Towns

PA, USA

Philadelphia

Lesson plans and classroom materials.

The Political Capital: Philadelphia and the Birth of American Government

5-8 · 2 class periods

What you'll get

  • 5 primary sources with analysis prompts
  • Quiz with answer key (5 questions)
  • 3 printable handouts
Print full packet
5-82 class periodsCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sourcesCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.3: Follow a sequence of events across multiple textsD2.His.1.6-8: Analyze connections among events and developments in broader historical contexts

Learning Objectives

  1. Identify the sequence of key political events in Philadelphia from 1774 to 1787
  2. Explain why Philadelphia was chosen as the meeting site for the Continental Congresses
  3. Analyze how informal spaces (taverns) and formal spaces (State House) worked together in the political process
  4. Evaluate the significance of the First Continental Congress meeting at Carpenters' Hall rather than the State House

Essential Questions

  • Why does location matter in politics? How did Philadelphia's geography, population, and institutions make it the center of the Revolution?
  • What is the difference between formal and informal political spaces? What happened at City Tavern that could not happen in Independence Hall?

Procedure

Primary Sources

Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

National Archives and Records Administration · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

View source

Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789

Library of Congress · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

View source

Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774-1789 (26 vols.)

Library of Congress (Paul H. Smith, ed.) · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

View source

Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, Vols. 2-3

Harvard University Press (L.H. Butterfield, ed.) · PRIMARY · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

Independence National Historical Park: Official Site

National Park Service · INSTITUTIONAL · Tier 1 — Primary/Academic

View source

Handouts & Materials

Philadelphia Event Timeline

timeline

Students place key events in chronological order and add details

Primary Source Analysis

graphic organizer

Structured analysis of Revolutionary-era documents

Key Figures Profile

worksheet

Research template for Revolutionary figures

Philadelphia in the American Revolution

Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.

1.

What makes Philadelphia significant in Revolutionary history?

AIt was the site of important Revolutionary events
BIt had no connection to the Revolution
CIt was founded after the Revolution
DIt was a British stronghold throughout the war
2.

Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.

TTrue
FFalse
3.

Name one event that occurred in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.

4.

Why is it important to consider multiple perspectives when studying history?

ADifferent people experienced events differently
BIt makes history more confusing
COnly one perspective is ever correct
DPerspectives don't matter in history
5.

Describe one connection between this town and another Revolutionary-era town we discussed.