Several novels of note can be recommended. The frontier and the period of the French and Indian War are well represented in Hervey Allen, The Forest and the Fort; Kenneth Roberts, Northwest Passage; and two of James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales: The Last of the Mohicans and The Pathfinder. Events leading up to the Revolution are portrayed in Howard Fast's novel April Morning and Citizen Tom Paine.

Some novels have been made into feature films. Johnny Tremaine (1957), directed by Robert Stevenson, is based on the Esther Forbes novel of the same name. It is a fine story of events involving a young silversmith apprentice who develops enthusiasm for political independence between 1773 and 1775. King Vidor made Kenneth Roberts's novel Northwest Passage into a great action-adventure film in 1940; it starred Spencer Tracy, Robert Young, and Walter Brennan. It deals with Roger's Rangers in 1759 and their efforts to make their way in a war-torn wilderness. An interesting undercurrent is the conception of the savagery of the Indians. The best of the James Fenimore Cooper stories was made into a movie in 1936, and a second version appeared in 1992. The Last of the Mohicans reveals Hawkeye as a man who likes the Indians and knows whom to trust in the difficult year of 1756. Characters are variously depraved or noble, and the film is suspenseful and exciting.

An altogether different view of the French and Indian War is available in a twenty-eight-minute videotape from Films for the Humanities and Sciences. Last of the Mohicans deals with archaeological findings at Fort William Henry in upstate New York, where the remains of numerous English soldiers, many killed by French and Indian forces, were found. Films for the Humanities and Sciences also offers The Battle of Quebec: 1759 and the End of the French and Indian War (thirty-two minutes), which, despite the title, also considers the war's causes and major events; Samuel Adams (fifteen minutes) is also available from Films for the Humanities and Sciences. A video dramatization, John Adams: Profile in Courage (fifty minutes) is available from Social Studies School Service.

The Public Broadcasting System offers Struggle for Dominance, a thirty-minute videotape concerning the Seven Years' War and its aftermath. It is part of the American Adventure Series. Part B of the American History Slide Collection, The Age of the American Revolution, has 113 slides. Many of them depict important battles. There are also portraits of leaders like John Hancock, cartoons about the stamp tax, renderings of the Boston Massacre and the Battle of Lexington, and other interesting pictures.
Document Set 5-1

Crises and Responses: The Concept of Intercolonial Unity

1. The Albany Plan of Union, 1754
2. Benjamin Franklin's Recollection of the Albany Plan's Potential, 1789
3. The Stamp Act, 1765
4. The Stamp Act Resolutions, 1765
5. The First Continental Congress States Colonial Rights and Grievances, 1774
6. The First Continental Congress Pledges Resistance, 1774
7. Benjamin Franklin Promotes the Concept of Union, 1754Chapter 5 places heavy emphasis on political and constitutional history in tracing the origins of the American Revolution. One of the important themes in this period was a gradual movement in the direction of intercolonial cooperation that resulted in the establishment of the Continental Congress in 1774. This chapter traces the growth of the concept of union by focusing on the Albany Congress, the Stamp Act Congress, and finally, the First Continental Congress. Stressing the idea of political unity, it provides an excellent means for exploring the rhetoric and ideas of the pre-Revolutionary era.An important feature of these documents is their implications for the later development of American federalism. Therefore, instructors may wish to open discussion with a preliminary comment on the principles of federalism, so that students will have a context in which to examine the evidence. The Albany Plan can be especially useful in exploring the roots of governmental principles that surfaced during the Confederation and early national periods. Franklin's reminiscences on the Albany Plan also permit instructors and students to engage in fascinating speculation on a path not taken.Perhaps more significant was the escalation of debate over principles, libertarian ideology, and constitutionalism that marked the pre-Revolutionary imperial dialogue. Instructors may want to incorporate the insights of Bernard Bailyn into a discussion of republican ideology and the politics of symbolism. The documentary evidence can also stimulate thoughtful consideration of the mix between sincere conviction and practical self-interest in the colonial stance, as students assess the relative importance of idealism and realism.This general topic may be further explored through analysis of the British position. Instructors might encourage this inquiry by asking students to account for the goals and implementation of British colonial policy after the Seven Years' War, with emphasis on the period 1763-1776. This exercise could be pursued through student research and role-playing in an effort to familiarize students with both sides of the imperial argument. The objective would be to help them understand how and why debate over principle was transformed into cause for revolution.Although the documents will stimulate analysis of the pre-Revolutionary rhetorical confrontation, the set's most important idea centers on empire, intercolonial unity, and the federal principle. Through examination of the evidence, students may become acquainted with an enduring theme in the American political experience.

Recommended Readings for Document Set 5-1


David Ammerman. In the Common Cause: American Response to the Coercive Acts (1974).

Benedict Anderson. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism (rev., 1991).

Bernard Bailyn. The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution (1967).

