Essay #2 Outline 2

Background Information:

· British ships blocked Boston Harbor.
· Parliament raised taxes for colonists on British goods.
· Taxes were being used, not to benefit the colonies, but to pay for England’s debts that they had nothing to do with.
· The Declaration of Congress was signed, declaring the colonies independent of English rule.
· Parliament interfered in our government process: put in officials that they wanted and who they knew would always side with them.
· Parliament took away colonial laws that they didn’t approve of.
· British soldiers were placed in colonies without the consent of the people.


Body:

I. The British army is forcing us to defend ourselves against them.
---A. We colonists are just trying to protect ourselves against British attacks by fighting back against them.
-----1. “To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace” (George Washington,).
-------a. We cannot and will not stand by as the British are everywhere killing colonists.

II. We sent petitions to the King of England asking for him to change what was happening in the colony, but he chose to ignore our requests.
---A. Being constantly ignored by the King and Parliament is why we decided to separate from England permanently.
-----1. “In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms; our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people” (Declaration of Independence).
-------a. We tried to be patient. We tried to be nice and grateful. We did everything we could to persuade the King in the humblest way possible and nothing changed for us. Nothing changed for the good of the colony.

III. English Parliament is creating unfair laws and taxes for the colonies and is taking away laws that we created for ourselves.
---A. Parliament and the King are constantly creating more laws that restrict what we can and cannot do. This has created much animosity within the colonies against the British.
-----1. “The wary, uneasy equilibrium within society degenerated into violent disorder when the oligarchy’s demands destroyed lower-class autonomy and became too harsh, excessively vindictive, or patently unjust” (The Social Order and Violent Disorder: An Analysis of North Carolina in the Revolution and the Civil War, 375).
-------a. None of the laws that have been enacted so far have benefited the colonies. The laws only benefited England and their agenda.


Works Cited:

1. Walter, Jr., Alonzo J. "Preparing for a Generation of Peace." December 31, 2003. 13 Nov 2008 < http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1972/may-jun/walter.html >.

2. Crow, Jeffrey J., Escott, Paul J. "The Social Order and Violent Disorder: An Analysis of North Carolina in the Revolution and the Civil War." The Journal of Southern History. Vol 52. Issue 3. August 1986. pg 375. 13 Nov 2008 < http://moe.ic.highline.edu:2117/stable/2209568&Search=yes&term=War&term=Analysis&term=Civil&term=Revolution&term=Order&term=Disorder&term=Carolina&term=North&term=Violent&term=Social&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoAdvancedSearch%3Fq0%3DThe%2BSocial%2BOrder%2Band%2BViolent%2BDisorder%253A%2BAn%2BAnalysis%2Bof%2BNorth%2BCarolina%2Bin%2Bthe%2BRevolution%2Band%2Bthe%2BCivil%2BWar%26f0%3Dall%26c0%3DAND%26q1%3D%26f1%3Dall%26c1%3DAND%26q2%3D%26f2%3Dall%26c2%3DAND%26q3%3D%26f3%3Dall%26wc%3Don%26Search%3DSearch%26ar%3Don%26sd%3D%26ed%3D%26la%3D%26jo%3D&item=2&ttl=226&returnArticleService=showArticle >.

3. "Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776." The Avalon Project Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy. Lillian Goldman Law Library. 13 Nov 2008. < http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/declare.asp >.