Women & Revolutionary Politics Lesson Plan

Women had influence in politics, though often through their husbands. Women like Abigail Adams, the wife of Massachusetts Congressional Delegate John Adams, influenced politics as did Mercy Otis Warren.

It was Abigail Adams who famously and voluminously corresponded with her husband while he was in Philadelphia, reminding him that in the new form of government that was being established he should “remember the ladies” or they too, would foment a revolution of their own.

Warren, just as politically astute as Adams, was a prolific writer, not only recording her thoughts about the confluence of events swirling around Boston but also dabbling in playwriting. She was a fierce devotee to the patriot cause, writing in December 1774, four months before the war broke out at Lexington and Concord, “America stands armed with resolution and virtue, but she still recoils at the idea of drawing the sword against the nation from whence she derived her origin.”

This Lesson Plan can be used as a prepared resource by following this curriculum plan which aligns to NCSS and Common Core Standards.

This Lesson Plan's assets can also be used on their own as supplemental resources. The display format is prepared for easy access, exploring, and learning.

Curriculum Modules

Module | 3 Lesson Plans

Women & The American Revolution Module

This set of lesson plans focuses on the lives, political influence and experiences of women during the American Revolution.

Upon completion of this lesson, the students will be able to:

1. Knowledge

Explain the limitations and new opportunities that women experienced with politics during the Revolutionary War era.
Discuss the contributions and legacies of Abigail Adams and Mercy Otis Warren during the American Revolution.

2. Comprehension/Application/Analysis

Read through primary and secondary source documents and consider the political and legal issues that were important to some women during the American Revolution.

3. Evaluation

Consider how the American Revolution affected women’s lives and political interests and if they led the way for future political achievements and rights for American women in other decades.

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Women and Revolutionary Politics Lesson Plan Teaching Guide

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Women and Revolutionary Politics PowerPoint

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Women and Revolutionary Politics Worksheet

Check out the Lesson Plan Teaching Guide for more instructions on using the prepared Lesson Plan.

Lesson Plan Primary Source Activity:

Use the Lesson’s PowerPoint to explore the context and history; the PowerPoint introduces Essential Questions and lays foundational knowledge about the topic.
Students will learn about Abigail Adams and Mercy Otis Warren and compare their findings.
Allow or assign students to study either Adams or Warren and distribute the primary source worksheet.
Students will read a short biography article (Secondary Source) about the woman they are studying and fill out the biographical notes on the worksheet.
1. Abigail Adams
2. Mercy Otis Warren
Students will read a Primary Source written by the woman they are studying and fill out the primary source notes on their worksheet.
1. Adams – “Remember the Ladies”
2. Warren – “Much Interested”
As a group, discuss the similarities and differences between Adams and Warren’s experiences and opinions as reflected in these primary sources. (A Venn Diagram or other comparison chart on a teaching board might be helpful for showing the students’ answers during the discussion.) Students can refer to their answers on their worksheets, and the discussion can be guided by the worksheet questions.
Some follow-up reflection questions are:
1. How did living during the American Revolution shape Adams and Warren’s opinions and hopes?
2. Did their ideas change society at the time? Did change come after their lifetimes?
3. How were Adams and Warren viewed during their lifetimes?
4. How are they remembered today?
5. What lessons can we learn from their legacy?
6. How do Adams and Warren’s opinions relate to present-day issues?
7. If Adams or Warren were alive today, what issues might she focus on?

OPTIONAL HOMEWORK/ASSESSMENT/ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES:

Option 1: Write Some Influence

Women who could write sometimes penned essays or pamphlets about issues that mattered to them, including politics before and during the American Revolution. Invite the students to consider how politics are influenced now, and people are informed today.

Choosing either a historical political topic related to the Revolutionary War or a modern issue have the students write either a traditional persuasive essay (like the historic pamphlets) or a drafted series of social media posts, persuasively related to the chosen topic.

Option 2: Daughters of Liberty

Students can research the Daughters of Liberty and how this group had political opinions and influence, giving women a way to participate in the 1770s.

The Daughters of Liberty

Who were the Sons and Daughters of Liberty?

Then have the students design posters that would encourage women in the 1770s to join the Daughters of Liberty. Focus on the threats of the era and the benefits of supporting causes of liberty.

Common Core State Standards- ELA & History/Social Studies

Grades 6-8

Key Ideas & Details:
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.1
  - Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2
  - Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
Craft and Structure:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.6
  - Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.9
  - Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.

Grades 9-10

Key Ideas & Details:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.1
  - Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.2
  - Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.
Craft and Structure:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.6
  - Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their respective accounts.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.8
  - Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author's claims.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.9
  - Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.

Grades 11-12

Key Ideas & Details:
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.1
  - Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.2
  - Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
Craft and Structure:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.6
  - Evaluate authors' differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors' claims, reasoning, and evidence.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.8
  - Evaluate an author's premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.9
  - Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.