Monday, July 9, 2012

Rise to Rebellion


83 comments:

  1. Cheyenne Laatsch
    Part 1
    Connections: From what I have read so far in Jeff Shaara’s Rise to Rebellion, Benjamin Franklin is one of my favorite figures throughout the book. I often connected him to members of my family. He always seemed to have good intentions and usually thought out the outcomes; however he sometimes had a way of making himself look silly. He reminds me somewhat of my Grandpa. For example, Mrs. Stevenson walked into Franklin’s room to see him pacing around, calculating the paces to the Barwell residence. He had the best intentions and actually was trying hard to see if the trip could fit into his walk that he took during the day. Mrs. Stevenson found it very amusing, as did I. In addition, he was strolling through the park one day and picked up a bottle and unknowingly invented sunglasses. To me, if I saw an older man in the park just pick up a glass bottle, I would wonder what on earth he could possibly be doing, when really he was crafting something in his mind that would be used for hundreds of years. My grandpa is the same way…he has the best intentions, but can look a bit silly sometimes. For instance when my family and I cleaned out our basement, he insisted on burning the garbage we had in his fire pit, so that it didn’t go in a landfill somewhere. He ended up burning all of it, including the Barbie dolls without heads. After that he would make up stories about the Barbie dolls going to Barbie Heaven. For me it was fun and entertaining to read about someone who reminded me so much of a family member.
    Preview/Predict: At the closing of part two, Abigail and John Quincy Adams are standing outside, watching the battle that many had been hoping to avoid. She says that she can already start to form the letter that she will write to John in her head. I also know that John often worries about his family because he isn’t home as much as he wishes he could be and with the Second Continental Congress in session, he is home even less. The last time he received a letter from Abigail bearing bad news, he broke down and needed the assistance of his cousin, Samuel, to get him to calm down again. I predict that John will receive the letter from Abigail in his next chapter and will seriously consider coming home to protect and be with his family. I think John had a huge heart and everything that he did was for his family and their well-being. He will probably second guess his decision on going to the congress again and will try to go home. Knowing his strong minded and caring cousin, however, I also believe that Sam will convince him to stay and finish what so many men and women of the colonies have started: The American Revolution.

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    1. Cheyenne:

      Good insight to some of the main players in the revolution. Franklin and Adams were both important figures in the revolution. Mr. Peterson

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  2. Cheyenne Laatsch
    Part 1
    Turning Points: Benjamin Franklin at this time was viewed as a sort of wise elder, due to the fact that he was much older than many of the other men and women involved in the Continental Congress. When Franklin sent Hutchinson’s personal letters to some of the men involved in the Sons of Liberty, this was a complete turning point, due to the fact that the colonists eyes were opened up to the idea that the main problem did not lie with the king, it was the fact that the only person that they had, who was supposed to tell the king of how the people across the Atlantic were feeling, was lying and causing trouble. If those letters hadn’t been sent, Hutchinson wouldn’t have been removed from office, Gage wouldn’t have been put in his place and maybe the war would have been put off a little longer because the people would not have had as many issues with the king and Hutchinson and how they were being ruled.
    Through their eyes: On page 346 and 347, it at first struck me as odd that when Gage’s wife expressed her opinion to him on the war, he snapped at her. He told her that she was forgiven of her outburst. Later, though, I realized that women were viewed in a very different way back then. They were viewed as housewives who were responsible for keeping the house and children in order and nothing more. Women had little to no rights back then and were basically owned by their fathers before they were married and their husbands after they were married. If they disagreed with something that their husband said, like Margaret did here, they were wrong, as pointed out by General Gage. Even though this was true, I still was able to see an extreme difference in the Gage household and the Adams household. I suppose it depended on how much freedom their husband was willing to give them and for some, it was more than others.

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    1. I also found the treatment of women's personal views and opinions surprising. Though I was well aware women's rights weren't really considered until the 20th century, it was still shocking to me that there was a total and complete disregard for the opinion of women in that period in history. Women weren't even offered much of an education which left all the decisions up to the male population in the colonies. I felt that the amount of freedom or space given to the wives by John Adams and Thomas Gage varied because of their standing within the colonies. Whereas John Adams was an attorney to defend the general accused of giving the order to shoot the colonists, Thomas Gage was a british general given the job of obliterating the rebellion. It was very obvious to me that their households would be quite different when compared to the other.

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    2. Madeleine Vruwink

      I agree that when Benjamin Franklin sent those letters to the Sons of Liberty it changed things. Before, the colonists thought it was completely the Kings fault, but it wasn’t entirely his fault. Governor Hutchinson reported to the King about what was going on and gave him his thoughts about what should be done. He also wasn’t completely truthful about what the colonists were really feeling. They were very upset, but Hutchinson didn’t work to fix it. He looked good to the king, but he was really a terrible Governor. I disagree though with the thought that the war would have been put off longer if Hutchinson were still governor. Most of the citizens hated Hutchinson and even if they didn’t know how he really governed, they still would have grown more upset.

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  3. Part 1 of Rise to Rebellion:
    Rise to Rebellion, by Jeff Shaara, is a compelling fictional novel detailing the American Revolution. I find it to be an interesting and compelling read because it is fiction, not just facts, facts, facts. The interesting parts of this book revolve around the differing views of just a few of the important and influencial men during the American Revolution. I found Ben Franklin to be the most intriguing character so far, as he is kind of a kooky inventor but also an influential man, despite his growing age. In the beginning, the trial of Captain Thomas Preston seemed to be the only thing going on, but as the book continiues, so much more unfolds as all events lead up to the American Revolution itself. The letters of Governor Hutchinson, that were stolen/sent from Ben Franklin to a few of the Sons of Liberty , seemed to be an important part in the increasingly fast unravel of the American colonists' tie to Britain. On page 96, the "the empire still has claws, still has them wrapped around America. All it will take is one crack in this fragile peace, one sharp stab into English dominance, and the claws will dig in again." This seemed like the perfect 2 sentences to sum up the situation at that previous moment, and when the letters sent from Hutchinson were revealed to the few Sons of Liberty, they determine that Hutchinson and the other men believe that there is only one solution to the disputes occurring between the colonies and England. Hutchinson used phrases like 'a firmer hand' to describe the discipline used on a child, similar to what the colonies were 'in need of'. From their view, England is trying to dominate them, and Hutchinson believes that if the colonists' disagree with the king's policies, then there should be punishment or retribution. This sets up much of the novel for Part 1 in the build up to the actual American Revolution. Though the letters themselves seemed to be a turning point in Part 1, Ben Franklin seems to be the most interesting character so far. He is depicted as quite the comfortable man, as shown on page 35, he walks around undressed in his home near his windows, unashamed for any neighbors or his housekeeper, Mrs. Stevenson, to see. He also seems to be quite the odd ball, as Mrs. Stevenson walks in on him walks circles around his room, trying to match it up to his daily walks. Curiously enough, she finds this amusing, though it would be viewed as something very odd at that time. He seemed to have built himself up as a very influential inventor and politician in the American colonies, as he had been around long enough to become quite wise. To him, the letters from Governor Thomas Hutchinson made him quite angry , and so he went to the Sons of Liberty with them, and they went into action. More accumulates throughout Part 1, but the letters were an important addition to the turning point of the American colonists' soon-changing lives.

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    1. Anna Koepke
      These are some great points, Alexis. I was wondering how these event would have changed if Ben Franklin had agreed with Governor Hutchinson's views from the letters. Without Ben Franklin on the colonists' side, I feel like some of the important events in the book would not have happened. The Sons of Liberty would have never gotten ahold of those letters and would not have been so outraged to publish them. I believe that even though Ben Franklin was just one person, he played a huge role in the outcome of the events leading up to the war.

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    2. Mr. Peterson

      Alexis, very good points and very important ideas, letters and important ideas sent to the colonists by important men in the revolution are things that inspired the colonists to persist with their important views of liberty and taxation.

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  4. Connections: I'd like to assess the connection of John Adams, attorney, to modern day justice. In the very beginning of Rise to Rebellion, by Jeff Shaara, the Boston Massacre takes place, and Captain Thomas Preston is accused of ordering his troops to fire on innocent civilian colonists. There had been an angry mob gathering on the steps, and chaos had erupted, but in the midst of everything, Captain Preston had not issued the command. John Adams is one of the best attorneys in the colonies, and he takes to be Captain Preston's attorney. He truly believes and knows for certain that he is doing the right thing, though colonists would say different. In my head this connects to the justice system of modern times because lawyers and attorneys are paid for for trials, cases, court laws, etc. and the best of the best win their cases whether or not the accused is guilty or not. An attorney must be provided, even just a public defense attorney, becuase a fair trial must be arranged. These two cases, with attorney John Adams and between modern lawyers and attoneys seems to connect in the quest for justice.
    Prediction/Preview:
    As the Sons of Liberty go to the offices of Thomas Hutchinson Jr., Esq. and Elisha Hutchinson, Esq., to talk, not confront them on the issues regarding the king's new policy. Their business in going is to rescue the colony from another attempt to undermine their liberty. This of course escalates and grows exponentially into the American Revolution, with the outcome of American being separate and independent from Britain. But in the novel, it is mainly just a preview of that exactly, of what is to come from the colony that will not continuously be undermined by England.

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  5. Madeleine Vruwink

    Part 1:

    Reading like a historian:
    Turning Points:
    In the beginning of the book, John Adams did not really have an opinion of the British or to the rebels. He even defended Captain Preston who was considered to be the enemy to people in Boston. That changed at the Town Hall Meeting. Adams grew so upset with Governor Hutchinson because Hutchinson said that everyone should be punished for what the rebels in Rhode Island did to the ship Gaspee. That is when he spoke and became a Son of Liberty. After that point, he agreed with what his cousin Sam said and did not think he was crazy. John Adams changed and started to want independence. That is when the story itself turned. Before Adams was just a lawyer, but after he became one more person who wanted independence and that led our country its freedom we have today. From then on he went to all of the Town Hall Meetings, and was involved with the Sons of Liberty. At the end of Part 1 he was even chosen as one of the four delegates to represent them at Continental Congress. In the beginning of the book this was not the same John Adams.

    Differing Perspectives:
    In the book, we get both sides of the story. I believe this is very good because it gives us the chance to form an actual opinion. We see a few different perspectives from the American side and some from the British side. With the Americans, we read about wanting independence and fighting for that, but with the British, we read the opposite of that. With the British, it is seen as citizens being disloyal. When reading John Adams’ perspective, we see the Sons of Liberty side. We read about how horrible the British were and everything that the Sons of Liberty are doing to gain independence. After reading this, I think that the British were awful and am happy when the Sons of Liberty get closer to independence. When reading Governor Gabe’s perspective, we see the British army side. We read about how the Americans are disloyal and how the Americans are doing such terrible things. After reading that perspective, I do see how the British are upset and I know that I would feel the same way. After reading both perspectives, I do agree with the American perspective more. We deserved our independence and we had to fight for it.

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    1. G. Peterson

      Good point Madeleine. The sons of liberty were one of the main driving forces on the road to independence. The British actions and their lack of understanding of the colonists point of view pushed more and more colonists to the side of independence.

