american revolution apush assignment

• Lesson Plans
• Teacher's Guides
• Media Resources

Advanced Placement U.S. History Lessons

The Capture of the Hessians at Trenton December 26, 1776 by John Trumbull.

Wikimedia Commons

EDSITEment brings online humanities resources directly to the classroom through exemplary lesson plans and student activities. EDSITEment develops AP level lessons based on primary source documents that cover the most frequently taught topics and themes in American history. Many of these lessons were developed by teachers and scholars associated with the City University of New York and Ashland University.

Guiding Questions

What does it mean to form "a more perfect union"?

What makes American democracy unique?

What is the proper role of government in relation to the economy and civil liberties?

To what extent is the U.S. Constitution a living document?

To what extent have civil rights been established for all in the United States?

How have technology and innovation influenced culture, politics, and economics in U.S. history?

What role should the United States government and its citizens play in the world?

Magna Carta: Cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution —Magna Carta served to lay the foundation for the evolution of parliamentary government and subsequent declarations of rights in Great Britain and the United States. In attempting to establish checks on the king's powers, this document asserted the right of "due process" of law.  

Images of the New World —How did the English picture the native peoples of America during the early phases of colonization of North America? This lesson plan enables students to interact with written and visual accounts of this critical formative period at the end of the 16th century, when the English view of the New World was being formulated, with consequences that we are still seeing today.

Mission Nuestra Señora de la Concepción and the Spanish Mission in the New World —In this Picturing America lesson, students explore the historical origins and organization of Spanish missions in the New World and discover the varied purposes these communities of faith served. Focusing on the daily life of Mission Nuestra Señora de la Concepción, the lesson asks students to relate the people of this community and their daily activities to the art and architecture of the mission.

Colonizing the Bay —This lesson focuses on John Winthrop’s historic "Model of Christian Charity" sermon which is often referred to by its "City on a Hill" metaphor. Through a close reading of this admittedly difficult text, students will learn how it illuminates the beliefs, goals, and programs of the Puritans. The sermon sought to inspire and to motivate the Puritans by pointing out the distance they had to travel between an ideal community and their real-world situation.

Mapping Colonial New England: Looking at the Landscape of New England —The lesson focuses on two 17th century maps of the Massachusetts Bay Colony to trace how the Puritans took possession of the region, built towns, and established families on the land. Students learn how these New England settlers interacted with the Native Americans, and how to gain information about those relationships from primary sources such as maps.

William Penn’s Peaceable Kingdom —By juxtaposing the different promotional tracts of William Penn and David Pastorius, students understand the ethnic diversity of Pennsylvania along with the "pull” factors of migration in the 17th century English colonies.

Understanding the Salem Witch Trials —In 1691, a group of girls from Salem, Massachusetts accused an Indian slave named Tituba of witchcraft, igniting a hunt for witches that left 19 men and women hanged, one man pressed to death, and over 150 more people in prison awaiting a trial. In this lesson, students explore the characteristics of the Puritan community in Salem, learn about the Salem Witchcraft Trials, and try to understand how and why this event occurred.

Religion in 18th-Century America —This curriculum unit, through the use of primary documents, introduces students to the First Great Awakening, as well as to the ways in which religious-based arguments were used both in support of and against the American Revolution.

• Lesson 1: The First Great Awakening
• Lesson 2: Religion and the Argument for American Independence
• Lesson 3: Religion and the Fight for American Independence

C ommon Sense : The Rhetoric of Popular Democracy —This lesson looks at Tom Paine and at some of the ideas presented in Common Sense , such as national unity, natural rights, the illegitimacy of the monarchy and of hereditary aristocracy, and the necessity for independence and the revolutionary struggle.

"An Expression of the American Mind”: Understanding the Declaration of Independence —This lesson plan looks at the major ideas in the Declaration of Independence, their origins, the Americans’ key grievances against the King and Parliament, their assertion of sovereignty, and the Declaration’s process of revision. Upon completion of the lesson, students will be familiar with the document’s origins, and the influences that produced Jefferson’s "expression of the American mind.”

The American War for Independence —The decision of Britain's North American colonies to rebel against the Mother Country was an extremely risky one. In this unit, consisting of three lesson plans, students learn about the diplomatic and military aspects of the American War for Independence.

• Lesson 1: The War in the North, 1775–1778
• Lesson 2: The War in the South, 1778–1781
• Lesson 3: Ending the War, 1783

Choosing Sides: The Native Americans' Role in the American Revolution —Native American groups had to choose the loyalist or patriot cause—or somehow maintain a neutral stance during the Revolutionary War. Students analyze maps, treaties, congressional records, first-hand accounts, and correspondence to determine the different roles assumed by Native Americans in the American Revolution and understand why the various groups formed the alliances they did.

What Made George Washington a Good Military Leader? —What combination of experience, strategy, and personal characteristics enabled Washington to succeed as a military leader? In this unit, students read the Continental Congress's resolutions granting powers to General Washington, and analyze some of Washington's wartime orders, dispatches, and correspondence in terms of his mission and the characteristics of a good general.

• Lesson 1: What Made George Washington a Good Military Leader? What Are the Qualities of a Good Military Leader?
• Lesson 2: What Made George Washington a Good Military Leader? Powers and Problems
• Lesson 3: What Made George Washington a Good Military Leader? Leadership in Victory and Defeat
• Lesson 4: What Made George Washington a Good Military Leader? Leadership in Victory: One Last Measure of the Man

Slavery and the American Founding: The "Inconsistency not to be excused ” —This lesson focuses on the views of the founders as expressed in primary documents from their own time and in their own words. Students see that many of the major founders opposed slavery as contrary to the principles of the American Revolution. Students gain a better understanding of the views of many founders, even those who owned slaves – including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson – who looked forward to a time when slavery would no longer mar the American Republic.

Taking Up Arms and the Challenge of Slavery in the Revolutionary Era —Was the American Revolution inevitable? This lesson is designed to help students understand the transition to armed resistance and the contradiction in the Americans’ rhetoric about slavery through the examination of a series of documents.

