from Document Interpretation 3: Taxation without Representation & Necessary &

Proper - Project Group 6

Apr 10, 2014 9:56pm
Charles Camacho
Taxation Without Representation
Benjamin Franklin Testimony Against the Stamp Act
The document mentioned above is an excellent description of not only Benjamin Franklins point of
view on the Stamp Act but the point of view of many American people as well. The document begins
with describing the life and achievements of Benjamin Franklin before going on to exhibit questions
presented to Benjamin Franklin and the responses he gives. The questions range from personal to
topical, giving special attention to the topic of the Stamp Act of 1765. In order to understand this
document and its question and answer writing style we must understand where the questions are
derived from. On pages 118 and 119 The textbook outlines the Stamp Act as a British tax aimed at the
colonies that would tax newspapers, deeds, marriage licenses, playing cards and other printed matter
in in the colonies. The tax would affect both the upper class of America as well as ordinary citizens and
many British officials felt that it would receive negative feedback from the colonies. They were right.
Americans immediately fought off the Stamp Act, with some calling it unconstitutional and unjust
(pg 118). In fact, the tax would go on to create such a disturbance in America that a group called the
Sons of Liberty persuaded people to boycott British goods until Parliament repealed the Stamp Act
(pg 119). Benjamin Franklins responses correspond well with the writings of the textbooks teaching.
Ben Franklin proposes that the people will not pay the tax and they do not disprove him according to
the book as Americans went on to boycott the Stamp Act and even had the Stamp Act repealed in
1766 (pg 121). To further the connection between the book and the document, Benjamin Franklin
offers a key piece of information when asked the following questions. He is asked where American
pride used to be in which he responds to enjoy the fashions and manufactures of Great Britain (a
statement that is very much in line with the pride that Americans felt at the end of the seven years war
pg. 107). When asked where American pride lies now, he responds in wearing their clothes over
again, until they can make new ones. The response the final question coincides perfectly the ways of
many Americans at this time who felt the need to be frugal and to create homespun clothing and
minimize their consumption of British Goods (Pg 119). Benjamin Franklin proceeds to tell that violence
over this controversy would be the result of Parliament sending over troops to America only to find
peaceful people, instead of people who bear arms and are willing to fight. He also provide information
saying that Americans are not represented in the internal taxes implemented by parliament, and they
should not subject to taxes in which they are not represented.
Necessary & Proper
Slave Petition to the General Assembly
This document was written by slaves to the assembly of men meeting in 1779 and the words that lie
within it give great insight as to the events that happened over two centuries ago to many African
Americans. Before analyzing this document however we should put into perspective that the letter was
written in 1779, before the end of the Revolutionary War and it was written in a northern colony (still a
colony at this time) which, as we know, would not have relied on slave labor as much as a southern
colony would've at this time. The document starts off by telling the reader how many African American
slaves were taken from their family and friends for no reason having done no harm and committing no
crime, only to subjected to slavery. The petitioners call on the their masters as having done them a
horrible evil, of leaving them ignorant, and presumably uneducated, in order to easily subject the
slaves to to doing whatever tasks the master saw fit. The writer then goes on to criticize these men for
fighting for a the cause of liberty from British oppression when these men themselves condone slavery
and its oppression in their own backyard. The author/petitioner then expresses that although they may
be of different skin color, they too are the children of god, and that they feel no need to serve their
white masters because they do not owe them anything. In fact, the slaves have been brought to
believe through the teachings of Christianity, that they too have the right to liberty. The letter then tells
that the African Americans have resolved that a violent attempt to gain their freedom would not work in
their favor and they choose to follow a different, more peaceful path. Similarly, these slaves feel that
they should not depart from the state to and venture off to create their own nation and would rather
look to the American delegates, whom are described as the fathers of our nation, when they are in
search of relief. The slaves then offer their last reason for pushing freedom among their people with the
introduction of the concerns for their children, whom as young boys and girls are being groomed into a
society where they will be dominated by slavery. The finally plea of this letter asks Assembly
Delegates to push for the freedom of the slaves by asking questions that would inspire guilt among
decent men before ending their letter with a thank you. The petitioners are able to argue that they too
are men of God and that they feel that under the lord, they should be free as well. Their greatest horror
is then described as their children having to grow up in a life of slavery. The authors of the document
create an argument for their freedom that touches upon similar reasoning for the Revolutionary War
when they reference the purpose the meeting of these assemblymen in saying Your Honours who are
nobly contending, in the cause of liberty.... This document shows the struggle for liberty that many
slaves faced during the Revolutionary War Era, and attempts like this letter would prove to be effective
specifically in Northern States because as the textbook tells us, slavery was nearly laid to rest by the
beginning of the 19th century (pg. 146). Similarly the revolutionary war itself brought on the opportunity
of freedom, specifically in 1778 when Rhode Island state legislature voted to free any slave who
volunteered to serve. The southern states were slow to repeal slavery as the book outlines in pages
146-147 where the book describes southerners as very protective of their slaves because they helped
the southern economy and for the same reason in page 159 where southern slave owners would not
agree with the Constitution unless they had a guarantee that slavery would not be abolished for years
to come. History would have seen many letters like this and a letter like this serves justice to the
textbooks claim that they(slaves) demanded freedom, reminding white lawmakers that African
American men and women had the same natural right to liberty as did other Americans on page 145.