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  6. Madeleine Vruwink

    Part 1:

    Reading Thoughts:
    Connections:
    I believe that the political aspects of this book can be connected to modern-day politics. The book describes protests, mobs, and rebellions. We still see this everywhere in the world. There are still protests about who is in charge. There are always people who agree with the person in charge, and there are always people who disagree. It does not matter how big or small the political position is, there will always be protests. There are also still mobs. Although the style of them is different now, people are still getting hurt over political reasons. There is not always the bloodshed like in the Boston Massacre, but people are still fighting and getting hurt. Rebellions also still occur in the world. This is mostly in less developed countries and countries that are under a tyrant. America gained its independence in 1776, but there are countries still fighting for that today. If one looks at the big picture, it looks like our country is very different from how we were 1770, but looking closer, we are not that different.
    Preview/Predict:
    During the last few chapters in Part 1, the King issues the Boston Port Bill. This cuts off the food supply from England. The King did this in hopes of having the rebels apologize so he can have their loyalty again. What they did not expect was to have the colonies start to come together and supply Massachusetts with food. This shows that the colonies will come together as one and fight England together, which will begin the American Revolution. I predict that Governor Gabe and the English will start to get very worried about this. If one city (Boston) was able to cause so much damage that the King cut off their food supply, the 13 colonies together all with hopes of independence, will be able to win the war.

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    1. Lindsey Van Galder
      I agree with what you think will come next in the novel. I was also thinking that, and there were also other moments in the book that hinted on the colonies hopes of independece. An example is when the king issued the stamp act. This made the colonies very upset about what the government was doing to them and it made me predict that things were going to keep building up until the colonies fight for independence.

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  7. Lindsey Van Galder

    Connections:
    In Jeff Shaara's novel, Rise to Rebellion, he brings to life the American Revolution in a very touching way. He puts the readers in every one of the characters shoes and makes them really get the true impact of the events. For example, John Adams had a huge love for his family and farm, but to make enough money to support his family he became a lawyer. When I read this it connected me to my life. John Adams reminds me of my dad. I grew up living on a farm and my dad worked every day to support my family and I. But when the farm wasn't doing to well my dad decided to leave the farm for something better. Although he loved the farm he knew that supporting my family was more important. My dad is a very hard working and loving man just like John Adams. If you look at the big picture, many people went through the same hardships back then but managed to get through them, just like people today.

    Preview/Predict:
    During part one of the novel there were many events that helped lead up to bigger events. For example, in chapter ten Shrahan and Franklin are discussing the issues with the government. When Franklin says; "Parliament is elected by, what, three percent of your people? There are towns that are not represented at all, no membership...It's a corrupt system, Will”, makes me think that soon the colonies will rebel and try to get more say in the government. That is an obvious thing to predict, but with this statement being said it helps me realize how the characters were feeling about the situations, and how serious the problem is for some people, like Franklin. With this being said, there are many key points in part one and two that help predict further events in the story.

    Turning Points:
    In the novel there are many turning points, even right at the beginning of the book. The Boston Massacre is a huge turning point in the story. The colonists were all just living their simple lives and obeying the king when some boys threw a snow ball at a guard who was guarding the Custom House. A mom began to emerge and before anything could be done, people were dead. After this event people began to think about how the parliament was controlling them, and how things should be changed. This event was a huge turning point that gave some colonists reasons to try to break away from the British Empire.

    Through their eyes:
    Jeff Shaara gives every reader a very good visual of how the characters in his novel view their world. For example, back in these times women didn't have any rights. They didn't attend school, or work outside of the house. Abigail Smith, John Adam's wife was one of the women that wanted to have an education and decided to go against the government to learn how to read and write. Although I knew that women’s rights weren't accepted at this time, it still shocked me to know that such a thing was true. After reading about this though, I could get the idea that Abigail viewed life as not fair and that she could be the type of person that would fight for women’s rights when the time came. Looking at another character's perspective, John Adams had an interesting view on the world. He loved the simple life on the farm with his family, but he knew the world was more complex and that he had to focus more on the colonies and his job than the farm. For instance, at the beginning of part two when Adams was going to Boston to the Congress he was dreading the moment when he had to leave his family behind. But he knew that he was needed to keep law in order and that his job was important. He wanted to view the world as simple, but he knew with the conflicts between the colonies it was impossible. Every character in the novel had a different view on their world, and that is what truly impacts the choices and actions that became the American Revolution.

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    1. Lindsey, I definitely agree with everything you are saying. You make some really good points that I have also considered. I like your comment that the Boston Massacre is such a huge point that influences opinions of the colonists towards the British. It is weird to consider what may have happened if the Massacre would have never occurred. What if that boy never threw the snowball and they left the soldier alone? If not occurred, I still think that a point would come along eventually to cause anger and be a turning point. I think the Boston Massacre was just something that finally "broke the ice" and caused colonist to push for a revolution. Do you agree?

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    2. Lindsey Van Galder

      I totally agree with all of your ideas, and I was actually thinking the same things. I do feel like if the boy never threw the snow ball the Massacre would have never occured at that time, but I think that something else would have set the colonists off and some other type of Massacre would have occurred.

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    3. Mr. Peterson
      Lindsey, excellent comments and ideas. The Boston Massacre was a main event in the revolution. It was used as a source of propaganda to influence the colonies that independence was the only way to avoid excessive rule and abuse of their rights.

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  8. Cheyenne Laatsch

    Part 2:

    Evaluation: In chapter of 38 of Jeff Shaara’s Rise to Rebellion, Abigail Adams gives John Adams her famous speech about not forgetting the women. I found that this scene clashed with how I was taught however. I was under the impression that she told him these ideas in a letter, and not in person. I was unsure as to which story was true. Regardless, this scene showed readers how willing Abigail was to put up a fight for her rights. She loved her husband very much, but was still willing to make sure he knew how she felt: that the new government should not only include rights for men, but women as well. I know that even though she unfortunately died before the Seneca falls convention and the Declaration of Sentiments was written, her letter to John, or in this case discussion with him, is what inspired many women to be a part of the cause of women’s rights.

    Importance: Chapter 34 is what happens right after George Washington is appointed to commander of the colonial army. Washington was very worried about if the soldiers he will be commanding will not respect him. This chapter was very important, not only to the rest of the book, but for the rest of US history. Washington was clearly reluctant to be a part of the army because he wanted to enjoy his life at home with his wife, Martha. If Washington had not decided to accept the appointment and become commander, we may not have eventually won the revolutionary war. If we hadn’t won the war, no one knows what would have happened to the citizens living in the colonies. Not to mention, even if we had won without Washington, he may not have been the first president of the United States. His victories during the Revolutionary war are a part of what lead to him becoming president, and if those victories had never taken place, who knows what could have happened.

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  9. Cheyenne Laatsch
    Part 2:
    Change and Continuity: Because Franklin had sent his letters to the colonies, exposing Hutchinson, his son no longer wants anything to do with him. William can barely stand to even be in the presence of his father, let alone have a decent conversation with him, which is shown when Franklin pays William and his family a visit. William becomes angry at Franklin and warns him that he shouldn’t try to fill Temple’s head with Franklin’s ideas. Temple however still loves his grandfather very much and likes to spend time with him. This is shown when Temple asks Franklin to go for a walk and offers to help him. The afterword also says that Temple tried very hard to get Franklin’s work known to the world. Temple and Franklin have benefited from the situation because they now have each other to look after each other. Even though Franklin knows that he could probably never change Temple’s beliefs in the crown and the mother country, he has faith that his grandson loves him, no matter what side of the ocean lives on, or which side of the revolution he is cheering for. Temple does, however continue to keep in touch with his father as much as possible, due to the fact that he is on house arrest. They send letters. I think that both Franklin and William understood that Temple would probably refuse to be a prize to be won. He loved them both equally and wanted to keep a lasting relationship with the both of them. Therefore, Temple seems to have benefitted most from the situation because he has many family members who love him equally, no matter who they were fighting for.

    Differing perspectives: I liked how this book was told through the different perspectives of a few of the many brave citizens involved in the American Revolution and the events leading up to it. It helped me to understand better what was going on and try o understand the opinions that were involved. Franklin’s chapters helped me the most when talking about the congress because he was more reserved and saved the speeches and the talking for the younger men. Washington’s point of view helped when talking about the war because he was at center command and knew best what was happening. Although he only had one chapter in part two, Gage’s chapters helped me to understand the war from the side of the British side and I feel like that point of view was somewhat lacking towards the end. I wish there would have been a chapter or two from someone like Howe’s point of view so that the readers could get a look into the war from their side. I agreed with both sides at some point and time throughout. The British had a right to be taxing the Americans because the war was for them to have the land they were standing on after all. Not to mention, they had a right to send in troops to stand posts outside in the streets and such because the colonists were tarring and feathering many of the so-called Tories simply for their beliefs in the mother country. The colonists, as well had reason to complain too. The troops were living in their homes without their permission. Not to mention, they never had a reliable source between them and the England, so they could never be fairly cared for as a part of the country because they were so far away. All in all, each side had reason to be upset or angry. My belief is that independence was the best option because even if they had stuck together as a country, it would have been hard to keep control over both sides because they were separated by an entire ocean.

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  11. Bre Begley
    Part 1: So far Rise to the Rebellion has been a very interesting book in a way I would have never have guessed. Jeff Shaara does a wonderful job of making the story of the American Revolution gripping and understandable. I love how well he writes from key characters perspectives from not only the American side, but British as well. The change in characters has helped me gain knowledge of the Revolution as well increase the amount I have enjoyed it.

    Thinking Like a Historian
    Cause and Effect: It is obvious that there is no set reason that started the American Revolution. Rather it is a combination of many events. I have gained from this book that there are some events that, in my mind, have greater impact then the rest. The main one that I have found is the creation of the Townshend Acts. The excess of the taxes is what started a fire which would end up impossible to put out. As Britain and the King made the acts to help get out of an economic slump, the colonists were feeling much angst toward their “homeland”. This anger caused motivation to “put things right” in colonist's minds. Britain would have never guessed that taxes would lead to a full on revolution. I am curious to what would have been the difference if the Townshend Acts had been lessened or never created. Also, I feel a great cause came from the physical separation between Britain and America. People growing up in America or who had been from Britain for an extensive amount of time had less of a bond and sense of belonging to the British culture. This lack of belonging made for a feelings of neglect which is a huge cause. If you do not have a bond with a person and they are forcing you to things, why would anyone do them? These two causes started opposition toward Britain and the King which in turn had a large part in the creation of the Revolution.

    Differing Perspectives: As mentioned before, I am really enjoying the back and forth on character perspective. To me it really adds, because you see the issue from multiple different angles. As a colonist, issues begin with the heavy taxes and grow from there. Issues build and build until an outburst occurs in which the colonists have just had enough. When you look at the problems through the British eye, it is hard to focus on the past events built up in the colonists' mind. At one point in the book we hear an British person questioning why war would start from dumping tea. While reading the American point of view, we learn it is much more then that. Another instance of differing perspectives that I found interesting is the change in attitude between different colonies. I first see this at the meeting of the First Continental Congress. As the different colonies come together some are on the opposing side (Such as New York) to the rebellious Boston, Massachusetts. The one main problem I found it the differing in economic issues. When all jobs are secure and nothing significant seems to be occurring, people react well and wish to keep things as they are. When money is tight and forced taxes are too much, people make a change. Economics changes attitudes and opinions on topics.

