Freedom Files

What Thomas Paine called “common sense,” was not always so common among the British subjects living in North America before they combined to form the United States. In fact, several colonial leaders were still hoping for reconciliation with Britain after the shooting had begun. We know they won independence, but how did they arrive there? This expedition will follow and chart the development of the American independence movement, also looking at our 1st Amendment: free speech.

Introduction

What Thomas Paine called “common sense,” was not always so common among the British subjects living in North America before they combined to form the United States. In fact, several colonial leaders were still hoping for reconciliation with Britain after the shooting had begun. We know they won independence, but how did they arrive there? This expedition will follow and chart the development of the American independence movement, in primary texts and testimonials from the colonial period. This fight for freedom and democracy built the America we have today. We will also explore intense debate and speech rhetoric about controversial topics from early America to today. From founding fathers like Hamilton and Adams to current President Trump, intense debate and rhetoric has revived in America. We will discuss the ethical implications of this and what it was really like to be on the opposite side of the aisle in the early days of our nation. For our final projects, we will produce our own political pamphlets, in the style of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, that argue in favor of, or against, independence for the British colonies of North America. Or, students will have the opportunity to develop a playbook for honest, passionate and respectful debate which culminates in a speech about their particular controversial topic of interest.

Essential Questions

• Was colonial America a democratic society?
• Who was influential in the American independence movement, whether for or against?
• What does freedom mean?
• What types of political speech appeared during the revolutionary period?
• Can political freedom exist without an economic foundation?
• How did patriot leaders persuade the North American colonies to commit to revolution?

Learning Objectives

• Compare and contrast different perspectives on the American independence movement
• Analyze texts from the revolutionary period for emerging themes of American identity and independence
• Discuss the development of the American identity and the ways in which it grew to be distinct from British identity in the revolutionary period
• Create original works of political writing arguing in favor of, or against independence from the perspective of a colonial subject living in British North America in the 1700s