NAME:

HR:

FocusQuestion:
Background:

PrewritingNotes
HowdidthePatriotsjustifytheirseparationfromGreatBritain?
ThethirteencoloniessoughtindependencefromGreatBritainin
thelateeighteenthcentury.ArmedconflictoftheAmerican
RevolutionbeganwiththeBattleofLexingtonandConcordin
Massachusetts.
CommonSense
writtenbyThomasPaineandthe
DeclarationofIndependence
writtenprimarilybyThomasJefferson,
bothwrittenin1776,documentedthePatriotscause.They
outlinedthereasonsforseekingeconomicandpoliticalfreedom
fromGreatBritain.

Instructions:Studentswillwriteaparagraph/historicalessayansweringthefocus
questionwherebyyousynthesizeinformationgarnered,analyzetheauthorspurpose,
orcritiquetheeffectivenessofPainespamphlet.
First,
composeanintroduction
sentenceandathesisstatementthatanswersthefocusquestion.
Second
,provide
threejustificationsbythePatriotsforseparatingfromGreatBritain.
Third
,writea
conclusionthatsummarizesyourargumentsandevidence.Usethegraphicorganizer
belowtoselectyoursupportingevidence.

Introduction:
UsebackgroundinformationfromhandoutsandpriorknowledgeoftheRevolutionaryPeriod,turn
thefocusquestionintoacompletestatement.

ThePatriotsjustifiedtheirseparationfromGreatBritaininmanyways.ThomasPaine
wantedfullindependencefromGreatBritain,Painewantedpeopletorebelfor
independence

ThreeArgumentsfor
Separation
Reason1:

Thecoloniesneedto
befreefromGreat
Britain'srulebecause
theyweremaking
unjustlaws.

ListPossibleSupporting
Evidence

1. Europeistoothickly
plantedwithkingdoms
tobelongatpeace,
andwheneverawar
breaksoutbetween
Englandandany
foreignpower,the
tradeofAmericagoes
toruin,becauseofher

12detailsandquotes
1.

2.

Fortakingawayour
Charters,abolishingourmost
valuableLaws,andaltering
fundamentallytheFormsof
ourGovernments.
Hehasrefusedtopassother
Lawsfortheaccommodation
oflargedistrictsofpeople,
unlessthosepeoplewould
relinquishtherightof

TeachingDemocracy:HowdidthePatriotsjustifytheirseparationfromGreatBritain?Jasmin
Brown,AuthorCopyright2012,RegentsoftheUniversityofCalifornia


NAME:
HR:

Representationinthe
Legislature,aright
inestimabletothemand
formidabletotyrantsonly.

connectiontoBritain.

Reason2:

Englandwantsto
breakoutinwarthe
sakeofAmericais
goingtobetradedor
willbeputindanger
becauseofthe
connectionbetween
BritainandAmerica.

Reason3:

Americaisunder
Britain'srulethe
colonisthavetheir
ownrulesforthings
becauseofunjust
laws.

ButBritainistheparent

country,saysome.Thenthe
moreshameuponher
conduct.Evenbrutesdonot
devourtheiryoung,nor
savagesmakewarupontheir
families....Europe,andnot
England,istheparent
countryofAmerica.AND
Hitherhavetheyfled,not
fromthetenderembracesof
themother,butfromthe
crueltyofthemonsterandit
issofartrueofEngland

Yetthatwemaynotappear

tobedefectiveevenin
earthlyhonors,letadaybe
solemnlysetapartfor
proclaimingthecharterletit
bebroughtforthplacedon
thedivinelaw,thewordof
Godletacrownbeplaced
thereon,bywhichtheworld
mayknow,thatsofaraswe
approveasmonarchy,thatin
AmericaTHELAWISKING.

1.

2.

Hehas

plunderedour
seas,ravagedour
Coasts,burntour
towns,anddestroyed
thelivesofourpeople.
Hehasconstrainedour
fellowCitizenstaken
Captiveonthehigh
SeastobearArms
againsttheirCountry,to
becomethe
executionersoftheir
friendsandBrethren,or
tofallthemselvesby
theirHands.

1. Hehasdissolved
RepresentativeHouses
repeatedly,for
opposingwithmanly
firmnesshisinvasions
ontherightsofthe
people.
2. Fortakingawayour
Charters,abolishingour
mostvaluableLaws,
andaltering
fundamentallythe

TeachingDemocracy:HowdidthePatriotsjustifytheirseparationfromGreatBritain?Jasmin
Brown,AuthorCopyright2012,RegentsoftheUniversityofCalifornia


NAME:
HR:

Formsofour
Governments:
3.

Conclusion:

ThosewerethereasonswhyPainewantedtorebel

TeachingDemocracy:HowdidthePatriotsjustifytheirseparationfromGreatBritain?Jasmin
Brown,AuthorCopyright2012,RegentsoftheUniversityofCalifornia