Discussion: The Growing Divide

Description

Students must submit at least two posts for each weekly discussion.  Your first post is due no later than 10pm on Wednesday, must answer one of the following questions, and be at least 250 words in length.  Your second and any subsequent posts must respond to a classmate’s post on a different document.  Second posts must be submitted no later than 12pm on Saturday and must be at least 150 words in length.  You are encouraged to submit more than the required two posts as doing so will enrich the discussion.  Posts must provide parenthetical citations like this (name of document, page number) to support students’ argument.  In other words, when you make an argument, you will have to provide the evidence so others may refer to the appropriate part of the reading if necessary.  Be as specific as you can and try to avoid making sweeping generalizations that are often not supported by the evidence.

Questions:

1.  What is John Dickinson’s assessment of the relationship between the colonies and England?  In the letter you read for this week, what was his primary concern?

2.  How did the position of the colonists in Anson County, North Carolina differ from John Dickinson’s position?  What do these two documents reveal about the state of colonial affairs on the eve of the American Revolution?

3.  Discuss Patrick Henry’s argument.  What kind of rhetoric (e.g. vocabulary) did he use to articulate his views?  Why do you think he used such words?