The Road to Revolution

by T.H. Breen

The Peace of Paris (February 10, 1763) marked a glorious moment in the history of the British Empire. France surrendered Canada, ending more than a century of warfare on the northern frontier. At the time, no one seriously thought that the conclusion of the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763) would lead in little more than a decade to the creation of an independent state. Thomas Pownall, a respected commentator on economic affairs and former royal governor of Massachusetts, explained to British policy makers precisely why the Americans could never hope to form a government of their own. More »

Essays

Lockean Liberalism and the American Revolution

Author: Isaac Kramnick Curriculum Subjects: Government and Civics, Religion and Philosophy Grade Levels: 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+
Recueil des loix constitutives des colonies, 1778 (GLC01720)

The Declaration of Independence in Global Perspective

Author: David Armitage Curriculum Subjects: Government and Civics, World History Grade Levels: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+
“Bostonian’s Paying the Excise-man” (London: Philip Dawe, 1774). (GLC04961.01)

Unruly Americans in the Revolution

Author: Woody Holton Curriculum Subjects: Economics, Government and Civics Grade Levels: 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+
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Featured Primary Sources

John Adams to Richard Henry Lee, November 15, 1775 (GLC03864)

A plan for a new government, 1775

Creator: John Adams Curriculum Subjects: Government and Civics Grade Levels:
Archibald Hinshelwood to Joshua Mauger, August 19, 1765. (GLC03902.61)

A report on reaction to the Stamp Act, 1765

Creator: Archibald Hinshelwood Curriculum Subjects: Government and Civics, World History Grade Levels:
Paul Revere, “The Bloody Massacre in King-Street, March 5, 1770.” Boston, 1770.

Paul Revere’s engraving of the Boston Massacre, 1770

Creator: Paul Revere Curriculum Subjects: Art, World History Grade Levels: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+
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Teaching Resources

Colonists Divided: A Revolution and a Civil War

Curriculum Subjects: Government and Civics Grade Levels: 6, 7, 8

Questions Relating to the Roots of the Revolution

Curriculum Subjects: Economics, Government and Civics, World History Grade Levels: 9, 10, 11, 12

Revolutionary in America

Curriculum Subjects: Art, Economics, Geography, Government and Civics, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Grade Levels: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+
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Multimedia

American Scripture: The Making of the Declaration of Independence

Speaker(s): Pauline Maier Duration: 0 seconds

Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

Speaker(s): Walter Isaacson Duration: 0 seconds

Jefferson as Revolutionary

Speaker(s): Frank Cogliano Duration: 0 seconds
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Recommended Resources

Maier, Pauline. American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997.

Butler, Jon. Becoming America: The Revolution before 1776. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2000.

Mulhall, Jill K. Causes of the Revolution, Primary Source Readers. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials, 2008.

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