The Bostonians Paying the Excise-Man, 1774: a print published in London, showing the tarring and feathering by Patriots of a Boston Customs official, who was a Loyalist, on 5 January 1774 under the Liberty Tree in Boston, Massachusetts. *Note: Loyalists: Americans who favoured remaining with Britain. Patriots: Americans who favoured independence from Britain.
(i)
Why is this print considered a primary source for historians of the American Revolution?
(ii) How many of the following features show that this print is anti-American propaganda (biased against the Americans)?
(a) The faces of the Patriots tarring and feathering the Customs official. (b) The way they are treating the Customs official. (c) The label on the tree with the hanging noose. (d) The tea being dumped overboard from the ship on the left. (e) It was published in London.
(iii) Explain one of your choices in (ii) above. (iv) How would people in England react to this print? Explain your answer. (a) They would be shocked at the treatment of the Customs official. OR (b) They would think he deserved what he got.
2. Exam Question
(i) Name a pre-20th-century revolution that you have studied. (ii) What were the conditions in the country like before the revolution began? (iii) What were the main events that happened during the revolution? (iv) How did the country change as a result of the revolution?
(NCCA Sample JC History Assessment Items) Preparing for CBA 2
A project on the life and experience of a person of historical interest Persons of interest from the American Revolution John Adams