Sherri Hufstedler
10/10/14
Period: 4
Prompt: From the late 1760s to July 4, 1776, American colonists moved from merely protesting the decisions of King George and Parliament to a Declaration of Independence and a Revolutionary War to overthrow that authority. Identify and discuss the turning points which marked this changing relationship.
Document #1:
Setting: Town meeting in Boston 1773
Perspective: A colonial man named George Hewes
Point of View: He wanted the Tea Act to be lifted
Intended Audience: Readers of History
Purpose: For historical context and understanding
Summary: George Hewes reiterated the events on the eve of the Boston Tea Party. According to Mr. Hewes a large sum of able-bodied men gathered to discuss what should be done about the “hated tea.” After the meeting a group of men, dressed as Indians, boarded ships and spilt tea into the Boston Harbor. George Hewes admits to being one of the Indians that participated in the Boston Tea Party.
Document #2:
Setting: October 20, 1774, the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia
Perspective: Colonial Representatives
Point of View: Wants acts of Parliament to be repealed, they feel oppressed and want their grievances to be settled peacefully.
Intended Audience: The King of England and Parliament
Purpose: to resolve differences peacefully
Summary: The delegates of the First Continental Congress declared their loyalty and allegiance to England. They also, however, feel very oppressed and have many grievances that they would like to discuss and resolve peacefully.
Document #3:
Setting: December 15, 1773 in New York City
Perspective: The Sons of Liberty
Point of View: They believed that they needed to stop the importation of English goods in order to weaken the British economy due to the oppression the colonies were feeling.
Intended Audience: All colonial residence
Purpose: To force everyone in the colonies to boycott/protest the importation of British goods
Summary: The Sons of Liberty want to weaken the British economy as a means of pushing back. The colonists felt extremely oppressed and as a way of weakening the British economy they want to boycott the importation of all British goods, causing them financial harm.
Document #4:
Setting: 1774 Britain
Perspective: British Parliament
Point of View: The authorities feel that the Bostonians need to pay for the damage goods and control their unruly behavior.
Intended Audience: The residence in Boston
Purpose: To explain why the new act was put in place and what the new act involves. It puts new constraints on the colonists.
Summary: The British Parliament is displeases at the destruction of goods that belonged to the East India Company. In retaliation England required that Boston reimburse them for all damaged goods.
Document #5:
Setting: August 1-6, 1774
Perspective: Virginia Convention
Point of View: They still want to keep ties with England
Intended Audience: Delegates in Congress and Parliament and King George
Purpose: To explain why the colonists were upset.
Summary: The colonists didn’t want to break from Britain. They wanted to stay a part of Britain but did not want them to be able to impose England’s trade laws and taxation on to the colonies with out representation in Parliament. They also agreed that England still had the right to govern the colonies but the colonies felt that they were bring oppressed and want to resolve their differences.
Document #6:
Setting: 1776 – Common Sense
Perspective: Thomas Paine
Point of View: That the colonists should be an independent country, free from England’s oppressive rule.
Intended Audience: The colonists
Purpose: To give