Process Paper (Draft 2 – May 7)
I chose my topic, the Townshend Acts and its aftermath, because the Quartering Act, the Townshend Acts, the Sugar Act, and the Stamp Act played a vital role in shaping the Declaration of Independence. It was because of these unfair taxes put on American colonists by the English monarchy and the King of England that the American colonists began to think of the better lives they could be living if they were their own country. These duties caused the famous slogan – no taxation without representation – to be created.
I began to research by finding an article on the Townshend Acts from Encyclopedia Britannica. The source was reliable, but it was not very helpful. It was only a basic overview. Next, I searched for information regarding what the Townshend Acts were – and I found a helpful source that explained what the three main acts drafted by Charles Townshend were. Next, I found an article on both the Stamp Act and the Quartering Act. However, this was mostly comprised of information I already knew. After, I searched for more documents regarding the Stamp Act. I found an article that included the entire document of the actual Stamp Act, all 54 resolutions of the Stamp Bill and a short paragraph about how the bill was passed, which I found helpful. Some of the resolutions of the Stamp Bill were the things that made the American colonists so angry which helped me form my argument better. Next, I found an article regarding the Sugar Act – a bill that stated the American colonists had to pay a duty on all the sugar they bought. This article explained why the bill was passed and stated that in 1733, a different act had been passed, the Sugar and Molasses Act, that stated the colonists had to pay a tax on sugar and molasses. However, the tax on molasses was usually avoided by the colonists and it was hurting the British molasses industry. So, the Sugar Act passed in 1764, the one that is more well-known, was simply a reevaluation of the original Sugar and Molasses Act that was about to expire. This was information that I had never known, so I found the article informative and helpful. The next time I searched for information, I used the library database eLibrary to find my sources. It provides reliable articles from magazines and books. I found a book about the journey the American colonists took to become their own independent nation. It also included some of the main reasons they felt so compelled to rebel – namely, the Stamp Act. Additionally, I found a scholarly article that gave me more information about the Stamp Act. After that, I decided I needed more information on the other acts, so I found an article on the Stamp Act and the Sugar Act. The information about the Sugar Act is what I found most helpful. Finally, I found an article about the Quartering Act, that was very helpful because it went into detail that I hadn’t found before.
The form of the project that I will be creating is a website. I chose to work alone because it is more convenient, because all the work can take place in one place and you don’t have to email back and forth the documents. Additionally, I didn’t want to use a partner or other members of a group as a “crutch” to rely on. I didn’t want to have to put up with a partner who did no work, or one who did all the work. Lastly, if I was in a group of two or three, we would need double or triple the number of sources. For regular authoritative sources I was not worried, but I didn’t think we would be able to find two or three books on the topic.
The taxation without representation of the American colonies in the 1700s by England, through the Townshend Acts, the Sugar Act, and the Stamp Act, and the unwilling housing of soldiers in the Quartering Act was what caused the American colonists to rebel and, eventually, become their own nation, the United States of America. It was the oppression of the colonies that caused them to form associations, meet secretly, and write the Declaration of Independence.
I chose my topic, the Townshend Acts and its aftermath, because the Quartering Act, the Townshend Acts, the Sugar Act, and the Stamp Act played a vital role in shaping the Declaration of Independence. It was because of these unfair taxes put on American colonists by the English monarchy and the King of England that the American colonists began to think of the better lives they could be living if they were their own country. These duties caused the famous slogan – no taxation without representation – to be created.
I began to research by finding an article on the Townshend Acts from Encyclopedia Britannica. The source was reliable, but it was not very helpful. It was only a basic overview. Next, I searched for information regarding what the Townshend Acts were – and I found a helpful source that explained what the three main acts drafted by Charles Townshend were. Next, I found an article on both the Stamp Act and the Quartering Act. However, this was mostly comprised of information I already knew. After, I searched for more documents regarding the Stamp Act. I found an article that included the entire document of the actual Stamp Act, all 54 resolutions of the Stamp Bill and a short paragraph about how the bill was passed, which I found helpful. Some of the resolutions of the Stamp Bill were the things that made the American colonists so angry which helped me form my argument better. Next, I found an article regarding the Sugar Act – a bill that stated the American colonists had to pay a duty on all the sugar they bought. This article explained why the bill was passed and stated that in 1733, a different act had been passed, the Sugar and Molasses Act, that stated the colonists had to pay a tax on sugar and molasses. However, the tax on molasses was usually avoided by the colonists and it was hurting the British molasses industry. So, the Sugar Act passed in 1764, the one that is more well-known, was simply a reevaluation of the original Sugar and Molasses Act that was about to expire. This was information that I had never known, so I found the article informative and helpful. The next time I searched for information, I used the library database eLibrary to find my sources. It provides reliable articles from magazines and books. I found a book about the journey the American colonists took to become their own independent nation. It also included some of the main reasons they felt so compelled to rebel – namely, the Stamp Act. Additionally, I found a scholarly article that gave me more information about the Stamp Act. After that, I decided I needed more information on the other acts, so I found an article on the Stamp Act and the Sugar Act. The information about the Sugar Act is what I found most helpful. Finally, I found an article about the Quartering Act, that was very helpful because it went into detail that I hadn’t found before.
The form of the project that I will be creating is a website. I chose to work alone because it is more convenient, because all the work can take place in one place and you don’t have to email back and forth the documents. Additionally, I didn’t want to use a partner or other members of a group as a “crutch” to rely on. I didn’t want to have to put up with a partner who did no work, or one who did all the work. Lastly, if I was in a group of two or three, we would need double or triple the number of sources. For regular authoritative sources I was not worried, but I didn’t think we would be able to find two or three books on the topic.
The taxation without representation of the American colonies in the 1700s by England, through the Townshend Acts, the Sugar Act, and the Stamp Act, and the unwilling housing of soldiers in the Quartering Act was what caused the American colonists to rebel and, eventually, become their own nation, the United States of America. It was the oppression of the colonies that caused them to form associations, meet secretly, and write the Declaration of Independence.