 'The Townshend Acts' and thesection titled 'Legacy of the BostonMassacre' similar?

Which part of the text represents acause and effect relationship?

Problem & Solution

Cause & Effect

Description

Comparison

They both use a problem andsolution text structure to explainwhy the colonists were angry andhow the conflict was solved.

They both use a descriptive textstructure to summarize the eventsleading up to and after themassacre.

They both use a comparison textstructure to explain how the twoevents were similar.

They both use a chronological textstructure to describe the order ofevents during the massacre.

To keep order, Captain ThomasPreston sent soldiers to the CustomHouse, but the crowd grew angrierat the sight of armed soldiers.

Adams convinced the jury that thesoldiers thought that their liveswere in danger from the mob.

The government wanted to give thesoldiers a fair trial, but no lawyerwanted to represent them.

The crowd around Private Whitethrew sticks and snowballs andgrew until he was surrounded byover 400 angry people.


The government wanted to give the soldiers a fair trial,but no lawyer wanted to represent them. Eventually,Captain Thomas Preston requested John Adams torepresent them. Although he was a patriot, John Adamsbelieved that the soldiers deserved a fair trial. ThomasPreston was tried separately in late October. The jurydecided that he had not ordered the troops to fire andacquitted him. The trial of the soldiers began onNovember 27, 1770. Adams argued that the soldierswere innocent. They had the legal right to defendthemselves. He convinced the jury that the soldiersthought that their lives were in danger from the mob. Sixof the eight soldiers were acquitted by the jury. Theother two soldiers were found guilty. The four civilianswere tried on December 13,1770. All of them wereacquitted by the jury.


Legacy of the Boston MassacreAfter the massacre, the British Parliament got rid of theTownshend Acts. It removed all new taxes except for thetax on tea. Boston was angry over the massacre, butAmerican merchants started to import British itemsagain.

The Boston Massacre is considered one of the mostimportant events that motivated Americans to rise upagainst the British Empire. It became a rallying cry forpatriotism in the colonies. The event undoubtedlyforced people to look at British rule from a differentperspective. Five years later, the American Revolutionbegan.


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Grade: 7.0

The Boston Massacre took place on March 5, 1770. Asquad of British soldiers opened fire on a group ofAmerican colonists, killing five men and injuring sixothers. This event turned out to be a watershed momentin the history of America. It was the spark that ignited thefire of rebellion in the hearts of the American public,eventually leading to the American Revolution.

The Townshend ActsIn 1768, the British Parliament imposed a number of newtaxes on a variety of items that were manufactured inBritain and exported to the American colonies. The itemsthat were subjected to import tariffs included tea, paint,glass, paper and lead. These taxes were part of a new setof laws called the Townshend Acts. American colonistsvehemently opposed these new laws. They felt that theTownshend Acts violated the natural, charter, andconstitutional rights of British subjects in the Americancolonies. The colonists began protesting, and soon, thesituation in Boston grew so tense that the British had tobring in soldiers to maintain order.

Rising TensionsOn the evening of March 5, an American named EdwardGarrick began harassing a British officer. The Britishofficer, Captain-Lieutenant John Goldfinch, was on guardoutside the Custom House on King Street. Anothersoldier, Private Hugh White, joined Goldfinch to defendhim. But Garrick started insulting White too, aggravatinghim so much that he struck Garrick in the face with hismusket. Soon, a crowd of around 50 colonists gatheredand began to heckle and throw sticks and snowballs atPrivate White. The crowd around Private White grew untilhe was surrounded by over 400 angry people.Meanwhile, there were other mobs forming on Boston'sstreets. Those mobs provoked other British soldiers.


You are the judge presiding overthe trials of those involved in theBoston Massacre. You will decide thecases of Thomas Preston, the soldiers,and the civilians. Explain how youwould rule based on the actions ofthose involved.


Why did Edward Garrick andCaptain-Lieutenant John Goldfinch havea conflict?

What caused the crowd of coloniststo challenge the British soldiers toshoot them?

Why were most of the soldiersacquitted by the jury?

Edward Garrick had struck JohnGoldfinch with his musket.

The two men had fought againstone another in the AmericanRevolution.

Tensions were high because thecolonists were upset with theBritish over the Townshend Acts.

Edward Garrick had no reason tostart conflict with John Goldfinch.

The British soldiers started hittingcolonists with their guns.

British soldiers armed withbayonets arrived to keep order.

The British Parliament repealed theTownshend Acts.

The British Parliament told thecolonists they had to pay importtariffs.

The jury found that they only firedbecause their lives were in danger.

John Adams did a poor job ofrepresenting them.




To keep order, the local British officer of the watch,Captain Thomas Preston, sent a number of soldiers tothe Custom House. But the crowd grew even angrier atthe sight of British soldiers armed with bayonets. Theybegan shouting at the soldiers, challenging them to fire.Captain Preston arrived at the scene and tried to get theangry crowd to disperse. The crowd responded withmore insults and ice chunks. An object thrown from thecrowd hit soldier Private Montgomery and knocked himdown, causing him to drop his musket. PrivateMontgomery recovered and fired into the crowd in a fitof anger. Other soldiers fired into the crowd as well.Three colonists died instantly, and two more died laterfrom injuries.


The Boston Massacre TrialsThe acting governor of Boston, Thomas Hutchinson,managed to get the crowd to disperse. He promised thatthere would be a fair inquiry into the shootings. Duringthe investigation, thirteen people, including CaptainThomas Preston, eight British soldiers, and four civilians,were arrested and charged with murder. British troopswere removed from the city.

