A War of Ideas

After studying events that led to the Revolution, this week we focused on the power of ideas and how new thinking about people’s rights and their ability to govern themselves helped change history.

This morning as I was reading “The Newport Daily News” I came across an article in the Community section that referenced John Locke. Yes, I love it when journalists enrich their articles with historical content! Locke believed in natural rights, that is, that all people have basic rights of life, liberty and property (Jefferson changed "property" to "pursuit of happiness"). Locke believed people are born with these rights, not granted them by a king or a government who could then take them away. Locke also believed that government should protect these rights (the social contract) and if the government failed to do so, the people have the right to break away or find other rulers (popular sovereignty).

In 1776, these ideas of social contract, natural rights and popular sovereignty became the tipping point for the colonists to declare independence!

“Common Sense”

While the Founders were meeting in Philadelphia, the man on the street was reading “Common Sense,” a best seller in 1776. In language everyone could understand, Thomas Paine outlined obvious reasons why the colonists should separate from England. Paine went even further to argue that the people should rule themselves:

“Of more worth is one honest man to society, and in sight of God,
than all the crowned ruffians that ever lived.”

Your “Common Sense” assignment uses the strategy of marking up the text. This strategy allows you to read more deeply and to read for understanding. By locating unfamiliar vocabulary, making connections, and asking questions, you become more active readers. This strategy can be used in all content areas and is especially useful when you take standardized exams such as the SATs or the state tests.

We also used this strategy when we read the Declaration of Independence. You may want to return to your text book and read your author's interpretation of the document.

In addition, think about what it meant for these men to sign a document that announced to the world that the colonies were breaking with England, the most powerful empire of its time.

• Did our Founders commit treason?
• Would you be willing to sign your name to a document that could lead to your death?
• What were these people thinking as they went up against the British Empire?
  

To Your Battle Stations!

You have been assigned to your Battle Groups and will have the opportunity to continue acting and thinking like historians as you sift through the different accounts and decide what to include and not include in your presentations. You may want to take time to do an internet search to locate primary sources, keeping in mind that you want to look at the event through the eyes of the colonists and the British.

Also, think about visuals and how they could be used to help tell the story of the battle. Remember, “a picture is worth a thousand words” and many of us are visual learners. Last but not least we will want to know the significance of the battle. Why are we studying this battle, how did it contribute to the course of the war, would history be different if this battle never occurred?

Current Events Reminder

While I know you will continue to keep up on national and international issues, we will suspend current events for next week as we work on the battle presentations.

Happy Birthday Gilbert

Today is Gilbert Stuart’s birthday. He was one of Rhode Island’s most famous, and one of America’s premier painters. Please take the time to check out the site that commemorates his birthplace in Saunderstown. Of course, you could also take a moment and look at a dollar bill…Stuart’s most famous painting of GW!