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Sons of Liberty Roleplay

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Sons of Liberty Roleplay

Read the scene and take the role of a Boston resident in 1773. Use evidence from the passage to explain different points of view. Remember: roleplay helps us understand people’s choices, but it does not mean every colonist agreed.

A tense night in Boston

In 1773, Britain’s Tea Act allowed the British East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonies. The company could sell its tea more cheaply than many colonial merchants, but the tea still carried a tax. Many colonists objected because they had no elected representatives in Parliament, the lawmaking body in Britain. They called this “taxation without representation.” The Sons of Liberty were colonists who organized protests against British policies. Some people supported their resistance; others worried about losing business, breaking the law, or causing violence. On December 16, 1773, a group of protesters boarded tea ships in Boston Harbor and dumped chests of tea into the water. The protest became known as the Boston Tea Party. Britain responded with the Coercive Acts, which colonists called the Intolerable Acts. These laws punished Massachusetts and increased tensions between Britain and the colonies.

Take a role

Imagine you are one of these Boston residents discussing what should happen next: an organizer with the Sons of Liberty, a tea merchant, a townsperson worried about unrest, or a British official. Use the passage—not modern assumptions—to support your ideas.

1.Which statement best explains why many colonists protested the Tea Act?

They wanted Parliament to choose a different king.
They objected to the tea tax because the colonies had no elected representatives in Parliament.
They wanted all tea ships removed from the Atlantic Ocean.
They believed tea could only be sold by colonial farmers.

2.Choose a role for the discussion: Sons of Liberty organizer, tea merchant, worried townsperson, or British official. What might this person want, and what might this person fear? Give one of each.

3.Mark each claim True or False: (a) The Tea Act removed every tax on tea. (b) The Sons of Liberty organized protests against British policies. (c) Everyone in Boston supported dumping the tea.

TrueFalse

4.Complete the sentence using a detail from the passage: The Tea Act and colonial objections led protesters to .

5.Complete the sentence using a detail from the passage: Britain responded to the protest by .

6.A merchant says, “The protest could hurt my business, even though I understand why people object to the tax.” What does this tell you about the different views colonists could hold?

7.In a roleplay, an organizer says, “We should protest the tea tax.” A townsperson replies, “I fear Britain will punish Boston.” Write one historically reasonable response from each person, using a detail from the passage.

8.Why is it useful for historians to consider the perspectives of merchants, protesters, officials, and other townspeople—not just the people who dumped the tea?

9.Write a short journal entry as your chosen Boston resident on the night of December 16, 1773. Include your role, one feeling, one fact about the protest, and what you think may happen next.

10.How did the Boston Tea Party contribute to growing conflict between Britain and the colonies? Use one detail about the protest and one detail about Britain’s response.