Lesson Plan: On the Path to Revolution Lesson Origin: (web site, modified from, original): Some resources adapted and/or
provided from other Cobb County teachers.
Georgia Performance Standard:
SSUSH3 The student will explain the primary causes of the American Revolution.
b. Explain colonial response to such British actions as the Proclamation of 1763, the Stamp Act,
and the Intolerable Acts as seen in Sons and Daughters of Liberty and Committees of
Correspondence.
Essential Question:
How do colonial responses to British actions lead “America” on the path to Revolution?
How have group responses to oppression changed over time? Are any means more effective than others? Materials:
Road to Revolution Chart and discussion questions-provided at end of lesson plan
Internet Links-as noted below with activities; sources provided at conclusion of lesson
Video: “Our World”-Kent State
Instructions for class activities with suggested time
2 days (traditional block)-activities to be completed at-home along with reading may include road to
revolution chart and discussion questions; in addition, readings on Boston Massacre and Kent State are
typically provided ahead of time to be completed at-home
1. Students will complete a Road to Revolution Chart (file provided includes events more
appropriate for AP level)-may be completed in class groups, individually or at home prior to
discussion in class
2. Review Road to Revolution Chart/Causes leading to the Revolution; Suggested
activities/discussion/sources provided for some events below
Stamp Act:
1. Political Cartoon: Funeral of Miss Ame-Stamp
http://www.history.org/history/teaching/tchcrpc1.cfm
2. Political Cartoon: O the Fatal Stamp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:O!_the_fatal_Stamp.jpg
3. Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions http://www.history.org/history/teaching/tchcrvar.cfm
4. Stamp Act Congress-Declaration of Rights and Grievances
http://www.constitution.org/bcp/dor_sac.htm
5. Sons of Liberty organized
a) Tarring and feathering-images
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarring_and_feathering (for images only)
*Include propaganda: The Bostonians paying the excise-man, 1774
*Discussion: Public humiliation-an effective form of punishment?
*Bring in other forms of public humiliation used in the past and event present
cases; discuss caning as an example-Michael P. Fay case-1994
*Student discussion: Vigilante Justice-Does the American justice system
perpetuate the desire for vigilante justice?
b) Boston Tea Party
*Price of tea-Were the actions by the Sons of Liberty warranted?
*Boston Tea Party Historical Society:
http://www.boston-tea-party.org/index.html
*see documents and pictures tab
images/artwork (realistic?-Indian dress?)
First hand accounts: George Hewes,Joshua Wyeth
*Images of Boston: present-day
*Primary source-reaction to the Port Bill of 1774
See page 10 of file for primary source-committee of corr. Response
See page 11 of file for primary source-Sons of Liberty Handbill/response
Townshend Acts:
1. MA Circular Letter
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/mass_circ_let_1768.asp
2. Boston Massacre
a) Kent State/Boston Massacre Compare/Contrast
*Have students complete readings on the Boston Massacre and Kent State
Massacre (I utilize a 1-page article for each event that provides a synopsis of
the occurrences; any articles that provide an accurate overview may work
here)
*Have students watch video clip on Kent State-ABC “Our World”-March 12,
1987
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yegMOdS5IgQ
Part I: begin at approximately 2:06 until conclusion of Part I
Part II: from the beginning until approximately 4:35
*Discussion on the two events; students may complete a t-chart or Venn
diagram comparing/contrasting the two events
*Discussion-What constitutes a massacre? Have students define the term and
then discuss why these two events are considered a massacre, pose other
major events to students and based on their definition, why are those not
considered massacres?
b) Primary sources:
*Boston Massacre Trial image
See page 8 of file for primary source
*Summation of John Adams
http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/bostonmassacre/adamssummatio
n.html
*Trial of Captain Preston
http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/bostonmassacre/prestontrialexcer
pts.html
* Paul Revere painting
http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/winter96/enlargement.html
-Discuss Paul Revere painting and propaganda usage-analyze the
print
c) Images of Boston-present day (showing site today)
Intolerable Acts:
Continental Congress
Literature:
1. Readings from “Common Sense”
2. Question sheet for the Declaration of Independence
http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/pdf/2_questions.pdf
*may also use HBO series “John Adams” clips here for visual references on many of the
events
3. Have students work in groups to create a chart on groups/organizations vs. methods/events
(Examples of items students may utilize provided below-not an all-inclusive list)
Examples of groups/organizations: Committees of Correspondence, Sons of Liberty, Daughters
of Liberty
Image: Boston Committee of Correspondence: see page 9 of file for image
Examples of methods/events: boycotts/nonimportation; protests; petitions (Stamp Act CongressDeclaration of Rights and Grievances); violence-burning ships, tea party, tearing down statues,
tarring and feathering; artwork-Paul Revere Painting; writings/literature-Common Sense,
Declaration of Independence
4. Discussion: How have group responses to oppression changed over time? Are any means more
effective than others?
-May include how colonists changed their strategy over time; At what point did discussion lead to
warfare?
-May compare to other time periods, such as the Civil Rights Movement; Are there any
similarities between the time periods?
5. Have students complete discussion questions regarding the road to revolution; questions provided
following lesson plan format
Possible Assessments:
-Road to Revolution Chart
-Chart on groups/organizations vs. methods/events
-Venn diagram or T-chart on Boston Massacre and Kent State Massacre
-Declaration of Independence w.s.