Slavery in the Colonial North —This Closer Reading composed by Historic Hudson Valley in New York provides resources and an overview of how their historic site tells the story of the 23 enslaved Africans who were the only full-time, year round residents of the Manor, and whose forced labor was the backbone of the Philips’s international trading empire. Their "People Not Property" interactive documentary website offers multimedia resources and access to primary sources about Northern slavery. 

Democracy in America : Alexis de Tocqueville's Introduction —Tocqueville’s sojourn in America led to the writing of the reflection on equality and freedom known as Democracy in America . This great book remains arguably one of the two most important books on America political life, the Federalist Papers being the other one.

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 —The delegates at the 1787 Convention faced a challenge as arduous as those who worked throughout the 1780s to initiate reforms to the American political system. In this unit, students examine the roles that key American founders played in creating the Constitution, and the challenges they faced in the process.

• Lesson 1: The Road to the Constitutional Convention
• Lesson 2: The Question of Representation at the 1787 Convention
• Lesson 3: Creating the Office of the Presidency

The Federalist and Anti-federalist Debates on Diversity and the Extended Republic —In this unit, students will examine some of the most important arguments of those opposing or supporting the Constitution. They will learn why Anti-federalists believed that a large nation could not long preserve liberty and self-government and why Federalists such as James Madison believed that a large nation was vital to promote justice and the security of rights for all citizens, majority and minority alike.

• Lesson 1: Anti-federalist Arguments Against "A Complete Consolidation ”
• Lesson 2: The Federalist Defense of Diversity and "Extending the Sphere ”

Ratifying the Constitution —This lesson introduces students to the vigorous debates surrounding the ratification of the Constitution that took place in the state conventions.

The Creation of the Bill of Rights: "Retouching the Canvas " —This lesson will focus on the arguments either for or against the addition of a Bill of Rights between 1787 and 1789.

Washington and the Whiskey Rebellion —Students weigh the choices Washington faced in the nation’s first Constitutional crisis by following events through his private diary.

John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison and Judicial Review—How the Court Became Supreme —If James Madison was the "father" of the Constitution" John Marshall was the "father of the Supreme Court"—almost single-handedly clarifying its powers. This new lesson is designed to help students understand Marshall's brilliant strategy in issuing his decision on Marbury v. Madison , the significance of the concept of judicial review, and the language of this watershed case.

The First American Party System: Events, Issues, and Positions —Fear of factionalism and political parties was deeply rooted in Anglo-American political culture before the American Revolution. Leaders such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson hoped their new government, founded on the Constitution, would be motivated instead by a common intent, a unity. But political parties did form in the United States, with their beginnings in Washington's cabinet.

• Lesson 1: The First American Party System: U.S. Political Parties: The Principle of Legitimate Opposition
• Lesson 2: The First American Party System: A Documentary Timeline of Important Events (1787–1800)
• Lesson 3: The First American Party System: Federalists and Democratic-Republicans: The Platforms They Never Had

Certain Crimes Against the United States: The Sedition Act —As the end of the 18th century drew near, relations between the United States and France were deteriorating. In 1797 President Adams expressed his concern about the possibility of war with France and dissension at home caused by France and its supporters. At the same time, two opposing political parties were developing in the U.S., with Thomas Jefferson-led Democratic-Republicans tending to sympathize with France in foreign policy. Their loyalty was called into question by the Federalists. It was a dangerous time both for the security of the young Republic and the freedoms its citizens enjoyed.

• Lesson 1: From the President's Lips: The Concerns that Led to the Sedition (and Alien) Act
• Lesson 2: The Debate in Congress on the Sedition Act
• Lesson 3: George Washington on the Sedition Act
• Lesson 4: Thomas Jefferson on the Sedition Act
• Lesson 5: Consequences of the Sedition Act

James Madison: From Father of the Constitution to President —Even in its first 30 years of existence, the U.S. Constitution had to prove its durability and flexibility in a variety of disputes. More often than not, James Madison, the "Father of the Constitution," took part in the discussion.

• Lesson 1: James Madison: Madison Was There
• Lesson 2: James Madison: The Second National Bank—Powers Not Specified in the Constitution
• Lesson 3: James Madison: Raising an Army: Balancing the Power of the States and the Federal Government
• Lesson 4: James Madison: Internal Improvements Balancing Act: Federal/State, Executive/Legislative

The Monroe Doctrine: Origin and Early American Foreign Policy —Monroe brought a vision of an expanded America to his presidency—a vision that helped facilitate the formulation of what has become known as the Monroe Doctrine. In this unit, students review the Monroe Doctrine against a background of United States foreign relations in the early years of the republic.

• Lesson 1: The Monroe Doctrine: U.S. Foreign Affairs (circa 1782–1823) and James Monroe
• Lesson 2: The Monroe Doctrine: President Monroe and the Independence Movement in South America
• Lesson 3: The Monroe Doctrine: A Close Reading
• Lesson 4: The Monroe Doctrine: Whose Doctrine Was It?

The Election Is in the House: The Presidential Election of 1824 —The presidential election of 1824 represents a watershed in American politics. The collapse of the Federalist Party and the illness of the "official candidate" of the Democratic-Republicans led to a slate of candidates who were all Democratic-Republicans. This led to the end of the Congressional Caucus system for nominating candidates, and eventually, the development of a new two-party system in the United States. In this unit, students read an account of the election from the Journal of the House of Representatives, analyze archival campaign materials, and use an interactive online activity to develop a better understanding of the election of 1824 and its significance.

• Lesson 1: The Election Is in the House: The Denouement
• Lesson 2: The Election Is in the House: 1824: The Candidates and the Issues
• Lesson 3: The Election Is in the House: Was There a Corrupt Bargain?

The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson and the Growth of Party Politics —Changes in voting qualifications and participation, the election of Andrew Jackson, and the formation of the Democratic Party—due largely to the organizational skills of Martin Van Buren—all contributed to making the election of 1828 and Jackson’s presidency a watershed in the evolution of the American political system. In this unit, students analyze changes in voter participation and regional power, and review archival campaign documents reflecting the dawn of politics as we know it during the critical years from 1824 to 1832.

