-JPResponses+to+Essential+Questions

August 30th Essential Question -

The fact that English colonized on the eastern coast of the United States was due to many reasons, and from the sources we were given it has nothing to do with keeping up with Spain's rapid colonization. Although the Jamestown settlement took the lives of most of the colonists they perservered and stuck with what they thought was benficial. Between of a crumbling economic system in England and overcrowded streets and prisons, Jamestown seemed like a fresh new start for them, and it truely was if it flourished. Many agriculturalists were being pushed out of their places of work and life for sheep herders to come in and take over. Prisons were overly filled with people who owed small amounts of many or committed petty crimes. To solve this problem the King would man ships with these men, and these men helped to colonize the Americas as we know them today. Spain's colonization had almsot no bearing over whether or not Jamestown was colonized, and it was purely the doing of the fragmented state of England that pushed the colonists to these new limits. Because most of the provisions that were sent to Jamestown from England never made it there there most of the colonists died off. From 1610 to 1624 10,000 new immigrants arrived in the new world, but merely 12% only 1200 survived until the spring of 1624. This is a testament to the difficulties the colonists endured, and it also shows the extent they were willing to go through to get away from their old land, England.

September 3rd Essential Question -

//__In which of the colonies from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts would you have preferred to be a settler? Explain FULLY why. (Include thesis focusing specially on the social and economical make up of your choice)- Due Sunday by 8:00 pm__//

Both Massachusetts and Pennsylvania offer life and land to perspective settlers. Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Bay Colony however, would be my choice of residence for many reasons including a pure population, and an intertwined government consisting of church and state. This is very important to me as a man of Puritan Faith, as my religion is my life. I will also still have the exact same rights as an Englishman, and this is important because i still believe in my home country to suceed, i merely doubt the faith of the Church of England. The Massachusetts Bay Colony is a religious haven for only those of the Puritan Faith. The Puritans came to Massachusetts after John Winthrop founded it in 1630 because they wanted a "purer" version of the Church of England, as it was now being accepted to be a "damned" and still go to church. My religion is of the upmost importance to me and this is the only place where i can be a true Puritan and stay true to the laws and codes i follow. The government consists of a blend of the church, and the state. This combination can be found no where else and it makes that Puritans control the laws by which we live. As a natural born Englishmen i should have the rights of a natural born Englishmen in his home country. The Massachusetts Bay Colony offers me the same rights that i should have in England, but with a modified form of religion, it will be more sucessfull and beneficial towards Puritans.

September 20th Essential Question -

__//Why is the French and Indian War a major turning point between British and colonial relations? Cite specific examples focusing specifically the economical and social aspects of the period. (1763-1774) Due Thursday 2nd Period.//__

In the middle to late 18th century, tensions and conflicts were rising between Great Britain and the English Colonies. This can be blamed on many things, but after the war ended in 1763 with the Treaty of Paris many questions were left unanswered for both sides. The French and Indian War was a major turning point between British and Colonial relations because of a large amount of left over British troops in the colonies, extreme taxes and acts being placed because of a huge amount of debt owed by Britain, and the fact that the colonists were getting taxed without being represented in British parliament. This sums up to "taxation without representation", but also much more than that.

With the war efforts over for both sides and money being of short notice for Britain, 10,000 troops were left in the American Colonies after the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763. This left an overwhelming feeling that Britain was trying to strong-arm the colonists, and intimidate them. With these 10,000 troops in the colonies Britain could do anything they wanted to the colonists, and have the resources to reinforce it. Or so they thought.

In 1750 the debt owed by Great Britain was around 72 million pounds, but in 1763 right after the war the debt near a staggering 132 million pounds. To try and compensate for this extrenuous amount of debt Great Britain originally tried raising taxes in their homeland by 12-13%. This tactic didnt work, and left the majority of the population angry. A man named George Greenville came into play, as they British Parliament needed another way to rid themselves of debt. He came up with the idea to tax the American Colonists with four distinct taxes. These included the Stamp act, the Sugar act, the Currency act, and the Quartering act. Most of these were designed to increase prices on essential goods, and therefore funnel the extra money into England. All of his taxes fail, and some of them resulted in a loss of funds for England. Colonists felt that taxation without respresentation was severely unfair, and a huge rift was opened between the two parties. In 1766 British Parliament passed the Declaratory Act. This act disabled the colonists from settling past a certain western boundary established by England. Many groups were furious at this, and the Paxton Boys even went as far as to settle past this line on purpose.

