Directions for "The Dilemma of Colonial Shopkeepers"
1. Read the background information essay on the disputes over Britain's decision to tax the colonies with the Stamp Act (1765) and the Townshend Acts (1767).
2. Then you will read about the experiences of Elizabeth's shopkeeper friends in Boston from the announcement of the Stamp Act to the Boston Massacre in "The Dilemma of Elizabeth Murray" essay.
3. Within the section on Murray's friends, there are several links to related primary documents. Use AP PARTS to guide you through the document. After answering questions for a particular document, you can return to the narrative about Murray's friends.
4. When you have worked your way through this material, you should have much to say in answer to the central question:
How did Elizabeth Murray's shopkeeper friends respond to the dilemma they faced between needing to earn a living, and the pressure to support boycotts of British goods?