the beanbody histories: the american revolution part...

The Beanbody Histories:

The American Revolution Part I

Teacher’s Guide Written by Barri Golbus

Produced

by Colman Communications Corp.

Table of Contents Page Program Overview 3

Viewer Objectives 5

Suggested Lesson Plan 6

Description of Blackline Masters 9

Answer Key 10

Transcript of the Video 10

Web Resources 18 Purchase of this program entitles the user the right to reproduce or duplicate, in whole or in part, this teacher’s guide and the blackline master handouts that accompany it for the purpose of teaching in conjunction with this video. This right is restricted for use only with this video program. Any reproduction or duplication in whole or in part of this guide and the blackline master handouts for any purpose other than for use with this video program is prohibited.

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PPAARRTT II Grades 4-6

Viewing Time: 15:25

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Intended Audience and Uses

The American Revolution, Part I has been produced for students in grades 4-6. Its primary purpose is to help youngsters understand the historical factors that led to the American colonists' break from England. It also can deepen student understanding of 18th century U.S. history.

Program Synopsis

As the program opens, Mr. Beanbody, Jeffrey and Lilly are getting ready to march in an Independence Day parade.

The children are surprised to learn that the United States achieved its independence through a revolution against the mother country, England. Using his tablet computer's

Go Back App, Mr. Beanbody transports himself and the children to Boston in 1763, immediately after the end of

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the French and Indian War. Mr. Beanbody explains that to understand the American Revolution, one must return to the end of that conflict, when England needed to pay its war debts. Four colonists sit nearby in the Green Dragon Inn and Tavern. They exclaim how proud they are to be citizens of the most powerful country in the world. Mr. Beanbody notes that, over time, the citizens' attitudes will change. He and the children then travel to London, where Parliament is in session. They see the king's

Prime Minister, Lord George Grenville, clarify the need to levy taxes on the American colonists. Grenville also states that to solve the problem of smuggling in America, accused smugglers will not have a trial by jury. Back at the Green Dragon, one of the citizens is outraged by the loss of the cherished right of a trial by jury. Another citizen complains that the new taxes will result in taxation without representation. A third states that being Englishmen, they should petition Parliament to reconsider. Mr. Beanbody says that Parliament ignored the complaints and gives several reasons why communication between the colonists and Parliament was so poor. Because the new taxes did not raise enough money, Parliament then levied more taxes, including the Stamp Act Tax, which Mr. Beanbody explains. He and the children then go to the "Stamp Act Congress" in New York City, where a boycott of British

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goods is suggested. To retaliate, Parliament passes the Declaratory Act which gives all control of the colonies to the English. Soon thereafter, the Townshend Acts dissolve the Massachusetts legislature and more taxes are levied on the colonists. Moreover, General Thomas Gage, the British military leader in America, is ordered to enter Boston in case protests turn violent. Back at the Green Dragon, the citizens are angered by the presence of the soldiers and Parliament's new law that allows colonial protestors to be tried for treason. Next, the "Boston Massacre" is shown in

some detail, as is "The Boston Tea Party." At the Green Dragon, the citizens discuss the events and their attitudes by now have radically shifted against the

mother country (with one exception -- the lone loyalist in the group). Finally, a member of Parliament, referring to the colonists as "wretched villains," helps pass the four "Intolerable Acts," each of which is explained.

VIEWER OBJECTIVES

After viewing this video and participating in the suggested activities, viewers should be able to do the following:

1. Name at least five actions of Parliament that led to the American Revolution.

2. Explain what the "Stamp Act" was and why it angered the American colonists.

3. Recount the events of "The Boston Massacre" and "The Boston Tea Party."

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4. Explain the specifics of the "Declaratory Acts" and the "Intolerable Acts."

The producers encourage you to make adaptations and changes to the following lesson plan whenever you feel it will enhance your students’ learning experiences. Only by tailoring the material to your unique classroom situation will you be able to maximize the educational experience afforded by these materials.

SUGGESTED LESSON PLAN

Viewing Strategies

Various strategies may be employed when showing The American Revolution, Part I to your class. If you wish to use the video as a way to give general information about the events that led up to the revolution, you may find it useful to show the entire program in one screening, then follow up with appropriate questions (see the Suggested Discussion Questions blackline master) and/or activities suggested in this guide. Alternately, you may show various sequences which discuss major events, such as "The Boston Tea Party" and "The Boston Massacre" as a way to enhance

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your lessons on these topics.

