AP US History: Unit 2
Causes of the American Revolution - Historical Markers
On April 19, 1775 a shot was heard 'round the world, marking the beginning of the American
Revolution. Having lived under the British crown for nearly 170 years, the colonists in the 13 colonies
decided it was time to part and so, in July of 1776 a small group of representatives to the Continental
Congress signed the Declaration of Independence severing all ties with England. What actions caused
these feelings of discontent and resentment? Who was behind the movement to break with England
and what actions did the revolutionaries undertake to achieve their goals?
Your project requires you and possibly a partner to create a "historical marker" recognizing one of the
following causes of the American Revolution:





Sugar Acts (1764)
Stamp Act & Stamp Act Congress
Townshend Act
Boston Massacre
Tea Act & Boston Tea Party





Intolerable (Coercive) Acts
Meeting of the 1st Continental Congress
Battle of Lexington & Concord
Meeting of the 2nd Continental Congress
Writing of the Declaration of Independence
You need to make sure your marker includes the following:








Name of the event &Date of the event
Where (city & colony) the marker would be placed (with explanation why you chose this location)
Explanation & analysis of the event (including cause & effect), reaction of the colonists AND reaction of the
British, & analysis of the extent to which the event contributed to the Revolution (why was this event critical
in relation to other events prior to and after it?)
Patriots involved and their roles (include at least 2 or 3)
2 quotations from 2 patriots referencing the event (either directly or indirectly) with explanation of quotes
1 quotation explaining event from the British perspective OR providing an argument by a historian that runs
counter to most Patriot accounts of the event with explanation of quote
Images to illustrate the event (with sources cited below images if taken from Internet or books)
On the back of your poster, attach an annotated bibliography that includes all sources you used (no less than 3
sources & WikiPedia does NOT count as a source) in MLA format (see back of this assignment for example)
o Annotated bibliography will include an explanation of what you pulled from each source AND a
brief evaluation of each source (i.e. how might the source be biased and why would you think so?
Who was the intended audience & why might that matter? When was it written and by whom…how
might that impact reliability of the source? Use some of your HIPPO analysis skills!!!)
Make sure you follow the format below:




Poster board - 22x28"
Name of event in bold at the top, with date and place under the event
Start your marker with the following intro - "At this spot on (so and so date)_________________, . . . ."
Your images and description should cover the poster board and remember, neatness counts (a lot!)
Plagiarism WARNING: I will be checking your sources to make sure you have given proper credit. You
are expected to clearly cite all sources parenthetically on your poster. If you borrow arguments made by
websites or books, you are expected to cite those sources even if you put those arguments into your own
words. Claiming, “it’s just a poster, not a research paper”, does not excuse you from properly citing sources.
Date Due:
Fri. Sept. 11(Sugar, Stamp, Townshend Act, Boston Massacre, Tea Act/Tea Party groups) &Mon., Sept. 14
(Intolerable Acts, 1st Continental Congress, Lexington/Concord groups), Tues., Sept. 15 (2nd Continental Congress,
Declaration of Independence groups)
Annotated Bibliography Example (MLA Format)
Sample MLA Annotation
1. Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Anchor Books, 1995. Print.
Lamott's book offers honest advice on the nature of a writing life, complete with its insecurities and failures.
Taking a humorous approach to the realities of being a writer, the chapters in Lamott's book are wry and
anecdotal and offer advice on everything from plot development to jealousy, from perfectionism to
struggling with one's own internal critic. In the process, Lamott includes writing exercises designed to be
both productive and fun.
Lamott offers sane advice for those struggling with the anxieties of writing, but her main project seems to
be offering the reader a reality check regarding writing, publishing, and struggling with one's own imperfect
humanity in the process. Rather than a practical handbook to producing and/or publishing, this text is
indispensable because of its honest perspective, its down-to-earth humor, and its encouraging approach.
Chapters in this text could easily be included in the curriculum for a writing class. Several of the chapters
in Part 1 address the writing process and would serve to generate discussion on students' own drafting and
revising processes. Some of the writing exercises would also be appropriate for generating classroom
writing exercises. Students should find Lamott's style both engaging and enjoyable.
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/03/