---My writing philosophy is to always write about my own beliefs and opinions. Everyone has to make their own choices and be their own person so why shouldn't your writing be your own thoughts as well. I listen and read about what other people think or say about a specific topic but write about how it makes me feel. When I get the chance to write about how I feel about a topic it makes it a lot easier and more enjoyable to write. I believe a lot of people can find themselves in writing; it gives you a better understanding of who you are. I have learned more about writing in one quarter then I have all my years at high school. I have learned that it is much better to have good content then length. I have also learned how important it is to have quotes to support your facts, and to include both “I say” and “they say” in any writing assignment. Looking back from the beginning of the quarter to now I can point out the things I struggled with and how to fix them. I can also find my strengths in writing; both things that can help me become a better writer.
---Writing my first essay as a college student I was still very comfortable with the five-paragraph technique. When I started writing this first essay I was using my original writing process. As I got more detailed with my paper, I found myself all wrapped up in quotes and templates, I lost site of how I felt about the topic. In doing this it ended me up with a paper that wasn’t truly how I felt. Learning this different writing technique was a difficult process, but I know it was worth it and I can use this technique on future writing assignments.
---If I could go back and fix a mistake I made in this writing process, I would definitely take more time on choosing my thesis. I felt so rushed to choose a topic I ended up with a thesis that held back a lot of information I found interesting. When I started writing I never realized I could have changed my thesis, looking back on it now I think if I would have known I would have done just that. I understand now that my thesis was more of an opinion than an actually statement.
---What I learned from this writing process is that when you’re writing about history you need a lot of resources. Many different historians have different perspectives on historical events and it is important to be open-minded and take in all of the different point of views. Then, it is just as important to be able to put down your own words on paper with your own opinion and views of the topic or event. A good way to do this is to state a quote and then explain how you feel about it. I did this is my first essay after stating a quote from Bacon’s wife I stated, “In this letter Bacon's wife demonstrates how the Indians were misbehaving and their government didn't take control of the situation and give the Indians any consequences”. I feel like this was a really good way of incorporating the “I say” and the “they say” into my paper.
---For the second essay I wasn’t quit as nervous and I felt more confident. The only thing that got to my nerves was the time limit on this paper. The first essay we had a little over three weeks and this time we only had about week. I think I could have made a better outline for this essay because when I started writing my rough draft I had a big unorganized mess. Unlike my first essay where I had a very detailed outline that I barely had to add anything to make my rough draft. This being my second essay I would have really liked to go forward with my writing skills rather then backward.
---I did do a lot of things better this time around though, I went to the library the day we got the assignment so I could prepare myself better. I found a lot more research for this essay then the first one, and the more informed I am about a topic the easier it is to write about. I also added a little twist of my own in my paper by writing it like a diary entry. When I started my paper I expressed, “When I was a little girl my parents use to tell me how lucky I was to live here in Boston and still have British protection. As the years go on my eyes have been opened and the truth has been unfolded”. I feel like my last essay didn't meet many of Ben's requirements, so I tried really hard to have good historical facts this time and still incorporate Craig's requirements too. I regret scheduling my meeting with Craig on Thursday; I think it would have been more beneficial for me if I would have made it a day or two earlier so I could have had more time to work on his specific comments. Meeting with Ben on top of meeting with Craig was a good idea on my part, his comments were very helpful too.
---All of these things illustrate my strengths and my weaknesses as a writer. My first essay I struggled with choosing a thesis that would best express how I felt about Bacon’s Rebellion. Without a solid thesis there isn’t a way to have a high-quality paper. When I rewrote this paper I tried focusing more on the economic issues rather then my opinion of who was a better person between Bacon and Berkeley. Doing this really made my paper flow one hundred times better. For my second essay I struggled with my outline. I will never forget this mistake, because it made it so much harder for me to start my first draft. After that essay I will always work really hard on having a detailed outline. With everything I learned I know I can become a better writer if I just practice these skills. This has been a very intense quarter and I don’t regret one second of it. Everything I did will help me get that much closer to the writer I want to become.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Portfolio: Essay #1
----Bacon's Rebellion was believed to be the first stirring emotional response to later cause the Revolution of America. The rebellion began as a dispute among English settlers in Virginia over American Indian policy. It was also over power conflicts between a concerned colonists Nathaniel Bacon and the governor of Virginia William Berkeley. “Governor Berkeley strove to treat American Indians equitably and to distinguish carefully between American Indian allies and foes”. Despite, Berkeley’s words many colonists were still not interested in associating with the Indians, and actually wanted the exact opposite. Virginia in the 1670’s was dealing with a lot of economic troubles. The colony was suffering from extremely low tobacco prices, restricted trade, stressed relationships with local Indians, possession of land and a Governor who didn’t always make the best decisions for the people he had power over.
----Governor Berkeley was a smart and successful man but also very sneaky in his own way. At the time tobacco prices were at their all time low. Virginia’s economy relied greatly on tobacco, so this caused a financial crisis. Berkeley did nothing to help his colony during their financial crisis, but he did manage to help himself and some of his friends. Unlike the rest of the colony, the Governor's Council was not liable for taxes. Berkeley even managed to benefit himself from trade with the Indians. A law was passed to make certain that no one was to do any kind of trading goods with any of the Indians. But secretly, the governor made special licenses for only a selective few to be allowed to trade with the Indians as long as he gets a part of the profit. Bacon issued his Declaration of the People on July 30, 1676 which stated that “Berkeley was corrupt, played favorites and protected the Indians for his own selfish purposes"(Pike). Berkeley cared more about money and materiel processions than he did the people he ruled in Virginia.
----The relationships between the Virginia colonists and the Indians were never very stable. Many colonists were granted land that Virginia did not own. Some of the land they were granting was already in the procession of Indians. So you can imagine how the resentment building up inside the colonists and the Indians. Because of the governments poor management the Indians and the colonists started despising one another. After conflict starting occurring the colonist’s starting complaining about the Indians poor behavior. Governor Berkeley didn't believe his colony’s accusations. A letter from Elizabeth Bacon to her sister "The Indians killing the people daily, the governor not taking notice of it for to hinder them, but let them daily do all the mischief they can" (document #9). In this letter Bacon's wife demonstrates how the Indians were misbehaving and their government didn't take control of the situation and give the Indians any consequences. The way the Virginia government was being run at this time caused a lot of unnecessary hardships for the English colonists.
----As a result of many Indian hostile breakouts Governor Berkeley came up with a plan of action. He thought it would be a good idea to build forts along the frontier boarder. This was not a very thought out plan considering attacking tribes could go right between the forts. Although Governor Berkeley may have made it seem like he cared and was trying to protect his people. The colonists were not fooled by his actions, because they soon found out that the government was taxing them for the forts that gave them no fortification or security. It was all just another way for Berkeley to get more money out of his people.
----After all of Governor Berkeley’s conniving tricks, the colonist needed someone to help stand up for their colony. They found that support in Nathanial Bacon who did not believe in how Berkeley was running Virginia. Bacon was the last hope for the colonists in Virginia, and he was more then willing to lead them in a fight against Berkeley and the Indians. Bacon and his followers believed that the government favored the Indians needs over their own people’s which was the start of the rebellion. Bacon wanted to get his people together to attack nearby Indians. When Governor Berkeley refused Bacon the permit to do so, he made threat to attack without his permission. Berkeley failed to defend and protect his people from native attacks. Nathanial Bacon was everything and more then the colonists were looking for. He stood up to the governor and led a revolt against the Indians.
----By focusing on Bacon and his followers attacks on Indians without a permit it over looks the deeper problem that the leaders during that time were not doing the things they were suppose to. Though I see other ways that Bacon could have reacted, he couldn't stand by and not stick up for himself and the other colonists. The government cared more about land, money, and power then the lives of the people they ruled. They took advantage of their fellow followers as well as Indians who they had no right to control. The government not taking care of the issues the colonists were dealing with caused the colonists to rebel. When they rebelled they took out their frustrations on the Indians. That caused a lot of agony and suffering to the Indians who had nothing to do with the English problems. They caused all these unnecessary perplexities and disputes only so they could better themselves. I believe if the government during the 1670’s would have been more concerned about their people the whole rebellion might have been avoided.
Citations:
---Pike, John. "Bacon's Rebellion." 04-27-2005 paragraph 14. 14 Oct 2008 .
---US Military History Companion, "Bacon's Rebellion." paragraph 4. 21 Oct 2008 .
---Zinn, Howard. "Columbus to the Spanish-American War." A Young People's History of the United States 1
----Governor Berkeley was a smart and successful man but also very sneaky in his own way. At the time tobacco prices were at their all time low. Virginia’s economy relied greatly on tobacco, so this caused a financial crisis. Berkeley did nothing to help his colony during their financial crisis, but he did manage to help himself and some of his friends. Unlike the rest of the colony, the Governor's Council was not liable for taxes. Berkeley even managed to benefit himself from trade with the Indians. A law was passed to make certain that no one was to do any kind of trading goods with any of the Indians. But secretly, the governor made special licenses for only a selective few to be allowed to trade with the Indians as long as he gets a part of the profit. Bacon issued his Declaration of the People on July 30, 1676 which stated that “Berkeley was corrupt, played favorites and protected the Indians for his own selfish purposes"(Pike). Berkeley cared more about money and materiel processions than he did the people he ruled in Virginia.
----The relationships between the Virginia colonists and the Indians were never very stable. Many colonists were granted land that Virginia did not own. Some of the land they were granting was already in the procession of Indians. So you can imagine how the resentment building up inside the colonists and the Indians. Because of the governments poor management the Indians and the colonists started despising one another. After conflict starting occurring the colonist’s starting complaining about the Indians poor behavior. Governor Berkeley didn't believe his colony’s accusations. A letter from Elizabeth Bacon to her sister "The Indians killing the people daily, the governor not taking notice of it for to hinder them, but let them daily do all the mischief they can" (document #9). In this letter Bacon's wife demonstrates how the Indians were misbehaving and their government didn't take control of the situation and give the Indians any consequences. The way the Virginia government was being run at this time caused a lot of unnecessary hardships for the English colonists.
----As a result of many Indian hostile breakouts Governor Berkeley came up with a plan of action. He thought it would be a good idea to build forts along the frontier boarder. This was not a very thought out plan considering attacking tribes could go right between the forts. Although Governor Berkeley may have made it seem like he cared and was trying to protect his people. The colonists were not fooled by his actions, because they soon found out that the government was taxing them for the forts that gave them no fortification or security. It was all just another way for Berkeley to get more money out of his people.
----After all of Governor Berkeley’s conniving tricks, the colonist needed someone to help stand up for their colony. They found that support in Nathanial Bacon who did not believe in how Berkeley was running Virginia. Bacon was the last hope for the colonists in Virginia, and he was more then willing to lead them in a fight against Berkeley and the Indians. Bacon and his followers believed that the government favored the Indians needs over their own people’s which was the start of the rebellion. Bacon wanted to get his people together to attack nearby Indians. When Governor Berkeley refused Bacon the permit to do so, he made threat to attack without his permission. Berkeley failed to defend and protect his people from native attacks. Nathanial Bacon was everything and more then the colonists were looking for. He stood up to the governor and led a revolt against the Indians.
----By focusing on Bacon and his followers attacks on Indians without a permit it over looks the deeper problem that the leaders during that time were not doing the things they were suppose to. Though I see other ways that Bacon could have reacted, he couldn't stand by and not stick up for himself and the other colonists. The government cared more about land, money, and power then the lives of the people they ruled. They took advantage of their fellow followers as well as Indians who they had no right to control. The government not taking care of the issues the colonists were dealing with caused the colonists to rebel. When they rebelled they took out their frustrations on the Indians. That caused a lot of agony and suffering to the Indians who had nothing to do with the English problems. They caused all these unnecessary perplexities and disputes only so they could better themselves. I believe if the government during the 1670’s would have been more concerned about their people the whole rebellion might have been avoided.
Citations:
---Pike, John. "Bacon's Rebellion." 04-27-2005 paragraph 14. 14 Oct 2008 .
---US Military History Companion, "Bacon's Rebellion." paragraph 4. 21 Oct 2008 .
---Zinn, Howard. "Columbus to the Spanish-American War." A Young People's History of the United States 1
Portfolio: Essay #2
Dear Diary,
----When I was a little girl my parents use to tell me how lucky I was to live here in Boston and still have British protection. As the years go on my eyes have been opened and the truth has been unfolded. Growing up with a father in government I have always been well knowledged on the things that go on politically. As I get older I begin to form my own opinion and values. When America was first colonized Britain didn’t plan out thorough how we were going to be governed. Britain’s plan was to have colonists live in America many miles across the water but still be governed by Britain. Shortly afterwards Britain begun passing laws that helped themselves, without taking our best interest into consideration. After the Stamp Act was passed many colonists began thinking in a new direction, independence from Britain. Unfortunately, many of the colonies were split over the issue of Independence. Some people chose to stay loyal to the British no matter what happened. Others who decided to no longer keep letting Britain take advantage of us while they profit off of our economic struggles. I will do nothing but stand up for what I believe in and do anything to protect my liberty and fight for independence. I will no longer try to ignore the fact that Britain is not my home country anymore for they don’t care about my wellbeing. They proved this multiply times once when they intruded in our homes, the Tea Tax, and again with the Boston Massacre.
