The American Revolution and Principles of United States Government

The Colonies before the Revolution

As the unit opens, students focus on the development of colonial governments in relation to the “mother country” of Great Britain. Here, they work to understand how, why, and to what extent self-government developed in Britain's North American colonies. In doing so, they identify the factors that bound the colonies to Great Britain, fueled their connections to each other, and eventually drove their quest for independence. Cluster 1 pays particular attention to the French and Indian War, having students consider the competing interests of various Indigenous and European powers while revisiting the theme of cooperation and conflict that unfolded in Unit 1. Students also see how the interests of the British Crown and many of its subjects in the North American colonies diverged in the aftermath of the war. In the lessons that follow, students study the first phase of tension between the colonies and the British government by analyzing acts of Parliament, colonial boycotts, protests, and intercolonial initiatives designed to push back against British authority. Throughout Cluster 1, students practice historical thinking with activities that closely analyze the point of view in two sources or source sets about the same historical event and practice explaining the relationship between cause and effect.

The American Revolution and Its Aftermath

In Cluster 2, students study the American Revolution and its aftermath, including the decisions individuals made about staying loyal to the crown or fighting for independence. In these lessons, students also consider the decisions of Indigenous peoples about which side of the conflict to support as they worked to determine the outcome of the war that would best safeguard their sovereignty. Throughout the cluster, students explore how the struggle was fought and who participated in the varied aspects of the conflict, which involved military battles, economic pressures and boycotts, and a war of words. In doing so, students will come to see that the War for Independence meant different things to different people.

Diverse Contributions to Independence

Cluster 3 is the unit’s Inquiry Cycle, which asks students: How did the cooperation and efforts of different groups help the colonies to win their independence? In this set of lessons, students examine the participation and actions of varied groups and individuals in the American Revolution in order to write a dialogue in response to the Guiding Question. Throughout Cluster 3, students continue their practice analyzing points of view.

Building the Nation’s New Government

Cluster 4 continues the narrative of the United States’ founding, investigating why a group of American leaders from the thirteen colonies gathered in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787 to craft a new plan of government embodied in the U.S. Constitution. Throughout the cluster, students ask how this document reflected the viewpoints and beliefs of its authors and how it balanced opposing beliefs and interests through negotiation and compromise. In keeping with the unit theme of diverse viewpoints and a revolution made by the many, not the few, students also ask what the Constitution might have looked like if African Americans, White women, propertyless men, and Indigenous leaders had had a seat at the table. In support of Practice Standard 1, students are introduced to a handful of the Constitution’s key features and amendments – those most germane to Units 3 and 4. (A deeper look at the structures and purposes of the American government awaits them in Grade 8.)