The American Revolution: An Everyday Life Perspective

Lesson Plan One: Religion

Many people migrated to America for religious freedom. Their hope was to escape the religious persecution they faced in their own countries. However, the people who fled England did not want to establish a church like the Church of England. They simply wanted their choice of practicing any sort of religion freely. Religious diversity had become a dominant part of England's Thirteen Colonies. The colonies were a patchwork of religiously diverse communities and, as a result, the population of America increased significantly.

Activities

Flag Activity

Gostelowe Standard No. 10, c. 1776
Watercolor once in possession of Edward W. Richardson. Copyprint Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution and Its Color Guard (91)
Citation source: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/obj-list.html

What symbols do you see?

What words or phrases do you see?

Who does this flag represent?

Hymn Activity

An hymn to be sung by the charity scholars, on Sunday, the 12th of October, 1783, at St. George's Chapel, after the charity sermon for the benefit of the school.

This resource is in the Maass archive

What does this hymn tell you about society and religion during the 1800s?

The Hymn Activity can be used with the "Popcorn" activity described below:

"Popcorn" Activity

Students select out interesting phrases and words from the text. Then, they read these phrases and words out in any order that feels right--responds to other readings, they like the rhythm,etc. The class then debriefs what they heard, what images and themes stood out, etc.

Religion as Cause of Revolution

Joseph Galloway (1731-1803), a former speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly and close friend of Benjamin Franklin, opposed the Revolution and fled to England in 1778.

Historical and Political Reflections on the Rise and Progress of the American Rebellion

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Historical and Political Reflections on the Rise and Progress of the American Rebellion [page 54] - [page 55]
Joseph Galloway, London: G. Wilkie, 1780
Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress (81)
Citation source: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/obj-list.html

Idea: Have students use the "SOAP" table below to analyze these docuements.

"SOAP" Activity

A visual organizer for reading original documents:

Subject	Objective	Audience	Perspective
What is this document about?	Why was is written?	Who was it written for?	From who's perspective is it written?

Cartoon Analysis

Figure out what's happening in this cartoon.

An Attempt to Land a Bishop in America
Engraving from the Political Register, London: September, 1769
John Carter Brown Library at Brown University, Providence, RI (86)
Citation source: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/obj-list.html

"SPAM" Activity

A visual organizer for analyzing political cartoons, pictures, or photographs.

Symbols	People	Actions	Message
What symbols do you see?	Are there any people?	What kind of action is going on?	What do you think the author's message is?

Summary / Essay

Now that you have analyzed and interpreted the primary sources, you will now have to write a 2-3 paragraph explaining whether or not you think the American Revolution was religiously motivated. Use the documents to support your argument. Your completed activities should also help you out. Then, you will be placed in groups of four to discuss your position on this focusing question.

Links and Resources

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel03.html

http://www.nhc.rtp.nc.us:8080/tserve/eighteen/ekeyinfo/erelrev.htm