Growing Patriots

The colonies had met and decided it was time to be independent. First, they had to tell the king! In this episode, we're joined by Thomas Jefferson himself, the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence, to tell us all about it.

It was time for freedom, but it didn't come without a fight. The American colonies had to fight a war for their independence and the right man had to be in charge. George Washington stepped in as commander and the Continental Army took on the strongest military in the world.

The first shot has been fired, and American colonists are ready to fight for their liberty. Delegates from all 13 colonies meet to figure out how to win their freedom- and what to do once they have it!

The first shot is fired and revolution is on! It's one of the most important shots ever fired- but who fired it? Why? How was it heard around the world? Since we recorded this in the middle of a pandemic, Amelia is going solo for this quick minisode.

The first shot is fired and revolution is on! It's one of the most important shots ever fired- but who fired it? Why? How was it heard around the world? Since we recorded this in the middle of a pandemic, Amelia is going solo for this quick minisode.

Words were a huge part of how America became free. Pamphlets, speeches, letters, and documents changed people's minds, but they were also dangerous! Today, we're joined by a free expression expert to talk about what words did to make us free- and why that still matters.

"The British are coming!" Is that really what Paul Revere said? Who was with him? In this episode, we find out what happened on the night of April 18, 1775- and what it meant for American history.

What was Christmas like during the time of the American Revolution? Did soldiers have time to celebrate? What about people at home? We find out in this special episode!

How was Thanksgiving celebrated at the time of the American Revolution? Did soldiers celebrate differently than civilians? In this special episode, we find out!

After Britain imposed the Intolerable Acts, the American Colonies decided something had to be done. Representatives from the different colonies met in Philadelphia for a Continental Congress to decide what that should be. In this episode, we get all of the details from a true expert!

After the Boston Tea Party, Britain wanted to punish the American colonies. They passed a series of laws that became known as the Intolerable Acts or Coercive Acts. They were supposed to prove to the colonists that they were in charge, but do you think the colonists obeyed? Find out in this episode!

When Britain taxed tea, colonists proved that they meant it when they said "no taxation without representation!" In December of 1773, patriots snuck onto a ship carrying tea into Boston and threw it into the harbor. Hear all about how that happened, why, and what happened next.

Things just kept getting worse between Britain and the American Colonies, and tensions boil over in Boston in what is now called "The Boston Massacre." How the people reacted is just as important as how it happened. Find out all the details in this episode!

Britain had to pay for the French and Indian War and, through things like the Stamp Act, were raising taxes on American Colonists to do it. The colonists didn't think it was fair that they could be taxed when their voices weren't even being heard by the British- they weren't being represented. The cry of "no taxation without representation" took hold in the American Colonies, and the idea that people deserved to be heard by their government was one that would change the world.

After the French and Indian War, Great Britain needed to raise money. They did that by taxing the American colonies- without giving colonists any say in it. Here comes trouble between Britain and the American Colonies, and the colonists' favorite saying: "no taxation without representation."