Caleb clark's journal

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Caleb Clark’s Journal By Lucy Jonas Friday, February 28, 14

Transcript of Caleb clark's journal

Page 1: Caleb clark's journal

Caleb Clark’s Journal

By Lucy Jonas

Friday, February 28, 14

Page 2: Caleb clark's journal

March 27, 1765- Two Days after the Scumbag Passed the Stamp Act

I can’t believe this. That miserable scumbag thinks that he can do what ever they want to us colonists just because we live under his rule. King George III has no idea what it is like to be on this country, we can barley buy food as it is, but now he wants to tax us. My father served in the French and Indian War from 1754 to 1763. And what does the king do to thank him? He starts taxing everything. Looking back on it now, I’m surprised that my father survived that hideous war. Being tall and skinny like me, he was made an easy target for the arrows of the Indians. And with his bright red hair, he wasn't hard to spot.

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I remember the day the treaty was signed. I was only 12. It was joyous of course, but I will never un-live that horrible 8 years when my father served. The sound of the soldiers celebrating clashed with the memory of gunshots in my head. We lived so close to the battlefield that we could see the smoke of the canons. I remember him visiting and talking to my mom about the horrible living conditions and little food. Dad also said that because we had the strongest army in the world, the French and Indian War should not have been hard. But most British officers were gentlemen who had bought their positions, so they were not qualified for their positions and never really served in the war.  They even also bought them for their sons. So only them foot soldiers really knew what the real war was like. That night I saw father really happy for the first time. As soon as the treaty was signed his face light up like a child when he saw a toy. Life looked so good, we were going to start over and forget this, we even moved to Boston. But I never thought that the tyrant that we called our king would betray us like he has now.

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Some may say that I’m crazy for getting mad at all of this stamp act business, they say that you should just put up with paying extra for everything that has a stamp on it. They say that it is to help cover the depth from the war. But I am not that naïve. I know that the tyrant that is controlling Britain is just trying to make a quick pound off of us colonists. Every time I see a stamp on anything I just get mad. Everything, and I mean everything had a stamp on it. Some these things included newspapers, documents, and even playing cards. Why would you tax playing cards? That King is just trying to take what little joy we have left, and nobody is trying to stop him. We have no voice in parliament, which means we don't have rights

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Memories

Here are three stamps from tea, grain, and flour.

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December 18, 1773- The Incident

It has been two days since we poured the tea in the harbor. It has been two days since I joined the revolution against those red coats. Ever since the Boston manicure the blockheads have been nothing but trouble. They killed 5 people. I can’t believe it. Those five people could have been my family or me. This was loss for the revolution, we thought that we could never come back from it, but of course we did. The Boston tea party was much worse, not for us, but for the red coats.

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I can still smell the fresh herbal smell of the British tea, which I was helping unload from the boats that came in from England. For the most part it was a good day, the sun was shining and people were friendly, what more could a person want. I remember my best friend Copper ranting on about how we should get more rights and less taxes, he was right. But the only thing that bothered me was that I didn't want to get into trouble with those Brits because I can’t go to jail, I have to help feed my family. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for crushing that King into the ground but how are we going to do it without getting in trouble.

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All of a sudden, we hear couple of men starting to yell stuff about freedom and independence. And what used to be three men, turned into about 200 men yelling, that's including Copper and I. The yelling turned into a full out riot. There where people chiming in everywhere with their yells for justice. Copper, being the troublemaker as he is, decided to stir the pot even more by picking up a splintery crate of tea and throwing it in the harbor. I joined him in throwing away the symbol of our slavery to the British in to the harbor. One man put indian feathered hats on us, and we didn’t care. The deep blue slowly turned more and more brown as we threw more and more tea in to the ocean. Some red coats tried to stop this but they were no match for us colonists. With over 200 of us and a lot less of them, they were obviously out numbered.

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We continued throwing the crates into the harbor until there was no more to throw, by this time it was almost sunset. The vivid oranges painted the sky. And then it occurred to me, this started it. This event has started a revolution. Of course the Boston massacre sparked an idea, but people we to scared off to even think about pushing more. Now it is full blow fire. The day of the Boston tea party is the day that this riot turned into a revolution. And I for one, hope that it will prevail.

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Memories

My favorite picture of what the Boston tea party looked like from shore

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July 6th, 1776- Declaring Independence

The day that we signed the discoloration of independence was one of the happiest days in my life. But of course declaring independence is different to actually getting it. We still have a lot of work to do regards to gaining independence from the red coats. It has only been a year since the accident of Bunker Hill, and my leg has healed but the events that happened that day are still fresh scares.

The battle of Bunker Hill was the bloodiest battle I’ve ever been in. It was a cool spring morning; the due was shimmering on the wild flowers as we marched through the meadow. What a lovely day for a battle, I thought sarcastically, nothing horrible could ever happen on a day like this. Copper was with me behind the fort that we made over night. There were about 1,500 of us colonists dug behind the fort that was barley holding together. Some British ships started fire and as far as I know, only hurt a few people. By the time the sun was in the middle of the sky the British troops had landed. I didn't know much at the time, but I knew that about 2,400 British soldiers out numbered us. The first two assaults were hard to beat, I barley got by with out having my head blow off. all around me there were wounded and dead man, I tried no to look at them because I couldn't stop think that I could be one of the men.