----Before even talk of war Britain sent their troops to Massachusetts trying to get control of the patriots in Boston. “In the fall of 1768, three thousand uniformed troops arrived to occupy Boston, The soldiers drilled conspicuously on the Common, played loud music on the Sabbath, and in general grated on the nerves of Bostonians” (Roark p27). This disturbance upset a lot of people living here and went on to an even bigger event. The Boston Massacre, which was where once again the people of Boston were protesting against Britain. My father told me they were only throwing snowballs at British soldiers, when the soldiers in return killed five Boston colonists. This was a devastating time for all of us in Boston. I think it was a time when a lot of the people who were still supporting Britain finally turned their backs, and became united with the American colonies.
----Winning the French and Indian war cost Britain a lot of money. Britain needed desperate help and the solution was to pass acts to tax the colonies in America. The colonists did not want to pay taxes because they were not represented by Parliament and had no say in the making of laws. "The colonies refused to pay the levies required by the Townsend Acts claiming they had no obligation to pay taxes imposed by a Parliament in which they had no representation".(EyeWitness to History). When they decided to make us pay taxes on tea, it caused a big disruption. Everyone thought it was just plain ridiculous. As a result some people refused to buy tea, while others started smuggling it to avoid paying the taxes. The British government believed that since we were still considered British then we should help get them out of debt too.
----When the Tea Act was passed, they neglected to consider how it effected the common people. My family, friends, and neighbors on the other hand were not fooled by Britain’s newest law put onto them, and were not going to easily accept it. Shortly after the Act was put into place another significant event occurred that people will remember for years. The Boston Tea party, a group of dearest friends here in Boston snuck onto a ship and dumped a significant amount of tea into the harbor to prove their point of how ridiculous the new tea tax was. This made us feel like we had won, but only made the British resent all the people of Boston and pass laws to punish the colony. “In response to the destruction of the tea, the British Government adopted four Acts… the Coercive or Intolerable Acts, [which] closed the port of Boston, redesigned the government of Massachusetts Bay to increase British Authority, provided for moving trials of British officials to another colony or to England when local opinion was inflamed, and permitted the housing of British troops in unused buildings” (Greene). Two of these acts effected us directly here in Boston. One closed the port of Boston to all colonists until the damages from the Boston Tea Party were paid for. Another act gave the British Governor complete control of the town meetings, and taking control out of the hands of the colonialists.
----The colonies in America relied greatly on the trade between them and Great Britain. Well I know for sure everyone here in Massachusetts did. So for Massachusetts to agree upon not sending or importing anything from Britain was a huge step towards our revolution. The people in Boston came to an agreement, "That we will not…import into the province any tea, paper, glass, or painters' colors, until the Acts imposing duties on these articles have been repealed" (Boston Non-Importation Agreement). I am so glad we finally came to an agreement I think it was a semi-successful method in the hopes that we would cause financial hardships to businesses in England. Unfortunately, this was not the last we would hear of Britain, this just encouraged them to keep taxing us which was exactly what we were trying to avoid. I had a feeling war was going to be the next solution. Although war wasn’t what I had initially wanted it was the next thing to come.
----Diary, I have no one else to turn to during this time of economic struggle, fight for independence and war. Because of the British I have no family or friends to lean on or receive comfort and support from anymore. I want this war to be done and over with, so we can get on with our lives. I pray to God every night that our colonies uniting together was for the best, and we will win this war, and win our independence. I can say with confidence that I am a patriot who will fight to my death to win over our independence from Britain. I know from the bottom of my heart that the only way the great people residing in these colonies will ever better themselves is to separate themselves from Britain. It still seems frightening when I think about this independent nation, and what will become of us. Then I remind myself that if we can follow this through to the end then we can finally have a country where the freedom rights we deserve.
Until next time,
Alycia Ann
Citations:
---Kindig, Thomas. "Boston Non-Importation Agreement." August 1, 1768 17 Nov 2008 .
---"The Boston Tea Party, 1773," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2002).
Greene, Jack P.. "A companion to the American Revolution." 19 Nov 2008 .
---Roark, James L., Michael P. Johnson, Patricia Cline Cohen, Sarah Stage, and Alan Lawson. The American Promise. 4th. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009.
---liu, Joan. "SMALLPOX DURING THE AMERIAN REVOLUTION." Biological warfare during the American Revolution 19 Nov 2008 .
---Becker, Ann M.. "Society for Military History ." The Journal of Military History 68april 2004 19 Nov 2008 .
----When I was a little girl my parents use to tell me how lucky I was to live here in Boston and still have British protection. As the years go on my eyes have been opened and the truth has been unfolded. Growing up with a father in government I have always been well knowledged on the things that go on politically. As I get older I begin to form my own opinion and values. When America was first colonized Britain didn’t plan out thorough how we were going to be governed. Britain’s plan was to have colonists live in America many miles across the water but still be governed by Britain. Shortly afterwards Britain begun passing laws that helped themselves, without taking our best interest into consideration. After the Stamp Act was passed many colonists began thinking in a new direction, independence from Britain. Unfortunately, many of the colonies were split over the issue of Independence. Some people chose to stay loyal to the British no matter what happened. Others who decided to no longer keep letting Britain take advantage of us while they profit off of our economic struggles. I will do nothing but stand up for what I believe in and do anything to protect my liberty and fight for independence. I will no longer try to ignore the fact that Britain is not my home country anymore for they don’t care about my wellbeing. They proved this multiply times once when they intruded in our homes, the Tea Tax, and again with the Boston Massacre.
----Before even talk of war Britain sent their troops to Massachusetts trying to get control of the patriots in Boston. “In the fall of 1768, three thousand uniformed troops arrived to occupy Boston, The soldiers drilled conspicuously on the Common, played loud music on the Sabbath, and in general grated on the nerves of Bostonians” (Roark p27). This disturbance upset a lot of people living here and went on to an even bigger event. The Boston Massacre, which was where once again the people of Boston were protesting against Britain. My father told me they were only throwing snowballs at British soldiers, when the soldiers in return killed five Boston colonists. This was a devastating time for all of us in Boston. I think it was a time when a lot of the people who were still supporting Britain finally turned their backs, and became united with the American colonies.
----Winning the French and Indian war cost Britain a lot of money. Britain needed desperate help and the solution was to pass acts to tax the colonies in America. The colonists did not want to pay taxes because they were not represented by Parliament and had no say in the making of laws. "The colonies refused to pay the levies required by the Townsend Acts claiming they had no obligation to pay taxes imposed by a Parliament in which they had no representation".(EyeWitness to History). When they decided to make us pay taxes on tea, it caused a big disruption. Everyone thought it was just plain ridiculous. As a result some people refused to buy tea, while others started smuggling it to avoid paying the taxes. The British government believed that since we were still considered British then we should help get them out of debt too.
----When the Tea Act was passed, they neglected to consider how it effected the common people. My family, friends, and neighbors on the other hand were not fooled by Britain’s newest law put onto them, and were not going to easily accept it. Shortly after the Act was put into place another significant event occurred that people will remember for years. The Boston Tea party, a group of dearest friends here in Boston snuck onto a ship and dumped a significant amount of tea into the harbor to prove their point of how ridiculous the new tea tax was. This made us feel like we had won, but only made the British resent all the people of Boston and pass laws to punish the colony. “In response to the destruction of the tea, the British Government adopted four Acts… the Coercive or Intolerable Acts, [which] closed the port of Boston, redesigned the government of Massachusetts Bay to increase British Authority, provided for moving trials of British officials to another colony or to England when local opinion was inflamed, and permitted the housing of British troops in unused buildings” (Greene). Two of these acts effected us directly here in Boston. One closed the port of Boston to all colonists until the damages from the Boston Tea Party were paid for. Another act gave the British Governor complete control of the town meetings, and taking control out of the hands of the colonialists.
----The colonies in America relied greatly on the trade between them and Great Britain. Well I know for sure everyone here in Massachusetts did. So for Massachusetts to agree upon not sending or importing anything from Britain was a huge step towards our revolution. The people in Boston came to an agreement, "That we will not…import into the province any tea, paper, glass, or painters' colors, until the Acts imposing duties on these articles have been repealed" (Boston Non-Importation Agreement). I am so glad we finally came to an agreement I think it was a semi-successful method in the hopes that we would cause financial hardships to businesses in England. Unfortunately, this was not the last we would hear of Britain, this just encouraged them to keep taxing us which was exactly what we were trying to avoid. I had a feeling war was going to be the next solution. Although war wasn’t what I had initially wanted it was the next thing to come.
----Diary, I have no one else to turn to during this time of economic struggle, fight for independence and war. Because of the British I have no family or friends to lean on or receive comfort and support from anymore. I want this war to be done and over with, so we can get on with our lives. I pray to God every night that our colonies uniting together was for the best, and we will win this war, and win our independence. I can say with confidence that I am a patriot who will fight to my death to win over our independence from Britain. I know from the bottom of my heart that the only way the great people residing in these colonies will ever better themselves is to separate themselves from Britain. It still seems frightening when I think about this independent nation, and what will become of us. Then I remind myself that if we can follow this through to the end then we can finally have a country where the freedom rights we deserve.
Until next time,
Alycia Ann
Citations:
---Kindig, Thomas. "Boston Non-Importation Agreement." August 1, 1768 17 Nov 2008 .
---"The Boston Tea Party, 1773," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2002).
Greene, Jack P.. "A companion to the American Revolution." 19 Nov 2008 .
---Roark, James L., Michael P. Johnson, Patricia Cline Cohen, Sarah Stage, and Alan Lawson. The American Promise. 4th. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009.
---liu, Joan. "SMALLPOX DURING THE AMERIAN REVOLUTION." Biological warfare during the American Revolution 19 Nov 2008 .
---Becker, Ann M.. "Society for Military History ." The Journal of Military History 68april 2004 19 Nov 2008 .
Portfolio: Final Exam Frame #2
Frame II
----It has been believed that the writing process can be greatly improved if students have a group of peers to share their ideas. Elbow says, “If you are stuck writing or trying to figure something out, there is nothing better than finding one person, or more, to talk to. If they don’t agree or have trouble understanding, so much the better as long as their minds are not closed” (49). I believe Optimism choose this quote to say that a lot of people can stare at a piece of paper for hours before they write down one word. If they were to interact with other people on the topic and start talking about it gives them a wider perspective on the topic. When people have a well understanding of a topic it is much easier to write about. When you have to explain something to a person it can also help you get a deeper connection with the subject. As well as when two people have different views on a topic it makes the conversation full of meaning. All of these things can help you get more comfortable with a topic and get you starting on writing it.
----This view of writing is actually new to me; I am one of those people who can sit in front of that blank piece of paper for hours. When I have a writing assignment I usually do research to help get me started. Honestly, I don’t usually sit down with other students and talk about a topic before I start writing about it. This writing technique doesn’t match my usually writing process of figuring out what to write on my own. I usually enclosure myself in a quite room alone and sit there until I think of ides to write. Although after reading about Optimism’s writing technique it sounds very useful. I think if I would have got together more this quarter it could have really benefited myself. Like Optimism says your writing process can be greatly improved if you can learn to use this technique.
----Looking back to this last quarter I believe in some ways I did use this technique. When we were in History and Writing having an in class discussion about Bacon’s Rebellion there were something’s I didn’t quite still understand. Then when people would start talking about it and debating over it I got a lot better understanding. Another experience that relates to this view of writing is when I try to get help from my boyfriend with schoolwork. A lot of things he has no idea what I’m taking about, so when I start explaining something to him I start understanding it that much better. Sometimes I even answer my own question just from trying to explain it to him.
----Optimism dramatizes in his passage what is involved in the writing process in order to describe his view of writing. He strongly believes that the best way to get started on any kind of writing is to talk with peers. When you are stuck writing nothing is better then having a strong discussion with another person. I agree with Optimism on his view of writing and have always been one to believe that two heads are better then one. The writing process can come along a lot better if you are explaining a topic to someone else to. If you are having an open heavy debate your chance of getting ideas for your writing are that much higher. I think this method of writing is very helpful and I plan on trying to incorporate it into my own writing process.
----It has been believed that the writing process can be greatly improved if students have a group of peers to share their ideas. Elbow says, “If you are stuck writing or trying to figure something out, there is nothing better than finding one person, or more, to talk to. If they don’t agree or have trouble understanding, so much the better as long as their minds are not closed” (49). I believe Optimism choose this quote to say that a lot of people can stare at a piece of paper for hours before they write down one word. If they were to interact with other people on the topic and start talking about it gives them a wider perspective on the topic. When people have a well understanding of a topic it is much easier to write about. When you have to explain something to a person it can also help you get a deeper connection with the subject. As well as when two people have different views on a topic it makes the conversation full of meaning. All of these things can help you get more comfortable with a topic and get you starting on writing it.