Introduce the Program

The producers encourage you to prescreen the program to familiarize yourself with its content.

Ask the class to define the term "revolution." After several definitions are offered, give the dictionary definition: "an

overthrow or repudiation and the thorough replace-ment of an established government or political system by the people governed."

Ask the class if anyone knows about the American Revo- lution. Elicit several answers. Ask, "Why do revolutions begin?" Tell the class they will see a video about the revolution in a few minutes.

Pre-Viewing Activities

Explain that almost all revolutions need people to desire a change. What makes people want to change a political system? Help your students understand that people want to change a political system or a government when corruption occurs, or when people feel that they are not being treated with respect and honesty. They also want a change when they feel that they are not listened to. Why doesn't the United States and other western democracies have revolutions today like other countries in the world (Latin America and the Middle East, for example). Tell the class that the video they are about the see will show four American colonists who discuss the events that lead to the

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revolution. Ask them to pay close attention to events and the colonists' reactions to them.

Post-Viewing Activities

Discuss the program, using the Suggested Discussion Questions if you prefer. Then hand out Window Taxes and have your students do the exercise. After that, have your students create a schematic drawing entitled "Action and Reaction." Start with the French and Indian War and then add each British action (such as "tax colonists") and the American reactions from 1763-1774. Help your students understand the escalation that occurred during period.

Next, hand out Window Taxes, A Pre-Revolution Time Line, The Sons of Liberty, More on the Stamp Act, More on the Boston Massacre, More on the Boston Tea Party, Samuel Adams, and Implications of the Intolerable Acts. Have your students complete the activities on these handouts either individually or in small groups, or assign the activities as homework. After discussing the video, hand out the Revolution, Part I Evaluation Exercise. After your students complete the exercise, you will be able

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to determine the level of comprehension of the material in this lesson.

Description of Blackline Masters

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS – Gives questions that may be asked after each segment is viewed. WINDOW TAXES – Provides additional information on a tax mentioned in the program and gives students an opportunity to use their math skills to solve a tax problem.

IMPLICATIONS OF THE FOUR INTOLERABLE ACTS – Discusses the outcomes of the four acts.

A PRE-REVOLUTION TIME LINE – Helps students form a better understanding of the events that led up to the American Revolution.

THE SONS OF LIBERTY – Explains the importance of this organization and gives students an opportunity to role play as members of this group.

MORE ON THE STAMP ACT – Tells the significance of this Parliamentary legislation in moving the colonists toward open rebellion.

MORE ON THE BOSTON MASSACRE – Explores several historical theories as to how and why the massacre took place.

MORE ON THE BOSTON TEA PARTY – Gives some interesting, little known facts about this historical event.

SAMUEL ADAMS – Explains the vital role Adams played in the revolution and provides interesting background on Adam's character.

REVOLUTION, PART I EVALUATION EXERCISE – Helps teachers and students determine how well the material has been comprehended.

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ANSWER KEY

Video Quiz: 1. c. 2. the British paid for the colonists' protection from French, Spanish and Indian attacks. 3. False 4. b. 5. False 6. c. 7. tea 8. a. 9. True

Window Taxes: 20, 9, 11

A Pre-Revolution Time Line: 1763 -- French and Indian War ends 1765 -- The Stamp Act, The Stamp Act Congress 1766 --The Declaratory Act 1767 -- The Townshend Act 1770 -- The Boston Massacre 1773 -- The Boston Tea Party 1774 -- The Intolerable Acts, The First Continental Congress

Revolution, Part I Evaluation Exercise: Part I 1. F 2. T 3. F 4. T 5. F Part II 1. c 2. a 3. d 4. a 5. c 6. b 7. d 8. c 9. d 10. d Part III 1. b 2. e 3. a 4. c 5. d Part IV 1. It was the most powerful country in the world. 2. It levied taxes to pay its war debts. 3.The colonists should pay for their own protection from the French, Spanish and Indians. 4. The Declaratory Act gave Parliament all power over the colonies. 5. It was a response to the Intolerable Acts.

TRANSCRIPT OF THE VIDEO

(Underlined words may be used for vocabulary lessons.)