What is the overall structure of thetext?

What text structure does theauthor use in the section 'TheTownshend Acts'?

Under which section will you findinformation about the chain of eventsduring the massacre?

They were not given a fair trial.

The jury found that ThomasPreston ordered them to fire.

Problem & Solution

Cause & Effect

Comparison

Description

Problem & Solution

Cause & Effect

Chronology

Description

The Townshend Acts

Rising Tensions




The government wanted to give the soldiers a fair trial,but no lawyer wanted to represent them. Eventually, atthe request of Captain Thomas Preston, John Adamsagreed to represent them. Although he was a patriot,John Adams believed that the soldiers deserved a fairtrial. Thomas Preston was tried separately in lateOctober. The jury was convinced that he had not orderedthe troops to fire and acquitted him. The trial of thesoldiers began on November 27, 1770. Adams arguedthat the soldiers were innocent and had the legal right todefend themselves. He convinced the jury that thesoldiers thought that their lives were in danger from themob. Six of the eight soldiers were acquitted by the jury.The other two soldiers were found guilty ofmanslaughter. The four civilians were tried on December13,1770. All of them were acquitted by the jury.


Legacy of the Boston MassacreAfter the massacre, the British Parliament repealed theTownshend Acts. It removed all new taxes except for thetax on tea. In spite of the anger in Boston over themassacre, American merchants started to import Britishitems again.

The Boston Massacre is considered one of the mostimportant events that galvanized the American publicagainst the British Empire. It became a rallying cry forpatriotism in the colonies. There were five yearsbetween the Boston Massacre and the AmericanRevolution, but the event undoubtedly forced people tolook at British rule from a different perspective.


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Grade: 9.1

The Boston Massacre took place on March 5, 1770 whena squad of British soldiers opened fire on a group ofAmerican colonists, killing five men and injuring sixothers. This event turned out to be a watershed momentin the history of America. It was the spark that ignited thefire of rebellion in the hearts of the American public,eventually leading to the American Revolution.

The Townshend ActsIn 1768, the British Parliament imposed a number of newtaxes on a variety of common items that weremanufactured in Britain and exported to the Americancolonies. The items that were subjected to import tariffsincluded tea, paint, glass, paper and lead. These taxeswere part of a new set of laws called the TownshendActs. American colonists vehemently opposed these newlaws as they felt that the Townshend Acts violated thenatural, charter, and constitutional rights of Britishsubjects in the American colonies. The colonists beganprotesting, and soon, the situation in Boston grew sotense that the British were compelled to bring in soldiersto maintain order.

Rising TensionsOn the evening of March 5, an American named EdwardGarrick began harassing a British officer, Captain-Lieutenant John Goldfinch who was standing guardoutside the Custom House on King Street. Anothersoldier, Private Hugh White, joined Goldfinch to defendhim. But Garrick started insulting White too, aggravatinghim so much that he struck Garrick in the face with hismusket. Soon, a crowd of around 50 colonists gatheredand began to heckle and throw sticks and snowballs atPrivate White. The crowd around Private White keptgrowing until he was surrounded by over 400 angrypeople. Meanwhile, there were other mobs forming onBoston's streets. Those mobs began provoking otherBritish soldiers and pelting them with chunks of ice.


You are the judge presiding overthe trial for Thomas Preston and thesoldiers and civilians involved in theBoston Massacre. Describe how youwould decide each case and why. Besure to explain your reasoning basedon the actions of those involved.


What was the root of the conflictbetween Edward Garrick and Britishofficer Captain-Lieutenant JohnGoldfinch?

What caused the crowd of coloniststo grow angrier and challenge theBritish soldiers to shoot them?

Why were most of the soldiersacquitted by the jury?

Edward Garrick had struck JohnGoldfinch with his musket.

The two men had fought againstone another in the AmericanRevolution.

Tensions were high because thecolonists were upset with theBritish over the Townshend Acts.

Edward Garrick was overlyaggressive and had no reason tostart conflict with John Goldfinch.

The British soldiers started hittingcolonists with their guns.

British soldiers armed withbayonets arrived to keep order.

The British Parliament repealed theTownshend Acts.

The British Parliament told thecolonists they had to pay importtariffs.

The jury found that they only firedbecause their lives were in danger.




To keep order, the local British officer of the watch,Captain Thomas Preston, sent a number of soldiers tothe Custom House. But the crowd grew even angrier atthe sight of British soldiers armed with bayonets. Theybegan shouting at the soldiers, challenging them to fire.Captain Preston arrived at the scene and tried to get theangry crowd to disperse, but the crowd responded withmore insults and ice chunks. An object thrown from thecrowd hit soldier Private Montgomery and knocked himdown, causing him to drop his musket. PrivateMontgomery recovered and fired into the crowd in a fitof anger. After a pause of a few moments, other soldiersfired into the crowd as well. Three colonists diedinstantly, and two more died later from injuries.


The Boston Massacre TrialsThe acting governor of Boston, Thomas Hutchinson,managed to get the crowd to disperse by promising thatthere would be a fair inquiry into the shootings. Duringthe investigation, thirteen people, including CaptainThomas Preston, eight British soldiers, and four civilians,were arrested and charged with murder. British troopswere removed from the city.

Why did the author choose to writethe section 'The Townshend Acts' usingdescription?

The author claims that the BostonMassacre was a watershed moment inthe history of America. How is thisclaim revealed in the text? Select allthat apply.

What is the overall structure of thetext?