Robert M. Calhoon. Dominion and Liberty: Ideology in Anglo-American Political Thought, 1660-1801 (1994).

Lawrence H. Gipson. The Coming of the Revolution, 1763-1775 (1954).

Michael Kammen. Empire and Interest (1970).

Jerrilyn Green Marston. King and Congress: The Transfer of Political Legitimacy 1774-1776 (1987).

Edmund S. Morgan and Helen Morgan. The Stamp Act Crisis: Prologue to Revolution (1953).

Robert C. Newbold. The Albany Congress and Plan of Union of 1754 (1955).
Audiovisual Resources for Document Set 5-1


The American Revolution, Part 1: The Cause of Liberty (videotape--25 min.). Audio-Visual Center, Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind. 47405.

The American Revolution, 1770-1783: A Conversation with Lord North (film--33 min.). University of Illinois Film/Video Center, 1325 S. Oak Street, Champaign, Ill. 61820.

John Adams: Revolutionary, 1770-1776. The Adams Chronicles Series (videotape--59 min.). Audio-Visual Center, Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind. 47405.

Making a Revolution (videotape--52 min.). Episode 3, America Series. Time-Life Multimedia, Inc., 100 Eisenhower Drive, P.O. Box 644, Paramus, N.J. 07652.

The Reluctant Revolutionaries. Vol. 1, Liberty: The American Revolution Series (videotape--60 min.). PBS Video, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, Va. 22314-1698
Document Set 5-2

The People's Rebellion: Popular Protest and Revolutionary Potential

1. Thomas Hutchinson Recounts the Mob Reaction to the Stamp Act in Boston, 1765
2. John Holt's Account of the Stamp Act Riots in New York, 1766
3. Charleston, South Carolina, Sons of Liberty, 1766
4. The Boston Gazette Describes the Boston Massacre, 1770
5. Captain Thomas Preston's Defense of Military Action in Boston, 1770
6. Gouverneur Morris Warns Against Democratic Revolution, 1774This unit, which concentrates on popular involvement in Revolutionary activity, offers a sharp contrast to Document Set 5-1 and its emphasis on the ideology of elite-group revolutionaries. By examining mob action in both the Stamp Act crisis and the Boston Massacre, it encourages students to inquire further into the origins of the Revolution. Moreover, students may be exposed to the concept of a dual revolution--an external conflict over imperial restrictions and an internal struggle to democratize American society. The central question explored is: Who made the Revolution?Instructors might begin with a background lecture on the concept of an internal revolution, relating it to the text's coverage of the popular responses to the Stamp Act and the later presence of British troops in Boston. This presentation might lead naturally to a broader discussion of the significance of the crowd in history. Following this, the discussion could ease into a more targeted consideration of the urban mob in pre-Revolutionary America.Instructors may also wish to highlight the difference between ideology/principle/constitutionalism as explanations for the Revolution and the important supplementary role played by popular resistance, as evidenced in the documents. Naturally this discussion will come to focus on the relationship between the crowd leaders and the elite groups that sought to direct Revolutionary traffic. A socioeconomic analysis of enforcement groups such as the Sons of Liberty, as well as exploration of the objectives, fears, and concerns of elite-group commentators can enrich examination of this question.Finally, the materials on the Boston Massacre are designed to permit students to reconstruct a historical event. Using the text, documents, and personal research, students may be asked to assign responsibility for the clash and to analyze the reasons for the breakdown of order. Given the controversial nature of the events in question, this topic offers an opportunity to divide the class into study groups, each charged with responsibility for researching, designing, and defending an interpretation of the incident. The results could provide the basis for a wide-ranging discussion of the uses of evidence and the writing (and study) of history.

Recommended Readings for Document Set 5-2


Paul A. Gilje. The Road to Mobocracy: Popular Disorder in New York City, 1763-1834 (1987).

Dirk Hoerder. Crowd Action in Revolutionary Massachusetts (1977).

Jesse Lemisch. "Jack Tar in the Streets: Merchant Seamen in the Politics of Revolutionary America." William and Mary Quarterly, 3d ser., 25 (July 1968): 371-407.

Pauline Maier. From Resistance to Rebellion: Colonial Radicals and the Development of American Opposition to Britain, 1765-1775 (1972).

Edmund S. Morgan and Helen Morgan. The Stamp Act Crisis: Prologue to Revolution (1953).

Gary B. Nash. The Urban Crucible: Social Change, Political Consciousness, and the Origins of the American Revolution (1979).

Stephen Rosswurm. Arms, Country, and Class: The Philadelphia Militia and the "Lower Sort" During the American Revolution (1988).

Richard Alan Ryerson. The Revolution Is Now Begun: The Radical Committees of Philadelphia, 1765-1776 (1978).

Alfred F. Young, ed. The American Revolution (1976).

