The Great Debate:

Patriots vs. Loyalists

You will be participating in a debate of epic proportions:
Each of you will be on a team of either the patriots or the loyalists and will be responsible for completely and
persuasively responding to three main topics. You will also be asked a question from the other team to answer, and
will also receive a pop question at the end of the debate.
You will be graded on the completeness of your answers and your persuasiveness as a group.

Debate Outline:
Opening Comments:
Loyalists state position (1 min)
Patriots state position (1 min)
Topic 1:
Patriots: Why go to war with England? Why not negotiate? (3 min)
Loyalists (rebuttal): With all the damage that England has done to the colonies, why

should the colonies still be under the kings rule? (3 min)

Topic 2:
Loyalists: State your position on the taxes that England has imposed on the colonies.
(3 min)
Patriots(rebuttal): State your position on the taxes that England has imposed on the
colonies. (3 min)
Topic 3:
Patriots: Convince the Loyalists that we can win the war against England. (3 min)
Loyalists(rebuttal): Convince the Patriots that the colonies cannot win war against
England. (3 min)
Questions:
Each side will decide on a question to ask the other team.
A coin toss will determine which team answers first.
(2 min. to determine a question, 2 minutes to discuss an answer, and 2 min. for each team
to answer)
Pop Question!
A coin toss will determine which team goes first.
Closing Statement:
Patriots: (1 min)
Loyalists: (1 min)

Topics Guide: Patriots

Include these key terms and ideas in your arguments to make your case ultra-persuasive!

Topic 1: Why go to war with England? Why not negotiate? (3 min)

-The French and Indian War
-The Proclamation of 1763
-The Quartering Act
-The Boston Massacre
-Patrick Henry
-Coervice/Intolerable Acts
-King George III

Topic 2: State your position on the taxes that England has imposed on the colonies. (3 min)
-taxation without representation
-The Stamp Act
-The Sugar Act
-The Townshend Acts
-Boston Tea Party

Topic 3: Convince the Loyalists that the colonies can win the war against England. (3 min)
-guerilla warfare
-Minutemen
-Daughters of Liberty
-France (alliance)

Topics Guide: Loyalists

Include these key terms and ideas in your arguments to make your case ultra-persuasive!
Topic 1: With all the damage that England has done to the colonies, why should the
colonies still be under the kings rule? (3 min)
-The Boston Massacre
-The Boston Tea Party
-The Sons of Liberty
-King George III
-treason

Topic 2: State your position on the taxes that England has imposed on the colonies. (3 min)
-inflation
-profiteering
-income from all the tax acts
(Stamp Act, Townshend Acts, etc.)

Topic 3: Convince the Loyalists that the colonies cant win the war against England. (3 min)
-The French and Indian War
-British troops (redcoats)

-mercenaries
-British military resources vs. American military resources
-the cost of fighting a war