----This view of writing is actually new to me; I am one of those people who can sit in front of that blank piece of paper for hours. When I have a writing assignment I usually do research to help get me started. Honestly, I don’t usually sit down with other students and talk about a topic before I start writing about it. This writing technique doesn’t match my usually writing process of figuring out what to write on my own. I usually enclosure myself in a quite room alone and sit there until I think of ides to write. Although after reading about Optimism’s writing technique it sounds very useful. I think if I would have got together more this quarter it could have really benefited myself. Like Optimism says your writing process can be greatly improved if you can learn to use this technique.
----Looking back to this last quarter I believe in some ways I did use this technique. When we were in History and Writing having an in class discussion about Bacon’s Rebellion there were something’s I didn’t quite still understand. Then when people would start talking about it and debating over it I got a lot better understanding. Another experience that relates to this view of writing is when I try to get help from my boyfriend with schoolwork. A lot of things he has no idea what I’m taking about, so when I start explaining something to him I start understanding it that much better. Sometimes I even answer my own question just from trying to explain it to him.
----Optimism dramatizes in his passage what is involved in the writing process in order to describe his view of writing. He strongly believes that the best way to get started on any kind of writing is to talk with peers. When you are stuck writing nothing is better then having a strong discussion with another person. I agree with Optimism on his view of writing and have always been one to believe that two heads are better then one. The writing process can come along a lot better if you are explaining a topic to someone else to. If you are having an open heavy debate your chance of getting ideas for your writing are that much higher. I think this method of writing is very helpful and I plan on trying to incorporate it into my own writing process.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Rough Draft Reflection
---My writing philosophy is to write about your own beliefs and opinions. You have to make your own choices and be your own person so why shouldn't your writing be your own thoughts as well. You can listen or read about what someone else thinks or says about a specific topic but you should always write about how you feel about it. When I get the chance to write about how I feel about a topic it makes it a lot easier and more enjoyable to write. I believe a lot of people can find themselves in writing, it gives you a better understanding of who you are.
---Writing my first essay as a college student I was still very comfortable with the five-paragraph technique. When I started writing this first essay I was using my original writing process. As I got more detailed with my paper, I found myself all wrapped up in quotes and templates, I lost site of how I felt about the topic. In doing this it ended me up with a paper that wasn’t truly how I felt. Learning this different writing technique was a difficult process, but I know it was worth it and I can use this technique on future writing assignments.
If I could go back and fix a mistake I made in this writing process, I would definitely take more time on choosing my thesis. I felt so rushed to choose a topic I ended up with a thesis that held back a lot of information I found interesting. When I started writing I never realized I could have changed my thesis, looking back on it now I think if I would have known I would have done just that. I understand now that my thesis was more of an opinion than an actually statement.
---What I learned from this writing process is that when you’re writing about history you need a lot of resources. Many different historians have different perspectives on historical events and it is important to be open-minded and take in all of the different point of views. Then, it is just as important to be able to put down your own words on paper with your own opinion and views of the topic or event.
For the second essay I wasn’t quit as nervous and I felt more confident. The only thing that got to my nerves was the time limit on this paper. The first essay we had _weeks and this time we only had _weeks. I think I could have made a better outline for this essay because when I started writing my rough draft I had a big unorganized mess. Unlike my first essay where I had a very detailed outline that I barely had to add anything to make my rough draft. This being my second essay I would have really liked to go forward with my writing skills rather then backward. I found a lot more research for this essay then the last one. I feel like my last essay didn't meet many of Ben's requirements, so I tried really hard to have good historical facts this time and still incorporate Craig's requirements too. I regret scheduling my meeting with Craig on Thursday, I think it would have been more beneficial for me if I would have made it a day or two earlier so I could have had more time to work on his specific comments. Meeting with Ben on top of meeting with Craig was a good idea on my part, his comments were very helpful too.
---Writing my first essay as a college student I was still very comfortable with the five-paragraph technique. When I started writing this first essay I was using my original writing process. As I got more detailed with my paper, I found myself all wrapped up in quotes and templates, I lost site of how I felt about the topic. In doing this it ended me up with a paper that wasn’t truly how I felt. Learning this different writing technique was a difficult process, but I know it was worth it and I can use this technique on future writing assignments.
If I could go back and fix a mistake I made in this writing process, I would definitely take more time on choosing my thesis. I felt so rushed to choose a topic I ended up with a thesis that held back a lot of information I found interesting. When I started writing I never realized I could have changed my thesis, looking back on it now I think if I would have known I would have done just that. I understand now that my thesis was more of an opinion than an actually statement.
---What I learned from this writing process is that when you’re writing about history you need a lot of resources. Many different historians have different perspectives on historical events and it is important to be open-minded and take in all of the different point of views. Then, it is just as important to be able to put down your own words on paper with your own opinion and views of the topic or event.
For the second essay I wasn’t quit as nervous and I felt more confident. The only thing that got to my nerves was the time limit on this paper. The first essay we had _weeks and this time we only had _weeks. I think I could have made a better outline for this essay because when I started writing my rough draft I had a big unorganized mess. Unlike my first essay where I had a very detailed outline that I barely had to add anything to make my rough draft. This being my second essay I would have really liked to go forward with my writing skills rather then backward. I found a lot more research for this essay then the last one. I feel like my last essay didn't meet many of Ben's requirements, so I tried really hard to have good historical facts this time and still incorporate Craig's requirements too. I regret scheduling my meeting with Craig on Thursday, I think it would have been more beneficial for me if I would have made it a day or two earlier so I could have had more time to work on his specific comments. Meeting with Ben on top of meeting with Craig was a good idea on my part, his comments were very helpful too.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Essay #2 Reflection
I think I could have made a better outline for this essay because when I started writing my rough draft I had a big unorganized mess. I found a lot more research for this essay then the last one. I feel like my last essay didn't meet many of Ben's requirements, so I tried really hard to have good historical facts this time and still incorporate Craig's requirements too. I regret scheduling my meeting with Craig on Thursday, I think it would have been more beneficial for me if I would have made it a day or two earlier so I could have had more time to work on his specific comments. Meeting with Ben on top of meeting with Craig was a good idea on my part, his comments were very helpful too.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Final Draft - - Patriot of Massachusetts
Dear Diary,
---When I was a little girl my parents use to tell me how lucky I was to live here in Boston and still have British protection. As the years go on my eyes have been opened and the truth has been unfolded. As the American colonies begin to grow in size, the people are growing in confidence. When England colonized America they had no plan on how we were going to be governed, nor did they have any concerns. They had a plan for an independent nation but didn’t prepare for what would happen after all the people colonized the land. Britain was passing laws that helped themselves, without taking our best interest into consideration. After the Stamp Act was passed many colonists began thinking in a new direction, independence from Britain. Unfortunately, many of the colonies were split over the issue of Independence. Some people chose to stay loyal to the British no matter what happens. Others who will no longer keep letting Britain take advantage of us while they profit off of our economic struggles. I will do nothing but stand up for what I believe in and do anything to protect my liberty and fight for independence. I will no longer try to ignore the fact that Britain is not my home country anymore for they don’t care about my wellbeing. They proved this multiply times once when they intruded in our homes, the Tea Tax, and again with the Boston Massacre.
--- Before even talk of war Britain the British sent their troops to Massachusetts trying to take charge and control of the patriots in Boston. The troops came here looking to put down revolutionary tendencies. They went through people’s homes without consent, raided through everything, and took anything valuable they could. “In the fall of 1768, three thousand uniformed troops arrived to occupy Boston, The soldiers drilled conspicuously on the Common, played loud music on the Sabbath, and in general grated on the nerves of Bostonians” (Roarh p27). They took away my dignity, while intruding on my privacy. I had never felt as betrayed as I did when my own old country battered me and my people. This disturbance didn’t even stop there it went on to an even bigger event. The Boston Massacre, which was where once again the people of Boston were protesting against Britain. They were only throwing snowballs at British soldiers, when the soldiers in return killed five Boston colonists. This was a devastating time for all of us in Boston. I think it was a time when a lot of the people who were still supporting Britain finally turned their backs, and became united with the American colonies.
---When Britain passed the Tea Act, they neglected to take how it affected the common people into consideration. My family, friends, and neighbors on the other hand were not fooled by Britain’s newest law put onto them, and were not going to easily except it. Shortly after the Act was put into place another significant event occurred that people will remember for year. The Boston Tea party, a group of dearest friends here in Boston snuck onto a ship and dumped a significant amount of tea into the harbor to prove their point that they were not going to be used. This made us feel like we had one, but only made the British resent all the people of Boston and pass laws to punish the colony. “In response to the destruction of the tea, the British Government adopted four Acts… the Coercive or Intolerable Acts, [which] closed the port of Boston, redesigned the government of Massachusetts Bay to increase British Authority, provided for moving trials of British officials to another colony or to England when local opinion was inflamed, and permitted the housing of British troops in unused buildings” (Greene). Two of these acts affected us directly here in Boston. One closed the port of Boston to all colonists until the damages from the Boston Tea Party were paid for. Another act gave the British Governor complete control of the town meetings, and taking control out of the hands of the colonialists.
--- Winning the French and Indian war cost the British a lot of money, as a result of the war our colonies had to pay for it. The British passed acts to tax us to pay for the war; these acts taxed glass, lead, paint, tea, and paper which made a lot of colonists very upset. The colonists did not want to pay taxes because they were not represented by Parliament and had no say so in the making of laws. "The colonies refused to pay the levies required by the Townsend Acts claiming they had no obligation to pay taxes imposed by a Parliament in which they had no representation".(EyeWitness to History). When they decided to make us pay taxes on tea, it caused a big disruption. Everyone thought it was just plain ridiculous. As a result some people refused to buy tea, while others started smuggling it to avoid paying the taxes. Although Britain was taxing their other colonies they were particularly interested in the American colonies because of our great success in becoming an independent nation.
---The colonies in America relied greatly on the trade between them and Great Britain. Well I know for sure everyone here in Massachusetts did. So for Massachusetts to agree upon not sending or importing anything from Britain was a huge step towards our revolution. The people in Boston came to an agreement, "That we will not, from and after January 1, 1769, import into the province any tea, paper, glass, or painters' colors, until the Acts imposing duties on these articles have been repealed" (Boston Non-Importation Agreement). I am so glad we finally came to an agreement I think it was a semi-successful method in the hopes that we would cause financial hardships to businesses in England. Unfortunately, this was not the last we would hear of Britain, this just encouraged them to keep taxing us which was exactly what we were trying to avoid. I had a feeling war was going to be the next solution. Although war wasn’t what I had initially wanted it was the next thing to come.
---Diary, I have no one else to turn to during this time of economic struggle, fight for independence and war. Because of the British I have no family or friends to lean on or receive comfort and support from anymore. I want this war to be done and over with, so we can get on with our lives. I pray to God every night that our colonies uniting together was for the best, and we will win this war, and win our independence. I can say with confidence that I am a patriot who will fight to my death to win over our independence from Britain. I know from the bottom of my heart that the only way the great people residing in these colonies will ever better themselves is to separate themselves from Britain. It has been a very intense and long experience watching all of these significant events occur. But, it has also been an incredibly immense learning experience for me. I have very much enjoyed watching Massachusetts come together with the only colonies to fight for something we all believe so strongly about. My only last wish is for us to achieve our goal and to obtain control of our Independence. I look forward to seeing what is in store for the future of our colonies.
Until next time,
Alycia Ann
Citations:
---Kindig, Thomas. "Boston Non-Importation Agreement." August 1, 1768 17 Nov 2008 .
---"The Boston Tea Party, 1773," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2002).
Greene, Jack P.. "A companion to the American Revolution." 19 Nov 2008 .
---Roark, James L., Michael P. Johnson, Patricia Cline Cohen, Sarah Stage, and Alan Lawson. The American Promise. 4th. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009.
---liu, Joan. "SMALLPOX DURING THE AMERIAN REVOLUTION." Biological warfare during the American Revolution 19 Nov 2008 .
---Becker, Ann M.. "Society for Military History ." The Journal of Military History 68april 2004 19 Nov 2008 .
---When I was a little girl my parents use to tell me how lucky I was to live here in Boston and still have British protection. As the years go on my eyes have been opened and the truth has been unfolded. As the American colonies begin to grow in size, the people are growing in confidence. When England colonized America they had no plan on how we were going to be governed, nor did they have any concerns. They had a plan for an independent nation but didn’t prepare for what would happen after all the people colonized the land. Britain was passing laws that helped themselves, without taking our best interest into consideration. After the Stamp Act was passed many colonists began thinking in a new direction, independence from Britain. Unfortunately, many of the colonies were split over the issue of Independence. Some people chose to stay loyal to the British no matter what happens. Others who will no longer keep letting Britain take advantage of us while they profit off of our economic struggles. I will do nothing but stand up for what I believe in and do anything to protect my liberty and fight for independence. I will no longer try to ignore the fact that Britain is not my home country anymore for they don’t care about my wellbeing. They proved this multiply times once when they intruded in our homes, the Tea Tax, and again with the Boston Massacre.
