Thank you all for your work on your group presentations to wrap-up the first semester. Most of you demonstrated an understanding of the history that we’ve been covering, and of the various options given for this assignment.
By looking at alternative outcomes (the options that did not actually happen) we are practicing what is called counterfactual history. In the case of our activity, it helps us understand what the founders may have been considering before they settled on independence. We do have to be careful when working with counterfactuals that our understanding of what actually happened is not confused. You all are intelligent enough to avoid this problem.
So let’s work a little more with our alternative outcomes. We all know that it was Option 4 that was chosen by our founding fathers, but what if they had made a different choice. What do you believe would have been their best choice out of the three alternatives (Options 1-3)? Why would have it have been the best alternative? Do you think the outcome would have lasted, or would have independence eventually come?
Give serious thought to your answers, and think carefully about the “Why” question. I’m looking for serious and thoughtful responses. As always, I encourage you to respond not only to my post, but to the comments of your classmates.
When you finish this blogging assignment I hope you focus on having a great Christmas holiday and an unbelievable New Year!!
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16 comments:
I think Option 3 would have been the best choice. Option 3 says that the colonists will be peaceful, but if they are forced to be violent they will be. I think there wouldn't be the USA if the British remanded peaceful and gave them representation. If Great Britain tried to start a war with the colonies the colonists will fight back. After some time there might be a war and it will lead to independence.
If i were a colonist in that period of time I would have have gone with option 3. I think that that would be second best because we would still get all the benefits from having Britain being close but we would have the same equal rights. We wouldn't be taken advantage of. The British should respect us no matter what; because we respect them.
I agree with Carolin that Option 3 was the best but I still agree with becoming independent. I would rather be a patriot because it wasn't right of the British to tax the colonist with out their consent. Like Delani said the British should respect us like we respect them.
I agree with Carolin. I think option 3 woulld be the best option. There will be violence if there has to be. One reason for violence would be taxation without representation. Just like Delani said, we should be respected because we respect them!
I agree with everyone that option three is the best choice, like Carolin said if Britain did start a war then the colonists would fight back and then eventually the colonists would have declared independence. Also we would be respected like we respected Britain.
I think that option 3 would have been better to choose. I agree with Carolin and Dean. I think that there should not be any violence but if it comes down to violence being an option, than we shall use it! I also, agree wtih Hayley because it would have been better being a patriot because of what nonsense Britian was doing. For example, taxing us without our consent and placing tax on almost everything, also without our consent. I think violence wuld have been the right option at the time becuase what if there wasn't a Declaration of Independence. Violence would have then HAD to be an option.
I would definitely choose option 3 as the second choice because we would have ended up with independence anyways. There are many reasons why this would have happened. For one, Parliament didn't have the right to legislate British citizens living in America (the colonists) without their consent. King George also deprived people of liberty and prosperity. And option 3 even stated that "we will not put down our weapons until our rights have been restored." Therefore we most likely would have ended up with independence at some point.
Dean, at first you said option 3 would have been the best option to go with. Then, you said option 3 would be your second option. Would you make up your mind? and which option do you want to be your top choice? Oh and I just thought I should mention this!
Deanne, i ment with the best second option on my first comment. I just elaborated on my second comment.
After several days of thinking about the situation that existed between the colonies and Great Britain, I realized that King George and the Parliament really blew it. If they had not been so stubborn they could have had a great realtionship with the colonies. All they had to do was give the colonies back their basic rights and not tax them as much as they did. This should have satisfied the colonies. Also this would have been a great deal for the colonies. They would have all their basic rights and would have paid minium taxes but would have had the benefits of being part of the British empire. For these reasons, I feel that option 3 would have been the second best option.
I like option 3 because if britain wanted to compromise they would have asked in the first place. We need to fight for our freedom and not just talk it out. I agree with carolin because if britain would have given representation then there wouldn't have been a revolution which formed how we are now. so we should fight like englishmen and stop playing around.
I would pick options 2 and 3 because they both want to be away from the British but in a team with them and they dont want to be that violent about it.The first option wanted to stay totally attached to the british which i dissagree with because in my option our fellow John Locke said that British were not protecting our supporting our natural rights. Option 2 also makes a point about how we all should sit down a negociate because we could all get a better frendship with Britian that way. I also like Option 3 because they want to have independence just like we do but they want to be less violent about it so we can keep the colonists safe. But we are different we will do whatever it takes to win compelete independence from Great Britian. I think that if we pick Option 2 we would have gained a better relationship with Britian and they can learn to trust us more to have a little more independence. But if we picked Option 3 I think they would be in the same position they were in before they went to war against each other.
Option 2 and 3 also did a great job in explaining and convincing there topic to the rest of the class. YOU ROCKED YOUR PRESENTATIONS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If option 4 did not happen them I would hope that they would pick option 2. For me this would be the best option because we would still be friends with Britian but we would have a little bit more room. What I mean by that is that we would have more choices. I think after a wile the outcome will end and we would need independence because the Brithish are to hard to get along with.
I agree with everyone that chose option 3! We wanted Britain to have our backs and to be able to trade with each other but Parliment wasn't treating us fairly and we were not going to tolerate that. We WOULD fight for our rights if that was the last resort but we would try to keep the relationship with Britain decent.
Yeah! Option 3 was definetely the best! Their reasoning was good. And Savannah of course you think option 3 was the best because you had option 3! But anyway, it made more sense to state your independance peacefully at first but get violent if that doesnt work!
What what option was i again? I dont really remember!
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