Follow the events, people, and ideas that changed Massachusetts and the nation.
OUR BIG QUESTION
What makes a government fair?
Reading:Read on your own or with a partner.
Context image: Boston and its harbor around 1775, mapped by Thomas Hyde Page. The city’s shoreline was very different from today. Image credit
From disagreement to revolution
Many colonists objected to taxes passed by Britain’s Parliament because they had no elected representatives there. Britain said the colonies should help pay imperial costs. The Boston Massacre in 1770 increased anger. In 1773, protesters destroyed tea in Boston Harbor. Parliament answered with harsh laws in 1774. Colonial delegates met at the First Continental Congress. Fighting at Lexington and Concord began on April 19, 1775; the Battle of Bunker Hill followed in June.
Many people, different choices
Patriots supported independence. Loyalists supported Britain. Other people tried to remain neutral. Native people and African Americans made different choices too, often seeking security or freedom. Women kept farms and households running and organized boycotts. The Revolution involved more than famous leaders. Ask what choices were available to each person.
Promises and unfinished work
The Declaration of Independence in 1776 argued for separation from Britain and declared that “all men are created equal.” That promise was not a reality for everyone. Slavery continued, and many people were excluded from political power. Massachusetts adopted its constitution in 1780, chiefly written by John Adams. The U.S. Constitution, drafted in 1787, set out a national government. The Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791, added protections. People have continued working to expand equal rights.
Choose an answer for each question. You can reread and try again.
Listen to the Revolution; investigate what came next
Literacy In Focus · Full poem read aloud with text
Listen: Paul Revere’s Ride
Hear Longfellow’s poem and follow its words. Notice the rhythm and sound effects. Then compare the poem with a historical account: Revere did not ride alone, and he was stopped before Concord. A dramatic retelling can help us remember an event while changing its details.
What do we learn from a poem that differs from a historical record?
Why should we learn about other riders, including William Dawes and Samuel Prescott?
American Battlefield Trust · 2:51 · animated history
Shays’ Rebellion: Revolt Against the Revolution
After independence, Massachusetts farmers faced debts and taxes they struggled to pay. Protests in 1786–1787 became an armed uprising. This short animation introduces a difficult question: how should a new government respond to people who believe they are being treated unfairly?
Minute Man: read the landscape
Paul Revere’s Boston Massacre engraving
Mission US: For Crown or Colony?