2001 Shaping the World: Conversation on Democracy
A Conversation with Thomas Jefferson and John Adams
IV. Liberty
Review the Call to Liberty Date Sheet (below) (courtesy of The Georgia Historical
Society, adapted) and discuss the events of 1765-1776 that made the colonists more
determined to fight for independence.
Write or tape the time line dates on the Board. Distribute sheets of paper, each
containing an event, have the students illustrate the event or briefly describe the event
on the paper. Each student should then place the event with illustration on the Board
under the date it occurred.
Look up definitions of the word Liberty. In your own words write your definition of
Liberty. Examine the Declaration of Independence to see if your ideas/philosophy of
Liberty are in fact in the Declaration of Independence. Discuss how the King was going
to limit the Liberty of his colonial subjects?
Debate with classmates the issues of government, taxation and economics as regulated
by the Acts of Parliament on the thirteen colonies. Some students should be advocates
of Parliament and the King while other students should be colonial resisters. Can a
compromise be reached?
THE CALL TO LIBERTY
1763
Britain wins the French and Indian War, and have a large debt from the war.
1765
Britain passes the Stamp Act. This requires a stamp on every legal document. A tax must be
paid to receive the stamp.
Colonists wrote petitions against the Stamp Act, burned tax collectors in effigy, and boycotted
certain businesses. The Sons of Liberty were groups of men who lead these nonviolent protest
methods.
Stamp Act repealed.
Declaratory Act stated that Parliament had the right to make laws for the colonies.
Quartering Act of 1765 required the colonies to supply the British troops with certain goods.
1767
Revenue Act of 1767 also known as the Townshend Act was passed. Duties were levied on
certain goods such as glass, lead, printer’s colors, paper and tea.
1767 - 1770
Nonimportation associations form in the colonies. These were groups of merchants that refused
to purchase British goods.
The Daughters of Liberty meet together to spin and weave cloth so they do not have to purchase
cloth from the British.
1770
The Boston Massacre occurs on March 5th. The towns people attacked the British soldiers. The
soldiers fire on the unarmed crowd and kill five people.
1773
Dec. 16, patriots dressed as Indians board ships in the Boston Harbor and dump tea into the
harbor. This became known as the Boston Tea Party.
2001 Shaping the World: Conversation on Democracy - Thomas Jefferson Confers With John Adams
© Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest
1774
The British pass the Intolerable Acts to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party. The
Intolerable Acts included:
Boston Port Act which closed the Boston Port.
Massachusetts Government Act which took away the Massachusetts’ charter.
Quartering Act of 1774 which allowed the British to house troops in private homes.
Justice Act and Quebec Act
In October the first Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and passed the Suffolk Resolves,
which encouraged colonists to disobey the Intolerable Acts.
1775
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battle of Bunker Hill
1776
In May the second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and called for a draft of a
declaration of independence.
July 4 -- The Declaration of Independence is signed by John Hancock at Carpenter Hall,
Philadelphia.
August 2 -- The Declaration of Independence is signed by the other founders.
2001 Shaping the World: Conversation on Democracy - Thomas Jefferson Confers With John Adams
© Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest