american independence 1

Writing Assignment

You are an American colonist living in Boston in February of 1776. The American

Revolution has begun yet the American colonies have not declared independence. You just

read Thomas Paineâ€™s

Common Sense

advocating Independence and you begin to remember

two separate sermons you heard the previous year given by the Tory ministers Jonathan

Boucher and Charles Inglis

arguing against independence. Afterwards, you begin to

formulate your stance on American independence. Are you a rebel or a Tory? Is it time to

declare independence from the British?

You will write a 5-6 page letter to anyone of your choosing explaining your stance on

American independence and attempt to sway them to your way of thinking. You will use

Paineâ€™s

Common Sense

and the sermons of Boucher and Inglis (available on Canvas) to

build your argument as well as 3 additional primary sources of your choosing. In other

words, you need to explain why you agree with one and disagree with the other. In the

letter, you need to clearly state your opinion on declaring independence and clearly explain

to your reader why they should make the same decision. You may use lecture material and

the textbook to add context to your letter.

In this assignment you need to exhibit creative writing skills as well as analytical thought.

You must submit both a paper and electronic copy. Late papers will be given a two-grade

reduction (20pts.) In this essay, I want you to make an argument and use examples from the

source material to back it up. You must cite the examples that you use in footnotes. Your

paper must be at least five full pages long! Your paper must be double-spaced in 12pt.

Times New Roman font. Be sure to staple your paper. Make sure you put your name on the

paper. For help on how to construct your letter, you can consult with me.

The assignment is due on

Monday June 24