A Story from the American Revolution
Where is Boston?

 Boston is a city in Massachusetts near the Atlantic
Ocean.
 Boston was the settlement started by the Puritans in
1630.
 Boston is a harbor city and valuable as a location for
importing and exporting goods.
 Boston was the center of the rising of the American
Revolution. Most of the trouble began in Boston and
most of the troublemakers lived there.
Why was the American
Revolution fought?

 The English Colonies wanted to become their own
country and replace the King of England with their
own government.
 Of course, the King did not want to lose the colonies
because the resources in the colonies were making
the King very rich.
 The Colonists protested some of the King’s laws.
 The King sent soldiers to stop the protests and
protect his territory.
What is “Sleds of Boston
Common” about?

 King George III is punishing the town of Boston after
the Boston Tea Party. The Boston Tea Party was a
protest against the King’s high taxes on tea. The
Colonists didn’t want to pay the tax, so they threw
90,000 pounds of tea into Boston Harbor.
What is “Sleds of Boston
Common” about?

 The Colonists of Boston and the Redcoats had
different points of view as to the problems of the
situation.
 The Redcoats were irritated that the Americans
would not behave themselves and the soldiers had to
come all the way to America to baby-sit them.
 The Colonists were irritated that the soldiers were
everywhere. They were bossy and rude and always
in their way. The Colonists didn’t want to be babysat.
What is “Sleds of Boston
Common” about?

 In this story, we meet a young boy who lives in Boston at
the time of the trouble. His family has become poor
because of the punishment King George gave to Boston.
 Henry and his friends want to go sledding on their
favorite hill on the Common, or park, only to discover the
British soldiers have camped on the hill and have
destroyed the skating pond.
 Henry cannot take any more and marches up to General
Gage, the most powerful man in the Colonies.
 What will happen to this brave, headstrong, and possibly
foolish young man?
Time to Read

 Open your textbook to pages 264-265.
 Notice on the bookmark that this story is in the historical
fiction genre. This means that the story is made up, but
the characters take part in actual historical events.
 It is true that British soldiers and officers were in Boston.
It is true that many of these soldiers were camped at
Boston Common.
 General Gage was the commander of the British soldiers
in Boston.
 Whether or not he had a conversation with Henry Price is
unknown and completely made up by the author.
Time to Read

 As you read the story, pay attention to the details the
author includes.
 Put a post-it note next to information that makes you
think in a certain way or form an opinion.
The date of the story is 1772. I know that this
date is before the American Revolution began. This
story must show me what it was like in Boston before
the fighting started.
Look for the Text Clues

Read the statement and discuss
what it makes you think of:
The British closed Boston Harbor;
times are hard for the people of
Boston.
Look for the Text Clues

Read the statement and discuss
what it makes you think of:
Henry’s father told his children
to “look sharp, but don’t look
like you’re looking.”
Look for the Text Clues

Read the statement and discuss
what it makes you think of:
General Gage knows his own
children would like to go
sledding.
Look for the Text Clues

Read the statement and discuss
what it makes you think of:
Henry says he would never
forget the first time he came
down the hill on a sled of his
own.
Look for the Text Clues

Read the statement and discuss
what it makes you think of:
Henry says, “Our new country
was at war, ...”
Think About It

 Setting is very important in historical fiction stories.
How does the author help us understand the setting
in “Sleds of Boston Common?”
 Why would the closing of Boston Harbor lead to
hard times for the people of Boston?
 Page 271 “Our sister, Kate, was waiting for us
outside the school door with three slabs of corn
bread and apple jam.” Why wasn’t Kate in school
with her brothers?
Think About It

 What clues does the author give on page 271 that the
Price family is going through hard times?
 What are the different points-of-view that are shown on
page 272?
 Put yourself in Henry’s place. Would you have been able
to walk up to the General and tell him what you wanted?
 Writers make use of repetition when they use certain
words or phrases in a paragraph over and over again.
What words does the author repeat in the second
paragraph on page 278 to help suggest the speed of
movement of Henry’s sled?
Think About It

What is your opinion of
the story? Be prepared
to give specific reasons
for your feelings.