Revolution and Independence

Revolution and Independence: 1760 - 1800

Updated - March 4, 2002

Frontier Forts in the Revolution - Grades 4-8 - TeachersFirst's own visit to a fort in the Pennsylvania wilderness. Students learn the role that these forts played in protecting settlers and natural resources, complete with lots of photos and description. There's also a section on how children lived in frontier settings, and a teachers' page that offers discussion and project ideas.

An American Revolution Chronology - from The History Place. Dates and events from the first settlers through 1800, along with links to biographies and related documents.

The Battle of the Battlefields - Grades 6-8 - Here's a group project site that asks students to research Revolutionary War battlefields and select the one that they feel was most important as the site for a new museum. This project offers lots of web resources for research, but students could also work independently using a school-approved search engine. The site includes teacher instructions and notes. From the California SCORE program.

The Birth of a Nation - Grade 4-8 - Social Studies - Learn about the American Revolution and watch a re-enactment of the Battle of Lexington and Concord in this student-made web site. Photographs, maps, and a time line make the Revolution real, from what people wore to what John Hancock’s house was like inside. Thinkquest Junior Winner: first place, social studies, 1998.

Writing the Declaration of Independence and Constitution Grades 4-8 - It wasn't easy! This page describes the positions and compromises which led to the creation of these important documents. The basic facts are suitable for middle schoolers, but some of the additional detail would be better suited to high school students. There's lots of information here!

Declaring Independence - Grades 6-12 - This extensive site from the Library of Congress explains the details of the drafting of the Declaration of Independence as well as the obstacles the Continental Congress faced in publishing their work. Like many of the LoC sites, the narrative works best for secodary students, but the images will be fascinating to younger classes as well. This is a great addition to American history or government units on American independence.

Drums Along the Mowhawk - Grades 6-12 - The title has nothing to do with the book by the same name, but this page offers lots of detail about people and places involved in the American revolution in New York state. Developed as a labor of love by a TV producer and web designer, there's a lot of primary source content and surprisingly detailed graphics. Well worth a visit.

Ben Franklin is one of America's most colorful patriots. As this site from the Franklin Institute shows, his accomplishments as legislator, diplomat, and scientist were recognized as extraordinary even in his own day.

Who Wrote the Constitution?? - Here's a collection of biographies of the people who were responsible for writing our Constitution. The delegates to the Constitutional Convention were an interesting group, and this site from the National Archives lets you learn more about them.

George Washington, Pioneer Farmer - Grades 4-8 - Developed by the curatorial staff at Mount Vernon, this site was designed to show students what 18th century farming was like, and the ways in which Virginia farmers and plantation owners sought to improve their farming techniques. The site shows the barns, buildings, and farm implements, but it also includes portions of Washington's diaries and a discussion on the role of slaves in colonial Virginia.

The American Revolution - Grades 9-12 - Developed with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities in conjunction with the PBS series Liberty! Extensive links, discussion groups, primary sources, and historical essays.

Perspectives on the Revolution - Grades 6-12 - This section of the companion web site to the PBS Liberty series offers a glimpse of daily life in the American colonies. Do you know how many sheep a farmer needed to live comfortably? Learn this and much more from your stop at this site.

Spy Letters of the American Revolution - Grades 4-12 - This site offers a collection of resources dealing with spies and espionage during the American Revolution. In addition to copies of actual letters, there are stories about famous spies and their impact on the conflict. There are also several neat "experiments" showing how to create secret codes, invisible ink, and other spy tricks. From the University of Michigan.

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello - Grades 6-12 - This site, based on Jefferson's Virginia estate, provides good history and an even better, highly detailed description of what Jefferson's daily life was like while at home on his plantation. Good site for background on 18th century lifestyles, as well as the specifics of one of our greatest historical figures. We've bookmarked the lesson plans; explore from there!

Thomas Jefferson - Life and Labor at Monticello - Grades 4-12 - Students can approach this online exhibit from the Library of Congress at several levels. Elementary students can make use of the collection of captioned images (click to enlarge them). Older students can benefit from the discussion of Jefferson's experiments with farming, physics, and practical contraptions. Great exposure to a man who studied everything.

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