How We Got to be the United States
Getting Ready
Make the appropriate number of handouts for this lesson: simplified version of the Bill of Rights;
questions about the Bill of Rights; and character profiles for the 1600’s and 1700’s. Bring a copy
of the poem “Indian,” by Stephen Vincent Benet, to class.
Relate to social context
Skills: Making inferences and drawing conclusions
Ask students to write about a time when they felt rebellious (at home, school, in their neighborhood or community). What did they do, why did they do it, what happened as a result of their
actions? Ask students to share their writings. Talk about what rebellion means and summarize
reasons why people might have the need to do so. This lesson will explore our country’s earliest
history and the huge changes required to form a new country.
Teach and reinforce skills/content
Skills: Analyzing
• Ask students who were the first people to come to North America. Talk briefly about the history of the Native Americans/Indians and when they came to this continent.
•
Have students take turns reading the poem “Indian” by Stephen Vincent Benet. Discuss the poem, emphasizing perspective. Ask students to describe the
conflicts that the poem describes between Native Americans and the Europeans who came to settle in America.
• Introduce the early settlers and why they came to America. Ask the group what names, ideas, or events they associate with this time period before the Revolutionary War. Briefly mention issues that led to the Revolutionary War.
Skill: Oral presentation, making inferences and drawing conclusions
• Distribute handouts. Each student receives a description of an actual leader or a fictional character representative of this time period. Each profile is written in the first person. Have students practice reading dramatically, in the first person, with a partner.
• Ask the students to present the character profiles in chronological order. As they listen to each one, ask the students to think about what historical events are happening during each character’s lifetime.
•
As a class, brainstorm the key changes that were noted. Discuss and summarize what made the colonists rebel and eventually want to form a new country. Review the key concepts and explore the frustrations that led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence.
Skill: Analyzing primary sources
Have students read excerpts from the Declaration of Independence from the
following website: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_
transcript.html. If computers are not available, distribute a printed version. Ask
students if they agree with the ideas expressed in this document. Give students the opportunity
to sign the Declaration of Independence at the following website http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/
charters/declaration_join_the_signers.html
During the Revolutionary War, the Articles of Confederation was adopted in 1781 to establish a system of government. This document can be found at the following website. http://www.law.umkc.
edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/convention1787.html. Discuss the problems associated with
this document and how its shortfalls led to the development of the Constitution. Ask the class
why the Constitution is the most important US legal document. Tell them about the major principles of the Constitution: federalism, power of the people, separation of powers, and checks and
balances.
To give students hands-on experience with understanding the content of the Constitution, analyzing primary source documents, and establishing each
document’s constitutional relevance, divide the class into groups and follow
the exercise found in the following website: http://www.archives.gov/education/
lessons/constitution-workshop/index.html?template=print#vocabulary
Read the “Instruction Section” at the above website. To help students understand the purpose of
each article, review the document with the class prior to giving the assignment.
Divide the class into four groups (corresponding to the four pages of the
Constitution), and distribute the following documents to each group:
• One page of the four transcribed pages of the Constitution which can be found at the website.
• Corresponding documents and Document Analysis Worksheets (The number of
documents can be decided based upon available class time and students’ reading
abilities.) For students in Basic Skills, pre-GED, use the John Kennedy historical
documents; Albert Einstein’s naturalization application and Declaration of Intention; John Marshall’s Supreme Court nomination; Child’s Letter on Nixon Pardon, 1974; and the 19th Amendment.
Allow students time to read their pages of the Constitution. Analyze their primary source documents
using the document analysis worksheets. Ask students to describe their documents to the rest of the
class, providing appropriate quotes from the articles and sections of the Constitution that relate to the
documents. Some of the students may need help understanding the language of the Constitution.
Skills: Relate to personal learning
The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution because the original document did not address
personal rights and freedoms. Distribute the Bill of Rights handouts. Working in pairs, students
should discuss each question and write a response. If there are international students in the classroom, ask them to share differences about personal freedoms in their native countries.
Transfer skills to new learning situations:
Skills: Drawing conclusions
Ask students to write about something they’ve seen or heard about in recent weeks that involves
an expression or violation of some aspect of the Bill of Rights. The event could be something they
witnessed or read about or something that occurred in their families, neighborhoods, communities,
or another country.
Guide reflection on what’s learned
Help students review and label what they have learned during the class. Include literacy skills and
content. Ask them to think about their individual accomplishments and write them down.