JEFFREY: Wow, I just love riding my bike in these 4th of July parades!

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LILLY: Me, too, Jeffrey! MR. BEANBODY: I, also, enjoy 4th of July parades. But it's always a good idea to remember the historic events that led to the independence of our country. JEFFREY: Everybody knows about the Declaration of Indepen- dence. LILLY: Signed on July 4th, 1776! MR. BEANBODY: Yes, but what I mean is the fascinating story of the American revolution. JEFFREY AND LILLY (TOGETHER): There was a revolution?! MR. BEANBODY: Oh, indeed there was! And it was one of the most important events in all of human history. As it happens, I've just made some improvements on my “Go-Back- App" and this is a perfect opportunity to test them. Shall we? JEFFREY: Where the heck are we, Mr. Beanbody? LILLY: And what year is, anyway? MR. BEANBODY: Well, let’s see. Ah, there it is! Boston, Massachusetts Colony...1763! LILLY: Gosh, Mr. Beanbody, I thought we were going back to 1776. But it's...let's see…oh, yes...13 years earlier! MR. BEANBODY: Well, Lilly, to really understand why there was a Revolutionary War, we have return to the end of another conflict -- the French and Indian War. The British were victorious in 1763, and the American colonists, who were British citizens, of course, were enormously proud of the mother country. CITIZEN ONE: There can be no dispute now, gentlemen. Great Britain is the most powerful nation in the world! CITIZEN TWO: And I, for one, take great pride in being a citizen of such an illustrious nation!

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CITIZEN THREE: Hear, hear! To the mother country! CITIZENS 1, 2 ,3, 4: Huzzah! Huzzah! JEFFREY: Gee, Mr. Beanbody, it sure doesn't look like those colonists are ready to start a revolution! MR. BEANBODY: You're quite right, Jeffrey. But a chain of events changed many colonists' opinion of the mother country – and changed it for the worse!

We need to go to Great Britain to see how those events unfolded. We’ll begin here, in Parliament, where laws were made for British citizens wherever they might be – including North America. That's the King's Prime Minister, Lord George Grenville. GRENVILLE: Gentlemen, our taxes on windows here in Eng- land have not proved to be sufficient. Thus, we are in desperate need of funds to pay our war debts. MR. BEANBODY: To pay for soldiers’ salaries, guns, ammuni- tion, ships and so on – things needed in the French and Indian War. GRENVILLE: So we must also impose taxes on the American colonists. MOP 1: If I may speak, Prime Minister. GRENVILLE: The chair recognizes Sir Thomas Carter. MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT 1: I am in complete agreement. After all, his majesty’s army safeguards our American subjects from the French, Spanish and Indians. I say it’s only fair that the colonists pay for their own protection. GRENVILLE: I concur. And any colonist accused of smuggling in America, must, at his own expense travel to the Vice-Admir- alty Court in Nova Scotia, where he will be tried by a judge.

MR. BEANBODY: By a judge? Not a jury? Huh! Well, let’s go back to the Green Dragon Inn and Tavern a year later to see what the colonists thought of those two laws.

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CITIZEN THREE: Outrageous! CITIZEN TWO: A trial by judge only? That’s appalling! CITIZEN ONE: A trial by jury is the right of every British citizen! They can’t take that away! Why...why, it’s simply scandalous! CITIZEN THREE: And what about these new import taxes? Made without our consent, I might add! That’s taxation without representation! CITIZEN FOUR: Gentlemen, gentlemen. Please, let’s not forget we are English citizens. If we feel the laws are unjust, we should complain and petition Parliament to reconsider.

MR. BEANBODY: The complaints were made, but they were ignored. Parliament simply did not understand how the colonists felt, which is somewhat understandable when you consider that the mother country was more than 3,000 miles away, a huge distance in the 1700s. Also, communication was very slow and difficult – not at all like today. Nor did members of Parliament understand that the colonists were used to governing themselves. Each colony had its own legislature. And for the most part, the English government had left the colonies alone to manage their own affairs for more than 150 years. Now, all of a sudden, the British seemed to be interfering in the colonies’ business. In any event, the new taxes did little to reduce Great Britain’s war debts. So Parliament announced more taxes and regulations on the colonies, despite colonial objections. One was the Stamp Act tax. It required that only special, very expensive stamped paper could be used for many kinds of documents – newspapers, contracts, pamphlets, magazines and more.

