Have you ever stopped to think about the incredible risks the Founding Founders took when they rebelled against British authority? They were starting a war with the greatest military power of the time even though they did not have a mighty fighting force themselves. And they were fighting for a type of government that most people thought was impossible. In this video mini-course, Professor Sarah Burns of the Rochester Institute of Technology explains the historical and philosophical context of the American Revolution from the changing role of the British army in the colonies to Radical Whig theory.

A sensationalized portrayal of the skirmish, later to become known as the "Boston Massacre," between British soldiers and citizens of Boston on March 5, 1770. On the right a group of seven uniformed soldiers, on the signal of an officer, fire into a crowd of civilians at left. Three of the latter lie bleeding on the ground. Two other casualties have been lifted by the crowd. In the foreground is a dog; in the background are a row of houses, the First Church, and the Town House. Behind the British troops is another row of buildings including the Royal Custom House, which bears the sign (perhaps a sardonic comment) "Butcher's Hall." Beneath the print are 18 lines of verse, which begin: "Unhappy Boston! see thy Sons deplore, Thy hallowed Walks besmeared with guiltless Gore." Also listed are the "unhappy Sufferers" Saml Gray, Saml Maverick, James Caldwell, Crispus Attucks, and Patrick Carr (killed) and it is noted that there were "Six wounded; two of them (Christr Monk & John Clark) Mortally."|Engrav'd Printed & Sold by Paul Revere Boston.|The print was copied by Revere from a design by Henry Pelham for an engraving eventually published under the title "The Fruits of Arbitrary Power, or the Bloody Massacre," of which only two impressions could be located by Brigham. Revere's print appeared on or about March 28, 1770.|Title appears as it is written on the item.|Brigham, p. 41-57.|Cresswell, no. 246.|Published in: American political prints, 1766-1876 / Bernard F. Reilly. Boston : G.K. Hall, 1991, entry 1770-1.|Published in: Viewpoints; a selection from the pictorial collections of the Library of Congress . . . Washington : Library of Congress, 1975, no. 56.|Exhibited in: Creating the United States, Library of Congress, 2008.

The British soldiers have long been blamed for firing upon innocent colonists the night of the Boston Massacre.  Students will examine primary and secondary sources to determine if the soldiers indeed attacked innocent colonists or were acting in self-defense against an angry mob. This inquiry asks, “Did the British soldiers open fire on innocent colonists at the Boston Massacre?”  Resource created by Michelle Wittstruck, Milford Public Schools, as part of the Nebraska ESUCC Social Studies Special Projects 2022 - Inquiry Design Model (IDM).

Preston, Thomas. “Captain Thomas Preston’s Account of the Boston Massacre.” Boston Massacre Historical Society. January 19, 2022 < http://www.bostonmassacre.net/trial/acct-preston1.htm>

Smith, Sidney Lawton, Engraver, and Paul Revere. The bloody massacre perpetrated in King - Street Boston on March 5th, by a party of the 29th Regt. / engrav'd printed & sold by Paul Revere, Boston ; re-engraved by Sidney L. Smith. Boston Massachusetts, 1908. Boston, Mass.: Published by Charles E. Goodspeed. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2012648847/Embellished Engraving of the scene of the Boston Massacre by Paul Revere

Students will analyze a picture of Paul Revere's Engraving and answer some guided photo analysis questions. 

This inquiry by Amy Johnson, Longview Public Schools, is based on the C3 Framework inquiry arc. The students will highlight the two primary sources then reflect. They will then do the Open Mind activity illustrating both points of view they learned from the primary sources, develop a three-event timeline and create a newspaper front page describing “What really happened March 5, 1770.”

This collection uses primary sources to explore the events that led up to the American Revolutionary War. Digital Public Library of America Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop their critical thinking skills and draw diverse material from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. Each set includes an overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. These sets were created and reviewed by the teachers on the DPLA's Education Advisory Committee.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe the purpose of the 1767 Townshend ActsExplain why many colonists protested the 1767 Townshend Acts and the consequences of their actions

 U.S. History is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of most introductory courses. The text provides a balanced approach to U.S. history, considering the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the United States from both the top down (politics, economics, diplomacy) and bottom up (eyewitness accounts, lived experience). U.S. History covers key forces that form the American experience, with particular attention to issues of race, class, and gender.Senior Contributing AuthorsP. Scott Corbett, Ventura CollegeVolker Janssen, California State University, FullertonJohn M. Lund, Keene State CollegeTodd Pfannestiel, Clarion UniversityPaul Vickery, Oral Roberts UniversitySylvie Waskiewicz

Confronting the National Debt: The Aftermath of the French and Indian WarThe Stamp Act and the Sons and Daughters of LibertyThe Townshend Acts and Colonial ProtestThe Destruction of the Tea and the Coercive ActsDisaffection: The First Continental Congress and American Identity

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe the purpose of the 1767 Townshend ActsExplain why many colonists protested the 1767 Townshend Acts and the consequences of their actions

Looking to help students practice "reading" images for a variety of contextual meanings while engaging in content area study? This lesson uses images of the Boston Massacre to deepen students' comprehension of both the event and the effects of propaganda. Students begin by completing an anticipation guide to introduce them to Boston Massacre, propaganda, and British/colonial reactions to the massacre. They then complete an image analysis to make inferences about various images of the massacre. The culminating activity-a presentation about students' observations and inferences-demonstrates students' knowledge of the Boston Massacre and propaganda in a variety of ways. This lesson benefits English-language learners (ELLs) and struggling readers because it involves viewing images, participating in discussions, working with peers, and listening to a read-aloud that reinforces the lesson content and vocabulary.