Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Road to Revolution Assignments: 10/4 to 10/11 (UPDATED)

Wed: Read 122-128.
1.What effects did the French & Indian Wars have on the relationship between the colonies and the mother country?
2.Why did the British increase taxes on colonial trade and the enforcement of these taxes?
3.Why did the Writs of Assistance upset American colonists?
4.How was the Sugar Act different from earlier duties? Which group of colonists did it hurt most?
5.How was the Stamp Act different from earlier taxes? Why did this tax cause even more resistance by the colonists?
6.How did the colonists resist the Stamp Act? Why were they successful?
7.What long-term effect might this act and the colonists’ resistance have had?

Thurs: Read 131-139.
1. What were the Towshend Duties? Why did Townshend think they would work? How did the colonists respond? What were the long-term effects of the duties and the response they received?
2. Who was responsible for the Boston Massacre? How was the massacre seen by the colonists and why was it seen that way?
3. What was the importance of the Committees of Correspondence? Why did the Tea Act upset so many colonists?
4. What were the Coercive Acts and how did the colonists react to them?
5. Why did the Coercive Acts bring Americans closer to war?

Tuesday: Read 140-146 and Degler’s article, “A New Kind of Revolution.”
1. What did the First Continental Congress do? How important was it?
2. What effect did Lexington and Concord have on relations with England?
3. Why did the colonists finally declare independence?
4. What is Degler’s main argument? Do you agree with him?
5. Was the revolution conservative or radical?

Note: Please see the corresponding document in the Assignments and Study Guides page to (link to the the right) for "key terms."


25 comments:

  1. Degler argues that the Revolutionary War was a result of the French and Indian War, ultimately enforcing the idea of a child's breaking away from a parent. I agree that colonists were after a conservative outcome. They weren't really after an abrupt change, simply wanted things to revert back to the way England was toward its colonies, simply hands off and not interfering. Issa Sylla

    ReplyDelete
  2. Degler's main point in this article is that the American Revolution did not take place because of economic reasons but because of principle. The Americans did not care so much that they had to pay a small tax but they were upset because Britain had just started taxing them after a long period without tax. I agree with this point because all evidence shows us that the economic reasons for revolution were minor, as the Americans were taxed less than the British and less than they were 100 years before the war. I also agree that the revolution was conservative. The colonists rebelled because the British were making changes, not because they wanted changes themselves.
    --Ryan Muccigrosso

    ReplyDelete
  3. Degler stresses the point that the money wasn't the cause for the Revolution. Although money is usually the root of all evil he says that money had nothing to do with America revolting. They were more upset about the fact that taxes were being added, despite being minimal, and that Britian's hands off approach was becoming hands on.- Cody Mangano

    ReplyDelete
  4. Carl Deglar emphasizes the influence the French & Indian War had on the American Revolution. It was interesting to understand the Revolution from the colonist's view point, mentioning that the English were taking away their liberty, while England was trying to raise money to support the mother country and its colonies. Agreeing with Issa, I did believe that the revolution was a conservative movement. The colonists did not want a drastic change, but a sense of freedom and liberty, that took place prior to the French & Indian war in two cultures separated by 2,000 miles of ocean.
    -Jake DeFonzo

    ReplyDelete
  5. Degler's main argument is that the American Revolution was caused by the fundamentals of colonists' values. Americans felt like they deserved all the rights of Englishmen. The British, on the other hand, felt that the colonies were created to be used in the way that best suited the crown and the Parliament. I agree to his argument. I think the revolution was conservative because the colonists just wanted to take back their rights and privileges. It was a defense of their rights and wanted to preserve their society.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Last comment is Eric's

    ReplyDelete
  7. Deglar tries to convey to the public that the reason for the revolution was a culmination of both Britain's cracking down on the colonies with taxes that were not necessarily excess, but at least were different, and also the colonists began to feel that Britain's long term plan was to fully take over the colonies. The revolution actually occurred, as Deglar argues, because of the impending threat of the motherland becoming an autocratic controller of the colonies. I agree, because quite honestly, a high tax may piss people off, but it is no grounds to move out and secede from the country.-Peter Abrahamsen

    ReplyDelete
  8. The main purpose of Deglars article is that the colonists revolted not because money problems, but because they felt the taxes were unnecessary because they were so far away from the actual country. The sudden taxation was the main tipping point in the colonial movement. The colonial revolution was a conservative one because the colonies had slowly been building up reasons to sever their connection with Britain
    - Christopher D'Anna

