Unit 16
1776
Teaching aims





1. Improving Reading Skills----appreciating a play
2. Enriching Vocabulary--- enlarging vocabulary
cultivating students’ sense of word building
understanding that synonyms have fine shades
3. Improving Writing skills---portraying characters,
especially psychological movement
 making efficient use of elliptical sentences
 making efficient use of figures of speech
Teaching process
I.
II.
III.
IV.
IV.
V.
VI.
Warming up
Introduction to Additional Background
Knowledge
Introduction to the Passage
Detailed Study of the Text
Questions
Rhetorical Devices
Effective Writing Skills
I .Warming up
 Have you ever read or watched any
English plays?
 In what way plays are different from
stories?
II．Introduction to Additional
Background
 1. Introduction to the authors
 2. Musical comedy
 3. The triangle trade
1. Introduction to the authors
 Peter Stone was born in
Los Angesl in 1930. he
studied at Bard and Yale,
and wrote in France for 12
years. Later he won an
Oscar for the film script of
Father Goose. After the
success of 1776 on
Broadway, he wrote the
script for its filmed version.
 Sherman Edwards is a
New Yorker, born in
1919. he was educated
at New Youk University
and Cornell where he
majored in history. He
was in the Air Force in
World War Two, and
taught history in high
school after the war. A
songwriter and
occasional actor, it was
history that gave him
the idea for 1776.
2. Musical comedy
 The musical comedy - sometimes called
simply ‘musical’ - is the chief form of popular
musical theatre in the 20th-century Englishspeaking world. It developed from comic opera
and burlesque in London at the end of the 19th
century and reached its most durable form in
the work of such American composers as
Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Cole Porter
and Irving Berlin in the 1920s and 1930s.
 Most musical comedies have a loosely
constructed plot combining comic and
romantic interest; the musical score
usually consists of catchy or sentimental
songs, ensembles and dances. The
tradition continues in the work of such
composers as Stephen Sondheim and
Andrew Lloyd Webber.
 Closely related to the musical comedy is
the musical play, a work with a more
substantial plot and score (e.g.Bernstein's
West Side Story), and the musical film, of
which Harry Warren's 42nd Street (1933)
is a notable example (though most
musical films of this type were simply film
versions of stage musicals, e.g.Rodgers's
The Sound of Music).
 The distinction
between musical
comedy and operetta
is not precise;
generally ‘operetta’ is
taken to denote an
older-style work, with
a romantic story and
a score using 19thcentury European
styles.
3. The triangle trade
 A slave ship left a European port for
West Africa with guns, spirits and other
goods for African chieftains. From the
west coast of Africa, loaded with slaves,
it sailed to the America. There the
slaves were sold and after buying
cotton, tobacco, molasses, gold and
silver, etc., the ship returned to Europe.
The sea routes formed a triangle,
hence the name.
III. Introduction to the Passage
 1. Main idea
 The text 1776 is about the Second Continental
Congress that was convened in Philadelphia in
1776, in which the united colonies were asked to
vote for their independence and the
establishment of the United States. Some
delegates of the congress were against the
separation from Britain. Dickinson, for example,
was among them, who thought Britain was the
greatest empire on earth and American can enjoy
its protection and share its benefits.
 Then there were heated debates between
the members against independence and
those for independence, which even
resulted in a fight. In order to make the
vote on independence official and formal,
Hancock appointed the clergyman
Witherspoon Congressional Chaplain.
John Adams proposed to postpone the
debate because there was no written
declaration of independence to vote on.
 When they came back again on the written
declaration by Jefferson, there were also
arguments about amending, deleting some parts
of it. Some members insisted that the
abolishment of slavery should be included in the
declaration. But southern states would not
approve it because they seemed unable to go
without slavery. Therefore, Franklin thought it
was necessary to make some sacrifice or
compromise to get the declaration approved
unanimously. At last the Second Continental
Congress witnessed the signing of the
Declaration of Independence.
2. Appreciation and writing features
 The text is a musical comedy which
provides people with an interesting history
lesson. It has a noble theme and noble set
of characters. The suspense, the intrigue,
the courage and compromise, the
richness of men, their vagaries, vanities
and fears and their individual pride– all
this can be observed while readers read
this comedy.
 As it is a stage play in genre, the author
uses simple, plain and colloquial words and
expressions are used in the talks to achieve
light entertainment, sometimes archaic
terms are used to obtain literary
accomplishment, which suit to the age. In
brief, the comedy 1776 presents to readers
a clear account of how the republic was
made.
 3. Members of the Continental Congress
President : John Hancock
New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett
Massachusetts: John Adams
Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins
Connecticut: Roger Sherman
New York: Lewis Morris, Robert Livingston
New Jersey: Reverend John Witherspoon
Pennsylvania: Benjamin Franklin, John
Dickinson
James Wilson
 Delaware: Caesar Rodney, Colonel Thomas
McKean, George Read
Maryland : Samuel Chase
Virginia: Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson
North Carolina Joseph Hewes
South Carolina Edward Rutledge
Georgia : Dr. Lyman Hall
Secretary: Charles Thomson
Custodian and Andrew McNair
Bell-ringer:
V.
Detailed Study of the
Text
Understanding of
Vocabulary and expressions
.
 词汇(Vocabulary)
 abridge ( v．) :shorten by using fewer words
but keeping the main contents；condense(在
保留主要内容的同时)减少……的篇幅；删去；
简写，精简(文章等)
 custodian ( n.) :a person who has the custody
or care of something，as of a private library；
caretaker；keeper(私人图书馆等的)管理员，
看管人
 tally ( n.) :anything used as a record for an
account，reckoning，or score记帐或记分用物

