How did political cartoons spread ideas before the start of the American Revolution?
• Political cartoons played an important role in the years leading up to the American Revolution. As people examined the cartoons in newspapers, they thought about the illustrator’s ideas about taxes, war, and fair government. Use a search engine such as Google or Yahoo! to find Web sites that show examples of political cartoons from this era. Use search terms such as American Revolution, political cartoons, and Stamp Act to begin your search. • As you find examples of cartoons, examine them carefully. Read each all the way through and look for symbols and words with more than one meaning. Some Web sites may offer explanations of the cartoons. If so, also read these carefully. • Start a Trailfire trail* as you move from one page to the next. (You will need to first sign up and download the Trailfire software.) In each comment, explain the history behind the cartoon on the page and what the cartoonist wanted to point out to his or her readers. Tie your comments to information you have a
