John Adams Branching Story — 7th Grade

The setup

You are a young aide in colonial Boston, 1770. History is unfolding fast, and John Adams needs your help navigating the most important decisions of a new nation.

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Part 11 scene so far

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The crack of muskets splits the cold March night, and King Street erupts into chaos. You press through the screaming crowd, your heart hammering, trying to make sense of what just happened. British soldiers stand in a ragged line, smoke curling from their rifles, while colonists shout and weep over the bodies of five men fallen in the snow. The whole city feels like a kettle about to burst. You know one thing for certain: someone needs to tell John Adams. He is a lawyer, a thinker, a man who believes that law — not rage — is the only thing that can hold a society together. You push away from the crowd and run toward his office on Brattle Street, the city's fury echoing at your back.

Run to find John Adams and report what you sawJoin the angry crowd calling for immediate revenge

What it covers

• The Boston Massacre of 1770 heightened colonial tensions with Britain.
• Adams defended the British soldiers because he believed every person deserves a fair trial under the law.
• Adams successfully defended most soldiers, showing his legal skill and belief in due process.
• Adams used writing and argument — not violence — as tools to oppose British policies like the Stamp Act.
• The First Continental Congress met in 1774 to coordinate colonial responses to British policies.
• Delegates were divided between reconciliation with Britain and pursuing independence.
• Adams nominated Washington as commander because Washington had military experience and could unite the colonies.
• Adams was known as the 'Atlas of Independence' for his tireless work in Congress.
• Adams was one of the strongest voices pushing for the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
• The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776, breaking ties with Britain.
• America needed French support — money, troops, and naval power — to win the Revolutionary War.
• Adams and Franklin both served as American diplomats in France, though they sometimes disagreed.

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