Essays Answers Revolution to Ratification

Essays Answers Revolution to Ratification

H Solomon

Essay 2

The Declaration of Independence has been variously interpreted as a bid for French support, an attempt to swing uncommitted Americans to the revolutionary cause, a statement of universal principles, and an affirmation of traditional rights of Englishman. To what extent, if any are these interpretations in conflict?

The Declaration of Independence was something great in American History. It was to make our great nation independent, get us out of British ties, and to use universal principles. The conflict that existed was between the British and the colonies. That colonies wanted out but the British still wanted to be in control. It needed an inspirational appeal to enlist other English colonies in the Americas, to invite assistance from foreign nations.

Richard Henry Lee of Virginia moved that the United Colonies should be free and independent. When Lee’s resolution was passed it was the formal “declaration” of independence by the American Colonies. John Adams wrote on July 2 that it should be celebrated annually with fireworks. On June 7, Lee wanted the Congress to prepare on appropriate statement. That major task fell on the hands of Thomas Jefferson.

The United Colonies were sick of British rule. Jefferson pronouncement that the style was magnificent. He gave his appeal universality by invoking the natural rights of human kind not just British rights. Jefferson figured since the king flouted these rights, the colonies were justified in cutting their connection. The Colonies had enough off the British imposing taxes without consent, establishing a military dictatorship, and cutting off trade. After all of this Jefferson made the Declaration of Independence look like it was world’s greatest editorial. Jefferson had an universal impact. No other document in American History matched the significance of the Declaration of Independence. It was also considered a source of inspiration to revolutionary movements.

Sure enough the people went along with Jefferson ideas to cut off all the power the British had over the colonies. The people who defied the king were now rebels, they were not loving subjects anymore. The people were shooting their way into reconciliation. The king wanted all of them to hang together. After that the people pledge to each other their lives, fortunes, and their honor. With the people getting help from foreign countries and this help solicit hope for success.

The Declaration of Independence was the greatest document ever written in American History. When Richard Henry Lee said that the colonies should be independent he was right. Because when they became independent they turn into a great nation. Jefferson would be remembered forever for writing such a great document. He made sure that the colonies got all their rights and were out of the British tie. After the people read this document they went against the king and made a pledge. After this they were out of the British ties and free.

L Alexander

ESSAY #2

The Declaration of Independence is a very good thing that means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Although it was a good thing, the Declaration of Independence had internal conflicts.

It was said that the Declaration of Independence was an affirmation of the traditional rights of the Englishmen. Well, technically it is because the Declaration of Independence is the document that separated and broke all ties with British. This was major a turning point in that Americans wanted to be independent but the British didn’t see it that way. The British wanted the American colonies to be under the control of the King. When the Declaration of Independence was released, the Englishmen basically had their rights to do basic things like choose religion, have free speech, and freedom of expression.

The Declaration of Independence was also said to be a swing at uncommitted Americans to join the cause of the Revolution. This was a conflict because the uncommitted Americans were still on the British side to a certain extent and when they joined the Revolution it was just like the British were losing to the Declaration of Independence. People going and getting with the Revolution because the Declaration of Independence was drawn up really help the whole document of independence get supported.

Two men were very influential in stating the Declaration of Independence as a statement of a universal principle. Richard Henry Lee of Virginia was the person that suggested the Declaration of Independence on June 7, 1776. After he suggested that, a thirty-three year old lawyer by the name of Thomas Jefferson was in charge of drafting document. They stated that the basic principle in the document was being free. Being free from the British was something everyone wanted and that was a very important principle.

Throughout the whole process of thinking up the Declaration of Independence to drafting it had it conflicts within itself. None of the conflicts in the Declaration of Independence were big enough for it not to pass.

