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Deprecated: header(): Passing null to parameter #3 ($response_code) of type int is deprecated in /home/umwhisto/public_html/mcclurken/wiki/includes/WebResponse.php on line 38 https://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=71.171.64.150McClurken Wiki - User contributions [en]2026-09-18T22:25:34ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.22.0https://mcclurken.umwhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=HIST_131--Week_6_Questions/CommentsHIST 131--Week 6 Questions/Comments2008-02-22T06:20:07Z<p>71.171.64.150: </p>
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<div>La Barre's Failed Bluff<br />
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The Iroquois Indians were in recurrent wars with the French for a significant amount of time during the 17th century. Calloway states on page 118, "Hunger and disease thinned their ranks... (La Barre's Army)" Why didn't the Iroquois decimate the last of the French forces and possesing the knowledge that La Barre was bluffing his military potential to scare the Iroqois into submission? If the Iroquois destroyed La Barre's Army it would have possibly set in motion a rallying cry of Indian resistence, which leads to my other question. The Native Indians of the Americas were strong and prosperous during the initial European colonization; they had the power to make or break European colonies because many colonies survived only by the genorosity of the Natives (sharing of corn, berries, and meat, as well as farming/hunting techniques, etc). As the years past, the Natives lost their influence and diplomatic power and are in a situation where their population is steadily declining and reaching a point of possible extinction. Why couldn't the Native tribes unify for the sole cause of driving the Europeans out of their lands, or atleast resisting them and forcing the Europeans to live in co-existance? --Nick Scott--<br />
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"Boston Massacre Oration"-- I found it really interesting how Joseph Warren compared the Acts of Parliament. He likened it to being slavemasters, and the colonists the slaves. Since Warren lived in Boston, I have no doubt that the New Englanders had pretty radical ideas about slavery and were not as strict about power over them; if freed slaves in the North were able to join the Continental Army and Southern slaves had to get permission, then obviously Boston and New England were slightly more abolitionist than the South was. All that aside, did most colonists feel like slaves under the strict Parliamentary Acts? And if so, then wouldn't the colonists thus realize how oppressive it was and free their slaves? Also, I liked the statement addressed in the questions at the end of the document about Warren feminizing liberty, which makes me wonder whether or not this was the first time liberty has been feminized. I know today liberty is also known as Lady Liberty, further proof is the female Statue of Liberty. Is it possible that Warren or other colonists feminized liberty because then they were able to make power masculine? If liberty is feminine and power masculine, then obviously more colonists would defend liberty under the idea that liberty is weaker than power, which leads me to think that feminizing liberty was a way for Warren to promote independence prior to the Continental Congresses. -- Meganne Lemon<br />
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"Memoir"-- I had never read a first-hand account of the Boston Tea Party before, and reading George Hewes' account sort of "debunked" everything I thought it was like. The actual event wasn't as violent and dangerous as I thought it was and it was actually a bit disappointing; there were no hard-core fighting between the crews and colonists, and most surprising was the fact there was no British resistance. It seemed like the fierce rebels expected every single colonist to feel the way they did about the British and the taxes, as shown in how they treated those caught taking tea and those still loyal to the crown who sold tea to fellow Tories/loyalists. But my question involves the actual Tea Party itself. In the excerpt from the memoir, Hewes said that they were "to do no damage to the ship or rigging," but why? Were the British going to let them dump the tea and have their little "temper tantrum" so long as they didn't damage the ships? Is it possible that the colonists didn't damage the ships and rigging because the ships could have been built in New England or built using American products, thus to damage them would to hurt their fellow colonists? -- Meganne Lemon<br />
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In the "Memoir" I agree with Meganne when she said that she was dissappionted in the fact that there was no "fighting", I too thought the British fought back more. I also was wondering if when Hewes and the other colonists dressed up in "costumes of an indian", if the British were supposed to fall for these costumes and think it was the indians who were throwing the tea, or if the costumes were for personal disguise?- Taylor Warner<br />
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What things would of had to of been different for this war never to of happen? Were they ever close to an agreement not to fight? What were most colonists thinking at the time just before the war began? They knew they were going up against the strongest army in the war. Did most of them believe they didnt have a chance?-Bryan Quintana<br />