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Now, let’s go to October, 1765. A group of concerned citizens met in New York City. The meeting was called “The Stamp Act Congress.” The assembly decided that, among other actions, the colonists should no longer buy British goods. In other words, they wanted a boycott. To retaliate and to show the that it was in charge, Parliament then passed the Declaratory Act which stated that it would have ALL legal control over the colonies! Not only that, the so-called “Townshend Acts" dissolved the legislature, to which many militant colonial leaders belonged, and threatened to close down others. On top of that, even more taxes were passed! Moreover, the British military leader in New York, Gen. Thomas Gage, was ordered to prepare his troops to enter Boston in case there was any trouble. And trouble there was! So the soldiers marched into Boston in 1768. As you can imagine, the colonists were very upset about that. CITIZEN THREE: With soldiers here to keep us in line, it’s as clear as the nose on my face, we are becoming a suppressed people. CITIZEN TWO: And listen to this: “Parliament proposes that colonial protestors be tried for treason!” My law! All we want is some representation! That’s not treasonous! That’s our right as British citizens! MR. BEANBODY: At that point, things went from bad to worse. Let’s move on to March 5, 1770 -- the date of the so-called Boston Massacre. There were a series of street fights in Boston that day between angry colonists and soldiers. They continued into the evening.

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TAUNTER: You big bully lobster! Why don’t you go back to England where you belong? Uh! CROWD PERSON 1: What happened? TAUNTER: That simpleminded brute struck me! CROWD PERSON 2: What’s that? A fire? CROWD PERSON 1: There’s no fire! But that goon of a soldier over there beat up this defenseless patriot. CROWD PERSON 2: He did, eh? Well, we’ll have to teach that red-coated thug a thing or two about proper manners! Follow me! CAPTAIN PRESTON: Halt! Disburse and no one will be hurt! MOB PERSON 1: Go ahead and shoot! Shoot if you’re brave enough! MOB PERSON 2: Shoot us, you lobster-back weaklings! MOB PERSON 3: You craven mice!

CAPT. PRESTON: Don’t shoot! MR. BEANBODY: Five colonists’ lives – gone. CITIZEN FOUR: It is tragic, but surely the soldiers were afraid the mob would attack them. CITIZEN ONE: Well, you’re a loyalist, Malcolm, so naturally you’d see it that way! CITIZEN THREE: Have you heard about the resounding success of the boycott, Malcolm? CITIZEN ONE: I have! Indeed, Peg and I no longer buy any British-made clothing nor drink any tea! I’ll not spend a tinker’s pence on tea imported from England! MR. BEANBODY: Speaking of tea, let’s now move on to late November,1773, when posters went up in various places around Boston announcing the arrival of tea-bearing ships.

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On December 16th, several groups of colonists – many disguised as Indians – boarded the vessels carried all the tea chests up to the top deck, chopped them open with their tomahawks, and dumped their contents Boston Harbor to protest Britain’s tax policies on tea. This incident became known as “The Boston Tea Party.” JEFFREY: Gosh, Mr. Beanbody, I don’t understand why the colonists were so upset about tea! LILLY: Right! Tea’s just so…so boring!

MR. BEANBODY: It wasn’t boring to the colonists, Lilly. Tea was a very important drink at social gatherings and was also an essential, everyday beverage. Remember, in those days there weren’t all the sodas and health drinks available to us today. Thus, tea was one of the few flavored liquids to be had. So, how to you think Parliament reacted to the Boston Tea Party?

JEFFREY: They were upset, right? MR. BEANBODY: Well, let’s see, shall we? MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT 2: These colonists have shown themselves to be scandalously disloyal to the crown! They are treacherous, wretched villains who need to be taught a lesson, which these four laws will do! They will show those hooligans that we will no longer tolerate their brazen impudence! MR. BEANBODY: Those laws became known as the “Intolerable Acts,” or the “Coercive Acts.” The first closed the port of Boston until the shippers were paid for the destroyed tea. The second allowed British soldiers to live in colonists’ houses without having to ask.

