Johnny Tremain Story Organizer
Setting
Place: Boston, MA
Time Period: Colonial Period, 1773
Fictional Characters/Details
~~~~~~~~~~~~~1~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Up And About
•Mr. Lapham- Master Silversmith
•Mrs. Lapham- daughter-in-law
•Madge- 18 yrs,, good-looking but loud
•Dorcas- 16, soft-spoken and elegant
•Cilla- 14, teases J.T. but may end up
marrying him someday
•Isannah- 8, beautiful but sickly
•Apprentices
-Dove- 16, does not get along with J.T.
-Dusty Miller- 11
-Johnny Tremain- 14
•Merchant Lyte –very wealthy merchant in
Boston, possibly related to Johnny.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
•Johnny tells Cilla about his family crest,
the “Lyte” family crest and shows her the
silver cup that his mother gave him and
told him only to go to the Lytes when he
has nowhere else to go.
•Johnny’s full name is Jonathan Lyte
Tremain.
•Johnny sees Lavinia Lyte at the pier,
Merchant Lyte’s daughter, and he is
fascinated with her.
•Johnny is warned about his pride by Mr.
Lapham. Johnny is too full of himself.
“Pride Goeth Before the Fall” and Johnny
must read the Bible to get more humble.
•Johnny burns himself after Dove gave him
a cracked crucible. His hand is crippled &
he will no longer be a Silversmith.
Author: Esther Forbes
Genre: Historical Fiction
Historical Facts/Events/People
~~~~~~~~~~~~~1~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
•John Hancock- wealthiest person in
Boston, politician
•Apprentice- Contracted for 7 years to
working under a master artisan in
exchange for education, room & board.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~2~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Pride of Your Power
•Paul Revere – master silversmith who
lived in the North End of Boston.
Johnny went to him to ask for help on
the handles of the silver sugar basin.
• Mr. Revere offered to take Johnny on
as an apprentice but Johnny refused
since he had a contract with the
Laphams. Also the Laphams needed
Johnny’s silversmith skills in the shop
to bring money into their household.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~3~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An Earth of Brass
•Fanueil Hall, site of Boston Massacre
•Beacon Hill, Boston Common
• No working on the Sabbath (Sunday).
This is a law in Colonial Boston.
•Johnny visist Copp’s Hill Graveyard
where his mother is buried. He spend
the night sleeping at her graveside.
• Johnny realizes all hope is lost and
decides to go to Mr. Lyte for help. He
will bring the cup to show proof that
Johnny is related to the Lytes.
Fictional Characters/Details
Chpt. 2 (continued)
Johnny goes out to look for other work:
Bookkeeper, but he can’t write. Printer,
this is where he meets Rab.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An Earth of Brass
•Mr. Tweedie-journeyman silversmith
•Rab-printing apprentice to his uncle
•Mr. Lorne-Rab’s uncle, printer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~4~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Rising Eye
•Merchant Lyte- very wealthy merchant
in Boston, possibly related to J.T.
•Ms. Lavinia Lyte-daughter
•Rab helps Johnny get a lawyer.
•Mr. Josiah Quincy-Johnny’s lawyer
•Johnny goes on trial for stealing Mr.
Lytes cup. Cilla testifies that Johnny
had the cup earlier.
•The case is closed for lack of evidence.
Historical Facts/Events/People
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~4~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Long Wharf- Lyte’s counting house
Charlestown
Stamp Act –tax on licenses, legal
documents that are required to
be stamped for validation.
Non-import agreement= boycott by
colonist not to use goods taxed
by England
Stamp Act repealed
Taxation Without Representation
Whigs-our patriots, British rebels
Tories-loyalist to British rule
Governor Hutchinson-governor of
Boston, loyal to England
The Liberty Tree-symbol for the Sons
of Liberty
Fictional Characters/Details
~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Boston Observer
•Justice Dana- the judge
•Hadden & Barton- Lyte’s workers
•Captain Bull – tough, Seacaptain
•Johnny practiced riding Goblin, his
horse, on the Common
•Silsbee’s from Lexington, MA
•Johnny was starved for the knowledge
that he got from reading.
