1. As Americans contemplated independence, what, according to Morgan, did most of them think that would mean regarding change of government?

    Most believe they could simply peel off one government and put on a new government. Some believed that you had to rebuild society from scratch.

  2. What were the major ideas that came out of the process of the states adopting constitutions? Try to be brief but detailed in your answer.

    The change from British to American government was made easily. The royal governors went back to England. The congresses and states got control of their areas and the Continental Congress told people to set up governments they wanted a British constitution but with added safeguards to guard against tyrany . They had to build central and local governments central governments with the state governments and they provided protection for human liberty.

  3. In what specific ways was the idea of equality represented in the new state constitutions (include specific examples)? What type(s) of equality is it? What type(s) of equality is it not?

    Western areas from Pennsylvania South were not represented in government as well because they have a huge population and not that many representatives. And many people couldn’t vote because they didn’t have enough property, there were women or Native American.

  4. Personal Response: Is it more important for government to assure liberty or equality?

    Equality is more important than liberty to me. I believe when more than 75% of the population can’t vote you don’t really have liberty anyway.

    Can you have both?

    I believe we have both now so yes I believe you can have both.

    Pretend perfect liberty (freedom) is on one end of a line and perfect equality is on the other. Where would you put yourself on that line — as in, to what degree do you care about one more than the other? Explain why.

    I believe it is more important to have a equality than liberty. I would say I would be 75% equality and 25% liberty. I don’t believe you can ever really have liberty if you don’t have a equality so liberty would be automatically down if you didn’t have equality. When only the wealthy white men can vote there is no liberty for 75% of the population so there is no liberty really. But instead of bowing down to England your bowing down to rich white men.


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  6. How did the idea of equality affect thinking about slavery in the colonies? What specific actions were taken?

    In Pennsylvania all taxpayers got the right to vote. In Virginia slaves made up 41% of the population, North Carolina 34%, South Carolina 53%, Georgia 37%. In July 1774 Rhode Island said that all slaves imported after that would be free. The Continental Congress in 1774 said they would discontinue the slave trade and boycott those who were part of it. The northern states abolished the slave trade earlier. 1790 Massachusetts had no slaves. 1782 Virginia legislature passed a law permitting manumission said that 10,000 Virginia slaves received their freedom because the owners volunteered it.

  7. How did the war affect the economic well being of different segments of the colonial population (be specific)?

    The heaviest losers were the merchants because their business was messed up by the British Navy and cut off trade routes. The big southern planters also were losers in because they could not get to market rice or tobacco. The winners included small farmers because armies were supplied by their food and they got higher prices during the revolution. And because part of the population was in the Army there is more work for civilians. There was also inflation and the Continental Congress couldn’t tax so the states printed their own money and there was too many paper money bills that sent prices higher.

  8. What was Carl Becker’s aphorism about the colonies at war and how does Morgan respond to it?

    Aphorism means common saying that tells a story. He said about the origins of the revolution in New York that it was not only a dispute about home rule but also about should rule at home. The division between patriot and loyalists each tried to advance their own political ideas but no group was able to come out on top the colonists still made themselves into a new nation.