abstain ( v．) :decline to use vote(投票时)
弃权
horsefly ( n.) :any of a number of related
large flies(Tabanidae)，the female of
which sucks the blood of horses，cattle，
etc．虻
 quill ( n.) :the hollow，horny stem of a
feather；calamus羽毛管
inkwell ( n.) :a container for holding ink，
usually set in the top of a desk，inkstand，
etc．(镶在桌上或墨水台上的)墨水池
holler ( v．) :[colloq．]shout or yell[口]叫
喊，呼喊
 mill ( v．) :[AmE]move slowly in a circle，as
cattle，or aimlessly，as a confused crowd(often
with around or about)[美](人、家畜)成群地兜圈
子；乱哄哄地推挤(常与around或about连用)
Quaker ( n.) :a popular name for a member of
the Society of Friends：Friend 贵格会教徒(基督
教新教的教友派或“公谊会”教徒的别称)
distill ( v．) :remove，extract，or produce by
distillation用蒸馏法提取(或生产)，由蒸馏而得；
提纯；精制
 rum ( n.) :an alcoholic liquor distilled from
fermented sugar cane，molasses，
etc．朗姆洒(甘蔗汁制的一种甜酒)
dammit ( interj.) :amn it(used to express
annoyance，disgust，impatience)该死的；
他妈的
tria juncta in uno :[Latin]three joined in
one[拉]三人意见统一
wart ( n.) :an imperfection，failing，flaw，
etc．缺点；缺陷；瑕疵
 portly ( adj.) :stout；corpulent肥胖的；粗
壮的；魁梧的
hawkish ( adj.) :of or like a hawk像鹰一样
的
bespectacled ( adj.) :wearing spectacles
戴眼镜的
sycophant ( n.) :a person who seeks
favour by flattering people of wealth or
influece谄媚者，拍马者
 gout ( n.) :disease with inflammation of
joints，esp. of big toe [医]痛风
drowse ( v. ) :sleep lightly；be half asleep；
dose打瞌睡，打盹
pappy ( n.) :[dial．or colloq．]father[方或
口]爸爸
vehement ( adj.) :having or characterized
by intense feeling or strong passion；
fervent；impassioned，etc．热情的；热
烈的；激情的
 quietude ( n.) :a state of being quiet；rest；
calmness平静，宁静
pedantic ( adj. ) :like or of a pedant学究气
的，书呆子似的
festivity ( n.) :[pl．]festive proceedings；
things done in celebration[复]庆祝活动，
庆典
swat ( v．) :[colloq．]hit with a quick，
sharp blow[口]重拍，猛击
whoop ( n.) :a loud shout，cry高叫声，呼
喊声
 absolve ( v．) :free(from a duty，
promise．etc)解除(或免) 除…的(责任)；
使不受(诺言等)约束
allegiance ( n.) :the obligation of support
and loyalty to one’s ruler, government, or
country(对统治者、政府、国家)效忠
dissolve ( v．) :end by or as by breaking
up；terminate使结束，使中止
 weasel ( n.) :a sly，cunning，or sneaky
person狡猾的人，奸刁的人
intone ( v．) :speak or recite in a singing
tone or in prolonged monotones；chant吟
咏；吟诵；以拖长的音调说话或朗诵
brunt ( n.) :the heaviest or hardest part正
面的冲击；主要的压力
 skeptical ( adj.) :not easily persuaded or
convinced；doubting；questioning难以说
服的；好怀疑的
itch ( v．) :have a restless desire or
hankering渴望，追求
sever ( v．) :part or break off，as by
cutting or with force；cut in two切断，割
断
 cripple ( v．) :make unable or unfit to act，
function effectively，etc．；disable使损伤，
使丧失活动能力；削弱
muster ( v．) :gather together and display；
collect；summon鼓起；振作(常与up连用)
forsake ( v．) :abandon抛弃，遗弃
anarchist ( n.) :a person who believes in
or advocated anarchism无政府主义者，无
政府主义鼓吹者
 redress ( v．) :set right；rectify or remedy，
often by making compensation for(a wrong，
grievance，etc．)纠正，矫正；补偿
treason ( n.) :violation of the allegiance owed to
one's sovereign or state；betrayal of one's
country叛国罪；叛逆行为
pound ( v．) :deprive of money or property by
violence；loot 掠夺(某地)的财物；抢劫(某人)的
