Successful Learners Confident Individuals Responsible Citizens Effective Contributors

In this unit you will learn about important events in World History: the American,
Revolution.

You will develop a variety of different skills for Life, Learning and Work:

 Literacy: communicating, listening, recording, reading and writing

 Working with others: working with a partner and in a group
 Managing yourself: completing all work in class and completing homework on time
 Thinking skills: remembering, explaining, analysing, evaluating, applying and creating

You will develop key Literacy skills:

 “I will select ideas and relevant information independently and organise essential
information/ ideas in a logical order.” 3/4-26a

 “I will accurately spell most of the words I need to use. I will accurately punctuate
and structure different types of sentences and arrange these to make meaning
clear.” 3/4-21 & 22a

 “I will engage and contribute with others during class/group discussions and
encourage others to contribute. I understand that they may have different opinions
to mine, but that I can use their contribution to reflect, clarify or change my
opinion.” 3-02a

 “I will use notes to generate and develop ideas, retain and recall information,
explore problems, make decisions, generate and develop ideas or create original
text. I understand when it is appropriate to quote from sources and when I should
put points into my own words. I can acknowledge my sources appropriately.” 3-25a

You will also develop your Health and Wellbeing:

 I will make full use of and value the opportunities I am given to

improve and manage my learning and, in turn, I can help to encourage
learning and confidence in others. 3/4-11a
 Introduction

The 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries were a period of great
change in Europe with many people demanding social, economic
and political change for their lives and
their countries.

“That to secure these rights,

Governments are instituted among Men, deriving
their powers from the consent of the governed.” -
United States Declaration of Independence, written
by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, 3rd President of the USA.

In this unit you will learn about the American Revolution and consider the
impact it had on the country.

“I will be able to …”

1. Explain the reasons why the people of America revolted against the
British authorities.

 … gather evidence to investigate the causes of the American Revolution

and to use my knowledge and my understanding to explain and present my
views (3-01a/05a/06a/4-06a). Some of these sources will give me
conflicting ideas about why the revolution happened. (4-01a)
 … study the inequalities experienced by those in America and will be able
to explain the reasons for the inequality (4-04a).

2. Evaluate how successful each the American Revolution was in addressing

the causes of the revolution.
 … explain the ways inequality was addressed by explaining the changes
that came about because of the revolution. (4-04a)
 … use my knowledge and my understanding to explain to interpret
evidence about the impact and the achievements the revolution had on
each country (3-01a). Some of these sources will be conflicting on how
successful the revolution was (4-01a)
 A. The 13 British Colonies

You will be able to:

Explain the reasons why Britain found it difficult to
govern the colonies.

The American Revolution was a political upheaval during the last half of the
18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to
break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of
America.

Since prehistoric times the United States had been settled by Native
Americans. After Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492 for
Europe, white settlers had migrated there to start a new life. They settled on
the land along the eastern coast of America. This land eventually became the
original 13 British colonies. The King and Parliament ruled these colonies from
Britain. For a long time this worked out well for Britain; however, by the 1770s
the 13 colonies had grown to contain over 2.5million people and these people had
issues with the way King George III governed them.

The 13 British Colonies

Connecticut
New Hampshire
Delaware
Georgia
Maryland
Massachusetts
New York
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Virginia
It was difficult for the British government to rule the colonies because:

• Britain was 3,000 miles away from the thirteen colonies.

• The sailing ships of the time took nearly three months to cross the
Atlantic Ocean.
• The colonies were not all alike but varied greatly in their way of life.

The colonists were not happy with the way they were governed for many
reasons, there is no one cause of the American Revolution but several factors
which lead to the beginning of the revolution.

Activity 1

1. Explain the reasons why was it difficult for Britain to rule the American
colonies.

You should give between 1 and 3 reasons. Use the following template to
help you layout your answer.

There were many reasons why it was difficult for the British government
to rule the colonies. One reason was ___. This made it difficult for
Britain to rule to rule because ___. Another reason was that ___. This
made it difficult for Britain to rule to rule because ___. Finally, ___. This
made it difficult for Britain to rule to rule because ___.

