Public learning track
The Road to Revolution and the Declaration of Independence
11 lessons
Goal
Explain the ideological, economic, and political causes of the American Revolution and analyze the core arguments of the Declaration of Independence.
11 lessons
0 of 11 done
- The French and Indian War and British Imperial DebtUp next
- The Stamp Act and 'No Taxation Without Representation'Not started yet
- The Boston Massacre and Colonial PropagandaNot started yet
- The Boston Tea Party and the Coercive ActsNot started yet
- Key Architects of Independence: Samuel Adams, John Adams, and Thomas PaineNot started yet
- The First Continental Congress and Colonial UnityNot started yet
- Lexington, Concord, and the Shot Heard 'Round the WorldNot started yet
- Thomas Jefferson and Drafting the Declaration of IndependenceNot started yet
- Natural Rights, Equality, and the Consent of the GovernedNot started yet
- Grievances Against King George III and the Rule of LawNot started yet
- The Contradictions of Liberty and Slavery in 1776Not started yet
Standards Covered
- 5.T1.3Massachusetts Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · Grade 5 (target) · Grade 5Analyze the reasons why English colonists had the strongest influence on the language, political institutions, and political principles of the country that became the United States of America, even though other major European nations also explored North America (e.g., the relatively small number of colonists from other nations, England’s history of self- government, high rates of literacy, and strong economic, and military position in the world).
- 5.T2.7Massachusetts Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · Grade 5 (target) · Grade 5Compare and contrast the impact of the actions of important leaders (e.g., John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, King George III, Edmund Burke, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette) during the Revolution and the early years of the United States Republic.
- 5.T2.4Massachusetts Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · Grade 5 (target) · Grade 5Read the Declaration of Independence (1776), explain its main argument, the reasons given for seeking independence, the meaning of the key ideas on equality and natural and legal rights, and the rule of law.
- 5.T2.5Massachusetts Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · Grade 5 (target) · Grade 5Describe the impact of events as the Revolutionary War continued; locate the sites of events on a map, and explain the factors leading to American victory and British defeat.
- 5.T1.5Massachusetts Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · Grade 5 (target) · Grade 5Describe the origins of slavery, its legal status in all the colonies through the 18th century, and the prevalence of slave ownership, including by many of the country’s early leaders (e.g., George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, George Mason).
Curriculum Framework
4th Grade · Social Studies · US-MA-SS
1
10 lessons
Geography and Map Skills of North America
Apply geographic tools, spatial thinking, and regional analysis to understand North America's physical and political landscape.
2
10 lessons
Indigenous Nations and Early European Encounters
Analyze the diverse cultures of Indigenous nations and evaluate the multifaceted impacts of European contact and colonization.
3
7 lessons
Founding the Thirteen Colonies: Leaders and Settlements
Examine the establishment, key leaders, and motives behind the founding of early English settlements across North America.
4
5 lessons
Colonial Life: Regional Economies and Labor Systems
Compare the geographic environments, economic systems, and forms of labor across the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies.
5
11 lessons
Slavery, the Middle Passage, and Colonial Labor
Examine the origins, expansion, and institutionalization of slavery across the colonies, the transatlantic slave trade, and forms of Black resistance.
6
11 lessons
The Road to Revolution and the Declaration of Independence
Explain the ideological, economic, and political causes of the American Revolution and analyze the core arguments of the Declaration of Independence.
7
7 lessons
The Revolutionary War: Battles, Campaigns, and Victory
Analyze key military leadership, turning-point battles, the French alliance, and the path to victory culminating in the Treaty of Paris.
8
5 lessons
Perspectives of the American Revolution: Diverse Voices and Divided Loyalties
Examine the diverse roles, motivations, and viewpoints of Loyalists, Patriots, African Americans, Native nations, women, and British leaders during the Revolutionary War.
9
11 lessons
Creating a New Government: Articles of Confederation and Constitution
Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, the significance of Shays' Rebellion, and the foundational compromises of the U.S. Constitution.
10
11 lessons
Westward Growth: The Louisiana Purchase and Corps of Discovery
Evaluate the geopolitical importance of the Louisiana Purchase and trace the scientific, geographic, and diplomatic journey of the Corps of Discovery.
11
10 lessons
The War of 1812 and American Nationalism
Analyze the causes, naval conflicts, major land battles, and nationalistic aftermath of the War of 1812.
12
8 lessons
Early American Industry and Global Commerce
Analyze New England's early industrial revolution, maritime trade networks, and the economic links between northern mills and southern slavery.
13
5 lessons
Native American Resistance and the Indian Removal Act
Examine 19th-century Indigenous resistance movements, legal battles for sovereignty, and the impact of federal Indian removal policies.
14
8 lessons
Indigenous Sovereignty: Mashpee Resistance and the Trail of Tears
Explain how Indigenous nations fought for self-government and resisted forced removal, focusing on the Mashpee Revolt in Massachusetts and the Trail of Tears in the Southeast.
15
10 lessons
Northern Abolition, Western Expansion, and the Domestic Slave Trade
Analyze the state-by-state abolition of slavery in the North, the ban on transatlantic slave importation in 1808, and the expansion of the domestic slave trade into the western states.