Unit 3: Revolutions and Reaction
Lesson B: Out with the Old World and in with the New
Activity 3: The American Revolution
Painting of the Battle of Bunker Hill [1]
The American Revolutionary War occurred from 1775 to 1778, a little more than 10 years before the French Revolution. Many believe that the French people, seeing the example of revolution by the American colonists, realized the possibilities for themselves. The American colonies rebelled because of discontent with British rule. One reason for discontent was taxation. The British had massive debts as a result of the Seven Years War with France. Just like French royalty, the British needed more money to pay off their debt. To raise this money, they created a number of taxes in America on everyday items such as tea and printed paper.
Download the Student Resource: Perspectives on the Causes of the American Revolution (doc) and record your responses as you complete the readings.
Directions: Select the two images to review the following documents about the American Revolution. As you read, determine several causes of the American Revolution.
Classroom Activity - Causes of the American Revolution
Discussion
Directions: Prepare a response to the discussion questions below. Follow your teacher's directions to participate in your class discussion.
- Compare the perspectives in the Declaration of Independence and Johnson's essay.
- Was the American Revolution unavoidable? Remember to consider the perspective of both the colonists and the British Government as you answer the question.
Select the link to review the Discussion Scoring Tool (pdf).
Page Notes:
[1] Source: This image from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_bunker_hill_by_percy_moran.jpg is in the public domain because its copyright has expired.