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In many of the arguments the patriots made, the notion of "all men being originally equals" seemed to be a central idea in their reasons for wanting independence from England. In Thomas Paine's Common Sense he states that, "..For all men being originally equals, no one by birth could have the right to set up his own family in the perpetual preference to all others for ever..." Doesn't this same statement apply to the slavery of blacks and American Indians that was taking place within the colonies at this same time? The colonists spoke of the power of England as tyrannical and complained that their rights were being taken away as if they were slaves....did they not see a connection here with slavery? I also wonder if the colonists ever really realized how economically dependent Britain became on the colonies themselves? Perhaps if they did the colonists could have used this weakness against Britain. What would our country be like today if the relations between the colonies and England had stayed friendly? What would have happened if there never was a revolution? --Lindsay Bothwell<br />
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I really enjoyed John and Abigail Adams letters for several reasons. First of all I really like correspondences because I think they make the people more real. To me they are more interesting because they seem to be more individuals like us as opposed to these really obscure historical figures. One of the reasons I like them is I like the way that we see a female patriot's view of the war. Abigail Adams is just as ardent as John Adams in her support of the Revolution. My favorite part is that unlike the idea we are often presented with of women being considered inferior, John Adams seems to treat Abigail like his equal and his letters don't have a condescending air about them. The letters just provide a new way to look at the war and the society in which all of this was occuring.--Melissa Brokaw <br />
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The documents in Calloway show some continual themes throughout Indian-White Relations. Primarily the idea that the Indians ally with whites they expect something in return. However, as Joseph Brant shows in his letter to the Britsh government, they are taken advantage of and used by the British for their own ends. With this kind of continual treatment, what is the incentive for Indians to ally with any whites? --Melissa Brokaw<br />
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The Shoemaker's recollection of the Boston Tea Party is very vivid, and I found it interesting because of the details that were provided that I had never heard about. However, I was most intrigued by the description that Hewes gave of beating of Malcom, the custom-house officer, who had stroke him with his cuddgle earlier, instead of the young boy. I am curious if the actions of this custom house office enraged the colonists enough to give them that extra motivation to carry out the Boston Tea Party or if it was a separate event all together that Hewes had experienced? Quincey Garcia<br />
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I agree with Quincey; I thought that the cuddgle incident and the Tea Party seemed very incongruous with one another in Hewes’ memoir. Was the story of the custom-house officer simply a case of showing the “high-handed arrogance of many British officials,” or did the event have a closer connection to the actions that took place at the Tea Party? ~Kristen Lonsdorf<br />
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I found the Origin & Progess of the American Revolution to be quite detailed in the actions that were carried out on the various victims that the mob took. It seemed that the victims were those with some sort of political power, be it a judge, lawyer, or even a preacher. I was curious if the Mob was just a group of anyone or if there were any requirements for the people who were involved? Was there any action taken against these men or where they just so greatly feared that no one did anyting? Is it possible that many of the other citizens agreed with these actions because they too were displeased with the government officials at this time too? Quincey Garica<br />
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In the Boston shoemaker’s recollection of the Boston Tea Party it says that people were trying to grab tea off of the deck of the ship and if they were caught the tea was taken away from them, one man was even thrown over boar. It also says that after all of the tea had been thrown into the harbor that there was some still floating in the water and a boat went around and made sure that it all got wet so that it could not be used. Was tea such a valuable commodity that people were willing to risk ridicule and abuse to get it? ~Renee Rosser<br />
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In response to Renee's question I have a few words as an avid tea lover myself. It was not that tea was such a valuable commodity that people were willing to risk ridicule and abuse to get it, it was a part of their heritage and culture. The British are very much dedicated to their tea and the colonists, who were likewise trying to become increasingly more British, were trying to be as much dedicated and symmetrical to the culture and practices of England. Also, they just plain liked it and it is not hard to believe that many were addicted to it just like people are addicted to Starbucks coffee today. This account veyr much reminds me of the means and lengths to whihc people went to obtain Beanie Babies back in the day. - Landon James<br />
