It is July 5, 1776, the day after the Founding Fathers just committed an act of treason against the British by declaring their independence and establishing the United States of America. Were they in the right? Should the colonists fight for independence or should they be dutiful citizens with the rights of Englishmen? Make an argument, either in the form of a letter or a speech to rally your peers. (You are welcome to write in first person.) On which side should they be? What do you want them to do? What would you like to see as the outcome?
Introduction:
Create the setting. Provide historical background to give context for your speech. What
had happened in America in the previous decades? Also, identify who you are. (Are you an American? A Loyalist? A slave? You are welcome to choose a specific historical person, or you can just give a general position.) Where do you live? (In which colony? In an urban or rural area? Is it coastal?) What do you do? (Are you a merchant? Politician? Lawyer? Farmer?) Identify whom you are addressing. (Who are your peers?) Include your thesis sentence as your last sentence of your first paragraph. Your thesis sentence is the argument that you will be making throughout your paper.
Body:
In that speech, lay out the choices that they can take. What are the benefits? What are
the pitfalls? Then, rally them in the direction you want them to head. What actions do you want them to take to get there? Finally, explain the consequences and benefits that may befall them if they fail and if they succeed.
Use the rights of English citizens, the grievances of colonists, and the goals of the Americans as evidence to analyze. To make your argument use at least two primary sources (these can be from your documents book) from the Revolutionary Era. Quote from those two sources and use proper Chicago Manual of Style footnotes or endnotes to cite those quotations.
Conclusion:
Wrap it up with something convincing. What would you have considered your social and
political responsibilities, and even duties, in this era? Comment on ethical decision-making in terms of what occurred during the American Revolution.
Tips:
This must be a five paragraph essay, that is between 2.5 to 4 pages.
Be sure you follow the Rules for Writers and the Chicago Manual of Style for grammar and formatting.