Hiller Zobel. The Boston Massacre (1970).
Audiovisual Resources for Document Set 5-2


Blows Must Decide. Vol. 2, Liberty: The American Revolution Series (videotape--60 min.). PBS Video, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, Va. 22314-1698.

The Boston Massacre (videotape--27 min.). From the You Are There Series. McGraw-Hill Film Division, 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10020.

John Adams: Lawyer (1758-1770). The Adams Chronicles Series (videotape--59 min.). Indiana University, Audio-Visual Center, Bloomington, Ind. 47405.

Song of Molasses (film--23 min.). National Geographic Society, 17th and M Streets NW, Washington, D.C. 20036.

Tea Party Etiquette (videotape--25 min.). American Social History Productions, Inc., 99 Hudson Street, Third Floor, New York, N.Y. 10013.
Document Set 5-3

Women's Patriotism: The Revolutionary Experience

1. The Women of Edenton, North Carolina Embrace Nonimportation, 1774
2. The British Perception of the Edenton Patriots, ca. 1774
3. Abigail Adams Describes an Attack on a Profiteering Merchant, 1777
4. Philadelphia Women Raise Funds for the Revolution, 1780
5. Deborah Sampson Gannett Recalls Service in the Continental Army, 1782-1783
6. Deborah Sampson Gannett Recounts Her Wartime Experiences, 1802Chapter 5 in the textbook focuses on the rise of colonial resistance to imperial authority before 1776. Among the most effective tactics employed by the American colonists was the exertion of economic pressure on British merchants who favored the maintenance of cordial relations with their colonial agents and customers. This unit begins with a dramatic illustration of the mechanics of resistance, which involved patriotic action by the women who were responsible for day-to-day economic decisions.By emphasizing women's role in the colonial resistance, instructors might call attention to the wider issue of agency in a revolutionary environment. These documents may be probed for evidence of a deeper struggle for power and influence that lay beneath the surface of what may seem a mere expression of patriotic sentiment.To launch an examination of the Revolution's impact on American women, their political roles, and social status, it may be necessary for instructors to frame the discussion with an introductory lecture based on the work of Mary Beth Norton and Linda Kerber. Equally useful in this regard would be acknowledgment of Joan Hoff's argument that change was illusory in Revolutionary America. An alternative would be to ask students to reflect on the textbook description of women's roles in revolutionary activity.Once students have become familiar with the outlines of the historiographic debate, they may examine the documents to determine whether they provide evidence of a sweeping social or political change in women's roles or gender relations. Discussion should consider long-term as well as more immediate changes that may be linked to the Revolutionary experience. Instructors might challenge students to explain why so much of the argument is framed in terms of future implications rather than immediate change.Students might also be encouraged to identify the subtleties of women's activities in the Revolutionary era. Instructors could urge students to explain what forces determined the choices made by women who attempted to exert political influence. Past-present linkage might be established by a discussion stressing comparisons between women's roles in the Revolutionary War and their experiences in the modern military. Students might also be asked to determine whether women were more influential as individuals or in combination during the Revolution.Finally, the documents provide an opportunity to explore changes in the status of women, their self-perceptions, and social awareness. Students could be asked to search the documents for evidence of the Revolution's impact on personal as well as political experience. In the final analysis, they should be able to look for connections between the legal and ideological changes associated with the Revolution and to the changing concept of womanhood. Instructors might use these documents to set the stage for a discussion of women's citizenship in connection with Document Set 6-1.

Recommended Readings for Document Set 5-3


Joy Day Buel and Richard Buel, Jr. The Way of Duty: A Woman and Her Family in Revolutionary America (1984).

Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, et al. Restoring Women to History: Materials for U.S. I (1984).

Linda Grant DePauw. Founding Mothers: Women of America in the Revolutionary Era (1975).

Edith Belle Gelles. Portia: The World of Abigail Adams (1992).

Joan Hoff-Wilson. "The Illusion of Change: Women and the American Revolution," in Alfred Young, ed., The American Revolution: Explorations in the History of American Radicalism (1976).

Ronald Hoffman and Peter J. Albert, Eds. Women in the Age of the American Revolution (1989).

Linda K. Kerber. Women of the Republic: Intellect and Ideology in Revolutionary America (1980).

Mary Beth Norton. Liberty's Daughters: The Revolutionary Experience of American Women, 1750-1800 (1980).

Lynne Withey. Dearest Friend: A Life of Abigail Adams (1981).

Rosemary Zagarri. A Woman's Dilemma: Mercy Otis Warren and the American Revolution (1995).
Audiovisual Resources for Document Set 5-3


On the Home Front: One Family and the American Revolution and The Revolution and Republican Motherhood (audiotapes--30 min. each). Audiotape Programs 4 and 5, Legacies Series. Annenberg/CPB Project, 1111 16th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036.

Our Founding Mothers: Contributors to American Independence (audiotape--30 min.). NPR Customer Service, P.O. Box 55417, Madison, Wis. 53705.