-BG+Responses+to+Essential+Questions

8/30

Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the English began to colonize the new world. As they began the different colonies, they faced and endured many hardships such as disease, war, and starvation. __The English chose to endure these hardships becasue of the economic and social challenges they faced in England.__

At this time England's economy was at a standstill. There were immense amounts of people who were unemployed. With so little opportunity, they had to look to other places. This place happened to be the New World. The New World proposed a chance for people to find gold and economic prosperity. The New World also had a massive abundance of untapped natural resources. England had nothing compared to the Colonies. The promise of finding this good fortune would definitely make it worth it.

Consequently of the depression, people were forced to turn to crime to sustain themselves. The prisons were full of able bodied Englishmen who were arrested for petty crimes. Numerous people were being hung everyday for very minor thefts. Richard Hakluyt was the chief advocate for this concept. It was because of the irrational deaths, that people were forced to vacate England and find a new place to live.

It also was around this time that the Reformation was taking place. England was in a state of constant conflict and war. The power struggle was constantly shifting between Protestantism and Catholicism. The crusades displaced and killed scores of people. Both groups had to alternatively seek refuge somewhere else. The religious conflict was one of the primary reasons for the establishment of the majority of the colonies.

The English were extremely determined to make the new settlement work. They endured things such as starvation, never ending conflict, and disease. They fought through and overcame their central problems in order to become the most successful and powerful country in the world.

9/17

During the 18th century, the New World experienced one of its preliminary wars. This war, the Seven Years War, drastically changed the social relation of two specific groups. These groups included the British and the people of the colonies. __The Seven Years War is the turning point because it is the first time the two groups are forced to work together and experience their differences.__ The British and colonials were very different in their social and economic views. These differences were highlighted during and after the war, and led to multiple disputes.

Emphasized during the war, the British and colonials had very different military styles. The British were very disciplined and hard working. They fought like gentleman, marching in formation and listening to every order given. After a long day of battle, they would go out to the fields and practice their marching and shooting. They were also very diplomatic and formal. They addressed each other with the proper title, and treated each other with the utmost respect. The colonials however, were quite the opposite. They served under elected captains, in a very informal fashion. They used the tactic of Guerilla warfare, which was considered dirty and despicable. They had no discipline and resisted many of the orders that the English gave them. These differences caused a separation and general discontempt between the two groups.

In the years following the war, King George attempted to implement taxes on the colonial citizens to help pay for the war. The King thought that it was only fair that the Englishmen of the colonies should help pay for their nation's war. The English had already been in a great amount of debt, and the war only increased the immensity of money they owed. The colonies had no problem paying taxes, except for the fact that they had no representation in Parliament to defend them. These taxes, brought on by the war, outraged the colonists and were the direct cause of several violent protests, such as the Boston Tea Party. As time went on, the conlonies' and England's tensions heightened immensly.

The relationship between the two groups were ultimately changed due to the French and Indian War. The taxes, violent disputes, and experience of each others different methods of thinking were all a direct result of the war, when they forcibly experienced each others' way of life.

9/24

During the 18th century, the British and the colonists experienced many conflicts. King George was considered a tyrant. To the colonists, he was very similar to someone like Hitler. He guaranteed the colonists rights of Englishmen. Yet, he went back on his word. King George infracted the colonists' guaranteed rights. He also infracted presumed rights as well. __The colonists were justified in rebelling because King George took away their fundamental rights.__

Englishmen were guaranteed representation in Parliament and the law-making process. When granted a royal charter, it specifically stated that they were guaranteed the same rights as englishmen. When King George taxed and restricted the colonies, he violated those rights. The colonists were not mad specifically about the taxes, but because they had no one in Parliament to fight for them. This was the largest dispute and instigator of the colonists.

This was not the only dispute between the King and the colonists. King George was the one who started the French and Indian War. He sent an immense supply of troops on a very expensive journey to fight in the war. Although they did win the war, this put England in an extreme amount of debt. King George attempted to make the colonists pay for his war through the taxes. He also forced the colonists the quarter and feed the troops. About a decade later. King George sent in more troops and revoked Massachusetts' charter. He shut down Boston's port. He also implemented new taxes and laws. Plus he placed Massachusetts under martial law.

The colonists were also restricted and violated in other aspects as well. They were restricted from where they were allowed to settle within the new world. They were also forced to buy any manufactured good from England. Not to mention that they were not able to trade with other countries either. The colonists were presumed guilty until proven innocent in all courts, due to the fact that the judges were English. The merchants were subject to search without any just cause.

The colonists were completely violated by the tyrant, King George. For the longest time he payed no attention to the colonies allowing them to create their own way of living. Later, the King tries to completely change and control them. All of these different violations and intolerable acts left the colonists no choice but to rebel and protect their beliefs and values.

10/25

A revolution is defined as an overthrow and thorough replacement of an established form of government. In 1800, the presidential election was between Thomas Jefferson of the Democratic Republican party, and John Adams of the Federalist party. Preceding this election, the Federalists ruled the government. They controlled Congress, and the Executive branch with John Adams. In the election, Thomas Jefferson was declared the president. With him, swept in a large mass of Democratic Republicans into Congress.

Following the flow of new Congressman and the President, Jefferson and Congress began to eradicate old Federalist policies, such as the old Alien and Sedition Acts. During Jeffersons presidency, more power was given to the individual states. Citizens' rights were protected more by the policies established by Thomas Jefferson. When Jefferson came in, he completely changed the face of the government, and redirected the direction of the United States. This is why the election of 1800 can be considered a revolution.

Jefferson's associates changed old policies and established many of his own. He encouraged a western movement and more agriculture. He also encouraged foriegn immigration. He considered the United States as a have for the oppressed. He did not just change the political standpoint of the government. Jefferson changed the social structure of the presidency. He had people shake his hand rather than bow. He also sat at dinners at round tables to encourage more feelings of equality.

Jefferson changed the political and social structure of the formerly established policies. He changed old policies and established new ones. He changed the president's image to a true man of the people. All of these things coincide with the definition of revolution, which is why you can consider the Election of 1800 a revolution.