财物
 stifle ( v．) :suppress or repress；check，
stop，inhibit，etc．抑制；扑灭；镇压
spawn ( vt．) :bring forth or be the source
of酿成，引起
status quo :the existing state of affairs(at
a particular time)(also"status in quo”)现状
(亦作status in quo)
seditious ( adj.) :engaging in resistence
or rebellion against the government in
power叛乱的
 fugitive ( n.) :a person who flees or has fled
from danger，justice，etc．逃亡者，逃犯
chaos ( n.) :extreme confusion or disorder纷乱，
混乱(状态)，无秩序
reek ( vi．) :be permeated with anything very
unpleasant充满(某种极不愉快的东西)(通常与of，
with连用)
roach ( n.) :any of an order(Blattalia)of insects
with long feelers and a flat soft body(some
species are common house—hold pests)蟑螂
 aye ( adv．) :yes；yea是；当然
infernal ( adj.) :[colloq．]hateful；
outrageous[口]可恨的，可恶的，讨厌的，该死
的
incendiary ( n.) :a person who willfully stirs up
strife. riot，rebellion，etc．煽动者
demagogue ( n.) :a person who tries to stir up
the people by appeals to emotion，prejudice，
etc．in order to win them over quickly and so
gain power煽动者，鼓动者；蛊惑人心的政客
 fribble ( n.) :any trifling act or thought无聊
的行为或思想
whack ( vt.) :[colloq．]strike or slap with a
sharp。Resounding blow[口]使劲打；重击
bedlam ( n.) :any place or condition of
noise and confusion渲闹或混乱的地方或
状态
 ascetic ( adj.) : self—denying；austere苦
行(主义)的，禁欲的
emblem ( n.) :a sign，badge，or device
标记；徽章；像章
ditto ( n.) :the same(as something said or
appearing above or before)同上，同前
 felicity ( n.) :a quality or knack of
appropriate and pleasing expression in
writing，speaking，painting，etc．(措词
等的)恰当，恰如其分；贴切；巧妙
anteroom ( n.) :a room leading to a larger
or more important room；waiting room前
厅；(来宾)接待室
inalienable ( adj.) :that may not be taken
away or transferred不可剥夺的；不能转让
的
levy ( v．) :wage(war)发动(战争)
 bonny，bonnie ( adj.) :[now chiefly Scot．or
Eng．dial．]fine；pleasant[现主苏格兰或英方]
好的，愉快的，快活的
mercenary ( n.) :a professional soldier hired to
serve in a foreign army外国雇佣兵
kilt ( n.) :a pleated skirt reaching to the knees；
esp.，the tartan．skirt worth sometimes by men
of the Scottish Highlands苏格兰高地男子和苏格
兰兵团士兵穿的、方格呢制的褶裥短裙
 antagonize ( v． ) :incur the dislike of；．make
an enemy of招…的怨；引起…的反对；使…与
自己为敌
august ( adj.) :inspiring awe and reverence；
imposing and magnificent威严的，威风凛凛的；
(建筑物等)庄严雄伟的
contention ( n.) :a statement or point that one
argues for as true or valid(争论中的)论点；争论
点
apoplexy ( n.) :apoplexy sudden paralysis with
total or partial loss of consciousness and
sensation，caused by the breaking or
obstruction of a blood vessel in the brain；
stroke[医]中风
 piddle ( v．) :dawdle or trifle(sometimes with
away)鬼混；游荡；偷懒(有时与away连用)
abdicate ( v．) :give up formally(a high office，
throne，authority，etc．)(国王)退(位)；辞(职)
incite ( v．) :urge to action；stir up；rouse促成；
激励；怂恿；鼓动
prostitute ( v．) :sell(oneself，one's artistic or
moral integrity，etc．)for low or unworthy
purposes出卖(名誉等)；为(钱)而自甘堕落
 aroma ( n.) :a characteristic quality or
atmosphere格调，风格，风味，韵味
seafaring (adj.) :of or engaged in life at
sea航海的；海上生活的
elate ( v．) :raise the spirit of；make very
happy，proud，or joyful使精神振奋；使欢
欣鼓舞；使得意洋洋
glum ( adj. ) :feeling or looking gloomy，
sullen，or morose忧郁的，闷闷不乐的，
