Take Control of Your Culture - American Studies - Blog

Boston Massacre

I honestly feel that the English had the right to shoot at the town people because people can only take so much and the town people were stupid of somebody in my face gun cocked back anf ready to shoot at me im not about to tell them to shoot me, thats just telling them you want to die. I understand you didnt want them there but the town people were dumb you try to get them to shoot they shoot and then they win the case. Next time you want to make an angry mob try thinking it out 

Neutral turned Loyalist

The Loyalists definitely won the debate today in class. Whenever the neutrals asked them a question they always gave a thorough answer and they backed their answer up with evidence. The Patriots on the other hand, gave vague answers, and they didn't seem to be sure of themselves or their answers. For example, one of the questions we asked both sides was, "Why should or shouldn't the colonists be taxed?" The Loyalists said since they helped them out during the French and Indian War, they feel the colonists should pay them back. They also made the argument, "why should we protect the colonists for free?" The Patriots only came back by saying they weren't stable enough to be taxed. They never really stated in what ways weren't they stable. Also through out the debate, I feel the Patriots used the sympathy factor too much. They always felt someone would bell them out of their problems. For example,when we asked, how do they plan to protect themselves, if they broke away from Britain. They said they felt other countries would come to their rescue. They never really said what they would do on their own, to fight off attackers. This made me kind of scared to be on their side, seeing that they were vulnerable to attackers. I want to feel safe and secure in my country. Britain conveyed this message throughout the course of the debate by saying they have one of the strongest armies in the world. During the debate I played Chester Joie, a enslaved man from Boston, asking for his freedom. I wanted to know if the colonies were to break away from Britain, would I be able to have my freedom. The only response I got to my question was, Britain stated slavery, meaning I should take it up with them. The Loyalists won this debate because they were able to answer the questions thoroughly and clearly and most importantly they were able to persuade me on to their side.

Thomas Paine

My name is Thomas Paine. I am a Patriot known for writing Common Sense, a pamphlet that argues for colonial independence. I was born in England and after grammar school I became a collector. It was very hard to collect money from people too poor to pay taxes. In 1774, I went to Philadelphia to become editor for Pennsylvania Magazine, but was fired because of my many articles that favored American independence. Common Sense was  written to encourage colonists to support colonial independence. After the threat in 1763, to British North American colonies, the revolution began. Britain felt that we should pay a higher cost on items that keep the colonies and Britain connected. We believed the laws were a violation of our English rights. In 1772, we began to create committees of correspondence that lead to our own Congress perspective. We came together to discuss resist on common causes and established plans for collective action, that later became an important political union among the colonies. Within two years, our Provincial Congress replaced the British control in the result of the First Continental Congress.

Margaret Shippen Arnold-Loyalist

Michelle Williams
10/28/08
6th-7th

           I Margaret Shippen Arnold am a Loyalist. My father Edward Shippen is also a Loyalist, but my husband Benedict Arnold is a Patriot military commander. I don’t support the American Revolution because I believe that it won’t help bring me or my family financial rewards. I’m being paid by the British to help convince my husband to betray the Patriots during the war.

            This war can no longer go on, it doesn’t help with our money situation. If all of Britain would be as loyal like me, we can all be one as a whole. It would help make us stronger, and besides Parliament has the right to tax us as they please. The French and Indian war was very costly and we’re only helping out by paying taxes. They know what is right and what isn’t. It’s time we all stop complaining and start being loyal to Britain as well as accepting our job as citizens.

Thomas Jefferson, Patriot

America should be given its independence because the British government has treated America unfairly and has denied us our rights. Britain has taxed us without letting our voices and opinions be heard in Parliament. The British give the American people no respect and treat us like we are children who need to be scolded. They send their soldiers here to bully and harass us and then their tax men to take our money. British soldiers  have even shot and killed innocent American citizens. The British act as though we Americans are not worthy of the sames rights given to English citizens and that we are a lower form of society. The British government gives us less respect and higher taxes then people living in England. It is for these reasons that I believe that the American people should declare their independence from Britain and take back the freedoms and rights that we rightly deserve as Americans.

My name is John Adams and yes I'm a patriot.

Dorian A. Williams

Independence Debate

John Adams

10/29/08

It is a well known fact that I John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts am a patriot. I feel that I am always right. Especially when it comes down to the colonies declaring independence from Britain. It is a known fact that the British are very cruel and unfair to Americans. Especially after the Boston Massacre. Innocent American civilians were shot and some were killed when they had no part in what was taking place. Not only is it unsafe for Americans to be under Britain’s rule it is also very costly.  The British want to tax Americans without giving them any kind of sign or warning. It is called the Stamp Act and it is very wrong. The Stamp Act is a law passed by the British Parliament in 1765 which allowed the British to tax colonists on publications, legal documents, and licenses. It basically taxes the colonists in everything they do and I refuse to sit here and watch the colonists be taken advantage of. The British government is showing us absolutely no respect by doing this, they are trying to be a big bully and I refuse to be pushed around any longer. It’s time to take a stand. No one deserves to be treated this way and I will do my best to see that nobody will. It’s time for us to stand up and receive our freedom that we deserve as Americans.

