Chapter 5. The American Revolution

The course of the War will plotted and analyzed.  The political ramifications of the war and the resulting state and federal constitutions will be discussed in depth as well.

The specific focus of this unit will be on:

A. The War for Independence

B. State constitutions and the Articles of Confederation

Reading Assignments:

Textbook Chapters:

Ch. 5 Brinkley 14.pdf  

A More Perfect Union Pages 38-72 (the page numbers jump around, it isn’t 34 pages long)

Northwest Ordinance

Class Notes:

C4-5 American Revolution.pdf 

Homework Assignments:  

Part 1 – Textbook Notes

Summarize each section with a 2-3 sentence statement. Sections are bolded in blue and in all capitals.

Ideas/themes to know and include in your notes: 

Olive Branch Petition

Thomas Paine & Common Sense

Articles of Confederation

Marquis de Lafayette

Gen’l William Howe war strategy

Battle of Saratoga

Franco-American Alliance, 1778

Loyalists

The war and slavery

Impact of the war on Natives

Women’s Rights

Republicanism

Statue of Religious Liberty

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Shays' Rebellion

Part 2 - Short Answer Question: COMPLETE SENTENCES ONLY - Answer all parts of the question in full. 3/4^ths page minimum response. 

Analyze how the ideas and experiences of the revolutionary era influenced the underlying principles of the Articles of Confederation.

Part 3 - Debate Study Guide—Part 4 pages 41-46 

1. Why did the state legislatures become "political battlegrounds" in the 1780s? What were the main areas of friction?  

2. Why did many prominent Americans view the Roman Republic as a model for their own young republic? Why did they believe that they were best qualified to rule? 

3. What were the main areas of weakness in the Articles of Confederation? What problems resulted from these weaknesses? 

4. How did Shays's Rebellion contribute to the movement to reform the Articles of Confederation? 

5. Why did Patrick Henry remark that he "smelt a rat" when he learned of plans to hold a convention in Philadelphia in May 1787? Were his concerns justified?

Debate Study Guide—Part 5 pages 47-52 

1. Why has the Constitution of 1787 been said to resemble a "patchwork quilt"? 

2. Compared to the Articles of Confederation, how did the Constitution of 1787 strengthen the power of the national government? Give specific examples from the excerpts of the Constitution. 

3. In your opinion, was the Constitution of 1787 more or less democratic than the Articles of Confederation? Give specific examples from the excerpts of the Constitution. 

4. What were the main criticisms directed against the proposed Constitution by the Anti-Federalists?

Debate Study Guide—Part 6 64-72

1. How were the Federalists able to win ratification of the proposed Constitution? 

2. In many states, delegates to the state ratifying conventions were divided along geographic lines regarding the Constitution. What was the source of this division?  

3. Why was James Madison convinced of the need to include the Bill of Rights in the Constitution? Why was the addition of the Bill of Rights an important issue for many Americans at the time?  

4. What central constitutional issue was settled by the Civil War? 

5. How have the decisions of the Supreme Court changed the meaning of the Constitution? Use an example from the "necessary and proper" clause to support your answer.

Resources:

Gilder Lehrman Article

Ordinary Americans and the Constitution by Gary B. Nash

(http://www.historynow.org/09_2007/historian4.html)

The Avalon Project: 18th Century Documents

Political documents relating to American independence, from the Albany Plan of Union to the Jay treaty.

( http://avalon.law.yale.edu/subject_menus/18th.asp )

Digital History- The French-Indian War

Site-in-progress emphasizing military history.

( http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/documents/documents_p2.cfm?doc=411 )

An Account of the Boston Massacre

Primary source account of the massacre reported in the Boston Gazette and Country Journal.

( http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/winter96/massacre/index.html )