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I noticed in the Boston Tea Party recollection that they dressed up as indians before going aboard the ships. What was the point of this? Was it just to disguise their identity or were they actually trying to frame the indians? This doesn't make much sense since most the indians were allies with the British and didn't support the rebellious patriots in most cases. - Jessie Bright<br />
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In response to Jessie's question. It makes perfect sense that they would dress up as Indians and you gave the answer to your own question in your post. The Indians were allies with the British, so going aboard a British trading ship coming from England bearing English tea, I imagine the British would think twice before acting harshly and reprimanding Indians for coming aboard their ship when that was one of the minorities they were explicitly trying to recruit to fight int he war against the colonists. - Landon James <br />
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I have a question that's quite off topic yet must be addressed. In "A Boston Shoemaker Recalls British Arrogance and the Boston Tea Party", Hewes writes that after he rebuked Malcolm for almost striking a boy that Malcolm "struck me across the head with his cane, and knocked me down, and by the blow cut a hole in my hat two inches in length" (102). I have rolled this over in my mind for quite a bit and I still cannot figure out how a cane blow to the head can cut a hole in Hews' hat. Does anybody have an answer to this? - Landon James<br />
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The soldier’s experience of the Revolutionary War give the reader an idea about how hard the times of a soldier could be and the many things that were promised to the soldiers that they did not get. It is sad to think that they joined and fought for their country and never received any reparations for their efforts and were basically forgotten about after the war. Was this because people were just glad that the war was over and didn’t want to think about it any more, or was the economy in such shambles that the government could not afford to pay the soldiers? ~Renee Rosser<br />
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In the Shoemaker's recollection of the Boston Tea Party, the beating of the boy and of Malcolm both seem very harsh for the crime. Were all crimes at this time in the region punished to such a harsh extent? -Laura Peters<br />
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In the Cheda "Promise to Uphold the Covenant Chain," At the end of each paragraph it makes a reference to a gift such as "Giving eight beavers." What is this referring to and why is it included? -Laura Peters<br />
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In George Hewes' memoir, according to the doctor, the boy could have died if it wasnt for his strong skull so therefore Malcom's punishment isn't severe. I actually think he got away with it. He nearly killed the little boy for practically no reason. - Eun Yi<br />
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In Boston King's memoir, he says that he runs away to the english militia because of the horrible treatment by his master and to be a freeman after the war. However, i find it strange that King is still a slave in the unit and it seems as if he could choose his master. Because when Captain Lewes asked if he could be his master, he replies no because he is Captain Grey's servant and then after serving him, he went to other masters. -Eun Yi<br />
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When reading "A Loyalist Judges's Catalog of Rebellious Crowds" i started to get really annoyed with the patriots actions. How did they expect to get anyones respect or convert any loyalists to their side when they were acting like blood thirsty mobsters? I'm aware there may be some bias in the statements due to it coming from the writings of a loyalist, but if this is even remotely how the patriots acted then i have a hard time finding sympathy for them in their cause. I almost understand why the British enforced a standing army in the colonies, it sounds like an army was very much needed during these times. Also is this how the loyalists acted? Were there mobs of loyalists running around town beating up any patriot they saw? - Jessie Bright<br />
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I have more of a general/overarching question...if the British saw that the colonists were getting extremely angry with all of the taxes and laws that they felt were restricting their freedomn as British citizens, then why didn't the British government back off a little bit and give the colonies some breathing room in order to re-group and get back to the old ways of an adult/child relationship-Dani Jones<br />
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This is a small detail and it probably doesn't really make a huge difference to the article but in "Peter Oliver Origin & Progress of the American Revolution" why are all the names of people and places in italics? Is it simply for emphasis; to draw attention to them so the readers don't miss them? Is this a detail that was added later on when the article was published? -Jenna Shevlin<br />
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I was surprised to find that the accounts of the men particapating in the Boston Tea Party were so mundane leading up to the event. It seems like everyone just went on with their lives as usual and what they were about to do didn't really affect them. Why exactly was this? Why are their lives right before the Boston Tea Party so important to know? Was there a point in proving that the event that was about to happen wasn't taken seriously by those who participated in them? Wouldn't they know that what they were about to do would ultimately alter the course of history? -Jenna Shevlin<br />