--- Before even talk of war Britain the British sent their troops to Massachusetts trying to take charge and control of the patriots in Boston. The troops came here looking to put down revolutionary tendencies. They went through people’s homes without consent, raided through everything, and took anything valuable they could. “In the fall of 1768, three thousand uniformed troops arrived to occupy Boston, The soldiers drilled conspicuously on the Common, played loud music on the Sabbath, and in general grated on the nerves of Bostonians” (Roarh p27). They took away my dignity, while intruding on my privacy. I had never felt as betrayed as I did when my own old country battered me and my people. This disturbance didn’t even stop there it went on to an even bigger event. The Boston Massacre, which was where once again the people of Boston were protesting against Britain. They were only throwing snowballs at British soldiers, when the soldiers in return killed five Boston colonists. This was a devastating time for all of us in Boston. I think it was a time when a lot of the people who were still supporting Britain finally turned their backs, and became united with the American colonies.
---When Britain passed the Tea Act, they neglected to take how it affected the common people into consideration. My family, friends, and neighbors on the other hand were not fooled by Britain’s newest law put onto them, and were not going to easily except it. Shortly after the Act was put into place another significant event occurred that people will remember for year. The Boston Tea party, a group of dearest friends here in Boston snuck onto a ship and dumped a significant amount of tea into the harbor to prove their point that they were not going to be used. This made us feel like we had one, but only made the British resent all the people of Boston and pass laws to punish the colony. “In response to the destruction of the tea, the British Government adopted four Acts… the Coercive or Intolerable Acts, [which] closed the port of Boston, redesigned the government of Massachusetts Bay to increase British Authority, provided for moving trials of British officials to another colony or to England when local opinion was inflamed, and permitted the housing of British troops in unused buildings” (Greene). Two of these acts affected us directly here in Boston. One closed the port of Boston to all colonists until the damages from the Boston Tea Party were paid for. Another act gave the British Governor complete control of the town meetings, and taking control out of the hands of the colonialists.
--- Winning the French and Indian war cost the British a lot of money, as a result of the war our colonies had to pay for it. The British passed acts to tax us to pay for the war; these acts taxed glass, lead, paint, tea, and paper which made a lot of colonists very upset. The colonists did not want to pay taxes because they were not represented by Parliament and had no say so in the making of laws. "The colonies refused to pay the levies required by the Townsend Acts claiming they had no obligation to pay taxes imposed by a Parliament in which they had no representation".(EyeWitness to History). When they decided to make us pay taxes on tea, it caused a big disruption. Everyone thought it was just plain ridiculous. As a result some people refused to buy tea, while others started smuggling it to avoid paying the taxes. Although Britain was taxing their other colonies they were particularly interested in the American colonies because of our great success in becoming an independent nation.
---The colonies in America relied greatly on the trade between them and Great Britain. Well I know for sure everyone here in Massachusetts did. So for Massachusetts to agree upon not sending or importing anything from Britain was a huge step towards our revolution. The people in Boston came to an agreement, "That we will not, from and after January 1, 1769, import into the province any tea, paper, glass, or painters' colors, until the Acts imposing duties on these articles have been repealed" (Boston Non-Importation Agreement). I am so glad we finally came to an agreement I think it was a semi-successful method in the hopes that we would cause financial hardships to businesses in England. Unfortunately, this was not the last we would hear of Britain, this just encouraged them to keep taxing us which was exactly what we were trying to avoid. I had a feeling war was going to be the next solution. Although war wasn’t what I had initially wanted it was the next thing to come.
---Diary, I have no one else to turn to during this time of economic struggle, fight for independence and war. Because of the British I have no family or friends to lean on or receive comfort and support from anymore. I want this war to be done and over with, so we can get on with our lives. I pray to God every night that our colonies uniting together was for the best, and we will win this war, and win our independence. I can say with confidence that I am a patriot who will fight to my death to win over our independence from Britain. I know from the bottom of my heart that the only way the great people residing in these colonies will ever better themselves is to separate themselves from Britain. It has been a very intense and long experience watching all of these significant events occur. But, it has also been an incredibly immense learning experience for me. I have very much enjoyed watching Massachusetts come together with the only colonies to fight for something we all believe so strongly about. My only last wish is for us to achieve our goal and to obtain control of our Independence. I look forward to seeing what is in store for the future of our colonies.
Until next time,
Alycia Ann
Citations:
---Kindig, Thomas. "Boston Non-Importation Agreement." August 1, 1768 17 Nov 2008 .
---"The Boston Tea Party, 1773," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2002).
Greene, Jack P.. "A companion to the American Revolution." 19 Nov 2008 .
---Roark, James L., Michael P. Johnson, Patricia Cline Cohen, Sarah Stage, and Alan Lawson. The American Promise. 4th. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009.
---liu, Joan. "SMALLPOX DURING THE AMERIAN REVOLUTION." Biological warfare during the American Revolution 19 Nov 2008 .
---Becker, Ann M.. "Society for Military History ." The Journal of Military History 68april 2004 19 Nov 2008 .
Thursday, November 20, 2008
best rough draft yet..
Dear Diary,
---As the American colonies begin to grow in size, the people are growing in confidence. When England colonized America they had no plan on how we were going to be governed, nor did they have any concerns. They had a plan for an independent nation but didn’t prepare for what would happen after all the people colonized the land. Britain was passing laws that helped themselves, without taking our best interest into consideration. After the Stamp Act was passed many colonists began thinking in a new direction, independence from Britain. Unfortunately, many of the colonies were split over the issue of Independence. Some people chose to stay loyal to the British no matter what happens. Others who will no longer keep letting Britain take advantage of us while they profit off of our economic struggles. I will do nothing but stand up for what I believe in and do anything to protect my liberty and fight for independence. I will no longer try to ignore the fact that Britain is not my home country anymore for they don’t care about my wellbeing. They proved this multiply times once when they intruded in our homes, the Tea Tax, and again with the Boston Massacre.
--- Before even talk of war Britain the British sent their troops to Massachusetts trying to take charge and control of the patriots in Boston. The troops came here looking to put down revolutionary tendencies. They went through people’s homes without consent, raided through everything, and took anything valuable they could. “In the fall of 1768, three thousand uniformed troops arrived to occupy Boston, The soldiers drilled conspicuously on the Common, played loud music on the Sabbath, and in general grated on the nerves of Bostonians” (Roarh p27). They took away my dignity, while intruding on my privacy. I had never felt as betrayed as I did when my own old country battered me and my people. This disturbance didn’t even stop there it went on to an even bigger event. The Boston Massacre, which was where once again the people of Boston were protesting against Britain. They were only throwing snowballs at British soldiers, when the soldiers in return killed five Boston colonists. This was a devastating time for all of us in Boston. I think it was a time when a lot of the people who were still supporting Britain finally turned their backs, and became united with the American colonies.
---When Britain passed the Tea Act, they neglected to take how it affected the common people into consideration. My family, friends, and neighbors on the other hand were not fooled by Britain’s newest law put onto them, and were not going to easily except it. Shortly after the Act was put into place another significant event occurred that people will remember for year. The Boston Tea party, a group of dearest friends here in Boston snuck onto a ship and dumped a significant amount of tea into the harbor to prove their point that they were not going to be used. This made us feel like we had one, but only made the British resent all the people of Boston and pass laws to punish the colony. “In response to the destruction of the tea, the British Government adopted four Acts… the Coercive or Intolerable Acts, [which] closed the port of Boston, redesigned the government of Massachusetts Bay to increase British Authority, provided for moving trials of British officials to another colony or to England when local opinion was inflamed, and permitted the housing of British troops in unused buildings” (Greene). Two of these acts affected us directly here in Boston. One closed the port of Boston to all colonists until the damages from the Boston Tea Party were paid for. Another act gave the British Governor complete control of the town meetings, and taking control out of the hands of the colonialists.
--- Winning the French and Indian war cost the British a lot of money, as a result of the war our colonies had to pay for it. The British passed acts to tax us to pay for the war; these acts taxed glass, lead, paint, tea, and paper which made a lot of colonists very upset. The colonists did not want to pay taxes because they were not represented by Parliament and had no say so in the making of laws. "The colonies refused to pay the levies required by the Townsend Acts claiming they had no obligation to pay taxes imposed by a Parliament in which they had no representation".(EyeWitness to History). When they decided to make us pay taxes on tea, it caused a big disruption. Everyone thought it was just plain ridiculous. As a result some people refused to buy tea, while others started smuggling it to avoid paying the taxes. Although Britain was taxing their other colonies they were particularly interested in the American colonies because of our great success in becoming an independent nation.
---The colonies in America relied greatly on the trade between them and Great Britain. Well I know for sure everyone here in Massachusetts did. So for Massachusetts to agree upon not sending or importing anything from Britain was a huge step towards our revolution. The people in Boston came to an agreement, "That we will not, from and after January 1, 1769, import into the province any tea, paper, glass, or painters' colors, until the Acts imposing duties on these articles have been repealed" (Boston Non-Importation Agreement). I am so glad we finally came to an agreement I think it was a semi-successful method in the hopes that we would cause financial hardships to businesses in England. Unfortunately, this was not the last we would hear of Britain, this just encouraged them to keep taxing us which was exactly what we were trying to avoid. I had a feeling war was going to be the next solution. Although war wasn’t what I had initially wanted it was the next thing to come.
---Diary, I have no one else to turn to during this time of economic struggle, fight for independence and war. Because of the British I have no family or friends to lean on or receive comfort and support from anymore. I want this war to be done and over with, so we can get on with our lives. I pray to God every night that our colonies uniting together was for the best, and we will win this war, and win our independence. I can say with confidence that I am a patriot who will fight to my death to win over our independence from Britain. I know from the bottom of my heart that the only way the great people residing in these colonies will ever better themselves is to separate themselves from Britain. It has been a very intense and long experience watching all of these significant events occur. But, it has also been an incredibly immense learning experience for me. I have very much enjoyed watching Massachusetts come together with the only colonies to fight for something we all believe so strongly about. My only last wish is for us to achieve our goal and to obtain control of our Independence. I look forward to seeing what is in store for the future of our colonies.
Until next time,
Alycia Ann
Citations:
---Kindig, Thomas. "Boston Non-Importation Agreement." August 1, 1768 17 Nov 2008 .
---"The Boston Tea Party, 1773," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2002).
Greene, Jack P.. "A companion to the American Revolution." 19 Nov 2008 .
---Roark, James L., Michael P. Johnson, Patricia Cline Cohen, Sarah Stage, and Alan Lawson. The American Promise. 4th. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009.
---liu, Joan. "SMALLPOX DURING THE AMERIAN REVOLUTION." Biological warfare during the American Revolution 19 Nov 2008 .
---Becker, Ann M.. "Society for Military History ." The Journal of Military History 68april 2004 19 Nov 2008 .
---As the American colonies begin to grow in size, the people are growing in confidence. When England colonized America they had no plan on how we were going to be governed, nor did they have any concerns. They had a plan for an independent nation but didn’t prepare for what would happen after all the people colonized the land. Britain was passing laws that helped themselves, without taking our best interest into consideration. After the Stamp Act was passed many colonists began thinking in a new direction, independence from Britain. Unfortunately, many of the colonies were split over the issue of Independence. Some people chose to stay loyal to the British no matter what happens. Others who will no longer keep letting Britain take advantage of us while they profit off of our economic struggles. I will do nothing but stand up for what I believe in and do anything to protect my liberty and fight for independence. I will no longer try to ignore the fact that Britain is not my home country anymore for they don’t care about my wellbeing. They proved this multiply times once when they intruded in our homes, the Tea Tax, and again with the Boston Massacre.
--- Before even talk of war Britain the British sent their troops to Massachusetts trying to take charge and control of the patriots in Boston. The troops came here looking to put down revolutionary tendencies. They went through people’s homes without consent, raided through everything, and took anything valuable they could. “In the fall of 1768, three thousand uniformed troops arrived to occupy Boston, The soldiers drilled conspicuously on the Common, played loud music on the Sabbath, and in general grated on the nerves of Bostonians” (Roarh p27). They took away my dignity, while intruding on my privacy. I had never felt as betrayed as I did when my own old country battered me and my people. This disturbance didn’t even stop there it went on to an even bigger event. The Boston Massacre, which was where once again the people of Boston were protesting against Britain. They were only throwing snowballs at British soldiers, when the soldiers in return killed five Boston colonists. This was a devastating time for all of us in Boston. I think it was a time when a lot of the people who were still supporting Britain finally turned their backs, and became united with the American colonies.
