Juror Task #5

Part I

Directions: Read the information contained in packet #4 and complete the following activities.

Read and mark the three witness statements for the prosecution. These people were asked to testify because the colonial government (representing the King) believed they had information to prove the guilt of the soldiers-that they committed murder.

Part I: Write a brief summary (50 words or less) of each argument contained in packet #5. Be sure to cite any evidence directly quoted from these sources.

Argument 1-John Adams on why the soldiers were innocent.

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Argument 2-Patrick Henry on why the soldiers were guilty.

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Juror Task #5

Part II – Why sourcing matters?

When historian analyze information they consider the origins of a historical source in order to help make sense of it. This is called “sourcing.”

Some questions to think about as we “source” the illustrations we have analyzed include:

1.If the images are meant to show the same incident, why are they so different? Be sure to cite your evidence and inferences.

2.Why might two different people have different ideas about what happened?

3.How do you explain the differences between the illustration you created as part of Juror Task #1 and the visual sources in Juror Task #3?

Please answer the following questions about sourcing. Sourcing is an important skill to have as historians, and this skill will be used in this class all year.

1.What is sourcing?

2.Why does sourcing matter to historians?

3.How does sourcing impact the arguments of historians?

Juror Task #5

Part III – Verdict

Were the British soldiers guilty of murder, or were they innocent, acting in self-defense?

Use the information and evidence gathered in juror tasks 1-5 to write an argument about whether you believe the soldiers were guilty of murder, or innocent, acting in self-defense? Your task is to persuade your fellow jurors that your judgement is the right one for this case.

In writing, your decision, a clear and thoughtful response to the question about the British soldiers will include:

  • A discussion of what you think happened that evening in Boston.
  • An identification and summary of evidence that was most persuasive in leading you to that conclusion.
  • A discussion of what evidence you found least convincing and why.
  • A conclusion that thoughtfully summarizes your decision as you have argued it in your verdict.
  • Please cite all of your evidence.

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