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In the letters that George Washington wrote to Bryan Fairfax, he uses the term Americans several times. I was just wondering when this concept of "american" was actually put in place. And with my understanding, why would they be referring to themselves as anything but British citizens becuase this was a time that they wanted fair British rights more than anything, so why would they distinguish themselves as a different group of people? Another question that comes to mind is how Washington would have gotten this concept, because as we have discussed, the colonies were not nearly as unified as we are taught to believe -Dani Jones<br />
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To try to answer part of Dani's question about the use of "Americans", it might be because at the time George Washington, along many other Chesapeake Elites, were Patriots, and therefore against British power. It says in the introduction that the "colonial rights had to be defended", so maybe this was the beginning of Washington's Patriotism. I am not completely sure about this, but I believe he is using his point of view( as a Patriot) to disagree and defend the colonies.- Taylor Warner<br />
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In George Hewes "Memoir", I thought it was interesting that man of the colonist participating in the Boston Tea Party disguised themselves as Indians. I wonder if the colonist chose this disguise on a whim, or if there was supposed to be a deeper parallelism implied. Also the colonists sense of unity in this act surprised me. Being able to work together, the way Hewes describes, under pressure and with little direction, was a commendable feat. These Boston colonist seem to share a single goal, purpose and identity for the first time during the Boston Tea Party. --Helen Dinndorf<br />
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In George Washington's Letters to a friend, he uses the term Americans to describe himself and all of the colonist under British rule. Was the term American, in refernce to the North American colonist commonly accepted in 1774 when this letter was written? Washington obviously feels the need for the colonies to become a separate nation of their own, but had others already accepted themselves as Americans? --Helen Dinndorf<br />
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Like Quincey, I was curious about the account in “Memoir” concerning Malcom and the beating. My question is though how the Boston Tea Party connects to the story of a man beating another with his cudgel and then the resulting flogging etc.? Is it showing the mind set of the colonists at the time and their retaliation? I think I’m just missing the connection between the two stories. –Rory Reese<br />
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In Calloway, the Chickasaw Chiefs “Message to Congress” seems to ask the question who is in charge of the tribes. The chiefs basically ask for American guidance or leadership saying, “Such a man living among us particularly at this time, would rescue us from the darkness and confusion we are in.” With a past where the Indians want nothing to do with colonists or someone trying to take control of them would they then ask for their guidance in who it was appropriate to trade with? Isn’t that asking for Americans to take some sort of leadership over their tribes? –Rory Reese<br />
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Burke’s speech- Burke speaks about the colonists’ spirit of freedom, “The fact is so; and these people of the Southern Colonies are much more strongly, and with an higher and more stubborn spirit, attached to liberty, than those to the North-ward. Such…will be all masters of slaves, who are not slaves themselves.” Do historians believe that slave ownership caused Americans to be more protective of their own freedom and therefore, more sensitive to British control?-Emily King<br />
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Soldier’s Experience- Martin states, “I never spent a thought about numbers, the Americans were invincible in my opinion.” Did many soldiers enlist into the American army due to these patriotic feelings or were there other reasons? Did many feel pressured into enlisting?–Emily King<br />
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In the "Boston Massacre Oration," Joseph Warren is in complete oppposition to Parliament's numerous tax Acts that have been passed on the colonies. We talked in class about how the colonistes argued "no taxation without representation," and Warren definitely exploits this argument in his speech. He even makes a reference to Parliament's rebuttal of "virtual representation" by saying "I would next ask, whether the lords, who compose the aristocratic branch of the legislature, are peers of America?" Warren definitely expresses the growing unrest and dissatisfaction of the Patriots with Parliament's attempts to govern the colonies. - Iris Onks<br />
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In Peter Oliver's Origin and Progress of the American Revolution, I couldn't help but notice what appears to be blatant embellishment of some of the facts. For example, describing Colonial Gilbert's beating of 100 men with a single arm and the FOUR THOUSAND MEN who attacked Thomas Oliver's house. What was the purpose of this document? Was it meant as propaganda for the British to quell these rebellions or was it just written to perhaps save some post-war pride for the loyalists? Can we even trust any of these events really happened?<br />