---When Britain passed the Tea Act, they neglected to take how it affected the common people into consideration. My family, friends, and neighbors on the other hand were not fooled by Britain’s newest law put onto them, and were not going to easily except it. Shortly after the Act was put into place another significant event occurred that people will remember for year. The Boston Tea party, a group of dearest friends here in Boston snuck onto a ship and dumped a significant amount of tea into the harbor to prove their point that they were not going to be used. This made us feel like we had one, but only made the British resent all the people of Boston and pass laws to punish the colony. “In response to the destruction of the tea, the British Government adopted four Acts… the Coercive or Intolerable Acts, [which] closed the port of Boston, redesigned the government of Massachusetts Bay to increase British Authority, provided for moving trials of British officials to another colony or to England when local opinion was inflamed, and permitted the housing of British troops in unused buildings” (Greene). Two of these acts affected us directly here in Boston. One closed the port of Boston to all colonists until the damages from the Boston Tea Party were paid for. Another act gave the British Governor complete control of the town meetings, and taking control out of the hands of the colonialists.
--- Winning the French and Indian war cost the British a lot of money, as a result of the war our colonies had to pay for it. The British passed acts to tax us to pay for the war; these acts taxed glass, lead, paint, tea, and paper which made a lot of colonists very upset. The colonists did not want to pay taxes because they were not represented by Parliament and had no say so in the making of laws. "The colonies refused to pay the levies required by the Townsend Acts claiming they had no obligation to pay taxes imposed by a Parliament in which they had no representation".(EyeWitness to History). When they decided to make us pay taxes on tea, it caused a big disruption. Everyone thought it was just plain ridiculous. As a result some people refused to buy tea, while others started smuggling it to avoid paying the taxes. Although Britain was taxing their other colonies they were particularly interested in the American colonies because of our great success in becoming an independent nation.
---The colonies in America relied greatly on the trade between them and Great Britain. Well I know for sure everyone here in Massachusetts did. So for Massachusetts to agree upon not sending or importing anything from Britain was a huge step towards our revolution. The people in Boston came to an agreement, "That we will not, from and after January 1, 1769, import into the province any tea, paper, glass, or painters' colors, until the Acts imposing duties on these articles have been repealed" (Boston Non-Importation Agreement). I am so glad we finally came to an agreement I think it was a semi-successful method in the hopes that we would cause financial hardships to businesses in England. Unfortunately, this was not the last we would hear of Britain, this just encouraged them to keep taxing us which was exactly what we were trying to avoid. I had a feeling war was going to be the next solution. Although war wasn’t what I had initially wanted it was the next thing to come.
---Diary, I have no one else to turn to during this time of economic struggle, fight for independence and war. Because of the British I have no family or friends to lean on or receive comfort and support from anymore. I want this war to be done and over with, so we can get on with our lives. I pray to God every night that our colonies uniting together was for the best, and we will win this war, and win our independence. I can say with confidence that I am a patriot who will fight to my death to win over our independence from Britain. I know from the bottom of my heart that the only way the great people residing in these colonies will ever better themselves is to separate themselves from Britain. It has been a very intense and long experience watching all of these significant events occur. But, it has also been an incredibly immense learning experience for me. I have very much enjoyed watching Massachusetts come together with the only colonies to fight for something we all believe so strongly about. My only last wish is for us to achieve our goal and to obtain control of our Independence. I look forward to seeing what is in store for the future of our colonies.
Until next time,
Alycia Ann
Citations:
---Kindig, Thomas. "Boston Non-Importation Agreement." August 1, 1768 17 Nov 2008 .
---"The Boston Tea Party, 1773," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2002).
Greene, Jack P.. "A companion to the American Revolution." 19 Nov 2008 .
---Roark, James L., Michael P. Johnson, Patricia Cline Cohen, Sarah Stage, and Alan Lawson. The American Promise. 4th. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009.
---liu, Joan. "SMALLPOX DURING THE AMERIAN REVOLUTION." Biological warfare during the American Revolution 19 Nov 2008 .
---Becker, Ann M.. "Society for Military History ." The Journal of Military History 68april 2004 19 Nov 2008 .
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
edited rough draft; 2nd essay
Dear Diary,
---As the colonies here in America begin to grow in size, the people are beginning to grow in confidence. When England colonized America they had no plan on how we were going to be governed, nor did they have any concerns. Britain was passing laws that helped themselves, without taking our best interest into consideration. After the Stamp Act was passed many colonists began thinking in a new direction, independence from Britain. Unfortunately, many of the colonies were split over the issue of Independence. Some staying loyal to the British no matter how far they went to get as much control and power over us as possible. Then there is the other side that will no longer keep letting Britain take advantage of us while they profit off of our economic struggles. I on the other hand am standing up for what I believe in and am willing to do anything to regain my liberty back and earn our independence.
---One single act of greed can have a significant affect on the whole course of history. The British passed acts to tax us to pay for the war; these acts taxed glass, lead, paint, tea, and paper which made a lot of colonists very upset. "The colonies refused to pay the levies required by the Townsend Acts claiming they had no obligation to pay taxes imposed by a Parliament in which they had no representation".(EyeWitness to History). When they decided to make us pay taxes on tea, which all of us drink daily, it caused a big disruption, everyone thought it was just ridiculous. Some people straight up refused to buy tea, some started smuggling it to avoid paying the taxes.
---When Britain passed the tea act, they neglected to take how it affected the common people into consideration. My family, friends, and neighbors on the other hand were not fooled by Britain’s newest law put onto them, and were not going to easily except it. The new law caused two huge events to occur, one being the Boston Tea party when a group of dearest friends here in Boston snuck onto a ship and dumped a significant amount of tea into the harbor to prove their point that they were not going to be used. This made us feel like we had one, but only made the British resent all the people of Boston and pass laws to punish the colony. “In response to the destruction of the tea, the British Government adopted four Acts, these acts known in the colonies as the Coercive or Intolerable Acts, closed the port of Boston, redesigned the government of Massachusetts Bay to increase British Authority, provided for moving trails of British officials to another colony or to England when local opinion was inflamed, and permitted the housing of British troops in unused buildings” (http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=vPFVCXEKXvIC&oi=fnd&pg=PA195&dq=Intolerable+Acts+in+1774&ots=mAcVcHML_I&sig=OtEO4yRor4qJapCmWeGRxpO_Sig#PPP1,M1). The significant event that occurred because of the Tea Act was a much more violent act. The Boston Tea Massacre, where once again the people of Boston were protesting against Britain. They were only throwing snowballs at British soldiers, when the soldiers in return killed five Boston colonists. This was a devastating time for all of us in Boston. I think it was a time when a lot of the people who were still supporting Britain finally turned their backs, and became united with the American colonies.
---The colonies in America relied greatly on the trade between them and Great Britain. Well I know for sure everyone here in Massachusetts did. So for Massachusetts to agree upon not sending or importing anything from Britain was a huge step towards our revolution. The people in Boston came to an agreement, "That we will not, from and after January 1, 1769, import into the province any tea, paper, glass, or painters' colors, until the Acts imposing duties on these articles have been repealed" (Boston Non-Importation Agreement). I am so glad we finally came to an agreement I think it was a semi-successful method in the hopes that we would cause financial hardships to businesses in England. Unfortunately, this was not the last we would hear of Britain, this just encouraged them to keep taxing us which was exactly what we were trying to avoid. I had a feeling war was going to be the next solution. Although war wasn’t what I had initially wanted it was the next thing to come.
---Before the war had even begun the British sent their troops to my land trying to take charge and control of the patriots. The troops came here looking for the uprising, a revolt against a constituted government or its policies. They went through people’s homes without consent, raided through everything, and took anything valuable they could. They were so cruel; they even went to the extent of burning our barns and homes. On top of that they were killing innocent people for standing up for their beliefs, including not only patriots but loyalist as well. “In the fall of 1768, three thousand uniformed troops arrived to occupy Boston, The soldiers drilled conspicuously on the Common, played loud music on the Sabbath, and in general grated on the nerves of Bostonians” (The American Promise). They took away my dignity, while intruding on my privacy. I had never felt as betrayed as I did when my own old country battered me and my people. Finally, a war did brake out, we were ready to stand up for ourselves and fight for our independence. But once again, Britain had one another cruel and mischievous act to play on us.
---The spreading of Small Pox was a huge disadvantage during the American war for the patriots to succeed their revolution. The impact of the deadly disease almost caused all of our American military strategies to fail. "This frightening disease affected the actions of the revolutionary army and its generals, reduced the American ability to attract and hold recruits, and influenced the controversial development of preventive medical polices" (Becker). Small pox was brought here to the colonies by the English soldiers during the war. “Around the city, soldiers began to talk amongst themselves of a British plan to destroy the army through intentional infection” (Liu). It was never proved that the British purposely tried to infect the colonists but it was defiantly believed by me, as well as many other colonists.
---Diary, I have no one else to turn to during this time of economic struggle, fight for independence and war. Because of the British I have no family or friends to lean on or receive comfort and support from anymore. I want this war to be done and over with, so we can get on with our lives. I pray to God every night that our colonies uniting together was for the best, and we will win this war, and win our independence. I can say with confidence that I am a patriot who will fight to my death to win over our independence from Britain. I know from the bottom of my heart that the only way the great people residing in these colonies will ever better themselves is to separate themselves from Britain. It has been a very intense and long experience watching all of these significant events occur. But, it has also been a incredibly immense learning experience for me. I have very much enjoyed watching Massachusetts come together with the only colonies to fight for something we all believe so strongly about. My only last wish is for us to achieve our goal and to obtain control of our Independence. I look forward to seeing what is in store for the future of our colonies.
Citations:
Kindig, Thomas. "Boston Non-Importation Agreement." August 1, 1768 17 Nov 2008 .
"The Boston Tea Party, 1773," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2002).
Greene, Jack P.. "A companion to the American Revolution." 19 Nov 2008.
Roark, James L., Michael P. Johnson, Patricia Cline Cohen, Sarah Stage, and Alan Lawson. The American Promise. 4th. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009.
liu, Joan. "SMALLPOX DURING THE AMERIAN REVOLUTION." Biological warfare during the American Revolution 19 Nov 2008.
Becker, Ann M.. "Society for Military History ." The Journal of Military History 68april 2004 19 Nov 2008.
---As the colonies here in America begin to grow in size, the people are beginning to grow in confidence. When England colonized America they had no plan on how we were going to be governed, nor did they have any concerns. Britain was passing laws that helped themselves, without taking our best interest into consideration. After the Stamp Act was passed many colonists began thinking in a new direction, independence from Britain. Unfortunately, many of the colonies were split over the issue of Independence. Some staying loyal to the British no matter how far they went to get as much control and power over us as possible. Then there is the other side that will no longer keep letting Britain take advantage of us while they profit off of our economic struggles. I on the other hand am standing up for what I believe in and am willing to do anything to regain my liberty back and earn our independence.
---One single act of greed can have a significant affect on the whole course of history. The British passed acts to tax us to pay for the war; these acts taxed glass, lead, paint, tea, and paper which made a lot of colonists very upset. "The colonies refused to pay the levies required by the Townsend Acts claiming they had no obligation to pay taxes imposed by a Parliament in which they had no representation".(EyeWitness to History). When they decided to make us pay taxes on tea, which all of us drink daily, it caused a big disruption, everyone thought it was just ridiculous. Some people straight up refused to buy tea, some started smuggling it to avoid paying the taxes.
---When Britain passed the tea act, they neglected to take how it affected the common people into consideration. My family, friends, and neighbors on the other hand were not fooled by Britain’s newest law put onto them, and were not going to easily except it. The new law caused two huge events to occur, one being the Boston Tea party when a group of dearest friends here in Boston snuck onto a ship and dumped a significant amount of tea into the harbor to prove their point that they were not going to be used. This made us feel like we had one, but only made the British resent all the people of Boston and pass laws to punish the colony. “In response to the destruction of the tea, the British Government adopted four Acts, these acts known in the colonies as the Coercive or Intolerable Acts, closed the port of Boston, redesigned the government of Massachusetts Bay to increase British Authority, provided for moving trails of British officials to another colony or to England when local opinion was inflamed, and permitted the housing of British troops in unused buildings” (http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=vPFVCXEKXvIC&oi=fnd&pg=PA195&dq=Intolerable+Acts+in+1774&ots=mAcVcHML_I&sig=OtEO4yRor4qJapCmWeGRxpO_Sig#PPP1,M1). The significant event that occurred because of the Tea Act was a much more violent act. The Boston Tea Massacre, where once again the people of Boston were protesting against Britain. They were only throwing snowballs at British soldiers, when the soldiers in return killed five Boston colonists. This was a devastating time for all of us in Boston. I think it was a time when a lot of the people who were still supporting Britain finally turned their backs, and became united with the American colonies.
