American History Homework Two Answers - Student 29

Amanda S.

1\. A) Colonists accepted John Locke's philosophy of natural rights and a social contract, which conflicted with rule by a monarchy. B) Colonies disagreed with the “virtual representation”. C) British burdens hurt nearly all colonists in all walks of life.

Superb. Using this for the model answers.

2\. Who used the phrase “taxation without representation” and why?: The phrase “taxation without representation” was first used to represent the colonists who were being taxed by England. The colonists were enraged with the decision of the taxes and felt as if they had no say in the matter. It is believed that Reverend Jonathan Mayhew was the first to use the phrase while giving a sermon in Boston around 1750.

Excellent.

3\. What was the Boston Tea Party?: The Boston Tea Party was started by a group of colonists led by Samuel Adams in 1773. The colonists had been subjected to a tax on tea which made the tea unaffordable for many. Therefore Samuel Adams and his group of colonists disguised themselves as Mohawk Indians and boarded the ship that transported the tea from England. They spent all night emptying the tea into the Boston Harbor which was about 342 chests of tea total. As a tribute to the event, Boston to this day does not have any taxes on tea.

Superb.

4\. Do you blame anyone for the Salem Witch Trials?: Yes, I blame the jury and the people who started the whole issue. I believe that it was all a big misunderstanding and poor sense of judgment. Obviously these people were not real witches and I think the jury should have investigated into it more. As for the ones who started the whole thing, I believe they were either crazy or were just seeking attention.

Good, except juries do not really "investigate" (prosecutors do). Also, I doubt the girls were crazy.

5\. True or False: colonies having more religious freedom had less conflict with the king? Explain your answer: True. I think that in a way the colonists feared the King, so they wanted to handle things on their own as much as possible. Therefore they would have no conflicts or interferences with him.

Good, but an example? (Minus 1).

6\. Discuss any of the debate or discussion topics from the lecture: “Was George Washington really that great?”: Yes, George Washington was a man of courage. He led his troops through some pretty tough situations, and yet stayed more loyal to them then ever. He may have had his share of mistakes but those just made him even stronger. Even when things got hard he never backed down. He did what he thought was best for the people in Virginia, and fought until the end.

Superb.

7\. Explain the meaning of the political cartoon on the right: The cartoon ‘JOIN, or DIE’ was created by Benjamin Franklin and was first featured in the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1754. The cartoon displays a snake cut into eight pieces, each piece resembling a colony. At the time there was some sort of superstition that if a snake was cut into eight pieces then placed back together before sunset the snake would come back to life.

Good.

Well done! 69/70.--Aschlafly 09:04, 29 September 2008 (EDT)