American History Homework Two Answers - Student Fourteen

DuncanB 1. The principal three reasons for the American Revolution were the following:

A. The quartering of British troops on American households.

B. Taxation of the colonies without representatives in Parliament.

C. British attempts to rule the colonies.

Excellent, but a bit redundant.

2. The phrase “taxation without representation” was coined by colonial orators who disliked the English tax policies.

Right, but not enough substance about what the phrase means. (Minus 1).

3. The Boston Tea Party was a protest against the British tax on tea and other foreign goods on the night of December 16, 1773. Several weeks earlier, three English tea ships had come into the harbor with tea to sell. A council of the Sons of Liberty met and ordered the British captains to leave. When they refused to depart Boston, some 75 colonists dressed up in old blankets, feathers, soot, and hats, got on board three British tea ships in Boston Harbor. They broke the chests and dumped the contents into the water, destroying nearly 350 chests of tea. The British were extremely angry at this “vandalism” by the colonists.

Excellent!

4. In the Salem Witch Trials, I think that the colonists overdid the witch-hunting procedures. There may possibly have been demonic activity, but it is more likely that the Puritans tried to explain things which they did not understand (such as hallucinations, seizures, epileptic fits, and what can cause them) by the presence of demonic action.

Good.

5. It is true that the colonies with less religious freedom (such as Massachusetts) had more conflict with the King and England; those with more religious freedom (like Pennsylvania) had less. This was because the ones with less religious freedom were more independent of England and the King.

The conclusion does not follow. Pennsylvania was just as independent of England. (Minus 1).

6. The possession-like spasms of several teen and pre-teen girls could have been caused by demonic possession, but it is more likely that it was caused by epileptic fits, fever, seizures, or the like. Food was not carefully screened for bacteria as it is today. The initial fits could have been these, and others were made up for the benefit of the judges.

Good insight, but I doubt that "bacteria" can explain it. But your opinion is fine. However, your answer is a bit repetitive with your answer to 4. (Minus 1).

7. In the 1700s, there was a widely held belief that a snake, cut into pieces, would connect back together. The snake represents the thirteen colonies, divided into eight parts. Just as a snake needs to be whole to be dangerous, the colonies needed to be united to prevail against England; the caption “Join or Die” outlining the situation. Thus, its date is about 1776.

Correct until the time period. Note the absence of Georgia, which places the decade two decades earlier. (Minus 1).

H2. In the days after the French and Indian War, Britain’s economy was impoverished from the cost of fighting a war in Europe, America, and Asia. The rich colonies of America had not been taxed at all, and much of Britain’s money had gone to defending them. England had a perfect right to tax them, as long as they gave them representation in Parliament, as did all of England. Not giving them the representation, but taxing them, was a legitimate problem.

Good.

H3. Christopher Columbus was an outstanding navigator, even with the approximate instruments of that day. (They were very careful; an error could kill you, literally.) He was probably able to find his way back to Hispaniola thanks to good logs, the stars, and his knowledge as a seaman. Just because instruments were poor does not mean they were incompetent.

Right.

H5. George Washington, like Jesus, deliberately turned down secular power when offered to him; he only took power when he knew it would please God. Even though he was not a professional general, nor the greatest the world has ever seen, he kept his troops together in the darkest days and used them to great advantage in battle. Even Napoleon once said of him that his crossing of the Delaware was a brilliant move, both politically and militarily. He taught himself geometry, surveying, and other subjects himself. At the Constitutional Convention, James Madison said of him that occasionally it was only his leadership which held the gathering together.

Superb.

Good answers. 96/100.--Aschlafly 09:06, 27 September 2008 (EDT)