Seventh Graders Make History Come Alive with a Boston Tea Party Reenactment!

Our 7th grade students in Mr. Grady's and Mr. Nappi's classes went back in time and simulated the Boston Tea Party - the colonial protest event that John Adams called "a turning point in history."

Students started in the AMS auditorium, which was transformed into the Old South Church in Boston - where the Sons of Liberty rallied colonists to challenge what they believed to be a violation of their rights as English subjects.

They then proceeded to Griffin's Wharf - where colonists reflected on the risks involved in committing treason, which demanded that they remain as quiet as possible during the event.

Students respectfully confronted the captain of the ship to request access to the British East India Tea Company's crates of tea leaves. Grudgingly, the captain acquiesced - and students carefully selected boxes of tea leaves - locating only the B.E.I.T.C.'s crates, while leaving the rest of the cargo untouched - just as colonists did 252 years ago this December 16. Huzzah!!!!

They finished with a debrief - discussing whether or not this colonial protest (a form of civil disobedience) could be considered violent, or nonviolent.