The Declaration of Independence, I think, is one of the most remarkable documents in the world... 'Inalienable rights'... 'Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness'...'We hold these truths to be self-evident'...[But] it didn't apply to black folks. And the man who wrote those words, Thomas Jefferson, kept slaves, and he understood the inconsistency of all this because he also wrote sometime later to a friend: 'If there is a just God, we are going to pay for this.'
-- Colin Powell

This theme details the events that led to the American War for Independence, or the American Revolution, as some call it. The time period: 1763-1776. My goal is for students to understand some of the underlying issues which compelled the American colonists to break from their "mother country" England. I also want us to look at one of the central contradictions of the Revolutionary War. That is, how could we demand freedom from England, but deny the same to 1/2 million of our own people, black slaves? The public and private life of Thomas Jefferson, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, is examined here .

Like any massive upheaval, the American Revolution had many underlying causes, but the jist of the problem was this: for over 150 years, Americans had been accustomed, indeed compelled by geographical necessity, to run their own affairs. England is 3,000 miles away, and there were no phones, emails, or faxes. Then in 1763, in response to massive debts incurred fighting the French for control over the North American continent, the British unleashed a flurry of legislative efforts that were designed to bring the colonists under tighter economic and political control. The Boston Massacre, the Declaration of Independence, both detailed here, served to underscore colonial emotions. Emotions led to a bloody shooting war which lasted seven long years. Only then was American independence a reality.

Please complete the following for full credit:

(A) Complete the Multiple Choice Quiz

 

 

(B) Go to the Boston Massacre  website. Read over the brief content here, then click on the image of Paul Reveres famous painting at the top of this page, depicting the event. First, define the word propaganda in your own words. Next, according to the image at the top of this web page, what happened? According to the real history, what really happened? Was Revere's painting propaganda? Why or why not? Answer these in one essay.

Read Chapter 15 of the Flyover Text: Letters of Abigail and John Adams. Answer the following in ONE essay:

* What does John Adams mean by the despotism of the petticoat?
* When Abigail Adams writes to Mercy Otis Warren, what is the tone of her letter?

* Explain briefly the meaning of Abigail's statement: "We have it in our power not only to free ourselves but to subdue our masters, and without violence throw both your natural and legal authority at our feet." * How might colonists of Abigail Dams era have responded to this statement, and why?

 

(C) Thomas Jefferson is brought to task in a PBS website, Jefferson's Blood Do your best to answer these questions in a 3-4 page (typed) essay:

1. What dilemma, what contradiction of American History, is illustrated so clearly by the life and career of Thomas Jefferson?
2. How did Jefferson's views on slavery (and his own slaves) change over the course of his life?
3. How was slavery such a contradictory institution, both in Virginia, and to Thomas Jefferson himself? What events/ideas shaped his thinking?
4. Finally, after viewing all four films, CREATE 4 or 5 essay questions, then answer those questions. Read more about Jefferson's paradoxical views on slavery at the PBS Frontline Website, detailing Jefferson's relationship with his black slave, Sally Hemmings, and his apparent paradoxical views on the institution of slavery.

 

(D) Why Was it Such a "Rocky Road"?

Read Chapter 14 of the Myers Text, The Rocky Road to Revolution. Answer the following in ONE essay (2-pages, typed):

1. Why did it take over a year to declare independence from Great Britain after the initial hostilities broke out ?
2. How was the Declaration of Independence a necessary instrument of propaganda?
3. Why were most congressional delegates reluctant to break ties with Great Britain?
4. Why did John Adams support a declaration of independence? Why did John Dickinson oppose independence?
5. What were the issues that divided the Continental Congress?
6. Why did the Reconciliationists differ from the pro-independence faction? How did the region where one lived affect the position on independence? "
7. Why did proponents of independence believe that without a complete break-up with Great Britain, victory would be impossible?

Revolutionary War Game
Try it. See how many you can get correct.

 

 

Extra Credit: View the film 1776. You can find it at many video stores, but not all. Call ahead! Answer some of these questions in a single essay: * What were the main issues facing the Congress in the Spring of 1776? What issues divided them the most? * Who were the main characters in the film, and what were their views on independence? * Why was it important for a Virginian to "propose" independence? * Why was South Carolina such a difficult colony to deal with? What was important to South Carolina? Why? * What were Mr. Dickinson's reasons' for wanting to remain in the British empire? * How was a compromise reached to gain unanimous approval of the Declaration of Independence?

A good job on these earns students an extra 5 points. (It's worth it!)

 

 

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Additional Web-based Resources:
The Boston Massacre
What's wrong with this picture?
Women and the Revolution
Women's participation in the fighting - and dying- during the war for American Independence

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