Name:
Date:
Core:
U.S. History
When Did the U.S. Truly Become Independent?
Declaration of Independence v. Treaty of Paris (1783)
At what point in history did the United States become truly independent? This is a question often
debated by historians. We are going to examine two events which are often viewed as the “starting
point” of American independence. Then you are going to choose which event truly marks the
beginning of America’s independence
Event #1: The Declaration of Independence:
In June of 1776, a group of wealthy colonists met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to discuss the
problems being caused by the tyrannical British government. This meeting was considered illegal
under British law. They decided to write a letter to King George III (of England) informing him that
the colonies were no longer a part of Great Britain. On July 4, 1776, the colonists sent the
“Declaration of Independence” to the king. In their minds, this marked the beginning of their
independence. They no longer considered themselves to be British – they considered themselves to be
Americans. Most colonists ignored British laws. Instead they began setting up their own government.
They called their new government the “Articles of Confederation.” They made their own laws and
formed their own militia (army). Some colonists stopped using British currency (money) and began
using their own form of American money.
Event #2: Treaty of Paris
King George III was furious when he received the Declaration of Independence. The British did not
want to lose control over the colonies because the colonies brought great wealth to England. The
British sent troops (called Red Coats) over to the American colonies. The British launched a war
against the colonists. They tried to capture the leaders of the Sons of Liberty (colonial leaders) and
steal the weapons that the colonists had been stockpiling. The British blocked all of the American
ports to prevent the colonists from being able to trade with foreign countries. This hurt the colonist’s
economy. After six long years of battle, the British finally surrendered. Representatives from Great
Britain and the American colonies met in Paris, France to work out a peace treaty. In 1783, they
signed the Treaty of Paris. In that document, Great Britain recognized the American colonies as a free
and independent country. The British were forced to give the Americans some land (from the
Appalachian Mountains west to the Mississippi River) because they lost the war.
In your opinion, which of the following events marked the time when the American Colonists
became “independent”? Answer using ATITIC.
a. The Declaration of Independence, 1776
b. The Treaty of Paris, 1783
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Exemplary
Proficient
Progressing
Beginning
Insightful, well
organized, and fluent
Deep understanding of
text is demonstrated
Specific references to
text are used to support
ideas
Text references are well
interpreted and clearly
connected to response
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Thoughtful, organized,
and fluent
Clear understanding of
the text is demonstrated
Relevant references to
text are used to support
ideas
Text references are
explained and connected
to response
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Organized and
somewhat fluent
Basic understanding of
text is displayed
At least one relevant
example from text is
used to support ideas
Text references are
somewhat connected to
response
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Disorganized or confusing
Limited or no
understanding of text is
displayed
Limited or no examples
from text are used to
support ideas
Text reference seems
irrelevant to response
Name:
Date:
Core:
U.S. History
When Did the U.S. Truly Become Independent?
Planning Sheet
1.
A.T.I.C.
A: Answer the question.
I think that the __________________________________(Declaration of Independence,
1776 or Treaty of Paris, 1783) marks the time when the American Colonist became
independent because: ________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________.
(hints: think about what it means to be independent – is it about the law? Is it about how
the colonist’s feels? Is it about how a colonists acted?)
2. T: Text Support
Select two parts of the text that CLEARLY show why the event you selected mark the time
when the colonists became independent.
1.
In the text it says…
2.
In the text it says…
3. I: Inference
Explain how each piece of text support shows that the event you selected proves that the
American Colonists became independent at that time.
1.
This proves that the colonists became independent because:
2.
This proves that the colonists became independent because:
4. C: Conclusion.
As you can see, _____________________________________________________________
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