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American Revolution Unit Study and Lapbook 1775 – 1783

Please note: As with all of my units, there is no way we can cover every topic or theme and because there is a wealth of information free on this subject including minibooks, we just tried to cover some of the major issues. Too, as with all of my units, we revisit them frequently so we can add to them.

Other units here on my site to go with this one.

Find out how the Iroquois influenced the Founding Fathers:
Click here to read about the Iroquois Confederacy
Click here to go the Iroquois Lapbook

Poem/Song: The Rich Lady Over the Sea

There was a rich lady lived over the sea,
And she was an island queen,
Her daughter lived off in the new country,
With an ocean of water between.
The old lady’s pockets were filled with gold,
Yet never contented was she,
So she ordered her daughter to pay her a tax,
Of thruppence a pound on the tea.
And then she called out to the island queen,
Oh mother, dear mother, called she,
Your tea you may have when ’tis steeped enough,
But never a tax from me!
Listen to the music and read it in it’s entirety here.

Who is the Rich lady over the sea (no doubt it is England) and the colonist are viewed as her children.

Lord Cornwallis and George Washington

The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America.

After the French and Indian War ended in 1763, peace and prosperity came to the Thirteen Colonies.

The ports of Boston, New York and Charleston were booming! The colonials were proud to be subjects but had been left alone for years to manage their own affairs.

Each colony was independent and elected its own governor.

Now at peace with France, the British government intended to keep the growing colonies under strict control.

Colonies:

New England Colonies

Connecticut
New Hampshire
Massachusetts
Rhode Island

Middle Colonies

Delaware
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania

Southern Colonies

Maryland
Georgia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Virginia

Adopting the policy that the colonies should pay an increased proportion of the costs associated with keeping them in the Empire, Britain imposed a series of direct taxes followed by other laws intended to demonstrate British authority, all of which proved extremely unpopular in America. Because the colonies lacked elected representation in the governing British Parliament, many colonists considered the laws to be illegitimate and a violation of their rights as Englishmen.

Background prior to the American Revolution

The American colonies fought for England whenever England and France were at war. The Seven Years’ War of 1756 – 1763 was a world wide struggle between those two countries. In America it was called the French and Indian War,

The Virginian George Washington gained valuable military experience in this war along with being noticed by both the colonist and Britain.

At the battle of of Jumonville or l’affaire Jumonville, a battle between the French and English for the control of the Ohio Valley, ended in a British victory lead by George Washington.

More American Revolution War Activities

George Washington said “I ordered my company to fire” and before Washington could stop the killing and accept the surrender of the French, ten of them were dead, including their commander.

This conflict made Washington famous along with his gaining military experience.

As wrote by Paul Johnson in his book A History of the American People he said “Horace Walpole, in his History of the Reign of George II, was more accurate: “The volley fired by a young Virginian in the backwoods of America set the world on fire”.

What were some of England’s reasons for taxation and war?

England increased control over its colonies and the steps they took to do it:

•  England desired to remain a world power
•  England imposed taxes, such as the Stamp Act, to raise  necessary revenue to pay the cost of the French and Indian War

What were some of the colonist reasons for being dissatisfied?

• Colonies had no representation in Parliament
• Some colonists resented power of colonial governors
• England wanted strict control over colonial legislatures
• Colonies opposed taxes

What was significant about the Proclamation of 1763?

•  The Proclamation of 1763 hampered the western movement of settlers
• They had a sense of adventure and a spirit to want to move beyond the Appalachian mountains.

Who were the colonist?

From Activity for Kids

“Tinkers, Tailors, and Candlestick Makers

The English thought of the colonies as 13 wayward children disobeying their mother country.

For decades, the colonists had been happy to be the children of England, but now they felt they were grown up and ready to do things their own way. They had proved, by settling in the wild new land and building thriving communities,that they could do things on their own.  In their struggles, they had developed a habit of independence. “

American Revolution Lapbook

As we were finishing this unit and I was almost completed with helping my sons with the layout of the minibooks, the boys decided to make this layout similar to the way we laid out the file folders for the War Between the States Unit.

Basically, we took two file folders and added them together to make a bigger lapbook (portrait). Adding two file folders together is not complicated and Homeschool Helper Online has a picture and instructions here on this link as to how we did it.

Some of the Covers you will notice have been set up to fit landscape on the outside of the file folder.

Here is a picture of how they fit and how I originally created the unit for the lapbooks to go in.

LANDSCAPE LAYOUT

Picture is of a file folder open with an extender page added and turned landscape. I have pictured where the minibooks are placed so they fit.

Covers and Decorating Pieces for the Unit

Covers for file folders turned Portrait

                                   

Silhouettes are a type of shadow picture and became very popular during the life time of George Washington

Covers for file folders turned Landscape

Other Fun American Revolution Unit Study Resources

Links/Downloads/Free Lapbooks to go with this:

George Washington’s Rules of Civility – Download this copy and use for copy work.

So much to choose from that is free! (isn’t that nice)

Since there are so many other nice free lapbooks and notebooking pages, we wanted to be sure you saw them.

Sometimes we want to pick and choose so we listed some links here so you can choose some from “here and there” to make your own unit or you can use ours entirely. Your choice.

This picture is of Betsy Stout’s lapbook over at Notebooking Nook. She did a beautiful job.

Click here to go there Free American Revolution Lapbook

(Picture copyright Betsy Stout – Notebooking Nook)

Another Free American Revolution Lapbook – Lee also has a very nice free lapbook with a WHOPPING 47 page download as well as some nice notebooking pages. Again, another beautiful job!