-Adam Shlossman<br />
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In Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs, in Thomas Paine's Common Sense, the author suggests several future plans for an Independent Republic including the idea of a "President", equal representation, and delegated districts. Were these ideas his own? Were they debated in the Constitution Convention as such? How revolutionary were these thoughts?<br />
-Adam Shlossman<br />
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The one major thing I realized when reading the "Boston Massacre Oration" was that the language seemed very different from English. I mean this in the way that Warren's speech was very much like the dialect and spelling used by Americans today. How could the language have changed so dramatically if America was mainly settled by British people? Were the colonists notice this growing change in dialect and spelling from traditional English? -Ally Campo<br />
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In Thomas Jefferson's "Notes on the State of Virginia" it seemed little he was contradicting himself throughout the passage. How could he be a man that was so pressed on limiting the spread of slavery but yet held bias views about the slaves? Is it that he really believes all the stereotypes about slaves or is he merely speaking about what white people thought of the slaves? -Ally Campo <br />
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While reading Martin's "Memoir," I was shocked by how badly the soldiers were treated during the Revolution. They weren't really provided with any of the items in their contracts. Also, they weren't taken care of at all. They were forced to march for days at a time without rest, they had no proper lodgings, and very little food and clothing. Why were the soldiers treated so poorly and with such disrespect? - Iris Onks<br />
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I really enjoyed the letters between the John and Abigail Adams. I think that it shows a personal side of the two of them that is very sweet. To see the viewpoint from a woman in that time who was so closely linked to one of the most influential men of the Revolution very interesting. ---Virginia Stratton<br />
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In "Memoir" I found it interesting that in the last three paragraphs Hewes talks about how the citizens went out the morning after they raided the ships and beat the tea floating on the water to a point where it was useless. I guess that this makes sense but I never actually thought about tea floating in the harbor! ---Virginia Stratton<br />
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I found that in Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” pamphlet, the language he used as well as the way he wrote it were two of the many main factors that made his testimony so compelling. Being quite an intellectual for his time, it was interesting to see how in “Common Sense” he used such plain language- so as to reach out to the many commoners of America that were soon to be involved in this war against Great Britain. I also found it noteworthy to point out how open Paine was about claiming independence for his country. His confidence obviously flowed immensely over to the populace, thus making “Common Sense” one of the greatest documents of its time, as well as making the Revolutionary War worth fighting for. <br />
~Megan Tisdelle~<br />
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In my opinion, The Letters of John and Abigail Adams serve has fantastic primary sources. They indirectly provide information about the Revolutionary War that they are both living, as well as their thoughts about everything from Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense,” to details about the war from both perspectives (an outsider- Abigail, and an insider- John). I also found it interesting how in touch Abigail seemed to be, especially with issues such as women’s rights. She made this very apparent in her letters to John, and the famous quote “remember the ladies…” seems to have carried on quite a long way since then. Was she one of the first women that we know of to feel this way about their rights? Did she actually speak out about it, or did she only articulate her feelings to John? ~Megan Tisdelle~<br />
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In Joseph Plumb Martin's "memoir 1830", I noticed he had alot of pride for a young man in America. He felt that he knew enough about what he stood for to fight "the mother land" as they called Britain. Were farmers a good source of politcal stance and information, since that is where he received his information and chose to call himself a patriot. Lauren Hicks<br />
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In the "March 22, 1775 Speech to Parlaiment", Burke gives a fairly descriptive breakdown of the colonies and how each is based on different principles. The Northern colonies are described with a Religious standard and the Southern Colonies having slavery and how people view freedom differently. Since the colonies weren't really fighting for a common goal, Did the regions pride themselves on their differences? Lauren Hicks<br />
