Primary Source Documents
This site was created so my fifth grade students could find and read primary source documents of the Revolutionary War Era.
Created on 1/27/02
S. McKenna
Documents from the late Colonial
to early Revolutionary War.
Massachusetts
House of Legislature on the Governor’s Salary--11 September
1728
This is the Massachusett Assemby's
response to instructions from England that a fixed salary for the governor
be set. Read to find out how the assembly responded to this request.
You can find additional information on the context of this reply by scrolling
to the bottom of the page and going to "Context".
Proclamation
of 1763
This law forbad the colonists
from crossing the Appalachian Mountains and caused discord between the
colonies and England.
Sugar
Act of 1764
Levied to help pay for the
expenses of The French and Indian War, this law placed a tariff on sugar,
molasses and other imports (coffee, silk).
Quartering
Act of 1765
This act required the colonists
to pay for the soldiers that were sent to protect them from the Native
Americans after the French and Indian War. Another Quartering Act
would be passed after the Boston Tea Party.
The
Stamp Act of 1765
As a result of this law, a
tax was placed on all paper products--the stamp would indicate that the
tax had been paid.
The
Resolutions of the Stamp Act Congress
Nine of the colonies met in
New York to discuss their response to the Stamp Act. Read the resolutions
they agreed upon.
Letters
of Samuel Adams
A four-volume collection of
this outspoken Patriot's writings.
Letters
between Abigail and John Adams
Letter
from John Adams on the subject of liberty and honor
These will be valuable sources
to guide you in the task of writing a letter so it will sound authentic
to the Revolutionary War Era.
These and other primary source documents can be found at The American Colonists' Library and The American Revolution--a site for kids (go to Further Reading to find letters from a soldier at Valley Forge)
Another excellent source for general information about American History and the Revolutionary War is Kid Info