• Free Boston Tea Party Lapbook on Homeschool Helper.
• Free Constitution Lapbook on Homeschool Helper.
• Free George Washington Lapbook on Homeschool Helper.

How to Get the American Revolution Lapbook

Finally, how to Grab the Free 33 page lapbook and freebies It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access my subscribers library and this freebie.

However, not all of my freebies are in the library (wink).

I like to keep up to date with what is valuable to you so I can give you more, some freebies you must sign up again on the form below even if you are already a follower.

It’s the only way I have of freely delivering them to you. If you’re a new follower, just follow the steps below.

How you get access quickly.
► 1) Sign up on my list.
► 2) Go to your inbox and confirm your email from the automatic reply I sent you.
►3) Look for my reply AFTER you confirm your email with the freebie access.

The French and Indian War was between 1754 to 1763.

Note about the paintings The Prize, Frontiersman I and Coming to Trade were all done by artist John Buxton. I have retained permission to use them for this unit study only.Please do not copy and paste them in other places as he makes his livelihood by selling them, but has given permission for us to use them here only for educational purposes. Please respect his copyright terms with us and the effort and time we have taken to contact him and receive permission by not placing our work on your site but placing a link. His website is buxtonart.com if you wish to purchase any of his beautiful paintings. 

French and Indian War 1754 -1763

The Governor of Virginia and the Governor of Canada  are quarreling about lands which belong to us and their quarrel may end in our destruction “ –  Hendrick, Mohawk Leader

(About the picture on the right: This engraving was sold in London after Hendrick’s death in the Battle of Lake George. He wears the uniform of a British officer and a veil, his customary battle dress. He holds a belt of wampum in his left hand.)

Lapbooks here to go with this unit.

The American Revolution was AFTER this war. Go here for my American Revolution Lapbook if you want to do the lapbooks in chronological order.

If you need just one minibook for a general overview of the French and Indian War then go here to my Daniel Boone Lapbook.

Daniel Boone fought in this war. He was one of the volunteer wagon drivers for Edward Braddock’s army. If you want to do a unit study on Daniel Boone go here for our lapbook.

The French and British discovered prior to the French and Indian war that they were claiming lands that were not empty.

The Iroquois had been in the New York State for several hundred years before Europeans arrived. The British and French tried to get different Indian tribes on their side, including the Iroquois.

You can do a unit study on the Iroquois Confederacy or include some of that with this unit. Go here and here for our lapbooks.

More French and Indian Activities

What was this war about?

It was a war to answer the question: which would be the stronger power in North America – England or France?

How many names does this war have anyway?

1. From the British point of view this war became to be known as the French and Indian War 2.Seven Years’ War {Note: Even though the dates given are 9 years, the war didn’t officially start until 1756.} 3. The French who lived in Canada called it the Guerre de la Conquete (War of Conquest). The French saw the British as conquerors who took away their land.

Later U.S. historians named it the French and Indian War.

Background of the War/ Roots in Europe

The Seven Years.  War was fought not only in North America but also in the Caribbean, throughout Europe, and in India and Africa. It was part of a wide conflict that began among European powers.

The French were exploring the interior of North America while English colonists were settling the eastern coast. By the late 1600s,  French explorers had claimed the Ohio River Valley, the Mississippi River Valley and the entire Great Lakes Region

Warring over land was fairly common. In the 1700’s monarchs ruled Europe. They had split up the continent and their word was law. Rulers obtained land through various means either through marriages or through exploration. They would explore new lands and claim them for their country regardless of the people who were living there.

Explorers from Spain, Portugal, France and England traveled the world. When they came across lands that no other European power owned they would claim them as their own.

What the British and French claimed land, they discovered that not really any of it was empty. Many American Indian nations lived and hunted across North America.

By the mid 1700’s, France and Britain were two powerful empires both wanting claims to the same territory.

About French Trading 
The French first explored the Mississippi River and eastern Canada. It claimed these lands calling them the New Franc. French traders and trappers traveled over this area and traded with the Indians. They also trapped animal for their furs.

The furs were then sold in Europe to make clothing and hats. Most of the money from this trade was going to the French government.

It wasn’t long before French Traders were looking for new areas to trap and explore.  They started looking at the Ohio Territory.

What was the importance of the Ohio Territory?

The Ohio Country  was the meeting point of three major rivers. Rivers were major transportation routes. Also rivers were the fastest way to travel through the interior of North America.

This area was rich in natural resources like timber, fur bearing animals and minerals.

By the 1750’s, the French were expanding fur trade with the Indians and began to build a series of forts along Lake Ontario and to the South.

A new governor named the Marquis Duquesne arrived to command New France. Duquesne order a fort to be built at the forks of the Ohio River.

Holding Fort Duquesne {pronounced “doo kane”} on the Ohio River was a key step toward controlling the rivers.

A few of the key players

At 21 years old, George Washington was a surveyor and had enlisted as a major in the Virginia Militia.

He volunteered to deliver a letter from Robert Dinwiddie, Governor of the British Colony of Virginia to the French at Fort LeBoeuf warning them to leave the Ohio Territory that the British had claimed.

He lead many battles during the French and Indian War.

{George Washington}

 Major General Edward Braddock. British commander of the first disastrous attack on Fort Duquesne.

{Edward Braddock}

 
Governor of Virginia
{Robert Dinwiddie}

General James Wolfe, British Commander and General Louis Joseph de Montcalm, French Commander killed at the Battle of Quebec.
{James Wolfe and Louis Montcalm}

Ottawa Chief who united many Indian Nations to resist British expansion into Indian Lands.

Picture of Lapbook layout