• Lesson 1: The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Expansion of the Voting Base
• Lesson 2: The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Changes in Voting Participation
• Lesson 3: The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Territorial Expansion and the Shift of Power
• Lesson 4: The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Issues in the Election of 1828 (and Beyond)

The Campaign of 1840: William Henry Harrison and Tyler, Too —After the debacle of the one-party presidential campaign of 1824, a new two-party system began to emerge. Strong public reaction to perceived corruption in the vote in the House of Representatives, as well as the popularity of Andrew Jackson, allowed Martin Van Buren to organize a Democratic Party that resurrected a Jeffersonian philosophy of minimalism in the federal government. What issues were important to the presidential campaign of 1840? Why is the campaign of 1840 often cited as the first modern campaign?

• Lesson 1: The Campaign of 1840: The Whigs, the Democrats, and the Issues
• Lesson 2: The Campaign of 1840: The Candidates
• Lesson 3: The Campaign of 1840: The Campaign

Was There an Industrial Revolution? Americans at Work Before the Civil War —In this lesson, students explore the First Industrial Revolution in early nineteenth-century America. By reading and comparing first-hand accounts of the lives of workers before the Civil War, students prepare for a series of guided role-playing activities designed to help them make an informed judgment as to whether the changes that took place in manufacturing and distribution during this period are best described as a 'revolution' or as a steady evolution over time.

Was There an Industrial Revolution? New Workplace, New Technology, New Consumers —In this lesson, students explore the First Industrial Revolution in early nineteenth-century America. Through simulation activities and the examination of primary historical materials, students learn how changes in the workplace and less expensive goods led to the transformation of American life.

Life in the North and South 1847–1861: Before Brother Fought Brother —Curriculum Unit overview. More Americans lost their lives in the Civil War than in any other conflict. How did the United States arrive at a point at which the South seceded and some families were so fractured that brother fought brother?

• Lesson 1: Factory vs. Plantation in the North and South
• Lesson 2: People and Places in the North and South
• Lesson 3: A Debate Against Slavery
• Lesson 4: Life Before the Civil War
• Lesson 5: Women's Lives Before the Civil War

A House Dividing: The Growing Crisis of Sectionalism in Antebellum America —In this unit, students will trace the development of sectionalism in the United States as it was driven by the growing dependence upon, and defense of, black slavery in the southern states.

• Lesson 1: An Early Threat of Secession: The Missouri Compromise of 1820 and the Nullification Crisis
• Lesson 2: Slavery's Opponents and Defenders
• Lesson 3: The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854: Popular Sovereignty and the Political Polarization over Slavery
• Lesson 4: Abraham Lincoln, the 1860 Election, and the Future of the American Union and Slavery

From Courage to Freedom —In 1845 Frederick Douglass published what was to be the first of his three autobiographies: the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself .

• Lesson 1: From Courage to Freedom: The Reality behind the Song
• Lesson 2: From Courage to Freedom: Slavery's Dehumanizing Effects
• Lesson 3: From Courage to Freedom

What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? —A student activity. Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) was a former slave who became the greatest abolitionist orator of the antebellum period. During the Civil War he worked tirelessly for the emancipation of the four million enslaved African Americans.

The American Civil War: A "Terrible Swift Sword ” —This curriculum unit introduces students to important questions pertaining to the war: strengths and weaknesses of each side at the start of the conflict; the two turning points of the war-the concurrent battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg—as well as the morality of the Union's use of "total war" tactics against the population of the South; Abraham Lincoln's wartime leadership.

• Lesson 1: On the Eve of War: North vs. South
• Lesson 2: The Battles of the Civil War
• Lesson 3: Abraham Lincoln and Wartime Politics

Abraham Lincoln on the American Union: "A Word Fitly Spoken ” —By examining Lincoln's three most famous speeches—the Gettysburg Address and the First and Second Inaugural Addresses—in addition to a little known fragment on the Constitution, union, and liberty, students trace what these documents say regarding the significance of union to the prospects for American self-government.

• Lesson 1: Fragment on the Constitution and Union (1861)—The Purpose of the American Union
• Lesson 2: The First Inaugural Address (1861)—Defending the American Union
• Lesson 3: The Gettysburg Address (1863)—Defining the American Union
• Lesson 4: The Second Inaugural Address (1865)—Restoring the American Union

The Emancipation Proclamation: Freedom's First Steps —Why was the Emancipation Proclamation important? While the Civil War began as a war to restore the Union, not to end slavery, by 1862 President Abraham Lincoln came to believe that he could save the Union only by broadening the goals of the war. students can explore the obstacles and alternatives we faced in making the journey toward "a more perfect Union."

The Red Badge of Courage : A New Kind of Courage —In The Red Badge of Courage , Stephen Crane presents war through the eyes —and thoughts —of one soldier. The narrative’s altered point of view and stylistic innovations enable a heightened sense of realism while setting the work apart from war stories written essentially as tributes or propaganda.

The Battle Over Reconstruction —This curriculum unit of three lessons examines the social, political and economic conditions of the southern states in the aftermath of the Civil War and shows how these factors helped to shape the Reconstruction debate as well as the subsequent history of American race relations.

• Lesson 1: The Battle Over Reconstruction: The Aftermath of War
• Lesson 2: The Battle Over Reconstruction: The Politics of Reconstruction
• Lesson 3: The Battle Over Reconstruction: The Aftermath of Reconstruction

The Industrial Age in America: Robber Barons or Captains of Industry?

The Industrial Age in America: Sweatshops, Steel Mills and Factories

The Birth of an American Empire —America emerges as a world power after the Spanish American War and asserting itself on the world scene.

• Lesson 1: The Question of an American Empire
• Lesson 2: The Spanish-American War
• Lesson 3: The Matter of the Philippines
• Lesson 4: Imperialism and the Open Door

United States Entry into World War I: A Documentary Chronology —In this curriculum unit, students reconsider the events leading to U.S. entry into World War I through the lens of archival documents.