2. Glue the map of colonial America into your jotter.

3. Label the British colonies using the following clues. How many can you get
without cheating!

 Colour PURPLE the colony or colonies named after kings and queens of
Britain
 Colour GREEN the first colony to declare its independence from
Britain on May 4th 1776
 Colour RED the colony or colonies named after English places
 Colour BLUE the colony or colonies named after English men
 Colour PINK the colony or colonies named after Native American
tribes
 Colour ORANGE the colony or colonies named after rivers
 B. Causes of the American Revolution
You will be able to:
 Explain the reasons why the colonists were angry at
being ruled by Britain.
 Compare sources to find points of agreement

The Seven Years War was a war The colonists pay tax to the British
between Britain and France over government. However, we have no
territory in North America. Britain representation in the British parliament
won, however it cost a lot of money. and no say over how the tax is spent
Britain made the colonists pay for the which is unfair. Colonists throughout the
cost of the war, which we resent! thirteen colonies argued against
“taxation without representation”. We
have boycotted certain British goods in
protest.

We are angry about the

Proclamation of 1763, We are angry at the British
which says we cannot move government telling us how to run
from the 13 colonies and our land. For 150 years the
into the fertile land to the British government has left us
west of the Appalachian to our own devices. We have got
Mountains. We do not like use to self-government.
being told what to do a
little island 3,000 miles
away!
In 1767 Britain introduced
more taxes, although in
fairness they did remove
I hate the Stamp Act. In 1765 them in 1770 – expect on
the British placed a tax on all tea! This really angered
printed materials such as wills, the colonists and in Boston
newspapers even playing cards they had a ‘Tea Party’ to
and dice! All because the British show their anger. They
think we colonists are not paying threw tea into the Boston
enough in tax. Why should I pay Harbour. The British were
more tax to support Britain? I very angry about this.
am going to boycott these
goods. That will make the
British angry! We hate the Intolerable Acts as
they put many restrictions on us,
such as making us pay for the tea we
ruined at the Boston Tea Party.
Activity 2

1. Complete the table below to explain the reasons why the colonists were
angry and decided to revolt against the British government. Alternatively,
you might like to design a poster or a mind-map in your jotter showing the
different reasons why they were angry.

You should identify at least 1 key event in each of the factors.

Why did this anger the

Factors Event/Act
colonists?

Economic

Political

Social

2. Which do you think was the most important reason for the colonists being
angry at the British? Use the template below to help you structure your
answer.

The most important reason for the colonists being angry at the British
was ___. This was because ___. This was more important than ___
because ___.

3. Compare Sources A and B about the reasons why the colonists had become
unhappy with British rule by 1775.
4
Use the template below to help you structure your answer.

Sources A and B (choose either agree or disagree) about the reasons why
the colonists had become unhappy with British rule by 1775.
Sources A and B (choose either agree or disagree) that (find something the
in sources which they specifically agree or disagree about). This is shown
where Source A says “___” and where Source B agrees/disagrees where it
says “___”.
Sources A and B are about why the colonists were unhappy with British rule by
1775.

Source A

The British government collected money from their American colonies through
taxes. Many colonists regarded the taxes as unfair as they were not
represented in the British parliament. Colonists were furious with the passing of
the Stamp Act in 1765. This led to violent clashes between British soldiers and
colonists. Tension was highest in Boston. In one incident, British soldiers opened
fire, killing five colonists. This was reported as a brutal massacre across the
colonies.

Source B

During the war with France the British government had passed new laws to
extend its control of the American colonies including collecting more taxes from
the colonists. Many colonists resented British interference in their lives and
businesses. The Stamp Act produced a furious storm of protest. Under the
banner “no taxation without representation”, mobs took to the streets in Boston
and other large towns. In 1770, the shooting of five protestors by British
soldiers in Boston was portrayed as a terrible crime committed by the British.

Compare Sources A and B about the reasons why the colonists had become
unhappy with British rule by 1775.

You should aim to identify between 2 and 4 areas of comparison.

 C. Events in Boston

You will be able to:

 Describe the events in Boston in 1770 and 1773.
 Evaluate why a source is useful.

1. The Boston Massacre

The colonists were not happy at being taxed by the British so

they boycotted British goods. British customs officers were
worried by this. They asked the British government for military
backing, hoping this would put pressure on the colonists who
would start paying their taxes. Eventually, about 4,000 Redcoats
were posted in Boston. Boston, Massachusetts
was a very successful British colony. Bostonians resented the
presence of "foreign" soldiers in their city especially as they
amounted to one-in-four of all the people in Boston. Groups
such as the Sons of Liberty were formed to campaign against
this. One of the leading members was John Adams, a lawyer
who would go on to become the second President of the USA.

