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Lesson One

Episode One: Independence

Overview

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Lesson One - Episode One: Independence - Lessons - Life Stories Interviews

For a century and a half Britain, the mother country, and the North American colonies, her children, were as close as a parent and children could be. What happened to change that relationship? Perhaps the colonies outgrew childhood and wanted the independence that adults enjoy. The trouble began after the French and Indian War, which left Britain with tremendous debt. Why shouldn't the colonists pay some of that debt? To the colonists, the answer was easy: They shouldn't have to pay for it because they had no representation in the British Parliament that levied the taxes for the colonists to pay. To be subject to laws in which they had no voice amounted to tyranny. Tyranny was exactly what many colonists, or their parents or grandparents, had risked all to escape. The colonists, even those who had not come from England, expected all the rights of Englishmen. They expected most of all the freedom to govern themselves. Parliament tried to tax sugar and tea. It tried to place a stamp tax on all printed documents. The colonists resisted these taxes with increasing vehemence. Citizens of Boston emptied British tea into the harbor. Britain responded with more oppressive acts, which only served to unite the colonies. The First Continental Congress met in 1774 to draft a formal protest. In 1775, Patrick Henry expressed the indignation of many who until this time considered themselves British subjects. He called for colonists to place their loyalties and their lives on the line for liberty. That is exactly what the delegates to the Second Continental Congress did on July 4, 1776. By then, colonists had died for the Patriotic cause at Lexington and Concord. Fifty-five men, representing the thirteen colonies, placed their signatures on the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson's immortal document. In signing, they risked their lives and fortunes. Never before had colonies thrown off the rule of a mother country. Thomas Paine expressed the spirit of the American Revolution: "We have it in our power to begin the world again."

Lesson Objectives

The series begins in the summer of 1776. The thirteen colonies stake everything on an armed struggle for freedom and the chance to build a new kind of nation. Beginning with a look at the decision to declare independence, the film explores the escalating conflict with Great Britain, including the Boston Tea Party and Paul Revere's famous midnight ride. America's founding fathers such as George Washington, Samuel Adams, and Thomas Jefferson -- along with other well-known historical figures, including Abigail Adams and Tom Paine -- all play roles in the fight for liberty.

Students will:

*Learn about the conflict the colonists faced with Great Britain

*Understand the great risk and stakes of declaring independence

*Study the political ideas contained in the Declaration of Independence and how it laid a foundation for the ideals of freedom

Materials:

*Episode One is in Film Clips

* Episode One Primer
Teacher note: This document provides a concise summary of the significant events of the episode and may be helpful as you prepare to teach with Episode One.

*Handout: What is an American?

1. OPENING

The signers of the Declaration of Independence were willing to risk their lives for independence from Great Britain. They believed England had denied them a basic right - self-governence - and that freeom meant political liberty. In the declaration, they wrote that all men are created equal and have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They expressed the belief that government only has the power that the people grant to it. 

Determine what students know about the Declaration of Independence by asking and discussing the following questions:
• Why were the signers of the Declaration of Independence willing to risk their lives?
• What did they want?
• According to the declaration, what rights do all men have?
* Who is included in "all men" and who is not?

2. CLOSE VIEWING

Watch Episode One, Independence (RT: 22 minutes). You may wish to watch the entire episode, or consider using the chapter headings to break it into smaller segments for review and discussion:

*Trouble in the colonies

*Shot Heard 'Round the World

*A Congress of Great Men

*To Begin the World Over Again"

*"All Men Are Created Equal"

*No Turning Back

3. WHAT IS AN AMERICAN?

Before America became a new nation, its citizens were people of all nationalities and cultures. Many came to the North American colonies to escape oppressive governments, religious persecution, unemployment, and hopeless poverty. Although the colonists immigrated to America for a variety of reasons, their common goal was a new start in life, and the keystone of that new life was freedom. In Letters from an American Farmer, published in London in 1782, Hector St. John Crevecoeur, a Frenchman, defined for the world the new breed of man who would risk all and brave the wilds of America for freedom.

1. Students, in small groups, discuss the following questions:
• Before they became Americans, what nationalities were the settlers of the North American colonies?
• Imagine the North American continent in 1750. What do you see in your mental image?
• What did Crevecoeur most admire about America?
• What new ideas will the new American entertain?
• What new opinions will he/she form?

2. Come back together as a class to discuss the following points:

• Settlers in North America came from England, France, Holland, Spain, and Africa. The Native Americans were already there. They immigrated thousands of years before from eastern cultures.
• Except for along the seacoast, Northeast America was covered with forests. Settlements and forts dotted the wilderness. Uncleared lands surrounded farms. Indian trails served for roads, and they were not paved. Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston were the only cities.
• Crevecoeur most admired the opportunity available in America for anyone to own land and work for himself. He also praised the independent spirit of Americans; they wanted to leave the old ideas of Europe behind and think and act for themselves and not be governed by an aristocracy

3. Distribute the Handout: What is An American?
Students read the excerpts from Crevecoeure's Letters from An American Farmer to discuss the following questions.
• How does Crevecoeur contrast land ownership in Europe and America?
• At the time of his letter, what occupation did most Americans have?

According to Crevecoeur, what is an American? Crevecoeur notes that in Europe, aristocrats ("great lords") own most of the land and the common people own nothing. In the America of Crevecoeure's day, most people are farmers. Crevecoeur notes the diversity of the American population. He describes the American as being fundamentally different from Europeans in ideas and opinions. While many Europeans live in poverty, unemployment, and drudgery, the American is able to farm his own land and see the fruits of his labor.

4. Point out to students the ethnic diversity that Crevecoeur notes. Ask students: Is America more ethnically diverse than in Crevecoeur's day?

5. Working with a group, students list the nations from which their ancestors came. Students compile a team list. Each team shares its list of nations of ancestry with the class.

6. Students write a paragraph answering the question "What is an American?"

Resources

Episode One Primer
Download PDF
Letters from an American Farmer
Download PDF

Standards

This lesson supports course work in American Studies, US History, and Government. As Common Core remains a state-led effort, consult your state guidelines for the most current framework. Skills and content in each of the sixteen Freedom: A History of US  fulfill all four Dimensions outlined in the C3 Framework--College, Career, and Civic Life. This resource can be useful in aligning your lessons to standards.

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