John Adams did a poor job ofrepresenting them.

They were not given a fair trial.

The jury found that ThomasPreston ordered them to fire.

To comment on the reactions of thecolonists

To explain the events of the BostonMassacre

To describe the underlying factorsthat caused the Boston Massacre

To tell how much more tea costwith the additional taxes

The author explains that everyoneinvolved in the Boston Massacrereceived a fair trial.

The author explains that the eventgalvanized the American publicagainst the British Empire.

The author explains that most ofthe soldiers were acquitted.

The author explains that the eventunited the colonists.

Problem & Solution

Cause & Effect

Comparison

Description


The government wanted to give the soldiers a fair trial,but no lawyer wanted to represent them. Eventually, atthe request of Captain Thomas Preston, John Adamsagreed to represent them. Although he was a patriot,John Adams believed that the soldiers deserved a fairtrial. Thomas Preston was tried separately in lateOctober. After the jury was convinced that he had notordered the troops to fire, Preston was acquitted. Thetrial of the soldiers began on November 27, 1770. Adamsargued that the soldiers were innocent as they had thelegal right to defend themselves. He convinced the jurythat the soldiers thought that their lives were in dangerfrom the mob, and six of the eight soldiers wereacquitted by the jury. The other two soldiers were foundguilty of manslaughter. The four civilians were tried onDecember 13,1770, and all of them were acquitted by thejury.



After the massacre, the British Parliament repealed theTownshend Acts and removed all new taxes except forthe tax on tea. In spite of the anger in Boston over themassacre, American merchants started to import Britishitems again.

The Boston Massacre is considered one of the mostimportant events that galvanized the American publicagainst the British Empire. It became a rallying cry forpatriotism in the colonies. Although five years passedbetween the Boston Massacre and the AmericanRevolution, the event undoubtedly forced people to lookat British rule from a different perspective.

The Boston Massacre Discussion Questions

1. How did the Townshend Acts influence the Boston Massacre?

2. What initially sparked the Boston Massacre? Why do you think the event escalated so

quickly?

3. Do you think the Boston Massacre could have been avoided? If so, do you think the colonists should have tried to deescalate the violence? Why or why not?

4. Were those involved in the Boston Massacre appropriately charged? Explain.

5. Who do you believe is truly to blame for the Boston Massacre? Why?

6. What was the significance of the Boston Massacre in the larger context of the American Revolution?


Paintings of the Boston Massacre

What message do you think the first image was trying to tell?

How would the character you were assigned at the beginning of the unit react to the Boston Massacre?

Do you think the artist who created the first image supported the British or the colonists? Why?

What message do you think the second image was trying to tell?

Do you think the artist who created the second image supported the British or the colonists? Why?


Paintings of the Boston Massacre

Image 1:

Image 2:


DECLARATION OF

INDEPENDENCE

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Grade: 4.5

The Second Continental Congress met in May 1775. Theyneeded to discuss how to manage the war with Britain.They also wanted to respond to what they saw asBritain’s unfair taxes. Then, the discussions shifted fromtrying to fix ties with Britain to declaring freedom. Thisled to the Declaration of Independence, one of the mostimportant documents of the United States.

Movement Towards DeclaringIndependenceThe Continental Congress was a group of delegates fromthe thirteen American colonies. They discussedbecoming a nation free from Britain. However, mostpeople thought that the colonies could fix ties withBritain. In July 1775, the Congress sent the Olive BranchPetition to King George III. It asked Britain to discuss withthe colonies how they could keep ties with Britain. Britainrejected it in October 1775. They also declared thecolonies in full rebellion.

Shortly after, Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet calledCommon Sense. Paine had just come to the coloniesfrom Britain. In the pamphlet, he said that the coloniesshould seek freedom from Britain. He also said theyshould make a government that was not a monarchy.The pamphlet was read by many people in the colonies.It sparked interest in the idea of American freedom fromBritain.

Thomas Paine


Do you think the colonists madethe right decision to rebel against theBritish? Why or why not?

ReadingAnchor Skills: Claims & Evidence, Word Meaning& Choice, Summarizing & Main Ideas

Which detail from the text besthighlights the path towards AmericanIndependence?

Which of the following statementsdetail the contents of the Declaration ofIndependence? Select all that apply.

Which of the following options isan example of a delegate?

A month after CommonSense, Britain passed theProhibitory Act.

This blocked American port citiesand said all ships from the colonieswere enemy vessels.

Britain’s response to the OliveBranch Petition, public support forfreedom created by Paine’spamphlet, and the Prohibitory Actcreated a movement towardfreedom.

John Adams asked the ContinentalCongress to have freedom fromBritain as their main goal.

The Declaration of Independencethen outlines the colonies’ claimsagainst Britain.

It states that Britain ignored therights of the people living in thecolonies.

Some colonies had even bannedtheir delegates from doing anythingthat would separate the coloniesfrom Britain.

On July 1, the Congress debatedagain about the Declaration ofIndependence.

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A month after Common Sense, Britain passed theProhibitory Act. This blocked American port cities andsaid all ships from the colonies were enemy vessels.Britain’s response to the Olive Branch Petition, publicsupport for freedom created by Paine’s pamphlet, andthe Prohibitory Act created a movement towardfreedom. John Adams asked the Continental Congress tohave freedom from Britain as their main goal.

In the following months, Congress focused onindependence. However, not all delegates could declareindependence on behalf of their colonies. Some colonieshad even banned their delegates from doing anythingthat would separate the colonies from Britain. TheContinental Congress required each colony to create agovernment. It would have to give its delegates thepower to vote on issues presented in the Congress. JohnAdams added to this. He asked colonies to formgovernments free from ties to Britain.

