American History A
Mr. Bekemeyer
Thoughts on Liberty Questions
Please complete the following work on a separate sheet of paper.
Using Patrick Henry’s Speech, please answer the following questions:
1. Why have negotiations between Britain and the colonies broken down?
2. What was Britain’s response to the latest petition from the colonists?
3. What reasons does Henry give for the need to arm the colonists?
Using The Crisis by Thomas Paine, please answer the following questions:
4. What does Paine mean by the “summer soldier and the sunshine patriot”?
5. What statement by the British government does he consider a clear example of
tyranny?
6. If you had been an undecided citizen in 1776, which would have moved you more strongly to action -- Patrick Henry or Thomas Paine? Why?
Using Nathan Hale’s Speech, please answer the following questions:
7. What is the “cause” that concerns Nathan Hale in this speech?
8. How much was Nathan Hale personally willing to risk for the sake of his
convictions?
9. Why does Hale believe that freedom is so precious?
You will need your text on pages 44 – 45 in order to complete the following task:
Create a Venn diagram to represent key differences and similarities between Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence. In each of the two non-overlapping parts of the diagram, list at least three differences between the documents. In the overlapping area, list at least two similarities. Include information about who wrote the documents, the main ideas found in them, and why they were written.
(Example)
You will need your text on pages 46– 49 in order to complete the following task:
Sketch a map showing key battles of the American Revolution into your notebook. Accurately place a symbol on your map to represent each item below. Around your map, write a short explanation of why each battle or event was important to the
revolution.
• Battle of Trenton, 1776
• Battle of Saratoga, 1777
• winter at Valley Forge, 1777–78
• Battle of Yorktown, 1781