American Revolution

Essay Two

Voices of theAmerican Revolution

In the years preceding theDeclaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, many American colonists expressedopposition to Great Britain’s policies toward the colonies, but few thoughtseriously about establishing an independent nation until late in the imperialcrisis. Throughout the years of controversy beginning in the 1760s, Americansexpressed a variety of opinions about the legitimacy of open acts of resistanceand rebellion, which intensified as armed resistance began in April 1775. Onboth sides of the issue, perspectives and motivations were diverse. Among thosewho favored resistance, for example, not all would go so far as to advocatefull-scale rebellion against Great Britain or national independence for theUnited States. The debate, moreover, was not a static one, and its termsshifted over time; by 1776 many colonists found themselves advocating positionsundreamed of a decade earlier.

In this lesson, you will workto make informed analyses of primary documents illustrating the diversity ofreligious, political, social, and economic motives behind competingperspectives on questions of independence and rebellion. Making use of avariety of primary texts, the activities will help you to “hear” someof the colonial voices that, in the course of time and under the pressure ofnovel ideas and events, contributed to the American Revolution.

Your assignment will be toread ten documents from the lists below. Each document must come from a different perspective. You should use twodocuments from each group to write your essay. You will then write a three to five page essay in which you compare andcontrast what the Revolution meant to different groups in society.

Feel free to include anyother sources, but the majority of your paper must be based on primary sourcesfrom the time period.

You will also need tofootnote what documents you are using in Chicago Manuel style.  Any word processor should help you makefootnotes.  Please use the following linkto complete your footnotes in the correct style.

 http://history.hanover.edu/courses/handouts/footnotes.htm

Your paper should be doublespaced and in 12 point font.

A.  Religious Perspective

• Jonathan Mayhew —

        Jacob Cushing —

        John Wesley —

        Samuel Sherwood —

        Samuel Sherwood —

B. Loyalist Perspective

• James Chalmers, Plain Truth —

        Poem —

• Charles Inglis —

        Songs —

        Song —

C.  Rebel Perspective

        Patrick Henry —

• George Washington —
• Thomas Paine

D.  African American Perspectives

        Felixs Petition —

        Boston Kings Memoir–

        James Ottis —

E.  Official and Legal Perspectives

• George Mason —

        Declaration of the Causesand Necessity of taking Up arms —

        Declaration of Independence–

        Charlotte Town Resolves —