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Lesson Plans

The American Journey: A History of the United States ©2000

by David Goldfield, Carl Abbott, Virginia DeJohn Anderson, Jo Ann E. Argersinger, Peter H. Argersinger, William L. Barney, Robert M. Weir

Focus Lesson 5

Chapter 6: "The War for Independence, 1774–1783"

AP* Course Description

The American Revolution, 1775–1783
- Continental Congress
- Declaration of Independence
- The war
  - French alliance
  - War and society; Loyalists
  - War economy
- Articles of Confederation
- Peace of Paris

Key Components

Instructor's Manual: pp. 43–48
Study Guide, Vol. I to 1877: pp. 40–48
Test Item File: pp. 66–78

Key Web Sites

Given the changing nature of the Internet, you may wish to preview these sites. Always check PHSchool.com for updated links to U.S. history sites.

Key Words and Terms

Conciliatory Proposition
Provincial Congress
Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms
Common Sense

Committee of Safety
Olive Branch Petition
contract theory of government
republicanism

Suggested Pacing

Including a brief study of the Declaration of Independence, this chapter requires two sessions on a block schedule of 90 minutes or four classes on a traditional bell schedule of 45 minutes.

Test Strategy

Critical viewing of maps is essential in taking the AP* exam. Have students scrutinize the maps in this chapter. Through critical viewing and analysis, students should establish that the British view of the war changed from a police action to a conventional war to a people's war. In terms of the AP* exam, students do not need to concentrate on the actual fighting of the war. They should know the significance of important battles such as the battle of Saratoga, which ended the war in New York and New England.

Key Concepts

The Enlightenment and the American Revolution
To understand the American Revolution, it is important that students examine the ideas of the Enlightenment and map those ideas to the words of the Declaration of Independence. Students need to be particularly familiar with the work of John Locke.
Patriots' advantages
The Great Britain that faced off against the 13 colonies was far stronger and wealthier than the colonies yet it lost the war. Great Britain had a large and well-trained army and the strongest navy in the world, but its supply line was a fatal weakness. The British originally thought they could be supplied by Loyalists but found that these resources were insufficient. Stretched thin by colonial territories in other parts of the world, the army hired mercenaries who fought for money, not out of loyalty to the Crown, and helped to deplete the royal treasury. The Patriots for their part fought a hit-and-run guerrilla war that was unfamiliar to the European-trained British. The colonists also had the support of wealthy allies, Spain and especially France.

Summing Up Student Understanding

Remind students that before they begin writing an essay, they should brainstorm a list of ideas, facts, and examples that they might include in their essays and then number the information in the order in which they think it will flow to make a clear, coherent, and unified essay. Have students practice their skills by writing a timed essay answering the following prompt:

Was the American Revolution a radical movement that brought the dispossessed into power or was it a transfer of power effected by moderates that did not seriously challenge the status quo?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

You might also find these additional readings useful in developing students' background knowledge or for DBQ activities:

American Issues: Vol. I to 1877, edited by Unger and Tomes—Chapter 5
The Power of Words: Vol. I to 1877, edited by Breen—Chapters 6 and 7
Constructing the American Past, Vol. I, edited by Gorn, Roberts, and Bilhartz—Chapter 5
American Experiences: Vol. I to 1877, edited by Roberts and Olson (secondary source readings)—Part Three

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