愁眉不展的
 tavern ( n.) :saloon；bar酒馆
credential ( n.) :[usu．pl．]a letter or certificate
given to a person to show that he has a right to
confidence or to the exercise of a certain
position or authority(常用复)证明书，介绍信；信
任状；(大使等的)国书
jeopardize ( v．) :put in jeopardy；endanger使
处于险境；危及，危害
fishwife ( n.) :a coarse，scolding woman粗野的
女人，泼妇，悍妇
 obnoxious ( adj.) :very unpleasant；
objectionable；offensive令人非常不快的；引起
反感的；讨厌的
pageant ( n.) :a spectacular exhibition，
elaborate parade，etc．，as a procession with
floats华丽的展览；壮观的行列
dilemma ( n.) :any situation in which one must
choose between unpleasant alternatives窘境，
左右为难
 demigod ( n.) :[myth．]a lesser god；
minor deity[神话]半人半神
poll (v．) :[AmE．]require each member
of(a jury，committee，etc．)to declare his
vote individually[美]个别征求…中成员的意
见
nonentity ( n.) :a person or thing of little or
no importance无足轻重的或无用的人或物
 anonymity ( n.) :the condition or fact of being
anonymous不知名，无名
reconciliation ( n.) :a reconciling和解；调解
flourish ( n.) :a decorative or curved line or
lines in writing(手写花体字上的)花边，曲线
belfry ( n.) :a bell tower，esp. one that is part of
a building，placed at the top(尤指建筑物顶上的)
钟塔，钟楼
短语 (Expressions)
 stand(或get) in the way: prevent妨碍
 例： She is determined to succeed and won’t
let anything get／ stand in her way．她决心要成
功，不让任何事情妨碍她。
in aIl fairness: You use this phrase when you
are about to add a com． ment that corrects a
falsa or unfair impression．完全出于公平起见。
例： In all fairness to Jack，he was just trying
to be helpful．为杰克说句公平话，他只是想帮
忙。
take a chance: take a risk冒险
例： You don’t get anywhere in life without
taking chances．在生活中，你不冒险就会一事
无成。
Understanding of the text
 1. the Continental Congress: The First
Continental Congress was convened from Sept.
5 to ()ct. 26, 1774 in Philadelphia. The session's
most important act was the creation of the
Continental Association, which forbade
importation and use of British goods and
proposed prohibition of colonial exports. Several
petitions of grievances were sent to the king,
and the meeting was adjourned until May 10,
1775. Smoke from the battles of Lexington and
Concord (April 19, 1775) had scarcely cleared
when the Second Continental Congress met
in Philadelphia.
 Armed conflict strengthened the radical
element, but only gradually did the
delegates swing toward independence. A
Continental Army was created to oppose
the British, and George Washington was
appointed commander in chief. On July 4,
1776 a momentous step was taken:
Congress adopted the Declaration of
Independence.
 The Congress operated temporarily as the
legislative body of the new nation. Under
force of military circumstances, it moved
from place to place, meeting at
Philadelphia (1775-1776), Baltimore (17761777), Philadelphia again ( 1777 ),
Lancaster, Pa. (1777), York, Pa. (17771778) and Philadelphia once again (1778).
After the war ended and the Articles of
Confederation took force, the Congress
itself eventually dissolved.
 2. Featured prominently, rear, is a tally
board: A tally board is placed at an easily
noticed position at the back of the stage.

