Chapter 4: Section 1

The Stirrings of Rebellion

Directions: Read pages 96-102 and complete the questions below.

Introduction:

  1. The introduction in chapter 4.1 makes reference to a man named Crispus Attucks. Read the short bio on Crispus Attucks and answer the questions that follow.

“Don’t be afraid,” were the words reportedly spoken by Crispus Attucks shortly before his death. Killed in the infamous Boston Massacre in 1750, Attucks is believed by many to be the first casualty in the fight for American independence. Crispus Attucks was born in Massachusetts, the son of an African father and an American Indian mother. Because of his heritage, Attucks was born a slave. He was owned by William Brown. Attucks longed to be free. When Brown would not allow him to purchase his freedom, he ran away. An ad was posted for Attucks, describing him as “6 feet, 2 inches high, short cur’l hair, his knees nearer together than common.” His master never found him. In the years following his escape, Attucks worked as a sailor, commonly serving on whaling ships that sailed from Boston. It was while living near Boston Harbor that Attucks heard the rallying cries of fellow patriot, Samuel Adams. Adams wanted the colonists to protest the presence of the British troops. He felt the British were a threat to the colonists. Attucks agreed with Adams’s point of view. He and other colonists had to compete with the British for the part-time jobs at the harbor. They also feared impressment, or forced service, in the British navy. On the evening of March 5, 1770, Attucks and a group of men faced-off with a British soldier on guard at the house of customs. They challenged the soldier to fight without his weapon. More Redcoats rushed to the defense of the guard. They fired shots into the unarmed crowd. Attucks was the first man killed. Four more men were also killed. Known as the Boston Massacre, this event was one of the most important in the years leading up to the American Revolution. Led by Attucks, the colonists had stood strong against the British. Crispus Attucks was given an honorable funeral with the other victims of the Boston Massacre. The people of Boston remembered him as a hero and a freedom fighter. In 1888, a monument was built on the Boston Common to honor Attucks.

  1. Drawing Conclusions Why did the people of Boston hail Attucks as a hero?
  2. Evaluate Do you think Crispus Attucks was the first casualty of the American Revolution? Explain your answer.

The Colonies Organize to Resist Britain

  1. Complete the chart below regarding the Stamp Act.

What did the Stamp Act force colonists to do? / Why did Prime Minister George Grenville want to do this? / How did the colonists respond to the Stamp Act? / Why did the colonists dislike the Stamp Act? / How did Parliament respond to the colonists protest?
  1. Identify and define the people and terms below. Make sure you explain how each term contributed to rising tensions between the colonies and England.
  2. Samuel Adams
  3. Sons of Liberty
  4. Stamp Act Congress
  5. Patrick Henry
  1. Complete the chart below regarding the Townshend Acts.

What did the Townshend Acts force colonists to do? / Why did Prime Minister George Grenville want to do this? / How did the colonists respond to the Townshend Acts? / Why did the colonists dislike the Townshend Acts? / How did Parliament respond to the colonists protest?
  1. Identify and define the people and terms below. Make sure you explain how each term contributed to rising tensions between the colonies and England.
  2. Mercy Otis Warren
  3. John Hancock

Tension Mounts in Massachusetts

  1. Identify the direct cause of the “Boston Massacre”
  2. Why do you think Samuel Adams chose to name the incident the Boston Massacre? Do you think this title is accurate? Explain.
  3. Complete the “History Through Art” questions on page 98 of your textbook.
  4. Identify and define the people and terms below. Make sure you explain how each term contributed to rising tensions between the colonies and England.
  5. Committees of Correspondence
  6. The Boston Tea Party
  7. King George III
  8. Intolerable Acts
  9. Lord Frederick North
  10. Quartering Act
  11. Martial Law
  12. First Continental Congress
  13. General Thomas Gage

Fighting Erupts at Lexington and Concord

  1. Identify and define the people and terms below. Make sure you explain how each term contributed to rising tensions between the colonies and England.
  2. Minutemen
  1. Discuss the events that led to fighting between the American colonists and the British at Lexington and Concord.