Lesson 6: Why Did American Colonists Want to Free Themselves from Great Britain?
Why did American colonists want to free themselves from Great Britain? (Video)
History of self-rule; strength of colonial legislatures; reliance on Great Britain for defense; costs to British crown; British demand taxes from colonists; revocation of colonial charters; imposition of royal charters and British rule; colonial resistance.
Student Questions: Unit 1, Lesson 6, Sections 1-3 (pdf download)
What steps did the colonists take to resist a greater British control and the imposition of new taxes? (Video)
Forms of resistance; "taxation without representation;"? concerted action; Stamp Act Congress; First Continental Congress; boycotts, riots, intimidation of tax collectors.
What events led to the Declaration of Independence and what is its significance? (Video)
Prior colonial declarations of independence; five parts of the Declaration-- purposes, principles, grievances, denunciation of British refusal to respond to grievances, establishment as free and independent states.
A Brief History America (Video)
An overview of how the Revolutionary War began. From 321Learning.
American History: Battle of Lexington (Video)
A short video about the Battle of Lexington (April 19, 1775).
American History: Battle of Concord (Video)
A short video about the Battle of Concord (April 19, 1775).
America the Story of Us: Declaration of Independence (Video)
A short video describing the creation of the Declaration of Independence.
Common Sense, Part 1, by Thomas Paine (Video)
An audio recording of Common Sense, by Thomas Paine. Part 1 of 2.
Common Sense, Part 2, by Thomas Paine (Video)
An audio recording of Common Sense, by Thomas Paine. Part 2 of 2.
Historical Boston: James Otis (Video)
A brief video discussing the life of James Otis.
Reading of the Declaration of Independence (Video)
A host of celebrities reading the Declaration of Independence.
American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson (Video)
A lecture by historian Joseph J. Ellis on the political beliefs of Thomas Jefferson and their possible application to 21st century life.
Revolution: Warships and the Seven Years (Video)
A video describing the importance of naval power during the Seven Years' war (1756-1763).
The Stamp Act Revolt at Williamsburg (Video)
A dramatization of the Stamp Act revolt.
The Stamp Act (Audio)
A discussion about the Stamp Act. From Colonial Williamsburg.
Lexington and Concord - 1775 (Audio)
A 1948 radio dramatization of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. By CBS, from its You Are There! radio show. Length: 30 min., 25 sec.
Common Sense (Audio)
A discussion on Common Sense and its impact on the Revolutionary War by Alex Clark from Colonial Williamsburg podcast.
60-Second Civics, Episode 192: Declaration of Independence, Part 6 (Audio)
The idea of the right to revolution in the Declaration of Independence.
60-Second Civics, Episode 191: Declaration of Independence, Part 5 (Audio)
The ""long Train of Abuses"" of King George III.
60-Second Civics, Episode 190: Declaration of Independence, Part 4 (Audio)
The concepts of human equality and government by consent in the Declaration of Independence.
60-Second Civics, Episode 189: Declaration of Independence, Part 3 (Audio)
Natural rights philosophy as a foundational idea of the Declaration of Independence.
60-Second Civics, Episode 188: Declaration of Independence, Part 2 (Audio)
The philosophical underpinnings of the Declaration of Independence.
60-Second Civics, Episode 187: Declaration of Independence, Part 1 (Audio)
The Founders' reasons for issuing a formal declaration of independence.
60-Second Civics, Episode 186: Growing Consensus (Audio)
The growing consensus for American independence.
60-Second Civics, Episode 185: Lexington and Concord (Audio)
The battles of Lexington and Concord.
60-Second Civics, Episode 184: Armed Resistance (Audio)
Armed resistance to British rule in the American colonies.
60-Second Civics, Episode 183: First Continental Congress (Audio)
A discussion of the First Continental Congress.
60-Second Civics, Episode 182: Boston Tea Party (Audio)
A discussion of the Boston Tea Party.
60-Second Civics, Episode 181: Boston Massacre (Audio)
An examination of the Boston Massacre.
60-Second Civics, Episode 180: Writs of Assistance (Audio)
A discussion of the Writs of Assistance.
60-Second Civics, Episode 179: Colonists Organize Resistance (Audio)
A discussion of British efforts to assert authority over the colonies.
60-Second Civics, Episode 178: No Taxation Without Representation (Audio)
Colonial resistance to taxation without representation.
60-Second Civics, Episode 177: Colonial Resistance Grows (Audio)
Colonial resistance to British control.
60-Second Civics, Episode 176: Seeds of Revolution (Audio)
How Britain tried to increase its control of the colonies between 1763 and 1776.
60-Second Civics, Episode 173: Colonial Legislatures Versus Parliament (Audio)
Differences between colonial American legislatures and the British Parliament.
