Mashup Paper
Essay question: Evaluate the extent of change in ideas about American independence from 1763 to 1783.
In the period from 1763 to 1783 was a period of change. As a result of the French and Indian War, there were many conflicts between the British and the colonists. After the colonists fought with the British people which they came from, they began to see a continuation of the separation from mother England. The British ended their period of salutary neglect on the colonists, and began to instigate a conflict with the colonists on new laws. From 1763 to 1783, there was a positive change in ideas in American Independence, that would cause them to switch from questioning the British policies made towards them, who were also British citizens, to calling for independence. This occurred because of the various acts that were passed, the division between the colonists and their ideologies towards independence, and the political autonomy that the colonists wanted due to the treatment from the British.
One reason for the change in ideas about American independence was that the debt from the war was high. In order to pay for the damages and reconstruction from the war, the British passed several, as known by the colonists, intolerable acts, such as the Sugar Act of 1764, the Stamp Act of 1765, the Townshend Act of 1766, and etc. These taxes levied on the colonists were used to pay for not only the war, but for anything used by them. This angered the colonists, as they felt that they were not to be taxed, as they were British citizens as well, and were not represented in British parliament, leading to Patrick Henry stating “no taxation without representation.” This led to a response from the British, saying that, on the contrary, because they were British citizens, they are already represented by British parliament, under George Greenville’s idea of virtual representation. This led to opposition by the colonists, through events such as the Boston Tea Party, Boston Massacre, as well as the boycott of British goods. This led to the colonists being able to trade with other nations, in order to have profitable trade (document 1).
Another way how the ideas about American independence changed was through the division of the colonists based on their ideologies about independence. The patriots supported going to war with Britain, while loyalists remained loyal to the British crown, and refused to fight in the war. This was seen in that there were claims that if landowners do not support the Patriots side, they would threaten them with violence, as well as destruction of property. Loyalists did not support the idea that the independence movement had broad popular support. Loyalist interests were threatened, as they lost their land due to the control of radical patriots, such as those that tarred and feathered the loyalists, the sons of liberty (document 5). Charles Inglis corroborates, in the costs of revolution, how the American Revolution is to be costly, and it was not known how the war was to be paid for. Loyalists as he tried to subvert the independence movement. The economy in the colonies was unstable during the time, to support a war, their annual exports not being enough to pay for it (document 6). Thomas Paine shows that the Revolutionary situation has great efforts by men and women who support the movement towards independence. This fight for independence was diminished, as the Continental Army encountered losses along the way, which caused the number of people enlisted for the military to become smaller (document 7). This division between ideologies of the two groups led to a greater antagonism and opposition, leading to the Revolutionary war.
Finally, the ideas about American independence changed, as the colonists began pushing for political autonomy, which the colonists wanted due to the treatment from the British. In the Virginia House of Burgesses, autonomy of the Virginia legislature, as well as loyalty to the British crown, was declared. Other British North American colonial assemblies began to form, as a result. By pushing for autonomy, this showed how the colonists made the change in ideology from being part of the British, to being their own nation (document 2). Samuel Adams shows how the sovereignty of man is over that of governments, stating that the “law of nature supersedes any man made laws.” Being a patriotic leader, as well as a member of the radical patriotic group, the Sons of Liberty, he was a supporter of pushing for extreme change, in ensuring that they separate from mother England, and develop their own nation, with their own government, and enforce their own laws. Enlightenment ideas supported the growing calls for colonial independence, with ideas spreading, such as that of natural rights of people (document 3). Quakers encouraged each other not to join opposition against the British government. Pacifist principles were to revolutionary situation, as quakers were religious, not supporting the war. However, though they did not support going to war, they did support a declaration of full independence to be sent to the British (document 4). These actions led to listing the grievances to the British, which later became the Declaration of Independence, and eventually made tensions high between the two that caused the Revolutionary War to start.
Undoubtedly, there was a positive change in ideas in American Independence, that would cause them to switch from questioning the British policies made towards them, who were also British citizens, to calling for independence. This was because, though there were contradicting views on whether or not the colonists should engage in war, these divisions, as well as the economical problems raised through taxation from the British, and enlightenment ideas pushing the colonists towards political autonomy, a shift towards the ideology of gaining independence was inevitable.
His presentation held minor flaws, however. He had very few eye contact and at certain points he began to ramble. His word choices were good but their value was belittled by his spontaneous stuttering. This however did not have too large of an effect on his presentation, mainly because he gave the required information within the time limit provided. This shows that he had great knowledge of the person he was presenting on. At certain moments it could have been believed that he was nervous but he did not hesitate when moving from one topic to another. In fact, he did this quite smoothly. This shows that he was prepared and took his time to study and learn about his person. Overall I would give the presentation alone a 8/10.
His head was well put together as it portrayed the significance of his person. All of the major information about Nixon was shown in his head. The 5 pictures he decided to use were all interesting and required some level of thinking to decipher. This made his head unique. I would rate his head a 9/10. His outline was prepared just as well. He included interesting and serious facts about his person. It was neat and organized and very easy to follow. He was able to capture the importance of Nixon within the three pages. I would rate his outline a 10/10 as well.
In conclusion he performed very well. As his peers and I have decided that his presentation, head, and outline were done very well and it was only his presentation that prevented his overall performance from being perfect. On everything combined I would give him a 9/10.
This all began is school. It was a very beautiful day. Rainy but still beautiful. Everyone was eating lunch and chattering. I was doing the same thing, until this idiotic baboon took my food without asking me. My mind went crazy! My brain was like “Eflxcnvanvajplapfdiaja” and other gibberish stuff. I mean you have your own food! Don't steal from me, you pig! I raced straight towards that hungry baboon and grabbed his fried chicken thingy and chomped on it. “CRRCKK!” That didn't sound good. Either that was the sound of the fried chicken’s bones breaking or it was my baby tooth. Yep it was my Lower, Central Incisor colliding with the baboon’s metallic fried chicken. It was 99% bone and 1% meat. Poor child stole my food because this thing wasn’t eatable and to survive school one must keep their energy up. I got through the day, even though my gum constantly dripped out red, salty liquid ( I didn't know what blood was back then) and I was starving to death. Once I got home I satisfied my appetite with plain old rice and chicken that wasn't metallic. For desert my grandma gave me a cookie! I love cookies! It wasn’t a soft and fuzzy cookie, it was a hard and fuzzy cookie. Which made my gum bleed more. My mother thought I cut myself with a knife, while my grandma was joyful because I was going to lose my first baby tooth.
At that moment my grandma became a temporary scientist and just like most scientists, she started experimenting on how to take my tooth out. She and my mother would talk for awhile and my mother would tell me what they were going to do. Their eyes were filled with the evil intentions of pulling my tooth out. To begin the torture, they tried pulling it out. But they failed. My tooth was too slippery and their hands couldn’t grip on. After that my grandma gave me more hard cookies. But all it did was cause more pain. Right after the hard cookies was the apple. The apple didn't do anything but cause more pain, again. I was against the “getting slapped” idea. The last method was a little complicated. My grandma tied one end of a string to my tooth and the other end to a pillow and threw the pillow out the window. Like always it didn't change anything but I was bleeding oodles more. Old people these days, harming children since the dawn of mankind and old people. No offense to any old people out there! You people smell very nice.
All the experimenting and torturing conceded after they gave up. I was delighted. All the pain and suffering now stopped! Well i was wrong. My joyfulness ended right when my father came home. By now everyone told him what my situation was. So basically he wanted to touch my tooth and wiggle it. I might've been a child but I wasn't stupid. I jumped off the bed and scampered away, with my dad pursuing me.
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