Grade 8 U.S. History
The American Revolution (1775-1783)
Wanted Poster Assignment
With the American colonies’ break from Britain via the battles of Lexington and Concord
(1775) and the Declaration of Independence a year later, the British government sought to
apprehend key rebel leaders (aka “Patriots”) deemed responsible for the insurrection
occurring there. Among these “most-wanted” individuals were many of the personalities we
know today as our country’s Founding Fathers: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin,
John and Abigail Adams, Sam Adams, Patrick Henry, the signers of the Declaration of
Independence, and many others. Recognized as important figures to the Patriot cause, the
capture and arrest of these individuals was a matter of great interest to the British and
could turn the tide of the war in Britain’s favor should they be caught.
Your task: Create a wanted poster for the person you have selected. Your poster should
follow the format of a standard wanted poster. It should include the following information:
1. Picture (head shot) of the person
2. Full name + any aliases used by the person
3. Physical description (sex, race, age, height, weight, hair/eye color, identifying marks
if any)
4. Biographical info (occupation, marital status, place of residence)
5. Reason(s) wanted by the British (What has the person done to be wanted by the
British?)
6. Where last seen
7. Who is seeking him/her (contact person)
The best source for info is the Internet. Biographical data on the person along with images
can be easily found there. Be creative with the presentation of your poster but be sure to
stick with the facts. Your poster will be graded per the rubric found on the back of this
sheet.