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New
Year 10
AQA

The War of Independence

I can recall that the American Revolution happened as a result of resistance against control by the British government.

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New
New
Year 10
AQA

The War of Independence

I can recall that the American Revolution happened as a result of resistance against control by the British government.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Americans were growing angry at having to pay taxes without having representation in Parliament.
  2. The 1773 Boston Tea Party, when protestors dumped tea into the harbour, sparked revolution.
  3. In 1776 the Declaration of Independence was produced that set out the American Constitution.
  4. The British were defeated at Yorktown in 1781 and lost all 13 colonies in America.
  5. The American Revolution led to radical ideas which were influential in the French Revolution.

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.

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

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.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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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?
Correct Answer: enslaved person
Q2.
Which term describes a system where someone is made to work without pay for a set period of time?
Correct Answer: indentured servitude, indentured servant, indentured servants
Q3.
Which of the following regions did African communities trade with before the Transatlantic Slave Trade?
Correct answer: Asia
Americas
Australasia
Correct answer: Middle East
Correct answer: Europe
Q4.
Who became the first English person to engage in the Transatlantic Slave Trade in 1562?
James II
Charles II
Correct answer: John Hawkins
Elizabeth I
Q5.
Why was John Punch a significant individual in understanding Britain's role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade?
He was the first black man to live in the English colonies.
He was the first indentured servant in the English colonies.
Correct answer: He was the first official enslaved person in the English colonies.
Q6.
What is ‘plantation creole’?
a mixture of English and various African foods cooked by enslaved people
a mixture of English and various African dances performed by enslaved people
Correct answer: a mixture of English and various African languages used by enslaved people

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the words to their correct definitions.
Correct Answer:Loyalists,the group that supported Britain during the American Revolution

the group that supported Britain during the American Revolution

Correct Answer:Patriots,the group that supported America 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?
Correct Answer: constitution
Q3.
What happened in 1773 which sparked the American Revolution?
The First Continental Congress
The Boston Massacre
The Afternoon Tea Party
Correct answer: The Boston Tea Party
Q4.
When was the Declaration of Independence published?
19th April 1775
10th January 1776
Correct answer: 4th July 1776
21st June 1779
Q5.
Match the group to the correct side in the American Revolution.
Correct Answer:Patriots,Spain

Spain

Correct Answer:Loyalists,Britain

Britain

Correct Answer:Patriots,France

France

Correct Answer:Loyalists,African American enslaved people

African American enslaved people

Q6.
Complete the sentence: The American Revolution led to radical ideas which were influential in the Revolution.
Correct Answer: French

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