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Essay by li1124997446High School, 11th gradeB, October 2014

download word file, 6 pages 0.0

The Road to Revolution!

Historical Context

The year 1763 marked the end of the French and Indian War, the final defeat of the French and their Native American allies in America. For America's English colonists, this was a cause for great celebration and pride in their English identity. Expressions of English patriotism were widespread. But only twelve years later, these same American colonists found themselves locked in a bitter and violent conflict with the mother country that had so recently been the object of their proud respect. To this day, now over two hundred years later, the reasons behind the abrupt transition of England and its American colonies from allies to enemies are debated. But what do you think?-

Were the American colonists justified in waging war and breaking away from Britain?

Directions

The above question is based on the following 8 documents. Use your Historian's Toolkit to analyze the documents.

As in:

SOURCE it, CONTEXTUALIZE it, CLOSE READ it, and every 3 docs, CORROBORATE it.

(2/3 or your grade will be whether or not you did these things!)

Document 1:

SOURCE: This excerpt is from "Considerations ...," a pamphlet written by Thomas Whately. Whately was an advisor to George Grenville, British Chancellor of the Exchequer (1763-1765) and the author of the Stamp Act.

We are not yet recovered from a War undertaken solely for their [the Americans'] Protection ... a War undertaken for their defense only ... they should contribute to the Preservation of the Advantages they have received....

Why did Whately (and probably most other English officials) feel that the American colonists should be willing to pay higher taxes to Parliament?

Document 2

SOURCE: These excerpts are from Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania by John Dickinson. Dickinson was a Pennsylvania political leader who served in the...