•Johnny met Cilla at the town pump.
•Johnny learned to think before he
speaks, to count to 10 first.
•Rab fought with butcher’s boy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Salt Water Tea
•Sam Adams calls a meeting of the Sons
of Liberty at 8:00 on Sunday. This
means 8 shillings are due for the
newspaper.
•Rab prints a notice for a town meeting
at Fanueil Hall at 9:00 Monday.
•Dusty ran away to sea.
•Observers Club met in the loft above
the Boston Observer.
•Johnny wouldn’t show his hand to Dr.
Warren.
•This meeting can do no more to save
the country.
•Disguised as “Indians”, they used the
code words, Me Know You
•Dove is caught stealing tea so Rab
dumps him into the harbor.
•The “Indians” were lame and sore the
next day, but no one would tell
why. All were sworn to secrecy.
Historical Facts/Events/People
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Boston Observer
•Great Seal of the Colony
•Paper Route -Dorchester, Roxbury,
Brookline, Milton, Cambridge,
Watertown, Waltham,
Lexington, Charlestown-Ferry
•Sam Adam’s-leader of the rebellion
•Major Silsbee injured in the French
and Indian War.
~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Salt Water Tea
•Taxation without Representation
-taxing colonists without a vote in
Parliament.
•East India Tea Company-would pay
the tax on tea in exchange for getting a
monopoly on the colonial business.
•Dartmouth-1st ship carrying Tea- the
Elenore, and the Beaver
•Sons of Liberty members: Rev. Sam
Cooper, John Hancock, William
Molineaux, Josiah Quincy, John
Adams, James Otis Dr. Church,
Paul Revere, Dr. Joseph Warren
•Paul Revere creates political cartoons
•treason- the offense of acting to
overthrow one's government or
to harm or kill its rule.
•Bos. Tea Party-tea is dumped into the
harbor, if any is stolen, it is
robbery and not just a protest.
•tyranny-oppressive or unjustly severe
government or ruler. (tyrant)
•All tea is dumped, the decks swept,
nothing else was damaged.
•Paul Revere rode to NY and PA to
tell other colonies about the
Boston Tea Party.
Fictional Characters/Details
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Fiddler’s Bill
• All work stopped along the wharf,
workers stopped buying, shops
weren’t selling. Boston was
being starved!
•British officer said, “Remember we
don’t like being here in Boston any
better than you like having us.”
•Johnny began delivering letters for
the British soldiers and commanders.
•Cilla meets Rab at the Observer. She
and Isannah now live with the Lytes.
•Dorcus ran off with Frizel, Junior.
•Johnny thinks Cilla is pretty and sees
her every Thursday.
•Dove begins work at the stables of
the Afric Queen. Johnny ends up
protecting him, hoping to use him for
information someday.
•Lt. Stranger tries to buy Goblin.
~~~~~7.4~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
•Johnny likes Cilla more, and dislikes
the way Isannah has become.
•Johnny returns to the Lapham house,
sees Tweedie, Madge, and Sgt. Gale
•Johnny has words with Lavinia Lyte
in her parlor. He defends Cilla.
•Mrs. Bessie, Lyte’s servant, is a
secret patriot. She tells Johnny of the
Sons of Liberty’s plan to get Lyte.
~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A World to Come
•Mr. Lyte returns, sick and attacked,
from the country. (Milton)
•Cilla & Johnny use Dr.Warrens horse
& carriage and return to get the silver
•Johnny found the Lyte geneology.
Johnny had been born in France. His
father, Dr. Charles Latour, had died.
His mother was Lavinia Lyte. He took
the pages and burnt them in the fire.
Historical Facts/Events/People
~~~~~~~~~~~~ 7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Fiddler’s Bill
•Intolerable Acts -The punishment united
the colonies. Boston harbor was
closed to all merchant ships until
the dumped tea was paid for.
•Port act was enforced by British Wars
ships surrounding the Harbor.
•General Gage replaces Gov.Hutchinson.
•Regiments of British troops were sent in
and they camped at the Common.
•Local militia begin military drills on
village greens throughout New England.