Samuel Adams - P.O.V

As A Patriot for America, there is no need to tell you where I stand. There is however, a need to tell you why I stand there. Though the British have given us “protection”, this does not excuse the absolutely absurd rules, regulations, and behaviors that they have bestowed upon us! Taxes! You don’t have to be a patriot to understand that taxation without representation is a cruel idea indeed. To the neutralists I understand your dilemma, stay with one of the most powerful empires in the world or unite with our small, tight nit community? Well I challenge you to find one, single benefit to us being overruled by “Great Britain”. This land has the potential to be a great land and our great land none the less but only if we have the freedom to make it that way. Now I’ll admit that our ways of reaching Britain are colorful to say the least but it wasn’t always that way. Peaceful protests seem to go unheard in Great Britain. We’ve tried meetings, petitions, and peaceful protest but they were dismissed (Should The Colonists Rebel? Pg. 117). Drastic measures were needed to even get the attention of some higher-ups in Great Britain. The message that I’m trying to convey is that taxation isn’t wrong, but on the same argument the people of Massachusetts, nay people of America need to recognize that we shouldn’t be taxed basic things that we need to live as a functional nation. Things like your tea, stamps, legal documents, and other things. And though taxes may be essential to a healthy economy, we should have a say in how we are taxed and also how much things are taxed! Loyalist, Patriot or fence sitter the only thing that we disagree on is the way we reach Great Britain not the reason we are trying to reach them. Thank You.

Rebecca Franks-Loyalist

My name is Rebecca Franks I am Jewish and I am the youngest daughter of a businessman. I was born in New York in 1760 and then my father and I had moved to Philadelphia,Pennsylvania and my father was a loyalist so I was brought up to be a loyalist myself. My father provided supplies for the British army which is why we had moved. I believe that there should not be complete freedom in the colonies. I think that with the whole freedom suggestion the patriots are asking for is a little too much. I mean if we were left to decide what we wanted to do without the protection of the british there would be no one there to protect us if we make a mistake that we would regret. Now I do not think that the british should have complete power over us, but that we should have some saying in how to govern these colonies. As long as Great Britain maintains power there will be order in the colonies. I just think that they are asking too much from Great Britain. I go to a lot of british social affairs like the Mischianza, when British general Sir William Howe resigned his post. I also love to insult those stupid patriots who think that they are making a good deal. They will make the biggest mistake of their life if they ever declare freedom in the colonies.

Socialism takes over

We the neutralist have declared America nt ofIndependence. We ahve found many of reasons why America is not Independent. America has no eduacation on their defensive system. Other countries may find America to be weak and very dependent on Britian and its forces. America still will have to pay upon our taxes becasue they are still under the power of Socialism.

Thomas Hutchinson

       I, Thomas Hutchinson governor of colonial Massachusetts, am a Loyalist. I was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1711 on September 9th. I am a lawyer, a historian, and an author. I also lead the Tory Party. The Tory Party is the conservative party of Great Britain. I was the Chief of Justice of Massachusetts during the time of the Stamp Act [1765-1766]. Being a loyalist, I remain loyal to my mother country, England also commonly known as Great Britain. I believe all the other colonial countries should be loyalists because I believe it would relieve the tension between the colonies and England. Also I believe that without the British rule there would be a total breakdown in the government in the colonies of America.        I feel that it was uncalled for taxing on the colonies, a decision made by Parliament. This was out of order on Great Britain’s side because it was a childish way trying to get revenge on the people who left Great Britain in order to express themselves freely in religion and politics. They may have moved out of the country to find a new beginning but they are British descent. Parliament felt that if they heavily taxed paper goods such as playing cards, marriage licenses and other important documents they would become fed up with spending all that money and would just move back to Great Britain where obtaining a paper good is not taxed. To make it fair, Parliament should appeal the tax on paper goods only if the colonies agree to be under British rule. If we want everyone to be under one government everyone has to be treated the same, no matter where you live.        If the colonies were ruled under Great Britain it would relieve tension. There would be no conflicts to which are acceptable or not. The British laws have been around for a good number of years and there would be no reason to change them now. We British have come a long way and we’re making a life by owning our own land, houses, farms and many other properties. Our government is well established where everyone has an equal amount of rights. Our goal for Great Britain is to expand a country and to have a successful future. If the colonists were to join be ruled under the British we would establish laws that would be equal for both sides; people living in colonies and people living in the mother country.         If the colonies choose not to be under the British rule it would be a complete disaster. There would be new inexperienced people attempting to set up a strong government. I believe that they could actually set up a government but soon after it would fail and all of the colonies would be corrupt. Then after there would be millions of colonists starving because they could not make money in order to keep themselves alive. A good number of the colonists would return to Britain and try to make a living but having a reputation of being a colonist who broke off from British rule would hurt them.

