The War of Independence
I can recall that the American Revolution happened as a result of resistance against control by the British government.
The War of Independence
I can recall that the American Revolution happened as a result of resistance against control by the British government.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
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.
To help you plan your year 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 year 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 Migration: what caused westward migration from the 16th to the 18th centuries? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
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- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
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Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
the group that supported Britain during the American Revolution
the group that supported America during the American Revolution
Spain
Britain
France
African American enslaved people