Colonial Ascent: Experiencing the Revolution
The British Are Coming!
On Experiencing Revolution, Freedom, and the Courage to Choose
At Ascent Academy, we believe the best way to learn history is to step into it. Colonial Ascent is one of our longest-standing historical simulations- first created at the original Acton campus and featured in Courage to Grow– designed not to reenact the American Revolution, but to invite learners to experience the tensions, choices, and courage it demanded.
For several days, both the Discovery and Explore Studios transformed into British colonies under the rule of “King George.” Taxes appeared, freedoms narrowed, proclamations reshaped daily life, and suddenly the abstract ideas in history books became deeply personal. Learners felt the injustice of arbitrary rules, the pressure of group decisions, the pull between loyalty and resistance, and the discomfort of not knowing what might happen next.
Colonial Ascent asks learners to wrestle with real questions:
What is freedom? What is worth standing up for? When is a hero truly free?
Tension Builds: Stepping Into the Lives of Colonists
The experience began with small annoyances- taxes on lunch, microwave use, or free time. As the days unfolded, the stakes grew. Loyalists were granted privileges. Patriots began to organize. Both studios experienced moments when freedoms vanished entirely, and learners had to work off “debt” to the Crown.
Suddenly, history wasn’t distant, in fact it was real, urgent, and alive.
Learners gave speeches. Some cried. Some argued for patience, others for rebellion. A few hid behind the yurt to draft secret documents. Groups fractured and re-formed. They wrestled with questions the founders themselves faced:
What happens when your community is divided?
What risks are worth taking?
What if your stand fails?
How do you bring people together, even when you disagree?
They experienced making critical decisions such as signing a declaration, joining a boycott, or refusing privileges.
Discovery Studio: A Revolution With Terrible Odds
The Discovery Studio learned quickly that revolutions rarely favor the underdogs.
After days of increasing taxes, suspended freedoms, and collective consequences, the colonists discovered they could declare independence, but only unanimously. And even then, the outcome would be determined by a single roll of a six-sided die:
A 1 or 2 meant victory.
A 3, 4, 5, or 6 meant failure and additional penalties determined by a second roll.
Despite the odds, they chose courage.
They debated fairness, responsibility, and the cost of freedom. They drafted their own Declaration of Independence. They persuaded hesitant classmates. And together, they rolled the dice.
They lost.
But what followed was more important: a learner stood up and said,
“Even though we lost, everyone here had the courage to stand up for what they believe in.”
Explore Studio: Division, Debate, and a Continental Congress
Explore’s experience unfolded like a living case study in loyalty, persuasion, and the human side of revolution.
As taxes rose and freedoms disappeared, a small group of Loyalists benefited from special treatment…until they didn’t. Patriots organized boycotts and formed a Continental Congress in the yurt, drafting their own Declaration of Independence. Two learners even staged a jailbreak through whiteboards.
But something deeper was happening beneath the theatrics:
Learners were discovering that how a revolution is fought matters just as much as why.
Some Loyalists refused to sign the declaration because the arguments made lacked the substance they were looking for, and the delivery wasn’t respectful/persuasive. The Patriots were fighting for freedom, yet struggling to persuade with respect. It mirrored a truth from real history: revolutions succeed not only through passion, but through unity, communication, and integrity.
As tensions escalated, guides brought the studio together for a reset. They reflected on divided groups in history, how families might navigate disagreement, and the importance of how we speak to one another in moments of conflict.
On Monday, Explore held a formal debate- an opportunity to clarify what they truly stand for and whether they believe breaking from the Crown is worth the risk.
Where the Story Goes Next
Explore’s revolution is still unfolding. A few Loyalists remain unconvinced, not because they oppose freedom, but because they haven’t yet heard compelling arguments for why freedom itself matters, beyond restoring comfort or returning to the old order.
In other words:
They’re waiting for the Patriots to do the work of persuasion, purpose, and vision.
Over the next few days, the studio will wrestle with the true meaning of freedom and what it takes to fight for it honorably, courageously, and together.
We look forward to seeing where their story leads!
