Revolutionary Pamphlet and Protest Poster
Due Date: _______________________
Part 1: Revolutionary Pamphlet
RAFT
Role: Who are you as the writer? = Revolutionary writer prior to the Revolutionary War
Audience: To whom are you writing? = Fellow Colonists
Format: In what format are you writing? = Pamphlet
Topic: What are you writing about? = Reasons to declare independence from Britain
A pamphlet is a short essay that usually covers a controversial topic. The purpose of a pamphlet is to stir up emotion and
to rally like-minded individuals to a cause. During the years leading up to the American Revolution there were a number
of political pamphlets circulating throughout the colonies calling for colonists to stand up to the British.
For this activity, you will write your own political pamphlet outlining the reasons why now is the time to demand
independence from Britain.
A.) Include the following Content terms with an explanation in your pamphlet
• Sons of Liberty
• Quartering Act
• Stamp Act
• Sugar Act
• Tea Act
• Boston Massacre
• Natural Rights
**** You must select three primary sources that you will cite to support your reasoning
for revolution
B.) Include three of the following methods of resistance correctly:
• Petition
• Disobedience
• Protest
• Boycott
• Riot
C.) In your pamphlet you need to include slang and a revolutionary tone and mood. In other words, I should feel as
though I am reading a pamphlet from the 18th century.
Part 2: Protest Poster
A.) Include a revolutionary slogan (refer to readings or ask Google)
B.) Include four images of the following (you can sketch or print from the Internet):
o Sons of Liberty
o Stamp Act
o Sugar Act
o Quartering Act
o Tea Act
o Boston Massacre
C.) Include a Boycott of something
End British Occupation!
Fellow countrymen! We live in an exciting time here in the colonies. The time is now to take up arms against
the Red Coats and demand justice and to create a government that protects our Natural Rights. According to
John Locke we have, “the right to life, liberty and property.” Our Natural Rights are being systematically
removed and I agree with Locke when he says, “But if a long train of abuses, lies, and tricks make a
government's bad intentions visible to the people, they cannot help seeing where they are going. It is no wonder
that they will then rouse themselves, and try to put the rule into hands, which will secure to them the purpose
for which government was originally organized.”
My resentment and frustration toward the British is getting worse by the day. They passed the Sugar Act, which
imposes a tax on sugar and molasses. Don’t those lobsters know that this will raise the price of stuff like
alcohol! They also passed the Stamp Act, requiring us to place a stamp on all documents and, yes, imposing
another tax. Those lobsters also have the nerve to pass the quartering act, which requires us to house and take
care of soldiers. No redcoat better show up on my doorstep! All these laws are passed without our consent. I
agree with Thomas Paine when he says, “there is something absurd, in supposing a continent to be perpetually
governed by an island.” How long will we tolerate the injustices imposed by these spineless lobsters across the
Atlantic!
I know it seems like a long time ago, but I want to remind you all about what happened a couple of years ago in
the streets of Boston. History will remember it as the Boston Massacre. Our brother in arms, Paul Revere,
captured that horrible event when those bloody lobsters got away with shooting unarmed civilians!
As we all know, the other day those lobsters passed another tax called the Tea Act and this is why I am writing
you today. There are some like-minded men I’ve met. We have been leading boycotts of British goods and
participating in protests of British occupation here in America. We call ourselves, the Sons of Liberty. We are
stepping up our level of defiance this weekend. We are leading a protest in the Boston Harbor and our plan is to
dump a bunch of tea into the harbor. Our plan is to dress like the Indians and to stir up a revolutionary fervor
throughout the land. History is calling. It’s time to end this tyrannical rule of “Taxation without
Representation!”
Are you with us? Join, or die!
Benedict Smith
Revolutionary Pamphlet Rubric
70% of Grade
CCSS 8.W.1
Category
5
4
3
2
1
Content Terms
8.W.1,
8.W.1.c,d
At least 90%
Accuracy of the
content terms
and explanation
At least 80%
Accuracy of the
content terms
and explanation
At least 70%
Accuracy of the
content terms
and explanation
At least 60%
Accuracy of the
content terms
and explanation
At least 50%
Accuracy of the
content terms
and explanation
Three sources
are used, align
with content and
format is used
correctly
Three sources
are used, mostly
align with
content and
format is mostly
used correctly
Less than three
sources are
used, mostly
align with
content and
format is mostly
used correctly
Less than two
sources are
used, somewhat
aligns with
content and
format is not
frequently used
correctly
Less than two
sources are
used, does not
align with
content and
format is not
used correctly
Sources
8.W.1,
8.W.1.a,b,e
At least 90%
At least 80%
At least 70%
At least 60%
At least 50%
accuracy of
accuracy of
accuracy of
accuracy of
accuracy of
Methods of
three methods of three methods of three methods of three methods of three methods of
Resistance
resistance and at resistance and at resistance and at resistance and at resistance and at
8.W.1, 8.W.1c,d
least 90% are
least 80% are
least 70% are
least 60% are
least 50% are
used accurately used accurately used accurately used accurately used accurately
Tone and Mood
8.W.1, 8.W.1c,d
Revolutionary
tone, mood and
slang are used
clearly and
accurately.
Revolutionary
tone, mood and
slang are used
mostly clearly
and accurately.
Revolutionary
tone, mood and
slang are used
somewhat
clearly and
accurately.
Totals: _____________________________________________
Revolutionary
tone, mood and
slang are used
not very clear or
accurate.
Very little effort
to include
revolutionary
tone, mood and
use of slang
Protest Poster Rubric
30% of Grade
Category Revolutionary Slogan Images and Boycott 5 Revolutionary slogan aligns perfectly with the poster, is historically accurate and is creatively done. 4 Revolutionary slogan aligns perfectly with the poster, is historically accurate. All four images are used All four images correctly and are used are historically correctly and accurate. The are historically images align accurate. The with the theme images align of the poster with the theme and are of the poster. creatively Poster includes done. Poster the boycott of includes the something boycott of something Total: _________________________________________ 3 Revolutionary slogan is included, but not clear how it aligns with poster, but it is historically accurate. Some of the images are used correctly and some are historically accurate. Poster includes the boycott of something 2 1 Includes a Includes a slogan, but not slogan, but not clear if it aligns clear if it aligns with poster and with poster. is creatively done. Most of the Most of the images are images are used used incorrectly and incorrectly and are some are are some are historically historically accurate. accurate. Poster does Poster does not include the include the boycott of boycott of something something