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The next act said that colonial governors, appointed by the king, would have vastly increased powers. The Final intolerable Act allowed British soldiers to change judges if they felt they wouldn’t get a fair trial. LILLY: Wow, I can just imagine how upset the colonists were when they heard about those “Intolerable Acts!” MR. BEANBODY: Yes, Lilly, they were quite upset. So in September 1774, fifty-five men gathered in Philadelphia for First Continental Congress.

They proclaimed the “Intolerable Acts” to be unlawful and said that Massachusetts should create a new legislature. They advised people to arm themselves in case of a British attack! Finally, they declared that if any patriot was jailed, colonists had the right to jail British officials. My goodness! Look at the time! We’d better get back for the parade! JEFFREY: Gee, Mr. Beanbody, I didn’t know there were so many things that led up to the revolution! MR. BEANBODY: Oh yes, Jeffrey, there certainly were! Starting from the need to pay for the French and Indian War, to each side becoming more angry and distrustful – many events made a revolution more and more likely. LILLY: Then what about the revolution itself, Mr. Beanbody? MR. BEANBODY: Oh, no time for that now, Lilly. The parade is about to begin! After the parade, we’ll talk about the revolution and George Washington, the commander-in-chief of the American forces!

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Web Resources

American Revolutionary War http://www.americanrevolutionarywar.net/

A comprehensive, well-researched and excellently written site for information on the Revolution

The History Place - American Revolution

http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/rev-prel.htm A year-by-year of the Revolution's major events

The Library of Congress American Revolution Site

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/amrev/

Includes teacher and student activities

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Discussion Questions – American Revolution, Part I

1. What year did the French and Indian War end? (1763) 2. What item did the English tax to pay for the French and Indian War? (windows) 3. From what did the British Army provide protection for the Americans? (French, Spanish and Indian warriors) 4. What right did the English take away from the Americans following the French and Indian War? (trial by jury in some instances) 5. Why didn't the members of Parliament understand how the Americans felt? (England was far away and communication was slow and difficult.) 6. Did the British import taxes help reduce England's war debts when they were first passed? (no) 7. What things did the Stamp Tax tax? (paper for contracts, newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, etc.) 8. How did the "Stamp Act Congress" react to the Stamp Act? (decided colonists should no longer buy British goods) 9. How did Parliament react to the Stamp Act Congress's decision to create a boycott? (passed the Declaratory Act) 10. What did the Declaratory Act do? (gave Parliament complete control over the colonies) 11. What did the Townshend Acts do? (dissolved the Massachusetts legislature and threatened to close others) 12. What American city did British soldiers march into in 1768? (Boston)

13. What was the "Boston Massacre" and when did it occur? (answers will vary, March 5, 1770) 14. How many colonists were killed in "The Boston Massacre?" (five) 15. What was "The Boston Tea Party" and when did it occur? (To protest British tax policies on tea, colonists, many dressed as Indians, boarded a ship in Boston Harbor and tossed the tea overboard. December 16, 1773) 16. Why was tea so important to the colonists? (one of the few flavored drinks to be had) 17. How did Parliament react to "The Boston Tea Party?" (passed the Intolerable Acts) 18. What were the four parts of the Intol- erable Acts? (closed Port of Boston until the tea was paid for; allowed Brit- ish soldiers to live in colonists' houses without permission; gave colonial governors, appointed by the king, greater powers; allowed British soldiers to change judges) 19. How did the colonists react to the Intol- erable Acts? (called First Continental Congress which proclaimed the Acts unlawful; said Massachusetts should create a new legislature; declared if patriot was jailed, colonists could jail British officials; advised people to prepare for a British attack)

The Beanbody Histories: The American Revolution, Part I © 2013 Colman Communications Corp.

Name _________________________

Window Taxes

In the program, Prime Minister George Grenville mentioned that taxes on windows did not produce enough money to pay down England's war debts. Window taxes were used for a long time in Great Britain because tax collectors could easily establish how much a person owed by simply counting the

windows in his or her house.

However, as the picture above shows, people were able to get around the tax by boarding or bricking up their windows -- which they did. When people boarded or bricked their windows, little sunlight was able to get into crowded apartments. Doctors complained their patients, especially those in crowded cities, didn't get enough sunlight. So in the mid-19th century, the window tax was replaced by a house tax, which prompted the newspaper cartoon, above right.