The Bill of Rights
The first 10 amendments to the Constitution of the United States were adopted as the Bill of
Rights in 1791. They guarantee basic human rights for all US citizens.
Amendment 1 The government may not take away individuals’ rights to freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press (newspapers, TV, radio, and other media). This amendment also allows citizens to assemble (meet together) freely and to petition (or ask) the government to change.
Amendment 2 Individuals have the right to bear arms (own weapons).
Amendment 3 The government cannot force individuals to turn over their homes to soldiers. (This was a problem during the Revolutionary War.)
Amendment 4 The government cannot illegally search someone’s home or other property.
For example, the police may not search a person’s home without a search
warrant.
Amendment 5 A person tried in court for a crime cannot be tried again for the same crime.
No one can be forced to testify against him or herself or be found guilty without a trial. Also, the government cannot take private property (for example, to build a highway or park) from its owner without paying a fair price.
Amendment 6 Anyone accused of a criminal offense has the right to be represented by a lawyer and to have a speedy trial with a fair jury. The accused person must be able to understand the charge against him or her and has the right to require witnesses to testify on his or her behalf.
Amendment 7 Anyone who brings a lawsuit to court about anything valued at more than $20 has the right to request a trial by jury.
Amendment 8 The government cannot charge too large a bail (money that must be paid
to allow the accused to stay out of jail until a crime is tried in court). No one found guilty (convicted) of a crime can be punished in a cruel or unusual (overly harsh) way.
Amendment 9 Simply because a right is not stated in the Constitution does not give the
government the power to take that right away from the people.
Amendment 10 Powers not given to the federal government or prohibited in the Constitution
to be given to the states are given to the states or the people.
The Bill of Rights
Motheread, Inc. Contextualized History and Civics Lesson 6
1. Why is freedom of speech important to you?
2. Why is freedom of religion important to you?
3. Why is freedom of the press (newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, computer, internet) important to everyone in the US?
4. Why is freedom from unreasonable search and seizure of people and property without a warrant important?
5. Why should a person accused of a crime have the right to a fair and speedy trial and the right
to be represented by a defense lawyer?
I am King John of England. At Runnymede
in 1215, I was forced to sign a paper called the
“Magna Carta.” This document took away my
Divine Right status which meant that I could
no longer rule the way I wanted. I couldn’t
tax people without permission of the lords in
the new representational government called
“Parliament.” In a trial people were given the
right to appear before a jury of their peers.
I couldn’t throw people in jail without telling them why. People did not have to testify
against themselves in court.
Although the Magna Carta was an English
document, it laid the groundwork for the
colonists’ writing of the Declaration of
Independence and later the Bill of Rights.
The Magna Carta was great for the colonies
but not so good for me!
My name is Christopher Columbus. I am
an Italian explorer. In 1492 I was able to convince Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of
Spain to fund an expedition using three ships.
They were the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa
Maria. I wanted to find a short cut to India to
make trade easier. When we landed, I thought
we had reached India. Actually we were in
what was San Salvador in the Caribbean. In
spite of my mistake, most people still give me
credit for discovering America.
My name is Ian. I am from England, but now
I am a resident of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the New World. In
1609, I came here with a group of men hunting for gold. When we first got here we almost
starved because we didn’t know how to grow
food. Fortunately the native people taught us
how to farm and, most importantly, how to
grow tobacco. It has become our “gold.” King
James is opposed to the use of tobacco because
he thinks it is harmful to people’s health. He
wants to stop us from growing and shipping
it to England. But I have made a lot of money
from growing and selling tobacco.
I now own my own farm. In the old country,
I couldn’t own any land. Now I have money
and land. Man, this is a great country, where
men like me can prosper.
My name is Edward. Along with 102 other
people, I sailed from England in 1620 on
the Mayflower and landed in Plymouth.
You call us Pilgrims. We wanted more freedom to practice our religion. While we were
on the ship, we wrote a document that established a temporary government and laws for
our settlement. This document is called the
Mayflower Compact and has become an important early example of democracy in America. We developed a way to rule ourselves!
I am Sam Adams, a politician from Massachusetts. I am also a member of the Sons of Liberty, a group that protests the Stamp Act. This
act by King George required that colonists pay
for a stamp to be put on every single piece of
paper or document. We have gotten tired of
all the new taxes that King George demands us
to pay. We are especially irritated by the tax on
tea! We are so angry that tonight we are going
to dress as Indians and toss all the tea stored
in ships into the water of the Boston Harbor.
Our Motto is “No Taxation without Representation!”
I am Paul Revere. I belong to the Sons of Liberty.