Incidents between Bostonians and Recoats were frequent. They attacked tax
collectors and covered them in tar and feathers. The most notorious was the
so-called "Boston Massacre" of March 5,
1770. An argument broke out between a
Redcoat and a local merchant. The Redcoat
struck the colonist with the butt of a musket
during the confrontation. A crowd assembled
and began pelting the Redcoat with a variety
of materials — stones, oyster shells, ice, and
chunks of coal. The British sent in
reinforcements to help the Redcoat but the
colonists taunted them too. At this time, a
Redcoat was struck and fell to the ground. As
he regained his footing, someone yelled,
“Fire!" and the Redcoats fired their weapons
into the colonists. By the time order had been restored three colonists lay
dead and two others mortally wounded; six others would later recover from
their wounds.
Activity 3

Source A is from the trial of a British officer written after the Boston
Massacre on 10th March 1770.

One of my soldiers received a severe blow with a stick, which caused him to fire
his weapon accidentally. There followed a general attack on my men by a great
number of heavy clubs. At this point, our lives were in imminent danger and
three or four of my soldiers fired claiming that they heard an order to shoot. I
can assure you that I gave no such order.

1. Sources are very important to Historians, as they help us understand the

events of the past. You are going to evaluate Source A and explain why it is
useful for investigating events in Boston in 1770.

a) Source A is useful for investigating events in Boston in 1770 as it was

written in (insert date) this is useful because it is a primary/secondary
source written shortly after ____.

b) Source A is also useful because it was written by (insert author) which is

useful because they were an eyewitness/have the benefit of hindsight to
____.

c) Source A is again useful because it was written to allow the British officer
to defend the actions of his soldiers/to allow the colonists the opportunity
to blame to British.

d) Source A is useful because it tells us (You should identify 1 key piece of

evidence) which is useful because it is accurate information backed up by
other sources/it was written by a British soldiers so it will be truthful.

e) Source A is useful because it also tells us (You should identify 1 more key
piece of evidence) which is useful because it is accurate information backed
up by other sources/it was written by a British soldiers so it will be
truthful.

f) However, Source A is less useful as evidence about the events in Boston in

1770 because it fails to mention (what is missing from the source that would
make it more useful? You should identify 1 key piece of evidence).

g) However, Source A is less useful as evidence about the events in Boston in

1770 because it fails to mention (what is missing from the source that would
make it more useful? You should identify 1 key piece of evidence).
2. The Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea Party, 1773 came just three years after the Boston Massacre.
The British East India Company had so much tea it could afford to lower its
prices enough to undercut the smuggled tea the colonists drank instead of
paying the British tax. However, even with lower prices, the colonists still did
not like the arrangement as they did not like paying the tax on tea. Therefore,
on December 16th, 1773 the Sons of Liberty took action. Colonists, poorly
disguised as Mohawk Indians, boarded three tea ships docked in Boston
Harbour. They smashed 342 chests of tea, and dumped them into the harbour.
No one was seriously hurt, although one colonist was reportedly roughed up a bit
for trying to stuff some of the tea in his coat instead of throwing it overboard!

King George III was not amused by the colonists’

lack of respect. “The die is now cast,” he wrote
to his Prime Minister, Lord North, “the colonies
must either submit or triumph.” The British
government responded by passing new laws, the
Intolerable Acts, to punish the colonists. The
colonists were furious and unwilling to accept
these punishments. The events in Boston helped
start the American Revolution.

2. You are going to describe events in Boston in December 1773. You can do
this by either:

 Creating a cartoon storyboards describing the events in Boston in

December 1773.
 Creating a newspaper front page describing the events in Boston in
December 1773.
 Creating something of your choosing to describe the events in Boston in
December 1773.

Whichever way you design your work, you should aim to have between 3 and 6
key pieces of evidence to describe the Boston Tea Party.
 D. The First Continental Congress, 1774

You will be able to:

Explain the reasons why the Continental Congress was
important in bringing about revolution.

To protest the Intolerable Acts, delegates from 12 colonies (Georgia chose not
to take part) gathered in Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress in
autumn of 1774. The delegates were prominent men in colonial political life:
Samuel Adams, John Adams and George Washington.

