Causes of the American Revolution

Boston Massacre March 5, colonists died The picture that was printed in the papers did more to cause problems than the actual event. The picture was a form of “propaganda” – something that is not completely truthful that is used to make people see things from your point of view (hype)

Tea Act - Boston Tea Party Made colonists buy tea from Great Britain instead of from other areas, putting many colonists out of business

Boston Tea Party December 16, 1773 – colonists disguised as Indians climbed onto British tea ships and dumped all of the tea into Boston Harbor.

Picture Analysis Quickly write down what you think is going on in this picture.

Assignment To analyze historical pictures, sometimes it is smart to split the picture into quadrants

In your notebook, use an entire piece of paper to draw out 4 quadrants (or boxes) Quadrant 1Quadrant 2 Quadrant 3 Quadrant 4

Then, analyze each quadrant individually and describe what you see.

Quadrant 1

Quadrant 2

Quadrant 3

Quadrant 4

Now look at the picture again and describe what is going on. Whose side is the cartoon on? How can you tell?

How would this image be used as propaganda? What imagery is used to make colonists look bad? How does this image make the victim look?

Image showing the Boston Massacre. The image was distributed throughout the colonies Write down what you think is going on in the image

Propaganda: The Boston Massacre The image we always see of the Boston Massacre is a form of propaganda. You will listen to the actual events of that evening while looking at the image shown to the colonists. While I read, jot down the differences you see between the actual events and the picture. You will then be able to state how propaganda is used.

How are they different? On the evening of March 5, Private Hugh White, a British soldier, stood on guard duty outside the Custom house on King Street. A young colonist got into an argument with another British officer. White called out to Garrick that he should be more respectful of the officer. Garrick exchanged insults with Private White, who left his post, challenged the boy, and struck him on the side of the head with his musket. As Garrick cried in pain, one of his companions began to argue with White. This attracted a larger crowd.

How are they different? As the evening progressed, the crowd around Private White grew larger and more boisterous. Church bells were rung, which usually signified a fire, bringing more people out. Over fifty colonists gathered, throwing things at White and challenging him to fire his weapon. White, who had taken up a safer position on the steps of the Custom House, asked for assistance. Runners alerted Captain Thomas Preston, the superior officer. According to his report, Preston dispatched six privates with fixed bayonets, to relieve White. Accompanied by Preston, they pushed their way through the crowd. When they reached Private White, the soldiers loaded their muskets,. Preston shouted at the crowd, estimated to be between three and four hundred, to disperse. (leave)

The crowd continued to press around the soldiers, taunting them by yelling "Fire", and by throwing snow balls and other small objects at them. One man asked if the soldiers' weapons were loaded. Preston assured him they were, but that they would not fire unless he ordered it, and that he was unlikely to do so, since he was standing in front of them. A thrown object then struck Private Montgomery, knocking him down and causing him to drop his musket. He recovered his weapon, and, angrily shouting "Damn you, fire!", discharged it into the crowd. A man swung his cudgel first at Montgomery, hitting his arm, and then at Preston. He narrowly missed Preston's head, striking him on the arm instead. There was a pause after which the soldiers fired into the crowd. Rather than a disciplined volley (Preston gave no orders to fire), a ragged series of shots was fired, which hit eleven men. Three Americans died instantly. Two more died later.

The Boston Massacre The crowd moved away from the immediate area of the custom house, but continued to grow in nearby streets. Captain Preston immediately called out most of the 29th Regiment, which took up defensive positions in front of the state house. Acting Governor Thomas Hutchinson was summoned to the scene, and was forced by the movements of the crowd into the state house. From its balcony he was able to restore order, promising that there would be a fair inquiry into the shootings if the crowd dispersed.

How was this image used as propaganda? Whose side did this image take? What do you think the purpose of the image was? What do you think would have been different if the image was accurate?

Propaganda Get out a piece of loose leaf and write heading Target: Today, we are going to see if we comprehend “propaganda” and understand how it can cause hard feelings between different groups of people – and can even cause war. Instructions: Write a paragraph (this can serve as an introduction) explaining what propaganda is. Use examples in everyday life if you can. Then explain how you think the colonists must have felt having British lawmakers and soldiers telling them what they could and could not do. Once this is complete. Begin a new paragraph describing the two pictures above and how they were used as propaganda.

Propaganda Assignment When writing about the two pictures be sure to include details of each picture and explain what those details mean. A final paragraph will describe how a war could be started by the disrespect that may come from using propaganda against someone else.