Compelling Question:Was the Revolutionary War an Act of Treason?

Supporting Question I

What are some ways the British

protected and provided for the

colonists?

Supporting Question II

Were the Stamp Act and Townsend Acts examples of

reasonable taxations?

Supporting Question III

How did the views of colonists compare to the views of British

reflect their individual beliefs about independence?

Historical Sources

A. French and Indian War Summary (duckster.com)

B. “The Colonial Experience” (ushistory.org)

C. Great Wars for Empire (digitalhistory.org)

Historical Sources

A. Newspaper Article about the Stamp Act of 1865 (digitalhistory.uh.edu)

B. Quartering Act (americainclass.org)

C. Townsend Act Cartoon

Historical Sources

A. Colonist vs British Viewpoint

B. Letter from William Smith

C. Benjamin Franklin Quote

D. Political Cartoon-Poor Old England

Formative Performance Task I

Bringing history into the present: Create a “Twitter account” with Tweets going back and forth between the colonists and British rule leading up to, during and after the French and Indian War.

Formative Performance Task II

Create your own article or political cartoon depicting whether the taxations were reasonable or not.

Formative Performance Task III

Identify evidence from the colonist perspective as well as the British perspective and compare their

beliefs and views

Summative Performance Task:Decide whether English colonists should revolt against British rule, not revolt and continue to be loyal to British rule, or English colonists and British officials meet to compromise and make changes to prevent a revolution. Whichever stance you take, back your reasoning with your resources and valid opinions based on facts. Be prepared to defend your reasoning with other classmates who may differ in their decision.

Source:

NC Essential Standards:5.H.1.3 Analyze the impact of major conflicts, battles and wars on the development of our nation. RI5.8 Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in texts, identifying which reasons and evidence support which points.

Grade Level 5th-Elementary

Summative Performance Task Persuasive EssaySUPPORTING QUESTION 1 SOURCE A

CAUSE AND EFFECT GRAPHIC ORGANIZER Instructions: List the topic or problem that you are exploring in the center of the organizer. Under the Causes section record what you think makes the problem happen. Under the Effects section, record what happens because of these causes.

2a. The Colonial Experience

They created and nurtured them. Like children, the American colonies grew and flourished under British supervision. Like many adolescents, the colonies rebelled against their parent country by declaring independence. But the American democratic experiment did not begin in 1776. The COLONIES had been practicing limited forms of self-government since the early 1600s.

The great expanse of the Atlantic Ocean created a safe distance for American colonists to develop skills to govern themselves. Despite its efforts to control American trade, England could not possibly oversee the entire American coastline. Colonial merchants soon learned to operate outside British law. Finally, those who escaped religious persecution in England demanded the freedom to worship according to their faiths.

Colonial Governments

Each of the thirteen colonies had a charter, or written agreement between the colony and the king of England or Parliament. CHARTERS of royal colonies provided for direct rule by the king. A COLONIAL

LEGISLATURE was elected by property holding males. But governors were appointed by the king and had almost complete authority — in theory. The legislatures controlled the salary of the governor and often used this influence to keep the governors in line with colonial wishes. The first colonial legislature was the VIRGINIA HOUSE OF BURGESSES, established in 1619.

When the first PILGRIMS voyaged to the New World, a bizarre twist of fate created a spirit of self-government. These Pilgrims of theMayflower were bound for Virginia in 1620, but they got lost and instead landed at PLYMOUTH in present-day Massachusetts. Since Plymouth did not lie within the boundaries of the Virginia colony, the Pilgrims had no official charter to govern them. So they drafted the MAYFLOWER COMPACT, which in essence declared that they would rule themselves. Although Massachusetts eventually became a royal colony, the Pilgrims at Plymouth set a powerful precedent of

SUPPORTING QUESTION 1 SOURCE B

making their own rules that later reflected itself in the town meetings that were held across colonial New England.

Trade and Taxation

Colonial economies operated under MERCANTILISM, a system based on the belief that colonies existed in order to increase the mother country's wealth. England tried to regulate trade, and forbid colonies from trading with other European countries. England also maintained the right to tax the colonies. Both TRADEand TAXATION were difficult for England to control, and so an informal agreement emerged. England regulated trade but allowed colonists the right to levy their own taxes. SMUGGLERS soon exploited the English inability to guard every port by secretly trading against Parliament's wishes.

