Oklahoma Social Studies 8.C.2.2.E
The Standard
- 8.C.2
- Examine key military and diplomatic events of the Revolutionary War that resulted in an independent nation.
- 8.C.2.2
- Evaluate the motivations and points of view of various populations to remain loyal to Britain, join the patriot cause, or choose neutrality.
Examine the views of free and enslaved Blacks toward the revolution, including petitions to colonial governments for a ban on slavery and the British recruitment of enslaved Black men in exchange for freedom.
Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies (2026) · 8.C.2.2
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students explain how free and enslaved Black people viewed the Revolution in light of their own freedom. They examine petitions asking colonial governments to end slavery and the British offer of freedom to some enslaved men who served.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students can explain what Black petitioners asked colonial leaders to do and why some enslaved men joined British forces. They use evidence from both sources to show that Black people did not share one view of the Revolution.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may assume all Black people chose the same side, or that petitioning colonial leaders meant supporting independence. Some think the British offer applied to every enslaved person and guaranteed freedom.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Name one change Black petitioners asked colonial leaders to make. Who was eligible for the British offer of freedom, and what did they have to do?
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs short excerpts from a Massachusetts antislavery petition and Lord Dunmore's proclamation; have them mark the audience, request, and limits.
Ask: Why might one person petition colonial leaders while another joined British forces? Use one detail from each source.
Play a source-match game: students pair four claim cards with lines from the petition and proclamation, then explain each match.
Show a sample petition asking a school board to change a bus route; compare its target and request with the antislavery petition.
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