The Continental Congress

petitioned Parliament, King
George III, and the British
people to abolish the acts and
restore friendly relations. They
continued to boycott British
goods in the colonies; argue
against taxation without
representation; having British
soldiers in the colonies, and
demanded equal rights for
every citizen. The Congress
began to govern the colonies and took control over law and the army. The work
of Congress was respected by the colonists and was seen as democratic and
representative of their views, unlike the British government.

After petitioning the King, the Continental Congress voted to meet again in May
1775 to consider further action, but by that time violence had already broken
out.

Activity 4

Complete the mind-map to explain the reasons why the First Continental
Congress helped bring America closer to Revolution. You should aim to have
between 3 and 6 key pieces of evidence.

Actions of the First

Continental Congress
 E. Outbreak of Revolution

You will learn:

Describe how events at Lexington and Concord led to
Revolution.
Come to a conclusion on who you think was in a better
position to win the war.

1. The Battle of Lexington and Concord

By 1775, many cities and towns had organised volunteer militias of “minutemen”
(named for their alleged ability to prepare for combat at the drop of a hat) who
undertook military drills openly in public areas.

Activity 5

1. Watch the video clips and take notes on the

following questions.

a) Who were the key men involved with the

Battle of Lexington and Concord?
b) What kind of men made up the militia?
c) How did news of the British march get to
the colonial militia?
d) How many militiamen met the British?
e) What advantages and disadvantages did the
colonists have over the British?
f) Who won the battle of Lexington?
g) Where did the British go after Lexington
and why?
h) What were the ‘patriots’/colonists doing?
i) Who won at Concord?
j) What do you think is meant by the “shot heard round the world”
Following the fighting at Lexington and Concord the Second Continental
Congress met in Philadelphia on 10th May 1775. Those present included Sam
Adams, Patrick Henry, John Hancock, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and
George Washington. Some wanted to declare American independence
immediately; some wanted to avoid war at all costs. So Congress did both! They
sent a document called the Olive Branch Petition to King George III to see if
war could be avoided. However, they also created an army and appointed George
Washington as Commander-in-Chief. King George III refused to read the
document, and so Britain and America were officially at war.

The Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776 issued the

Declaration of Independence, which announced that the thirteen
American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regarded
themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the
British Empire. Instead, they formed a union that would become a
new nation - the United States of America.

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 That whenever any Form of
Men, deriving their just powers Government, becomes destructive of
from the consent of the governed. these ends, it is the Right of the
People to alter or to abolish it, and to
institute new Government.

2. The British and Colonial Armies

2. Who do you think was more likely to win? Use Sources A and B below to
select the evidence to show each army’s advantages and disadvantages. You
should have 2 – 4 pieces of evidence in each box.

American Army British Army

Advantages

Disadvantages
Source A is from a modern historian writing about the strengths and
weaknesses of the British and Colonial armies at the outbreak of war.

The British seemed unbeatable. During the previous 100 years, the British had
enjoyed triumphs over nations as powerful as France and Spain. At first glance,
the odds were clearly against the Americans. Britain's military was the best in
the world. Their soldiers were well equipped, well disciplined, well paid, and well
fed. The British navy also dominated the seas. Funds to pay for the war were
easily raised by the British government. Some of those funds were used to hire
skilled German mercenaries to help the British fight the Americans. The
Americans had tremendous difficulty raising enough funds to purchase basic
supplies for their troops, including shoes and blankets. American were divided
over the war with one in five Americans openly favoured the British. Most
Indian tribes sided with Britain, who promised them protection of tribal lands.

In Source B, an American historian explains some of the advantages and

disadvantages of the two armies.

The Americans had many advantages. The British fought a war far from home.
Military orders, troops, and supplies sometimes took months to reach their
destinations. The British had an extremely difficult job because, although
American troops may not have had the military force and economic resources of
their British rivals, they did believe strongly in their fight for freedom and
liberty. The British had to persuade the Americans to give up their claims of
independence. As long as the war continued, the colonists' claim continued to
gain strength. Despite occupying every major city, the geographic vastness of
the colonies proved a difficulty to the British effort. American military and
political leaders were inexperienced, but proved surprisingly competent. The
war was expensive and the British population debated its necessity. In the
British Parliament, there were many American sympathizers.