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I personally enjoyed reading the "Letters of John and Abigail Adams." It was interested to me to see how they interacted with each other. I found it unusual that the only greeting reference was John to Abigail saying "dearest Friend." You don't exactly find greeting cards at Hallmark in the Wife section starting out with "Dear Friend." It was also fun to watch them politely argue when she complains about his short responses to her letters.--Megan Malecha<br />
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I thought the picture where John Malcolm is getting tarred was very descriptive in that the British really portray the Americans as bad people. The looks on the Americans faces say it all. Im sure when people back in Britian saw this picture they thought of the Americans as barbarick people when really they are just trying to win there freedom.-Bryan Quintana<br />
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In the textbook in the section talking about the Boston Massacre it says that there was a black man, Crispus Attucks, was one of the five people killed. It also says that his funeral was held along with the white men's funerals and that he was treated as an equal. Was he given a better funeral than most black people of the time because he was killed 'for the cause'? I just don't see how they could have rationalized treating him better after death than they did during most slave's lives. ~ Mary Johnston<br />
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Also in the textbook reading it was said that two soldiers convicted of manslaughter were branded on the thumbs. I was just wondering if this was a common punishment for murder, because I have never heard of it before, and what exactly was branded on their thumbs? If it is known... ~Mary Johnston<br />
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In the Memoir of R.T. Hewes, I noticed that he wrote it many years after it happened. Thus, the source can not be that reliable. I also noticed that when he talked about what happened when the men went to dump the tea overboard that the captain willingly gave them the keys as long as they didn't hurt the ship. Why didn't he try to signal the British ships docked neerby, or keep the men away from the cargo? -Kristina Scrimshaw<br />
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In "A Loyalist Judge's Catalog of Rebellious Crowds,"I found that because the writer was a loyalist he might have been bias toward other loyalist's like himself. I also noticed that during all the mob riots, not many people were hurt, but rather just scared into doing what the mob wanted. Was this common? -Kristina Scrimshaw<br />
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In Peter Oliver's "Origin & Progress of the American Revolution, 1774-1775", I found data that contrasted with information in class. I had thought that the mob's intents were not to kill, but to scare. However, in Oliver's accounts, the mobs came very close to killing the English supporters. Did they actually intend on killing them, but different circumstances prevented them from doing so? Or did they intend to bring them as close to death as possible to scare them? - Alex Zelin<br />
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In Atiwaneto's "Speech Resisting Colonial Expansion", I found his plea to the English very well written and thought out from their point of view. But right before and during the Revolutionary War, how much attention was actually paid to the Indians? Were the Patriots and English fighting to have them on their side? Or were they left alone, apart from traveling and slight skirmishes in their land? - Alex Zelin<br />
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I really like the letters of Abigail Adams and John Adams. I read the same letters in high school and still love them today. I find it really interesting that Abigail asks John to not forget the women and his response is even more interesting. The way my high school teacher put it was, he basically told her that she was a silly woman and should mind her own business. I also find it interesting that he basically flirts with her in response to her comment by calling her saucy. I still enjoy the letters 6 years later. -- Katie Mauro<br />
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One thing I found interesting about the letters of John and Abigail Adams was when she was describing the cannon's going off and said that she went out to Penn Hill that day and was practically a spectator to the war. I know that during the Civil War people would set up chairs and watch the fight but I did not know that it also happened in some sense during the Revolution. I wonder when it was that people's view of war changed to the point where we could be appalled by people viewing a battle as if it was a sport. And now a days the innocent civilians would probably be attacked along with the soldiers. -- Katie Mauro<br />
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In "A Boston Shoemaker Recalls British Arrogance and the Boston Tea Party" I was very surprised to hear that Mr. Hewes, and according to himself, many others, dressed up as Indians to go to the dock. This doesn't quite make sense to me. Where they dressing up to shift blame for the tea party? It seems pointless to do so because the colonists are the ones sending the message... not the Indians. It seems that England would get a much clearer message if the men were dressed as... well, themselves. Maybe i'm missing something? --Jessica Lawrie<br />
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In Hewes's Memoir, he mentions that he turned a man in for trying to take tea for his own during the Boston Tea Party. Were there any groundrules established beforehand that said that they couldn't do this? And if the point of the Tea Party was to oppose the tax on tea, why wouldn't stealing tea be fair game in this opposition?- Jake Guralnik<br />
