Aim:What set the American colonists on the road to revolution against England? Do Now: On March 5, 1770, tensions were high in Boston, where British soldiers had been stationed to enforce collection of English taxes. That night, according to eye witness accounts, American colonists attacked British soldiers in Boston, which resulted in the soldiers firing on the crowd and killing five of the colonists.  Imagine you are a journalist reporting on these events. Write two different headlines for an article on this event: one as if you were a patriot reporter, angry at the English and their occupying army, and another as if you were a loyalist reporter from England, amazed at the unruly and ungrateful Bostonians.

The Boston Massacre by Paul Revere, 1770 The Boston Massacre by Paul Revere, 1770. A portrayal of the skirmish between British soldiers and citizens of Boston on March 5, 1770. Copies of this print were widely distributed throughout the colonies.

The Bostonians Paying the Excise-Man by Philip Dawe, 1774 The Bostonians Paying the Excise-Man by Philip Dawe, 1774. British print depicting the tarring and feathering of Boston Customs Commissioner John Malcolm (the 2nd time he had been tarred and feathered). Tea is also being poured into Malcolm's mouth. The Boston Tea Party is shown in the background, though that incident had in fact taken place four weeks earlier.

Exit ticket Of the quick sequence of events that cascaded into an unexpected revolution, which do you think tipped the scales toward war? Another way to say this: At which point did they arrive at a point of no return? Explain your opinion.