Reading Historical Documents

on the Alabama High School

Graduation Exam

Formation and Development of the United States

What we’re going to do…

• First, we’re going to look at what was going on in American history while famous historical documents were written.

• Second, we’re going to look at the different historical documents.

• Finally, we’re going to analyze and interpret three different historical documents of this period.

Historical Background

Many of the documents on the AHSGE that you must recognize or interpret come from the time

period when our nation was formed.

Use the note taking handout for these new few slides

Colonialism and Trade• English colonies in

the new world were supposed to supply England with raw materials

• These materials would be manufactured and then sold back to the colonies.

http://omp.gso.uri.edu/doee/history/colonial/c2.htm

Monopolies• England did not want

colonists selling goods to other countries, otherwise the English might lose money.

• The Navigation Act was passed in 1696 to protect English economical and trade interests.

The Navigation Acts• These acts required

that only English ships could carry goods to and from the colonies.

• The Writs of Assistance were issued as search warrants to assure that illegal goods were not smuggled on board ships.

http://www.paulauger.com/images/JamesOtis.gif

James Otis, a lawyer who represented colonists, speaks out against the writs of assistance.

One war, two names

We speak English, not French

• The French and Indian War ended in 1763• Because the Native Americans helped the

British, England set boundaries for the colonists

http://www.mohicanpress.com/bushy_run.html

Proclamation of 1763

• The British told settlers that they could not move west

• They must respect the rights of the Native Americans

• Colonists were furious because they wanted to move west.

http://members.tripod.com/simonlapointe/his2706/1.html

Taxation Without Representation

• Colonists were furious that they were not given the opportunity to review taxes that were passed

• Colonists shouted insults at British troops• Five people were killed outside the Boston

Customs House, including Crispus Attucks, a free black sailor

Boston Massacre• This was know as the

Boston Massacre• All taxes were

removed, except the one on tea

• Colonists were still furious with being taxed

http://www.iath.virginia.edu/seminar/unit1/images/boston.jpg

Boston Tea Party

• Samuel Adams organized a group of colonists, who dressed up as Native Americans, to protest the tax

• They boarded ships carrying tea and dumped the crates into Boston Harbor

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/british/brit-2.html

Intolerable Acts

• England was furious with the colonists and put severe restrictions on their rights

• Town meetings were restricted• Colonists were forced to house British

troops in their homes• The port at Boston was closed• British officers charged with high crimes

could be tried in England

Revolution BeginsFirst Continental

Congress• Colonial leaders

agree to boycott all British goods

• Colonial goods would not be shipped to England

Second Continental Congress

• After Paul Revere’s ride and the battle at Lexington and Concord a choice had to be made between war and peace

• Most delegates decided independence was worth fighting for

http://www.mury.k12.ut.us/mhs/apus/dbq/1999/Image6.gif

Treaty of Paris

• September 3, 1783• England recognized the independence

of the United States and its boarders

http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/lessons/american_revolution_images/revolution_images.html

Documents of the period

Now that you’re familiar with what was going on during the time

period, let’s look at three documents and figure out what

they say.

Say What

• Sometimes words mean different things• Sometimes we use slang when we speak• Sometimes we encounter vocabulary we’ve

never seen before

To figure out what different things mean,

we can …

Use Context Clues

• Text book writers usually know when they must use a word that will be new to their student readers. So they often include other words or phrases to help with the understanding of the new word.

• These words or phrases are referred to as context clues. They are built into the sentences around the difficult word.

• If you become more aware of the words around the difficult words you encounter in your reading, you will save your self many trips to the dictionary. You will be able to make logical guesses about the meanings of many words.

4 types of context clues

• examples• synonyms and

definitions• antonyms and

contrasts• experience or sense

of the sentence

What are example clues

• Using examples or illustrations, an author tries to show what a word means.

• Look for words or phrases like "such as," "including," or "consists of."

• Colons (:) and dashes (-) can also signal examples.