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We ran out of ammunition on the third assault and as I was running for cover, I felt a sharp burning pain in my left calf. I screamed and looked down to see the bloody remains of my ruined leg. But I kept running to the fort. Everything was going fuzzy because of the loss of blood, and as I jumped into the fort everything went black.

I woke up a couple hours later in the back of a carriage with about 5 other wounded soldiers. The laid there lifelessly until I spoke up asking about what had happened. One of them said that after the third assault the British surrendered because they loosed to many men. They said that in the end the British had lost to many people and we won. While the wounded soldiers kept ranting about how bad the conditions were and I looked down at my bloodied leg and tried to move it. It's a miracle! Even with the unbearable shooting pain, I can still move it. I assume that my shin is badly broken and will never heal as well as it was. But still, at least is didn't fall off.

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It occurred to me that Copper was fighting beside me. I vaguely looking back right before I black out, seeing the lifeless body of my friend lying on the ground with bloody stains showing where he got shot. My best friend, dead by the hand of those nasty horrible red coats. We will win, not just for me, but also for my best friend Copper.

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Memories

Getting ready for the second assault from the British

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October 21st 1781- The Final Battle

It’s finally over. All of the pain and suffering is over. We finally beat the red coats for good. It took many things to beat them during the battle of Yorktown, but I’m sure the dedication and passion of all of our soldiers to gain freedom for those miserable tyrants really paid off on the battlefield. Two days ago we ended their rain over us.

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In the dead of night as the wind hollered through there air we slowly made our way to Yorktown, to launch a surprise attack on the drunken British. Every soldier knew that we were going to win, how could we lose with Guerilla Warfare that have been thought of by our very own George Washington. Along with that, we called in help from out friends in France. I couldn’t help but feeling nervous, because the last I was in battle, I almost lost my leg. Still as I limped closer and closer I felt accomplished and happy that this entire revolution going to be over. And we won it.

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As we got closer to the red coats base, by now we were so close that we could see the pale faces of the drunken soldiers, a thought occurred to me. After we win, what will we do with Lord Cornwallis? I mean are we going to capture him or send him back to the scum that he came from. I needed to stay focused on not getting my other leg shot off. As the first shots were fired I ducked down to avoid getting hit. It was hard to see through the suffocating smoke of the cannons but I knew that near by there were French ships sinking the British ships. I jumped up and fired, hitting a man in the leg. Seeing the blood spread through his white pants I couldn't help but feel sorry for the old chap, I reminded me so much of what it was like for me. But I couldn't afford to be sorry, not now, not ever.

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A couple hours later, the fire had subsided, and we set up camp surrounding the red coat’s base ready for a long siege. There was talk about the French ships getting ride of all of the British ships and are now surrounding Yorktown. I believe the gossip because there was no way that they could have survived the raft of the attacking French ships.

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Fast-forward three days and I was October 19th, my birthday, and what a day to have it. The news of Lord Cornwallis’s surrender had spread throughout the colonies. And that's all we needed. The Americans have won for once! I can’t wait to get home and start my life as a new American. But I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. We really haven’t become a real country yet. But I know that in a few short years we will be.

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Memories

A map of where we

attacked in Yorktown

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November 7th 1783- The Treaty of Peace

I am an American, not a red coat, not a Brit, just an American. Ever since the Treaty of Pairs two days ago, I have been a citizen of America.

We finally have all of the colonies to ourselves. We get the entire last east of the Mississippi River. Which means that Boston is now safe from the tyranny of King George III. Being 31 now it was about time I settled down and started a family. Ever since the Battle of Bunker Hill, I bought a cotton farm. Now because of the treaty, there are no taxes on land, so business is be good. I also needed to get away from all of the noise that comes from the big city of Boston, ever since the battle, I have always hated loud noise. It reminds me too much of the loud shriek of a bullet.

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I realize having a farm means having slaves, and I do have 3. But i don't look at them as slaves. To me they are more as employees. I feed them well and the each have a warm bed to sleep in, now does that sound like the life of a slave? I thin I’ll probably give them their freedom anyway because I know that they will still keep working for me, and it seems like it's the thing to do now, set your slaves free.

Also, another upside to gaining independence is the right to believe in anything I want to believe in. Now I don't have to stick to the Church of England. I was always curious about explore new things but had never been able really explore.

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Looking back on the whole revolution, I noticed that we went from a bunch a rich white guys running everything, to another bunch of rich white guys running everything in a democratic way. Not that I have a problem with that but its kind of ironic in a way. I am so excited to vote and have a say in something for once. I have started from the bottom if the heap but now after I buy my farm and have a family I’ll finally have a good life. The new idea of that fact that birth doesn't make you better than another person really helped me accomplish everything. I mean I England won the war I would be working as a stable keeper, or worse.

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On the whole, I think that winning freedom for Americans helped everyone in America. We got freedom, rights to vote, no taxes on land, and the right to choose what you believe in. Also the loyalists got their land back and got released from prison. Even the slaves benefited from this change. At least now I know that I will be okay for the years to come, and to me, that's what really maters.

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Memories

A sketch of the sining of the Treaty of Paris

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