• Lesson 1: United States Entry into World War I: Two Diametrically Opposed Views
• Lesson 2: United States Entry into World War I: Some Hypotheses About U.S. Entry
• Lesson 3: United States Entry into World War I: A Documentary Chronology of World War I

The United States and Europe: From Neutrality to War, 1921–1941 —Over the two decades between World War I and World War II, Americans pursued strategies aimed at preventing another war. In this four lesson unit, students use primary sources and an interactive map to examine the rise of antiwar sentiment and legislation in the United States and the main arguments used by both sides as to whether the United States should enter the war or remain neutral.

• Lesson 1: Postwar Disillusionment and the Quest for Peace, 1921–1929
• Lesson 2: Legislating Neutrality, 1934–1939
• Lesson 3: U.S. Neutrality and the War in Europe, 1939–1940
• Lesson 4: The Great Debate: Internationalists vs. Isolationists

African-American Soldiers in World War I: The 92nd and 93rd Divisions —Late in 1917, the War Department created two all-black infantry divisions. The 93rd Infantry Division received unanimous praise for its performance in combat, fighting as part of France’s 4th Army. In this lesson, students combine their research in a variety of sources, including firsthand accounts, to develop a hypothesis evaluating.

African-American Soldiers After World War I: Had Race Relations Changed? —In this lesson, students view archival photographs, combine their efforts to comb through a database of more than 2,000 archival newspaper accounts about race relations in the United States, and read newspaper articles written from different points of view about post-war riots in Chicago.

The Great War: Evaluating the Treaty of Versailles —Was the Treaty of Versailles, which formally concluded World War I, a legitimate attempt by the victorious powers to prevent further conflict, or did it place an unfair burden on Germany? This lesson helps students respond to the question in an informed manner. Activities involve primary sources, maps, and other supporting documents related to the peace process and its reception by the German public and German politicians.

The Debate in the United States over the League of Nations —American foreign policy continues to resonate with the issues surrounding the debate over U.S. entry into the League of Nations—collective security versus national sovereignty, idealism versus pragmatism, the responsibilities of powerful nations, and the use of force to accomplish idealistic goals, the idea of America. Understanding the debate over the League and the consequences of its ultimate failure provides insight into international affairs in the years since the end of the Great War and beyond. In this lesson, students read the words and listen to the voices of some central participants in the debate over the League of Nations.

• Lesson 1: The Debate in the United States over the League of Nations: League of Nations Basics
• Lesson 2: The Debate in the United States over the League of Nations: Disagreement Over the League
• Lesson 3: The Debate in the United States over the League of Nations: Five Camps: From Voices of Consent to Voices of Dissent

Woodrow Wilson and Foreign Policy —Curriculum Unit. The influence of President Woodrow Wilson on American foreign policy has been profound and lasting. Using a variety of primary sources, students analyze the origins of the ambitious foreign policy that came to be known as Wilsonianism and compare it with important alternative traditions in American foreign policy.

The Origins of "Wilsonianism ”

"To Elect Good Men”: Woodrow Wilson and Latin America

Wilson and American Entry into World War I

Fighting for Peace: The Fate of Wilson's Fourteen Points

Birth of a Nation, the NAACP, and the Balancing of Rights —In this lesson students learn how Birth of a Nation reflected and influenced racial attitudes, and they analyze and evaluate the efforts of the NAACP to prohibit showing of the film.  

NAACP's Anti-Lynching Campaigns: The Quest for Social Justice in the Interwar Years —Curriculum Unit Overview: During the years 1909 to 1939, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People sought passage of anti-lynching legislation. Although this proposed legislation failed to become law, much can be learned by examining the NAACP's anti-lynching campaign about how Americans in the interwar period understood the federal system, interpreted the Constitution, and responded to calls for social justice.

• Lesson 1: NAACP’s Anti-Lynching Campaign in the 1920s

FDR's Fireside Chats: The Power of Words —In this lesson which focuses on two of FDR's Fireside Chats, students gain a sense of the dramatic effect of FDR's voice on his audience, see the scope of what he was proposing in these initial speeches, and make an overall analysis of why the Fireside Chats were so successful.

The Social Security Act —This lesson engages students in the debate over the Social Security Act that engrossed the nation during the 1930s.

African-Americans and the New Deal’s Civilian Conservation Corps —The Civilian Conservation Corps, a New Deal recovery and relief program provided more than a quarter of a million young black men with jobs during the Depression. By examining primary source documents students analyze the impact of this program on race relations in America and assess the role played by the New Deal in changing them.

FDR and the Lend-Lease Act —This lesson shows students how broadly the Lend-Lease Act of March 1941 empowered the federal government—particularly the President—and asks students to investigate how FDR promoted the program in speeches and then in photographs.

Eleanor Roosevelt and the Rise of Social Reform in the 1930s —This lesson asks students to explore the various roles that Eleanor Roosevelt a key figure in several of the most important social reform movements of the twentieth century took on, among them: First Lady, political activist for civil rights, newspaper columnist and author, and representative to the United Nations.

Worth a Thousand Words: Depression-Era Photographs —Spend a day with a model American family and the photographer who molded our view of their lives.

Freedom by the Fireside: The Legacy of FDR's "Four Freedoms" Speech —One of the most famous political speeches on freedom in the twentieth century was delivered by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in his 1941 State of the Union message to Congress.This lesson examines some of the nuances and ambiguities inherent in the rhetorical use of "freedom." The objective is to encourage students to glimpse the broad range of hopes and aspirations that are expressed in the call of—and for—freedom.

Dust Bowl Days —Students will be introduced to this dramatic era in our nation's history through photographs, songs and interviews with people who lived through the Dust Bowl.

NAACP Lesson 2: NAACP's Anti-Lynching Campaign in the 1930s

From Neutrality to War: The United States and Europe, 1921–1941 —Curiculum unit overview. Over the two decades between World War I and World War II, Americans pursued strategies aimed at preventing another war. In this four lesson unit, students use primary sources and an interactive map to examine the rise of antiwar sentiment and legislation in the United States and the main arguments used by both sides as to whether the United States should enter the war or remain neutral.

The Road to Pearl Harbor: The United States and East Asia, 1915-1941 —Curiculum unit overview. Although most Americans were shocked by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the outbreak of war between the two countries came as no surprise to most observers of international affairs. Using contemporary documents, students explore the rise of animosity between the United States and Japan from its origins in World War I and culminating two decades later in the Pearl Harbor attack.