In response, Virginia sent a proposal to the Congress. Itasked for a draft of a declaration of the colonies’freedom from Britain. The Congress agreed. A group fivemen was created to draft the document.

The Draft and Approval ProcessThis group was called the “Committee of Five”. ThomasJefferson was the main author of the document. Thecommittee presented their draft to the ContinentalCongress on June 28, 1776. After two days of editing, thedraft was set aside.

A painting of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams andThomas Jefferson drafting the Declaration of

Independence

What is a synonym of unjust?

Which sentence would be mostimportant to include in a summary ofthe article?

What is the main idea of thesection “Movement TowardsIndependence”?

a King

a colonist

a representative

a rebel

fair

unfair

unbiased

unprejudiced

On July 1, the Congress debatedagain about the declaration ofindependence.

The next day, the ContinentalCongress voted on it.

At first, there were not enoughvotes for it to be approved.

On July 4, 1776, the Declaration ofIndependence was approved.

The section details someAmericans’ fear towards movingforward with independence.

The section details someAmericans’ motivations for movingforward with independence.

The section details the impact ofCommon Sense on theAmerican people.

The section outlines the reasons forAmerican independence.


On July 1, the Congress debated again about theDeclaration of Independence. The next day, theContinental Congress voted on it. At first, there were notenough votes for it to be approved. However, twocolonies soon changed their votes. On July 4, 1776, theDeclaration of Independence was approved. Twelvecolonies voted in favor of it. One colony, New York, didnot vote. It claimed it was not allowed to vote on thisissue. As of that day, the colonies were an independentnation.

The DocumentThere are several key parts in the Declaration ofIndependence. It begins with an introduction, which saysthat the ability to seek political independence is a right ofall human beings. From here, it moves into a preamble.This part declares that citizens can revolt when theirgovernment goes against their natural rights.

The Declaration of Independence then outlines thecolonies’ claims against Britain. It states that Britainignored the rights of the people living in the colonies.Britain had passed laws limiting the colonies’ ability toself-govern. They had also required the colonists toinclude British officials in all matters. In addition, theBritish removed colonial governments. This left thecolonists with no order. Beyond this, Britain harassedcolonists and placed them under military rule. They alsocreated unjust taxes and forced them to house troopsagainst their will. For these reasons, the Declarationclaims, colonial revolution was justified.

Signatures at the end of the Declaration ofIndependence

The document ends with a bold statement. It says thatsince Britain created these rules and is unwilling to fixthem, the colonies must become their own nation. At theend of the document are the signatures of the membersof the Continental Congress approving it.

The Declaration of Independence was finally in place.The colonists were ready to move towards completeindependence from Britain.

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Grade: 5.8

The Second Continental Congress met in May 1775 todiscuss how to manage the war with Britain. They alsowanted to respond to what they saw as Britain’s unfairtaxation. By early 1776, the focus of their discussionsshifted from trying to fix ties with Britain to declaringindependence. This led to the Declaration ofIndependence, one of the most important documents ofthe United States.

Movement Towards DeclaringIndependenceThe Continental Congress, a group of delegates from thethirteen American colonies, met in May 1775. Theydiscussed becoming a nation free from Britain. However,most people thought that the colonies could fix ties withBritain. In July 1775, the Congress submitted the OliveBranch Petition to King George III. It asked Britain todiscuss with the colonies how they could keep aconnection with Britain. Britain rejected the Olive BranchPetition in October 1775. Parliament also declared thecolonies in full rebellion.

Shortly after, Thomas Paine, a British citizen who had justarrived in the colonies, wrote a pamphlet called CommonSense. In it, he argued that the colonies should seekfreedom from Britain. He also said they should create agovernment that was not a monarchy. The pamphlet wasread by many people in the colonies. It sparked interestin the idea of American independence from Britain.

Thomas Paine


Do you think the colonists madethe right decision to rebel against theBritish? Why or why not?


Which statement from the textbest highlights the path towardsAmerican Independence?

Which of the following statementsdetail the contents of the Declaration ofIndependence? Select all that apply.

Which of the following options isan example of a delegate?

A month after CommonSense, Britain passed theProhibitory Act.

This blocked American port citiesand declared all ships from thecolonies enemy vessels.

Britain’s response to the OliveBranch Petition, public support forindependence created by Paine’spamphlet, and the passage of theProhibitory Act created amovement toward freedom.

John Adams called for theContinental Congress to haveindependence from Britain as theirultimate goal.

The Declaration of Independencethen outlines the colonies’ claimsagainst Britain.

It states that Britain ignored therights of the people living in thecolonies through many actions.

The document ends with a boldstatement.

It says that since Britain createdthese rules and is unwilling to fixthem, the colonies must give upties and become their own nation.


A month after Common Sense, Britain passed theProhibitory Act. This blocked American port cities anddeclared all ships from the colonies enemy vessels.Britain’s response to the Olive Branch Petition, publicsupport for independence created by Paine’s pamphlet,and the passage of the Prohibitory Act created amovement toward freedom. John Adams called for theContinental Congress to have independence from Britainas their ultimate goal.

In the following months, Congress focused onindependence. However, the group faced a challenge.Not all delegates could declare independence on behalfof their colonies. Some colonies had even banned theirdelegates from taking any actions that would separatethe colonies from Britain. The Continental Congressrequired each colony to create a government. It wouldhave to give its delegates the power to vote on issuespresented in the Congress. John Adams added to this,asking colonies to form a government independent fromties to Britain.