---The colonies in America relied greatly on the trade between them and Great Britain. Well I know for sure everyone here in Massachusetts did. So for Massachusetts to agree upon not sending or importing anything from Britain was a huge step towards our revolution. The people in Boston came to an agreement, "That we will not, from and after January 1, 1769, import into the province any tea, paper, glass, or painters' colors, until the Acts imposing duties on these articles have been repealed" (Boston Non-Importation Agreement). I am so glad we finally came to an agreement I think it was a semi-successful method in the hopes that we would cause financial hardships to businesses in England. Unfortunately, this was not the last we would hear of Britain, this just encouraged them to keep taxing us which was exactly what we were trying to avoid. I had a feeling war was going to be the next solution. Although war wasn’t what I had initially wanted it was the next thing to come.
---Before the war had even begun the British sent their troops to my land trying to take charge and control of the patriots. The troops came here looking for the uprising, a revolt against a constituted government or its policies. They went through people’s homes without consent, raided through everything, and took anything valuable they could. They were so cruel; they even went to the extent of burning our barns and homes. On top of that they were killing innocent people for standing up for their beliefs, including not only patriots but loyalist as well. “In the fall of 1768, three thousand uniformed troops arrived to occupy Boston, The soldiers drilled conspicuously on the Common, played loud music on the Sabbath, and in general grated on the nerves of Bostonians” (The American Promise). They took away my dignity, while intruding on my privacy. I had never felt as betrayed as I did when my own old country battered me and my people. Finally, a war did brake out, we were ready to stand up for ourselves and fight for our independence. But once again, Britain had one another cruel and mischievous act to play on us.
---The spreading of Small Pox was a huge disadvantage during the American war for the patriots to succeed their revolution. The impact of the deadly disease almost caused all of our American military strategies to fail. "This frightening disease affected the actions of the revolutionary army and its generals, reduced the American ability to attract and hold recruits, and influenced the controversial development of preventive medical polices" (Becker). Small pox was brought here to the colonies by the English soldiers during the war. “Around the city, soldiers began to talk amongst themselves of a British plan to destroy the army through intentional infection” (Liu). It was never proved that the British purposely tried to infect the colonists but it was defiantly believed by me, as well as many other colonists.
---Diary, I have no one else to turn to during this time of economic struggle, fight for independence and war. Because of the British I have no family or friends to lean on or receive comfort and support from anymore. I want this war to be done and over with, so we can get on with our lives. I pray to God every night that our colonies uniting together was for the best, and we will win this war, and win our independence. I can say with confidence that I am a patriot who will fight to my death to win over our independence from Britain. I know from the bottom of my heart that the only way the great people residing in these colonies will ever better themselves is to separate themselves from Britain. It has been a very intense and long experience watching all of these significant events occur. But, it has also been a incredibly immense learning experience for me. I have very much enjoyed watching Massachusetts come together with the only colonies to fight for something we all believe so strongly about. My only last wish is for us to achieve our goal and to obtain control of our Independence. I look forward to seeing what is in store for the future of our colonies.
Citations:
Kindig, Thomas. "Boston Non-Importation Agreement." August 1, 1768 17 Nov 2008 .
"The Boston Tea Party, 1773," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2002).
Greene, Jack P.. "A companion to the American Revolution." 19 Nov 2008
Roark, James L., Michael P. Johnson, Patricia Cline Cohen, Sarah Stage, and Alan Lawson. The American Promise. 4th. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009.
liu, Joan. "SMALLPOX DURING THE AMERIAN REVOLUTION." Biological warfare during the American Revolution 19 Nov 2008
Becker, Ann M.. "Society for Military History ." The Journal of Military History 68april 2004 19 Nov 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
rough draft
As the colonies begun to grow in size, the people begun to grow in confidence. When England colonized America they had no plan on how the colonies were to be governed. Britain was passing laws that helped themselves, without taking the colonies best interest into consideration. Many colonists began thinking in a new direction, independence from Britain. Unfortunately, many of the colonies were split over the issue of Independence. I on the other hand am standing up for what I believe in and am willing to do anything to regain my liberty and earn my independence.
One single act of greed can have a significant affect on the whole course of history. The British passed acts to tax the colonies in America to pay for the war; these acts taxed glass, lead, paint, tea, and paper which made a lot of colonists very upset. "The colonies refused to pay the levies required by the Townsend Acts claiming they had no obligation to pay taxes imposed by a Parliament in which they had no representation".(EyeWitness to History). British decided to make colonists pay taxes on tea, which everyone drank daily, they thought this was ridiculous some refused to buy tea, some started smuggling it to avoid paying the taxes.
The colonies in America relied greatly on the trade between them and Great Britain. For Massachusetts to agree upon not sending or importing anything from Britain was a huge step towards their revolution. The people in Boston came to an agreement, "That we will not, from and after January 1, 1769, import into the province any tea, paper, glass, or painters' colors, until the Acts imposing duties on these articles have been repealed" (Boston Non-Importation Agreement).
When Britain passed the tea act, they did not take how it affected the people into consideration. The colonists on the other hand were not fooled by Britain’s newest law put onto them, and were not going to easily except it. The new law caused two huge events to occur, one being the Boston Tea party when a group of colonists in Boston snuck onto a ship and dumped a significant amount of tea into the harbor to prove their point. This made the colonists feel like they had one, but only made the British resent Boston and pass laws to punish the colony. “In response to the destruction of the tea, the British Government adopted four Acts, these acts known in the colonies as the Coercive or Intolerable Acts, closed the port of Boston, redesigned the government of Massachusetts Bay to increase British Authority, provided for moving trails of British officials to another colony or to England when local opinion was inflamed, and permitted the housing of British troops in unused buildings” (http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=vPFVCXEKXvIC&oi=fnd&pg=PA195&dq=Intolerable+Acts+in+1774&ots=mAcVcHML_I&sig=OtEO4yRor4qJapCmWeGRxpO_Sig#PPP1,M1). The other being a more violent act, The Boston Tea Massacre where once again Boston colonies were protesting, throwing only snowballs at British soldiers, the soldiers in return killed five Boston colonists.
The spreading of Small Pox was a huge disadvantage during the American war for the patriots to succeed their revolution. The impact of the deadly disease almost caused all the American military strategies to fail. "This frightening disease affected the actions of the revolutionary army and its generals, reduced the American ability to attract and hold recruits, and influenced the controversial development of preventive medical polices" (Becker). Small pox was brought to the colonies by the English soldiers during the war. “Around the city, soldiers began to talk amongst themselves of a British plan to destroy the army through intentional infection” (Liu). It was never proved that the British purposely tried to infect the colonists but it was defiantly believed by many colonists.
The British sent their troops to America before the war had begun going there to take charge and control of the patriots. They were looking for the uprising, they went through peoples homes without consent, raided through everything, taking anything valuable, burning barns and homes and killing not only patriots but loyalist as well.
Citations:
Kindig, Thomas. "Boston Non-Importation Agreement." August 1, 1768 17 Nov 2008
"The Boston Tea Party, 1773," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2002).
Friday, November 14, 2008
edited
I. One single act of greed can have a significant affect on the whole course of history.
----A. The British taxed colonies in America to pay for the war, which made a lot of colonists very upset.
-------i. "The colonies refused to pay the levies required by the Townsend Acts claiming they had no obligation to pay taxes imposed by a Parliament in which they had no representation". ("The Boston Tea Party, 1773," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com 2002).
----------a. British decided to make colonists pay taxes on tea, which everyone drank daily, they thought this was ridiculous some refused to buy tea, some started smuggling it to avoid paying the taxes.
II. The colonies in America relied greatly on the trade between them and Great Britain.
----A. For Massachusetts to agree upon not sending or importing anything from Britain was a huge step towards their revolution.
-------i."That we will not, from and after January 1, 1769, import into the province any tea, paper, glass, or painters' colors, until the Acts imposing duties on these articles have been repealed" (Boston Non-Importation Agreement).
III. The spreading of Small Pox was a huge disadvantage during the American war for the patriots to succeed their revolution.
----A. The impact of the deadly disease almost caused all the American military strategies to fail.
-------i. "This frightening disease affected the actions of the revolutionary army and its generals, reduced the American ability to attract and hold recruits, and influenced the controversial development of preventive medical polices".(Becker)
IV. The British sent their troops to America before the war had begun, they went there to control the patriots.
----A. They were looking for the uprising, they went through peoples homes without consent, raided through everything, taking anything valuable, burning barns and homes and killing not only patriots but loyalist as well.
The Boston Tea Party was one of the most dramatic and significant events before the American revolution.
----A. The British taxed colonies in America to pay for the war, which made a lot of colonists very upset.
-------i. "The colonies refused to pay the levies required by the Townsend Acts claiming they had no obligation to pay taxes imposed by a Parliament in which they had no representation". ("The Boston Tea Party, 1773," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com 2002).
----------a. British decided to make colonists pay taxes on tea, which everyone drank daily, they thought this was ridiculous some refused to buy tea, some started smuggling it to avoid paying the taxes.
II. The colonies in America relied greatly on the trade between them and Great Britain.
----A. For Massachusetts to agree upon not sending or importing anything from Britain was a huge step towards their revolution.
-------i."That we will not, from and after January 1, 1769, import into the province any tea, paper, glass, or painters' colors, until the Acts imposing duties on these articles have been repealed" (Boston Non-Importation Agreement).
III. The spreading of Small Pox was a huge disadvantage during the American war for the patriots to succeed their revolution.
----A. The impact of the deadly disease almost caused all the American military strategies to fail.
-------i. "This frightening disease affected the actions of the revolutionary army and its generals, reduced the American ability to attract and hold recruits, and influenced the controversial development of preventive medical polices".(Becker)
IV. The British sent their troops to America before the war had begun, they went there to control the patriots.
----A. They were looking for the uprising, they went through peoples homes without consent, raided through everything, taking anything valuable, burning barns and homes and killing not only patriots but loyalist as well.
The Boston Tea Party was one of the most dramatic and significant events before the American revolution.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Outline: Massachusetts Patriot
I. One single act of violence can have a significant affect on the whole course of history.
----A.The Boston Tea Party was one of the most dramatic and significant events before the American revolution.
II. The colonies in America relied greatly on the trade between them and Great Britain.
----A. For Massachusetts to agree upon not sending or importing anything from Britain was a huge step towards their revolution.
-------i."That we will not, from and after January 1, 1769, import into the province any tea, paper, glass, or painters' colours, until the Acts imposing duties on these articles have been repealed." (Boston Non-Importation Agreement)
III. The spreading of Small Pox was a huge disadvantage during the American war for the patriots to succeed their revolution.
----A. The impact of the deadly disease almost caused all the American military strategies to fail.
-------i. "This frightening disease affected the actions of the revolutionary army and its generals, reduced the American ability to attract and hold recruits, and influenced the controversial development of preventive medical polices".(Becker)
IV. The British sent their troops to America before the war had begun, they went there to control the patriots.
----A. They were looking for the uprising, they went through peoples homes without consent, raided through everything, taking anything valuable, burning barns and homes and killing not only patriots but loyalist as well.
----A.The Boston Tea Party was one of the most dramatic and significant events before the American revolution.
II. The colonies in America relied greatly on the trade between them and Great Britain.
----A. For Massachusetts to agree upon not sending or importing anything from Britain was a huge step towards their revolution.
-------i."That we will not, from and after January 1, 1769, import into the province any tea, paper, glass, or painters' colours, until the Acts imposing duties on these articles have been repealed." (Boston Non-Importation Agreement)
III. The spreading of Small Pox was a huge disadvantage during the American war for the patriots to succeed their revolution.
----A. The impact of the deadly disease almost caused all the American military strategies to fail.
-------i. "This frightening disease affected the actions of the revolutionary army and its generals, reduced the American ability to attract and hold recruits, and influenced the controversial development of preventive medical polices".(Becker)
IV. The British sent their troops to America before the war had begun, they went there to control the patriots.
----A. They were looking for the uprising, they went through peoples homes without consent, raided through everything, taking anything valuable, burning barns and homes and killing not only patriots but loyalist as well.
Monday, November 3, 2008
First Continental Congress vs. PSEC
The first continental congress does in some ways relate to the way PSEC runs as a self governing school. The first continental congress was a group of colonists who came together to stand up for their rights. PSEC is a school who comes together as a whole in community meetings to discuss any problems or to make any suggestions to make our school that much better. Every student at our school has a chance to have their voice heard. PSEC also comes together as a whole to vote for the Advisory Council, who then do everything they can to make our community run more smoothly. I think that PSEC could be more effective in its governing process if more people were interested, and contributed their ideas more. If no one ever has any changes to make, suggestions or ideas then everything will stay the way it is. As an individual of the PSEC community myself I will attend all community meetings, and support those who join the Advisory Council. Something that I would change would be to make the meetings more interesting, fun, and engage all community members. The PSEC government has come along with some challenges just like any other government has. Still early in the year these challenges are not very hard yet, the only thing that really stands out is the lack participation for many different things. I am hoping that once the Advisory Council has been appointed then they will be able to start fixing that. As the year goes on I know we will run into more bumps in the road and it is not only up to the Advisory Council to fix all of them. Since PSEC is a self governing school it is up to every single person in this community to help keep everyone up, and this community successful.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death
Who is writing?
