The first revolutions began in England. Slowly but surely, the spirit of revolution made its way to North America. The American Revolution was a success, and news traveled fast. Next, France would fall, then Haiti, South America, Mexico, Brazil, and Canada. Were these revolutions connected in some way?
Pretend you are a reporter in the 1700s. Write an article that tracks the revolutions. Be sure to connect the dots! Use inferences–what happens when you combine your knowledge, reasoning, and experiences–to help you write your newspaper article.
Here are some questions to think about:
Why did the American colonies rise up against British rule?
How did the colonists gain their independence? Which European country helped the colonists win?
Why were the French unhappy? What did they do to change things?
What was the connection between France and Haiti?
How did Spain′s war with France help South America′s fight for independence?
Are you ready? Begin by visiting the Web site listed in Step 2. Look for answers to the questions above and record your notes in the boxes.
Step 2. Research
Once you′ve read about the American and French revolutions, type your notes in the boxes. Make inferences about the way the revolutions were connected to one another. Need help with inferences? You make inferences each day, perhaps without even knowing it. For example, you arrive at the store a little later than usual. No one is there. You say to yourself, “It′s not open.“ You may be wrong, but you′ve used the evidence (it′s late; no one′s there) to make an inference (the store is closed). Use this same method to help you write your report.
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