essay #2 outline: revision #3

Rhode Island- Patriot

I. Rhode Island has been living in the state of Independence, and it has been working wonderfully.
A. We have lived in independence from all the fellow colonies and their governments for many years due to the charter of 1663, and have ran our colony with our own government successfully.
1. We have lived in independence for many years and we have prospered tremendously with our trade, and England wants to share our wealth.
a. Great Britain placed taxes on us to clear their debts that were caused by their previous wars.
i. “At the end of the wars, England owed a lot of money for all of the soldiers, weapons, and forts that they had used. To raise money, England decided to tax the colonists for sugar, paper, and tea.” (Whitehurst 17)
b. We already have to pay for our own debts, and we don’t want to pay for the debts of someone else.
i. “But the colonists were already paying taxes to cover their own war debts and run the colonies. A lot of them thought paying twice wasn’t one bit fair.”(Schanzer 18)
II. The taxations that England place on us are a huge impact on the economy we live in, and if we don’t stop them it will only get worse.
A. Rhode Island is a small colony with trade as the most important economical source of income, so when Great Britain forces laws and taxes on us we suffer economically.
1. “Great Britain passed the first of a number of laws that became known as the Navigation Acts. These laws were created mainly to protect British trade. However, the Navigation Acts hurt Rhode Island’s economy.”(Doak 41)
B. Newport, Rhode Island had a huge port for trade and when it was blockaded it caused problems for the colonists living there.
1. “Newport was especially hard - hit. Beginning in June 1775, a British blockade of the port caused Newport residents serious problems. During the blockade, British ships stopped food supplies from entering the port.” (Doak 94)
III. The King of England hurt our colony, and when we asked them to stop their unjust laws and taxations they didn’t respond, so we had to take charge.
A. We sent a delegate to the Continental Congress to start to develop an idea to create peace between us and England.
1. We sent many letters such as the Olive Branch Petition to the King of England asking in the most respectable ways to revoke the taxes and unjust laws placed upon us, and to treat us as more than slaves under the British Parliament.
a. “We, therefore, beseech your Majesty, that your royal authority and influence may be graciously interposed to procure us relief from our afflicting fears and jealousies, occasioned by the system before mentioned, and to settle peace through every part of your dominions,” (Olive Branch Petition)
i. The King never looked at the Olive Branch Petition, and never took into mind any of the other letters we sent to the King asking for his mercy.
B. They didn’t respond to our words, so we had to instead act through defense.
1. This Document states the reasons for us having to defend ourselves. A Declaration by the Representatives of the United Colonies of North- America, Now Met in Congress at Philadelphia, Setting Forth the Causes and Necessity of Their Taking Up Arms.
a. “In our own native land, in defense of the freedom that is our birthright, and which we ever enjoyed till the late violation of it -- for the protection of our property, acquired solely by the honest industry of our fore-fathers and ourselves, against violence actually offered, we have taken up arms. We shall lay them down when hostilities shall cease on the part of the aggressors, and all danger of their being renewed shall be removed, and not before.” (Taking up Arms)


Citations:

Books:
Doak, Robin. Life in the Thirteen Colonies: Rhode Island. Canada: Children's Press, a division of Scholastic Inc., 2004.

Whitehurst, Susan. The Colony of Rhode Island. First. New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2000.

Schanzer, Rosalyn. George vs. George: The American Revolution as seen from both sides. Belgium: National Geographic Society, 2004.

Primary Documents:
A Declaration by the Representatives of the United Colonies of North-America, Now Met in Congress at Philadelphia, Setting Forth the Causes and Necessity of Their Taking Up Arms.

Journals of the Continental Congress - Petition to the King; July 8, 1775