I also do work for the Committee of Correspondence delivering written communication between
different patriot leaders. Since travel and communication are very difficult, this committee also
helps get the word out to all the colonies as
needed.
When I am not working for change in the colonies, I work as a silversmith and a dentist among
other occupations. On April 18, 1775 I rode
through the countryside to warn Sam Adams and
John Hancock that the British troops were coming
to arrest them. I had seen the lantern signal in
the bell-tower of Christ Church in Boston, “one if
by land and two if by sea,” and knew the soldiers
were coming sea. William Dawes and Dr. Samuel
Prescott rode with me and along the way we told
all the colonists that the British troops were coming.
The next day the first shot of the revolution was
fired in Concord, Massachusetts. It has become
known as “the shot heard round the world.”
My name is Benjamin Franklin. I was born in
Boston, Massachusetts and was the 10th son
of poor parents. I worked for my brother in
his print shop, but I ran away to Philadelphia
to start a new life in a new city. I started my
own printing company. I became an inventor, philosopher, and politician. I developed
the first library and the first fire department
and invented the lightening rod, the Franklin
stove, and bifocal glasses to name a few. I am
proud to call myself a self-made man.
I was at the Second Continental Congress and
helped write the Declaration of Independence.
My biggest contribution to this document
were the words, “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.”
My name is Thomas Jefferson. I was born and
raised in Virginia and became a lawyer, farmer,
architect, inventor, and writer. I was a representative in the Virginia House of Burgesses
and wrote a pamphlet that disputed the king’s
authority over the colonists. As a result of the
publicity I received from this publication, I
was elected to the Second Continental Congress. I was asked to be the primary author
of the Declaration of Independence because
of my talent at writing.
After the War, I remained in politics and law
in Virginia. Later I served the new country in
my roles as the Minister to France, Secretary of
State, Vice President, and, finally as the third
President of the United States.
My name is Patrick Henry. I was born in
Virginia and became a lawyer and politician.
I also was a passionate speaker. Some of the
things I said caused people to call me a radical!
I tried repeatedly to convince various powerful
people to ignore the laws that the English kept
putting on the colonies. Finally, when I was
at the Virginia House of Burgesses, I was given
time to speak. It was then that I said my most
famous words, “I know not what course others
may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give
me death!” That speech led the colony of Virginia to form a small army to fight the British.
I am Crispus Attucks. I was born in 1723 to
Prince Yonger, an African slave, and Nancy
Attucks, a Native American. I lived in Framingham, Massachusetts. Because I loved
freedom, I ran away to become a sailor.
On a snowy day in March 1770, I was in
Boston waiting for a ship. I was waiting
around the Boston Commons when a group
of colonists started heckling the British
soldiers and throwing stones and snowballs
at them. For some reason some of the soldiers
panicked and fired. Then other soldiers started
shooting. I was one of the five colonists who
were killed that day. Seven more were wounded. Sam Adams called this day the “Boston
Massacre.” My death as the first person of
color killed in the struggle for American independence made me an important historical
figure.
I am Metacom, and my father was Massasoit. We were of members of the Wamanpoag
Tribe. My father asked the English to give me
an English name and that is how I became
known as “King Philip.”
My tribe lived in what is now Massachusetts.
We were only 700 in number when the Pilgrims arrived. My father, Massasoit, led our
tribe to accept and help the first white settlers.
Unfortunately, the treaty he had made with
them died when he did.
More English people arrived, and with them
the Wamanpoag value of sharing the land increasingly conflicted with the English value
of owning land. This conflict led to wars. In
1675, we fought the war named after me,
“King Philip’s War.” This war was devastating
for both Native Americans and colonists. My
death effectively ended the war almost one
year after it started.
I am Pocahontas, the daughter of Powhatan,
the powerful Indian chief in Tidewater
Virginia. I was born in 1595 and began to
have an important role in American history
even as a young girl.
I first saw white people when the English
landed in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. I saw
to it that the colonists had plenty to eat so
their settlement could survive. Although I
am probably best known for saving the life of
Captain John Smith, one of the leaders of the
settlement, I also prevented the deaths of other colonists, too.
As the years went by Captain Smith returned
to England. Even though relationships between Englishmen and Native Americans
deteriorated, I fell in love with and married a
successful tobacco planter named John Rolfe.
Unfortunately when I went to England to raise
money for the colony, I became ill and died at
Jamestown upon our return.
History remembers me as a powerful representative of Native Americans and a vital link between them and the new American settlers.