Lesson
The Path to Independence
Founding Principles
Objectives:
This lesson will walk students through the various declarations made by the colonists, leading up to the Declaration of Independence. Students will:
- Evaluate calls for resistance against Britain and how they appealed to the rights of British subjects, the rights of the individual, local traditions of self-rule, and the ideas of the Enlightenment.
- Explore how ideas about democracy, freedom, and individualism are expressed in some of documents that chronicle the steps toward independence.
- Analyze the colonists’ changing goals over time with respect to their relationship to Great Britain.
Materials
- Handout A: Key Excerpts from the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
- Handout B: The Path to Independence Graphic Organizer
- Handout C: Resolutions of the Continental Congress: Declaration of Rights and Grievances, October 19, 1765
- Handout D: Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress, October 14, 1774
- Handout E: Journals of the Continental Congress: Petition to the King, July 8, 1775; Olive Branch Petition (Excerpts), July 5, 1775
- Handout F: The Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms, July 6, 1775 (excerpts)
- Handout G: Proclamation of Rebellion, August 23, 1775
- Handout H: The Path to Independence Timeline
- Handout I: Discussion Questions and Exit Ticket
Chapter Resources:
- Stamp Act Resistance Narrative
- The Boston Massacre Narrative
- The Boston Tea Party Narrative
- John Dickinson, Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, 1767–1768 Primary Source
- Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776 Primary Source
Additional Resources:
- Declaration of Rights and Grievances: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/amrev/rebelln/rights.html
- The Olive Branch Petition: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/contcong_07-08-75.asp
- The Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/arms.asp
- The Proclamation of Rebellion: http://www.britannia.com/history/docs/procreb.html
- Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/resolves.asp
Lesson Components
Excerpts of the Declaration of Independence and comprehension questions that explore the principles of individual rights, democracy, freedom, and self-government.
A graphic organizer that helps student understand the documents that proceeded the Declaration of Independence in the Colonist relationship to the British Parliament.
A sequencing activity to help students understand the order of the response of the Colonists to the British Parliament.
A concluding set of questions that should be used after students work through the Acts of Parliament primary sources and the Colonists response primary sources.
The text of this source with questions that guide students in understanding the effect of Parliaments actions on the Colonists.
An excerpted version of the text of this source with questions that guide students in understanding the effect of Parliaments actions on the Colonists.
Excerpted versions of the texts of these source with questions that guide students in understanding the effect of Parliaments actions on the Colonists.
The text of this source with questions that guide students in understanding the effect of Parliaments actions on the Colonists.
An excerpted version of the text of this source that guides students in their understanding.
Lesson plan
More Information
Groups should be assigned ahead of time to ensure appropriate grouping strategies for your classroom. If desired, roles such as Researcher, Reader, Time Keeper, and Presenter can be assigned, or students can choose roles within groups. Sufficient board space should be reserved to allow students to write on the timeline.
Standards
Advanced Placement
- Topic 3.3 · Taxation Without Representation
- Theme · America in the World
- Learning Objective · Unit 3C
- Historical Development · 3.1.II.A
- Historical Development · 3.1.II.B
- Historical Development · 3.1.II.C
- Reasoning Process · Causation
- Reasoning Process · Continuity and Change
Check whether this resource aligns with your state’s standards →
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