Count the windows in the picture at the top of the page, including those that have been

boarded up. How many windows are there? Suppose the owner had to pay a tax of one

shilling per window -- and they weren't boarded up. How many shillings would he have to

pay? After boarding up the windows, what would his new tax be? What is the difference

between the two tax rates?


Name _________________________

A Pre-Revolution Time Line

Directions: Using the list in the box, fill in the events and laws that led up to the American Revolution. Write the event or law below each year. You may need to do some online research to complete this exercise. Boston Tea Party, Stamp Act Congress, Intolerable Acts, The French and Indian War ends, The First Continental Congress, The Boston Massacre, The Boston Tea Party, The Stamp Act, The Townshend Act, The Declaratory Act

1763 ____________________________________________________________

1765

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1766 ____________________________________________________________

1767

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1770 ____________________________________________________________

1773

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1774 ____________________________________________________________

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Name _________________________

The Sons of Liberty

At first, The Sons of Liberty was a small group of shopkeepers and craftsmen who demonstrated against various British policies. But the organization grew quickly after it was founded, in 1765. In the picture above, members of the group are raising a "liberty pole," around which people would gather to voice their anger at British laws and actions. The British army would take down these poles, but new ones would quickly spring up. As The Sons of Liberty organization grew, some new members included lawyers and publishers and other educated persons, but most members were not of the educated class. In short order, there were Sons of Liberty groups in all 13 colonies. The Sons of Liberty started many demonstrations and a few violent actions. To protest the Stamp Act, they burned down the office of Andrew Oliver, a man who sold the stamps. They burned a British ship, the HMS Gaspée, used to enforce unpopular trade regulations. The Sons of Liberty were the persons who planned and took part in the Boston Tea Party. Many of America's most famous patriots, including John Hancock, Patrick Henry, Paul Revere, Haym Solomon and Benjamin Rush, among others, were members of the organization. Pretend you are are a member of the organization, and write a speech, "Why the Stamp Act Must be Abolished," to be given at a liberty pole. The Beanbody Histories: The American Revolution, Part I © 2013 Colman Communications Corp.

Name _________________________

More on the Stamp Act

A Stamp Act Demonstration in New York, 1765. The sign says, "The Folly of England and the Ruin of America."

According to some historians, the Stamp Act of 1765 was the "spark that lit the paper that became the American Revolution." The colonists' reaction to the new law was swift and sometimes violent. There were several reasons for the anger. First, it was the first time that Americans were directly taxed. Before, taxes were in the form of duties on imported goods. Although people were aware of the tax, it was mostly hidden in the cost of purchased goods. Now, people who had to buy the paper -- and the stamps -- had to pay extra money every time the stamps were purchased. They saw the tax at every purchase. Second, most of the people who were taxed were the most educated and influential colonists -- among them, lawyers and publishers. If they were angry, they could let everyone know about it.

As previously mentioned, a Sons of Liberty group in Boston burned down the office of a stamp merchant. In New York, a poster went up saying that stamp merchants and their property could be in danger. Stamp merchants, fearing for their safety, began to resign their posts.

Benjamin Franklin was called to testify about the Stamp Act before Parliament. His testimony lasted four hours and he answered 174 questions. Franklin was adamant. He said the law must be repealed if relations between the mother country and her colonists were to be healed. Parliament repealed the act one year after it passed. But the Declaratory Act, which came after it, also angered the Americans because it reaffirmed that Parliament could tax colonists as it pleased.


Name _________________________

More on the Boston Massacre

The picture above is a famous painting of the incident by Paul Revere, a man who wanted as many people as possible to see the event as a "massacre," although normally it would be called a riot. In addition to warning about the British Army's march to Lexington and Concord, Paul Revere was a well-known silversmith and a clever propagandist for the colonial cause. His picture was shown throughout the colonies to anger Americans and push them toward open rebellion. There are many versions of what exactly took place before the British soldiers fired into the crowd of colonists in front of the Boston Custom House on December 5, 1770. What is known, however, is that the crowd had been in another fight with soldiers earlier in the evening and that a soldier guarding the Custom House struck a colonist with the butt of his musket. Some accounts say the attacked person was a child. Others say he was a young man. Many accounts mention that the crowd threw snowballs at the soldiers who arrived as reinforcements, and that church bells began ringing. Why did the bells rang out if there was no fire? (At that time, church bells were rung when there was a fire.) Some historians have suggested that some radical leaders, including Samuel Adams, planned to have an incident and they wanted a lot of people around as witnesses. The church bells would bring a large number of people into the streets to see the occurrence. Another theory is that the Americans in the mob dared the soldiers to fire on them, thinking that the British would merely fire warning shots above their heads. As it turned out, however, the Boston Massacre became a key event on the road to revolution. On the back of this paper, draw a picture of any aspect of the massacre -- before, during or after. Then, in a sentence or two, tell what is happening in your picture. The Beanbody Histories: The American Revolution, Part I © 2013 Colman Communications Corp.