• Lesson 1: The Growth of U.S.-Japanese Hostility, 1915–1932
• Lesson 2: America and the Sino-Japanese Conflict, 1933–1939
• Lesson 3: Japan's "Southern Advance” and the March toward War, 1940–1941
• Lesson 4: The Failure of Diplomacy, September-December 1941

"The Proper Application of Overwhelming Force”: The United States in World War II —After learning that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor, thus ensuring that the United States would enter World War II, Prime Minister Winston Churchill breathed a sigh of relief. "Hitler's fate was sealed," he would later recall. "Mussolini's fate was sealed. As for the Japanese, they would be ground to powder. All the rest was merely the proper application of overwhelming force." In this unit, students examine the role that the United States played in bringing about this victory.

• Lesson 1: Turning the Tide in the Pacific, 1941–1943
• Lesson 2: Turning the Tide in Europe, 1942–1944
• Lesson 3: Victory in Europe, 1944–1945
• Lesson 4: Victory in the Pacific, 1943–1945

American Diplomacy in World War II —This four-lesson curriculum unit examine the nature of what Winston Churchill called the "Grand Alliance" between the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union in opposition to the aggression of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.

• Lesson 1: How "Grand” and "Allied” was the Grand Alliance?
• Lesson 2: How to Win a World War
• Lesson 3: Victory and the New Order in Europe
• Lesson 4: The New Order for "Greater East Asia”

On the Home Front —Learning about World War II American efforts helps students gain some perspective regarding the U.S. response to the conflict generated by the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Norman Rockwell, Freedom of Speech —Know It When You See It —This lesson plan highlights the importance of First Amendment rights by examining Norman Rockwell’s painting of The Four Freedoms. Students discover the First Amendment in action as they explore their own community and country through newspapers, art, and role playing.

The Origins of the Cold War, 1945–1949 —Since the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, Soviet leaders had been claiming that communism and capitalism could never peacefully coexist. Agreements regarding the postwar world were reached at Yalta and Potsdam, but the Soviets wasted no time in violating them. Harry Truman believed that the proper means of responding to an international bully was a credible threat of force.

• Lesson 1: Sources of Discord, 1945–1946
• Lesson 2: The Strategy of Containment, 1947–1948
• Lesson 3: The Formation of the Western Alliance, 1948–1949

Witch Hunt or Red Menace? Anticommunism in Postwar America, 1945–1954 —Americans emerged from World War II as the only major combatant to avoid having its homeland ravaged by war, the U.S. economy was clearly the strongest in the world, and, of course, the United States was the only country in the world to possess that awesome new weapon, the atomic bomb. However, over the next five years relations between the United States and the Soviet Union went from alliance to Cold War.

• Lesson 1: Soviet Espionage in America
• Lesson 2: The House Un-American Activities Committee
• Lesson 3: The Rise and Fall of Joseph McCarthy

Dramatizing History in Arthur Miller's The Crucible —By closely reading historical documents and attempting to interpret them, students consider how Arthur Miller interpreted the facts of the Salem witch trials and how he successfully dramatized them in his play, The Crucible. As they explore historical materials, such as the biographies of key players (the accused and the accusers) and transcripts of the Salem Witch trials themselves, students will be guided by aesthetic and dramatic concerns: In what ways do historical events lend themselves (or not) to dramatization? What makes a particular dramatization of history effective and memorable?

"Police Action”: The Korean War, 1950–1953 —In 1950, North Korean forces, armed mainly with Soviet weapons, invaded South Korea in an effort to reunite the peninsula under communist rule. This lesson will introduce students to the conflict by having them read the most important administration documents related to it.

"The Missiles of October”: The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962 —Most historians agree that the world has never come closer to nuclear war than it did during a thirteen-day period in October 1962, after the revelation that the Soviet Union had stationed several medium-range ballistic missiles in Cuba. This lesson examines how this crisis developed, how the Kennedy administration chose to respond, and how the situation was ultimately resolved.

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and Escalation of the Vietnam War —In August 1964, a small military engagement off the coast of North Vietnam helped escalate the involvement of the United States in Vietnam; the Vietnam War would become the longest military engagement in American history.

Building Suburbia: Highways and Housing in Postwar America —The postwar United States experienced a dramatic economic boom—and a dramatic reorientation of American ideals of the home.

Competing Voices of the Civil Rights Movement —When most people think of the Civil Rights Movement in America, they think of Martin Luther King, Jr. Delivering his "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. But "the Movement" achieved its greatest results due to the competing strategies and agendas of diverse individuals. This unit presents the views of several important black leaders who shaped the debate over how to achieve freedom and equality in our nation.

• Lesson 1: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nonviolent Resistance
• Lesson 2: Black Separatism or the Beloved Community? Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Profiles in Courage: To Kill A Mockingbird and the Scottsboro Boys Trial —Students study select court transcripts and other primary source material from the second Scottsboro Boys Trial of 1933, a continuation of the first trial in which two young white women wrongfully accused nine African-American youths of rape.

JFK, LBJ, and the Fight for Equal Opportunity in the 1960s —This lesson provides students with an opportunity to study and analyze the innovative legislative efforts of Presidents Kennedy and Johnson in the social and economic context of the 1960s.

The Kennedy Administration and the Civil Rights Movement —Students learn how civil rights activists, state and local officials in the South, and the Administration of President Kennedy come into conflict during the early 1960s.

Freedom Riders and the Popular Music of the Civil Rights Era —The American civil rights movement incorporated a variety of cultural elements in their pursuit of political and legal equality under law. This lesson will highlight the role of music as a major influence through the use of audio recordings, photographs, and primary documents.

Twelve Angry Men: Trial by Jury as a Right and as a Political Institution — Twelve Angry Men , originally written for television by Reginald Rose in 1954 and subsequently adapted for stage (1955), film (1957) and television again (1997), effectively conveys the central importance of the right to a jury trial afforded by Article III of the Constitution as well as Amendments V, VI, and XIV.

Building Suburbia: Highways and Housing in Postwar America

The Election of Barack Obama 44th President of the United States —In this lesson, students put Barack Obama’s election as the first African-American President of the United States in historical context by studying two of his speeches and reviewing some of the history of African-American voting rights.

