Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1781 Black Americans in the American Revolution video explains how over 5,000 Black Americans shaped the Revolutionary War as both free and enslaved laborers, soldiers and sailors, and spies—even as most were denied the rights they helped defend. The stories of the Continental Army’s 1st […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1783 Overview video chronicles events of the final year of the war, including: the Provisional Articles of Peace and the Treaty of Paris, the Newburgh Conspiracy, the establishment of the Society of the Cincinnati, Washington’s Farewell to his officers and resignation, the Battle of Cuddalore, […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1783 Newburgh, New York video takes place in Newburgh, New York. With no formal articles of peace in place by March 1783, Continental officers could not yet formally disband. They were encamped at Newburgh, on the Hudson River, to keep watch over the British army […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1783 Veterans video examines America’s first veterans. Over a quarter of a million Americans served in the armed forces that won our independence—80,000-90,000 in the Continental Army, an all-volunteer army of ordinary citizens. Congress and the states offered a wide range of inducements to secure […]
Share to Google Classroom Our Year in Revolution: 1783 Civic Virtue video explores how and why 18th century Americans studied the democracies of classical Greece and Rome and celebrated the ancient Roman hero Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus as an embodiment of civic virtue. Cincinnatus was a general who defended the Roman Republic from invaders […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1783 Treaty of Paris video chronicles the peace talks between America and Britain that began in Paris in 1782. The British prime minister directed his home secretary, Wiliam Fitzmaurice, Earl of Shelburne, to oversee negotiations on behalf of Britain, who in turn instructed Richard Oswald […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1783 Sovereignty video is about the United States’ presentation as a sovereign nation on the world’s stage in 1783. The Treaty of Paris states that: “Great Britain acknowledges the Sovereignty and Independence of the of the Thirteen United States of America.” Seven years before it […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1782 Overview video chronicles: the war winding down in North America, Parliament voting against continuing war and empowering King George III to negotiate peace, Lord North’s “no confidence” vote and resignation, the replacement of the commander of British forces in America, the Battle of the […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1782 Indigenous Peoples in the American Revolution video explores how British and Patriot leaders both sought alliances among the nations of Native American Indians during the American War for Independence. Allegiances were often determined by tribal rivalries. The Six Nations of the Iroquois initially voted […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1782 The Caribbean video explains how when France entered the war, Britain had to rethink its strategy to counter threats against its islands in the Caribbean–this situation was exacerbated by the alliance between France and Spain. Protecting ports in Georgia and the Carolinas was more […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1782 Battle of the Saintes video reminds us that although French Admiral de Grasse was the victor in 1781’s naval battles in the Chesapeake, leading to the grand American victory at Yorktown, the tables were turned in 1782 when he surrendered the Ville de Paris […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1781 Overview video explains how the American Revolutionary War reached its decisive turning point in 1781 as Patriot resolve reshaped the Southern war at Cowpens and Guilford Courthouse, allied pressure tightened in Virginia, and Britain surrendered at Yorktown following a French triumph at the Battle […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1781 Virginia video features the fight in Virginia culminating in Washington and Rochambeau’s Siege of Yorktown–a bitter defeat for Britain that marked a major step toward American independence. Also chronicled are the movements of the marquis de Lafayette, Benedict Arnold and the capture of Richmond, […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1781 Unity video explains how the need for national unity among the thirteen states was greater than ever by 1781, when all thirteen former colonies finally ratified the Articles of Confederation, the United States’ first written constitution. Congress’ goals and the passionate autonomy of states […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1781 Eutaw Springs video recounts the clash between Patriot and British forces at the Battle of Eutaw Springs, a fierce fight that ended with heavy losses, withdrawal, and Britain’s loss of South Carolina’s interior. General Nathanael Greene established himself as a pivotal asset, with a […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1782 Civilians video demonstrates that in 1782, as the American Revolution neared its end, everyday life for Americans civilians remained unsettled, divided, and far from equal, as families coped with loss, inflation, and displacement. The Year in Revolution Series was produced with classroom use in […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1782 National Identity video explores the iconography of the new United States, and its official Great Seal, adopted by Congress in 1782. In the 18th century, each of British America’s thirteen colonies had a unique history and individual identity, but as the American Revolution drew […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1781 Spanish Louisiana and British West Florida video explores how Spain used its alliance with France and its territories in North America and the Caribbean to champion the American cause—threatening Britain’s stronghold in North America and capturing the British fortification at Pensacola, securing the Gulf […]
Share to Google Classroom In Year in Revolution 1779: Gibraltar the Revolutionary War became a truly global conflict as America’s ally, France, and its ally, Spain, embarked in the “Great Siege” of Gibraltar which would last nearly four years. Britain’s defense of “the Rock” turned into one of history’s longest and most dramatic […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1780 Benedict Arnold’s Treason video details how American General Benedict Arnold’s bitterness and ambition led him to betray his country–offering West Point to the British before his plot was exposed with the capture of British Major John Andre. Featured video topics were suggested by our […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1780 Cooperation video describes how by 1780, the fight for American independence teetered on the brink of collapse as Congress ran out of money–until an influx of individuals, communities, and foreign allies rallied to the Revolutionary cause. The contributions of Esther DeBerdt Reed and the […]
Share to Google Classroom At the outset of the war, around 20% of America’s colonists were Loyalists who wanted to remain under British rule. Year in Revolution: 1780 Loyalists details how British hopes of Loyalist support in the South collapsed at Kings Mountain, turning a once-confident strategy into a pivotal setback in 1780. […]
Share to Google Classroom In the Year in Revolution: 1780 The Frontier, Britain and the United States vie for control of the western territory–“the frontier”–a vast region beyond the Appalachian Mountains, drawing on new and old alliances to gain the upper hand. Some Indigenous Nations in the region sided with the Revolutionaries, often […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1780 South Carolina video chronicles the 1780 British campaign focused on South Carolina and features the Siege of Charleston and battles at Waxhaws and Camden, and key Patriots Benjamin Lincoln, Francis “Swamp Fox” Marion, and Nathanael Greene, and British adversaries Henry Clinton, Charles Cornwallis, and […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1780 Overview video examines the war’s brutal hardships, shifting loyalties, and widening front in 1780. The year also ushered in deepening alliances, strengthened ideals, and a renewed fight for American independence. Battles in North and South Carolina and on the western frontier are highlighted, along […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1779 Franco-Spanish Alliance video examines the entry of Spain into America’s War for Independence as an ally of France. This turns the American Revolutionary War into a global struggle for power and empire across continents. The alliance proved vital to the eventual defeat of Britain […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1779 Georgia video explores how the state became the focus of Britain’s southern campaign in 1779. The Patriots win a victory at Kettle Creek, but despite the arrival of French allies led by comte d’Estaing, the failed siege of Savannah left Georgia in British control. […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1779 Freedom and Natural Rights video examines the promise of freedom and natural rights on which the American Revolution was built and how, by 1779, Americans were debating what those ideals meant, and to whom they applied. For America’s Black, female, and Indigenous populations in […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution 1779: John Paul Jones and the Continental Navy video explores the creation of the Continental Navy by Congress on October 13, 1775, the concepts of privateers and letters of marque, the 1779 Penobscot Exhibition in modern-day Maine, and the career of Continental Navy Captain John […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1779 Overview video explores the war’s key events occurring in 1779— the siege and battle of Fort Sackville at Vincennes (in present-day Indiana), the Franco-Spanish Treaty of Aranjuez, the siege and battle for Gibraltar off Spain’s southern coast, the Penobscot Expedition (in present-day Maine), the […]
Share to Google Classroom The American colonies signed a “Treaty of Alliance with France” with King Louis XVI on February 6, 1778 to formalize France’s financial and military support of the revolutionary government in America. It stipulated that “The essential and direct End of the present defensive alliance is to effectively maintain the […]
Share to Google Classroom Year in Revolution 1778 New Jersey examines the consequential Battle of Monmouth in June 1778 and underscores the fact that the state of New Jersey served as a critical backdrop for the Continental Army under General George Washington’s command during this year of the Revolution. The video also explores […]
Share to Google Classroom With America’s alliance with France on the horizon, Great Britain dispatched a delegation to Philadelphia referred to as the Carlisle Peace Commission in 1778. Organized by William Eden, the Commissioners represented Great Britain’s last attempt to end the American Revolution through diplomatic means. The content of this video, Year […]
Share to Google Classroom Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin Steuben of Prussia, otherwise known as Baron von Steuben, was an aide to Frederick the Great. During the American Revolution, he offered his services to the American cause and was appointed inspector general of the Continental Army. George Washington asked Steuben to create a […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution 1778: Women in the American Revolution video details the many roles played by female patriots supporting the cause of American independence at home and in the field. This film features the stories of women such as Deborah Sampson, Mary Ludwig Hayes and Margaret Corbin (a.k.a. […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1778 Overview video explores the war’s key events occurring in 1778— the Valley Forge winter encampment, the treaty of alliance with France, the battle of Monmouth, the battle of Ushant, war on the frontier (modern day Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana, and engagements at Kaskaskia, […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1777 