The Colonists Rebel

 The Sons of Liberty organized more and more protests in Boston.  To keep the peace, the King sent more soldiers.  Soldiers were stationed on every street corner.  Soldiers were in every business.  Soldiers were even living in many of the Colonists houses. This was called quartering.

 The Colonists were getting sick of being watched every minute of the day.  Fist fights between soldiers and colonists were a common sight in the streets.  On the night of May 5, 1770, a mob of angry colonists confronted three British soldiers. It seemed that one of the soldiers hit a young boy with the butt of his rifle on his way home.  The mob surrounded British soldiers throwing ice chunks and snowballs.  The soldiers panicked and fired into the crowd, killing 5 people.

 Open your textbook to page 277.  Read the page carefully and make a list of the most important details and events in your social studies spiral.  Use the heading Chapter 8 Boston Massacre

Actors Needed: 3 British Soldiers 1 young boy An Angry Mob

 The British soldiers were put on trial for murder.  They were found not guilty.  The event was reported in the newspapers all around the colonies.  Most of the stories written were exaggerated to make it look like the British soldiers attacked the Colonists.  The Sons of Liberty used this to convince the colonists to fight against the King and join the rebellion.

 What are some of the elements of propaganda in this engraving?

 On the same day as the Boston Massacre, Parliament voted to repeal the Townsend Acts.  The boycotts were hurting English businesses and the business owners begged Parliament to stop the tax.  Parliament voted to keep the tax on tea.  They didn’t expect to make a lot of money on the tea, but they wanted to show the colonists that Parliament still had the power to tax them.

 Sam Adams was annoyed it took so long to get messages to and from other colonies. He understood that spreading word of the rebellion was the only way to keep it alive and help it grow.  Committees of Correspondence were formed in many towns of the colonies.  Messages were delivered by express riders on fast horses.  Paul Revere was one of these riders.

 The boycott was the best way for the colonists to fight against British taxes and earn the right to have a representative in Parliament.  If the colonists bought the tea, the boycott would be broken and England would win.  The Sons and Daughters of Liberty put a lot of pressure on the colonists to refuse to buy the English tea.  The East India Company had plans of selling the tea for such a low price the colonists would be able to resist.

 The Sons of Liberty posted armed guards on the wharf where the 3 English ships were docked.  They allowed most of the cargo to be unloaded from the ship, but the tea had to remain on the ship.  Sam Adams made many speeches and requested that the tea be sent back to England.  The governor refused and demanded the tea be unloaded.

 The Sons of Liberty were afraid the colonists would break and buy the tea.  On the night of December 16, members of the Sons of Liberty took the matter into their own hands.  They boarded the ships dressed as Indians, unlocked the cargo, smashed open the crates of loose tea, and threw the tea into the salt water of Boston Harbor.  90,000 pounds of tea was ruined.

 Open your textbook to pages  Read the page carefully and make a list of the most important details and events in your social studies spiral.  Use the heading Chapter 8 Boston Tea Party

Actors Needed: Ship’s Captain A Group of Mohawk Indians A Crowd of Onlookers

 Open your textbook to page 280 – 282  Read the page carefully and make a list of the most important details and events in your social studies spiral.  Use the heading  Chapter 8 Intolerable Acts