Our Declaration?

   Thomas Jefferson's original draft of the Declaration of Independence will undergo several dozen deletions and edits before it was agreed upon unanimously in 1776. The portion that we were given that begins "He has waged cruel war..." was the one change Jefferson fought against harder than any other suggestion made by his colleagues in the Second Continental Congress.

Share in the comments why you believe that Thomas Jefferson, a captor of enslaved Americans himself, fought to keep this alleged grievance against the King of England in the Declaration of Independence. 

As is our practice well will respond to at least two of our classmates.

The 1619 Project

As we read in the Autumn, 1619 is the year that the first kidnapped men, women and children, abducted from Africa, arrived in the English colony of Virginia. To acknowledge the 400th anniversary of this violent act that would be followed by the enslavement of millions, the New York Times played a role in creating The 1619 Project. 

Look through the titles of the articles that appear at this link and choose one to read. Then share as a comment one thing that you did not know before reading the piece that you learned from the article that you chose.

As is our practice... reply to the comments others, minimally twice.

Unity That Creates a Community

  Share in an event in your recent memory that had an unifying effect on your community. Offer a brief description and focus on how the event that you recall brought people together. We may define community anyway that we wish, from our city, neighborhood, our block to a camp or school group that we belonged. The event could have been planned or "just happened".

We will not reply to one another this time... make your entry as personal or as general as you wish... 

Our Republic In The News

 Over the last two weeks we may have caught wind of a number of developments in our nation's current events. Take a moment to share a link of a news story that you wish others to know about. The only criteria I ask for is that it be something that appears credible. : )

Please reply to two others' links with comments.

Jamestown Re-examined

   The first permanent English American settlement, Jamestown, was only a success if we compare it to Roanoke, which as we recall disappeared. The popular theory is that maybe the colonials at Jamestown were completely unprepared and thus the colony failed. The attached links in google classroom offer an alternative theory.

  After viewing only the 1st 14 minutes of the video (0:00 to 14:00) and reading the two links, respond as a comment to this prompt:

Does the evidence about the colony being sabotaged through poisoning appear convincing?

Share why or why not?

Reply to two others as is our practice with a quick question that the commenter can consider but will not answer. (ex. Do you think?... Have you considered?...)

First Nations' Heritage Day

 As we roll back into our rhythm this week it is worth our time to reflect upon the origins of the Thanksgiving holiday. Especially since the arrival of the Pilgrims in 1620 overlaps with our current readings. The day after Thanksgiving is officially designated as Native American Heritage Day, though few Americans are aware of this fact. Looking at how the millions of First Nations' people in the United States today view this portion of our story is vital.

Last week we read the first hand account of William Bradford (1620) as he recounted the arrival of his community in Plymouth. We also saw an animated depiction based upon Bradford's writings. We of course make an error as young historians if we assume that any primary source document is ever the whole story. 

Below is a link to a speech that Wamsutta James, a Wampanoag, was banned from delivering at a Plymouth Thanksgiving commemoration in 1970. Hearing his voice as a descendant of the people the Pilgrims encountered and contrasting it with that of Bradford's voice is a minimum requirement of  any historian.

Like Bradford's account, Wamsutta's words are from his perspective.

Read the article at this link and then comment below. 

TASK: Share why you believe that this speech was banned by the organizers of the event. Offer a brief quote to support your argument. (as is our practice reply to two others.)

Note: We are not sharing whether we agree with Bradford or Wamsutta. We are only guessing why it was that his speech was banned.

Pilgrims Promise

 The document written by the Pilgrim leader William Bradford that we read and the animated video that we watched offer an introduction to the very small group of migrants that in 1620 built one of the few lasting English American settlements, Plymouth Plantation.

Below, share a detail that you learned from the video and/or document that was previously unknown to you. There will be something : )