In response, the government of Virginia sent a proposalto the Congress. It asked for a draft of a declaration ofthe colonies’ independence from Britain. The Congressagreed and created a group of five men to draft thedocument.

The Draft and Approval ProcessThis group was called the “Committee of Five”. ThomasJefferson was the main author of the document. Thecommittee presented their draft to the ContinentalCongress on June 28, 1776. After two days of editing, thedraft was set aside.


What is a synonym of unjust?

Which sentence would be the mostimportant to include in a summary ofthe article?

What is the main idea of thesection “Movement TowardsIndependence”?

a King

a colonist

a representative

a rebel

fair

unfair

unbiased

unprejudiced

On July 1, the Congress debatedagain about the Declaration ofIndependence.

The next day, the ContinentalCongress voted on it.

At first, there were not enoughvotes for it to be approved.

On July 4, 1776, the Declaration ofIndependence was approved.



The section details the impact of‘Common Sense’ on the Americanpeople.

The section outlines the reasons forAmerican independence and theDeclaration of Independence.


Independence

On July 1, the Congress debated again about thedeclaration of independence. The next day, theContinental Congress voted on it. At first, there were notenough votes for it to be approved. However, twocolonies soon changed their votes. On July 4, 1776, theDeclaration of Independence was approved. Twelvecolonies voted in favor of it and one, New York, did notvote, as it claimed it was not allowed to vote on theindependence issue. Thus, as of that day, the colonieswere an independent nation.

The DocumentThere are several key elements in the Declaration ofIndependence. It begins with an introduction, which saysthat the ability to seek political independence is a right ofall human beings. From here, it moves into a preamble.This part declares that citizens can revolt when theirgovernment goes against their natural rights.

The Declaration of Independence then outlines thecolonies’ claims against Britain. It states that Britainignored the rights of the people living in the coloniesthrough many actions. They had passed laws limiting thecolonies’ ability to self-govern and requiring them toinclude British officials in all matters. In addition, theBritish removed colonial governments, leaving thecolonists with no order. Beyond this, Britain harassedcolonists and placed them under military rule. They alsoimposed unjust taxes on them, and forced them tohouse troops against their will. For these reasons, theDeclaration claims, colonial revolution was justified.


The document ends with a bold statement. It says thatsince Britain created these rules and is unwilling to fixthem, the colonies must give up ties and become theirown nation. At the end of the document are thesignatures of the members of the Continental Congressapproving it.

The Declaration of Independence was finally in place.The colonists were ready to move towards completeindependence from Britain.

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Grade: 7.3

The Second Continental Congress gathered inPhiladelphia in May 1775 intending to discuss how tomanage the developing war with Britain. They alsowanted to discuss how to respond to what they saw asBritain’s taxation without representation. By early 1776,the focus of their discussions shifted from trying to fixties with Britain to declaring independence. This led tothe Declaration of Independence, one of thefoundational documents of the United States.

Movement Towards DeclaringIndependenceThe Continental Congress, a group of delegates from thethirteen American colonies, met in May 1775. Theydiscussed becoming a nation free from Britain. However,most delegates believed that the colonies could reconcilewith Britain. In July 1775, the Congress submitted theOlive Branch Petition to King George III. It asked for theBritish crown to engage in discussions with the coloniesso that they could keep a connection with Britain. Britainrejected the Olive Branch Petition in October 1775.Parliament also declared the colonies in full rebellion.

Shortly after, Thomas Paine, a British citizen who hadrecently arrived in the colonies, wrote a pamphlet calledCommon Sense. In it, he argued that the colonies shouldseek independence from Britain. He also said theyshould create a government other than a monarchy. Thepamphlet was widely read in the colonies. It sparkedpublic interest in the idea of American independencefrom Britain.

WritingAnchor Skills: Argument, Writing Conventions,Multiple Sources

Do you think the colonists werejustified in rebelling against the Britishgovernment? Why or why not?


Which of the following claims doesthe author make in the text? Select allthat apply.

After reading the article, which ofthe following statements is a validargument? Select all that apply.

“In addition, the British dissolvedcolonial governmental systems, leaving

The Olive Branch Petition was thecolony’s attempt to negotiate withBritain.

Common Sense helpedincrease public awareness for whyAmerica should declare itsindependence from Britain.

The Prohibitory Act was Britain’sattempt to make peace with thecolonies.

All American colonies weresupportive of independence fromBritain.

The Prohibitory Act was onecontributing cause to the creationof the Declaration ofIndependence.

All Americans were excited tobecome an independent nation.

Common Sensesinglehandedly marked the shiftfrom from reconciliation withBritain to independence fromBritain in American history.

The Declaration of Independencejustified the colonial revolution byhighlighting the British injusticesagainst the colonies.

Thomas Paine

A month after the release of Common Sense, the BritishParliament passed the Prohibitory Act. This blockedAmerican port cities and declared all ships from thecolonies enemy vessels. Britain’s response to the OliveBranch Petition, public support for independencefostered through Paine’s pamphlet, and the passage ofthe Prohibitory Act created a movement towardindependence. John Adams called for the ContinentalCongress to look towards independence from Britain astheir ultimate goal.

In the following months, Congress’ discussions focusedon independence. However, the group faced a challenge.Not all representatives could declare independence onbehalf of their colonies. Some colonies had evenspecifically banned their delegates from taking anyactions that would separate the colonies from Britain.The Continental Congress required each colony to createa governmental system. It would have to give itsdelegates the authority to vote on issues presented inthe Congress. John Adams added a preamble to thisencouraging the colonies to form governments that wereindependent from ties to Britain.

