World History – Mr. O’Donnell

 

REVOLUTIONARY WAR: Birth Of A Nation

Causes Of The War

The following events represent the major events along the way to war. While it would be hard to point to any one event that singularly led to the Revolution, there is no doubt that the American view that they were entitled to the full democratic rights of Englishmen, while the British view that the American colonies were just colonies to be used and exploited in whatever way best suited the Great Britain, insured that war was inevitable.

 

British Impose New Taxes

In 1764 the British for the first time imposed a series of taxes designed specifically to raise revenue from the colonies. The tax whose official name was the American Revenue Act, became popularly known as the Sugar Act. On of its major components was the raising of tariff on sugar. The act was combined with a greater attempt to enforce the existing tariffs.

Stamp Tax Passed, Colonies Protest

1765

 

The British, led by Prime Minister George Greenville, felt that the colonists should share some of the continued burden of sustaining British troops in the colonies. Greenville's first action was to order the navy to enforce the Navigation Acts. He then secured passage from the British parliament of the Sugar Act, which raised the duty on sugar and other items imported into the colonies.

Colonial protests forced the British to scale back the tariffs. The sugar tariffs were followed by the Quartering Act, forcing colonists to provide housing and food for British troops.

In 1765 a Stamp Tax was enacted. It imposed taxes on all legal documents (i.e. marriage licenses, newspapers, and 47 other documents). The colonists responded with vocal protests. Not only did these taxes hurt their pocketbooks, but they were highly visible (i.e. they were needed for every day transactions). In addition, to enforce the actions, the British announced that colonial offenders were to be tried in the hated Admiralty courts.

The protests, which grew, began developing new slogans­ including "No taxation without representation".

One result of the protests was the meeting of the Stamp Act Congress in New York, to which many of the colonies sent representatives. Many colonies agreed not to import any British goods until the Stamp Tax was repealed.

 

Townshend Acts Imposed on the Colonies 1767

 

In the summer of 1766, King George III of England replaced Prime Minister Rockingham with William Pitt. Pitt was popular in the colonies. He opposed the Stamp Act and believed that colonists were entitled to all the rights of English citizens.

Pitt suddenly became sick. Charles Townshend, Chancellor of the Exchequer, took over the effective reins of the government. Unlike his predecessor, Townshend was not concerned with the subtleties of the rights of American colonists. Townshend wanted to strengthen the power of the British parliament which would simultaneously strengthen the power of royal officials. He convinced the Parliament to pass a series of laws imposing new taxes on the colonists. These laws included special taxes on lead, paint, paper, glass and tea imported by colonists. In addition, the New York legislature was suspended until it agreed to quarter British soldiers.

The Acts also insured that colonial officials, including governors and judges, would receive their salaries directly from the Crown.

 

 

Boston Massacre- 1770

An armed clash between the British and the colonists was almost inevitable from the moment British troops were introduced in Boston. Brawls were constant between the British and the colonists, who were constantly insulting the troops.

On March 5, 1770, a crowd of sixty towns people surrounded British sentries guarding the customs house. They began pelting snowballs at the guards. Suddenly, a shot rang out, followed by several others. Ultimately, 11 colonists were hit. Five were dead, including Crispus Attucks, a former slave.

 

 

Boston Tea Party 1774

Protests in the colonies against the Stamp Acts had died down when Parliament passed the Tea Act. The new act granted a monopoly on tea trade in the Americas to the East India Tea Company.

The Governor of Massachusetts, Thomas Hutchinson, insisted that tea be unloaded in Boston, despite a boycott organized by the Sons of Liberty.

On the evening of December 16th, thousands of Bostonians and farmers from the surrounding countryside packed into the Old South Meeting house to hear Samuel Adams. Adams denounced the Governor for denying clearance for vessels wishing to leave with tea still on board. After his speech the crowd headed for the waterfront. From the crowd, 50 individuals emerged dressed as Indians. They boarded three vessels docked in the harbor and threw 90,000 pounds of tea overboard.

 

First Continental Congress Meets 1774

 

The first Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, from September 5th to October 26th 1774. The task of the first Continental Congress was to define the relationship between the Colonists and the British government, in light of the "Coercive Acts" passed by the British Parliament. Colonists were united in their belief that the British had no right to tax them. They felt the only power the British should be entitled to was some form of regulation of trade. The Continental Congress debated various ideas for a new union with Great Britain, but ultimately concentrated on fighting British actions. They reached an agreement to stop all trade with Britain, until the Coercive Acts were repealed. The Congress voted that all Americans would stop drinking tea from the East India Company. The Congress did not, however, agree to demands of some of the more radical members who insisted upon the immediate formation of a Continental army.

