John and Abigail Adams in Times of Change: the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Smallpox Epidemic during the American Revolution

Developed by Michael Barton, Greater Lowell Technical High School, Lowell, Mass.

These two curriculum units examine life in Boston, Massachusetts during the American Revolution as experienced through the letters of John and Abigail Adams. Between 1762 and 1801, John and Abigail wrote more than 1,100 letters to each other, recounting some of the most important events in American history. They are personal narratives that relate to John's political challenges and Abigail's day-to-day struggles, most significantly during the Battle of Bunker Hill and the smallpox epidemic. Both units are designed to be taught in an interdisciplinary fashion, with emphasis on Language Arts and Social Studies skills. They include assignments and questions for discussion and comprehension. In addition to the transcriptions of primary source documents included with each lesson plan, links to digital images of documents have been provided where available.

• View/Download Complete Unit
• View/Download Individual Lessons
  • View/Download Lesson 1: The Battle of Bunker Hill
  • View/Download Lesson 2: The Smallpox Epidemic