These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”
– Thomas Paine, The Crisis
For this discussion we will reflect on both historical and present day examples of migration and expansion caused by political and religious violence that emerged from the wars to control North America, culminating in the American Revolution. In your selected documentary be sure to bridge the gap between historical and present day examples of migration, as well as examining the perspective of the film’s content.
The Thirty Years War in mainland Europe was a conflict on a scale comprisable to the First World War, both in terms of lives lost and the lasting devastation it left behind. During the same period, the English Civil War between Roundhead and Cavalier factions produced series of upheavals that culminated in the execution of Charles I and the establishment of a military dictatorship under Oliver Cromwell. This period of religious and political violence produced one of the largest refugee crises in history, which in turn ended up shaping the dimensions of politics in Colonial America as well as the social, religious, ethnic, and political make-up of North America for centuries to come, culminating in the creation of the United States.
For all writing assignments you are required to do the following:
Write a 300-500 Word Review of your chosen media.
After completing your review you are expected to write TWO 100 Word responses to your classmates review, giving feedback, asking questions, and drawing connections between the subjects of your respective posts.
OPTION 1
Read: Davidson, Experience History Volume 1: Interpreting America’s Past (via McGraw Hill Connect)
Chapter 5: The Mosaic of Eighteenth Century America
Chapter 6: Imperial Triumph, Imperial Crisis
Chapter 7: The American People and the American Revolution
For your Chapter Reviews, you are expected to read the selected sections (manually edited by the instructor) that connect to our class lectures and discussions. Using the text as your source, write a 300-500 word short essay that answers any one of the following essential questions* from the Section 2 notes:
How did the religious, social, and political situation in England during the 1600s influence the settlement of the colonies of North America?
Describe how the political and religious upheavals of the English Civil War, Restoration, and Glorious Revolution helped to shape both the settlement and social development of Great Britain’s North American colonies.
Identify moments in the lives and careers of our founding fathers where their loyalties to Britain were first brought into question. What aspects of their experience made it so they felt revolution was necessary?
What were the major contributing factors that caused the American Revolution to transition from a localized rebellion to a continental revolution? Can you pinpoint one factor or several that helped this along?
George Washington famously lost more battles than he won during his campaigns in the Revolutionary War. What additional factors helped the Continental Army ultimately defeat the British and gain independence?
*When writing your essay in the discussion thread make sure to do the following:
If using a direct quote or block of information from the text, make sure to put the name of the textbook editor in parenthesis, followed by a period (Davidson).
Where possible, use examples from the text to support an historical argument that follows your own interpretation from the reading and ideas of its meaning.
Do not simply say, “According to the book….” Instead make a statement and then use the book as a resource to help support your answers.
Discuss what you learned and what you would like to learn more about.
Where possible, connect at least one idea discussed in class to your review.
You are welcome – but not required – to challenge the historical perspective presented in the text. If there is something that you feel could be fleshed out more, or a part of the story that seems to be missing, be sure to point it out.
OPTION 2
Write a 300-500 word review on any of the following multimedia sources listed below. Your documentary/podcast review should contain the following:
A very brief summary (no more than 50 words ) that explains the premise of your chosen media source.
What did learn from and what you would like to learn more about?
List at least one blind spot or missed opportunity your source could have addressed.
Are there places where you believe your source could have given its audience or readers more information?
Identify at least one instance of bias (a preference toward one point of view over another) that occurred in your chosen resource.
There will always be occurrences of bias in everything you watch in this class. This is not necessarily a negative, but becoming aware of how a preferred point of view can inform the way a story is told is one of the primary goals of this course.
Where possible, connect at least one idea discussed in class to your review.
American History Tellers (Listen to First Three Episodes):
The Virginia Planter
