In almost every historical story there is a winner and a loser. Often we simply hear the winner’s perspective: how great they are, how they overcame adversity or immediately crushed their opponent, and how they had the right idea. We never hear about the loser. Why was the loser attacked? What was the loser’s point of view in the conflict? Could the loser’s idea have been fair and valid after all?

It is easy to forget that the American Revolution has two sides: British and Colonist, Loyalist and Patriot. I find it difficult to find a history book printed in the United States that is unbiased. The Colonists are heroes, the British are tyrants. End of story. But isn’t it possible that the British weren’t malicious after all?

When teaching any conflict, it is absolutely imperative that students be given all of the facts and given the opportunity to choose a side. The American Revolution is a conflict, thus it must be taught in an unbiased way even though we are American teachers having discussions with American students. You may be thinking “That’s not patriotic”, but the idea isn’t to push a Tory agenda. The idea is to allow students to analyze and evaluate the events leading up to the American Revolution and decide for themselves who was right and who was wrong. One of my students came to the conclusion that many of the disagreements between the British and the American Colonists were the result of misunderstandings: one side misinterpreting what the other side was trying to accomplish. By having this type of discussion it encourages our students to think critically and to think with an open mind.

I urge you to give your students this freedom of choice. In a democratic society, particularly in the one that those Colonists fought so hard to obtain, freedom of speech, thought, and expression is invaluable. Though they may not agree on the choice of topic, I’m certain that our forefathers and foremothers would be proud that our students are learning to think for themselves.