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In the "Boston Massacre Oration" it started me thinking about the past art I'd studied about the Boston Massacre and how the Americans had portrayed the British as ominous and dominating as they emerged from billowing smoke, and the Americans as a rag tag innocent group trying to flee from them. Like the print, the piece made me realize just how twisted a view the colonists had on British ruling and just how much that has influenced our current view on colonial rule. ( image is here if you’re interested http://chnm.gmu.edu/exploring/images/massacre2a.jpg ) <br />
- Kathleen Dray<br />
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I was wondering about why British soldiers were treated so poorly despite the promises made to them for enlisting etc.... as well. Was it because of financial debt Britain had remaining from the French and Indian war? Because they lost? What were the reasons?<br />
-Kathleen Dray<br />
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Is it at all posible that the Boston Tea Party would have been more or just as effective if the protesters had stolen the tea instead of destroying it? -Jake Guralnik<br />
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I thought it interesting how in the boston massacre article the rhetoric so vilanized the British. The facts I learned about it did not seem as bad as the speech made it sound.<br />
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I liked the extensive communication between John Adams and his wife. It was cool to see his thoughts as the events progressed. It was like getting into the brain of John Adams.<br />
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What exactly was the purpose of dressing up as Native Americans for the Tea Party? I feel that there was very little chance that anyone was actually fooled by the disguises. Also, it would seem to me that if the point of the Tea Party was to make a point against the British, the cause of the colonists would be better illustrated if the actions were actually carried out by colonists. ~Kristen Lonsdorf<br />
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This question is going to seem rather random, but it occurred to me as I was reading the letters between Abigail and John Adams: is it true that Adams and Thomas Jefferson never really liked or got along with one another, as I have often heard? Also, it seems to me that Adams is unaware of the writer of the Common Sense pamphlet in his letters, and more than that, that he is critical of the author, saying of the writer, “[he] has a better Hand at pulling down than building.” He even seems to lament the fact that some people believe him to be the writer. Was Adams indeed unaware of who the author was? And if so, is it possible that he believed Jefferson to be the writer and this is where some of his hostilities toward the pamphlet come from? ~Kristen Lonsdorf<br />
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In Hewes "Memoir", he says that he dressed up as an indian. What was the point of this? Wouldn't people notice that he is white? "There appeared to be an understanding that each individual should volunteer his services, keep his own secret, and risk the consequences for himself." Obviously this was a big deal and something everyone wanted to be kept secret. -Courtney Newcomb<br />
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In George Washington's letters, he concludes the last letter in this excerpt by saying it has become a dire need to take action and assert the rights of Americans or else, "custom and use shall make us tame and abject slaves, as the blacks we rule over with such arbitrary sway." I found it odd that Washington would even compare the colonists' situation to that of the slaves they own. It made me wonder if this caused Washington to question the way he treated his own slaves or the concept of slavery. I wonder why with the situation the colonists were in themselves why they never felt compassionate for the slaves, but I guess its just the mere fact that people are fundamentally selfish and find it hard to be sympathetic with another person's situation, especially when slaves were so profitable for slaveowners. --Christen Booher<br />
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I really liked Thomas Paine's Common Sense. He argued points that were relatable to each individual colonist and explained to people they in no way needed Britain. More than they didn't need Britain, an alliance with Great Britain would greatly hinder America, not only in the ways colonists were currently facing, but their mere connection with Britain would also directly involve them in future conflict with other powers. I felt the metaphor "Even brutes do not devour their young, nor savages make war upon their families" depicted the perfect picture of the relationship between Great Britain and American to those who considered it the parent country. Then, Paine continues on to his main point: without independence it would be impossible to keep peace and preserve the continent. I thought it was great that someone was finally relating to the colonists in a way of reason, as their equal who has suffered the same hardships, and was able to tell people to wake up and realize what needs to happen. --Christen Booher</div>71.171.64.150 Deprecated: header(): Passing null to parameter #3 ($response_code) of type int is deprecated in /home/umwhisto/public_html/mcclurken/wiki/includes/WebResponse.php on line 38