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    1. Bre, I have to agree on your differing perspectives. It really helped a lot to understand the Revolution when we, as readers, could see mulitple sides of the story. Everyone had a different way of looking at things because they all had different stories, backgrounds, and involvments in the events. For example, Benjamin Franklin, who had lived in England for the past ten years, but had a family in the colonies, had a very different felling towards the events leading to the revolution than his son William, who waws a Tory involved in the British parliament. This differing of perspectives made it hard for me to "pick a side" so to speak. It was difficult as a reader to place blame, when we knew that all these people had reason to be angry, and most of them chose their actions based upon what they felt necessesary for their country and families.
      I like your comment about when everything is going good, the people try their best to leave it that way, but when there isn't enough money to go around and taxes need to be paid, people get angry and things change. I agree, but I also disagree. Although this was true for some, I feel that others, such as Sam Adams, felt that even if it was going well for a short period of time, it would not last long and the split had to happen eventually. Again, it all depends upon who is telling the story and who's eyes are watching the event unfold.

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    2. Mr. Peterson:

      good point. The lack of understanding and compromise on both sides led to the revolution. Both sides thought that they were right and did not want to give an inch. Picking sides was difficult for many colonists and some Englishmen. In the end the war would come about and the world would change forever.

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  12. Bre Begley
    Part 1-cont.

    Reading Thoughts:
    Connections: As I read this novel, one thing I have really felt a connection to is the travel time between messages and news. I feel a connection to this not because it is particularly similar, but because it is so different. In today's modern world, being connected and being in “the know” is everything. You can walk to your computer, type a message and hit send. It is there within seconds. Because there was no such thing as email or telephone, all news traveled by mouth or slow mail. With this mail, a relative (Mrs. Gale & Ben Franklin) may not even know that a loved one has passed away for two months. It is hard to even imagine. And by mouth, a game of telephone is played. One thing will be said and repeated in a different way. With this, some serious rumors can spread. A rumor like the burning of Boston could not be cleared up until a reliable source traveled a lengthy distance to say so. The distance in time makes considering what is available today really remarkable.

    Big Idea/Generalizations: Going along with what I said in Cause and Effect, a main idea I have pulled out is that in major problems, nothing is simple. There is always more then one cause and a buildup of issues. I think that in many instances of life this is held true. Not only in the American Revolution, but in many types of political and economic issues this can be held true. For example, a nation in an economic crisis does not just loose all of its jobs and money over night. Instead it takes a buildup of issues until things begin to crumble. On page 263 of the book, Lord Chatham recites a speech with some very important lines: “...too much has transpired; we have taken a long road in which there may be only one means of turning back.” Basically, when things have gotten so bad and begin to fall apart, it does not take one action to fix. Along with a longer decline, it will take a while for things to go right again. I think this is important to remember.

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  13. Part 2/2nd Half of Rise to Rebellion by Jeff Shaara
    Connections: Throughtout the whole novel, Benjamin Franklin seemed a prime example of how family connections can be heavily severed by the differeing points of view in the political mess that was the American Revolution. He himself was a supporter of the revolution that was progressing and rapidly growing within America, though he was still in England. Eventually, after finding out his wife, Deborah had passed away, he had absolutely had no reason to really remain in England, and he went back to America. His son William on the other hand, was completely loyal to the British crown, to the point where the only tie between Ben Franklin and himself, was Franklin's grandchildren. They heavily disagreed on the issues of the rebellion; Ben Franklin encouraged and supported it, whereas William Franklin disagreed and was loyal only to British, in the land of America, where rebellion was being found in every corner.


    Turning Points:
    1. As people in America began to unite and come together in their quest for complete independence from Britain, they finally started to become one. On page 326, a British fort called Ticonderoga was brought under seige by two separate expeditions that had formed as one, both with the fort as their target. Together they captured not just a little bit of British pride, but also artillery that would be new deadly power to aide the Americans. Once the 13 colonies started to become one, more was accomplished and they got progressively further from Britain's controlling grip. Also, a turning point regarding the actual battles and physical casualties that were suffered on both sides, Washington was a great turning point to the nation, will be forever remembered as a hero. When he was appointed to be in charge, he was hesitant because he had started a life in Virginia with his wife, Martha, and he loved his home, Mount Vernon, and wished to make his life there and farm and live prosperingly. Had he not accepted, who knows what may have happened to American casualties, or if there even would have been a decent enough force to stand up to the British army.

    Change and Continuity:
    Again connected to Washington; when he was first appointed as commander of the American army, he was not accepted by all. He had to earn trust and respect, and he did that, which can be a reason why he is so revered still. When he first got to the camp of the troops, he goes to Artemis Ward, to make his commission official. Washington was appinted by the congress, but Artemis Ward is still quite unwelcoming and slightly hostile to Washington, because he is now subordinate to Washington, under his command, whereas before, he had been high in command. Though this is not how all the men act toward Washington, it is certainly the feelings from a few. On page 389, Washington seems to try to mend Artemis Ward's harsh attitude towards Washington, by commending him for the great job Ward and his men had done, inflicting 40% casualties on the British with significantly less on their own, even with the downside that they were defeated and the British occupied the land that was fought over. Obviously, having a new commander, Washington, was different at first, but to think of all that he accomplished with uniting and training the men, and winning battles and standing up to the British, it can be understood why he was such an influential and significantly important man in the history of the America and especially in the American Revolution.

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    1. I have to agree on your turning points, a main one being the evacuation of the British at the Siege of Boston. I think that the pride was a huge part of it. In my opinion, if those expeditions had failed, then much faith would have been lost. I think it really could have affected how things turned out. It was a positive after the loss at Bunker Hill.

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    2. G. Peterson

      Good point Bre. Washington was picked by Congress to try and show unity. Washington was from Virginia and the war was in Massachusetts. Unity would be needed to win the war and to secure independence.

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  14. Differing Perspective:
    I found the often-changing points of view throughout the story to be very refreshing and it helped to actually pay attention to the book more. If their had been only one perspective throughout the whole book, say it was Ben Franklin. Yes, he was an interesting and kooky man, and it would have been humorous and insightful to read just his point of view. On the other side, I wouldn't have learned all the other things from other points of view, such as politically and strategically (with the battles and war). I'm glad the book was written in such a way that it could switch to another person and their vantage point, without skipping a beat or not knowing where you are in the story. The order was chronological, and the differnt peoples' views only helped to better understand the story. I found that the few views as shown by men loyal to the British Crown helped to understand the side that was not for American rebellion. Thomas Gage was a constant narrator to the harsh realities of trying to squash an already rampant and fiery rebellion, not to be put out anytime soon. Even if the British had succeeded, how long would that last? Surely the physicaly distance between America and Britian would eventually be too far to stay as one. That had been a factor of course, but one of causes had been the Townshend Acts, and the Tea Act.

    Turning Points:
    2. I found at the beginning that the Townshend Acts had probably been a big cause that sparked the rebellion, along with the Boston Massacre of course. The Townshend Acts had been a spark because it had seemed to the colonists to be unfair to be taxed so heavily when under British control, when they were hundreds of miles from Britain itself. If they were barely even a part of Britain any longer, why would they put up with being taxed so heavily on British things, to help Britain? When they were as separated as they were from Britain, it would be hard enough to maintain connectivity to being British, when you're in the new land named America. Of course they would be angry about being taxed as British people when they clearly were no longer part of Britain as they used to be when they lived there.

    Importance:
    I found the Adams brothers to be of great importance to the rebellion. Sam Adams definitely was a rebel, and John Adams was definitely quieter and thought things through more thoroughly. They were both essential to the independence of America, and Sam Adams was raucous and loud and got crowds going. I also found Dickinson to be important to the task of trying to salvage a nation to King George's "family", when they were already decided on what they wanted to accomplish. Abigail Adams and her outburst to John Adams also was instrumental to the future of womens'r rights. She very clearly loved John Adams, yet she had not been afraid to speak out to him and tell him that he should not forget about including womens' rights in the Declaration of Independence. This would have been classified as an outburst in that time because women were not highly regarded and had absolutely no say. They were stay-at-home, sewing, cooking, cleaning, doting on their husbands women, and that's just the way it was. Abigail Adam's 'outburst' was of great importance to the future of womens' rights.

    Overall, I found Rise to Rebellion to be a compelling read, easily understandable, and highly helpful in all things about the American Revolution, both politically and stategically throughout the war. Jeff Shaara did a great job of incorporation drama, humor (Ben Franklin), and detailed descriptions of what went on in courtrooms and outside on the actual battlefield. This novel helps to understand the American Revolution immensely more while still keeping the reader highly engaged throughout the whole novel.

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    1. I agree that the Townshend Act was a large turning point. It gave the citizens a negative opinion toward the British. It showed how Parliament was abusing its power and gave them a reason to disagree with them. I also agree that the different points of views helped readers pay more attention to the book. It showed the different thoughts of the people that were involved and it showed more perspective. It made the book more realistic.

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    2. G. Peterson.

      Excellent thoughts on the subjects of the Townshend Acts, the British did not understand the rage that taxation caused on the colonists, especially since it was protected by the English Bill of Rights, something the British chose to ignore and replace with virtual representation.

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  15. Bre Begley
    Blog Post #2-

    Thinking Like a Historian:
    Point of View: As I finished up reading the end of Rise to Rebellion, point of view once again really stuck out to me. This time I was more focused on how the British (governors, generals, soldiers, etc.) felt living in America where they were pitched as the complete villains. Really, they are just carrying out orders that the King has put into place. I know that their loyalties do rest with the crown, but a lot of the time it was not their decision. With that said, I feel bad for those such as General Gage. When they were not winning the war, his reputation became tarnished and he was replaced. Again, when people are not in the current situation they question why it is not going well. So on page 424, he makes a good point when he says “I did all they asked of me.” I thought this was a very good attitude of someone who could have been very angry. Though I do believe the British was wrong with most they did, it does not stop me from trying to imagine having to go over to America where you were automatically the bad guy.

    Turning Points: As I look back, I think that there are multiple events in the book that seem to point in America's favor. To start off, I think a main turning point was during the Siege of Boston in which the colonists reclaimed what was formerly theirs. This is huge because it is a major victory and creates much positivity after the Battle of Bunker Hill. This creates motivation which is what colonists absolutely need in order to fight the British. Also, there is the grand point at which the Declaration of Independence is agreed upon by all of the colonies. This is an essential time, because they get the message out and have even more of a reason to continue fighting. The fact that they all agreed meant they could move forward.

    Reading Thoughts:
    Questions: A slightly shocking point of this book that stuck out to me was the burning of entire cities. I knew that was a thing, but had no idea it was used so frequently on the British side. About this topic, I have a few just curious questions. One, where did the people go after their house is burned? I know it mentions tents a bit later in the book, but really, how does a family recover from that? Also another question that sparked up about this topic was the reasoning behind burning cities. It seemed as though the British were just doing it because they were angry. Did the British burn cities for revenge and to inflict anger only? Or was there more reasons to this?

