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Lesson

Samuel Adams (1722-1803)

Duration
45 min
Published
Nov 5, 2020
A historical portrait of a man with wavy hair, dressed in 18th-century clothing.
What was Samuel Adams' role as a leader in the American opposition to British tyranny? How did he hope for a new American government, and what methods of persuasion did he use in the Revolutionary cause?

Founding Principles

Liberty, Limited Government, Representative / Republican Government

Learning objectives

Students will:

  • appreciate Adams’s role as a leader in the American opposition to British tyranny.
  • understand Adams’s hopes for the new American government.
  • identify rhetorical strategies and their goals.
  • compare historical methods of persuasion to modern examples.
  • analyze Adams’s methods of persuasion for the Revolutionary cause.

Materials

Student Handouts

Additional Teacher Resource

Lesson Components

ActivityHandout A: Samuel Adams (1722–1803)
ActivityHandout B: Vocabulary and Context Questions – Samuel Adams (1722-1803)
ActivityHandout C: In His Own Words: Samuel Adams and Resistance to Tyranny
ActivitySamuel Adams: Loaded Words and Phrases Cards
ActivityThematic Essays – Samuel Adams (1722-1803)
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Lesson plan

45 minClick a phase to open it

Standards

Advanced Placement

  • CCE

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Related materials

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Adams became a leader of the Patriot resistance to the British government’s attempt to tax the American colonies.