•Many colonies sent money and food to
Boston along the Neck Road.
~~~~~7.4~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
•Whig families were moving out of
Boston and Tories were moving in for
protection under British troops.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A World To Come
•August, the ports were still closed and
food was still being sent in.
•British guards were posted at the Neck
Road, the only way in or out of
Boston by land. A pass was needed
• In Milton, a troop of Minutemen drilled,
although they marched poorly.
(marching farmers) A young boy
played the fife.
Fictional Characters/Details
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8 .3 ~~~~~~~~~~~
•Rab tried to buy a gun from a farmer
but the they were caught. Rab was let
go but the farmer was tarred &
feathered.
•Madge married Sgt. Gale, Mrs.
Lapham married Mr. Tweedie
•Johnny is jealous of Rab and Cilla but
Cilla tells him she like the name
Priscilla Tremain.
•James Otis said that each patriot will
give something for the cause:
John Hancock – property
John Adams – his law practice
Dr. Warren – his life
Paul Revere- his silvercraft
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Scarlet Deluge
•Johnny was assigned to the 10th
regimine at the Afric Queen.
•Dove was Col. Smith’s stable boy.
•Using pieced together letters, Johnny
found that Lt. Stranger was going to
Portsmouth, NH to the fort. Johnny
alerted Paul Revere who rode north.
Rebels took the fort and stole the
ammunition before the British arrived.
•Johnny and Rab treated Dove well
but Dove had become Pro-British.
•They gave Dove ale and whiskey and
he told of Col. Smiths plan to attack
the colonial stores in Concord.
•Lt. Stranger taught Johnny and
Goblin how to jump hurdles.
•Johnny’s dispatch bag filled with
newspapers spilled on the Common
and the soldiers were going to give
him 30 lashes. He spurred Goblin and
took off on a run that ended at Lytes.
•Johnny met Pumpkin & made a plan
to get a rifle for Rab in exchange for
disguise to get Pumpkin out of Boston.
Historical Facts/Events/People
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8.3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
•Deserters (British soldiers who ran
away to become colonists) were
executed at the foot of the Commons.
•Armies usually attack in the Spring.
•Province House had carved lion and
unicorn, symbols of Britain.
•Sam Adams called the last meeting of
the Observers Club, it is too dangerous
•The system that alerts the minutemen
had worked but they need to improve
knowledge of British troops and their
movements within Boston.
•Sam and John Adams were leaving
the next morning for Philadelphia to
attend the 1st Continental Congress.
•James Otis speaks for the natural
rights of man. He asks,”For what do
we fight?” – for the rights of all men
that they can choose their own rulers,
that a man can stand up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Scarlet Deluge
•Paul Revere organized a spy system
of 30 mason, artisans and apprentices.
They met at the Green Dragon.
•Whig leaders-Sam Adams, John
Hancock, Dr. Warren, Dr. Church.
•Ft. William and Mary was a fort in
Portsmouth, NH storing ammunition.
•Rebels stole the ammo and moved it
to Concord, MA for storage.
• Sedition- to write or speak out
against a government, language that
may incite a rebellion.
•Seditious newspapers fell into the
hands of British soldiers who wished
to desert and live in the colonies.
•Lead for bullets was hard to get.
Women gave their pewter to be melted
down for bullets & paper for wrapping
Fictional Characters/Details
~~~~~~~~~~~ 9.4 & 5 ~~~~~~~~~~~
•Johnny went to the Common to ride
Nan and Sandy, he saw
Pumpkin being executed by
firing squad for desertion.
~~~~~~~~ 10.1- 2 - 3 - 4~~~~~~~~~~
Disperse Ye Rebels
•British soldiers sharpened bayonettes,
prepared boats, & prepared for
battle.
•April, Spring came early this year.
•Sam Adams & John Hancock had left
Boston for the safety of
Lexington.
•Rab left Boston for Lexington since
he wanted to be there if fighting
broke out. Johnny stayed to
report information from Dove.
•Johnny never said good luck to Rab.
•April 1775 – British troops were
told to report at moonrise to
Common.