Sacrifice and Resilience video explores the qualities of sacrifice and resilience as demonstrated by ordinary Americans during the war, by the army in the field—especially in 1777, and by the Continental Congress following the capture of Philadelphia. Year in Revolution: 1777 Sacrifice and Resilience […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1777 Overview video explores key events in 1777, including the Battle of Princeton, the adoption of the flag of the United States, the battle of Oriskany, the Philadelphia campaign (the battles of Brandywine and Germantown) and the capture of Philadelphia, the Battle of Saratoga, the […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1777 George Washington and His Officers video introduces the key officers under Washington’s command including Henry Knox, Nathanael Greene, Daniel Morgan, Benjamin Lincoln, the marquis de Lafayette, Baron Von Steuben, Benedict Arnold, Francis Marion, Thaddeus Kosciuszko, William Moultrie, Anthony Wayne, Horatio Gates, Charles Lee, George […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1777 Pennsylvania video explains that while events in Massachusetts sparked the Revolution, Pennsylvania helped shape its destiny, with the events there in 1777 changing the course of history. This video describes the seat of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia and later the capture of the […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1777 Battle of Saratoga video chronicles how after attempting to divide the New England states from the Mid-Atlantic by marching down the Hudson River from Canada, British General John Burgoyne surrendered his army to General Horatio Gates. Considered a major if not the most significant […]
Share to Google Classroom The Year in Revolution: 1777 Britain’s Military Leadership video describes Britain’s complicated manner of conducting the war with tension between leaders in Britain and commanders in America—likened to a three-headed monster. Noted are the key individuals in England (including Prime Minister Lord North, Secretary of State for the Colonies […]
Share to Google Classroom This “how” video describes how George Washington frequently had a fraught relationship with Congress, and highlights his advocacy for his troops, for adequate supplies, and with the challenges inherent to coordinating a unified war effort across the country. Featured video topics were suggested by our national network of Master […]
Share to Google Classroom This “where” video explores how, to lessen the impact of a potential British invasion of one of the colonies most valuable port cities, General Washington relocated his army to New York City in April and May of 1776. On August 22, General Howe landed 22,000 troops at Gravesend Bay […]
Share to Google Classroom This “when” video begins with the defense of Charleston at Fort Sullivan in 1776, one of the first major Patriot victories during the war. It also introduces General William Moultrie, the importance of local knowledge of waterways, and Francis Marion and Thomas Sumter (who gained essential experience during this […]
Share to Google Classroom This “what” video introduces the concept self-governance and what it would mean for the colonies to be independent of Britain. Included is information on the efforts that led up to the Declaration of Independence and the eventual global impact of this act of defiance. Featured video topics were suggested […]
Share to Google Classroom This “who” video features Silas Deane, who was appointed by Congress on March 2, 1776, to negotiate financial aid from the French government in support of the Revolution. While in Paris, Dean began recruiting foreign soldiers with specialized skillsets to support the cause of Independence. The marquis de Lafayette, […]
Share to Google Classroom Structured like a timeline, this Year in Revolution 1776: Overview video frames 1776 around the concept of independence, starting off the year with Thomas Paine’s publication of Common Sense, tying the beginnings of the war in the south and mid-Atlantic to the growing fervor for independence, and ending with […]
Share to Google Classroom Structured like a timeline, this video will weave the theme of “liberty” into an overview of major events that occurred during 1775 which sowed the seeds of revolution in the British colonies. Featured video topics were suggested by our national network of Master Teacher Seminar alumni. The Year in Revolution […]
Share to Google Classroom This “how” video describes the tenuous nature of the relationship between Britain and the Colonies and how a growing sense of neglect, distrust, and over-extension of power led to the desire for liberation from the crown. Featured video topics were suggested by our national network of Master Teacher Seminar […]
Share to Google Classroom With a focus on Massachusetts, this “where” video will touch on the revolutionary activities that occurred in Massachusetts in 1775. Massachusetts’ story during 1775 illustrates how the British American colonies were pushed to their breaking point and, through the Siege of Boston to the Battles of Lexington and Concord […]
Share to Google Classroom This “when” video introduces the key elements that led to the outbreak of the war, including the Stamp Act, Boston Massacre, and Intolerable Acts. Featured video topics were suggested by the Institute’s national network of teachers, all of whom have participated in its Master Teacher Seminar program. TheYear in […]
Share to Google Classroom This “what” video introduces the concept of liberty using Patrick Henry’s “Liberty or Death” speech, the liberty tree, and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty. Featured video topics were suggested by the Institute’s national network of teachers, all of whom have participated in its Master Teacher Seminar program. The […]
Share to Google Classroom This “who” video about the Continental Army, beginning with an explanation of the militia, will educate viewers on the evolution of formal armed resistance in the Colonies, highlighting the creation of the Continental Army after its authorization by the Continental Congress. At the start of the American Revolutionary War, […]