    ReplyDelete
  9. As Issa, Jake, Eric, Peter, and Cody have already said, the American’s reasons to wage war against the British for independence were strictly conservative. While some may think of any revolution as radical stand by the people for new rights, Degler points outs out this understanding does not apply to the American Revolution. The Americans wished to revert back to the pre- French-Indian War lifestyle, where they had more liberties and local happenings in politics and economics were “laissez faire” to the British government. The British government had numerous reasons to tax the Americans—they did so righteously with cheap taxes-- but since Americans previously had freedom, Americans felt the taxes were encroachments on their rights. As Degler writes, “the English had waited too long to assert their authority”. The British attempt to gain revenue backfired, and the Americans reluctantly revolted, as Eric says, to get their rights back.- Braham Berg

    ReplyDelete
  10. I agree with Chris about how the colonists revolted because they felt the taxes were unnecessary. It was interesting to know that the taxes the British enforced on the colonists were extremely low. Britain was paying much less the amount of taxes than colonists were paying. I also agree with Peter about how the colonists can feel threatened by Britain and feel as if they might conquer the colonies. Degler says that Britain became a super power after the French and Indian war. The taxes and threat of Britain would lead to a revolution. The revolution is conservative because the colonists do not want to have the taxes enforced on them because they feel that Britain is taking away their rights. Degler says that "the colonists confidently expected to return to the lax, uninterested administration of the prewar years and especially to their old freedom from any obligation to support the imperial defenses."
    Jack Profaci

    ReplyDelete
  11. Jake makes a good point when he talks about the colonists view point and how England was trying to support the mother country. I find this interesting because Deglar says that the United States was thew first country to successfully rebel against the mother country and how Spain, France, and Portugal lost all portions of their New World empires. Deglar talks about how expensive wars are. It doesn't make sens that there are so many wars because for the most part whether you win or lose a war you still come out in depth and in the French and Indian war the British came out bankrupt. The colonists had many problems with the taxes that were passed and Deglar makes it clear they weren't necessary. The Americans didn't like that Britain was taxing them without representation especially because of a long period of time without tax -Peter Pellegrini

    ReplyDelete
  12. I agree totally that the revolution was conservative. Degler argues that the colonists, as a direct result of the French and Indian War, realized they were part of a different people separate from Britain. They had become intoxicated with neglect and self-rule; they were accustomed to colonial assemblies levying taxes, controlling the royal governor's salary, and creating their own laws. Who could blame them, then, for being outraged when Parliament and the king suddenly tried to assert their control as apart of the mother country with "oppressive" taxes and acts? Therefore, conservatism was infused in the very heart of the revolution; all the colonists wanted was the liberties they had enjoyed since the founding of the colonies. As Braham said, the British taxes were essentially just and right, for they were low and the revenues were to be used for the colonies' defense, but British attempts at control had come too late. America was already distinct and comfortable in their old ways.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Once again, another agreement with most of the aforementioned about the revolution being conservative. The colonists wished to return to the life styles they once had of self governing instead of changing the way they lived so that Parliament would have full control over the colonies. By this time, the colonists had become so accustomed to self governing that the idea of having no voice within the government disgusted them. Degler's main argument here is that the root cause of the revolution comes from the colonist's refusal to leave their old life style for a new life style that pleases the British Parliament.
    -Bryan Laboy

    ReplyDelete
  14. I, like many other of the people who have commented before me, feel that this article supports the causes of the American Revolution as Conservative. Colonists wanted to restore pre- French-Indian war liberties and rights. But Degler also brings up the point that it was also influenced by radical ideas, such as conspiracy theories about the English government in pamphlets and from Radical Whigs. So it was mostly conservative, but it had hints of radical influence as well.
    -Isidro Camacho

    ReplyDelete
  15. Degler's article provides ample support that the revolution was essentially a conservative movement, contrary to popular belief. In fact, not only was it widely conservative on the American's part, but that of the British as well–The taxes imposed by the British empire were neither "excessive nor oppressive," far less than those imposed on native English subjects. As for the Americans, what was ultimately sought was a change in this relationship; Degler's metaphor describes it well–a matured country with its own, unique identity decided that it was time to part from its mother's care. Indeed, both sides were fairly moderate in their approaches, contrasting with the widely accepted myths of over-the-top taxation and extreme nationalism.

    –Nikolas Balkovic

    ReplyDelete
  16. Degler's main point in this article is saying that America's reason for revolting against the English wasn't because of the money, rather, that they were being taxed more and more by the British. I agree also with the statement that the Americans wanted a conservative change, because all they really wanted to do was just revert back to life as it was before the French and Indian War.
    -Billy Dunn

    ReplyDelete
  17. Degler’s main argument consists of trying to argue that the American Revolution wasn’t necessarily because of economic reasons, or political reasons, but mainly because it was just a matter of principle. While reading the article I didn’t agree with him, however as I read on he provided ample evidence of the colonist “blowing things out of proportion”. For example, he stated the colonist had problems with the new taxes imposed on them, while they were “five times greater in 1698 than they were in 1773”. I feel the revolution was conservative because the colonists were beginning to feel independent from Britain even before they had ideas of a revolution. The revolution wasn’t a “spur of the moment” thing, but stemmed from years and years of feeling distant from England and the British changing their control in America. They had no ideas of trying to revolt until England started to change their salutary neglect policy after the French and Indian War. After the British started changing things, the colonists just wanted their sense of freedom back.