featured: given special prominence as
a main attraction

tally board: board used as record for
score
 3. yea: yes, used to express an affirmative
vote
 4. nay: no, used to express a negative
vote
 5..... thirteen slots, each with a shuttle
containing the name of a single colony:
There are thirteen slots in the tally board,
and a name plate is placed in each slot.
The name plate can slide freely in the
slot under the three headings like a shuttle
in a weaving loom. This device clarifies
the positions of the thirteen colonies at
any given moment and allows the
audience to follow the parlia- mentary
action witho
 6. At rise: as the curtain rises
 7. save: prep. except, but
 8. aging custodian: McNair (an old man,
the caretaker or janitor, is in fact a servant
who looks after everything. )
 9. a crop of horseflies: a swarm of
horseflies
 crop :group of collection appearing
together, e.g. a new crop of students
 10. State House: State House of
Pennsylvania, now Independence Hall,
where the Second Continental Congress
was being held
 11. quill pens: In those days pens were
made from the quill of a feather.
 12. wantin': wanting. The dropping of"g"is
supposed to be uneducated, vulgar, or
careless pronunciation.
 13. Where does the Georgia delegation
belong?: Where are the Georgia delegates
supposed to sit?
 14. they mill about over in that corner- near
the two Carolinas:

They are generally found in that corner
moving aimlessly near where the
delegations from the two Carolinas sit.

mill: move slowly in a circle or aimlessly,
often said of cattle.

McNair uses this word jokingly.
 15. Old Grape' n' Guts: The nickname Old
Grape and Guts is given to Stephen
Hopkins of Rhode Island because of his
fondness for alcoholic drinks and good
food. Grape stands for wine, and guts
stomach.
 16. heading the pack: The work"pack" is
generally used for describing a group of animals,
e.g. a pack of hounds or wolves. It is used here
jocularly.
 17. Quaker: a popular name for a member of
the Society of Friends, a Christian religious sect
founded in England in 1650 by George Fox. The
members of this society have no formal creed,
rites, liturgy, or priesthood, and reject violence in
human relations, including war.
 18. distilled refreshment: euphemism for
alcoholic drinks
 19. a mug o' rum: a mug of rum

rum: an alcoholic liquor distilled from
fermented sugar cane, molasses, etc. In
American usage, it can refer to alcoholic
liquor in general.
 20. Two mugs o' rum: One is for himself,
one for the new arrival.
 21. I fear it's little early in the day--: His
sentence is interrupted by Old Grape'n'
Guts. Hall wanted to say: “I fear it's a little
early in the day to have a drink."
 22. where does Georgia stand on the
question of independence?:

