It is September 1776. The news of the Declaration of Independence has swept through the colonies, and you are just now learning of this historical event. You take pen to paper to write to a family member to reflect about what this means.
In your letter, make certain to discuss:
Where do you live in Colonial America?
Are you a patriot or a loyalist?
Share with your family member at least one social, political, or economic event that you believe led the Continental Congress to write the Declaration of Independence. Why did this event lead to the writing of the Declaration of Independence?
Do you believe that the Declaration of Independence was the correct course of action for the Continental Congress to take? Why, or why not?
What actions will you take (whether required or volunteered) as America and Great Britain wage war?
Formatting your letter to a family member:
Since you are the author of the letter and sharing your perspectives (representative of that time) and experiences, a first-person narrative (I, me, us, we, etc.) is needed for this assignment.
Your letter must be at least two pages in length, double spaced, and written in Times New Roman, 12-point font. APA Style will not be required for this assignment. While APA is not required for this assignment, you will want to utilize resources to help develop strong information in your letter. However, be careful not to copy material from the sources. For this letter project, make certain to paraphrase the information (write the information in your own words). Use your sources for historical facts but write in your own words.
Suggested strategies to successfully accomplish the Unit III Assignment:
Getting Started
Do not begin to work on the assignment until you have read (in full) the Unit III Study Guide and read/viewed the assigned Required Unit Resources.
After you have read/viewed all of the Unit III material, carefully review the assignment rubric so that you are aware of how your work will be evaluated.
Think About the Content
Remember the all-important 5 Ws of information. Dive into the details to help present strong content. Remember to always incorporate the 5 Ws of research into your writing: who, what, where, when, and why. All of these are needed for your major components, and, at this academic level, the why is a vital component.
Organization is important too. Think strategically about how you are organizing the information. Consider that the letter may have the strongest content available, but if its structure or pace is weak, the content is negatively impacted.
To help ensure strong content and strong organization, go through at least five rounds of proofreading and editing your letter after you have put it in its final draft. This will allow you to see glitches and correct them. Give yourself time in between each round of proofreading and editing so that when you come back, you will see new areas that might need change/improvement. This is one of the best tactics one can use when working with writing assignments: five rounds of proofreading and editing.
Student name
Institution
Course name
Instructor’s name
Date
My Beloved Sister,
I was very glad to hear from you and even happier to learn that my nephews are also well. You desired to know more about my health status and I can confidently say that I am doing better. I am afraid that my letter will be quiet long because I am excited to share information about what has been happening around here in Jamestown, Virginia and in other colonies.
I am sure you have heard about the Declaration of Independence. The people here in Jamestown, are divided. Some people are loyal to the King of England and others have rejected British rule. I consider myself a patriot because I feel that it is time for us, Americans, to completely separate ourselves from the British. We can do fine on our own without their interference in our political lives and the economy. As you may have noticed, we already have our own congress, army, and currency (Spannaus, 2019). What more, then, do we need from the British?
As you may have heard, James Randall, my militia friend, was at Lexington last year when the British forces were passing through on their way to capture John Hancock and Sam Adams. There was heavy gunfire and many died. Fortunately, Randall only suffered a gunshot wound on his shoulder and a letter arrived from him last week explaining that his he is finally healed and will continue being part of the militia. The good news is that the militiamen successfully stopped the British forces and many of them were killed. At least the British know that we are capable and that they should fear us.
I would also like to inform you that Bill Johnson, his wife, and three children are finally doing well after they arrived here in February. They were afraid that the British attacks on the towns on the Coast would continue and that they would be unable to return to Falmouth, Virginia. However, I have informed them about the Declaration of Independence and assured them that soon we will be free from England. Most of the Southerners affected by the attacks are now patriots and I believe that this has given us more power. The people here in Jamestown and many others believe that we should fight together if we are to defeat the British. A Declaration of Independence demonstrates that all the patriots have embraced the need for independence and victory will soon be ours (Spannaus, 2019).
The Declaration of Independence was the correct course of action for the Continental Congress because we now have a course to fight for. In the past years, we have tried to reconcile with the king but it was impossible. The British system of law is flawed and it is impossible for people to be entirely free if they still have hereditary rule. Finally, it is likely that the Great Britain will wage war on account of the British troops that seem to be prepared to attack major towns, including New York (The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, 2018). If there is a war, I want to fight for our freedom and will be joining the militiamen as soon as required. Do not fear that I may die but hold on the belief that whatever I and other patriots do will be the path to freedom.
Regards,
Your loving brother.
References
Spannaus, N. (2019). The Fight behind the Declaration of Independence. Journal of the American Revolution. https://allthingsliberty.com/2019/08/the-fight-behind-the-declaration/.
The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. (2018). The Declaration of Independence: A History. https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-history.