In response, the government of Virginia sent a proposalto the Continental Congress. It asked for a draft of adeclaration of the colonies’ independence from Britain.The Congress agreed and created a group of five men todraft the document.

The Draft and Approval ProcessThis group was called the “Committee of Five”. ThomasJefferson was the primary author of the document. Thecommittee presented their draft to the ContinentalCongress on June 28, 1776. After two days of editing,including the removal of a section that said Britain hadforced the colonies to use slavery, the draft was setaside.

the colonists with no order.” Which of the following words couldreplace the word dissolved in thesentence above? Select all that apply.

Which word is a synonym ofreconcile?

Which sentence would be leastimportant to include in a summary ofthe text?

How does the section “MovementTowards Independence” shape thecentral idea of the text?

solidified

liquefied

ended

abolished

agitate

appease

incite

inherent

Shortly after, Thomas Paine, aBritish citizen who had recentlyarrived in the colonies, wrote apamphlet called CommonSense.

John Adams called for theContinental Congress to looktowards independence from Britainas their ultimate goal.

In response, the government ofVirginia sent a proposal to theContinental Congress.

With the Declaration ofIndependence in place, thecolonists were poised to movetowards complete independencefrom Britain.



The section details the impact ofCommon Sense on theAmerican people.

The section details the motivationsbehind the Declaration ofIndependence.



Independence

On July 1, the Congress debated again about thedeclaration of independence. The next day, theContinental Congress voted on the document. At first,there were not enough votes for it to be approved.However, two colonies soon changed their votes. On July4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approvedwith twelve colonies voting in favor of it and one, NewYork, not voting, as it claimed it was not authorized tovote on the independence issue. Thus, as of that day, thecolonies were an independent nation.

The DocumentThere are several key elements in the Declaration ofIndependence. It begins with an introduction, whichstates that the ability to seek political independence is aright of all human beings. From here, it moves into apreamble, which declares that citizens can engage inrevolution when their government goes against theirnatural rights.

The Declaration of Independence then outlines thecolonies’ specific claims against Britain. It states thatBritain violated the rights of the people living in thecolonies through many actions. They had passed lawsrestricting the colonies’ ability to self-govern andrequiring them to include British officials in all matters. Inaddition, the British dissolved colonial governmentalsystems, leaving the colonists with no order. Beyond this,Britain harassed colonists, placed them under militaryrule, imposed unjust taxes on them, and forced them tohouse troops against their will. For these reasons, theDeclaration claims, colonial revolution was justified.



The document ends with a statement that since Britaincreated these circumstances and is unwilling to fix them,the colonies must give up ties and become their ownnation. At the end of the document are the signatures ofthe members of the Continental Congress approving it.

With the Declaration of Independence in place, thecolonists were poised to move towards completeindependence from Britain.

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Grade: 8.5

When the Second Continental Congress gathered inPhiladelphia in May 1775, they intended to discuss howto manage the developing war with Britain. They alsowanted to discuss next steps to respond to what thecolonies saw as taxation without representation byBritain. By early 1776, the focus of their discussionsshifted from reconciliation with Britain to declaringindependence. Discussions led to the Declaration ofIndependence, one of the foundational documents of theUnited States.

Movement Towards DeclaringIndependenceThe Continental Congress, a group of delegates from thethirteen American colonies, met in May 1775. Theydiscussed moving towards an independent nation fromBritain. However, most delegates believed that thecolonies could reconcile with Britain. Thus, in July 1775,the Congress submitted the Olive Branch Petition to KingGeorge III. It asked for the British crown to engage indiscussions with the colonies so that they could maintaina political connection with Britain. Britain rejected theOlive Branch Petition in October 1775, and Parliamentdeclared the colonies in full rebellion. Britain stated thatthey would entertain offers from other nations to helpquell the rebellion.

Shortly after Britain issued claims of rebellion in thecolonies, Thomas Paine, a British citizen who hadrecently arrived in the colonies, wrote a pamphlet calledCommon Sense. In it, he argued that the colonies shouldseek independence from Britain and create a form ofgovernment other than a monarchy. The pamphlet waswidely circulated throughout the colonies. It sparkedpublic awareness and interest in the idea of Americanindependence from Britain.






Which words/phrases below areantonyms of rectify? Select all that

The Olive Branch Petition was thecolony’s attempt to make peacewith Britain.

Common Sense helpedfoster public support for Americato declare its independence fromBritain.

The Prohibitory Act was Britain’sattempt to make peace with thecolonies.




Common Sensesinglehandedly marked the shiftfrom from reconciliation withBritain to independence fromBritain in American history.


Thomas Paine

A month after the release of Paine’s Common Sense, theBritish Parliament passed the Prohibitory Act. Thisblockaded American port cities and declared all shipsfrom the colonies enemy vessels. Britain’s response tothe Olive Branch Petition, public support forindependence fostered through Paine’s pamphlet, andthe passage of the Prohibitory Act culminated in JohnAdams calling for the Continental Congress to looktowards independence from Britain as their ultimategoal.

In the following months, Congress’ discussions focusedon facilitating independence. However, the group faced aroadblock. Not all representatives had the ability todeclare independence on behalf of their colonies. Somecolonies had even specifically prohibited their delegatesfrom taking any actions that would separate the coloniesfrom Britain. In response, the Continental Congresspassed a resolution in May 1776. It required each colonyto create a governmental system that would give itsdelegates the authority to vote on issues presented inthe Congress. John Adams added a preamble to thisencouraging the colonies to form governments that wereindependent from loyalties to Britain.

