Why the American colonies declared independence

This complete lesson takes students from the debt left by the French and Indian War to the Declaration of Independence in 1776, covering the Stamp Act, "no taxation without representation," the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party and the Intolerable Acts. Key vocabulary is introduced first, then each event is explained in short steps with whole-class checks, a timeline sequencing task, a Patriots-and-Loyalists comparison and a "you are a colonist" discussion.

Use the deck as supplied or edit the PowerPoint to add primary sources, match your reading level or change the lesson length. Answer slides are included so teachers can review each activity quickly.