 

 Teachers Guide to:

Revolutionary War

Birth of a Nation

 

Overview of the program

 

Revolutionary War: Birth of a Nation consists of a number of major elements. There are sections on the Causes and Major Battles of the war. These two sections are narrated and present the major events leading to the war and major events and battles of the war. The narrated presentation are suitable for students of all ages. Most of the major event screens provide additional information. Many of the events have links to source documents as well multimedia presentations on the battles. The second major section consists of a number of files containing original source documents, first hand accounts of battles, letters of Abigail and John Adams and Journals of the Continental Congress.

Another major section is Legends of the Revolutionary War, which tells the major stories of the war in an entertaining way. Finally there is a section of Biographies of the major generals, politicians, and other important figures of the period, including all the signers of the Declaration of Independence. There is also a section on Important Terms and events. This section covers many of the topics tested in standardized exams.

 

Causes:

The following events along the road to Revolution are covered in the program:

1754- The French and Indian Wars

1764- British Impose New Taxes

1765 Stamp Tax Passed

1765- Sons of Liberty Organized

1767 Townshend Acts Imposed

1767- Colonist Impose Boycott

1768 British Troops Land

1770- Boston Massacre

1770 Townshend Act Repealed

1772 Cutter Gaspee Burned

1773 Boston Tea Party

1774- Coercive Acts Imposed

1774- First Continental Congress

Students can explore the various causes, each of which is narrated.

 

Major Battles and Events

The following Major Battles and Events are in this section of the program.

Paul Revere Rides

Lexington and Concord

Fort Ticonderoga

Battle of Bunker Hill

King George declares the Colonies in Rebellion

Attack on Canada

US Navy created

Thomas Paine Writes Common Sense

Siege of Boston

Declaration of Independence

Battle of New York

Valcour Bay

Battle of Trenton

Battle of Princeton

British Capture Ticonderoga

Battle of Brandywine

Battle of Germantown

Battle of Orinsky

Killing of Jane McCrea

Battle of Bennington

Battle of Saratoga

Treaty with France

Battle of Monmouth

Settlers massacred at Wyoming

Americans Capture Stony Point

John Paul Jones

Siege of Charleston

Battle of Camden

Arnold, a traitor

Battle of King's Mountain

Battle of Cowpens

Battle of Guilford Court House

Battle of Hobkirks Hill

Battle of Eutaw Springs

Articles of Confederation

Battle of Yorktown

Washington Resigns Commission

Treaty of Paris

 

Each entry in this section is narrated, and many include links to first hand accounts.

Some suggested activities:

Have students go through the battles, making a list of which battles the American won, which the British won and which were draws. Compare the lists between students.

Go to a battle like the Battle of New York, listen to the Battle Narration and then go to the first hand accounts. Have different students read aloud different first hand accounts. One of the features of the Battle narration part of the program is the ability to stop presentation in the middle, to either print the screen or just pause to explain the disposition of the troops further to a class. Press W to stop the program P to print or C to continue. S ends the presentation.

 

The section includes a narration of King George declaring the colonies in Rebellion, as well as a dramatic reading of Declaration of Independence in its entirety in this section.

 

 

 

Documents and Accounts of the War

The Documents and Accounts section of the program includes political documents as well as first hand battle accounts. There are also links from this section to the Diary of the Revolution, Journal of Continental Congress, Adams' letters, and speeches of Edmund Burke.

 

The following political documents are in this section:

Writ of Assistance

Royal Proclamation Concerning America

Sugar Act

Stamp Act

Resolution of the Stamp Act

Quartering Act

Declaratory Act

Act Suspending NY Assembly

Townshend Revenue Act

Massachusetts Circular Letter

Administration of Justice Act

Boston Port Act

The Association

Declaration of Resolves

Declaration of Causes

Lord North Conciliatory Resolution

Report of Lord North Conciliatory Resolution

Common Sense ( complete text)

Proclamation of Rebellion

New England Restraining Act

Declaration of Independence

Articles of Confederation

Treaty of Paris

 

There are also multiple first hand accounts of the following battles and events:

Lexington and Concord

Bunker Hill

Attack on Canada

Germantown

Valley Forge

Monmouth

Stony Point

Benidict Arnold's Treason

The Southern Campaigns

 

 

The Legends Section is divided into two parts: Famous Quotes and Famous Events and Personalities

 

In the Famous Quote section there are entries on:

"The Shot Heard Around the World"- The Story of Lexington and Concord

"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death"- Patrick Henry

"I Regret That I Have But One Life To Give For My County" - Nathan Hale

" I Have Not Yet Begun To Fight"- John Paul Jones

"Don't Fire Till You See the Whites Of Their Eyes" - Bunker Hill

"No Taxation Without Representation"-Stamp Act Congress

"We Must All Hang Together or We Shall All Hang Separately"-The signing of the Declaration of Independence.

