HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE PA Standard 8.1.12.C
LESSON 1 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AN OVERVIEW
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BELL RINGERS

• What do these images have in common? Is there
  a certain era in US History they are relevant to?
  
• What stories or facts do these pictures bring
  to mind?
• Where do you think those stories came from?

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BELL RINGERS BEFORE WE GO ON

• Each of these images surrounds the story of the
  American Revolution. However, each picture is
  dramatized in an effort to present the history in
  a way that strikes a sense of awe and reverence
  in the mind of the viewer. Why did the artists,
  architects, or photographers do this?
• Stories that come to mind from viewing these
  images include the story of George Washington and
  the cherry tree, and the massacre of 5
  Bostonians by British troops. Additionally, many
  people today see Thomas Jefferson and are struck
  by the seeming hypocrisy of a man espousing
  freedom while at the same time owning slaves.
• These stories seems to be a portion of our
  national mythology. How do we separate fact
  from fiction?

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OBJECTIVES

• Following this lesson, Students will be able to
• Recall basic information about key events and
  individuals surrounding the American Revolution.
• Recognize incidents of historical
  interpretation of key events and individuals
  surrounding the American Revolution.
• Discuss how opinion has an impact on the
  perception of facts in the American Revolution.

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PONDER THIS
Watch the Schoolhouse Rock video The Shot Heard
Round the World. As we discuss this period of
US History, keep in mind that this video
represents how many people in the US see the
events that unfolded, if they have any knowledge
of it at all. Click on the hyperlink.
http//www.youtube.com/watch?v7VQA5NDNkUM
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Democracy is itself, a religious faith. For some
it comes close to being the only formal religion
they have. E. B. White

• George Washington
• Perhaps the key figure in the American
  Revolution, George Washington has largely
  remained unscathed by historians since his death.
  
• He led the Colonial Army during the
  Revolutionary War, retired, and then was called
  back into service as our countrys first
  President.
• His many letters and his memoirs (admittedly
  edited by him before his death) give significant
  insight into his person. Unfortunately, Martha
  Washington, his wife, burned all of her
  correspondence with him prior to her death.

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GEORGE WASHINGTON IN MORE DETAIL

• Follow this link to learn more about George
  Washington.
• http//www.theamericanrevolution.org/ipeople/gwash
  .asp
• Follow this link to read anecdotal stories
  about him, as well as current historical
  evaluations of these anecdotes.
• http//www.mountvernon.org/learn/meet_george/index
  .cfm/pid/382/

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Cautious, careful people, always casting about to
preserve their reputations... can never effect a
reform. . Susan B. Anthony

• Thomas Jefferson
• Often called a Man of the people, Thomas
  Jefferson was the primary author of the
  Declaration of Independence. In American
  History, he is second only to Benjamin Franklin
  in the American lexicon of universal men.
• Jefferson went from Secretary of State, to a
  strong dissenter with Washingtons and Adams
  policies. His election to the Presidency in 1801
  was seen as a vindication of political opposition.

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THOMAS JEFFERSON IN MORE DETAIL

• Follow this link to learn more about Thomas
  Jefferson.
• http//www.theamericanrevolution.org/ipeople/tjeff
  .asp
• We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
  all men are created equal. Yet, these words
  were written by a slave-owner. This link
  explores this aspect of Thomas Jefferson.
• http//www.britannica.com/eb/article-61879/Thomas-
  Jefferson

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A toast? Yeah. To high treason. That's what these
men were committing when they signed the
Declaration. Ben Gates in National Treasure

• The Declaration of Independence
• This was the resolution written by Thomas
  Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and two
  others that, when signed on July 2, 1776,
  declared the argument for independence of the
  American Colonies from the British Empire.
• Twenty four copies were made and sent out to be
  read in each of the 13 Colonies. However, the
  document did not receive its last signature
  until September of that year.
• To the best of our knowledge, there is no
  treasure map on the back of the Declaration. We
  think. (No, dont put this in your notes!)

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THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE IN MORE DETAIL

• Follow this link to learn more about the
  Declaration.
• http//encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761559234/Decl
  aration_of_Independence.html
• Click here to see Jeffersons original rough
  draft of the Declaration, complete with
  line-thrus and corrections.
• http//www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/images/uc004
  215.jpg
• Follow this link to take a quiz about the
  Declaration of Independence.
• http//www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/The-Declarat
  ion-of-Independence-82434.html

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Those who profess to favor freedom and yet
depreciate agitation, are people who want crops
without ploughing the ground Power concedes
nothing without a demand. Frederick Douglass

• The Boston Massacre
• The engraving by Paul Revere at right gives
  its own version of the story. The facts as they
  are recorded are that, on March 5, 1770, a group
  of men and boys began taunting and throwing
  snowballs at a lone British Sentry outside the
  Customs House in Boston.
• Fellow British Soldiers arrived to support the
  sentry, and soon a mob developed and began
  throwing anything at hand. The troops finally
  responded with gunfire, killing 5 civilians.
• In the ensuing trial, the British Soldiers were
  defended by future President John Adams. One of
  the chief instigators of the riot is believed to
  have been Sam Adams.

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THE BOSTON MASSACRE IN MORE DETAIL

• Follow this link to learn more about the Boston
  Massacre.
• http//encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761579296/Bost
  on_Massacre.htmlp1
• Click here to take a short quiz about the
  Boston Massacre.
• http//dsc.discovery.com/guides/history/unsolvedhi
  story/bostonmassacre/quiz/quiz.html

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NOW LETS THINK ABOUT THIS

• Here are some questions to ask yourself in
  relation to the topics weve just covered.
• Why do you think historians stress certain
  facts about history but ignore or downplay
  others?
• Were you aware of the strong argument against
  slavery written by Thomas Jefferson that was
  removed from the Declaration of Independence?
  How do you think an admitted racist and slave
  owner could argue so passionately against the
  institution of slavery?
• Do you feel the engraving of the Boston
  Massacre by Paul Revere aptly records the event?
  Was it meant to? What could his intentions have
  been?

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ACTIVITY
Here is a link to a website that summarizes what
led the American Colonies to War, as well as
basic information about the Revolutionary War
itself. It includes an interactive quiz to test
your Revolutionary War knowledge. Just click on
the hyperlink.
http//www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/
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CLOSURE

• Lets Review
• Name 2 individuals that were key in the
  American Revolution. Name the 2 key documents
  generated during this time period.
• List 3 incidents of historical interpretation
  in relation to events or persons and explain how
  the given interpretation may diverge from the
  facts.
• Was any one groups opinion of the events of
  the American Revolution definitive? List at
  least 3 nationalities or races who may have let
  opinion or their experiences influence their view
  of what occurred.

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Essential Principles before Moving Forward

• In the history of the American Revolution,
  there are points on which historians may
  interpret things in a way that departs from the
  facts of the issue. This can happen for a
  variety of reasons, as we have talked about.
• Personal opinion has a definite impact on the
  perception of facts. As an example, think of how
  most historians have seemed to view our first
  President, George Washington.

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REFERENCES/LINKS
http//www.theamericanrevolution.org/ipeople/gwash
.asp http//www.mountvernon.org/learn/meet_george
/index.cfm/pid/382/ http//www.britannica.com/eb/
article-61879/Thomas-Jefferson http//encarta.msn
.com/encyclopedia_761579296/Boston_Massacre.htmlp
1 http//dsc.discovery.com/guides/history/unsolve
dhistory/bostonmassacre/quiz/quiz.html