3. So, who do you think was in a better position to win the war in 1775? You
should give a reason for your decision. Use the template below to help you.

The army most likely to win the war

in 1775 was ___. This was because
___. They were more likely to win
than ___ because ___.
 F. American Victory

You will be able to:

Explain the reasons why the Americans won their
independence from Britain.

The first years of the Revolution were difficult for the Americans. France had
secretly been giving the United States loans, gifts of money, and weapons. It
was too risky for France to help openly the Americans until they proved
themselves in battle. The American victory in the Battle of Saratoga, 1777
convinced France to enter the war and to recognise the United States as an
independent country. France declared war on Britain and fought on the side of
the Americans. Spain and the Netherlands followed France in supporting the
Americans. Historians agree that without France’s soldiers and money, the
Americans would have lost the war.

The French:
 Provided the Americans with money to fund the war
 Sent weapons and supplies to help the Americans
 Sent soldiers to join the Americans. The first French army reached
American in 1780.
 Attacked and threatened British colonies in the Caribbean, the West
Indies and the Mediterranean.
 Harassed British shipping in the Atlantic. Shipping was vital since Britain
had such a big empire.
 Prevented Britain getting supplies to its troops in America.
 French and Spanish forces threatened Britain with invasion. In 1799 a
huge French-Spanish force carrying 30,000 soldiers appeared off
southern England.

The Battle of Yorktown, October 1781 was the last great battle of the
American Revolution. This time the Americans had the French to help them and
together they defeated Britain in the last great battle of the American
Revolution. The British Army surrendered and the British government began to
consider a peace treaty.

The Peace of Paris Treaty in 1783 confirmed the new nation's complete
separation from the British Empire, and resulted in the United States taking
possession of nearly all the territory east of the Mississippi river.
 Among the significant results of the revolution was the creation of a
democratically - elected representative government responsible to the will of
the people. In 1787, the Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia and
the Constitution of the United States was written.

Activity 6

Source A: Historian explains the problems the involvement of France caused

Britain in the American Revolution.

The entry of France into the war added enormously to Britain’s difficulties. The
French attacked Britain’s colonies in the Caribbean and elsewhere undermining
Britain's control. They harassed British shipping in the Atlantic interfering with
Britain’s trade. It also became more difficult for Britain to supply its soldiers in
America.

1. How fully does Source A explain the reasons for the American victory in
the revolution?

Source A explains the reasons for the American victory in the revolution quite
fully but not completely.

Source A explains why Americans won as it tells us …

Source A also explains why Americans won as it tells us …

However, Source A fails to mention that the Americans won because …

Source A also fails to mention that the Americans won because …

Therefore, Source A explains the reasons for the American victory in the
revolution quite fully but does not give us all the important information.

2. What do you think was the most important reason for the American victory
in the Revolution? Give a detailed reason for your decision.
Take a double page in your jotter and copy the table below to show how much
you have understood about the American Revolution.

American Revolution in a nutshell

Why were the

American
colonists angry
with the British
before 1775?
What was the
most significant
cause of
Revolution and
why?
Who were the
political and
military leaders
of the
Revolution?

Who was the

most effective
leader?

Why did the

American’s
achieve
independence?
How successful
was the
revolution in
addressing the
cause of
revolution?
 “I can …

History
“… demonstrate my understanding of
chronology and evaluate why sources
“… I can explain why
are useful for investigating the
events in the past can
past.”
lead to some aspects of a
society changing while
other aspects stay the
same”.

“… interpret information from

primary and secondary sources to
describe the cause and impact of
events.”
“…I can describe events in the
past and show how they have
impacted on people at the time
and since.”
“… Compare sources to find points
of agreement and disagreement”

“… analyse evidence to establish

my own ideas about events in the
past.”

“… I can use evidence to reach my

own conclusions about events in
the past.”
 Literacy
 “… make and organise my notes
using my own words and use these
notes to develop my thinking, help
 “… find, select, sort, summarise, make me retain and recall information,
links and use information from a explore problems and create new
variety of sources for a range of texts.
purposes.

“… review and edit my work

throughout to ensure clarity of
meaning and purpose.”

Health and Wellbeing

 “… make full use of and value the opportunities I am given to

improve and manage my learning H&W and, in turn, I can help to
encourage learning and confidence in others.”