In response to this resolution, the provisionalgovernment of Virginia sent a proposal to theContinental Congress. It asked for a draft of a declarationof the colonies’ independence from Britain. The Congresscomplied and created a committee of five men to draftthe document.

The Draft and Approval ProcessThe “Committee of Five”, as the men became known,included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and ThomasJefferson. Jefferson was the primary author of thedocument. The committee presented their draft to theContinental Congress on June 28, 1776. After two days of

apply.

Which words below are synonymsof innate? Select all that apply.

Which of the following detailswould you include in an objectivesummary of the text? Select all thatapply.

How does the section “MovementTowards Independence” shape thecentral idea of the text?

worsen

make amends

break

improve

learned

extrinsic

natural

inherent

American independence fromBritain was justified by Britain’sunjust taxes.

American independence fromBritain was justified by Britain’sunfair treatment of the colonists.

The Declaration of Independenceclaims political independence is aright inherent to all people.

The Declaration of Independencewas approved on July 4, 1776 by 12colonies.

The section details someAmericans’ hesitance towardsmoving forward withindependence.



The section lays the groundworkfor the motivations behind theDeclaration of Independence.


editing, including the removal of a section claiming thatBritain had forced the colonies to use slavery to developeconomically, the draft was set aside.


Independence

On July 1, the Congress re-engaged in debate about thedeclaration of independence, then known as ”ADeclaration by the Representatives of the United Statesof America, in General Congress assembled.” The nextday, the Continental Congress voted on the document.Initially, there were not enough votes for the declarationto be approved. However, two colonies soon changedtheir votes. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration ofIndependence was approved with twelve colonies votingin favor of it and one, New York, abstaining from voting,as it claimed it was not authorized to vote on theindependence issue. Thus, as of that day, the colonieswere an independent nation.

The DocumentThere are several key elements in the Declaration ofIndependence. It begins with an introduction, whichstates that the ability to seek political independence is aninnate right of all human beings. From here, it movesinto a preamble, which declares that citizens can engagein revolution when their government goes against theirnatural rights.

With the stage set by these broad statements ofphilosophy, the Declaration of Independence thenoutlines the colonies’ specific claims against Britain. Itstates that Britain violated the rights of the people livingin the colonies through a variety of actions. They hadpassed laws restricting the colonies’ ability to self-govern


and requiring them to include British officials in allmatters. In addition, the British dissolved colonialgovernmental systems, leaving the colonists with noorder. Beyond this, Britain harassed colonists, placedthem under military rule, imposed unjust taxes on them,and forced them to quarter troops against their will. Forall of these reasons, the Declaration claims, colonialrevolution was justified.


The document ends with a statement that since Britaincreated these circumstances and is unwilling to rectifythem, the colonies must relinquish ties and become theirown independent nation. At the conclusion of thedocument are the signatures of the members of theContinental Congress approving the declaration.

With the Declaration of Independence in place, thecolonists were poised to move towards completeindependence from Britain.

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Grade: 10.4

When the Second Continental Congress gathered inPhiladelphia in May 1775, they did so intending todiscuss how the colonies would manage the developingwar with Britain. They also wanted to discuss next stepsto rectify what the colonies saw as imposition of Britishregulation on America without representation in theBritish Parliament. By early 1776, the focus of theirdiscussions shifted from reconciliation with Britain to adeclaration of independence. These discussionsculminated in the passage of the Declaration ofIndependence, one of the foundational documents of theUnited States, on July 4, 1776.

Movement Towards DeclaringIndependenceAt the beginning of its meeting in May 1775, theContinental Congress, a group of delegates from thethirteen American colonies, discussed moving towardsestablishing the colonies as a nation independent fromBritain. However, this sentiment was not widespread.Most of the delegates believed that the colonies couldreconcile with Britain. Thus, in July 1775, the Congresssubmitted the Olive Branch Petition to King George III,asking for the British crown to engage in discussions withthe colonies so that they could maintain a politicalconnection with Britain. Britain not only rejected theOlive Branch Petition in October 1775, but Parliamentdeclared the colonies in full rebellion, stating that theywould entertain offers from other nations to help quellthe rebellion.

Shortly after Britain issued claims of rebellion in thecolonies, Thomas Paine, a British citizen who hadrecently arrived in the colonies, began circulating apamphlet called Common Sense. In it, he argued that thecolonies should seek independence from Britain andinstitute a form of government other than a monarchy.The pamphlet sparked public awareness and interest inthe idea of American independence from Britain, as itwas widely circulated throughout the colonies.






With the Declaration ofIndependence in place, the colonists

The Olive Branch Petition was thecolony’s attempt to make peacewith Britain.

Common Sense helpedgarner the necessary publicsupport for America to declare itsindependence from Britain.

The Prohibitory Act was Britain’sattempt to reconcile with thecolonies.




Common Sensesinglehandedly marked the shiftfrom from reconciliation withBritain to independence fromBritain.


Thomas Paine

A month after the release of Paine’s Common Sense, theBritish Parliament passed the Prohibitory Act, whichblockaded American port cities and declared all shipsfrom the colonies enemy vessels. Britain’s response tothe Olive Branch Petition, public support forindependence fostered through Paine’s pamphlet, andthe passage of the Prohibitory Act culminated in JohnAdams calling for the Continental Congress to looktowards independence from Britain as their ultimategoal.

