Build an evidence-based narrative of American independence

Learning goal: Explain why thirteen British colonies joined in a struggle for independence, order important events on a timeline and build a historical narrative using identified sources. A colony is a territory governed by another country. The thirteen colonies along the Atlantic coast had different economies and communities, yet disagreements with British rule encouraged representatives to cooperate.

Many colonists objected to taxes and other decisions made by a Parliament in which they had no elected representatives. They argued about consent, liberty and fair government. Britain and France had earlier fought the French and Indian War, which grew out of their struggle for control of the Ohio River Valley. After that war ended in 1763, Britain's Proclamation of 1763 forbade colonists to settle west of the Appalachian Mountains, and that also angered many colonists. Cooperation included meetings, shared protests and support for the Continental Army. People did not all agree: Patriots favored independence, Loyalists supported continued connection with Britain and others tried to avoid taking sides. Describing united colonies does not mean every resident held one opinion.

Fighting began in 1775. On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, explaining the decision to separate. A short primary-source phrase from the Declaration is “consent of the governed.” In context, the document argues that government authority should rest on the people it governs. Its statement of independence did not by itself end the fighting.

The 1783 Treaty of Paris recognized United States independence and ended the war between Britain and the United States. The war had involved other countries as well. Cooperation among the colonies helped make a new nation possible, but its government and disagreements continued to develop after victory. During the war the states agreed to a first national plan of government, the Articles of Confederation, which took effect in 1781. In July 1787, the Confederation Congress adopted the Northwest Ordinance, a plan for territorial government in the region that included present-day Ohio. The Articles left the national government weak, and in September 1787 delegates finished writing the United States Constitution, which took effect in 1789.

A timeline makes the order visible: fighting begins in 1775, the Declaration is adopted in 1776, the treaty is signed in 1783 and the Northwest Ordinance is adopted in 1787. If equal lengths represent equal years, the seven-year interval from 1776 to 1783 must be seven times the one-year interval from 1775 to 1776. A timeline needs a title, evenly spaced intervals and events in order. One interval can stand for a year, five years, a decade or a century, as long as it stays the same along the whole line. The lesson's second timeline places Ohio events beside the nation's, with each interval standing for five years from 1785 to 1805: the Northwest Ordinance in 1787, the Treaty of Greenville in 1795, which followed a war over land in the Ohio country, and Ohio becoming a state in 1803. From the ordinance to statehood is sixteen years. Chronological order alone does not prove that an earlier event caused every later event.

A primary source comes from the time or direct experience being studied. The Declaration and treaty are primary sources for the decisions and claims they record. A modern National Archives explanation is a secondary source interpreting those documents. A transcript makes original wording easier to read, but keep the document's date and identity. Do not describe a modern classroom paraphrase as the original author's exact words.

Ask who created a source, when, for which audience and for what purpose. The Declaration makes an argument for separation; it is not a neutral survey of every person's life. It expresses equality while slavery continued, women lacked equal political rights and Native nations faced threats to their lands. Studying that gap between ideals and practice helps explain later struggles for rights. The document also uses hostile language about Native people; those words reveal its authors' perspective rather than a reliable description of all Native communities.

A historical narrative connects events using evidence. Begin with a question, choose relevant facts, arrange them clearly and explain relationships without inventing conversations or motives. Cite the document or source explanation supporting each important claim. When a source cannot answer a question, identify the missing evidence instead of filling the gap with a story that sounds likely.

Worked narrative: Colonial disagreements about government authority contributed to cooperation against Britain. The 1776 Declaration explained separation, and the 1783 treaty recognized independence. This narrative distinguishes declaring a goal from obtaining recognition after war. It uses the two documents for different parts of the account.

Worked source check: “Every colonist wanted independence” goes beyond the Declaration. The representatives' formal action does not establish universal agreement among residents. Revise the claim to identify the representatives and seek other sources about differing views.

Guided performance: With adult support, inspect the linked Declaration transcript and National Archives treaty explanation. Annotate the date, creator and one supported claim from each. Place the four national events on a timeline with one-year intervals and the three Ohio events on a timeline with five-year intervals. Give each timeline a title and explain one interval on each.

Independent evidence: Write a two-paragraph historical narrative answering how the colonies moved from disagreement to independence. Use one primary and one secondary source, distinguish the Declaration from the peace treaty and name a limitation. Revise an unsupported sentence after a partner checks its evidence. Retain the source notes, timeline and revision as the performance record.