American Revolution

The Teach Tennessee History website is designed to assist teachers in implementing the 2015 Tennessee State Social Studies Standards.  Please use the menu links to the left to access the following resources for the American Revolution:

ETHS Teaching Materials:  Click on ETHS Teaching Materials to find student-friendly essays and classroom activities developed by ETHS staff.  The essays and activities are designed based on the Tennessee Social Studies Standards. The downloadable teacher packets also include primary sources and images when available.

ETHS Articles:  Click on ETHS Articles to find articles from ETHS publications to enrich your content knowledge and supplement textbook resources.

Additional Resources: Click on Additional Resources to find additional activites and links to useful websites. 

Standards 4.21-4.30

The War for Independence (1760-1789)

Students explain the causes, course, and consequences of the American Revolution and the foundations of the future state of Tennessee. 

4.21 Describe the various contributions made by Benjamin Franklin to the development of a unique American society, including his scientific experiments and inventions, the development of the Albany Plan and the Join or Die political cartoon. (C, H, P)

4.22 Describe the causes, course, and consequences of the French and Indian War, including the massacre at Fort Loudoun. (C, G, H, P, TN)

4.23 Explain how political, religious, and economic ideas and interests brought about the Revolution, including: (C, E, P)

• resistance to imperial policy (Proclamation of 1763)  • the Stamp Act  • the Townshend Acts   • taxes on tea   • “taxation without representation” • Coercive Acts

4.24 Explain the different forms of protests Americans used to try to change British policies including the Boston Tea Party, tarring and feathering, letter writing, and boycotts. (E, P)

4.25 Write a short summary of the events of Tennessee’s first settlement and settlers, including the Watauga Purchase, Watauga Compact, Little Carpenter, and Dragging Canoe. (H, P, TN)

4.26 Describe the significance of the First and Second Continental Congresses and of the Committees of Correspondence. (P)

4.27 Compare and contrast first and second-hand accounts of Paul Revere’s “midnight ride.” (H)

4.28 Identify the people and events associated with the Declaration of Independence and cite evidence from the Declaration to determine its significance to the development of American Democracy. (H, P)

4.29 Analyze the influences of key leaders during this period, including: (P)

  • Patrick Henry

  • Alexander Hamilton

  • Thomas Jefferson

  • George Washington

  • Benjamin Franklin

  • Thomas Paine

  • John Adams

  • Sam Adams

  • John Hancock

  • Benedict Arnold 
4.30 Determine the meaning and identify the terms Loyalists, Patriots, Minutemen, Overmountain Men, and Redcoats to describe people during the Revolution. (C, G, TN) 
 

 

Standards 8.19-8.27

8.19 Describe the causes, course, and outcome of the French and Indian War, including the massacre at Fort Loudoun. (C, G, H, P, TN)

8.20 Explain the impact of individuals who created interest in the land west of the Appalachian Mountains, including: (C, G, H, TN)

8.21 Summarize the major events of the Watauga Settlement, including: (E, P, TN)
8.22 Analyze the social, political and economic causes of the American Revolution and the major battles, leaders and events, including: (C, E, H, P)
  • Mercantilism
  • Pontiac’s Rebellion
  • The Proclamation of 1763
  • The Sugar Act, 1764
  • The Quartering Act, 1765
  • The Stamp Act, 1765
  • The Declaratory Act, 1766
  • The Townshend Act, 1767
  • The Boston Massacre, 1770
  • The Boston Tea Party, 1773
  • The Intolerable Acts, 1774
  • Patrick Henry
  • Benjamin Franklin
  • John Adams
  • Sam Adams
  • John Hancock
  • Thomas Jefferson
  • Sons of Liberty
8.23 Determine the central ideas expressed in the Declaration of Independence and write an expository piece in which the legacy of these ideas in today’s world is described and validated with supporting evidence from the text. (H, P)

8.24 Using Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and The Crisis identify aspects of the texts that reveal the author’s point of view and purpose including loaded language. (H, P)

8.25 Identify and explain the significance of the major battles, leaders, and events of the American Revolution, including: (C, E, H, P, TN)

  • Battles of Lexington and Concord
  • Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
  • Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed's Hill)
  • Battle of Trenton and Princeton
  • Battle of Saratoga
  • Valley Forge
  • Battle of King’s Mountain
  • Battle of Yorktown
  • George Washington
  • Benedict Arnold
  • Hessians
  • Marquis de La Fayette
  • Friedrich von Steuben
  • George Rogers Clark
  • Francis Marion

8.26 Summarize the effect of the Revolution on the Wataugans and the reasons, plans, and struggles in creating the Cumberland Settlement, including: (G, P, TN)

8.27 Compare the points of views of the Loyalists and Patriots by integrating visual information through charts, graphs, or images with print texts. (C, E, G, H, P)