James Otis challenges searches
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All four include an image, vocabulary, comprehension questions, a follow-up reading, and teacher guidance. These English PDFs have selectable text; use the reading below for adjustable text and listening tools.
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Words to know
- search
- look for something
- power
- the ability to make something happen
- limit
- a boundary on what is allowed or possible
James Otis spoke in a Boston court against broad search papers called writs of assistance. Officials used them to search for goods. Otis argued that government power needed limits. He did not win the case.
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What happened? Point to a detail that supports your answer. What does the picture help you understand? What would you like to investigate next?
Follow-up: Otis writes about colonial rights
James Otis wrote about colonists’ rights. He questioned taxes made without their consent. People disagreed about Parliament’s power. These arguments helped build the road to revolution. A slogan is shorter than a full argument.
How are the two events connected or different? Their order does not prove that one caused the other.
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