Reading
Historical Documents
on the
Alabama High School
Graduation Exam
Formation and Development of
the United States
What we’re going to do…
• First, we’re going to look at what was
going on in American history while famous
historical documents were written.
• Second, we’re going to look at the different
historical documents.
• Finally, we’re going to analyze and
interpret three different historical
documents of this period.
Historical Background
Many of the documents on the
AHSGE that you must recognize
or interpret come from the time
period when our nation was
formed.
Use the note taking handout for these new few slides
Colonialism and Trade
• English colonies in
the new world were
supposed to supply
England with raw
materials
• These materials
would be
manufactured and
then sold back to the
colonies.
http://omp.gso.uri.edu/doee/history/colonial/c2.htm
Monopolies
• England did not want
colonists selling
goods to other
countries, otherwise
the English might lose
money.
• The Navigation Act
was passed in 1696
to protect English
economical and trade
interests.
The Navigation Acts
http://www.paulauger.com/images/JamesOtis.gif
James Otis, a lawyer who represented
colonists, speaks out against the writs
of assistance.
• These acts required
that only English
ships could carry
goods to and from the
colonies.
• The Writs of
Assistance were
issued as search
warrants to assure
that illegal goods
were not smuggled on
board ships.
One war, two names
War broke out between England and France
Seven Years War
French and Indian War
Name of war in Europe
Name of war in America
Goal was to gain control of North America
Despite the name, both the English and French
used Native Americans to assist them
in fighting the opposing side
We speak English, not French
http://www.mohicanpress.com/bushy_run.html
• The French and Indian War ended in 1763
• Because the Native Americans helped the
British, England set boundaries for the
colonists
Proclamation of 1763
• The British told
settlers that they
could not move west
• They must respect
the rights of the
Native Americans
• Colonists were furious
because they wanted
to move west.
http://members.tripod.com/simonlapointe/his2706/1.html
Taxation Without Representation
• Colonists were furious that they were not
given the opportunity to review taxes that
were passed
• Colonists shouted insults at British troops
• Five people were killed outside the Boston
Customs House, including Crispus
Attucks, a free black sailor
Boston Massacre
• This was know as the
Boston Massacre
• All taxes were
removed, except the
one on tea
• Colonists were still
furious with being
taxed
http://www.iath.virginia.edu/seminar/unit1/images/boston.jpg
Boston Tea Party
• Samuel Adams
organized a group of
colonists, who
dressed up as Native
Americans, to protest
the tax
• They boarded ships
carrying tea and
dumped the crates
into Boston Harbor
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/british/brit-2.html
Intolerable Acts
• England was furious with the colonists and
put severe restrictions on their rights
• Town meetings were restricted
• Colonists were forced to house British
troops in their homes
• The port at Boston was closed
• British officers charged with high crimes
could be tried in England
Revolution Begins
First Continental
Second Continental
Congress
Congress
• Colonial leaders
• After Paul Revere’s
agree to boycott all
ride and the battle at
British goods
Lexington and
Concord a choice had
• Colonial goods would
to be made between
not be shipped to
war and peace
England
• Most delegates
decided
independence was
worth fighting for
http://www.mury.k12.ut.us/mhs/apus/d
bq/1999/Image6.gif
Lexington
and
Concord
1775
Yorktown
1781
Valley
Forge
1778
Battles
of the
Revolution
Bunker
Hill
1775
Saratoga
1777
Treaty of Paris
http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/lessons/american_revolution_images/revolution_images.html
• September 3, 1783
• England recognized the independence
of the United States and its boarders
Documents of the period
Now that you’re familiar with what
was going on during the time
period, let’s look at three
documents and figure out what
they say.
Say What
• Sometimes words mean different things
• Sometimes we use slang when we speak
• Sometimes we encounter vocabulary we’ve
never seen before
To figure out what different things mean,
we can …
Use Context Clues
• Text book writers usually know when they must use a
word that will be new to their student readers. So
they often include other words or phrases to help with
the understanding of the new word.
• These words or phrases are referred to as context
clues. They are built into the sentences around the
difficult word.
• If you become more aware of the words around the
difficult words you encounter in your reading, you will
save your self many trips to the dictionary. You will
be able to make logical guesses about the meanings
of many words.
4 types of context clues
• examples
• synonyms and
definitions
• antonyms and
contrasts
• experience or sense
of the sentence
What are example clues
• Using examples or illustrations, an author tries to
show what a word means.
• Look for words or phrases like "such as,"
"including," or "consists of."