Celestial bodies, such as the sun, moon, and stars, are governed by predictable laws

What are synonym and antonym clues

• Synonyms are words that have similar meanings

• Antonyms are words that have different meanings

My opponent's argument is fallacious, misleading, and plain wrong.

Although some men are loquacious, others hardly talk at all.

What are experience clues

• Sometimes we can use our own personal experiences to guide us towards word meanings

The patient is so somnolent that she requires medication to help her stay awake for more than a short time.

Practice using examples

• The river was full of noxious materials such as cleaning agents from factories and pesticides from the nearby farms.

• When going to an office party you should show your best decorum, for example, dress your best, drink and eat moderately, and be sure to thank the host before you leave.

• This third grade was full of precocious children. One child had learned to read at two and another could do algebra at age 6.

Write the what you think meaning of each word is on the Context Clues handout

More Practice

• The girl who used to be very vociferous doesn't talk much anymore.

• Pedagogical institutions, including high schools, kindergartens, and colleges, require community support to function efficiently.

• He was so parsimonious that he refused to give his own sons the few pennies they needed to buy pencils for school. It truly hurt him to part with his money.

More Practice

• His pertinacity, or stubbornness, is the cause of most of his trouble.

• Rather than be involved in clandestine meetings, they did everything quite openly.

• Ecclesiastics, such as priests, ministers, and pastors, should set models of behavior for their congregants.

Last Practice

• The girl was churlish – rude, sullen and absolutely ill-mannered.

• Because the conflagration was aided by wind, it was so destructive that every building in the area was completely burned to the ground.

Formation and Development of the United States

Older Documents that influenced the writers during the 1700s

• Our founding fathers loved to read

• Most books they read were essays about how government should be run, what rights the government had, what rights the people had, and what type of governments could exist

• One document used by the founding fathers was the Magna Carta

Magna Carta• English document written in 1215• Latin for “Great Charter,” the Magna Carta was

signed by King John • John limited his power and the power of kings

(and queens) to come by promising to give equal justice to all his subjects.

http://archbishops.org/almost.html

Magna Carta• Although the Magna

Carta was voided and reissued several times, its underlying principles are what impacted history.

• The document was often used against kings whenever they were cruel to their subjects.

http://web.uvic.ca/shakespeare/Library/SLT/history/kingjohn.html

Magna Carta• Its role in US history was

very important, as colonists used it against the king saying he was depriving them of their natural rights and liberties.

• It was also used in the establishment of US government by limiting the power of those in high positions.

http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/declaration/declaration.html

from the Magna Carta

• No constable or other bailiff of ours shall take corn or other provisions from anyone without immediately tendering money therefore, unless he can have postponement thereof by permission of the seller.

• No sheriff or bailiff of ours, or other person, shall take the horses or carts of any freeman for transport duty, against the will of the said freeman

Now lets look at this line by line

• No constable or other bailiff of ours shall take corn or other provisions from anyone without immediately tendering money therefore…unless he can have postponement thereof by permission of the seller.

Using the context clues to help you think about what these questions.• What is a “constable”? What is a ”bailiff”?• Why would corn be important to these people?• What does the word “provision” mean?• What does the phrase “tendering money” mean?• What does “postponement” mean?

In Your Own Words

• No constable or other bailiff of ours shall take corn or other provisions from anyone without immediately tendering money therefore, unless he can have postponement thereof by permission of the seller.

• Summarize what this means using only five words

Officers

must

pay

for

food.

Now lets look at this line by line

• No sheriff or bailiff of ours, or other person, shall take the horses or carts of any freeman for transport duty, against the will of the said freeman

Using the context clues to help you think about what these questions.• What is a “constable”? What is a ”bailiff”?• What do you think “transportation duty” is?• What does the word “will” mean?

In Your Own Words

• No sheriff or bailiff of ours, or other person, shall take the horses or carts of any freeman for transport duty, against the will of the said freeman

• Summarize what this means using only five words

Ask

permission

to

use

transportation