The textbook referenced in both interpretations above is the classroom textbook.
American Stories: A History of the United States by Brand, Breen, Williams, and Gross

*I apologize for the length, I was enthralled by the subjects.
from Document Interpretation 3: Taxation without Representation & Necessary &
Proper - Project Group 6
Apr 13, 2014 6:24pm
Charles Camacho
I was able to understand both of the documents that you interpreted because i read them both. I think
you have the right idea about both documents but I feel like there are a few things we should consider.
For your first document (Benjamin Franklin and the Stamp Act Crisis) your summarization is fairly clear
and I like that you note how Benjamin Franklin was gave insight on why people were not able to pay
their taxes. I think it is key that this document and Benjamin Franklin points out that Americans were
just coming out of the 7 years war (that ended in 1763 , as see on page 105) and had very little money
at this time, so their ability to pay such a tax(as the Stamp Tax that was implemented in 1765, as told
on page 118 of the textbook) was relatively low. I think it essential to note that this question and
answer document was written in 1766, and although it does not give an exact date, it is presumed that
the document was created before the removal of the tax on March 18, 1766 (pg. 121) For your second
interpretation I think you did a good job analyzing the document but I think there are some facts that
could have helped your interpretation. You mention in your interpretation, that nothing was wrong
according to your knowledge of Connecticut Slaves. I think you are on the right track but a statement
about connecticut slaves would have given us a little more to think about as readers. From what I know
this document represents a group of slaves who feel they deserve to be looked at as equal in the
Public eye rather than piece of property. Thankfully for these petitioners, they were from northern
states which continually over the course of the American Revolution pushed for the abolishment of
slavery. This push can be seen during the creation of the Constitution during the Philadelphia
Convention where many of the Northerns, men like Governor Morris of Pennsylvania pushed for the
dissolution of slavery as an American institution (pg 159). I hope my opinion will be of use of you and
sheds some new light on the topic at hand.
from Document Interpretation 3: Taxation without Representation & Necessary &
Proper - Project Group 6
Apr 13, 2014 6:50pm
Charles Camacho
Once again we read the same documents as a group which eases our ability to comprehend each
other's work. I thought both of your summaries were well written and had a good amount of detail
within them. Your first article i enjoyed, because you delve into the historical situation rather than
focusing on just the document. I think it is important when you established the fact that the war
between Britain and the Colonies was just getting in the last sentence of your first paragraph because
it is true. It was events like the implementation of stamp act that brought on the revolution. But
something I think we must not forget when looking at history (something that I missed during my
interpretation) is that there were many colonists who were still devoted to the British ways of life. Not all
people on the western side of the Atlantic fought for the American revolution. This information comes to
light at the end of Chapter 4 on page 136 in the textbook where it tells the reader it is No one knows
how many Americans supported the crown during the Revolution. That fact brings along with it many
questions, such as who were these people? and what part of the nation did they reside? and many
others as well that the textbook does not clearly define. As for your second interpretation I think you did
a good job analyzing the slaves main purpose for the petition, and that purpose I also believe was they
fought for their freedom. I think it is noteworthy to look at the date of creation for this article because it
allows us to see just at what point in history this document was created. This document was created in
1779, before the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783. After the treaty of Paris was sign and the
country of America had begun establishing itself, many northern states wanted to dissolve slavery and
fought the south to join them. In fact the development of the Constitution was slowed down by the fact
that the south wanted to keep slavery alive, an event that is outline on page 159 of the textbook. I think
that the information provided in the document that says the slaves who wrote the petition were from
Pennsylvania gives a great detail on how they would be treated and how their document would be
addressed