• Colons (:) and dashes (-) can also signal
examples.
Celestial bodies, such as the sun, moon, and
stars, are governed by predictable laws
What are synonym
and antonym clues
• Synonyms are words that have similar
meanings
• Antonyms are words that have different
meanings
My opponent's argument is fallacious,
misleading, and plain wrong.
Although some men are loquacious, others
hardly talk at all.
What are experience clues
• Sometimes we can use our own personal
experiences to guide us towards word
meanings
The patient is so somnolent that she
requires medication to help her stay
awake for more than a short time.
Practice using examples
Write the what you think meaning of each word is on the Context Clues handout
• The river was full of noxious materials such as cleaning
agents from factories and pesticides from the nearby
farms.
• When going to an office party you should show your best
decorum, for example, dress your best, drink and eat
moderately, and be sure to thank the host before you
leave.
• This third grade was full of precocious children. One
child had learned to read at two and another could do
algebra at age 6.
More Practice
• The girl who used to be very vociferous doesn't
talk much anymore.
• Pedagogical institutions, including high schools,
kindergartens, and colleges, require community
support to function efficiently.
• He was so parsimonious that he refused to
give his own sons the few pennies they needed
to buy pencils for school. It truly hurt him to part
with his money.
More Practice
• His pertinacity, or stubbornness, is the
cause of most of his trouble.
• Rather than be involved in clandestine
meetings, they did everything quite openly.
• Ecclesiastics, such as priests, ministers,
and pastors, should set models of
behavior for their congregants.
Last Practice
• The girl was churlish – rude, sullen and
absolutely ill-mannered.
• Because the conflagration was aided by
wind, it was so destructive that every
building in the area was completely burned
to the ground.
Formation and Development of the
United States
US Documents
Older Documents
that influenced
the writers
during the
1700s
Documents written
during the 1700s
by the founding
fathers
Documents written
after the 1700s
that were based on
those written by the
founding fathers
Older Documents that influenced the
writers during the 1700s
• Our founding fathers loved to
read
• Most books they read were
essays about how government
should be run, what rights the
government had, what rights the
people had, and what type of
governments could exist
• One document used by the
founding fathers was the Magna
Carta
Magna Carta
• English document written in 1215
• Latin for “Great Charter,” the Magna Carta was
signed by King John
• John limited his power and the power of kings
(and queens) to come by promising to give equal
justice to all his subjects.
http://archbishops.org/almost.html
Magna Carta
• Although the Magna
Carta was voided and
reissued several
times, its underlying
principles are what
impacted history.
• The document was
often used against
kings whenever they
were cruel to their
subjects.
http://web.uvic.ca/shakespeare/Library/SLT/history/kingjohn.html
Magna Carta
• Its role in US history was
very important, as
colonists used it
against the king saying
he was depriving them of
their natural rights and
liberties.
• It was also used in the
establishment of US
government by limiting
the power of those in
high positions.
http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/declaration/declaration.html
from the Magna Carta
• No constable or other bailiff of ours shall take
corn or other provisions from anyone without
immediately tendering money therefore, unless
he can have postponement thereof by
permission of the seller.
• No sheriff or bailiff of ours, or other person, shall
take the horses or carts of any freeman for
transport duty, against the will of the said
freeman
Now lets look at this line by line
• No constable or other bailiff of ours shall take
corn or other provisions from anyone without
immediately tendering money therefore…unless
he can have postponement thereof by
permission of the seller.
Using the context clues to help you think about what these questions.
•
What is a “constable”? What is a ”bailiff”?
•
Why would corn be important to these people?
•
What does the word “provision” mean?
•
What does the phrase “tendering money” mean?
•
What does “postponement” mean?
In Your Own Words
• No constable or other
bailiff of ours shall
take corn or other
provisions from
anyone without
immediately tendering
money therefore,
unless he can have
postponement thereof
by permission of the
seller.
• Summarize what this
means using only five
words
Officers
must
pay
for
food.
Now lets look at this line by line
• No sheriff or bailiff of ours, or other
person, shall take the horses or carts of
any freeman for transport duty, against the
will of the said freeman
Using the context clues to help you think about what these questions.
•
What is a “constable”? What is a ”bailiff”?
•
What do you think “transportation duty” is?
•
What does the word “will” mean?
In Your Own Words
• No sheriff or bailiff of
ours, or other person,
shall take the horses
or carts of any
freeman for transport
duty, against the will
of the said freeman
• Summarize what this
means using only five
words
Ask
permission
to
use
transportation