THE GREAT DEBATE PRECEDING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
CHHS
MCGAHEY/LEEPER 2012
Debate Question: Should the colonies declare their independence and separate from England? (During the debate there will be an airing of grievances between those who favor separation from England and those who favor remaining within the British Empire.)
Time Frame: May, 1776 (after the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the publication of Common Sense, but before the Declaration of Independence was written.)
Place: London, England
Debate Moderator: King George III of England
Scenario: In May 1776, King George III invites a diverse group of notable men from both sides of the Atlantic to come to London to participate in a round table debate which will focus on whether the American colonies should declare their independence and separate from the mother country or remain loyal to England.
Students will be assigned an historical character for this. Using at least one primary source and a minimum of two secondary sources (no textbooks or encyclopedias) students should:
1. identify their historical character as a patriot or loyalist.
2. identify the colony or country from which their character came.
3. identify their character’s occupation and socio-economic background, especially any government offices which the person has held, and the time period in which he held them. (Consider 1760-May 1776)
4. become familiar with the person’s arguments for or against colonial independence.
5. discover what happened to the individual once American independence was declared
6. identify pamphlets and other works your character has written on this issue.
7. identify those people who are your allies, and those against whom you will be debating
8. complete a formal resume for your historical character; resumes should includes a bibliography of at least 3 sources in correct format.
Useful sources include, but are not limited to:
Annals of America – school library subscription
Bailey, The American Spirit, Volume I
Cummins and White, The American Revolution
Dictionary of American Biography
Dictionary of World Biography
Feder, Viewpoints, U.S.A.
Frazier, Voices of America: Readings in American History
Sources in American History: A Book of Readings
Procedure: Students may use note cards only in the debate – no papers or books. You may not read directly from the note cards unless you are quoting something brief and specific. You must speak during the debate as if you were the actual person who you are portraying. Each student will be given a name tag and must refer to other students by the name on the tag. The first time a student speaks, he/she should stand, introduce him/herself, and give a little background information about the character being portrayed. Then you should express some of the character’s views on the issue of independence. Remarks may be addressed to the opposition, to the king, or to a specific person. The next student to speak should either address what has been said by the opposition, express their particular point of view, or do both. Students must stand when speaking!! All students should be taking notes during the debate to use in the debate or to provide information for the debriefing. Every student must speak at least once during the debate to earn credit. (If you character is dead during the actual time period, do not reveal that until the end of the debate)
Characters for the Debate:
Stephen Hopkins Martin Howard
Daniel Dulany Jonathan Boucher
Joseph Warren Lord Dartmouth (William Legge)
John Wilkes William Pitt
Dr. Jonathan Shipley Lord North
Edmund Burke Daniel Leonard
James Otis Soame Jenyns
John Dickinson George Grenville
Thomas Jefferson Governor Thomas Hutchinson
Patrick Henry Samuel Seabury
Thomas Paine Lord Rockingham (Charles Watson Wentworth)
Josiah Quincy, Jr. Charles Townshend
Gouverneur Morris Dr. Samuel Johnson
John Carmichael Lord Hillsborough
Samuel Adams Charles Inglis
Benjamin Franklin William Smith (Cato)
(Dean) Josiah Tucker Joseph Galloway
John Adams
Grading: Students will be graded on the quality and accuracy of their presentations, the number of times they speak during the debate, and their ability to rebut comments made by members of the opposition. Every effort will be made by the moderator to go from one side to the other in the debate in order to facilitate a good dialogue. Every effort will also be made to ensure that no one character monopolizes the debate. The debate will last one class period, students who are absent will need to fulfill their resume requirement and then complete an alternate assignment for the debate missed.