Revolutionary+Period+-+5th

= ** ​ media type="custom" key="4475877" - Benjamin Franklin, writing as Silence Dogood, Nov. 8, 1722.** = The Revolutionary Period

** __Famous Writers and Thinkers of the Time__ **
Benjamin Franklin **- When he was sixteen he wrote a series of letters under the pseudonym on Silence Dogood to his brother’s newspaper. These articles were very popular because of the satirical way in which they were written. Later in life he published [|Poor Richard's Almanack]. Although only one of these was published a year, they sold more copies than the Bible. Franklin had a very different way of thinking and came up with many inventions such as the lightening rod, the glass armonica, the Franklin stove, and bifocals. He also established the first volunteer fire brigade and the first public library. He was extremely popular not only in America, but also abroad, and he was the first American ambassador for France. [] === __Historical Events and Unifying Factors__  === This was the time when America was fighting for its independence. The British had levied many atrocities against the colonists, such as taking over their live stock, cheating them in the market, and levying severe taxes against them. Therefore the literature of this time would have a very patriotic tone. The struggle that all felt in this trying time as well as their patriotism were factors that unified them. Also their fear and hatred of the British was commonality of the masses. The fear of the destruction of the war and the sadness of lives lost would have its toll as well. These would all prove to make an ideal climate for literature due to the presence of all the literary archetypes in real life. There were the heroic soldiers, the villainous British, the courageous common man, and the cowardly Loyalists, all of which were worthy of being written about.
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 * Thomas Paine**- He wrote __Common Sense__, a pamphlet that challenged the American people to fight for their independence. This sparked a wave of patriotism.
 * Thomas Jefferson**- He wrote the Declaration of Independence, which was published in numerous newspapers for many to read. The language he used gave a sense of unity and sovereignty.
 * Richard Henry Lee** - Richard Henry Lee wrote Lee's Resolution, a bold document that suggested the independence of America. It called for the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, a call to form alliances, and "a plan for confederation."
 * John Adams** – Adams was the second president of the USA. He helped to negotiate a peace treaty after the Revolutionary war and he had also helped write the Declaration of Independence. He served as a lawyer, and although he was a Patriot he defended British soldiers in the trials concerning the Boston Massacre.
 * James Madison** – He and two others wrote the Federalist essays, making a great contribution to the ratification of the Constitution. He is referred to as the “father of the Constitution.” He also helped frame the Bill of Rights.
 * John Hancock** – Hancock served as the president of the Continental Congress in 1774 and as the governor of his state until he died. He is well known for signing his name very flamboyantly on the Constitution.
 * John Dickinson** - John Dickinson wrote Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, stating that Britain's policies were unlawful. He was one of the first to speak of acting against England, though he never wanted independence. When independence was being considered, he wrote the Olive Branch Petition, asking for a truce between the colonies and their mother country, but King George III ignored it.
 * Patrick Henry** – He was a radical during the revolutionary era. He is most famous for saying, “Give me liberty, or give me death!”

 __Key Concepts/ Historical Events__
**The American Revolution -** The American revolution caused for strained relations between the colonies and Britain. This affected Americans socially because the stress that came from the war often allowed for harsh feelings and resentment to build up between neighbors. Also, the lack of money and the high taxes that came about also affected the social aspects of society. The difficult lifestyle, however, caused the new movement for Liberty to gain ground. Political ties with the British were also severed and a hunger for independence filled the Patriots of the Revolutionary period. Taking action and splitting from the British caused the social movement to be empowered by the new found courage and unifying feeling that the colonists gained from the reading and writing of the Declaration of Independence. The political movement was also heavily impacted because the people of America were no longer under control of the monarchy of Britain and had started a republic that leaned heavily toward democracy. The philosophical movement of the Revolutionary period was also influenced by the writing of the Declaration of Independence because it inspired many philosophers to read, write, and experiment during this time, even when the days were dark and all their hope had almost gone. **Patrick Henry’s “If This Be Treason” Speech -** Disrupted the political and social order of the House of Burgesses and made it quite obvious that the people weren’t at all pleased with how the king was running America. They obviously hadn’t been happy with the taxes imposed on him and Patrick Henry very strongly implies that if King George III doesn’t change his ways, he just might end up like Caeser or Charles I—dead. The French and Indian war caused for taxes to be raised exponentially, both in Britain and America. This angered the colonists because they felt like they shouldn’t have to pay for a war that they didn’t even take part in. They felt that they were being unfairly taxed and this opened the floodgates for even more resentment and anger to flow through. Socially, the colonists were upset because they needed their hard-earned money to provide for their families, but Parliament was taking it away to relieve their own debt. Things suffered politically as well when the Americans started to feel as if King George III and Parliament weren’t working to help them as much as they needed. - Boston Massacre The Boston Tea Party was in fact a propeller for the social movements that occurred in this time period. The Sons of Liberty were boycotting British tea and asking all other people to do the same. They dumped 10,000 euros worth of tea into the Boston Harbor in protest. All Americans bonded over this experience and this action, in a way, started their unification. Many philosophers were also driven by this event, which furthered the growth of the philosophical movement. The Continental Congress helped the political movement in America progress to a republican form of democracy rather than the monarchy it had previously been. The people of America were affected by this socially because the Continental Congress came up with some ideas that generally helped out the standard for living in America. Philosophers all over were also inspired by the great risks and daring ideas that the Continental Congress put forth during the American Revolution. U.S. Constitution - The Constitution set the boundaries for the political (and partially the social) movements during the Revolutionary period. It specifically stated what kind of government we were going to have as well as addressed the rights of the people of America. It also set the stage for the future political, social, philosophical, and religious movements that were to come in later years. **
 * The writing of the Declaration of Independence -**
 * Stamp Act, Quartering Act, Iron Act, Tea Act, Townsend Act, Proclamation of 1763, etc.** The acts that Britain passed that concerned the colonists were met with very apparent disapproval in America. They felt as if these acts (which came about because of the debt the British found themselves in after the French and Indian War) were being unfair to the colonists, who took no part in the war and yet still had to use their own money to pay off Britain's debt. Political movements were impacted because this, again, urged the people to lean away from the monarchy of Britain and turn more toward the Patriotic views (this actually divided America in some places where people who were still loyal to the crown--Loyalists--found themselves hated by the Patriots).
 * French and Indian War -**
 * Boston Tea Party -**
 * Continental Congress -



__The Connection Between the Cultural and Literary Climates__
There wasn't a purely distinct culture during the Revolutionary period. However, there were some key pieces that attributed to the style of most of the writers and thinkers of this time. For example, many religion groups arose and some became more prominent during this time period, including (but not limited to) the Protestants, Puritans, Baptists, and Huguenots. Religion was a very important part of the American lifestyle and this ties in somewhat with the literary writings of the time. For example, the Constitution speaks of religion in its text and expresses that all people in America have the freedom to pick and choose which religion they would like to practice. Religion also influenced many other literary works of this time period. Common activities in towns and cities also unified the people and influenced the writings of many authors. The leaders and brilliant philosophers were all affected by the common, daily activities such as helping put out a fire in the town or even having a parade. Their diary entries from this time are still being read today.

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