Colonial Newspaper Project
Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of bias and multiple perspectives in
history by writing two newspaper articles on an event from those leading up to the American
Revolution.
Directions: You will write a newspaper article demonstrating a opposing positions on one of
the events that led to the American Revolution. You will write from the perspective of both a
Patriot and a Loyalist. Your persuasive article should inform about the event while voicing a
clear biased opinion and the reasons you feel this way.
Details: Your articles should each be approximately 1/2-page, typed, single spaced, font size
12. No 1st person pronouns (like I, me, or we)
Procedures:
1. Determine your point of view (Patriot or Loyalist)
2. Research your event (starting with your class notes and textbook Lesson 5 – Toward
Independence and then moving on to other resources if necessary)
3. Outline the key details and argument points. Brainstorm adjectives/adverbs
4. Write a rough draft of your article which will:
1. Inform readers what happened
2. Persuade readers that your perspective on the events is accurate (for or against)
5. Edit your draft and type a good copy
These are the possible topics:
The Proclamation of 1763
The Intolerable Acts
The Sugar Act
 Closing Boston's port
The Stamp Act
 Limited town meetings and jury
Townshend Acts
selection
The Boston Massacre
 British officials to be tried in Britain,
The Tea Act
not Massachusetts
The Boston Tea Party
 Quartering Act
Lexington & Concord
Suggestions/Reminders
1. This is a persuasive writing piece supported with selective facts / evidence.
2. Keep it simple, don't get overly complicated in your logic...you don't want to confuse the
reader.
3. YOU MAY NOT STATE WHETHER YOU ARE A PATRIOT OR LOYALIST, you are
just trying to write from one of those perspectives.
4. Place your event in the context of what has already occurred to help the reader
understand why this event is part of a trend. - Reference the cause and effect
relationship.