Essential Question (2) - __//Justify the actions of the American colonists in declaring and fighting for their independence. Essential Question Due Thursday 2nd period. 9/24/09//__ Throughout the 18th century the american colonies inched closer and closer to demanding their indepenence from Great Britain. There were many factors that pushed the colonists over the edge in 1776, but the main problem being caused by Britain was taxation without representation, as seen with the Grenville Acts. Other problems, which were stated in the Declaration of Independence itself, were that a satelite colony should never be smaller than the mother country. The Colonial population approached 2.5 million and was spread all along the eastern coast of North America. After the French and Indian war Britain was left with a great deal of national debt to deal with. Their solution was Thomas Grenville. He put in place the stamp act, and 3 others taxes that both directly and indirectly affected the american colonists. This angered the colonists for the simple fact that they had to pay more money for the goods they desired. Another thing that soon angered the colonists was that they were not represented in British Parliament. They had no say as to what laws were being passed, what taxes were being enacted, and who governed their lands. This fact helps to justify the declaration of the colonist's independence.

The Colonial population approached 2.5 million and was spread all along the eastern coast of North America. The population of Great Britain was confined to a small island thousands of miles away. The simple fact that the Colonies out-grew its mother country should be reason enough to declare independence. Overall the colonists were taken advantage of and mistreated by the British, and the Declaration of Independence was going to happen whether Great Britain wanted it to, or not.

Essential Question- How does the constitution allow for an enduring political debate? Use support from activity completed in class. (Due Sunday by 8:00 pm) The Constitution of the United States of America raised many questions to be asked by many people throughout the states in the latter part of the 18th century. Federalists waged arguements against anti-federalists on topics such as the Bill of Rights, and the Cabinet of our first president George Washington (Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson) had opposing viewpoints on everything. These topics allow for a huge amount of debate to take place, and even though these events definately happened, we still should learn about them in AP US. The Bill of Rights was one of the most argued about documents in American History. Federalists and Ani-Federalista like published dozens of newspapers and ariticles that argued back and forth. Alexander Hamilton was a great contributor to the Federalists papers contributing well over half. He argued the importance of the constitution in the united states, and from his arguement, a great topic for debate was generated. States like New York, a major northern powerhouse, were ratified due in part to the Federalist Papers, and from them many other states also ratified. The ratification of the last states united the country as we know it today. Alexander Hamilton was a brash federalist, and his cabinet partner thomas jefferson was a diehard democratic republican. They differed heavily in almost all aspects of politics and what course of action the nation should take. For this reason alone, George Washington selected these two men to be in his cabinet. This was the first, and last cabinet that included members from different parties of politics. Washington got to hear both sides of "the arguement" so to say. This made for very interesting debates between the two men, and it had George Washington acting as the moderator between them. Sometimes the debate would get heated, and "ol' George: had to calm them down.

//__Essential Question- Was the Revolution of 1800 truly a Revolution?__// Due Sunday by 10:30pm

A revolution, according to Dictionary.com, is an overthrow or the thorough replacement of an established government or political system by the people governed. The Revolution of 1800 was the short title given to the time period in which Thomas Jefferson was President of the United States. The Revolution of 1800 should be considered a revolution because of many reasons, the first being that it fits the definition of the word. The second being that the Federalists lost control of the congress and the Presidency all at once with the election of the Republican Thomas Jefferson. And the third; there was a very large group of people supporting it. A revolution must be supported in order for it to be sucessful, and the Revolution of 1800 was. George Washington didnt have an exact political party that he belonged to, such as every politician of today. John Adams was a strong Federalist. With the first two presidents being heavily influenced by Federalistic mentalities, a third was soon to come with different views. Thomas Jefferson was a Republican and he specifically didnt alienate large groups of people such as the Federalists did. Also being a devoted Republican he employed a cabinet and a congress that was also all Republican. This is why the Revolution of 1800, should be considered a revolution. It was a momentous political shift in the state of the nation.