Find what you need to study

3.5 The American Revolution

8 min read • january 10, 2023

James Glackin

Mixed AP Review

Endless stimulus-based MCQs for all units

Causes of the American Revolution

In the past few study guides, we've reviewed the context of the American Revolution , including the French and Indian War , British laws and policies , and the Enlightenment . Here is a quick review of these concepts:

The American colonies believed that they were being unfairly taxed by Great Britain, without representation in the British government.

The colonists believed that they were not receiving fair treatment from the British government in terms of trade and commerce. They perceived that the British government was passing laws that benefited merchants and manufacturers in Britain to the disadvantage of the American colonies.

The colonists were also resentful of the presence of British troops in the colonies, which they saw as a violation of their rights and a threat to their security.

The colonists were further incensed by the Quartering Acts , which required them to provide housing and supplies for British troops, and the Intolerable Acts , which were a series of laws passed by the British government in 1774 that was seen as a direct attack on colonial rights and liberties.

The ideas of Enlightenment and the principles of natural rights, limited government, and the consent of the governed had a strong influence on the colonists' views and helped to shape their desire for independence.

The colonist began to see themselves as Americans and not just as subjects of the British king and they began to demand representation and rights they believed they were entitled to as free people.

The Boston Massacre

The Boston Massacre is another event that is considered pivotal in the buildup of the American Revolution . Since we haven't covered it in any of this unit's previous guides, let's quickly discuss it.

The Boston Massacre was a deadly confrontation between British soldiers and a group of American colonists in Boston in 1770. As you know, tensions between the colonists and the British government had been rising for several years prior to the incident, due to a number of disputes over taxes, trade regulations, and other issues.

Image Courtesy of History.com

On the evening of March 5, a group of colonists began taunting and throwing snowballs at a group of British soldiers who were guarding the Customs House in Boston. The soldiers, who had been stationed in the colonies for some time and were resentful of the treatment they had received from the colonists, were not used to this kind of treatment. As the confrontation between the colonists and soldiers escalated, a soldier fired his weapon, and then the others joined in, shooting into the crowd of colonists. Five colonists were killed in the altercation, and several more were injured.

News of the incident quickly spread throughout the colonies, and it caused a great deal of outrage. The soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre were put on trial for murder, and the trial was widely covered in the press. John Adams, later the second President of the United States, served as the defense attorney for the soldiers. The soldiers were ultimately found not guilty of murder, but they were found guilty of manslaughter and received reduced sentences.

Many Americans viewed the shooting as an unjustified act of aggression by the British government, and it became an important symbol of British oppression in the years leading up to the Revolution.

The Beginning of the War

Although you don't have to know the war to every detail, it is important to note several battles.

The Battle of Lexington and Concord

In April of 1775, the British sent numerous troops to Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, to seize stored gunpowder that the patriot rebels harbored. Paul Revere went on his famous ride warning that the British were coming, urging the colonial minutemen militia to get up and get their guns. Gunfire erupted in Lexington, leaving eight American colonists dead in this brief battle lost by the minutemen . About 100 spectators watched.

Image Courtesy of PBS

This battle, The Battle of Lexington and Concord , was between a colonial militia, made up of local farmers and townspeople, and a force of British soldiers. The gunfire during this battle is known as “the shot heard round the world,” referring to the opening shots of the first military engagement of the Revolutionary War.

The British redcoats continued to the nearby town of Concord. After the British found no weapons, they started a retreat to Boston, where they were met with increasingly strong resistance from the Minutemen . The Minutemen utilized gunfire and guerilla warfare tactics against the shocked British at every turn possible. The redcoats suffered 300 casualties, and the war started.

George Washington

Shortly after these battles, in June 1775, the Second Continental Congress appointed George Washington as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army .

Washington was chosen for his military experience, his reputation for courage and leadership, and his standing in the colonies. He had served as an officer in the British army during the French and Indian War and had a good reputation among the colonial leaders. His appointment as commander-in-chief was crucial in unifying the colonies and providing much-needed organization and leadership to the revolutionary cause.

The Battle of Long Island

At this point, King George III hired foreign mercenary soldiers, the Hessians , to supply more human resources. They were known for their discipline and training and were considered to be some of the best soldiers in Europe at the time.

The British now sent 35,000 troops to New York City in July of 1776. They launched a three-pronged assault on the American lines, attacking the flanks and center of the American position. Despite determined resistance, the Patriots were unable to hold back the superior numbers and training of the British. They were forced to retreat in disarray, and many were captured. George Washington , therefore, suffered a severe loss at the Battle of Long Island and retreated to New Jersey.

The Battle of Trenton

In late December 1776, Washington's army was encamped at McKonkey's Ferry, Pennsylvania , across the Delaware River from Trenton. The Continental Army had suffered heavy losses and desertions, and morale was low. Washington believed that a surprise attack on Trenton could boost morale and also disrupt the movement of supplies for the British army.

On the evening of December 25, Washington and his army crossed the Delaware River in a heavy snowstorm and caught the Hessians by surprise. The battle was fought primarily in the streets of Trenton, and the Patriots were able to quickly defeat the Hessians . The Hessians suffered over 900 casualties, while the Patriots suffered only a few dozen.

Image Courtesy of Columbia University

The Battle of Trenton was a crucial victory for the Patriots and an important turning point in the Revolutionary War. The victory brought new hope to the Patriots and encouraged many to enlist in the Continental Army . It also disrupted the movement of supplies for the British army, making it more difficult for them to continue their campaign in the region. The victory at Trenton also revealed the vulnerability of the British to unexpected attacks, inspiring Washington to continue to plan surprise attacks and raids in the months to come.

Middle Stage: 1777-1779

The Battle of Saratoga was a series of two battles that became the turning point of the war. It was fought in Saratoga, New York, along the Hudson River in October of 1777.

In short, three British generals were to coordinate and meet near Albany and defeat the Americans, which would then divide America geographically.

