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Line 11: + − To learn history well, you must put yourself back at that time. Think of what it might have been like. Imagine it. See both sides of the Boston Massacre, for example. What were British soldiers doing there? Maybe it was reasonable to object to their presence.+ − We discussed how England justified its direct taxation to pay for the [[French and Indian War]]. But how do we know the taxes were to pay for the war? Would that be all that the taxes would be paying for? Would the taxes cease when the war debt was paid? No, because that was a slippery slope. Those taxes would never end, even after the war was fully paid.+ − Learn to think in this way, and you will learn to understand history.+ − −
American History Lecture Three (view source)
Revision as of 03:19, August 31, 2008
, 03:19, August 31, 2008→Review: improved
==Review==
==Review==
To learn history well, you must put yourself back at that time. Think of what it might have been like. Imagine it in your mind. Put yourself at the time and place of the Boston Massacre, for example. Try to see both sides of the conflict, and why people acted as they did. Why did the British soldiers shoot their guns? Because people were throwing snowballs at them, some containing rocks. Why were colonists throwing snowballs? Because they did not think the British soldiers should be there. Why were the British soldiers there? Because the King George III ordered them to be. And so on.
We discussed how England had reasons for imposing its direct taxation on the colonists, in order to pay for the [[French and Indian War]]. But how do we know the taxes were to pay for the war? Would that be all that the taxes would be paying for? Would the taxes cease when the war debt was paid? No, because that was a slippery slope. Most likely those taxes would never end, even after the war was fully paid.
Learn to use your imagination and common sense to understand history, and see the motivations on both sides of conflicts. One side may be completely wrong, but understand why it is motivated to act as it does. Often the reason is simple: to make more money.
Ask yourself this question: was the American Revolution a "conservative revolution?" It did not attempt to overthrow and remove King George III, who ruled for 60 years (including nearly 40 years after American Revolution). The American Revolution was not motivated to establish a brand new future with its own leader, and for years afterwards the colonies (then states) refused to have a president at all. Instead, the American Revolution was an attempt to restore the past of the colonies, and restore natural God-given rights as the colonists understood them. Regardless, the colonists won the revolution, and history becomes even more interesting as they decide what to do next.
The American Revolution was a “conservative revolution.” <clarify?> We won the Revolution. What next?
==State Constitutions==
==State Constitutions==