--Patrick Henry wrote this document on March 23rd, 1775
Give me Liberty of Give me Death
Who is the audience?
--The audience of this document are all the colonists in America, the document is also for "Mr. President".
Who do the writers represent?
--Patrick Henry is representing himself, as well as all the other colonists in America.
What is being said, argued, or requested?
--In this document Patrick Henry talks about how important it is for to win back their liberty from Britain. Henry says, "Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace- but there is no peace. The war has actually begun!". In this statement Henry is saying that there is no more of the colonists trying to be civil and keep their mouths shut, they will stand up for themselves and fight for their liberty and rights.
How is it being said, argued, or requested?
--This document had been the most demanding we have read yet, Henry is very serious and very passionate about this topic. He knows what he wants, and he knows how to get it.
What proof and/or justification is being used to legitimize the request?
--Henry uses experience as a way to justify his request, he states, "I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience". He also talks about how the British government has ignored the all of the colonists petitions and done nothing to compromise with them.
--Patrick Henry wrote this document on March 23rd, 1775
Give me Liberty of Give me Death
Who is the audience?
--The audience of this document are all the colonists in America, the document is also for "Mr. President".
Who do the writers represent?
--Patrick Henry is representing himself, as well as all the other colonists in America.
What is being said, argued, or requested?
--In this document Patrick Henry talks about how important it is for to win back their liberty from Britain. Henry says, "Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace- but there is no peace. The war has actually begun!". In this statement Henry is saying that there is no more of the colonists trying to be civil and keep their mouths shut, they will stand up for themselves and fight for their liberty and rights.
How is it being said, argued, or requested?
--This document had been the most demanding we have read yet, Henry is very serious and very passionate about this topic. He knows what he wants, and he knows how to get it.
What proof and/or justification is being used to legitimize the request?
--Henry uses experience as a way to justify his request, he states, "I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience". He also talks about how the British government has ignored the all of the colonists petitions and done nothing to compromise with them.
Synthesize of the quote, video and primary documents
---It has become very common today for people to believe that when the British colonists left Britain they were leaving to become a nation far from what the British were. The fact of the matter really is though, the colonists who left wanted nothing of the such. When they went to America they all still considered themselves British. It was a long time after they left, when they started calling themselves Americans. Although no one has ever said directly, I have come to the impression that the British Government were so upset that their people were migrating else were they had to do something to try to stay in control. See, the British Government still had all the power over the people left in Britain, but what about the ones who were thousands of miles away. Almost everything having to do with governing back then was all about power, everyone wanted to the richest, and most powerful people of the world.
---The resolutions of the Continental Congress was a letter written by colonists who lived in America, and still considered themselves British but had English rights. In the letter they talk about their rights and liberties, they mention several times that they should have the same rights as all the other British subjects do. In the same letter the colonists are also saying that no one, (including the British Parliament) can put taxes on them unless they give consent to do so, or their representative gives consent. In the letter the colonists state, "That the increase, prosperity, and happiness of these colonies, depend on the full and free enjoyment of their rights and liberties, and an intercourse with Great-Britain mutually affectionate and advantageous". The British government is taxing the colonists in America so much, they already can't afford it and then they add more taxes on top of that without any notice or agreement with the colonists. They are basically saying in that statement that the people of the colonies can't be happy, succeed and grow, if the British Government keeps taxing them more and more, but don't treat them any better.
---The circular letter of the Boston Committee was a letter send out from colonists after receiving the copy of an Act of the British Parliament. In this letter they talk about how Great Britain was mistreating Boston, and how Britain was shutting down harbors, so they couldn't do any trade. The colonists in Boston decided that they would sacrifice their own well being and not rely on trade, that way Great Britain couldn't make any profit off of them. The New York committee decided it was of the up most importance to appoint a committee at this time of emergency. They also reassured everyone that they are in full agreement with their liberty and American Freedom. By focusing on the British taxing the colonists unfairly, it overlooks the deeper problem of why the Revolution started. Some say it was the colonists living in America, some say it was the British Government, I believe it was the British Government. The colonists never had any intentions of detaching themselves from Britain. The British Government on the other hand, just keep antagonizing the colonists, making if literally impossible for them to unite as one.
---Something that really stood out for me when I watched a video in History class about the stamp act, was a quote said by a man who was representing the colonists living in America back in in 1700's. He said, "Power to tax is the power to destroy", this statement is very strong and realistic. He is using this as an example of the British Government taxing the colonists, because in the end all they are really doing is destroying the colonists. Another quote that really stood out in this video was "Love your Liberty, and fight for it", which was exactly what the colonists did. They loved and admired Great Britain, and still wanted to be a part of it so bad, but when they started being mistreated they knew better. They didn't back down, which I respect them for, they stood up for themselves and put up a fight.
---All three documents, the quote from J. Adams, and the Video we watched in class all lead to one big event, which was the separation between the colonists who went to America, and the people who stayed in Great Britain. From where I stand the British Government started it all with the stamp act. The Colonists were not happy to hear that they were going to be getting taxed on even more things, and they had no say on it. Even though the colonists living in America were still being protected by the government, it was unfair taxation on the governments part. Which finally lead to the American Revolution, it all could have been avoided if only the government hadn't been so power hungry, and treated the colonists as their own people.
---The resolutions of the Continental Congress was a letter written by colonists who lived in America, and still considered themselves British but had English rights. In the letter they talk about their rights and liberties, they mention several times that they should have the same rights as all the other British subjects do. In the same letter the colonists are also saying that no one, (including the British Parliament) can put taxes on them unless they give consent to do so, or their representative gives consent. In the letter the colonists state, "That the increase, prosperity, and happiness of these colonies, depend on the full and free enjoyment of their rights and liberties, and an intercourse with Great-Britain mutually affectionate and advantageous". The British government is taxing the colonists in America so much, they already can't afford it and then they add more taxes on top of that without any notice or agreement with the colonists. They are basically saying in that statement that the people of the colonies can't be happy, succeed and grow, if the British Government keeps taxing them more and more, but don't treat them any better.
---The circular letter of the Boston Committee was a letter send out from colonists after receiving the copy of an Act of the British Parliament. In this letter they talk about how Great Britain was mistreating Boston, and how Britain was shutting down harbors, so they couldn't do any trade. The colonists in Boston decided that they would sacrifice their own well being and not rely on trade, that way Great Britain couldn't make any profit off of them. The New York committee decided it was of the up most importance to appoint a committee at this time of emergency. They also reassured everyone that they are in full agreement with their liberty and American Freedom. By focusing on the British taxing the colonists unfairly, it overlooks the deeper problem of why the Revolution started. Some say it was the colonists living in America, some say it was the British Government, I believe it was the British Government. The colonists never had any intentions of detaching themselves from Britain. The British Government on the other hand, just keep antagonizing the colonists, making if literally impossible for them to unite as one.
---Something that really stood out for me when I watched a video in History class about the stamp act, was a quote said by a man who was representing the colonists living in America back in in 1700's. He said, "Power to tax is the power to destroy", this statement is very strong and realistic. He is using this as an example of the British Government taxing the colonists, because in the end all they are really doing is destroying the colonists. Another quote that really stood out in this video was "Love your Liberty, and fight for it", which was exactly what the colonists did. They loved and admired Great Britain, and still wanted to be a part of it so bad, but when they started being mistreated they knew better. They didn't back down, which I respect them for, they stood up for themselves and put up a fight.
---All three documents, the quote from J. Adams, and the Video we watched in class all lead to one big event, which was the separation between the colonists who went to America, and the people who stayed in Great Britain. From where I stand the British Government started it all with the stamp act. The Colonists were not happy to hear that they were going to be getting taxed on even more things, and they had no say on it. Even though the colonists living in America were still being protected by the government, it was unfair taxation on the governments part. Which finally lead to the American Revolution, it all could have been avoided if only the government hadn't been so power hungry, and treated the colonists as their own people.
Notes on Primary Documents
The resolutions of the Continental Congress talks about the rights and liberties of the colonists. The colonists are saying that no one can put taxes on them unless they give consent to do so, or their representative gives consent. They are also saying that they have the same rights as the British do. The circular letter of the Boston Committee was a letter send out from colonists after receiving the copy of an Act of the British Parliament. In this letter they talk about how Great Britain was mistreating Boston, how Britain was shutting down harbors, so they cant do any trade. The colonists in Boston decided they will sacrifice their own well being and not rely on trade, that way Great Britain can't get a reaction out of them. The letter from the Now York Committee was a follow up letter to the Boston Committee. The New York committee decided it was of the up most importance to appoint a committee at this time of emergency. They also reassured everyone that they are in full agreement with their liberty and American Freedom.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Essay #1 Reflection
---When I started writing this first essay I was using my original writing process. As I got more detailed with my paper, I found myself all wrapped up in quotes and templates, I lost site of how I felt about the topic. Learning this different writing technique was a difficult process, but I know it was worth it and I can use this technique on future writing assignments.
---If I could go back and fix a mistake I made in this writing process, I would definitely take more time on choosing my thesis. I felt so rushed to choose a topic I ended up with a thesis that held back a lot of information I found interesting. When I started writing I never realized I could have changed my thesis, looking back on it now I think if I would have known I would have done just that.
---What I learned from this writing process is that when your writing about history you need a lot of resources. Many different historians have different perspectives on historical events and it is important to be open minded and take in all of the different point of views. Then, it is just as important to be able to put down your own words on paper with your own opinion and views of the topic or event.
---If I could go back and fix a mistake I made in this writing process, I would definitely take more time on choosing my thesis. I felt so rushed to choose a topic I ended up with a thesis that held back a lot of information I found interesting. When I started writing I never realized I could have changed my thesis, looking back on it now I think if I would have known I would have done just that.
---What I learned from this writing process is that when your writing about history you need a lot of resources. Many different historians have different perspectives on historical events and it is important to be open minded and take in all of the different point of views. Then, it is just as important to be able to put down your own words on paper with your own opinion and views of the topic or event.
Virginia Resolves on the Stamp Act
Who is writing?
-- Patrick Henry is writing this document
Who is the audience?
-- The audience of this document are the people of England
Who do the writers represent?
-- The writers represent The House of Burgessess of Virginia
What is being said, argued, or requested?
-- The Virginia Resolves was a stamp act which was passed to tax on newspaper, pamphlets, broadsides, and all kinds of legal documents. No one except the General Assembly had any power to levy taxes, and anyone who tried to is than an enemy to English.
How is it being said, argued, or requested?
-- This document is being said very informative. It gives different examples of what the "Virginia Resolves" was referred to as. Inside the document the laws of the Virginia Resolve are also being said informative, in my opinion they are being more enforced then being said.
What proof and/or justification is being used to legitimize the request?
--Henry uses text of Virginia Resolves from Morison, he also talks about different versions that were published widely in newspaper. Other proof being used is who the writer is representing, the house of burgessess.
-- Patrick Henry is writing this document
Who is the audience?
-- The audience of this document are the people of England
Who do the writers represent?
-- The writers represent The House of Burgessess of Virginia
What is being said, argued, or requested?
-- The Virginia Resolves was a stamp act which was passed to tax on newspaper, pamphlets, broadsides, and all kinds of legal documents. No one except the General Assembly had any power to levy taxes, and anyone who tried to is than an enemy to English.
How is it being said, argued, or requested?
-- This document is being said very informative. It gives different examples of what the "Virginia Resolves" was referred to as. Inside the document the laws of the Virginia Resolve are also being said informative, in my opinion they are being more enforced then being said.
What proof and/or justification is being used to legitimize the request?
--Henry uses text of Virginia Resolves from Morison, he also talks about different versions that were published widely in newspaper. Other proof being used is who the writer is representing, the house of burgessess.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Bacon's Rebellion - - Final Copy
-----Even before the American Revolution there was a rebellion that broke out by some very angry colonists against their government, which later got turned to the nearby Indians. “Sometime in April 1676… Bacon had got over the [James] River with his forces and hastening away into the woods, went directly and fell upon the Indians and killed some of them [which] were some of our best friends… the people [would not]understand any distinction of friendly Indians and Indian enemies” (document #13). Bacon's Rebellion was a war brought onto innocent Natives, led by a man named Nathaniel Bacon who was very angry with the way the colony was being run. The government played a very large role in why this rebellion happened. The government was tricking and using not only all the Indians, but as well as their own colonists. When it comes to the topic of Bacon's Rebellion, most of us will readily agree that the people in charge of Virginia during the seventeenth century were the cause of the rebellion. Where this agreement usually comes to a end, however, is on the question of, Did Bacon even care about why he was killing Indians, or if that particular Indian had ever done anything wrong, or did he just want to kill all Indians. Whereas some are convinced that Bacon was a good person and the government was terrible, others still maintain that Bacon was only after gold, land and killing Indians. I see it as, the government was power hungry and just wanted to use, abuse and control everyone around them.