    -Greg Clerie

    ReplyDelete
  18. Degler makes the point that the revolution was conservative. I agree with this because the colonists were not trying to break away from England, but rather have life go back to the pre-French and Indian war lifestyle of neglect to the English and self rule. They did not like the changes being made nor did they like Parliament starting to take back control from them. While the British had a right to rule and tax the colonists, they had been accustomed to neglecting the British and fought back to restore their old lifestyle.
    -Robert Sullivan

    ReplyDelete
  19. Degler's main goal in the article is to make it clear that the colonists did not decide to revolt because of economic reasons. The colonists did not care about the money. They were upset that they were being taxed constantly, even though the taxes were at a minimum. I also feel, like the others who commented before, that the revolution was conservative. Another reason the colonists decided to revolt is that they wanted things to go back to the way they were before the French and Indian War.
    -Steven Lowe

    ReplyDelete
  20. The article is about how even though Great Britain had won most of the land in America, they could not use their power effectively. The colonists soon hated all the taxes and ways of life. No one wants to pay additional fees especially if they have little idea what they are paying for. They did not feel British but rather Americans and wanted to be independent. I agree with what the other people have said on top, how the colonies wanted things to go back to the way it was in the past.
    Posted by Kevin So

    ReplyDelete
  21. As said by my fellow classmates, the American Revolution was mostly conservative as it was a rather slow change with consistent values by the Americans. The British were making changes and taxing them, but all the Americans wanted was for things to return to the way they were: no interference with the colonies and a "hands-off" approach. I agree that Degler's main point sheds light on the fact that the colonists did not revolt due to economic reasons. Americans were just starting to be taxed and they paid much less than the British did, as mentioned in the article. The Americans revolted because they felt that these taxes, such as the Stamp Act, put a barrier on their liberties and rights which they were trying to regain. They were upset about how Britain decided to tax them after a long period of no taxation and caught the Americans off guard.
    -Adrian Drobenko

    ReplyDelete
  22. According to Degler's article the American Revolution seemed to be Conservative. Starting from the French-Indian war, to the defeat of the French, to the ruling of Great Britain, the American Revolution was a gradual occurrence. Also, As Adrian mentioned, The Colonists didn't originally want to be free and break away from the British, one reason being most of them came from there and still considered themselves apart of it, but that they wanted things to go back to normal and didn't appreciated the taxes put upon them.
    - Kyle Creegan

    ReplyDelete
  23. In my opinion, Degler states in the article that the war was both radical and conservative. One factor that made it radical was that the colonists were attempting to break away from the foremost power in Europe. On the contrary, it was a conservative manner because they were doing this to escape the injustice of the heavy taxation that was required to pay off England's war debts from the French and Indian War. However, what made it more radical than anything was that the colonists considered themselves more than just a carbon copy of their British cousins. As a matter of fact, despite the fact that the British were the ones responsible for colonizing the eastern territories in North America, the people considered themselves an entirely different group.
    -Tom Harkins Jr.

    ReplyDelete
  24. The colonists revolt was conservative because they did not want major changes. Deglar shows how they just want things to go back to the way they were when they were not in their opinion overly or underly taxed. The French and Indian war was also a main factor in the revolution since it caused the increase in taxes on the colonists so they could pay for 1/3 of their protection. - John Marchisello
    sorry my comment is late it did not post last night for some reason

    ReplyDelete
  25. The title of Degler’s article, “A New Kind of Revolution”, gives away a big hint about his thesis and main topic of the piece. When I think of a revolution, I think of the destruction of social structure, the usurping of governments and radical changes. When Degler says that the American Revolution was “new”, he means that it is not what I mentioned above. The thesis of Degler’s article is that the American Revolution was conservative because it did not interrupt the development of America and in the end preserved the past. I agree with Degler’s thesis because the revolution was brought about by external factors, such as the Great War. It was due to this war that the colonists, like John Penn, thought themselves more American than English.
    The goal of the colonists was to regain the relationship that they had before the war with England. When they were taxed, they made appeals such as the Olive Branch Petition to prevent further troubles. The colonists were fine with the Navigation laws and according to Lord North, the taxes were neither excessive nor oppressive. Principle and pride was more important to the colonists than the taxes themselves. Therefore, the revolution was conservative.
    - Timothy Kelly

    ReplyDelete