Thomas Jefferson

The Library of Congress has an online exhibit about Thomas Jefferson's life. The exhibit includes stories, documents, maps and drawings about this former President of the United States.

Independence Day

Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence
Tomorrow is July 4th. To celebrate, I give you the document that started it all. Here, here, and here are transcriptions of the Declaration of Independence.

However, what worth is the document if you can't teach it? As good citizens, your students should learn about the document by examining and evaluating it. Therefore, here, here, and here are some good lesson plans that you can use to teach them how to do that.

Oh, by the way, would you like to buy a copy of the document so that you can put it on your classroom wall?

The French and Indian War...

... or if you wish, you may call it the Seven Years War. This war did two things: it expanded British Territory in the New World and helped create a furvor for Indepence in the colonists.

There's a great television program that I discovered a few months ago on PBS about the war called "The War that Made America". The website has a lot of resources that the teacher can use, which can be found by clicking on here.

I've got one point that I would like to make about the French and Indian War. Isn't it interesting that the war was caused by a British military action that was led by George Washington? After the war, the British would begin taxing the colonies, which would lead to protests about "taxation without representation". These concerns would be among the major causes of the Revolutionary War. After winning the war, delegates from the states would write a constitution that would include the creation of the office of the President of the United States. Geo. Washington would be our first President.

So it could be said that Washington in starting the French and Indian War ensured that he would eventually become President of the United States.

Hmmm ... very interesting.

So, You Say You Want a Revolution....

It's a living history museum, it's a research center, it's a website ... it's Colonial Williamsburg. This site is a great resource for U.S. colonial and revolutionary history.

Check out the Teacher Resources which includes lesson plans, journal articles and activities.