Mykeesha Seay

Essay #3

During the 17th and 18th centuries, American colonists felt that Great Britain was violating their rights of equality. These same Americans practiced violating these rights on slaves, Native Americans, as well as lower class people of their own race. British natives began colonizing North America in the early 17th century. As time progressed, they began looking at themselves as Americans, though Great Britain had a monopoly over them. Because they were not the first people to settle in North America and other countries were vying for the new land, naturally, wars were started. Great Britain backed the American colonies by sending British troops (Redcoats) to help them fight. Unfortunately after the French and Indian war was won, Great Britain fell into tremendous debt. The British felt that Americans should compensate one-third of their debt since Britain helped them in the war. To raise money for the crown, the British began imposing numerous taxes on the colonies. Americans felt that the British were trying to keep them from blossoming into a self-governing nation and the right to be treated equal. Though Americans preached equality for all men, they strongly contradicted themselves. According to the Constitution, all men were created equal, but many signers of the Constitution were slave owners. Southern slave owners took an active role in managing their property. Viewing themselves as the slaves’ guardians, they stressed the degree to which they cared for them. They engaged in meddling, directing, nagging, threatening, punishing, and they even controlled aspects of marriage. Even free blacks were not really free because they still could not vote. Many free blacks could have been hung for talking "uncivilized" to the upper class white people. The American colonists treated Indians terribly also. After the French and Indian War, many Native Americans were condemned to reservations. Those who stayed within the colonies were not counted as a people.

The Constitution did not include the Native Americans. The Americans tried to control every aspect of Indian life, particularly religion. Many Indians were forcefully converted to Christianity. The Indians had no say so whatsoever. American colonists even treated lower class white colonists unfairly. These people, who did not own any land or hold any significant position, were not allowed to vote. They also could not be elected into office. Socially, these people were looked upon as just above the slaves. They would never be as of such high rank as the higher class American colonists. On the whole, The American colonists wanted equality and freedom for themselves, but were unwilling to treat those lower than themselves equally. these facts as well as others make the American principle of inequality valid.

P Howard

Essay # 3

During the seventeenth to eighteenth century the colonists only cared about themselves. This is why they treated the native Americans, blacks, and poorer classes with no respect and felt they had no place in the making of the colonies politically, socially, and economically. These people were looked at as someone else to just throw out of their way and on to the back burners of history.

When the colonists were establishing their form of the government, cultural ties, and traditions they tried not to leave any room for the outcasts’ influences. They bombarded their territories trying to slowly but surely push them out of their very own home. The colonist gave the natives no type of representation what so ever and what ever they said was exactly what happened. This was a parallel situation to what went on between the colonists and Britain. Britain didn’t want to give the colonists any type of representation in the higher seats in government because the British felt as if the colonist were not of importance, this was the same way they felt about slaves and NA. The colonists were so focused on trying to be represented in the government that they were blind to the fact of how they were treating the lower classes of the colonies. Some small noticeable changes occurred during the “Unholy Compromise.”

The colonist had no say so in anything and this corresponds to the lower class that they had no say in anything as well. The lower class had basically no communication what so ever. The important colonist and slave owners didn’t allow the slaves to learn, ignored the poorer whites, and didn’t understand the Native American tongue. The only time any of those classes were noticed was when they were doing work. This is just like the colonies and Britain. They weren’t noticed by Britain unless they were bringing in some type of money, otherwise they just were ignored.

Though they colonies were ignored socially they could not help but to be recognized in the economic field. They were expected to produce goods to be traded and imported. Britain would not have been as strong had they omitted the prosperity of the colonies and this is the same for the lower classes of the colonies. The important colonists did not want to admit it, but the lower class whites and slaves were a very important part of the economy. They got no revenue back for what work they did but it mattered not because they were just property and whatever property they got belonged to the owners. Britain gave colonists no say so in the Stamp Act which caused an uproar and created the phrase “no taxation with out representation”. This was just one more way to show how the colonies were neglected, and in correspondence to this colonists would push NA back off their land and not give them any say so in what part belonged to them.

One of the most familiar sayings is “what goes around comes around” and that is just what happened to the colonists. They mistreated the lower classes and gave them no authority and respect and therefore got no authority or respect in Britain. It was not until “The Great Compromise” that the colonies really got some real representation. As far as the slaves they unfortunately never got any type of representation. The colonies tried so hard to be different and create a model society but they in turn could not help to end up being in so many ways like Britain.