    Importance: While reading, I found a moment that was interesting to me was at the very end of chapter 37. It is the moment when Abigail Adams says, “Why, Doctor, we're assisting the army. We have been told that pewter works as well as lead. We're making musket balls.” This for me foreshadowed that women would want more involvement in the future and that Abigail Adams would be a great leader. These women were doing everything they could think to do to hopefully assist what the colonists were striving for. This did not directly relate to importance in the book, but extends to importance in the future.

    In all, I did enjoy Rise to Rebellion, because it was easy to understand and held interest throughout. I gained much knowledge about the American Revolution.

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    1. Bre- I was also very surprised at the British when they burned all of those towns down. The rebels described it as barbaric and I agree with them. I think that the British could have showed their anger with the rebels in a different way. I think that if they have kept that anger and used it on the battlefield they would have fought better. I also think that the British didn’t care about where the citizens of the towns were going to go, which is another reason why they could be described as barbaric. I think they burned down the towns not only in revenge, but also just because they could. The British were angry with the colonists and they burned down the towns as a way of showing that they were still in power.

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    2. Julia Erickson
      Reply-1
      Bre, When I read the part about Abigail Adams saying to the doctor, "Why, Doctor, we're assissting the army. We have been told that pewter works as well as lead. We're making musket balls," it surprised me to realize that there probably were women at that time in history that worked behind the scenes, helping as much as possible in during the war. It's hard to remember that back then there were basically little to no rights for women and they had to do everything on their own if they wanted to be independent. In a nation where indepence wasn't even guaranteed from their country, of course that must have been quite difficult for the women. I found this to be an interesting way of foreshadowing womens' roles to come not only in the war, but the future independent America.

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    3. I also agree that when they took back Boston as their own was very big turning point. I think it got their spirits high again and gave them a reason to fight. It gave me the impression that they were taking back their rights and what was rightfully theirs. I think that women's involvement was also very important. That part of the novel left a great impression on me. It showed me that women were also given a part. They finally go to do something.

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    4. G. Peterson

      The burning of cities was a tactic to persuade the colonists not to help the patriots in the war. This was brutal and in most cases drove moderate colonists into the patriot point of view.

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    5. Bailey Peter

      Bre, I noticed that both you and I had similar questions on the second section. After finishing up Rise to Rebellion I believe that the British could have used different tactics to make their points instead of choosing to burn down entire cities, but the question is still up, how does a family recover from such a tradgic incident. I really don't believe a family could fully recover from something so significant, but I think they just needed to accept what had happened a move on in their lives.

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  16. Part 2:

    Reading Thoughts:

    Importance:
    In the book on page 534, it discusses how men took down the statue of King George. I think the author put this in the book to show how the Declaration had an effect on people. Now that the colonies declared their independence, they showed that they were not under the King’s rule anymore. In this passage it is written that a man cut the King’s statue head off and held it high for people to see. In the colonists’ way, this was beheading the King for the horrible things he has done. It was for the taxes put on the people, for the burnings of the towns, and for the killings. This passage was very powerful because it symbolized the colonists breaking away from the King and not being under his rule anymore.

    Evaluation:
    On pages 446-450, I was very surprised at John Adams and Abigail Adams conversation. I knew that Abigail Adams believed in equality between men and women, but the way she talked to John Adams shocked me for that time period. During that time, it was frowned upon for a woman to speak like that. She made it very clear about what she thought and what she believed should be done. She even asked Adams what they were going to have said about women in the new laws and if women were going to be given any authority at all. I thought it was great that she said something like that and it showed that even then some women wanted more rights and to be equal to men. The fight for equality started very early.

    Reading Like a Historian:

    Cause and Effect:
    The cause of the events in our history with the Revolutionary War and the Declaration of Independence can be traced to the British. Many colonists were not happy with the British and after the Boston Massacre, many blamed the British. This caused the effects afterword. The main effects were the Sons of Liberty rising, The Revolutionary War, and the Declaration of Independence. All of these had a goal of breaking away from British rule. The change from being unhappy to wanting a war and to become a different government can be said to be caused by the British. It was them who created the unfair taxes against the colonists, who didn’t have any Americans represented in British parliament, and who didn’t give Americans the rights like free British citizens. Although many Americans were not happy and supported the rebels in the Revolutionary War, there were some people who stood by the King. These people were called Tories. Although there were tough times, Americans fought through it and in the end, became their own government.

    Through Their Eyes:
    Before the war many colonists were upset with England. They viewed their lives as miserable. Because of their views with Parliament, many actions occurred. When the King had a tax on tea, colonists dumped the tea in the harbor. When they were angry with the King, they started a war. When they wanted independence, they created the Declaration of Independence. Because they viewed being under the British Parliament as miserable, the colonists chose to rebel and act on it. This sparked the Revolutionary War. If more colonists were happy under British rule, we might have still have been a part of Great Britain today.

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  17. Mr. Seeley

    This blog has some unbelievable discussion going on about Rise to Rebellion. Way to think like an historian! The Revolutionary Era has always been my favorite to study and teach and Rise to Rebellion is one of my favorite books about this time period. I am glad to see everyone is taking so much from the book.

    Keep up the nice work everyone.

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  18. Sydney McBee
    Blog Post 1:
    Connections: Rise to Rebellion is an intriguing novel written by Jeff Shaara. It's about the events leading up to the American Revolution and the American Revolution itself. Throughout the novel connections can be made to modern day life. The rebels in this case would be protesters fighting for something more. Their government is abusing it's power so they are doing something about it. That can be connected to modern day protests (ex. Wall street protests). In recent events the state of Wisconsin has had a recall election against Scott Walker. The citizens of this state wanted what their governor had promised them. They had protested against Walker with their right of freedom of speech. King Henry was abusing his power as a ruler. Parliament issued the townshend act which raised taxes which is similar to Walker cutting funds for jobs because both lead to a loss of income. This is my opinion of how this novel can connect to modern day life.

    Big Idea/Generalization: I think that one of the big ideas of this novel is that all the little things add up. All the events that had happened had lead up to the American Revolution. The Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, and the Townshend acts were just major events that had made the colonies/citizens finally rebel. Every disagreement that the citizens had with King Henry the eight or Parliament lead to the decision to get freedom. This happens for many other situations also. It's like a kid during school. They talk in class then they get a warning. If they do it again they get talked to. A third time, they get sent to the principal's office. All the situations where the child had misbehaved led them to get sent to the principals. So all the little things add up.

    Turning Points: I think that one of the major turning points in the novel was in the beginning when the Boston Massacre had occurred. In my opinion it was the final breaking point which created many negative opinions of the British. This had ultimately led up the revolution itself. It showed that the British would do whatever they had to get their point across. I think it angered and scared many of the civilians. I think another turning point could also be the Boston Tea Party. "It has gone this far, sir. And it's bound to go farther (pg. 166). This shows the effects that the Boston Tea Party had. It tells us that it's just the beginning. Now, neither side will stop until they have achieved what they want.

    Cause and Effect: There were many causes and effect worthy topics in this novel. I think of the important ones is when Ben Franklin sends Governor Hutchinson's letters to members of the Sons of Liberty. It caused an uproar of commotion. It not only questioned Hutchinson but Franklin himself. The cause of this was Franklin trying to be a good, wise man. He thought what he was doing was truly for the good. It lead to Hutchinson losing his Governor position. It also created great discussion throughout the Sons of Liberty. I also think that this was another great turning point in the book.

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  19. Sydney McBee
    Blog Post 2:
    Different Points of View: I think they way the author portrayed many different people in the novel was very interesting. Also, the fact that is was different positions too like generals, soldiers, and congressmen. It helped keep my attention to the novel more. Also, it gave an unbiased opinion of both sides of the revolution. I enjoyed the point of view of Adams and Franklin very much. They both peaked my interest. Their personalities were unique and different from each other. That was why the different points of view were interesting to read. It also gave a greater range of information. Staara did a great job of using his writing abilities to show each person differently.

    Turning Points: Part three of the novel was a turning point in itself. The beginning of the battles and the introductions to Washington were major events. I think that the way that all the colonies agreed on Declaration of Independence was one of the most important turning points. It was a positive, uplifting experience. It made the colonists spirits up and it gave them a reason to continue on. It showed that they could defeat the British and gain independence.

    Importance: One of the most important events that I think had happened was when they tore down the statue of King Henry. "The cheers were deafening now, and one man pounced on the head of the rider, the golden face of King George, the expression immobile, oblivious, the cold metal unchanged (534)." I think this was a monumental moment that changed the colonies forever. The breaking of the statue showed their release from the King's grip. That is why it's a very important moment in the novel.

    Connections: I think that one of the connections of this book is between Franklin and his son William. They were separated because of politics and their different views. This can be connected to many family situations. I think that many people are split and drift apart because they don't share the same thoughts on politics. Many people are thought of a lesser person if they don't share the same opinions. Many people are quick to judge when they hear someone else's stance on politics. Politics is a very destructive topic.

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    1. Breanna Jagodzinski

      Sydney, I agree with you on your Differing Perspectives paragraph. Adams was one of my favorite points of view, I thought he knew so much about not only the world of law, but then still relaxed and had Abigail help him with his thoughts on everyhting back at home. Franklin also made a comment in the book about how much he enjoyed having Adams at the Continental Congress meetings and if he wasn't there, Franklin wouldn't know if it would be as sucessful without him. What I really liked about Franklin is that he always was confident in everything he thought or did during the revolution. For example when he had to present the first petition as the agent of Massachusetts to try and remove Hutchinson from office as governor. Although during the hearing Wedderburn made personal attacks on him about revealing Hutchinson's private letters, Franklin did not fight back, he was calm and confident no matter what the situation.

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    2. Mr. Peterson

      Sydney, excellent understanding on how the war for independence split families and how symbolic acts of violence would sway the point of view of the colonists and eventually the British in 1781.

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  20. Michael Nicklaus
    Blog Post 1

    Evaluation: The Revolutionary War is at times sort of a controversial topic when it comes to what really happened with most parts leading up to the rebellion. One of the main controversial topics is of course the Boston Massacre. No one knows for sure what really happened, why the first gun shot was fired. Now, the Sam Adams did publish a news story that we know was not what really happened where the British opened fire for no good cause. Shaara shows why the British fired upon the mass of people. There is no bias in his writing to show that for he doesn't specifically say who called out for the first shot. The historical events that were displayed were indeed as accurate as they could be without extending what was known to have happened.

    Big Idea/Generalizations: In the first 2 parts of the book, Shaara makes points to show the build up to the point of the war starting. Shaara is trying to make people understand why the war happened in the first place. He doesn't just talk about the war itself, he wants to make known why the Boston Massacre, the Townshend Acts, the major events that happened, why they were so huge with that "spark" that ignited the colonists in rebelling. Shaara also makes the point that Sam Adams was the key mastermind in getting the ball rolling in the rebellion. Yes, the British may have upsetted people, but Sam pushed them along further with his use of propoganda and having control over Boston.