Name _________________________

More on the Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea Party was the final event in a long series of arguments about taxing tea in the American colonies. The dispute was mainly between a group of colonists -- many were members of "The Sons of Liberty" -- and Parliament. The main point of the argument was whether Parliament could tax colonists without the colonies having representation in Parliament. According to the Americans, the British constitution stated that British subjects could not be taxed without the consent of their elected representatives. But the colonists had no one sitting in Parliament to voice and protect their interests.

In the fall of 1773, seven tea-bearing ships left England. Four headed to Boston and three others headed to either New York, Philadelphia or Charleston. The Sons of Liberty went to tea dealers in the latter three cities and convinced them to refuse their tea shipments. However, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Hutchin- son would not hear of it. He insisted that the Dartmouth, the tea-bearing vessel in Boston Harbor, unload its tea and pay the import duty before setting its course back to England. The Sons of Liberty, many of whom dressed as Mohawk war-riors, boarded the ship and informed the captain that they were going to throw the tea overboard, and would harm neither the captain nor his crew. All 342 chests of tea aboard the Dartmouth were chopped open and their contents dumped overboard. In today's money, the tea would be worth roughly one million dollars.

Research Samuel Adams' role in the Boston Tea Party and write a paragraphy about it on the back of this paper.


Name _________________________

Samuel Adams

Samuel Adams was one of the most important leaders in the colonies' resistance to British rule. As a member of the Massachusetts legislature in 1768, he wrote a famous "circular letter" (correspondence to be circulated among the colony legislatures) in which he argued that Parliament's recent tax levies in the Townshend Acts -- on glass, paint, paper, lead, and tea -- were unlawful because Americans had no representatives in Parliament. He further argued that any tax law passed by Parliament should not be obeyed in the colonies. According to Adams, only laws made by colonial legislatures had any legal authority in America. England responded by sending troops to occupy Boston and that action led, in time, to the Boston Massacre.

Adams came from a wealthy merchant family and graduated from Harvard University. He tried his hand at business, but had no real interest in being a businessman. He failed at several ventures until his wealthy father gave him a job. In time, he became a tax collector, but he didn't collect taxes from many people, which made him popular among many colonists. Adams was active in the protests against almost all English tax laws in the late 1760s and early 1770s. He was one of the leading colonists who fought the Coercive Acts, also. As such, he was a thorn in the side of the English authorties. In April, 1775, when Adams and another leading patriot, John Hancock, were at Hancock's childhood home in Lexington, General Gage instructed his soldiers to bring back the two men so they could be tried for treason (in addition to telling his men to find the arms hidden in Concord). Adams and Hancock weren't found. After conducting some web research, write on the back of this page a paragraph about Adam's actitivies to provoke the British in order to strengthen the colonist's cause. The Beanbody Histories: The American Revolution, Part I © 2013 Colman Communications Corp.

Name _________________________

Implications of the Four Intolerable Acts

The cartoon above appeared throughout the colonies after Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts. It was entitled "America is Forced to Take a Bitter Pill" and shows the English forcing the acts down the throat of an American as Justice, in the background, bows her head and cries. Look up the word "cannonade" to find out what the words, "Boston cannonaded" mean.

Closing the port of Boston, at that time one of the main ports in North America, could deal a terrible economic blow to merchants in the area, many of whom depended on the import of goods from Europe. The merchants were terrified their businesses would be lost and hoped that the $1,000,000 (in today's money) would be paid to cover the cost of the tea destroyed during the Boston Tea Party . The English thought closing the port would separate the unruly Bostonians from the rest of the colonies, but the plan backfired. Other colonies came to the aid of Boston's merchants and supplied them with needed items. So the act brought together, instead of separated, the colonies.