-Discussion Questions-see questions following lesson plan format
-Multiple-choice assessment (not provided)
Technology use (include I-Respond file if used):
Internet/LCD Projector
Suggestions for differentiation/modification:
-Based on the class level, the Road to Revolution Chart can be modified to cover fewer events/only the
required standards
-To save time, students can be assigned a specific event/cause on the chart, and/or students can complete
the chart as events are reviewed in class
-Primary sources can be selected based on class level and/or time allotted to cover material
Extensions (advanced students):
-Provided in activities above
Depth of Knowledge level: 1_____ 2______3.________4.___X___
Rationale: Incorporates higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy throughout activities; content covered and
primary sources utilized surpass required state/national standards and are more equivalent to AP level
course
Modeling/Guided Practice/Independent Practice elements:
Discussion Questions-review and analysis of events discussed
Elements of Teaching American History Grant activities incorporated into the
lesson:
-Primary Sources
-Content/Images from TAH travels-including Boston experience, Eastern State Penn (public
humiliation/punishment)
Event Leading to American
Summary/Significance
Revolution / Date
ALBANY CONGRESS 1754 FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR/ TREATY OF PARIS 1763 PONTIAC’S REBELLION 1763 PROCLAMATION OF 1763 SUGAR ACT OF 1764 CURRENCY ACT 1764 STAMP ACT OF 1765/ STAMP ACT CONGRESS QUARTERING ACT 1765 SONS OF LIBERTY 1765 DECLARATORY ACT 1766 TOWNSHEND ACTS 1767 BOSTON MASSACRE 1770 GASPEE INCIDENT 1772 TEA ACT 1773 BOSTON TEA PARTY 1773 COERCIVE ACTS 1774 Aka. Intolerable Acts QUEBEC ACT 1774 FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 1774 LEXINGTON AND CONCORD 1775 SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 1775 PATRICK HENRY “Give me Liberty or give me death” 1775 THOMAS PAINE’S “COMMON SENSE” DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE 1776 Advanced Placement United States History The Struggle for Independence Discussion Questions Directions: Complete the following discussion questions on your own paper. Utilize factual evidence to support your responses. These are not full blown essays. You may opt to answer in sentence format, bullet points, chart layout, a combination of any of these…just make sure you I can understand your response and the evidence you are providing. 1. Explain the following statement as it pertains to the Revolutionary movement: “Insurrection of thought usually precedes insurrection of deed.” 2. Explain the following statement as it pertains to the Revolutionary movement: “Distance weakens authority; great distance weakens authority greatly.” 3. Was the American Revolution inevitable? Give supportive fact for both possible answers. 4. Explain the positive and negative impact of mercantilism on the Revolutionary movement. 5. Compare the administrations of Greenville, Townshend and Lord North. Under which administration did the situation reach a “point of no return?” (flag text may help here) 6. Were American grievances really justified, or were the British being more reasonable than most Americans have traditionally believed? 7. What was the Revolutionary movement really all about? (amount of taxation?, right of Parliament to tax?, political corruption of Britain vs. virtuous America?, right of monarchy in America?, American growing national identity?) 8. Between 1763 and 1776, American nationalism was fostered by successful, organized and violent protest over British attempts to re‐exert control. Assess the validity of this statement. Sons of Liberty:
Sam Adams formed the Sons of Liberty in Boston in protest to the Stamp Act of 1763. Mostly young artisans and
laborers, the Sons of Liberty organized protests against Parliamentary actions. Those protests sometimes turned
into vigilante violence. The handbill below describes a protest organized by the Sons of Liberty in reaction to the
Port Bill of 1774.
[Source: "A Public Execution by the Sons of Liberty" (1774) Reprinted at PBS Video
(http://videoindex.pbs.org/resources/liberty/primary/doc8.html)]
A Public Execution by the Sons of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty in all the colonies participated in a number of activities. Their major purpose was to work
cooperatively to make sure that their rights, as they perceived them, were being protected against those who they
believed threatened them. The execution described here in Farmington, Connecticut, took place on or about May 19,
1774. Such actions were not unusual for these men.
Early in the morning was found the following handbill, posted up in various parts of the town:
To pass through the fire at six o'clock this evening, in honour to the immortal goddess of Liberty, the late infamous
[Boston Port] Act of the British Parliament for farther distressing the American Colonies; the place of execution [of
this act] will be the public parade, where all Sons of Liberty are desired to attend.
Accordingly, a very numerous and respectable body [of people] were assembled of near one thousand people, when a
huge pole, just fourty-five feet high, was erected and consecrated to the shrine of liberty; after which the Act of
Parliament for blocking up the Boston harbor was read aloud, sentenced to the flames and executed by the hands of the
common hangman; then the following resolves were passed nem. con. [nemine contradicente, unanimous]:
1st. That it is with the greatest dignity, interest and happiness of every American to be united with our parent State,
while our liberties are duly secured, maintained and supported by our rightful Sovereign, whose person we greatly
revere; whose government, while duly administered, we are ready with our lives and properties to support.
2d. That the present ministry, being instigated by the devil and led on by their wicked and corrupt hearts, have a design
to take away our liberties and properties and to enslave us forever.
3d. That the late Act which their malice hath caused to be passed in Parliament, for blocking up the port of Boston, is
unjust, illegal and oppressive; and that we and every American are sharers in the insults offered to the town of Boston.
4th. That those pimps and parasites who dared to advise their master to such detestable measures be held in utter
abhorrence by us and every American, and their names loaded with the curses of all succeeding generations.
5th. That we scorn the chains of slavery; we despise every attempt to rivet them upon us; we are the sons of freedom
and resolved that, till time shall be no more, godlike virtue shall blazon our hemisphere.