    Turning Points: In the first part of the book, there were a few key turning points. The events that Sam Adams started including the Boston Tea Party and helping initiate the Boston Massacre were huge turning points in the colonists thinking. They were not happy with the British, but as a said before, these events were sparks that ignited the fire to get the colonists fired up. The events changed their thinking going from irritation to wanting to rebel. Also, at a smaller size turning point, the death of Ben Franklin's wife made a huge impact on him himself. It made him see that he needed to come back to the colonies quicker than he thought. With him in the colonies, there is one more direct voice to be heard instead of having to relay the message months later back in London. Also, the death of Joseph Warren could also be viewed as a turning point for he is the first key death, the first key figure that Shaara points out. THough he just died at the end of the section, his death, I feel, will become more of a spark to the leaders of the rebellion.

    Differing Perspectives: THe perspective is mainly told from John Adams and Ben Franklin. These two figures are the logical ones and see things how they are. THough they are colonists, SHaara shows what the British are feeling and thinking. Also, with the use of General Gage, you can see more in depth to what the British are thinking. Unfortunately I think that most of the British don't think to the extent of Gage's hatred towards the colonists. I feel that Adams and Franklin do a much better job of showing how the British really think compared to the extent of Gage hostility.

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    1. Mr. Peterson

      Michael:

      Boston was the center of the storm in the revolution. The sons of liberty was the key group and its leaders, James Otis, Sam Adams and John Adams were th main cogs behind encouraging the rest of the colonies to join the war for independence.

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  21. Julia Erickson
    Blog-1

    Big Ideas/Generalizations:
    Throughout the book, I felt that Jeff Shaara did a great job to inform the reader of the events leading up to the Revolutionary War, which would include the Boston Massacre, the Townshend Acts, the letters from Governor Hutchinson, etc. He made it known that there was basically a network of many things leading up to the rebellion. The Townshend Acts were a contributing factor because the colonists didn't feel it was fair to be taxed by people that didn't even reside there. Why should they be taxed by people that live hundreds of miles away, an ocean apart, and a country divided? Then the Boston Massacre happened. Thought it was established through a court hearing, General Thomas Preston was found to be not guilty, the colonists still felt that it was a personal attack on them by the British. This definitely helped to spark an already growing defiance from the rebels. Of course, Governor Hutchinson's letters reaveled to some of the Sons of Liberty by Ben Franklin also helped to enrage the rebels even more.

    Turning Points:
    The letters from Governor Hutchinson were of course a turning point for the rebels; it was a spark to their fire and it grew and grew. They were angered by the thought that British control was a tight vise on them, yet they were so far away. Also, the new command of George Washington was also a turning point to the American Revolution. He was known from the French and Indian War, but the American Revolution really made him out to be a hero. He was intelligent and strategical through and through, and at first, people like the General he replaced, did not like him, and that's why he was so respected, because he did not just have peoples' trust automatically, he earned it. The Battle at Bunker Hill could also be a turning point, considered the casualties that the Americans inflicted on the British, despite the overall loss.

    Evaluation:
    The perspectives througout the entire novel help to encourage the reader to read more and more of a book that would be considered by some to be slow, factual and boring. Overall, it was an interesting read, even better told fictionally because it let you get a glimpse of the actual peoples' characters, without them being made up. Their perspectives and stories are all real, just told in an interesting and helpful way.

    Differing Perspectives:
    The perspectives throughout the book varied a lot, but I wouldn't have learned as much as I did without all of them. The points of view of Ben Franklin, John Adams, George Washington, Thomas Gage, etc. helped me to learn what actually went on in the American Revolution and that the actual events leading up to it, and throughtout the war. The narration of each individual person helped to understand them better, and to realize what exactly they stood for and how they played a role in the war and the events leading up to, during, and after the war. It was interesting to read all of them, definitely better than reading just one narrator throughout the whole book!

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  22. Julia Erickson
    Blog-2

    Evalutation:
    George Washington was a valuable impact in the second part of Rise to Rebellion, by Jeff Shaara. He was not only a hero, but he helped to train all the man that just wanted to be a part of something, but were not completely prepared. The only thing they had that the British didn't was a raging passion to be independent from Britain. From Britain's perspective, I'm not sure if they had won, even how long that would have lasted. If the tables had been turned and they had won, what would have happened? The colonists would still want to be independent, and it would be hard and also unfair to imprisone a whole 13 colonies, not to mention probably impossible. The colonists had a fire in them, and not easily dampened by the British, so why exactly did the British try so hard to contain them? Probably for the exact reason the colonists wanted to be independent; a change of control. The colonists wanted to not be controlled by Britain any longer, and Britain wanted to tighten it's controlling grasp on the colonies. Of course these are clashing objectives, and not both can win.

    Connections:
    The relationship between Ben Franklin and his son William Franklin, was interesting to read about. They did not have any sort of connection with each other, in fact the only thing keeping Ben Franklin coming back was William Franklin's son, or Ben Franklin's grandson. Otherwise, they shared nothing in common, they were for opposing sides in the rebellion; Ben Franklin for the rebels, and William for the Loyalists. Ben Franklin seemed to think of his son as quite ignorant for not really being open, or even considering the rebels' side. He seemed to be dead set on being loyal to the king no matter what. Loyalty is not a bad thing by any means, except what if the system is corrupt? A stand must be taken, and the colonists took the steps to take that stand.

    Turning Points:
    Taking down the statue of King Henry was of great importance to a final straw in the colonists separation from Britain. "The cheers were deafening now, and one man pounced on the head of the rider, the golden face of King George, the expression immobile, oblivious, the cold metal unchanged (534)." This was important because they felt that they were totally out from under the control of Britain, and King George himself. How could they expect to be independent, and start their own nation, with a statue of Britain's king on their soil?? They couldn't, so it was imperative that it be taken down.

    Cause and Effect:
    I felt some cause and effect to be quite obvious. Tea Tax Act- Tea Party effect by the colonists. Townshend Act- 'no taxation without representation'. Goverenor Hutchinson's letters- Angry Sons of Liberty spread to rebels' growing fire. Boston Massacre- Angry colonists wanting to start a complete rebellion from Britain. Throughout it all, you have to wonder how Britain, and King George himself didn't realize what all of it would do to the colonists. They felt that it was unfair to taxed by people that not only didn't live there, but by people who also didn't allow colonists' representation in British Parliament, though they were supposedly apart of Britain? This angered them greatly, and understandably they wanted to be represented, not walked all over by Britain control.

    Overall, at the end of the book, I realized I have an even better understanding of the American Revolution, and the events leading up to it, during, and after, and the people that were apart of it.

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    1. Mr. Peterson

      Julia:

      Excellent Cause ans Effect. One action by the British would be followed by a reaction by the colonists and then the British etc. The colonists stood for their principles of liberty from improper taxation and the British just did not understand that.

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  23. Breanna Jagodzinski

    Part 1: Section 1&2 The Right and The Power & Lions and Lambs

    Importance:
    When the Sons of Liberty had their meeting in which they invited Governor Hutchinson to, John Adams told Sam he had something he would like to address to the Governor. When it was time for John to speak, he talks about how taking away the colonies' judiciary system was way out of line for England, and it was an excuse, a random punishment for what happened to the Gaspee. Then he says, no matter what the punishment, the colonies will all take the punishment together and they did. "If we can be dismissed, disregarded, and abused as one people, then perhaps we should stand as one people!" (107) That night John officially became a Son of Liberty. John's speech to the Governor was definitely an important part of the story, especially for the Sons of Liberty. John finally said, if one of the colonies gets punished, we all will, no matter who committed the "crime." He told them, we are united!

    Evaluation:
    In Chapter 10 when Stahan visits and dines with Franklin while Mrs. Stevenson is away, Strahan makes a small comment at the end of dinner that surprises Franklin. "Strahan laughed and Franklin tapped their glasses together, said nothing. His friend leaned forward scolding him, 'Oh, come now, Ben. You said it yourself. One man's efforts are little use of changing this world." "Franklin looked at the fire. That, Will, is the difference between us. You place no value on the efforts of one man."(118) I think Strahan's comment isn’t really true, although one person changing the world is difficult, i believe it can happen. An instance in the book where one person changes and impacts everything would be for example, Sam Adams. Sam is a very important member of the Sons of Liberty, for reasons that he is not only an excellent leader but he makes the colonists want to fight for a cause, fight for their liberty and independence. He was one of the few from the beginning that wanted independence, and look how many people started to agree with him. Soon they wanted a change as much as he did. People like Sam are instigators, they want change, and I think he proved Strahan wrong. We know today that we did get our independence from England, and the colonies gaining their independence influenced other countries to do the same! Although Sam was not the only one to contribute, I still consider him as one of the first to take a stand for liberty. I believe Sam did change the world from what it was, to as it is today.

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  24. Breanna Jagodzinski

    Part 1: Continued

    Differing Perspectives:
    I believe in Chapter 4 when Franklin and Johnson meet in front of the Parliament building and then accompany each other for tea, is when I first started to see the different perspectives and arguments forming that will eventually show both the colonists' and the crown's views toward each other. Johnson asks Franklin what his view is on the "Boston Massacre" that took place the night before, Franklin explains he does not know much about it yet and couldn't make a fair accusation toward either the mob or the troops. Later in the conversation Johnson is telling Franklin that colonists protesting against Parliament is like "debating against the king's own policies." (45) Franklin is finally through with hearing so much prejudice against the colonists and says, "You cannot suddenly decide to tax us, exploit us, drain our sources. You cannot do with us as you please. With your vast army and great navy, you may have the power. But you do not have the right." (48)I think Franklin's quote surely previews the fire that the colonists will show toward the crown. This conversation between Johnson and Franklin shows the first signs of what the differing perspectives are in the story, between the colonists and the crown. Franklin shows us with this quote the first step towards taking a stand for liberty!

    Cause and Effect:
    One big cause and effect during Part 1 was when everyone found out that Franklin was the one who showed the Sons of Liberty Hutchinson's private letters. This ended up being not so good for Franklin because then the MA assembly had made a petition to try to remove Hutchinson from office of being Governor. Since Franklin was still the agent for MA he was the one who had to present the petition. So at the hearing Franklin presented the petition, but Wedderburn, the attorney for the crown, did not want the petition to follow through. So, almost the entire time Wedderburn made personal attacks on Franklin himself rather than the petition; the petition ended up not following through because everyone, even the ministry, got a kick out of what Wedderburn said about Franklin. Therefore, the cause was that Franklin showed Hutchinson's letters, and the effect was that Wedderburn used that against Franklin during the hearing, and it worked.

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    1. Lindsey Van Galder
      I was thinking the same thing as you in your cause and effect summary. When I was reading the part where Franklin was showing the letters I predicted that some one would soon find out about it and use it against him later in the book, and Wedderburn did.

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    2. Mr. Peterson

      Brianna:

      Good perspectives on the situation. Egos were involved and beliefs were involved. Sometimes people were just blind to the other sides perspective that nothing but war would be able to solve the problem.