Allowing soldiers to live in colonists' houses (The Quartering Act) without asking permission was very unpopular. It also required colonists to feed the soldiers. Families everywhere have always valued their privacy and this law wiped out that cherished principle. Even though all the colonies except Pennsylvania found ways to prevent the act from being enforced, the Quartering Act further estranged the colonies from the mother country.

Increasing the power of colonial governors angered and frightened the colonists even more than the Quartering Act because it could destroy self government. The colonists now looked at the British government with deep distrust.

The Administration of Justice Act, the fourth Intolerable Act, allowed soldiers and British officials to change courts -- even to England -- if they felt they would be convicted of a crime in the colonies. George Washington called the law "The Murder Act," because he believed it would allow British officials and soldiers to "get away with murder." The law said witnesses would be paid to travel to the court, but as a practical matter, most colonists could never take the time to travel to England. The colonists now felt there was little justice under British law.

On a separate sheet of paper write a story, "My Family Quarters and Feeds Three British Soldiers."


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Revolution, Part I Evaluation Exercise, p. 1

I. True or false. Put a "T" next to the statement if it is true, or an "F" if it is false. 1. _____ The American colonists were ready to revolt immediately after the French and Indian War. 2. _____ England's taxes on windows didn't raise enough money to pay its war debts. 3. _____ Some members of Parliament felt Americans should pay for their own protection from the Spanish, French and Mexicans. 4. _____ Colonists were upset when Parliament said smugglers would be tried by a judge in Nova Scotia. 5. _____ At the end of the French and Indian War, Sir Thomas Carter was the king's Prime Minister. II. Circle the letter next to the phrase that best completes the sentence. 1. An important right of every English citizen in the 1760s was

a. the right to choose his or her judge. b. the right to choose his or her jury. c. the right to a trial by jury. d. none of the above. 2. Taxation without representation

a. angered American colonists. b. was never practiced by Parliament. c. was a popular phrase used by loyalists in England. d. b. and c. 3. The Stamp Act taxed a. stamps. b. tea. c. lead. d. paper. The Beanbody Histories: The American Revolution, Part I © 2013 Colman Communications Corp.

Name _________________________

Revolution, Part I Evaluation Exercise, p. 2

4. One of the major actions of the Stamp Act Congress was

a. a boycott of British goods. b. a boycott of stamps. c. a recognition that Parliament controlled the colonies. d. none of the above. 5. The Declaratory Act

a. was Parliament's reaction to the Stamp Act Congress. b. stated that Parliament had all legal control over the colonies. c. both a. and b. d. none of the above.

6. During the Boston Massacre

a. two British soldiers were killed. b. five colonists were killed. c. no one was killed, but five colonists were injured. d. three British soldiers and six colonists were killed. 7. The Boston Tea Party

a. was a response to England's tax policies on tea. b. saw colonists dressed up like Indians. c. saw tea dumped into Boston Harbor. d. all of the above. 8. An important flavored drink in the 1770s was

a. coffee. b. almond milk. c. tea. d. Dr. Pepper. 9. Parliament's response to the Boston Tea Party was

a. giving up and leaving the colonists alone. b. sending troops into Boston. c. allowing the port of Boston to open if everyone signed a loyalty oath to the king. d. passing the Intolerable Acts. The Beanbody Histories: The American Revolution, Part I © 2013 Colman Communications Corp.

Name _________________________

Revolution, Part I Evaluation Exercise, p. 3 10. Another name for The Intolerable Acts was

a. The Cataclysmic Acts. b. The Horrible Acts. c. The Legislative Acts. d. The Coercive Acts. III. Place the letter next to phrase that best matches the name. _____1. Lord George Grenville a. a colonial loyalist _____2. Thomas Gage b. a prime minister _____3. Malcolm c. king of England _____4. George III d. a member of Parliament _____5. Thomas Carter e. a British general IV. Answer the question in one or two sentences. 1. What was Great Britain's place in the nations of the world at the end of the French and Indian War? 2. Why did Parliament levy taxes on the American colonists at the end of the French and Indian War? 3. What was Parliament's reasoning for taxing the colonists at that time? 4. What did the Declaratory Act do to retaliate against the boycott of British goods? 5. Why was the first Continental Congress held? The Beanbody Histories: The American Revolution, Part I © 2013 Colman Communications Corp.

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