•Dove was told to bring Col. Smith’s
horse Sandy and campaign
saddle. The Colonel would take
his horse by boat, 30 miles, with
drums and guns.
•Dove got the next day off since the
Colonel would not be back till
late the next evening.
•Johnny carried messages to Paul
Revere and Robert Newman
and then went to Dr. Warren’s
to sleep.
• April 19, 1775-The Shot Heard
Around the World was fired.
Historical Facts/Events/People
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 9.4 & 5 ~~~~~~~~
•King George was angry with Gen.
Gage since the colonist were
still rebelling & drilling for war.
•Britain sent in 3 generals: Gen. Howe
Gen. Burgoyne, Gen. Clinton.
~~~~~~~~ 10.1- 2 - 3 - 4~~~~~~~~~~
Disperse Ye Rebels
•British spies at Province House
reported Whig information.
•light infantry – most active, clever
•grenadiers- tall, powerful fighters
•Warren and Revere planned the
signal light in the steeple.
•One lantern if British left Boston by
land, two lanterns if by sea.
•Revere would wait across the river in
Charlestown for the signal, then
he would ride to alert the
minutemen.
•William (Billy) Dawes was told to
spread the alarm by land.
•Samoset, a British warship had been
moved into the Charles River.
Paul Revere was to row around.
•Robert Newman, the Christ’s Church
Sexton, was to hang 2 lanterns.
•Paul Revere made it to Charlestown
and Billy Dawes made it off the
Neck.
•Major Pitcairn yelled, “Disperse Ye
Rebels, Disperse!”
•Both sides had ordered their troops
not to shoot. No one knows
which side shot first.
•April 19, 1775 – the first shot of the
American Revolution - fired at
Lexington, MA
Fictional Characters/Details
~~~~~~~~~~~ 11 ~~~~~~~~~~~
Yankee Doodle
•Dr. Warren left Boston to treat the
wounded at Lexington and
Concord.
•Johnny was told to stay behind to
listen for information and to
leave Boston later that night to
report.
•Johnny went to the Lytes to see Cilla.
He spoke with Lavinia who told him
that she had is story of the cup
checked out. Johnny is the daughter
of her cousin, Vinny Lyte, who
married a French surgeon, who was a
prisoner of war. Johnny was born 3
months after his father died.
•Lavinia said she was his Aunt and the
he had the same widow’s peak on his
forehead that his mother had.
•Johnny would have a claim for Lyte
property after the war.
•The Lytes went back to England and
Isannah went with them.
•Mr. Lorne & his family will move
into the Lyte house. Johnny kissed
Cilla goodbye as he left for Lexington.
•Johnny used Pumpkin’s British
uniform to escape across the Charles
River into Charlestown that evening.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 12 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Man Can Stand Up
•Johnny watched wounded British and
saw Lt. Stranger return from battle.
•Johnny made it to Lexington and
found Dr. Warren and Rab.
•Rab gave Johnny his rifle but sent
Johnny away before he died.
•Dr. Warren repaired Johnny’s had by
cutting the scar tissue.
•Johnny’s life had changed in one day.
Historical Facts/Events/People
~~~~~~~~~~~ 11 ~~~~~~~~~~~
Yankee Doodle
•Lexington Green, 700 British vs. 70
Minutemen at sunrise, April19,
1775
•Flag of England still flew over the
colonies, stood for Magna
Charta, Bill of Rights, for
Liberty. That no man is to be
ruled or taxed except by men of
his own choice.
•Yankee Doodle was played by British
to insult the Yankees.
•Gen.Gage had Robert Newman, the
Sexton of the church, arrested
for hanging the lanterns.
•British forces left Boston as a
”Scarlet dragon, thousands of
separate feet merged into only
one gigantic pair” signifies the
precision of the British forces.
•British troops returned to Boston, ”A
scurry of red ants running down
Cambridge Road through the
bushes on Charlestown
Common.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 12 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Man Can Stand Up
•The British were beaten and chased
back into Boston by colonial militia.
•Minutemen attacked from behind
barns, bushes, stone walls, and trees.
•Now, the colonials lay siege to the
city of Boston. – surrounded and
stranded the British on the peninsula.
•