Image Courtesy of British Battles

The long explanation is that the British army, under the command of General John Burgoyne , was ordered to move south from Quebec to Albany in an attempt to split the colonies in two and isolate New England from the rest of the colonies. Burgoyne's plan was to move his troops south along the Hudson River and link up with the forces of General William Howe , who was moving north from New York City. However, the Americans, under the command of General Horatio Gates , were able to slow Burgoyne's advance and inflict heavy casualties on his army.

The British were surrounded and forced to surrender, and it was one of the most significant military defeats for the British army during the Revolutionary War. You may ask, why was this battle a turning point?

This colonist victory motivated France to form a military alliance with America! Some other European countries formed alliances with France to fight Britain in other parts of the world. Britain now had other war priorities. Along with the aid of French soldiers and capital, America was on its way to winning the Revolutionary War.

Final Stage: 1780-1783

The battle of yorktown.

The Battle of Yorktown , also known as the Siege of Yorktown, was fought in the autumn of 1781 in Yorktown, Virginia, along the Chesapeake Bay. It was a decisive victory for the Patriots, led by General George Washington and French General Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, over the British Army, led by Lord Charles Cornwallis .

General Cornwallis was waiting for reinforcements in Yorktown, and General Washington made secret plans with France to convene in Yorktown to have the French navy blockade Cornwallis. This tactic worked as they not only trapped the British army, but they blockaded the Chesapeake Bay and prevented Cornwallis from receiving reinforcements.

On October 19th, 1781, Lord Cornwallis, realizing the hopelessness of his position, sent a note of surrender.

Lord Cornwallis’s surrender signaled the victory of the American revolutionaries over what they considered to be the despotic rule of Britain. This moment would live on in American memory as a pivotal one in the nation’s origin story, prompting the United States government to commission artist John Trumbull to create this painting of the event in 1817. John Trumbull, Surrender of Lord Cornwallis, 1820. Image Courtesy of   Wikimedia

The Treaty of Paris in 1783

The Battle of Yorktown was a decisive victory for the Patriots and marked the end of the major military operations in North America during the Revolutionary War. The defeat at Yorktown forced the British government to recognize the independence of the United States and led to the negotiation of the Treaty of Paris in 1783 , which officially ended the war.

The treaty recognized the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the United States and set the boundaries between the newly independent nation and British North America. The treaty established the Mississippi River as the western boundary of the United States, with the exception of Spanish Florida, which remained under British control. The treaty also provided for the evacuation of British troops from the colonies and the return of property seized by the British during the war.

Key Terms to Review ( 24 )

American Revolution

Battle of Lexington and Concord

Battle of Long Island

Battle of Saratoga

Battle of Trenton

Battle of Yorktown

Boston Massacre

British laws and policies

Continental Army

Delaware River

Enlightenment

France Military Alliance

French and Indian War

General Horatio Gates

General John Burgoyne

General William Howe

Intolerable Acts

Lord Charles Cornwallis

McKonkey's Ferry, Pennsylvania

Paul Revere

Quartering Acts

Stay Connected

© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.

• Lesson Plans

Our lesson plans are divided into eight collections.

Our lesson plans provide teachers with a wide selection of tools and approaches to teaching their students about the major achievements of the american revolution—our independence, our republic, our national identity, and our ideals of liberty, equality, natural and civil rights, and responsible citizenship. these lessons use images, primary source documents, and period artifacts to help students understand the revolution—the defining event in american history. they introduce students to major historical interpretations of the revolution and teach them to read critically. they provide strategies for teaching students to research and interpret revolutionary events and people, and the introduce students to the global dimension of the american revolution..

IMAGINING THE REVOLUTION Teaching Students to Interpret the Visual Record

The aim of Imagining the Revolution lesson plans is to teach students how to interpret the visual record of the American Revolution, which consists of visual arts—paintings, drawings, prints, and sculpture. Imagining the Revolution asks students to go beyond the obvious questions about the literal accuracy of images to explore the intent of the artists and the meaning they and their contemporaries attached to the people and events they depicted.

REVOLUTION ON PAPER Teaching Students to Interpret Primary Source Documents

The aim of Revolution on Paper lesson plans is to teach students how to interpret primary source documents, acquaint them with the nature of documentary evidence, and to introduce them to some of the most important documents of the American Revolution. Some lessons address great state papers, while other focus on private documents, including letters and diaries.

OBJECTS OF REVOLUTION Teaching Students to Interpret Artifacts as Primary Sources

The aim of Objects of Revolution lesson plans is to teach students how to interpret surviving artifacts of the Revolutionary era and relate them to the contexts in which they were made and used. The things people made and used in the American Revolution complement the documentary and visual record and offer insights about life in the Revolutionary era that cannot be found in other sources.

MASTER TEACHER LESSONS Primary Source-Based Content featuring our Museum and Library Collections

A movement to ensure that all Americans understand and appreciate the American Revolution depends upon thousands of talented teachers sharing the constructive achievements of the Revolution with their students. Each year the Institute gathers the best history teachers in the nation for a week-long seminar to discuss the most important themes to teach young Americans and to create model lessons using the Institute’s rich collection of primary source materials associated with one or more of the four primary achievements of the Revolution—our independence, our republic, our national identity and the high ideals that have shaped our national history.

REVOULUTIONARY EXHIBITIONS Lessons featuring our Library and Museum Collections on Exhibition at Anderson House

The Institute’s temporary exhibitions at our Anderson House headquarters offer intimate and compelling looks at the history of the Revolution through authentic works of art, artifacts and documents. Exploring themes related to the cause for American independence, the people and events of the war and the Society of the Cincinnati, these exhibitions—and the lessons they inspire—contribute to our understanding and appreciation of the Revolution and its legacy.

REVOLUTIONARY CHARACTERS Teaching Students to Interpret the People who made the Revolution

The aim of Revolutionary Characters lesson plans is to teach students to frame valid historical questions about the major individuals and groups involved in the American Revolution and to conduct the basic research and interpretive analysis required to answer them. Revolutionary Characters challenges students to ask and answer questions about the ideas and motives of historical actors by using primary sources.

