Unit 1 Resources: Foundations of American Citizenship - Deerlake ...

Name Date ClassCooperative Learning Activity 2Down With British Rule!★ BACKGROUNDBy the mid-1700s, the American colonists had grown used to makingtheir own rules. Each colony had its own governor and legislature,and the economy was thriving. The colonists believed that they couldsolve their own problems—without help from Great Britain. TheBritish, though, were not open to the colonists’ move toward independence.The British needed money from the colonies to pay for debtsthat Great Britain had incurred during the French and Indian War.They hoped to raise that money through taxes and favorable tradeconditions with the colonies. These taxes and trade restrictions,though, caused the colonists to resist and then rebel against theBritish. As American colonists who support the rebellion, you and agroup of like-minded individuals are preparing a poster that will convinceother colonists to support the rebellion, too. You plan to displayyour poster in the town square during the gathering of the SecondContinental Congress.CHAPTER 2Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.★ GROUP DIRECTIONS1. Use Chapter 2 and the library or Internet resources to learn moreabout the circumstances surrounding the colonists’ move towardindependence.2. Use what you learn to create a poster supporting the colonists’struggle for economic and political freedom from Great Britain.3. Think about the following people and issues as you do yourresearch:mercantilism Intolerable Acts Boston Tea Partyboycott King George III Common SenseStamp Act of 1765 Thomas Paine Lexington and Concord★ ORGANIZING THE GROUP1. Decision Making Form a group with three or more students. Usingthe suggestions given in the box above—and ideas of your own—determine which topics you will include on your poster. Decidehow to divide up the responsibilities for researching each topicwithin your group.23