-----During Bacon’s rebellion in 1676 the government mistreated the Indians and the colonists and benefited from both of them. The government benefited greatly from trade with the Indians. They made a law by an Act of State that no one was allowed to do any kind of trading goods with any of the Indians. But secretly, the governor made special licenses for only a selective few to be allowed to trade with the Indians as long as he gets a part of the profit. Howard Zinn states in A Young People’s History of the United States, "And the whole colony, rich and poor, was being used by England" (p39). According to the Virginia settlers their government was protecting the Indians from the colonists, instead of defending the colonists. Bacon and his followers went to attack the Indians without a permit, when the government found out they were not happy. That caused them to react in a matter by trying to protect the Indians and warned them that Bacon was coming to attack. The government acted as if they were protecting the Indians one second, then the colonists the next. They built forts in the woods and told the colonists it was for their protection. The colonists knew better though, there was really no security for them. To add to their problems, the government then taxed all the people in the colony for the forts that gave them no fortification or security. “Bacon issued his 'Declaration of the People' on July 30, 1676 which stated that Berkeley was corrupt, played favorites and protected the Indians for his own selfish purposes" (Pike). The people in command ignored the colonist’s complaints about the Indians poor behavior, the Indians were killing and robbing people, and the governor still didn't take any notice. The governor didn't believe the colonist's accusations. Berkeley publicly named Bacon a traitor, and refused to sign a promised commission. A letter from Elizabeth Bacon to her sister "[T]he Indians killing the people daily, the governor not taking notice of it for to hinder them, but let them daily do all the mischief they can" (document #9). In this letter Bacon's wife demonstrates how the Indians were misbehaving and their government didn't take control of the situation and give the Indians any consequences. The way the Virginia government was being run at this time caused a lot of unnecessary hardships for the English colonists.
-----The colonists were very mistreated by the English government during Bacon's rebellion. They had to deal with very little or lack of freedom. Indentured servants were bought and sold like slaves. Poor people signed an agreement to be slaves for five to seven years."Grantham found four hundred armed whites and blacks- freeman, servants, and slaves. He promised to pardon them and to free the servants and slaves. Instead, he turned his boat's guns on the rebels and took their weapons. Then he returned the servants and slaves to their masters" (p38 Zinn). Zinn is showing an example of just one of the ways the government went against their word and turned their backs on the colonists. The government had really high taxes put onto the colonists. There was a huge gap between the rich and poor. The rich built mansions, while the poor struggled to survive. They had unfair taxes that were way too high, and were dealing with unemployment and poverty. Colonists grew tobacco, while the king was making a huge profit. In volume one of "A Young Peoples History Zinn states, "Bacon accused the Berkeley government of wrongdoing, including unfair taxes and not protecting the western farmers from the Indians" (p39 Zinn). Laws made by the government affected the colonists in a negative way. The government was protecting the Indians. They made restrictions for the colonists dealing with their rights to vote. Changes in land laws caused farmers to homelessness. New laws passed to punish poor, imprison them and send them to America "The revolt changed little within the colony; gentlemen continued to monopolize the best land, the highest offices, and the most slaves. The Indians suffered the most. Those within the colony lost population and land" (paragraph 4 US Military History). The government causing all of these hardships for the colonists made them very upset and some colonists rebelled. This made life for the Indians unfair and unbearable.
-----The Indians were the ones who suffered the worst from the English government. They had to deal with the English intruding onto their land, and were forced to live on predestined English land. "By the late seventeenth century, many Indian groups in the British colonies had fallen into a subordinate, 'tributary status', living on assigned lands at the will and direction of the provincial governments" (p76 Puglisi). The government took everything away from the Indians including their freedom. The Indians were alienated and distrusted. They thought the government was on their side; really they were only using them to take advantage of the trade. New Virginia laws made slavery lifelong and inherited by one's children. "The colonial governments agreed among themselves that servants who escaped from one colony to another must be returned" (p42 Zinn).The worst of the horrible mistreatment towards the Indians was violence. A true narrative of the late rebellion in Virginia, said that the Indians were forced to be slaves and servants. The Government was also using few chosen Indians as their spies. Many Indians had to live in terror, of loosing their families or their own lives. The Indians who had peace treaties were even killed, as well as the Indians were who Christianized. "Beatings and whippings were common, Servant women were raped" (p42 Zinn). The Indians were stuck in the middle of a war caused by the English.
-----During the whole rebellion, up until the day Bacon died, he and Governor Berkeley had never ending war between themselves. Some people believe Berkeley was the bad guy, others believe just the opposite. Bacon helped the colonists stand up for themselves during the seventeenth century; he was only in the colony for three years and was made one of the council members. Bacon had great respect from most if not all the colonists. But unfortunately, he did kill some of the Indians who were friends to Berkeley and his people. Berkeley had Bacon arrested for disobeying the government and leading an illegal war against the Indians. "Before he had been three years in the colony, he was, for his extraordinary Qualifications, made one of the council. And in great honor and esteem among the people" (document 11). "Mr. Bacon nor any with him had injured any English man in their persons or estates, and that the country was generally well pleased with what they had done, and she believed most of the council also" (document 14). Berkeley failed to defend and protect his people. He did not do his part to protect the colonists from native attacks, fled from bacon and his followers during the war. Bacon and Berkeley fought over loyal servants and small landowners to be on their side. Berkeley hung two dozen men and took their estates who were Bacon's followers. "Berkeley's arbitrary rule and unjust taxation, his neglect of an adequate Indian defense; etc. these we humbly confess, were the greatest seducements that provoked most of us at first to take up arms but only against the... barbarous enemies the Indians" (document 35).
-----By focusing on Bacon and his followers attacks on Indians without a permit it over looks the deeper problem that the leaders during that time were not doing the things they were suppose to. Though I see other ways that Bacon could have reacted, he couldn't stand by and not stick up for himself and the other colonists. The government cared more about land, money, and power then the lives of the people they ruled. They took advantage of their fellow followers as well as Indians they had no rights to control over. The government not taking care of the issues the colonists were dealing with caused the colonists to rebel. When they rebelled they took out their frustrations on the Indians. That caused a lot of agony and suffering to the Indians who had nothing to do with the English problems. They caused all these unnecessary perplexities and disputes only so they could better themselves.
Citations:
---Pike, John. "Bacon's Rebellion." 04-27-2005 paragraph 14. 14 Oct 2008.
---US Military History Companion, "Bacon's Rebellion." paragraph 4. 21 Oct 2008.
---Zinn, Howard. "Columbus to the Spanish-American War." A Young People's History of the United States 1
-----During Bacon’s rebellion in 1676 the government mistreated the Indians and the colonists and benefited from both of them. The government benefited greatly from trade with the Indians. They made a law by an Act of State that no one was allowed to do any kind of trading goods with any of the Indians. But secretly, the governor made special licenses for only a selective few to be allowed to trade with the Indians as long as he gets a part of the profit. Howard Zinn states in A Young People’s History of the United States, "And the whole colony, rich and poor, was being used by England" (p39). According to the Virginia settlers their government was protecting the Indians from the colonists, instead of defending the colonists. Bacon and his followers went to attack the Indians without a permit, when the government found out they were not happy. That caused them to react in a matter by trying to protect the Indians and warned them that Bacon was coming to attack. The government acted as if they were protecting the Indians one second, then the colonists the next. They built forts in the woods and told the colonists it was for their protection. The colonists knew better though, there was really no security for them. To add to their problems, the government then taxed all the people in the colony for the forts that gave them no fortification or security. “Bacon issued his 'Declaration of the People' on July 30, 1676 which stated that Berkeley was corrupt, played favorites and protected the Indians for his own selfish purposes" (Pike). The people in command ignored the colonist’s complaints about the Indians poor behavior, the Indians were killing and robbing people, and the governor still didn't take any notice. The governor didn't believe the colonist's accusations. Berkeley publicly named Bacon a traitor, and refused to sign a promised commission. A letter from Elizabeth Bacon to her sister "[T]he Indians killing the people daily, the governor not taking notice of it for to hinder them, but let them daily do all the mischief they can" (document #9). In this letter Bacon's wife demonstrates how the Indians were misbehaving and their government didn't take control of the situation and give the Indians any consequences. The way the Virginia government was being run at this time caused a lot of unnecessary hardships for the English colonists.
-----The colonists were very mistreated by the English government during Bacon's rebellion. They had to deal with very little or lack of freedom. Indentured servants were bought and sold like slaves. Poor people signed an agreement to be slaves for five to seven years."Grantham found four hundred armed whites and blacks- freeman, servants, and slaves. He promised to pardon them and to free the servants and slaves. Instead, he turned his boat's guns on the rebels and took their weapons. Then he returned the servants and slaves to their masters" (p38 Zinn). Zinn is showing an example of just one of the ways the government went against their word and turned their backs on the colonists. The government had really high taxes put onto the colonists. There was a huge gap between the rich and poor. The rich built mansions, while the poor struggled to survive. They had unfair taxes that were way too high, and were dealing with unemployment and poverty. Colonists grew tobacco, while the king was making a huge profit. In volume one of "A Young Peoples History Zinn states, "Bacon accused the Berkeley government of wrongdoing, including unfair taxes and not protecting the western farmers from the Indians" (p39 Zinn). Laws made by the government affected the colonists in a negative way. The government was protecting the Indians. They made restrictions for the colonists dealing with their rights to vote. Changes in land laws caused farmers to homelessness. New laws passed to punish poor, imprison them and send them to America "The revolt changed little within the colony; gentlemen continued to monopolize the best land, the highest offices, and the most slaves. The Indians suffered the most. Those within the colony lost population and land" (paragraph 4 US Military History). The government causing all of these hardships for the colonists made them very upset and some colonists rebelled. This made life for the Indians unfair and unbearable.
-----The Indians were the ones who suffered the worst from the English government. They had to deal with the English intruding onto their land, and were forced to live on predestined English land. "By the late seventeenth century, many Indian groups in the British colonies had fallen into a subordinate, 'tributary status', living on assigned lands at the will and direction of the provincial governments" (p76 Puglisi). The government took everything away from the Indians including their freedom. The Indians were alienated and distrusted. They thought the government was on their side; really they were only using them to take advantage of the trade. New Virginia laws made slavery lifelong and inherited by one's children. "The colonial governments agreed among themselves that servants who escaped from one colony to another must be returned" (p42 Zinn).The worst of the horrible mistreatment towards the Indians was violence. A true narrative of the late rebellion in Virginia, said that the Indians were forced to be slaves and servants. The Government was also using few chosen Indians as their spies. Many Indians had to live in terror, of loosing their families or their own lives. The Indians who had peace treaties were even killed, as well as the Indians were who Christianized. "Beatings and whippings were common, Servant women were raped" (p42 Zinn). The Indians were stuck in the middle of a war caused by the English.
-----During the whole rebellion, up until the day Bacon died, he and Governor Berkeley had never ending war between themselves. Some people believe Berkeley was the bad guy, others believe just the opposite. Bacon helped the colonists stand up for themselves during the seventeenth century; he was only in the colony for three years and was made one of the council members. Bacon had great respect from most if not all the colonists. But unfortunately, he did kill some of the Indians who were friends to Berkeley and his people. Berkeley had Bacon arrested for disobeying the government and leading an illegal war against the Indians. "Before he had been three years in the colony, he was, for his extraordinary Qualifications, made one of the council. And in great honor and esteem among the people" (document 11). "Mr. Bacon nor any with him had injured any English man in their persons or estates, and that the country was generally well pleased with what they had done, and she believed most of the council also" (document 14). Berkeley failed to defend and protect his people. He did not do his part to protect the colonists from native attacks, fled from bacon and his followers during the war. Bacon and Berkeley fought over loyal servants and small landowners to be on their side. Berkeley hung two dozen men and took their estates who were Bacon's followers. "Berkeley's arbitrary rule and unjust taxation, his neglect of an adequate Indian defense; etc. these we humbly confess, were the greatest seducements that provoked most of us at first to take up arms but only against the... barbarous enemies the Indians" (document 35).
-----By focusing on Bacon and his followers attacks on Indians without a permit it over looks the deeper problem that the leaders during that time were not doing the things they were suppose to. Though I see other ways that Bacon could have reacted, he couldn't stand by and not stick up for himself and the other colonists. The government cared more about land, money, and power then the lives of the people they ruled. They took advantage of their fellow followers as well as Indians they had no rights to control over. The government not taking care of the issues the colonists were dealing with caused the colonists to rebel. When they rebelled they took out their frustrations on the Indians. That caused a lot of agony and suffering to the Indians who had nothing to do with the English problems. They caused all these unnecessary perplexities and disputes only so they could better themselves.
Citations:
---Pike, John. "Bacon's Rebellion." 04-27-2005 paragraph 14. 14 Oct 2008
---US Military History Companion, "Bacon's Rebellion." paragraph 4. 21 Oct 2008
---Zinn, Howard. "Columbus to the Spanish-American War." A Young People's History of the United States 1
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