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Overview:"By 1774, the year leading up to the Revolutionary War, trouble was brewing in America. Parliament (England's Congress) had been passing laws placing taxes on the colonists in America. There had been the Sugar Act in 1764, the Stamp Act the following year, and a variety of other laws that were meant to get money from the colonists for Great Britain. The colonists did not like these laws.
Great Britain was passing these laws because of the French and Indian War, which had ended in 1763. That war, which had been fought in North America, left Great Britain with a huge debt that had to be paid. Parliament said it had fought the long and costly war to protect its American subjects from the powerful French in Canada. Parliament said it was right to tax the American colonists to help pay the bills for the war." |
There were a variety of events that took place leading to the American Revolution, and we have some helpful links and information below on individual moments. Use these resources for your upcoming project:
The Stamp Act
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Quartering Act
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Townshend Acts
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Boston Massacre
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Boston Tea Party
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Intolerable Acts
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Did You Know?
The Boston Tea Party
Did you know that the Boston Tea Party was not a singular event, as many people tend to believe? It turns out that the tea party that took place in Boston actually was one of ten different tea parties that took place along the eastern coast of the thirteen colonies! Boston was the first, and inspired those who came afterwards. It is also commonly misunderstood on how the tax on tea affected the colonists. The British tried to undercut the illegal American tea smuggling by making their tea cheaper than smuggled tea was. Instead of buying the cheaper British tea, the colonists boycotted the new tea, and after a few weeks of the tea waiting to be sold, the tea was dumped overboard during the Boston Tea Party.
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Believe it or Not:After reading about some of the tea smuggling that took place in the American colonies, I had some skepticism from my students about the reality that tea was such a sought-after commodity. Well here is an article from NPR that goes into great detail on how tea smuggling in England played a very large role in shaping local and foreign policy - even leading up to the Boston Tea Party!
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Common Misconception:
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Virtual Field Trip:
The Freedom Trail! "Welcome to the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile, red-lined route that leads you to 16 historically significant sites — each one an authentic treasure. Explore museums and meetinghouses, churches, and burying grounds. Learn about the brave people who shaped our nation. Discover the rich history of the American Revolution, as it began in Boston, where every step tells a story." -thefreedomtrail.org |
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Road to the Revolution Project:
[This file works best as a Google Doc, so if you need to download it on the right, simply upload as a Google Doc to experience the functions at the highest quality.]
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Maps, Battles, and more! |
Myths of the Revolution |
What if America Lost? |