najwa’s english/history class

This picture explains that you can’t just get freedom for free you have to work hard to gain it. Similarly the colonists had to work hard to achieve their freedom from the British.

Dear Johnny Termain,

Johnny I understand that you are in a dreadful situation right now. I really feel sorry for you and your crippled hands. I understand you have been experiencing awful situations ever since the injury of your hand. I also understand that the Laphams’ family wants to get rid of you and they treating you in a very bad condition, basically as a slave.  According to my opinion I think you shouldn’t give up yet and go to Merchant Lyte with your cup as your mom told you before she died. Nor shall you find for new trade such as weaving, and rope making because you are a very talented boy. Instead I suggest the best choice that you could make is to accept Mr. Revere’s offer for working in his shop. By working with Mr. Revere I am sure you will gain lots of new experiences. Also if you work hard enough one day you can even become a silversmith. You should prove to the people in Hancock’s Wharf including the Lapham ‘s family that you are valuable and you can survive with crippled hands. If you work hard enough to become the silversmith I am pretty sure that everyone who made fun of your burned hands today will feel guilty and as well they will apologize to you later on. By accepting Mr. Revere’s offer I think you can be a successful and achieve your goal to become a silversmith. Even though you have crippled hands, I am sure that Mr. Revere is nice and kind enough to provide you with a chance to prove yourself and others that you can and you are capable enough to learn the arts of silversmith. I think from now on you should develop a strong determination and set up a goal for yourself. Your determination, hard working skills, and your amazing talents will hopefully lead you through a successful life. I wish you a best of luck.

Truly yours,

Elizabeth

Dear Elizabeth,  

            My life has turned so miserable ever since the injury of my hand. I have never experienced such an awful event before. I felt so ashamed to stretch my crippled hand for everyone to see, so I usually had my hand inside my pocket. The community that surrounded me will never let me forget about this awful event instead the just remind of it every minute to make me feel worse. Everybody in the Hancock’s Wharf including the Laphams’ family interacted with me in an unusual way. Mrs. Lapham was addressing me with names such as a “sluggish good for nothing, a ‘lug-a-bed’, and ‘ a worthless member of Satan.” Every time I walked through the Hancock’s Wharf I believed that everyone was talking about my burned hand, they were whispering about me, and also pitying me. It appears like as if I am stranger in the Hancock’s Wharf. I am eager to hear advices about how I should get on with my life from now on? According to the Laphams’ family it seems like I am worthless, ruined, and good for only picking rags, but Dove and Dusty are more valuable than me. I didn’t work in the shop anymore rather I did chores or small tasks such as bringing charcoal, water, firewood, sweeping the floor, buying milk in the morning and others assigned by Mrs. Lapham and her four daughters. I was basically being treated as a slave. When summer was almost over and September was soon about to come Mr. Lapham called me and reminded me the contract between both of us. During his conversation he addressed that he has promised my mother to feed and clothe me, and also keep me in good discipline until you have the capacity to learn the silversmith’s art and mysteries. But now since I have a crippled hand he refused to teach me to be a silversmith. He also said that it is hard for a poor household to have a boy just for small chores. He also suggested me start going around the town looking for a new trade in shops and maybe a ropemaker, cooper, or a weaver would teach me his craft.  I think the Laphams’ family wants to get rid of me. I think Mr. Lapham is right I should leave them when they don’t need me anymore. But the problem is what shall I do now or where shall I go? As Mr. Lapham suggested, shall I find a new trade such as rope making, and weaving, or as Mr. Revere offered shall I join his shop, or as my mom said when I am in bad condition I shall take the cup and go to Merchant Lyte. I am lost and confused please help me and provide me with advices to choose the best choice to carry on my life from now onwards.

Truly yours,

Johnny Termain 

Hi, and welcome to my website.

After the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act, the British passed on a new act called the Tea Act in 1773. The British were basically killing us (the colonists) by passing this Tea Act. The Tea Act set duties on imported tea and granted permission for the British East India Company to export tea directly to the colonies. Merchants like me, were afraid that the low-priced British tea would put us with lacking of business and we also feared that the other British companies might follow them and threaten our businesses. We were also concerned that the British East India Company will gain entire control of the tea trade.  Therefore all of us got united and we decided to be against the Tea Act. We used boycott techniques and propaganda to fight for our rights and also to convince the British to cancel the Tea Act. We also held the Boston tea party in which we dumped about 342 tea chests into the Boston harbor. We also destroyed British East India Company’s tea shipments. In return the British reaction was severe. The parliament passed on a new act called the Intolerable Act, which made us experience additional problems in the colonies.