This delicate agreement was put to test by the FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. The war was expensive, and from the British point of view, colonists should help pay for it, especially considering that England believed it was protecting the colonists from French and Indian threats. The new taxes levied by the Crown nevertheless horrified the colonists. British naval measures to arrest smugglers further incited American shippers. These actions served as stepping stones to the Revolution.

http://www.ushistory.org/gov/2a.asp

Based on the text in Source B, fill in the Circle map to list all the ways the British ruled over or helped colonists. In the second bubble map, list all the ways colonists were moving away from or rebelling against British rule. Finally create your own circle map using evidence from the source.

Ways British Governed Colonists

How Colonists Governed Themselves

Great Wars for EmpireDigital History ID 657

Author:   Minavavana Date:1761

Annotation: In this address to an English trader named Alexander Henry, Minavavana, a Chippewa or Ojibwa chief, warns the English that France's defeats during the French and Indian War do not mean that England can assert sovereignty over Indian lands.

Document: Englishman!--You know that the French King is our father. He promised to be such; and we, in return, promised to be his children. This promise we have kept.

Englishman!--It is you that have made war with this our father. You are his enemy; and how then could you have the boldness to venture among us, his children? You know that his enemies are ours....

Englishman!--Although you have conquered the French, you have not yet conquered us! We are not your slaves. These lakes, these woods and mountains, were left to us by our ancestors. They are our inheritance, and we will part with them to none....

SUPPORTING QUESTION 1 SOURCE C

Document Inspector

Using Source C, to fill in the table. Write down any other evidence you noticed from the text.What is the tone of the speaker?

Who are they speaking to?

What are they talking about?

What could be the possible outcomes from this address?

SUPPORTING QUESTION 2 SOURCE A

While Reading “Stamp Act and Virtual Representation” (Source A), list the examples of reasonable taxation and non examples of taxation. Think about which side you would defend and why?

Examples Supporting Reasonable Taxation Examples Supporting Unreasonable Taxation

TAXATION

SUPPORTING QUESTION 2 SOURCE B

While reading Source B, list the stipulations of the Quartering Act of 1765. Determine who bears the responsibility of each need. Decide if the Quartering Act was completely reasonable, completely unreasonable or some parts were and others were not.

Housing Food and Drink Supplies

Who Bears the Responsibility?

SUPPORTING QUESTION 2 SOURCE C

Use the thinking cloud to create a thought that an English colonist might have when they read this taxation posting.

SUPPORTING QUESTION 3 SOURCE A

SUPPORTING QUESTION 3 SOURCE B

Reconciliation Better than IndependenceAnglican clergyman and educator William Smith wrote a series of public letters in 1776 under the name “Cato” in reply to Thomas Paine’sCommon Sense.

We have already declared ourselves independent, as to all useful purposes, by resisting our oppressors upon our own foundation. And while we keep upon this ground, without connecting ourselves with any foreign nations, to involve us in fresh difficulties and endanger our liberties still further, we are able, in our own element (upon the shore), to continue this resistance; and it is our duty to continue it till Great Britain is convinced (as she must soon be) of her fatal policy, and open her arms to reconciliation, upon the permanent and sure footing of mutual interests and safety.

Upon such a footing, we may again be happy. Our trade will be revived. Our husbandmen, our mechanics, our artificers will flourish. Our language, our laws, and manners being the same with those of the nation with which we are again to be connected, that connection will be natural; and we shall the more easily guard against future innovations. Pennsylvania has much to lose in this contest and much to hope from a proper settlement of it. We have long flourished under our charter government. What may be the consequences of another form we cannot pronounce with certainty; but this we know, that it is a road we have not traveled and may be worse than it is described.

Source: Teresa O’Neill, ser. ed., Opposing Viewpoints: The American Revolution, American History Series (San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1992), p.151.

ACTIVITY: If you were William Smith living in our time, how would you paraphrase this letter?

What are the Acts of Oppression?

What was the message Benjamin Franklin was trying to convey? Who was he talking about and who was he talking to?

SUPPORTING QUESTION 3 SOURCE C