Six Things You Probably Didn’t Know About the American Revolution

1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question: Why is it important to have a full understanding of American history?

2. List Vocabulary
Share some of the challenging vocabulary words in the article (see right). Encourage students to use context to infer meanings as they read.

• disjointed (p. 19)
• radical (p. 19)
• tactician (p. 20)
• insurgency (p. 21)
• political capital (p. 21)
• lucrative (p. 21)

3. Engage
Ask: What do you know about what caused the American Revolution? What do you know about the contributions of enslaved people to the battle? What do you know about George Washington? Revisit this discussion after the lesson, having students share new insights they’ve gained.

4. Read and Discuss
Ask students to read the Upfront article about the American Revolution. Review why the article is a secondary source. (It was written by someone who didn’t personally experience or witness the events.) Then pose these critical-thinking questions and ask students to cite text evidence when answering them:

• According to the article, what were the motivations that drove the colonists toward declaring their independence? (According to the article, while “taxation without representation” was an issue of contention for the colonists, the major driving force pushing the parties toward war was the colonists’ increasing desire for self-governance, which was only exacerbated by the British monarchy’s escalating attempts to exert greater control over the Colonies.)

• In section 2, why does Alan Taylor call the American Revolution a “civil war”? (Alan Taylor calls the American Revolution a “civil war” because up to one-third of Americans were loyal to Britain. In turn, the Patriots turned against the Loyalists, subjecting them to punishments such as tarring and feathering and the seizure and sale of their property. As a result, thousands of Loyalists fled to British territories such as Canada and the Bahamas.)

• Why did many enslaved people fight for the British? Why did the Patriots shift their strategy to attract more soldiers of color? (Many enslaved people fought for the British because they promised freedom to escaped enslaved people who joined their army. The Continental Army, however, was reluctant to do the same. They shifted their strategy when they became desperate for new recruits.)

• How and why did fighting continue after Yorktown? (American allies such as France continued to battle Britain abroad. In America, fighting persisted between the Continental Army and Indigenous peoples because of the colonists’ desire for westward expansion.)

5. Use the Primary Sources
Project, distribute, or assign in Google Classroom the PDF ‘Invaluable Privileges and Enjoyments’ which features an excerpt from a letter from a Loyalist Virginian to the First Continental Congress. Discuss what makes the letter a primary source. (It provides firsthand evidence concerning the topic.) Have students read the excerpt and answer the questions below (which appear on the PDF without answers).

• How would you describe the tone and purpose of this excerpt? (The tone can be described as concerned. The purpose is to argue for why the colonists should stop pushing back against the British monarchy.)

• How does the author of the letter feel about the Colonies’ relationship with Great Britain? (The author feels that the Colonies’ relationship with Great Britain is beneficial and that the Colonies owe their success, and their continued comfort and protection, to the monarchy. The author feels that the Colonies are able, and should be willing, to pay the taxes that the monarchy has requested.)

• How does the author contrast the “State of Men” under British control with how he envisions it under the influence of the rebels? (The author says that life is very good under British control—colonists have comfort, freedom, equality, pathways to wealth, etc. Under the influence of the rebels, the author believes that his countrymen will be giving up their privileges, their comforts, etc., to “pamper the Luxury” of a few “worthless, domineering Individuals” and will no longer have the same benefits they have as British subjects.) 

• Why is the author against war with Great Britain? What effect does he think it will have on the Colonies? (The author says that war is “uncertain” and that going to war could invite invasions from Canada and Indigenous peoples, as well as lead to the revolt of enslaved peoples. He thinks the colonists will not win, and that the war will ruin their trade and result in the surrender of their cities to Britain because, by not cooperating with the monarchy’s demands, the colonists “give her the Rights of Conquest.”)

• Based on the Upfront article, why might the author of the article have chosen to be anonymous? (According to the article, the author may have chosen to be anonymous because the Patriots’ tolerance for Loyalist views was very low and punishment for remaining loyal to the British crown could be steep.)

6. Writing Prompt
Pick one of the six facts from the article. Why do you think this fact isn’t broadly known? Explain in a brief essay.

7. Quiz
Use the quiz to assess comprehension.

8. Dive Deeper
Have students analyze the arguments put forth in additional paragraphs from the primary source, available at quod.lib.umich.edu. 

9. Speaking With Meaning
Assign each student a paragraph from the Primary Source lesson. Have students make notes about how to best deliver the paragraph as a speech (e.g., words to emphasize, when to pause). After students present their paragraphs to the class, have them explain their choices.