'1776' - How I Taught the Declaration of Independence

 

    When I discovered 1776, it immediately became a favorite of mine, and I made it a huge part of teaching the Declaration of Independence in my American History classroom, showing it every year to every class, meaning that I have seen the film version probably at least 50 times.  I often - a little facetiously - call it the greatest history play/musical ever, even after Hamilton exploded.  I taught many creative students who were often involved in theater and music and who loved Hamilton. I enjoy it as well, and I used some of the songs in my classroom.  When I started 1776,  those students probably were skeptical to say the least, just going along with "Old Man Burns" to get a couple of free days in class while he shows this old relic.  Almost without exception, they found themselves drawn in, despite themselves, and some quoted lines and sang the songs for the rest of the school year.  Why do I love it so much?   The writing, the cast, the songs, the humor - everything - but especially the way the creators captured the historical zeitgeist of Philadelphia in during 1776 as the Continental Congress debates the Declaration, as well as the way that it subtly comments on contemporary America at the time it was written.

"The Lees of Old Virginia"

    1776  was originally a musical with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and book by Peter Stone, and it focuses on John Adams and his efforts to get the Congress to officially declare independence from Britain.  It debuted on Broadway in 1969, winning three Tony awards, including Best Musical, on London's West End in 1970, and it has been successfully revived on Broadway twice, in 1997 and in 2022.  For America's semiquincentennial, local theater groups around the country have mounted, or are planning to put on, their own productions.  I'll be seeing it live on stage for the first time in a few days myself.

    While 1776  captures the major political tensions and many character traits of the Founding Fathers, it is not a literal historical transcript. The musical condenses timelines, simplifies the 56 signers down to a handful of delegates, and invents dramatic plot points, adding catchy songs and great humor.  The musical's major historical liberties include:

• The Slavery Debate: The climax features a dramatic stand-off over Thomas Jefferson's anti-slavery clause, which the musical claims was struck out after a southern walkout. In reality, while the clause was deleted, the walkout never happened, and delegates from both the North and South were involved in the deletion. The song "Molasses to Rum" is an excellent summary of the history of the transatlantic slave trade and the Middle Passage.
• "Molasses to Rum"
• The Congressional Roll Call: The movie portrays a tense, down-to-the-wire roll call where delegates are slowly swayed to vote "yea." This was staged for dramatic tension; the actual proceedings were much more bureaucratic and spread over several weeks. 

The Vote

• The Courier's Song: The song "Momma Look Sharp" is sung by a fictional courier to represent the human cost of the war and a connection to the Vietnam War, which was raging in 1969.
• "Mama Look Sharp"
• The Timeline: The heatwave in Philadelphia and the timeline of events have been condensed for the stage. 
• Jefferson's Wife: The romantic subplot of John Adams sending for Jefferson's wife to cure his writer's block is entirely fictional, created for human interest, romance, and some really funny bits. Martha Jefferson did not visit Philadelphia during that summer. 

• "He Plays the Violin"

    Despite these creative liberties, the musical is well-regarded for accurately portraying the profound political divisions, regional tensions, and Adams' reputation as an often abrasive—yet tireless—leader. Furthermore, much of the dialogue and lyrics are famously taken directly from the actual letters and memoirs of the participants.  Notably, Abigail Adams becomes a major character through dream-like sequences in which she and John sing to each other, using subject matter and lines from the many actual letters that the pair wrote to each other.  For more on historical accuracy, see the  Wikipedia Article for a good summary.  Like any historical fiction, play or movie based on historical events, there are inaccuracies to be sure, but, as I said, I believe that the play/film perfectly captures the essence of the events and stimulates the interests of its viewers, leading them to explore and learn more on their on - so it's a winner.

  

"St Down, John!"                                                    "Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve"/"Till Then"

"Yours, Yours, Yours"

    Three of the original Broadway cast revive their characters in the film version:  William Daniels as John Adams, Kevin Howard as Thomas Jefferson, and Howard da Silva as Benjamin Franklin.  (Side note:  I just learned that Brent Spiner, Star Trek's Data, played Adams in the 1997 revival - very interesting.)  William Daniels is a fantastic actor, at this writing still with us at age 99, that I first became a fan of during on St. Elsewhere, the 1980s medical drama that was my favorite medical drama of all time until "The Pitt."  Later he was KITT, the talking car computer on Knight Rider,   and history teacher/mentor Mr. Feeney on that horrible dreck Boy Meets World.  A couple of years ago, he and his wife appeared at a local book store to promote their respective memoirs, and I was honored to meet  them, tell him how I used the movie in class, and ask him to sign my copy of the book and a poster that I had purchased on Ebay.  Ken Howard later starred as a high school basketball coach on The White Shadow.  Howard da Silva's casting is an incredibly interesting story:  Da Silva was a very successful character actor on Broadway and in films in the 1930s and 1940s, until McCarthyism and the Red Scare swept through the country,  His Hollywood career was on the ascent until 1951 when he was called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee investigating communists in the entertainment industry.  Da Silva was the first witness to invoke the 5th amendment in his testimony, and as a result, he was one of hundreds who were blacklisted, making it impossible for him to make films.  He sustained himself for the next couple of decades on stage, and 1776 marked his return to film.  

  
William Daniels on playing John Adams                                "But Mr. Adams"

"The Egg"

    If you haven't seen the movie, it is available on YouTube in its entirety;

Here are the guiding questions that I used to spur discussion in class:

1. What is John Adams’ view of the Congress?

 

2. Describe the relationship between John and Abigail Adams.

 

3. How is John Adams described?

 

4. Who proposed the resolution calling for independence?

 

5. Who is “Old Grape and Guts”?

 

6. Name Georgia’s representative in the movie.

 

7. Who is described as both the oldest and youngest delegate?

 

8. Identify  John Dickinson and Caesar Rodney.

 

9. Who “insists on standing in Mr. Dickinson’s shadow?”  What does that mean?

 

10.   Who is the President of the Congress?

 

11.    Why did Hancock ask Franklin about New Jersey’s absence?

 

12. Describe Philadelphia in July 1776.

 

13. Describe Thomas Jefferson as portrayed in the movie.

 

14. How do the clothes and attitudes of the delegates reflect their colonies?

 

15. Why was unanimity required for an independence vote?

 

16. Name the five men appointed to the committee to write the Declaration.

 

17. Describe the American soldier, as described by Washington’s letters.

 

18. The song sung by the soldier could also be interpreted as commentary on what event taking place at the time this play was written (and movie was made) --- 1972?

 

19.   What did Franklin propose as the national symbol of the US and why?

 

20. Who stinketh the most?  What does that line mean?

 

21. Dickinson or Wilson.  Which man is more honorable?

 

22. What grammatical or spelling error do Adams and Jefferson quibble over?

 

23. Why did John Hancock say he was signing so large?

 

24. What does the soldier’s appearance and demeanor in his scenes reveal about the war ?