American History Homework Two Answers - Student 34

Joe B

1\. There were many underlying causes to the Revolutionary War; the following include three of most important. First, many of them had previously been entitled to govern themselves and were disgusted by the idea of the British Government suddenly decided to levy taxes in America. Second, in addition to the first point, a number of colonists found it highly offensive that they were being taxed without adequate representation. Third, quite a few of the colonists were adamantly anti-Catholic (there were actually a number of anti-Catholic laws both in England and throughout the colonies), and were appalled by the Quebec Act which granted rights, including freedom of religion, to French Canadian Catholics. Certainly there were a number of other important underlying causes of the American War for Independence, but the aforementioned three were some of the most noteworthy.

Excellent point, particularly about the effect of anti-Catholic sentiment in the context of the Quebec Act.

2\. The phrase “No taxation without representation,” was coined by Reverend Jonathan Mayhew when he used it in his sermon in the mid 1700s. He used the term due to his strong distaste for the British practice of imposing taxes upon the colonies despite the fact that the colonies had no representation in the British parliament.

Good.

3\. In December of 1773 a number if colonists, disguised as Indians and led by Samuel Adams, boarded a British ship full of tea and proceeded to dump all of the tea into Boston Harbor. This was in protest to the Tea Act, which was issued by Parliament and implemented a tea tax, and the episode thereafter became known as the Boston Tea Party.

Superb.

4\. It is not easy to say whether or not somebody should be blamed for the Salem Witch Trails. There are so many different theories circulating about what actually happened that it is difficult to pinpoint a specific person to blame. It is possible that the girls involved faked the symptoms out of boredom and spite, a number of the persons convicted were inexplicably subject to the verdict of persons with whom they had ongoing quarrels. There could have been some medical situation to blame for the scenario, and then there is the highly improbably answer that the convicted were actually responsible for bewitching people. The thing probably most deserving of blame was the system of trial used by the Puritans. Their use of spectral evidence, in addition to other ridiculous modes of conviction, was a mockery to the very notion of a fair trial.

Excellent.

5\. Absolutely true. The British may not have been all about religious freedom, but the majority of the colonies were even less so. In fact, one of the causes of the American Revolution was that the colonists were bitter toward the British Government for granting religious freedom to Canadian Catholics as a part of the Quebec Act. Additionally, the foremost colony in conflict with England, Massachusetts, was one that looked upon religious freedom unfavorably.

Excellent.

6\. If a jury were allowed to find a defendant “not guilty” regardless of what the law says then there would be little purpose in having the law to begin with, no? That being said, if the jurors find the law to be unjust then they have a moral obligation not to convict a person because of it. It is probably safest to allow the jury members to decide with their consciences, yet up to the attorneys to choose jurors who they feel will rule fairly.

Right.

7\. The political cartoon is a depiction of why the colonies should unite in their attempt to defend themselves against the impending threat, particularly in the French and Indian War. It essentially states “Join or Die” as a direct appeal to the colonies to literally join together or die alone. This cartoon would later be revived for use in depicting a similar situation facing the colonies leading up to the American War for Independence. An approximate date for this cartoon would be 1754 (beginning of the French and Indian War).

Excellent.

H1. Probably the thing that I noticed most the first time I looked at a map of the thirteen colonies was how not all of them are exactly the same size or shape that they are today. Other than that, nothing really sticks out.

Good, could say more. (Minus 1).

H3. There are a number of possible reasons for the possession-like symptoms experienced by the young girls during the Salem Witch Trials. Few believe that the any real witches were convicted as a result of the trials, and many suggest that the symptoms were actually faked by the girls in some elaborate conspiracy put together by a number of the townspeople. Some believe that the afflicted girls might even have been sick. Though there are many possibilities, perhaps a combination of several is the best explanation. Here is an example, albeit an unproven idea, of how events unfolded:

It is possible that at least the first girl afflicted by the supposed bewitching, Betty Parris, had actually come down with a strange illness unknown to the people of her era. The culprit sickness: convulsive ergotism (as suggested by Linda Caporael). Betty could have been subjected to the illness after accidentally eating rye (used in cereal and in bread) infected with ergot. Some symptoms of convulsive ergotism include, “violent fits, a crawling sensation on the skin, vomiting, choking and… hallucinations… LSD is a derivative of ergot.”[1] These symptoms certainly apply to Betty, and rye infected with ergot is a distinct possibility given the time and the place. As a result of this illness and of the superstitions of the times Betty could have literally thought and felt as though she was being bewitched. Given the circumstances, mass hysteria would have predictably followed. It is possible that the other girls then suffered from some manner of psychosomatic illness, whereby the stress and hysteria literally caused the girls’ bodies to emulate the symptoms they witnessed. The pain and symptoms experienced by these girls would be just as real as they would be had the girls actually had been ill in the first place.

Naturally this idea is mere theory, but it’s still some interesting food for thought.

Excellent!

H5. George Washington was great for several reasons. First, despite his lack of tactical brilliance, without his leadership the Americans might have lost the War for Independence. Second, when offered absolute command over the United States he declined, believing that the long term future of the country was more important than his own personal desires. Third, he helped to preserve the country he had helped form when he was elected president. Perhaps Washington wasn’t a particularly brilliant man, but without him there is no telling whether or not the United States of America would even exist at our current time.

Superb.

Very well done! 99/100.--Aschlafly 10:09, 29 September 2008 (EDT)