In the following months, Congress’ discussions focusedon facilitating independence. However, the group faced aroadblock, as not all representatives had the ability todeclare independence on behalf of their colonies. Somecolonies had even specifically prohibited their delegatesfrom taking any actions that would separate the coloniesfrom Britain. In response, the Continental Congresspassed a resolution in May 1776 requiring each colony tocreate a governmental system that would give itsdelegates the authority to vote on issues presented inthe Congress. John Adams added a preamble to thisresolution encouraging the colonies to not only fromgovernments, but also for those governments to beindependent from loyalties to Britain.

In response to this resolution, the provisionalgovernment of Virginia sent a proposal to theContinental Congress asking for it to draft a declarationof the colonies’ independence from Britain. The Congresscomplied and created a committee of five men to draftthe document.

The Draft and Approval ProcessThe “Committee of Five”, as the men became known,included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and ThomasJefferson. Jefferson served as the primary author of thedocument. The committee presented their draft to the

were poised to move towards completeindependence from Britain by finishingthe Revolutionary War and negotiatingterms of peace. Which of the following words canreplace the word poised in thesentence above?

What is a synonym of innate?Select all that apply.

Which of the following detailsshould you include in an objectivesummary of the text? Select all thatapply.

How does the section titled“Movement Towards DeclaringIndependence” shape the central ideaof the text? Select all that apply.

balanced

ready

calm

collected

learned

extrinsic

natural

inherent

American independence fromBritain was justified by Britain'sunjust taxes.

American independence fromBritain was justified by Britain’sunfair treatment of the colonists.

The Declaration of Independenceclaims political independence is aright inherent to all people.

The Declaration of Independencewas approved on July 4, 1776 by 12colonies.

The section details someAmericans’ hesitance towardsmoving forward withindependence.



The section lays the groundworkfor the impetus behind theDeclaration of Independence.


Continental Congress on June 28, 1776. After two days ofediting, including the removal of a section claiming thatBritain had forced the colonies to employ slavery todevelop economically, the draft was set aside.


Independence

On July 1, the Congress re-engaged in debate about thedeclaration of independence, then known as ”ADeclaration by the Representatives of the United Statesof America, in General Congress assembled.” The nextday, the Continental Congress voted on the document.Initially, there were not enough votes for the declarationto be approved. However, two colonies soon changedtheir votes. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration ofIndependence was approved with twelve colonies votingin favor of it and one, New York, abstaining from voting,as it claimed it was not authorized to vote on theindependence issue. Thus, as of that day, the colonieswere an independent nation.

The DocumentThere are several key elements in the Declaration ofIndependence. It begins with an introduction, whichproclaims that the ability to seek political independenceis an innate right of all human beings. From here, itmoves into a preamble, which declares that citizens canengage in revolution when their government goesagainst their natural rights.

With the stage set by these broad statements ofphilosophy, the Declaration of Independence thenoutlines the colonies’ specific claims against Britain. Itstates that Britain violated the rights of the people livingin the colonies through a variety of actions. They had


passed laws restricting the colonies’ ability to self-governas well as requiring them to include British officials in allmatters. In addition, when the colonies did creategovernmental systems, Britain dissolved them, leavingthe colonists with no order. Beyond this, Britain harassedcolonists, placed them under military rule, imposedunjust taxes on them, and forced them to quarter troopsagainst their will. For all of these reasons, the Declarationclaims, colonial revolution was justified.


The Declaration of Independence concludes with astatement that because Britain created thesecircumstances and is unwilling to rectify them, thecolonies must relinquish ties with Britain and becometheir own independent nation. At the conclusion of thedocument are the signatures of the members of theContinental Congress approving the declaration.

With the Declaration of Independence in place, thecolonists were poised to move towards completeindependence from Britain by finishing the RevolutionaryWar and negotiating terms of peace.

The Declaration of Independence Discussion Questions

1. Why did the colonists meet for the Second Continental Congress?

2. What role did Thomas Paine’s Common Sense play in the eventual Declaration of

Independence?

3. What prevented some colonies from declaring independence? What caused them to change their minds?

4. What are some of the key elements included in the Declaration of Independence?

5. Do you think it would be possible for states that are part of the United States to declare independence from the U.S. in today’s world? Why or why not?

6. When does it become necessary to declare independence? Explain your reasoning.


The Declaration of IndependenceThe Declaration of Independence was written in 1776 by the colonies to say that they were going to separate from Britain. The document includes reasons why the colonists felt that they needed to separate. Ater reading over the excerpt from the Declaration of Independence, answer the questions below.

According to the Declaration of Independence, from where does a government get its power?

According to the Declaration of Independence, what are the rights that everybody should have? According to the colonists, how was Britain preventing people from having those rights?

How do the ideas in the Declaration of Independence influence the United States today?

What was interesting or surprising to you about this excerpt from the Declaration of Independence?


The Declaration of Independence“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all

men are created equal, that they are endowed by

their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that

among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of

Happiness.-That to secure these rights, Governments

are instituted among Men, deriving their just

powers from the consent of the governed,—That

whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive

of these ends, it is the Right of the People to

alter or to abolish it, and to institute new

Government, laying its foundation on such

principles and organizing its powers in such form,

as to them shall seem most likely to effect their

Safety and Happiness.”

obvious; not needing proof

something that cannot be taken away

to try to get

given

set up; created

set up; create

getting

approval

get rid ofchange

rules or ideas

lead to

people being ruled


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