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  25. Lindsey Van Galder
    Blog #2
    Visualize:

    By the beginning of part three I had gotten a pretty good idea of how important independence is to the colonists, but also how difficult it is going to be to gain independence. For example, after Washington is appointed General of the Army and he feels very overwhelmed with emotions. He knows this is an amazing challenge that he must take, but he is worried about his wife. In a letter to Martha, Washington writes; “…this concern is greatly aggravated and increased when I reflect upon the uneasiness I know it will cause you” (395). At this moment I visualized his wife reading that statement and becoming very overwhelmed with emotion. I got a picture in my mind of a women crying of both fear and pride. I think she will be very worried, but honored for her husband’s great success. Jeff Shaara did a very good job of not only creating emotion in his story, but describing the events in such a good way that the reader can physically see and feel the events that are taking place.
    Big Idea/Generalizations:

    During the preparations to gain independence from Britain many small issues came up. For example, the colonies needed to gain back control of Canada but that was almost an impossible thing to do. But when Franklin came to visit Washington with the news that foreign authorities can have contact with the congress it made things become much clearer. This was a big step in the right direction because the congress then got contacted by an agent representing the French government, which would help then gain control of Canada. With this being said, if the colonies got control of Canada the French would be on the colonies side in the fight for independence. The big idea here is that it is often hard to gain something we need without the help from other people, and when people communicate things get done much easier.
    Differing Perspectives:

    The two main perspectives in Rise To Rebellion are the colonists, who are trying to gain independence, and the British, who want to keep control of the colonies. What surprised me though is how family members had different perspectives on how the government should run. In chapter thirty-five Franklin went to visit his son William. William and Franklin both have totally different perspectives on the Parliament. Franklin is on the colonies side and desperately wants freedom, but William still follows the King. With these two colliding perspectives it is hard to keep their family stable. These different perspectives surprised me because I never realized that even family members disagreed on the way the government was ran back then. It also made me connect to life today because even now people in the same family can disagree on the government.
    Change and Continuity:

    By part three of Rise To Rebellion many things have changed, but one thing stayed the same; the fight for independence. After a strong fight the British began to not benefit from the change, but they still were not willing to give up. The colonies knew what they wanted and were going to fight to win. Towards the end of the novel the congress got the approval from all the colonies to create the Declaration of Independence. This was a huge change because the colonies finally got what they fought so hard to achieve. When Adams said “God bless us” it gave the colonists hope, and soon after the vote the Declaration was made. There would still be conflict with the British for a while, but they soon gained full independence and in 1777 the document was released to the public. The colonies had succeeded, and although it came with a lot of change and struggle we are proud to call ourselves Americans today because of the American Revolution.

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    1. Breanna Jagodzinski

      Lindsey, I agree with your Differing Perspectives and Change and Continuity paragraphs. When Franklin went to visit his son William there was so much tension in the house between them two and politics. I also realized that during that part that it seemed like William does not want Franklin anywhere near Temple, for the reason that he might teach him to turn away from the king. I think that is really sad because I'm sure that Franklin only wants to be with his grandson and spend time with him. In your Change and Continuity paragraph I also agree with what you said about Adams' speech, that I thought was one of the turning points of that entire evening, his final words.

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    2. Mr Peterson

      Lindsey:

      Excellent points. The colonists finally saw themselves and Americans and the wanted their independence from Brtish authority. It would not come easy, and many stuggles had to be overcome, but in the end the British gave in and a new country was born.

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  26. Breanna Jagodzinski

    Part 2: Section 3 The Flag Unfurled

    Connections:
    In the first chapter of Section 3 when Washington is in Cambridge, Lee explains to Washington that since he is now general, he needs to gain the respect of his men. Washington at the moment is still overwhelmed with his appointment from the Continental Congress that he tries to think where to even start in making a Continental Army from scratch. Though, I connected Lee's statement about respect to a part in the book that surely Washington begins to gain some respect from his men. Morgan's men constantly got in drunken fights with each other and Washington had enough of it one day; he sees the fight, rides over and picks the two that were fighting up by their collars and says, "This fight is over. I expect this army to spend more energy preparing to fight their genuine enemy." (401) "Behind him the sounds returned; he snapped the reins, thought, not again, not already, he spun the horse around, saw them now. They were not cheering for anyone's drunken fight. They were cheering for him." (401) At that moment I think General Washington gained a little more respect from his men, and right then Washington also showed them who was in charge.

    Importance:
    Thomas Paine's pamphlet "Common Sense" truly made an impact on so many people, even the ones who maybe at first did not believe in independence. I think that "Common Sense" probably swayed some people's views between independence and staying with the crown. The pamphlet showed many people what was actually happening with their king, and maybe not their king specifically but, the signs of tyranny. "Common Sense" was also of great importance to people like John Adams in the Continental Congress because during that time they needed as many colonies as possible to vote for the Declaration of Independence to finally be sent to the king!

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  27. Through Their Eyes:
    As we found out in the book the relationship between Benjamin Franklin and his son William was not strong at all. Benjamin being at the Continental Congress and helping there only made their relationship worse. Through William's eyes the king is his only priority and business, though through Benjamin's eyes independence is right at their fingertips. When Benjamin visits William he explains to him that America is already taking its independence. "Yes, there will be independence, and I will do everything left in my being to bring it about. And, my son, if I have to, I will fight you." (415) They both have strong opinions about their sides but one will find out that he surely suffers in the end.

    Turning Points:
    During the Continental Congress meeting in which the vote to show the king the Declaration of Independence, Dickinson starts the meeting with his final plea to the congress that independence is the wrong way to go. And Dickinson clarifies his view at the end of his speech by saying "God help us." Though, what I thought was the turning point of the meeting was when John Adams says at the end of his speech, "We are a people who have shown the world we can help ourselves, that we have the God-given strength to stand for our liberty. God help us? No, sir. May God bless us." (523) This is when I really knew that independence was not far off from winning the vote that night. Adams' speech was powerful and spoke to a lot of delegates in that room.

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    1. Sorry! I forgot to put my name on the Part 2: continued post right above this.

      Breanna Jagodzinski

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    2. Mr. Peterson
      Breanna, It is important to point out that not everyone in the Continental Congress wanted independence. Many attemps were made to avoid conflict and to solve the situation by compromise, but neither side was willing to give up anything so war was inevitable.

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  28. Breanna Jagodzinski

    Julia, I definetly agree with your turning point. That was one of the parts that really symbolized that finally the colonies broke away from England and the crown. What I also liked about that part in the book was when they also realized that the statue was made out of lead. Which means they could melt it and make it into musket balls.

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  29. Anna Koepke
    Blog #1
    Reading Thoughts

    Gerneralizations:
    After reading parts 1 and 2 of Rise to Rebellion, I have realized that nothing could have stopped the American Revolution. Even if the Boston Massacre, Governor Hutchinson's letters being published, the Boston Tea Party, ect. had not happened, the American Revolution was inevitable. The colonists would have found many other reasons to break away from the King's tight grasp. In many cases, history tends to repeat itself. The world will continue to disagree on person to person, community to community, and country to country levels. Any opinion will be contridicted by another because everyone has a right to their own perspective on the world. It seem to me that the king was pushing for a war. When Gage went to see him to request four regiments be sent to Boston under his control. King George responded by saying, 'I wish I could be there. I would enjoy watchin the terror on their dirty faces, hearing their pitiful cries begging their king's forgiveness.' (199) The king's response does not give the reader any implication that he was even considering letting the colonists continue the rebellion without servere punishment until the rebellion had been obliterated.

    Importance:
    I feel that one of the most significant characters in Rise to Rebellion is John Adams. From the start he shows his compassion for the law and justice when he takes on Captain Thomas Preston's trial after the Boston Massacre. He does not want a war. However, after the justice system in the colonies is eliminated his perspective on things changes almost instantly. After joining the Sons of Liberty and being elected to represent Massachusetts in the First Continental Congress, he becomes a major leader in the rebellion. "God has given us the power to act, to change our own lives. He does not judge us on how we think, how pure we keep out thoughts. We are judged on what we do. If we believe that we are right, we must fight for that belief. If we lose the fight, we cannot be condemned for the failure. But if we do not fight, if we simply endure what we believe to be wrong, no piety, no sermons, no prayers will save us." (73) Adams believes in the cause the colonists are fighting for and is proud to be apart of it. I believe that Adams had the best idea for what needed to be done about the upcoming war and I believe he had a large impact for the outcome of the war as he did in Preston's trial. Most importantly, I believe John Adams was a support for the majority of the militia. because he was willing to stand up for what he believed in, so were the men who followed him.

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    1. Bailey Peter

      Anna, I completely agree with your feeling of John Adams being one of the most significant characters in Rise to Rebellion. He played a huge part in reaching freedom for the colonists. He was always proud to represent, and never back down when times got tough.

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  30. Anna Koepke
    Blog #1 continued
    Reading Like a Historian

    Turning Points:
    Every decision made, even a small one, made the events leading to the American Revolution end the way they did. The soldiers at the Boston Massacre lost their control for no more than a few minutes and turned a riot into a blood bath. One tiny decision can snowball into a war as we have seen in Rise to Rebellion. The Boston Massacre led to Captian Preston's trial, which led to the soldiers being sent out of Boston, which leads to outrage in England and so forth. I believe that if the soldiers had not lost their composure at the Boston Massacre things could have ended differently. Maybe the American Revolution could have been postponed. But as I have said, the war was inevitable and if not then, the war would have taken place later in history at best.

    Through Their Eyes:
    The colonist during the time of the American Revolution were concerned only about freedom, the single and most obvious way to obtain that freedom they so desperately wanted was to break away from England and start a new country with it's own legal system and rights the colonists believed they deserved. The colonists were more than willing to do whatever necessary to claim their freedom from England as is shown by the militia men who died for this one goal. The army the colonists formed would have been no match for England's army if the English soldiers had even half the enthusiasm or compassion for keeping the colonies under England's control as the colonists did for breaking away from England and Her king. It seems to me that the British soldiers felt the win against the colonies would be an easy one, but if they had known what the war had in store for them the American Revolution may have had a different outcome entirely. Luckily, that was not the case.

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    1. Michael Nicklaus

      That was some very expert analysis. Your Throught Their Eyes section was exactly what I would have said...if I had thought of it. Since this is the first section you are commenting on though, I cannot say what the biggest turning point was because I feel it comes in the second section. I would like to say though that the Boston Massacre was the major turning point in the first section, but I think your reasoning for it was wrong. I belive what you said to the point of "The Boston Massacre led to Captian Preston's trial, which led to the soldiers being sent out of Boston, which leads to outrage in England and so forth." Yes, it did, but it did not enrage England, the Massacre didn't. I belive that England was enraged because of the article they first recieved that was written by Sam Adams that did not tell the entire truth. I agree with you, but it was not becuase of what exactly happened that enraged England and pulled the soldiers out of Boston, but it was what people were told happened by the article.

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    2. G. Peterson
      Anna, you have an excellent understanding of the reasons the war would start. Freedom, liberty and independence, things that they were promised in the English Bill of Rights were slowly taken away by the British. War had to come to solve the problem.

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  31. Michael Nicklaus
    Post #2:

    Big Idea/Generalizations:
    In Shaara's book, all throughout it, I feel that one of the main points he makes is that coming together and ultimately working together can do great things. The idea really came to me when Mrs. Adams explains to Franklin that they don't do what normal women do. She says when asked, "Why, Doctor, we're assisting the army. We have been told that pewter workds as well as lead. We're making musket balls." (391) Yes, it is John Adams wife making the balls, but it just shows that more than just the sons of liberty are participating in the event. Because of this teamwork, I belive that is the ultimite picture and the reason we won the war.

