Introduction

When the early English colonists first began to land on the east coast of North America, they came to begin a new life. They saw the colonies as a place filled with opportunity for religious freedom, economic gain, or perhaps adventure. These early colonists sought a new beginning, but they were content to remain part of England’s empire. For generations, these first colonists and their descendents, and the many new colonists who came from Europe over the years, enjoyed the freedom of being far from the ruling power of England.

These colonists formed local governments and began to resent any interference from England. Eventually, the colonists came to feel that they were being treated unfairly by the English government. The colonists developed their own identity; they were Americans. More specifically, they were Bostonians or Virginians. As colonists, they were not allowed any say in the economic and political policies England adopted to rule the colonies. This WebQuest will focus on answering who, what, where, when, and why questions about the American Revolution by sending out newspaper teams to cover the action!