Crossroads: High School Curriculum
Unit IV: What Was the American Revolution? 1760-1836

Lesson 1

Contents

Major Concepts

Objectives

Suggested lesson/activities


Major Concepts:

State and federal legislatures had roots in colonial governmental structure.

Objectives: The student will be able to:

  1. Identify the characteristics of colonial governmental structure that are executive, legislative, and judiciary.

  2. Summarize the general functioning of a colonial legislature.

  3. Explain how the American Founding Fathers were active politicians before the Declaration of Independence.

Suggested lesson/activities:

This is a bridging lesson, designed primarily to set the stage for a more extensive activity that will entail active analysis of historical documents and other resources and later participation in the reenactment of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It returns the student to the Virginia colony studied in Unit III.

  1. In class, read David Rabison's article "Accept Our Poore Endevor" (Colonial Williamsburg, vol. 17, no. 4, Summer 1995, pp. 12-21). This article gives an excellent brief history of the House of Burgesses from its opening day -- July 20, 1619 -- to May 1776 and the beginnings of the first Virginia General Assembly.

  2. While reading, students should note:

    1. the language and spelling used by the legislators.

    2. the general processes followed in assemblies.

    3. the difference between the upper (literally) and lower bodies.

    4. the relationship of the House of burgesses to the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly.

    5. Members such as George Wythe and Thomas Jefferson who later signed the Declaration of Independence.

  3. Conduct a class discussion to elicit those points in the article that focus on political developments in 1760-1776 in the Virginia colony and possibly in other colonies as well.

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