Independence Day

Print, His 128th birthday, Jun. 29, 1904, Udo J. Keppler, Library of Congress

Independence Day celebrates the approval of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. What led up to the Declaration—and what followed?

Detail, Declaration of Independence interactive

Eighth-grade U.S. history teacher Elizabeth Schaefer "warps" the Declaration of Independence into the future with interactives from the Library of Congress.

Newspaper article published in the Patriot press in 1775

Smithsonian Barbara Clark Smith looks at what a colonial newspaper article says—and doesn't say—about a Patriot protest.

Engraving, The Bloody Massacre Perpetrated in King Street, Paul Revere, 1770

Help students think about where evidence for history comes from.

How do you introduce the Founding Fathers to elementary students? It's easy to make historical figures seem superhuman. Help students relate by sharing interesting facts about the Founders' lives. FIND OUT MORE »

Learning Resources

Find sources on the American Revolution

Creating the United States

Print, [Britannia toe] Amer[eye]ca , May 6, 1778, M. Darly, Library of Congress

Even the Founding Fathers wrote rough drafts! Interact with early versions of [...] »

Founding Documents

1776 newspaper publishes the Declaration of Independence

History lessons on the founding documents invariably include the Declaration of [...] »

Freedom Trail Foundation

Photo, Follow the Red Line, January 2, 2006, latca, Flickr

Studying the American Revolution? How about walking Boston's Freedom Trail? You [...] »

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Teaching Resources

Browse strategies and lesson plans

The Boston Massacre: Fact, Fiction, or Bad Memory

Help students think about where evidence for history comes from. [...] »

Mission US: For Crown or Colony

Immerse your students in the 1770s with this online game. [...] »

Elizabeth Schaefer on the Interactive Declaration of Independence

Eighth-grade U.S. history teacher Elizabeth Schaefer "warps" the Declaration of [...] »

Browse strategies and lesson plans

Quizzes

Put your knowledge to the test!

Past Rebel Lines

Letter, Henry Clinton to John Burgoyne, August 10, 1777, Henry Clinton, Clements

Benedict Arnold wasn't the only spy in the American Revolution. Take this quiz [...] »

Stamping Out Free Speech?

The Stamp Act of 1765 had colonists crying foul. Answer these questions about [...] »

From War to Revolution

Can you answer these questions on figures who took part in the French and [...] »

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