 

In the famous People and Events there are:

The Story of Betsy Ross

Molly Pitcher

Boston Massacre

Boston Tea Party

Paul Revere's Ride- including a dramatic reading of the complete Longfellow poem.

Crossing the Delaware

 

An excellent activity is to have students listen to the dramatic presentation, and then read the actual facts. Discuss how the stories differ from the truth, and how the stories might have developed over the years.

 

The Journals of the Continental Congress: This section includes the complete Journal from 1774 through 1777. In a later version of the program we hope to add the subsequent years. An interesting exercise for the students would be to look at the Journals for the end of 1775, say November 7th were the Congress is approving the Rules and Regulations for the Continental Congress. What do they tell us about the nation's preparation for full Independence?

 

Diary of the Revolution: This section contains an almost day-to-day journal of the war. It was compiled in the 1850's from a variety of first hand accounts. Have students identify the passages written by Royalists and the ones written by Patriots. In addition, after looking at any major battle or event, have students research what was written in the diary about the event.

 

The Correspondence of John and Abigail Adams provides interesting insights from a number of perspectives. First, they give us a small glimpse of the private side of one of the period's most important couples. In addition, they provide a rare opportunity to examine events of the period from a woman's perspective. They can be studied separately or integrated with the events that were taking place at the time.

 

No study of the period would be complete without delving into the section on the America of 1776. It covers the economics of Revolutionary America; describes the Americans of the time from the perspective of national, ethnic, and religious heritages; and includes a complete section on the arts. The Economics section presents the economy of the thirteen colonies at the time, as well as a discission of the economic causes, events, and problems of the Revolutionary War. The Americans of 1776 section discusses something of the lifestyles and contributions of Native Americans, English settlers, African Americans, and European settlers from outside England, as well as presenting a persepective on Protestants, Catholics, and Jews in America. The Arts section includes audio examples of music of the period, as well as the text of representative Revolutionary songs.

 

Finally, the Biography section contains information on each of the Generals and major political figures of the war. Biographies of each of the signers of the constitution are given. One student activity could be to identify and characterize all of the signers. Were there any unifying features that could be ascribed to them?

 

 

Important Terms: This section maintains a glossary of the most important terms and events needed for a basic understanding of the Revolution. Where additional information is available in the program on the given subject, the MORE INFO icon is seamlessly linked to that information. Some of the names of people mentioned in this section are BOLDED. The BOLDED names are linked to the Biographies section. The most important battle dates and locations are listed. Clicking on one of the battles brings you to a description of that battle in the Major Battles and Events section. The Important Terms section contains much of the information tested in standardized exams.

 

Important Terms and events. This section covers many of the topics tested in standardized exams.

 

Causes:

The following events along the road to Revolution are covered in the program:

1754- The French and Indian Wars

1764- British Impose New Taxes

1765 Stamp Tax Passed

1765- Sons of Liberty Organized

1767 Townshend Acts Imposed

1767- Colonist Impose Boycott

1768 British Troops Land

1770- Boston Massacre

1770 Townshend Act Repealed

1772 Cutter Gaspee Burned

1773 Boston Tea Party

1774- Coercive Acts Imposed

1774- First Continental Congress

Students can explore the various causes, each of which is narrated.

 

Major Battles and Events

The following Major Battles and Events are in this section of the program.

Paul Revere Rides

Lexington and Concord

Fort Ticonderoga

Battle of Bunker Hill

King George declares the Colonies in Rebellion

Attack on Canada

US Navy created

Thomas Paine Writes Common Sense

Siege of Boston

Declaration of Independence

Battle of New York

Valcour Bay

Battle of Trenton

Battle of Princeton

British Capture Ticonderoga

Battle of Brandywine

Battle of Germantown

Battle of Orinsky

Killing of Jane McCrea

Battle of Bennington

Battle of Saratoga

Treaty with France

Battle of Monmouth

Settlers massacred at Wyoming

Americans Capture Stony Point

John Paul Jones

Siege of Charleston

Battle of Camden

Arnold, a traitor

Battle of King's Mountain

Battle of Cowpens

Battle of Guilford Court House

Battle of Hobkirks Hill

Battle of Eutaw Springs

Articles of Confederation

Battle of Yorktown

Washington Resigns Commission

Treaty of Paris

 

Each entry in this section is narrated, and many include links to first hand accounts.

Some suggested activities:

Have students go through the battles, making a list of which battles the American won, which the British won and which were draws. Compare the lists between students.

