CONTENT

After the passing of the Townshend Act (1767), which placed a tax upon goods imported into the colonies, merchants and traders in Boston came together and created the Boston Non-Importation Agreement (1768). This agreement was essentially a boycott of imported goods, and it spread to other cities like New York and Philadelphia. However, not every merchant and trader agreed to the boycott and, in 1770, were targeted by the Sons of Liberty as “unpatriotic” and “enemies of their country.” Posters and newspaper ads gave out their locations and encouraged Bostonians not to do business with them.  

AIMS/OBJECTIVES 

Students will be able to:  

• Identify and describe the impact of factors that might influence individuals’ perspectives on the conflict with Britain.  

• Support their claims using evidence and reasoning.  

MATERIALS 

• Transcript: Theophilus Lillie letter 

PROCEDURES 

• First, as a class, read through the [excerpt of] Boston’s Non-Importation Agreement. Have students answer the question: What are the merchants of Boston agreeing to? Share that the merchants are agreeing to boycott, or refuse to buy, certain items imported from Great Britian. Ask the students to think about why the merchants decided to do that and what they hope to accomplish through the boycott. If students are unfamiliar with the Townshend Act, explain to them that the Townshend Act placed a tax on imported goods from Great Britain like glass, paint, oil, lead, paper, and tea.  

• Next, explain that not every merchant wanted to sign the Non-Importation Agreement. Introduce students to the letter excerpt they are about to read, nothing that Theophilus Lillie was a merchant living in Boston and making his money on importing goods from overseas and selling them. Divide students into groups and have each group read one paragraph of the letter and put it into their own words.  

• Then, provide each group with a [chart paper/worksheet] and ask them to answer the following questions: What is happening in this section of the letter? How do you know? What are the feelings Lillie is expressing in this section? Do you agree or disagree with Lillie’s perspective? Why or why not? Once all groups have finished, share out summaries and answer in order of the letter, clarifying as necessary.  

• Finally, ask students for their initial reflections: who is in the right here? Who is in the wrong? Set up a debate between the students, with all those who agree with Lillie on one side and those who agree with the colonists enforcing the Non-Importation Agreement on the other. Allow students to change sides or stand in the middle of the room if they are persuaded to change their minds but give students the opportunity to explain why they were persuaded to move. At the conclusion, ask students what this tells them about the challenges of choosing sides during the Revolution.  

EXTENSION 

• Have the students enter the Virtual Museum and use the drop-down menu in the upper-left hand corner to navigate to the “Liberty Tree.” 

This activity is excerpted from Unit 5 of the Through Their Eyes: Major Causes and Events of the American Revolution Teacher Resource Guide. To see the full lesson and all supporting materials visit: http://www.amrevmuseum.org/teacher-resource-guides