Road to Revolution: A Class on the Causes of the American Revolution

Imagine thirteen British colonies, each with a distinct history, government, and set of laws, in an age without telephones, texting, or email, uniting to rebel against a distant empire. Why did they do this? How did they do this? How did they manage to come together to take on the most powerful empire in the world? This class will examine the context, events, and people leading up to the American Revolution. 

Lesson 1: Taxation Without Representation
This lesson will examine the Stamp Act of 1765, Patrick Henry, the Sons of Liberty, the Daughters of Liberty, the boycott of British goods, and the Stamp Act Congress. 

Lesson 2: A Boycott and a Massacre
This lesson will introduce the Townshend Acts, the boycott on cloth, paint, lead, glass, and paper, the repeal of the Townshend Acts, Crispus Attucks, and the Boston Massacre. 

Lesson 3: Breaking Away
This lesson will discuss the gradual change in perception of colonists who were beginning to think of themselves as American rather than British, Sam Adams, Committees of Correspondence, and the "rights of Englishmen".

Lesson 4: Not Your Grandmother's Tea Party
This lesson will discuss the Tea Act, the Boston Tea Party, and the Intolerable Acts.  

Lesson 5: Coming Together
In this lesson, we will discuss how colonists from other colonies supported the people of Massachusetts, the First Continental Congress, and the Declaration of Rights. 

Each week students will:
• view a recorded lesson that introduces the content
• view a recorded lesson that demonstrates a reading comprehension skill
• independently read and respond to written texts, videos, and images
• practice rare-word vocabulary on Quizlet (no student account necessary) 
• complete a weekly challenge

In addition to the prerecorded lessons, I will provide a study exercise for each lesson that focuses on a discreet skill, such as summarizing, taking Cornell Notes, creating a content web, or using question-answer relationships to answer questions about a nonfiction text.

My teaching style is one of starting with a question and generating additional questions that often lead to unexpected connections and discoveries.  Each lesson will include a discussion of the sources, both primary and secondary, from multiple perspectives, whether any of these sources contain bias, and whether there are areas of disagreement regarding the facts or interpretation.

Please note: There are no scheduled live video lessons.  Students will be expected to complete the weekly assignments and participate in the padlet activities at their own pace. This course format works well if your learner prefers independent pacing or is uncomfortable with live video classes.