Role Play Debate: The American Revolution
Rationale : To learn about the variety of viewpoints about the wisdom of revolting against Britain.
Setting: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Second Continental Congress. 1775
Tasks:
1. Get assigned a role and/ or character. Use text and internet research (ideally from databases) your position. Take about a page of notes from a minimum of 3 different sources. Answer the following questions about your person or role. a. Where was this person born and what was their profession? What colony did they live in or would have likely lived? b. What was their status in society (high, low, medium)? Explain.
c. Was this person a Patriot, Loyalist or a Moderate? e. Did they support a violent revolt against Britain? Why or why not? f. If they did support the Revolution, did they support a complete break from
Great Britain? Why or why not?
2. After answering the above, make a list of arguments from the perspective of your role for or against the Revolution. Include a list of opposing viewpoints. Do NOT spend very much time taking notes on the person’s biography, beyond what you need to answer the questions above. Focus on their general position in society and why they would or wouldn’t support the Revolution against Britain.
Three sides for the debate:
Loyalists
Oppose the Patriots .
Defend law and order, maintaining liberty, rights, and the constitutional government, allegiance to the king, and patriotism. Oppose the radicals and their illegal activity. Oppose separating from the empire. Stress the benefits of staying in the empire. Advise being patient and continuing to negotiate with the imperial government. You are afraid of the tyranny that can come at the hands of a radical mob.
Once the war has begun, you are ready to fight for king and country.
Patriots 
 Oppose the Loyalists .
Defend liberty, rights, and a return to constitutional government. Oppose the defenders of the royal government. Advocate separating from the king and the empire. Stress the tyrannical measures that have been inflicted upon colonists by the imperial government. Advise against being patient with a corrupt and greedy power, because what is lost today can be lost forever. Once the war has begun, you are ready to fight for liberty and independence.
Moderates
Explain your position and why you have not chosen either side. Point out the pros and cons with both sides. You do not want revolution and civil war. Be ready to deal with both sides putting pressure on you to join their side. Even after the war has begun, you hope that there will be compromise and conciliation. You hope the war will soon be over and that peace will be restored. You do not want to fight with either side.

The Issue--Questions
The debate will address the following questions--these are the instructor's questions to be addressed during the debate. Make sure that you address these questions either explicitly or implicitly in your notes.
1. Who has violated law, the constitution, and the liberty and rights of citizens the most, the imperial government or the Patriots ?
2. Should the colonies separate from the British Empire? Why or why not?
3. Should there be war or conciliation? Explain your reasoning.
Assignment
Choosing sides
The class will be divided into Patriot , Loyalist , and Moderate .
Readings
Refer to the following documents in preparation for the debate
Dickinson, “Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania”
Jefferson, "Summary View"
Seabury, "Letters of a Westchester Farmer"
Paine, Common Sense
Proclamation Act of 1763
Sugar Act of 1764
Stamp Act of 1765
Declaratory Act
Townshend Duties

Coercive Acts
William Franklin Essay: “Your Duty is to preserve the Constitution…”
Henry “Give me Liberty or Give me Death”
John Dickison “Arguments Against Independence”
Richard Henry Lee Arguments for Independence
John Adams letter on independence
Options:
Thomas Jefferson
Patrick Henry
Benjamin Rush
George Washington
James Otis
John Adams
John Jay
Samuel Adams
John Hancock
Thomas Gage
Alexander Hamilton
Samuel Seabury
Benjamin Franklin
John Rutledge
John Dickinson
William Livingston
Thomas Hutchison
Black Loyalist (make up a name…research Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation for info on this position)
Phyllis Wheatley
Johnathan Boucher
Crispus Attucks
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Paine
Stephen Bluck
Toby Gilmore
Samuel Chase
Abigail Adams
Edward Biddle
John Dickinson

Additional moderates—you can make up a character profile based on your research and reading of who might be neutral in this conflict (the most well-known moderate was John
Dickinson, but most moderate viewpoints did not get preserved well in history).
Name Period:
Grading Criteria
1.Has 2 pages of notes (handwritten ok) from no less than 3 different sourcs.
Including at least one primary source. Answers all questions on assignment.
/15
2. Accurately portrays this character’s position during the role play. Anticipates opposing arguments and works to refute them in the role play. Quotes character from primary source (if available).
/10
3. Takes accurate notes during the debate about the arguments that go back & forth (more verbal participation = fewer notes)
/10
4. Writes a learning reflection that discusses how the research and role play expanded your understanding of the American Revolution. Includes specific detail from the debate in your reflection. Is proofread for spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. Roughly 1.5 pgs dbl-spaced & typed.
/10
5. Includes an MLA formatted works cited list of all research used. Minimum 3 sources. Staples this grading criteria as cover sheet on notes
& reflection in the order they are listed above /5
Final Grade:
EC ( 3pts) dresses in character
/50
/3