Viva la Revolucion

1
Viva la Revolucion!

• Mr. Feraco
• Period 4
• 30 October 2007

2
What Was the Revolutionary War?

• If you dont know by now, some history teachers
  are going to be fired!
• The defining moment in the rise of America as a
  nation
• Conflict with England that dawned soon after the
  publication of the Declaration of Independence
• America eventually won, paving the path for
  sovereignty

3
Why Did We Fight?

• Same reason we always do, Pinky
• Actually, we felt oppressed
• Not only were conditions harsh in the new land,
  but we felt simultaneously unsupported and held
  down kind of like a teenager itching to leave
  the rule of its parents

4
Economics

• Some of our issues with England were cultural
• After all, a significant portion of the
  population was either composed of or descended
  from those Puritans we learned so much about
• However, most of our problems stemmed from what
  we viewed as economic tyranny

5
No Taxation Without Representation!

• Britain kept passing legislation that the
  colonists felt was injurious, or at the very
  least unfair
• Trade was often accompanied by heavy levies and
  taxes
• We had no legislative voice to protest
• These tensions culminated in the incident we now
  call the Boston Tea Party (1773)
• It wasnt as fun and gentle as it sounds, so
  dont be sad that you werent invited

6
Action/Reaction

• In response, the British closed down Bostons
  port
• They also passed even more legislation, which
  only strengthened sentiment against them
• Important to remember that Britain definitely
  still had loyalists within the country, and even
  supporters (Tories)
• Revolution was not easily reached

7
Armies Marching

• The First Continental Congress protested the
  passage of the Intolerable Acts, a series of
  economic levies passed in the wake of the Tea
  Party
• Britain agreed to lessen taxation in exchange for
  a number of concessions including offering
  support to an increasing number of British
  soldiers in the colonies

8
Patrick Henry

• Born in 1736, Henry was a young legislator on the
  rise at the time of the Tea Party
• He actually got started early, launching a
  fantastically angry speech against the Stamp Act
  in 1765
• However, its his 1775 speech to the Virginia
  House of Burgesses that really captures our
  attention
• Oddly enough, it was never written down the
  speech we read was pieced together by his
  biographer in the years that followed

9
Henrys Speech

• Rhetorical devices and persuasive speech abound!
• One of the reasons the speech is so effective is
  that it appeals to both our reason and our
  emotion
• What do we call those appeals?
• Also great usage of deductive and inductive
  reasoning

10
The Structure

• Begins with an acknowledgement of his opponents
• Basically puts on a clinic of rhetorical
  excellence from there on out, all the way to one
  of the finest conclusions in American history
• Short, but sweet

11
While Reading Tonight

• Make careful note of the ways in which Henry uses
  his language, as well as the specific language
  that he uses
• Run a rhetorical device check on it see how
  many youll find!
• Remember not to lose the message, however!