Patriot's Mailbox -- summarize why these writings were important to the Patriots' cause.Poor Richard's Almanac -- Benjamin Franklin (Richard Saunders)
The almanac was published for the year of 1733 and was published once a year for the next 25 years. It contained all sorts of interesting information such as the calendar, weather predictions, sayings, poems and demographics. It also included recipes, trivia, advice, aphorisms, and proverbs about industry and frugality. Franklin considered it a vehicle of instruction for common people who could not afford books, a literature for the masses. Almanacs were the most read secular books in the colonies. Common Sense -- Thomas Paine Published in 1776, Common Sense challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy. The plain language that Paine used spoke to the common people of America and was the first work to openly ask for independence from Great Britain. Two Treatises of Government -- John Locke John Locke's ideas about government and human nature became the starting point for modern political theory and, ultimately, the American Revolution. Locke's concepts of freedom, law, and the purpose of government were foundational to the modern conception of democracy.John Locke's ideas about government and human nature became the starting point for modern political theory and, ultimately, the American Revolution. Locke's concepts of freedom, law, and the purpose of government were foundational to the modern conception of democracy. Boston Tea Party Step Book:Causes:
A series of events led colonists in Boston to engage in acts of protest. These include:
Although British actually repealed (cancelled) most of the taxes, the Tea Act kept the tax on tea in place. The act also gave the British company control of ALL the tea trade (what's called a MONOPOLY), threatening the business of American tea merchants. Effects: Colonial Actions: In 1773, a group of colonists, angered by the Tea Act, disguised themselves as Native Americans and boarded ships in Boston Harbor -- they dumped 343 crates of valuable tea into the harbor. This caused millions of dollars in lost revenue (business). This act of protest and boycotting (refusing to purchase from Britain) of British tea spread to other colonies. In March of 1774 the H.M.S. Fortune was also boarded and tea dumped overboard. Repercussions: Coercive or Intolerable Acts In response to the Boston Tea Party, the British closed Boston Harbor, causing hundreds of colonists to lose their jobs. Another consequence was the passage of a series of new acts referred to as the "Intolerable" Acts -- among these new requirements...to house and feed British soldiers in colonists' homes and the colonists' expense. |
Military Advantages & Disadvantages
"Give me Liberty or give me Death!"
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