“If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.” — Thomas Paine 

The colonists were upset that Great Britain was taxing the colonies, especially since they had no representation in Parliament, the governing body of Great Britain. Taxing is making people pay an extra amount for certain goods and services.

The colonies' grievances brought rise to the phrase...

No taxation without representation!

Which taxes were the colonists upset about?

1. The Stamp Act (1765): Great Britain taxed all paper documents in the colonies.

2. Townshend Acts (1767): Great Britain taxed a bunch of goods imported into the colonies, like glass and lead.

3. The Tea Act (1773): Great Britain told the colonies they were only allowed to buy and drink a British company's tea.

The colonists' response? Dumping British tea into the Boston Harbor! This event came to be known as the Boston Tea Party.

Task #1: Let x represent the number of tons of tea thrown into the Harbor. Find x.

x = [(4 x 5) - (8/2) + (14-9)] + (17 x 0) + (5 x 5)

If one ton is equal to 2,000 pounds, how many pounds did the colonists dump into the harbor? (Bonus: How many ounces?)

Another important event leading to the Revolution was the Boston Massacre. During a skirmish in March 1770, British soldiers fired shots and killed three people in the public eye. It stirred up anti-British fever even further.

Several people, groups and documents played key roles during the fight for freedom.

Task #2: American and French forces are about to engage in a fight with the British, as represented in the plot on the following page.

1) What are the coordinates of point a? Of point b? Of point c?

2) George Washington wants to meet with the French troops before battle. How many units north will he travel from point a to point b?

3) The British want to establish a post closer to the Americans, but still on the west side. What are possible coordinates for this point?