Trouble in Boston in the 1770’s:

Spreading the truth to concerned colonists

The Boston Massacre

The Boston Tea Party

A web quest for 6^th grade Social Studies

Designed by

Stan Zehr

sjzehr@fcps.edu

Introduction

You are a Boston citizen in January 1774. Just like other colonists, you are upset about heavy taxes and British efforts to control the colonies. Tension is boiling in the city between colonists and British soldiers. You will never forget what happened in Boston on March 5, 1770, when five colonists were shot and killed by British soldiers. Some have called this event a “massacre.” Last month, a group of colonists called the “Sons of Liberty” showed their disgust with the British tea tax. They dressed up as Mohawk Indians one night, got on some British ships at the harbor, and dumped the shipments of tea into the water below. The British were furious when they found out!

News is slowly traveling to other colonies about the conflicts, and everyone wants to know what really happened in Boston and why it happened. They want to talk with Boston citizens who know the truth. Some colonists are trying to decide whose side they will be on:

· Should they support the Sons of Liberty’s efforts against the British for greater freedom?

· Or are the Sons of Liberty just stirring up trouble for everyone?

· Would it be better to treat the British with respect and try to get along with them?

· Who was really at fault at the “Boston Massacre”?

You and your friends need to get the facts straight about what happened and why it happened, so that you can travel to other colonies with the news from Boston. Then your friends and relatives in the other colonies can make some decisions about who they will support: the Sons of Liberty or the British.

Introduction | Task | Process for Gathering Information  |  Process for Communicating Information | Evaluation | Credits