PLewis Essay#3 During the seventeenth and in the eighteenth century, British colonist in America charged Great Britain with violating the ideals of rule of law , self-government and ultimately, equality of rights. Although the colonist themselves violated these ideals in the treatment of Blacks, Native Americans, and even the lower class of White settlers. The colonist contradicted themselves all throughout the revolution. Their reason for wanting independence was for unfair treatment between Britain and the American colonist, but all the while they showed no regard for the equal treatment of Native Americans, Blacks, and the lower class white settlers. When the first settlers arrived in the early 1600's, they wiped out nearly 90% of the Native American. Even though the most destructive of the killers were disease, they still killed the Native Americans over land. The settlers pushed Native Americans off their land into the back country. British settlers wiped out entire tribes. For example:a genocide occurred against the Powhatans. The Native Americans didn't see any sort of fair treatment until the Proclamation of 1763, when the colonist were not allowed west of the Appalachian Mountains. Slave trade began in the American colonies in 1619. Treatment toward the slaves were not very pleasant. Slaves worked in the fields from dusk to dawn, with merely no hope of freedom. The colonist adopted the Barbados Slave Code in 1661. Colonist felt they would be able to keep their slaves in order. In the Northern Colonies slaves were treated better than the Southern and Middle Colonies. Although the treatment in some cases was better than others, American settlers did not treat Blacks equally. Lower-class white Britains were shipped from Great Britain to the New World to become indentured servants. Indentured Servants worked for their master for 7 years, to earn their "freedom dues". They earned a barrel of corn, a suit of clothes and sometimes a parcel of land, if they were lucky. A few colonist adopted the "head right" system. This encouraged the importation of servant workers. They were also known as "white slaves", but their treatment was far better than that of any other slave. Their masters acquired fifty acres of land for paying their passage to the colonies. Consequently when they signed the Declaration of Independence to explain why they were seeking independence, the words "all men are created equal", would come back to haunt the colonist later. Therefore they violated their own ideals with their treatment toward Native Americans, Blacks, and the lower class of White colonist.

Montrel Toomer

Essay#4 on ch7-9

The American Revolution played a very big part in American history. The revolution had its roots in politics as well as in the economy and society of America.

In 1750 there was little political basis for a national consciousness in the colonies of British North America. Each of the 13 colonies was a separate entity, with its own governor and legislative assembly. The inhabitants’ fist political allegiance was to their own colony. The lower house of each legislature was elected by the adult white men who were property owners. However the upper houses, or councils, and the governors were chosen in different ways depending on the type of colony.

In addition to the rapid growth and diversity of the population and the experience in the representative government, the emergence of a prosperous agricultural and commercial economy in the colonies during the 18th century helped pave the way for the independence movement. This economic system was based on the production of wheat, cattle, corn, tobacco, and rice in America for export to the West Indies, Britain, and Europe.

The American Revolution moved America into a new era. The revolution has not only affected America politically but it also impacted America economically and socially.

B.Williams
Essay4
Some opinions say that the conflict between Great Britain and its thirteen North American colonies was economic in origin, and others say the American Revolution has its roots in politics. Both opinions are true depending on prospective. In the political prospective, all events led up to the Constitution. Britain demanded high taxes on goods which made the conflict economic.
The conflict between Great Britain and its thirteen North American colonies was political in that the compromises led to the Constitution. North American colonies were disobedient to the political rules that Britain had set up for them. They wanted to have representation in Parliament because the British were taxing the colonies. The colonists rebelled by dumping tea into the Boston Harbor. The Boston Tea Party was responded to by the Intolerable Acts. In 1775 the Revolutionary war took place between the thirteen colonies and Great Britain. The colonies won. Compromises thereafter politically governed the colonies. These compromises led to the Constitution, the most important document in American history.
Great Britain demanded high taxes on goods. These taxes made the conflict economic. After the Seven Years War, Britain was economically suffering. They tried to use the thirteen North American colonies to pay off their debts. Great Britain used the colonies to economically back them through agriculture and industry. They placed taxes on paper goods, tea, and sugar. The acts were called the Stamp Act, the Tea Act, and the Sugar Act. They were very oppressive to the colonists.
The conflict that lasted from the origin of the Revolution to the period of the Constitution was both economic and political. The political document, the Constitution, wouldn’t have been possible without the sequence of economic oppressions that the British imposed on the thirteen North American colonies.