The War of Independence
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can recall that the American Revolution happened as a result of resistance against control by the British government.
Key learning points
- Americans were growing angry at having to pay taxes without having representation in Parliament.
- The 1773 Boston Tea Party, when protestors dumped tea into the harbour, sparked revolution.
- In 1776 the Declaration of Independence was produced that set out the American Constitution.
- The British were defeated at Yorktown in 1781 and lost all 13 colonies in America.
- The American Revolution led to radical ideas which were influential in the French Revolution.
Keywords
Patriots - the group that supported America during the American Revolution
Independence - being able to do things for yourself and make your own decisions
Loyalists - the group that supported Britain during the American Revolution
Constitution - a set of rules and law relating to the government of a country
Common misconception
The Americans won the War of Independence because they had a better army.
For much of the war, the American army was a poorly trained militia. Whilst they fought bravely and Washington proved to be an able general, they received significant support from France and Spain which swung the balance of the conflict.
Teacher tip
Ideas such as 'equality' are taken for granted today, so try to emphasise to students just how radical these ideas were at the time and how difficult it would have been for a society like Britain's to shrug off the concept of the Great Chain of Being which they had lived under for hundreds of years.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which word describes a person who has been forced to work without pay, lose their freedom and become the property of another person?
Q2.Which term describes a system where someone is made to work without pay for a set period of time?
Q3.Which of the following regions did African communities trade with before the Transatlantic Slave Trade?
Q4.Who became the first English person to engage in the Transatlantic Slave Trade in 1562?
Q5.Why was John Punch a significant individual in understanding Britain's role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade?
Q6.What is ‘plantation creole’?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the words to their correct definitions.
the group that supported Britain during the American Revolution
the group that supported America during the American Revolution
Q2.Which word describes a set of rules and law relating to the government of a country?
Q3.What happened in 1773 which sparked the American Revolution?
Q4.When was the Declaration of Independence published?
Q5.Match the group to the correct side in the American Revolution.
Spain
Britain
France
African American enslaved people
Q6.Complete the sentence: The American Revolution led to radical ideas which were influential in the Revolution.
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: The War of Independence, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: The War of Independence, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the Britain: Migration, empires and the people - c790 to the present day unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.