THE REVOLUTIONARY WORLD Teaching Students to Place American History in Global Contexts

The aim of The Revolutionary World lesson plans is to acquaint students with the international and global dimension of the American Revolution, which was tied to the maritime trade, the rise of consumerism in western Europe, the competition between European powers, questions about slavery and freedom, resistance to imperial regulation in the Americas, and other patterns and trends that can only be understood from the perspective of world history.

LEGACIES OF THE REVOLUTION Teaching Students about the Enduring Consequences of the Revolution

The aim of the Legacies of the Revolution lesson plans is to acquaint students with the consequences of the American Revolution over more than two hundred and thirty years, including the enduring influence of the Declaration of Independence and the relationship between the American Revolution and abolitionism, the shaping of the women’s right’s movement and the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, and less obvious ways in which the Revolution has shaped American life, like the ways in which we honor veterans and relations between Indians and other Americans.

The Coming of the American Revolution: 1764 to 1776

• Rowe's Revolution
• Bio Sketches
• Master Document List
• Bibliography
• About This Site
• Core Concepts
• Document Analysis Worksheet

Lesson for Concept 1

Rights and responsibilities of british subjects by tim castner, nashoba regional high school, bolton, ma.

This is designed to be a one-period classroom activity. Students work individually and in small groups to analyze documents and discuss the rights and responsibilities of Americans, past and present.

Lesson for Concept 2

Colonies fight british taxation by duncan wood, newton north high school, ma.

In this activity, the class is divided into four groups. Each group is given readings and asked to summarize the type of political tactics used within the documents.

Lesson for Concept 3

The emerging american identity by robert baker, needham high school, ma.

This is designed to be a one-period classroom activity. Individually, in pairs, or in small groups students can be assigned at least one historical quotation to analyze and present to the class.

Lesson for Concept 4

Conflict and compromise by robert baker, needham high school, ma.

This assignment is a thesis driven DBQ (Document-Based Question) and could be given to a student as a take home essay, or, if the class has access to a computer lab, can be administered to a group of students.

To Pay or Not to Pay, That is the Question by Jacqueline Fernandez, Graduate Education Intern, Tufts

Students will read and analyze documents, and host a mock trial in which a jury must decide whether or not individuals involved in throwing tea overboard in the Boston Tea Party broke the law and (if so) how they should be punished.

Lesson for Concept 5

Inciting individual and inter-colony resistance by victor henningsen, phillips academy, andover, ma.

This is a three-to-four day unit for high school students, designed to help them understand how resistance to Parliamentary policies spread from individuals, to groups, to towns, and eventually to entire colonies.

Lesson for Concept 6

Revolutionary league draft picks by stacia smith, paxton center middle school, ma.

This activity requires one to three class periods during which student groups representing the "Patriots" and the "Tories" draft players (actually historical characters or groups represented in primary source documents) to their teams based upon their professed or implied allegiance to either the Patriot or Tory cause.

Seafaring Wanderers and Their Stories by Jacqueline Fernandez, Graduate Education Intern, Tufts

During one class period, this assignment will encourage and develop students' ability to analyze primary source documents, work in teams, and using the information extracted from a letter and newspaper article and guidelines provided, develop a hypothetical dialogue.

Lesson for Concept 7

Presentation and analysis of quotations by richard kollen, lexington high school, ma.

Over two class sessions, students will analyze quotations from documents that present ideas about independence and equality.

Do You Know Your Audience? by Jacqueline Fernandez, Graduate Education Intern, Tufts

Two class periods (not necessarily consecutive periods) are required for this lesson. After dividing the class into small teams students will be asked to imagine themselves as white, property-owning, male colonists who: support the colonial effort to gain independence from Britain and are eager to gain support for the effort from African Americans and/or women; and the assignment will be to create and act out a modern-style radio or television commercial to convey their cause.

Lesson for Concept 8

History is a series of decisions by siobhan dennis, lesley university, ma.

In this activity, students will use primary source documents and will apply the concept of counterfactuals (What if? questions). Students will examine primary documents and create hypothetical situations of how the course of history could have been different based on some critical decisions. Students will express their thinking of how a look at counterfactual history can lead to a greater understanding and appreciation for the actual events that did occur prior to and during the American Revolution.

Lesson for Concept 9

Personalities, perspectives and agendas by teresa e. collins, boston college high school, ma.

This assignment requires 2-3 hours, depending upon if the teacher utilizes all options. (This assignment may be divided into 2+ class periods, depending upon the time.) In this assignment, students, read and analyze documents, and work in groups to answer framing questions. Students also compare two documents and create an essay addressing the complex issue of point of view in history.

Documents about the Boston Massacre and the Biases of their Creators by Maria DiGioia, Graduate Education Intern, Tufts

This lesson requirse 1-2 class periods + 1 long-term assignment (optional). This lesson has been designed using documents related to the Boston Massacre, but it can be adapted to other topics as well. Since the optional long-term assignment will involve the study of documents from other events from The Coming of the American Revolution web site, presentations can be scheduled to coincide with the class periods when those events will be discussed.

General Lesson

Sample general lesson using this website by tim castner, nashoba regional high school, bolton, ma.

This lesson, aimed at college prep level U. S. History students, focuses on diaries of the American Revolution. The student is responsible for writing a journal comprised of three diary/journal entries based on events leading up to the American Revolution. The student is requird to imagine that he/she is living through these events and is either participating in them or observing them firsthand.

Funding from the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati supported enhancements to this website.

• For Teachers
• For Students

If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

To log in and use all the features of Khan Academy, please enable JavaScript in your browser.

AP®︎/College US History

Course: ap®︎/college us history   >   unit 10.

• AP US History periods and themes
• AP US History multiple choice example 1
• AP US History multiple choice example 2

AP US History short answer example 1

• AP US History short answer example 2
• AP US History DBQ example 1
• AP US History DBQ example 2
• AP US History DBQ example 3
• AP US History DBQ example 4
• AP US History long essay example 1
• AP US History long essay example 2
• AP US History long essay example 3
• Preparing for the AP US History Exam (5/4/2016)
• AP US History Exam Prep Session (5/1/2017)

Want to join the conversation?

• Upvote Button navigates to signup page
• Downvote Button navigates to signup page
• Flag Button navigates to signup page

Video transcript