Lesson Plans

Out of Many: A History of the American People ©2000

by Faragher, Buhle, Czitrom, and Armitage

Focus Lesson 4

Chapter 6: "From Empire to Independence, 1750–1776"

AP* Course Description

• Road to Revolution, 1754–1775
  • Anglo-French Rivalries and Seven Years' War
  • Imperial Reorganization of 1763
    • Stamp Act
    • Declaratory Act
    • Townshend Acts
    • Boston Tea Party
  • Philosophy of the American Revolution

Key Components

• Instructor's Manual: pp. 27–31
• Study Guide, Vol. I to 1877: pp. 50–58
• Documents Set, Vol. I to 1877: pp. 63–76
• Test Item File: pp. 45–54

Key Web Sites

• Independence Day on the Net
• How Newspapers Covered the French and Indian War
• Revolutionary War
• The Revolutionary War: A Journey Towards Freedom

Key Words and Terms

Suggested Pacing

Test Strategy

Key Concepts

• Causes and effects of the Revolutionary War
  As noted under Test Strategy above, the overall concept that students should understand from this chapter is that the origins of the War for Independence lay far back in time, with the establishment of the original colonies—and even further with the Magna Carta. The amount of independence that the various charters gave the colonists, as well as the distance between the British colonies and the home country, allowed for the evolution of certain ideas and practices that encouraged independence.
  
  One way to emphasize the concept of cause and effect is to have students create a table listing causes and then the effects of those causes. They should realize that some effects then became causes of other effects in an escalating spiral by the 1760s and 1770s. Students should look at all aspects of colonial life while listing events and ramifications—political, economic, social, and religious.
  
  
• The Enlightenment and the American Revolution
  To understand the American Revolution, it is important that students also examine the ideas of the Enlightenment and match the words of the Declaration of Independence to those ideas. Students will need to review Chapter 5 to make this connection.
  
  

Summing Up Student Understanding

Essay Writing Skills Introduction Thesis Brief explanation of any key theme or complex idea contained in the thesis A quick listing of the main organizational points that will be used to structure and present the data used to defend the thesis. This list is usually based on one of the following concepts: key personalities key events main ideas overall categories of evidence (political, social, economic, etc.) noted contradictions or comparisons Body The number, order, and nature of these paragraphs will be determined by the organizational list in the introduction. Each paragraph should contain the following: Good transition sentence Main idea that supports the thesis Specific details that support the main idea. This is the heart of the essay. Unleash a flood of names, dates, people, legislation, pieces of literature, ideas, etc., that are PERTINENT to the essay. The more FACTS and EXAMPLES given to support the main idea, the higher the grade. Do not just tell a story. Present the details within the context of the thesis. Conclusion Restatement of the thesis Brief mention of any connection with contemporary history/events Strong closing sentence No new ideas or solutions not covered in the body of the essay

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• American Issues: Vol. I to 1877, edited by Unger and Tomes—Chapter 5
• The Power of Words: Vol. I to 1877, edited by Breen—Chapter 6
• Constructing the American Past, Vol. I, edited by Gorn, Roberts, and Bilhartz—Chapter 5
• American Experiences: Volume I to 1877, edited by Roberts and Olson (secondary source readings)—Part Three