Go to a battle like the Battle of New York, listen to the Battle Narration and then go to the first hand accounts. Have different students read aloud different first hand accounts. One of the features of the Battle narration part of the program is the ability to stop presentation in the middle, to either print the screen or just pause to explain the disposition of the troops further to a class. Press W to stop the program P to print or C to continue. S ends the presentation.

 

The section includes a narration of King George declaring the colonies in Rebellion, as well as a dramatic reading of Declaration of Independence in its entirety in this section.

 

 

 

Documents and Accounts of the War

The Documents and Accounts section of the program includes political documents as well as first hand battle accounts. There are also links from this section to the Diary of the Revolution, Journal of Continental Congress, Adams' letters, and speeches of Edmund Burke.

 

The following political documents are in this section:

Writ of Assistance

Royal Proclamation Concerning America

Sugar Act

Stamp Act

Resolution of the Stamp Act

Quartering Act

Declaratory Act

Act Suspending NY Assembly

Townshend Revenue Act

Massachusetts Circular Letter

Administration of Justice Act

Boston Port Act

The Association

Declaration of Resolves

Declaration of Causes

Lord North Conciliatory Resolution

Report of Lord North Conciliatory Resolution

Common Sense ( complete text)

Proclamation of Rebellion

New England Restraining Act

Declaration of Independence

Articles of Confederation

Treaty of Paris

 

There are also multiple first hand accounts of the following battles and events:

Lexington and Concord

Bunker Hill

Attack on Canada

Germantown

Valley Forge

Monmouth

Stony Point

Benidict Arnold's Treason

The Southern Campaigns

 

 

The Legends Section is divided into two parts: Famous Quotes and Famous Events and Personalities

 

In the Famous Quote section there are entries on:

"The Shot Heard Around the World"- The Story of Lexington and Concord

"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death"- Patrick Henry

"I Regret That I Have But One Life To Give For My County" - Nathan Hale

" I Have Not Yet Begun To Fight"- John Paul Jones

"Don't Fire Till You See the Whites Of Their Eyes" - Bunker Hill

"No Taxation Without Representation"-Stamp Act Congress

"We Must All Hang Together or We Shall All Hang Separately"-The signing of the Declaration of Independence.

 

In the famous People and Events there are:

The Story of Betsy Ross

Molly Pitcher

Boston Massacre

Boston Tea Party

Paul Revere's Ride- including a dramatic reading of the complete Longfellow poem.

Crossing the Delaware

 

An excellent activity is to have students listen to the dramatic presentation, and then read the actual facts. Discuss how the stories differ from the truth, and how the stories might have developed over the years.

 

The Journals of the Continental Congress: This section includes the complete Journal from 1774 through 1777. In a later version of the program we hope to add the subsequent years. An interesting exercise for the students would be to look at the Journals for the end of 1775, say November 7th were the Congress is approving the Rules and Regulations for the Continental Congress. What do they tell us about the nation's preparation for full Independence?

 

Diary of the Revolution: This section contains an almost day-to-day journal of the war. It was compiled in the 1850's from a variety of first hand accounts. Have students identify the passages written by Royalists and the ones written by Patriots. In addition, after looking at any major battle or event, have students research what was written in the diary about the event.

 

The Correspondence of John and Abigail Adams provides interesting insights from a number of perspectives. First, they give us a small glimpse of the private side of one of the period's most important couples. In addition, they provide a rare opportunity to examine events of the period from a woman's perspective. They can be studied separately or integrated with the events that were taking place at the time.

 

No study of the period would be complete without delving into the section on the America of 1776. It covers the economics of Revolutionary America; describes the Americans of the time from the perspective of national, ethnic, and religious heritages; and includes a complete section on the arts. The Economics section presents the economy of the thirteen colonies at the time, as well as a discission of the economic causes, events, and problems of the Revolutionary War. The Americans of 1776 section discusses something of the lifestyles and contributions of Native Americans, English settlers, African Americans, and European settlers from outside England, as well as presenting a persepective on Protestants, Catholics, and Jews in America. The Arts section includes audio examples of music of the period, as well as the text of representative Revolutionary songs.

 

Finally, the Biography section contains information on each of the Generals and major political figures of the war. Biographies of each of the signers of the constitution are given. One student activity could be to identify and characterize all of the signers. Were there any unifying features that could be ascribed to them?

 

 

Important Terms: This section maintains a glossary of the most important terms and events needed for a basic understanding of the Revolution. Where additional information is available in the program on the given subject, the MORE INFO icon is seamlessly linked to that information. Some of the names of people mentioned in this section are BOLDED. The BOLDED names are linked to the Biographies section. The most important battle dates and locations are listed. Clicking on one of the battles brings you to a description of that battle in the Major Battles and Events section. The Important Terms section contains much of the information tested in standardized exams.