    Evaluation:
    As I said in my original post, my background to the war was basic where I learned about George Washington and learned the battle of Bunker Hill from Bugs Bunny. Anyways, in the informaiton I had and the resources I did aquire, it intuiged me how big or little things were made out to be, yet Shaara had a different view. The two that stuck out the most was Paul Reveere and The pamplhlet "Common Sense". Whenever I learned about the war, it always made Reveere to be this hero who played a huge part in the war and was a big leader for fighting the British. In the book, he did his little ride to Lexingoton to warn everybody. That was it. For "Common Sense", I just learned from basic sources that it was just a little rhetoric produced by Thomas Paine. In the book, it made it out to be the big thing to unite all the colonies and build the Continental Army.

    Turning Points:
    There were some huge ones in the second part of the book. The biggest one obviously is the Declaration of Independence, but I feel the most overshadowed one, in many books, is indeed Thomas Paine's "Common Sense". It says that "his (Paine's) words have reached, even embraced, the great mass of citizens." That pamphlet was key to uniting the colonies. That is shown in the quote by the work THE insead of A. THE shows that it is the colonies unlike A could mean Boston or Norfolk.

    Using the Past:
    The biggest thing I picked up from using the past (that I didn't exactly acquire from the book) was the right to bear arms in todays society. It is in the Declaration that we have the right to bear arms. Most people would question why in the world would we allow this for it proves for more cases dealing with the arms. It indeed comes from the militia used in the war. They put the right in there so in case we do get attacked again, we can at least defend ourselves.

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    1. Anna Koepke

      I definately agree that teamwork made the militia strong enough to defeat the British army. The sense of pride they all shared after hearing the Declaration of Independence read to them was overwhelming and I feel like sharing that one goal and having the courage to stand up to the king made the militia what it was. If there had been any less pride or courage there would most likely have been a different outcome to the war. However, I do believe King George made the militia great because he was the reason the colonies were outraged and he was the one goal the men were trying to defeat. The militia was strong because of their teamwork but successful because of their compassion.

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  32. G. Peterson

    Excellent comments and views on the American Revolution. Keep up the good work.

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  33. Anna Koepke
    Blog #2

    Reading Thoughts:

    Evaluation:
    In Part 3: The Flag Unfurled of Jeff Shaara’s Rise to Rebellion, the compassion and spirit shared by all the delegates of the Continental Congress, the militia men, and the citizens of all thirteen colonies eventually rids the colonies of the king’s grasp and British rule entirely. Tom Paine’s pamphlet seemed to get the ball rolling for the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence. When it came time for the delegates of the Continental Congress to vote for America’s independence, the vote was unanimous; showing that the colonists were more than ready to break away from England. All these events and more played up the emotion and love the colonists had for the freedom they were so close to. The Declaration of Independence gave the colonists the final push they needed to completely eliminate England’s rule over the colonies. In a sense, the king handed the colonists everything they needed to start this revolution and once it was under way, there was no turning back. King George outraged the colonists with the many taxes and abusive laws he forced onto the colonies, the colonists already in the colonies had come to America with muskets and ammunition, the king had attacked and burned the colonists’ cities, and he bullied the colonies into believing that there was no other way to live. The militia was inexperienced and unorganized, but its men came together with enough courage to break a major bond that many had come to love. The king, even into the war, kept supplying the militia with the courage and anger it took to fight against the British army. When the colonists tear down the statue of the king in New York and a man discovers that it could be melted down and made into ammunition, it brings a new sense of courage to the colonist because there is no fear of giving up without a real fight when they have that kind of force.

    Big Ideas:
    I think that throughout Rise to Rebellion, the idea that anything you set your mind to you can accomplish has been present. In Part 3, the Continental Congress appointed George Washington to head the militia. Washington fed the flames of the spirits those men needed to fight the British army. On Breeds Hill, the militia makes a huge impact on the British army. The delegates of the Continental Congress propose the idea of a Declaration of Independence that is drafted by Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and John Adams. The document was passed by the congress and is still the foundation of America’s government and legal system today. The militia, with support from many other colonists as well, comes to defeat the British army and abolish the bonds between America and England. These major events in our country’s history prove that the idea that anything is possible is true.

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  34. Anna Koepke
    Blog #2 Continued:

    Reading Like A Historian:

    Using the Past:
    Throughout Rise to Rebellion, Jeff Shaara pours emotion through his words that makes me feel like I could have been a part of the revolution myself. On July 2, 1776, the emotion in the chamber for the unanimous vote for America’s independence made me feel a sense of pride I had never felt for my country before. I have always known the impact the Declaration of Independence had on America and me specifically, but I had never experienced it like that before. The imagery and thought Shaara put into writing Rise to Rebellion was clearly great to accomplish making his audience remember such a heroic and historic time for America in immense detail. Had it not been for the American Revolution, where would we be now?

    Differing Perspectives:
    One of my favorite parts about reading Rise to Rebellion is that is gave several contradicting perspectives on one event or topic. To hear General Washington’s point of view on the war compared to General Gage’s in such a way that makes you root for the colonists is outstanding. To hear what Ben Franklin has to say to his son, William, who disagrees with him on almost everything is something that kept me reading since page one. I have to say that John Adams is my favorite to perspective to read. Maybe it’s the lawyer in him that I enjoy so much, but he seems to be moving the colonists in the right direction for the majority of the book. He picks out problems with Tom Paine’s thinking on how the government should be in Common Sense, which makes me think that he was by far one of the most important delegates needed to draft the Declaration of Independence. I think his ideas were more than necessary and he made the Declaration of Independence follow principles that would never change in society. He helped shape America into what it is today.

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  35. Tori Cieslek
    Post #1

    Big Idea/Generalizations:
    The first part of Rise to Rebellion focused on the increasing tension between England and the colonies, slowly progessing to the outcome of the Boston Tea Party and other breakouts. The colonists were sent over there, seeing the opportunity to start a new life while back in England they saw it as a profit. It was very hard to control a large group of people over seas and this part of the book shows how differences escalated.

    Importance:
    Definitely some key ideas in part 1 were how hard the colonies were able to be controlled because their ruler was over seas and there were not a lot of things that could be enforced. The colonists grew more independent and demanded that they get their own freedom. The author also does a great job at showing the reader how these conflicts began and how they were boiled down to what they became. Town meetings, the Sons of Liberty, and the governor's behavior. These are all keys to help understand why colonists were so enraged.

    Turning Points:
    I think we can all agree that the Boston Tea Party was a major turning point in part 1. It was a combination of the frustration and yearning for freedom from the tea that led to the outbreak. They had to show how they felt about the tea being forced upon them and they did it in a non-violent way which probably ended up helping their cause. They were able to petition without getting rowdy. The massacre at the begininng of the book also led to some more uprisings, and the effect it had in the end was gaining more and more people for the cause.

    Through Their Eyes:
    The colonists were not the only ones frustrated with their situation. Back in England Parliament and the King were both struggling with how to handle the outcries yet keep ruling with an iron fist. They still yearned for control overseas but they were losing hope fast. Benjamin Franklin could see through both the eyes of England and the colonists, but he knew right from wrong.

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    1. Bailey Peter

      Tori, after reading your comment about "looking through their eyes" you make some valuable points. Both sides were fed up with each other, but Ben Franklin knew exactly how both England and the colonists saw things, but in the end knew exactly which side to choose, knowing right from wrong and helping the colonists gain their independence from England.

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  36. Bailey Peter
    Post #1

    Big Idea/Generalization:
    In the first section I read of Rise to Rebellion I noticed that Jeff Shaara primarily focused on the tenseness of England and the colonies. Shaara shares with us how each individual went through this time by putting us in that characters shoes. The colonists were hoping to restart their lives, looking for better land. It was quite tough for the colonists to break away since their King was so strict with his ruling. Due to the colonists decisions many breakouts occured, such as the Boston Tea Party. There really was no way around the American Revolution because of the king's strict ruling.

    Importance:
    In my opinion the person I believe that had the most significance to this was John Adams. From the start he was interested in the law and making sure everyone got justice. This is clearly shown when he takes on Captain Thomas Preston's trial. Adams becomes a significant leader after he joined the Sons of Liberty and was elected to represent the state of Massachusetts in the First Continental Congress. Adams was always proud of his decisions, and knew exactly what he needed to accomplish to make things right.

    Through Their Eyes:
    The only thing that the colonists were concerned about was reaching for freedom. Their thoughts on how to do this was breaking away from England, moving across the sea, and creating a new country. Their reason for wishing to break away was to get away from the austere king that ruled England at that time. The colonists wished to start their own legal system so they could create laws that they all believed they deserved. After realizing that freedom was the only thing the colonists wanted they were willing to sacrafice many, many lives just for this one dream.

    Cause and Effect:
    There were quite a few cause and effects that I noticed throughout the first section. The Tea Tax Act, Boston Massacre, and Governor Hutchinson's letters are just a few that I picked up on. Between just these three events this created much anger in the colonists. Why can Britain be taxing people that don't even live in the same country? It didn't make any sense to the colonists. This is why the colonists wanted to break away from England. They wanted laws that they righteously deserved.

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    1. Tori Cieslek

      I definitely agree about Governor Hutchinson's letters. Even though his privacy was invaded, the material was used to the colonists' benefit. It sparked the Boston Tea Party and Ben Franklin back in England also began to notice that his letters would be sent to him already opened. Nobody had privacy anymore; everyone wanted to know everything whether it was for the better or for the worse.

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  37. Bailey Peter
    Part 2

    Questions:
    I was quite shocked to read in the second section that Britain burned down entire cities. I've read/heard a little about this topic before, but never knew it went into that extent. My question though is how did the colonists clean up after an incident like that? Did they just decide to move to another location, give up on where they had been, and try to start over or did they decide to stay in that same area? I remember briefly in the book Shaara said that there were tents that were put up, but I mean you can't live in a tent forever. There are harsh winters in some areas.

    Evaluation:
    Around pages 445-450 Abigail Adams had some surprising words with her husband John. I was impressed by Abigail's guts and courage to stand up to her husband and tell him exactly what she believed. From the start Abigail believed that there should be equality between men and women, and she quite clearly explained her views to her husband. The part that surprised me though was how she told her husband how she felt. Women during this time were not suppose to voice their opinions, that was always left up to the men to do and the men did not see the reason for equality between men and women.

    Turning Points:
    The biggest turning point in the second section was by far the Declaration of Independence. The colonists only had one wish which was to be free, and the only way that this could happen would be to break away from Britain and create a new country. To have the courage that the colonists had is one thing, and then to actually go through with everything they did had to be quite overwhelming at times. Though without their wishes we could never be where we are today.

    Point of View:
    Through most of the book I looked through the eyes of the colonists, but towards the end of the book I really started to think about how the British saw things living in a country where everybody hated them. The colonist absoutely despised the British for coming over, but you have to think of it as the British didn't really have a choice of what to do. King George was forcing them to carry out orders. They were only doing what they were told to do, so they wouldn't be punished by the King when they returned.

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  38. Tori Cieslek
    Post #2

    Questions:
    The Declaration of Independence did wonders for the colonies, but what risks were the men taking when they signed it? Would they face more hardships after this victory? Not all problems would go away after the document was signed, but the people that signed The Declaration of Independence had to have known what was coming for them in the future.