Logan (An Iroquois Indian)

I am Logan an Iroquois Indian. I am the leader of the Mingo. I was on the same side as the colonist until they attached my tribe and killed my wife, family members,and many people in the tribe . After that i became a loyalist and i am defending the British in the war. The America's should not become independent because the colonist can not handle the control that would be given to them if the America's would be independent. I believe since the British ruled us this long and have kept us in order this long why not leave them in charge. It would also make sense because they already control there government perfectly fine so it would be better if they ran the America's because they already know what they are doing . That is my view on why you should be a loyalists instead of a patriots.

Joesph Brant : loyalist

The thirteen colonies should not declare independence from England. The English have not shown any malicious intent towards the colonies and do not wish to go to war with their countrymen. The English have shown nothing but the upmost respect for the Mohawk nation, I am as their leader treated with dignity and pride and I have no guaranties that the colonists will honor us in the same way. In fact from what I understand the colonists want to make our lands their own while the British have promised us new land in Canada for all of the Iroquois people when we win this conflict with the colonists.  So the colonists risk open war with the entire Iroquois nation if they declare their independence. My ties with England extend further than that of a man of war. My brother-in –law is Sir William Johnson who is superintendent for Northern Indian affairs. He always stayed in my house as a guest of honor and married my half-sister, and with them I lived for many years.  I fought in the last war with the French and laid siege to Montreal with the British and for my bravery I won a silver medal.  After the war I was taught in an English school in Connecticut where I learned English and I was praised for my intelligence by some of the finest instructors and I became a translator for the English at fort hunter and taught our people the ways of Christianity and I converted to the English church and accepted the name of Brant.  When I visited England and met King George and he treated me like a brother and promised the people of the Iroquois our rightful lands. I ask is that the behavior of a tyrant. I support the British in the event of all out conflict.    

Thomas Paine

I am Thomas Paine, best known for writing the pamphlet Common Sense, a pamphlet that forcefully argued for colonial independence. It was published on January 10, 1776 during the American Revolution. I wanted to present to the American Colonist that they should declare independence from Britain. To have our own government is our natural right; we shouldn’t have to be under anyone. I wanted the colonist to understand that freedom is the best thing anyone can have.” The authority of Great Britain over this continent is a form of government, which sooner or later must have an end: And a serious mind can draw no true pleasure by looking forward, under the painful and positive conviction, that what he calls "the present constitution" is merely temporary. As parents, we can have no joy, knowing that this government is not sufficiently lasting to ensure any thing which we may bequeath to posterity: And by a plain method of argument, as we are running the next generation into debt, we ought to do the work of it, otherwise we use them meanly and pitifully. In order to discover the line of our duty rightly, we should take our children in our hand, and fix our station a few years farther into life; that eminence will present a prospect, which a few present fears and prejudices conceal from our sight” (common sense). In other words we have to protect our own. This British government is controlling us and we have to free from it. That’s why it is merely important to declare independence.

Ben Franklin

When I first started hearing talk of independence, I was very unsure about joining the cause. My love and admiration for the mother country was endless and could not be disputed, but now I find that those very same feelings have turned into nothing but anger and disappointment. I believe it all began with the passage of the 1765 Stamp Act. I opposed it since the beginning but was unable to halt its passage. Later on, however, with a little hard work and some political savvy, I was able to testify before the House of Commons and have it repealed. This has made me very popular in the colonies. I have become representative and agent to the Crown for three colonies: New Jersey, Georgia and Massachusetts. In more simple terms, I’m the most powerful spokesman for American interests in England and a proud supporter of American independence from Great Britain. I thought for a moment that maybe things would improve, but now that the Stamp Act has been replaced with the Townshend Act, there is no other cause left to fight for but independence from Britain. Live in Ireland for one day and notice the sadness because of the widespread poverty. The same trade regulations put forth by Britain which have caused such negative affects on Ireland’s economy govern us! Citizens and common people, if we don’t end this colonial exploitation we will be just like our good friends in Ireland… We must boycott British goods and send a message that there will be no taxation without representation. We too as Englishmen have the natural born right to liberty and justice. Our distant friends across the water try to trick me into supporting their cause; well I’m telling you I won’t!

Nathanael Greene

    I am Nathanael Greene, I am a Quaker from Rhode Island, born on August &, 1742. I work as a anchor-smith but I am also self-educated with a special study of mathematics and law. However, after I joined the rebellion I studied Military Tactics. I was recently elected a member of the Rhode island Legislature, and in the event of a attack from England, I have been preparing and planning a defense. am personally sick of Britain's strict policies with the American colonies. They place a unnecessary strain on the colonist, and I believe the majority of colonist would agree with me. These policies say that we must pay for Britain's protection, when they use men from the American colonies to fight there enemies. Then after the battles they put heavy taxes on us to re-cooperate there loss of money when we also had men sent into battle, yet we get no money, it's absurd. We deserve to be our own country after how poorly Britain treats us. Britain only uses us for money and supplies, they don't treat the American colonies with any respect and equality. Even the noblemen in the Americas are considered lower then noblemen in England. So I say we have our own power and be free from the crown! Let us seize our power, ourselves, we are already prepared for a attack if worst comes to worst.