UNIT 1

Unit 1: the road to revolution

"How did challenging the British government lay the foundation and shape the American identity in its earliest years?"

"I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"
Patrick Henry, speech in the Virginia Convention, 1775

"All men are created equal and have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
Thomas Jefferson, In the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

Unit Description

As the United States developed into a new nation, so too did the American identity. Students examine primary and secondary source documents to establish an understanding of the foundation of the American identity through the fight for independence against the British.

Unit 1 Lessons

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Unit 1 Study Guide

Unit Materials

Unit 1 Quizlet Vocabulary Cards

Online Review Game

Unit NearPODS

French and Indian War

Road to Independence

The Revolutionary War

Thomas Paine Common Sense

Topics and Key Questions:

Rising Tension with Britain (7.1.1, 7.1.3, 7.1.5, 7.2.1-2, 7.5.1-3, 7.6.4, 7.9.1-2): Students examine a variety of source documents in order to identify the social, economic, and political impact of British colonial policies in the American colonies and describe how these tensions led to colonists challenging their government.

What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, and why did these weaknesses exist?
Why did the new nation want a different form of government?

A Crisis in the Colonies (7.1.1-5; 7.2.1-3; 7.5.3; 7.9.2): Students examine the social, political, and economic impact of critical events leading up to the colonists challenging their government in the American Revolution.

What role did the authors of the Declaration of Independence play in shaping the American identity?
Why did colonial governments attempt to reconcile their differences with Great Britain?
Were the colonists justified in declaring independence from Great Britain?
Why did the authors of the Declaration of Independence fail to identify the rights of women, Native Americans, and African Americans?

The Revolutionary War (7.1.3, 7.1.5; 7.2.2; 7.5.3): Students examine primary and secondary sources in order to gain an understanding of the causes and effects of the Revolutionary War and how the war helped shape the American identity.

What were the strengths and weaknesses of the American colonies and the British during the Revolutionary War?
How did the Revolutionary War begin?
What kind of leader was George Washington?
Why was Washington chosen to lead the Continental Army?
How did America’s foreign allies contribute to the American victory in the Revolutionary War?
What might have happened if Washington’s troops had not survived the winter at Valley Forge?