    Evaluation:
    Abigail Adams did not have a large portion to herself in this book but when she had her say it was quite meaningful. She stuck up for herself and having prior knowledge on her, she was quite the successful woman in her time. John was also a powerful figure in his time, and having him as a husband would have been an advantage if she wanted to make an influence. However, John didn't necessarily do everything possible for her because of how women were still viewed at the time and even he could still be shunned if he was too sensitive to the topic.

    Through Their Eyes:
    I would like to focus on how England viewed all of the colonies acts. America was getting all the attention for being brave and separating themselves from authority back home. Leading up to these events, the King and his Parliament tried to keep the colonies squished between their fingers but their foundation for control slowly started to crumble. It is tedious and frustrating when something has to be controlled but you can't physically be there to do it.

    Change and Continuity:
    I feel this is the perfect way to end analyzing the book. What changed and what remained the same is quite clear. The liberty the colonies gained was the big picture. However, they are still going to have ties back to England, whether it's their customs or even family. They would still act like humans, going about their business as they would have in England, it's not like they are completely reborn. It may have felt like it, but they just don't have the strong hand always guiding them to what seemed to be the right choice. They have the freedom now to make their own choices, which also causes them to take the consequences.

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  39. Anna Koepke
    Blog #3

    Bailey Peter, I understand your questioning on the British troops burning down entire cities. I couldn't even imagine being in the shoes of the colonists at that time. How can a large group of people simply recover from losing everything? I understand that the British used this tactic to try to limit the support for the colonies, but how does burning down a city give you the support of those that lived there?

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    1. Haley Young
      Blog #3

      This is something I've been thinking about a lot myself. Anna, I wonder if maybe the British were relying on the desperation factor. If they burned down cities and left the people with nearly nothing, it wouldn't be completely unreasonable to assume that those people would come running back to the British for protection. Even though it was the British that did it to them in the first place... desperate times call for desperate measures, and it is a part of human nature to have an extremely strong desire to save yourself, to be the consummate survivor.

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  40. Caelyn Gessler
    Blog #1

    I'll start this blog post describing my experience with the book Rise to Rebellion by Jeff Shaara. When I had first gotten the book, I felt a bit exasperated. I wasn't really looking forward to reading basically a historical textbook with facts strung together. When I began reading, I was gladly surprised that this book was written more as a story- something easier to follow along and identify with. I enjoyed the fact that the book was written through characters perspectives and had a certain mood. I liked how it showed different opinions- rather than leaving all the debates open ended. Another thing I liked was how the book had actual dialogue, and the plot sort of gained momentum as I kept reading, making me feel more animated with the book.

    I admired how Jeff Shaara gave personalities to characters. I had been leaning about George Washington and Ben Franklin for a while in my life, but this was the first time when they were given actual personality traits and personified as actual people. My favorite character would have to be John Adams. It's interesting how he starts off as just a lawyer and escalates into this great man who is seen as a almost a leader throughout the American Revolution. He was a man who was held to the law and believed in order and power. [I also enjoyed Bejamin Franklin as well, but I don't really know how secure I would feel with him as a main role in the Revolution. He sort of struck me as a absent-minded, off-in-his-own-world man.] Back to Adams, I found myself really identifying with him. I'm someone who believes in order and everyone being held accountable for their actions, much like he was.

    Something I noticed about Adams was how he was a very honest man. He believed in Justice and doing what was right. He had a lot of respect for himself, and you could tell he was a man who followed what he was supposed to. This is examplified when he agrees to he Captain Prestons attorney, even if it was going to be a tough case. I think he maybe took on the case to bring out the truth and to prove Captain Prestons innocence.

    Comparing this to modern day laywers, this kind of behavior is a little bit unlikely. Most lawyers or attorneys or justice workers really only care about doing the task to just get it over with or money. Money especially.

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    1. Wait I was just reading this over and realised I didn't make sense somewhere. Captain Preston was not completley innocent. He was seen as an enemy. Just want to clear that up.

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  41. Caelyn Gessler
    Blog # 2

    Something in this book is really sticking out to me and that is the treatment of women during this time period. I obiously know that this was before the womens rights movement, but it's still shocking to see women treated almost like slaves. Maybe that's an overstatement, women then weren't worked to death. But women back then were basically controlled by their husbands and treated like objects. They did what their husbands asked and didn't question anything. Women weren't given an education or really a choice on who they'd marry, where they would live or how many children they would have. Women really had no right to even an opinion. It makes me wonder how the Womens Rights Act didn't occur sooner.

    Like on page 346 I believe, when Thomas Gage and his wife begin squabbling because she wants him to just surrender so he can be with his family. Thomas Gage doesn't even consider what's she saying, instead he assumes she's the one at fault, though he continues to share his opinion. It's hypocritical because they were doing the same exact thing pretty much- and one was viewed as wrong.

    Which brings me to another point, it's funny how women who have an opinion are frowned upon, but when Benjamin Franklin walks around undressed- in plain sight- it's endearing.

    Franklin is sort of a piece of work. He does things that are looked upon as weird- but he is still respected. I think people sort of see past his quirkiness and recognize him as this amazing philosopher and intelligent thinker. I think he was almost a source of comfort to the nation due to his Granfather-like, familiar persona.

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  42. Caelyn Gessler
    Blog # 3

    I really like that I got to hear this story from the British side. Most of my information of the American Revolution revolved around a book I read in fifth grade about a girl who was sold as an identured servant during this time, so it was nice to hear more from a different perspective. Like most, I believed the British were treating us unjustly and we were simply defended ourselves. Now I see it was mistakes and vicious attacks from both sides.

    I wish this book would've used a little bit more detail on what happened after a battle or a new turning point. After something would happen, I felt like the book would move on to the next topic before completely finishing the original thought.

    An example is after the British burned down now-American cities. I wish there was more expansion on that. What happened to the families? Did the cities begin to rebuild? I also wished it talked a bit more on the Declaration of Independence- though I can probably find dozens of books on that topic alone. I wish it would've shown the hardships of it, and the difficulties getting it to the King and incorporating those rights into society. Another thing I wish was expanded on was what happened to the people who did not believe America should get independence from the British. How did they feel throughout all of this? What about the people in congress who didn't want indepedence?

    I'm glad the book explained to me more about Paul Revere's midnight ride. It's almost funny how over-glorified that story is, when there were other people doing the same thing as him and he didn't even finish his complete midnight ride!

    My review is that the American Revolution was inevitable. If it didn't happen in 1776, I can guarentee you it would've happened some other time in history. I think this war however really united us as a country and made us come together. It sort of gave us the momentum to start our own lives for ourselves, without Britain.

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  43. Haley Young
    Blog #1

    Connections:
    I made a lot of text-to-text connections in the first part of this book, actually relating the story (especially the part focusing on the Boston Massacre and the big idea of trying to send soldiers over to calm the colonies) to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. A spark was enough to set off these people, and once that spark caught.. well, there was no going back. Despite the efforts of the British army to follow their orders and maintain the piece, it was impossible, much like how in Hunger Games it was an unattainable goal for Katniss to calm the rage spreading in the districts after the fire began to catch. It was interesting to me how an event that you've learned so much about in school - why, elementary school history focused on events like the Boston Tea party quite a lot - can be really brought to life before your eyes. Whether it's because I've matured and grown in my understanding of the world, or if it's just because of Shaara's amazing talent for sending history leaping off of the pages, or a combination of the two, for the first time in my life I was really able to understand the American Revolution. And beyond just understanding it, I was able to connect with it and want to learn more. Instead of a shadowy figure in a textbook I almost felt as though I knew the key historical figures.

    Big Ideas:
    Small events can add up and end up changing the world. One should never underestimate the power that they have to influence society. Things that might seem to be of no specific importance can later come back and be the rallying point for a war; and once you reach a certain level of disagreement, there might be no peaceful way to handle it. It's best to keep things from escalating right away so as to avoid future conflicts. This is something extremely hard to do from overseas, which makes having colonies in a different area of the world from the mother country is an extreme risk. I feel like the American Revolution really speaks to the human spirit, and whatever you believe or whatever side you are on, it definitely emphasizes that it ultimately not in our nature to sit and allow ourselves to be uncomfortable, unhappy, or unappreciated. Eventually things will boil over and it's impossible to predict what will happen after that point. For years human nature has remained basically unchanged.

    Using the past:
    I'm an extremely firm believer that those who do not know history are certain to repeat it. It's vital to use the past to make sense of the world we live in today. Though many things have changed since the American Revolution time period, we are still humans and we are still learning. We can use history to avoid making the same mistakes that have already left scars on our country, to fuel and motivate us to do what is right even when it's hard, and to ultimately push us to fight for what we believe in.. It's just important to be aware of the consequences first. I believe that we can learn from the past by trying to get inside the heads of key historical figures, and even just average civilians in times of great change. If we can understand exactly why people did what they did, exactly how what happened happened, we can identify key patterns and apply them to the world today. Understanding people of the past will always help us understand people of the present.

    Differing Perspectives:
    One of the wonderful things about this book is the many perspectives in it. I especially liked viewing the Boston Massacre from the British side; so often in school you hear that the colonies were basically right, but in the beginning of this book they are presented almost as terrorists. There was no choice but to shoot them. It was nice throughout this book to remember that even those who played huge roles in our history were ultimately average people too, with many of the same inner struggles and problems that we find ourselves facing in our world today.

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  44. Haley Young
    Blog #2

    Evaluation:
    Abigail Adams is a hero. I'd never fully understood her role in history, or just how drastic it was that she explained her opinions to her husband like she did. The treatment of women in this time period was awful - that's another something I hadn't fully understood before reading this book - and I couldn't help but to find myself silently cheering Abigail Adams on in my head and she clearly expressed her views to her husband. She must have really loved and trusted him to feel like she could do that, given everything that was happening at the time.

    Questions:
    How much of this conflict could have been avoided, and how many people even in that time period wished it had been? The British were originally trying to keep the peace, but when did some of them abandon this task? Did some of the soldiers believe what they were doing was wrong, or did some of the colonists too? Within the groups and the two sides to every story, were there some who weren't completely sold on the ideas that they were agreeing with and participating in? What would have happened if they had spoken up, shouted their voices and refused to be ignored? It could have made things much, much worse, but it could have made them better, too. It's amazing how detailed and extensive history is, and to think that if you changed one little thing in the past it could have such a huge effect on everything we know.

    Through their eyes:
    Something that through this entire book I've been just drinking up is the opinions of the people. To me, people are wonderful and amazing and it has always been my goal to understand them to the best of my ability. It's startling to see the similarities in how people back then and how people now view the world, how some thought processes seem to remain unchanged regardless of your time period. It's equally shocking to notice the differences though, to realize that perhaps the greatest reason hindsight is 20/20 is because sometimes people don't live in a world that really allows them to see everything they ought to.

    Turning points:
    Quite obviously, the Declaration of Independence was a huge turning point. At the risk of sounding cliched, the courage required is amazing to think about, and the consequences equally huge. It is my hope that in the future people will still be able to do what they in their hearts believe to be right, as opposed to simply doing what is easy.

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