What position does Georgia take on the
question of independence?
 23. Cod knows I can't keep 'em straight: I
swear to God I can't tell which is which.
This affected forgetfulness is probably
meant to show the two Carolinas always
voted the same way and that it is not
worth his serious attention to differentiate
between them.
 24. A pleasure... Your servant... An honor:
Standard forms of greeting on being
introduced to a stranger in those days.
 25. Where'd y' go for it, man--Jamaica?:
Sarcasm. Why did it take you so long to
get the rum? Where' d y' go = where did
you go

Jamaica: island in the West Indies, in
the Caribbean, famed for its sugar cane
plantations and its rum
 26. I am here without instructions, able to vote my
own personal convictions: I am here without any
explicit instructions from Georgia Assembly,
therefore I am able to vote according to my
personal convictions.
 27. Hall. (a pause; he examines him). Personal:
a refusal to disclose how he will vote. People are
not supposed to ask personal questions. It is
considered impolite or bad manners to do so.
 28. The Deep South speaks with one voice: The
Deep South speaks in unity and complete
agreement, implying the Southern states should
have the same stand on the question of
independence and should vote the same way.
 29. It is traditional--even more, it is historical: This
is our tradition --even more, it is rooted in history.
The words traditional and historical, which mean
quite the same thing, are both used with
exaggeration.
 30. decorated with a Scottish accent: a metaphor;
his broad Scottish accent makes his strong,
resonant voice sound more beautiful.
 31. tria juncta in uno: (Latin) three joined in one.
This is an irony, as the three are seldom united in
views.
 32. y'know I can't follow none o' y'r damn French:
You know I can't follow none of your damn French.
It ridicules Mckean's ignorance of foreign
languages.
 33. a tribute to the eternal peace and harmony of
the Delaware delegation: an irony again. See
Note 31. for the teachers.
 34. With South Carolina, it seems: It seems we
have to stand together with South Carolina. Hall is
being critical of Rutledge's high-handed behavior.
 35. carrying several books: a detail to show that
Jefferson was a

learned man and was studious to a fault
 36. hawkish man: having a nose
resembling the hooked beak of a hawk
 37. WILSON. (waiting) Ahem: With a noise
like clearing his throat, Wilson now politely
reminds Rodney that he has yet to be
introduced.
 38. how can anyone see you if you insist
on standing in Mr. Dickinson's shadow:
innuendo. He suggests people ignore
Wilson because he always toadies to
Dickinson and follows him in everything.
 39. He suffers from gout: Gout is a disease
resulting from a disturbance of uric acid
metabolism. It causes swelling and severe pain,
notably in the big toe. This was a disease
among the rich, and thought to be the result of
excessive rum drinking.
 40. Will you get out of my way, please: The
sentence shows that Franklin, being the oldest
member of Congress, is accustomed to being a
bit bluff and rude and takes precedence over
others as a matter of course.
 41. Good Lord, do you have the honor to be
Dr. Franklin: The sentence reveals how much
Franklin is admired and held in awe by others.
The more usual way of addressing him would
have been:"Do I have the honor of speaking
to ... ?" The phrase "good Lord” expressing
surprise shows that Hall is also obviously a bit
flustered by the sight of Franklin's limping and
bandaged foot.
 42. Been living too high again, eh, Pappy:
Been drinking and eating too much again, old
man? Hopkins was a close friend of Franklin
and not awed by him. In one sentence, he
jokes about both his age and his well-known indulgences.
 pappy:(colloquial) father, here an
affectionate term for an old man
 43. I only wish King George felt like my big toe-all over: I only wish that King George felt all over
his body the pain that I now feel in my big toe.
His reply shows his sharp wit and good temper
as well as his hostility to the British Crown.
 44. Fetch a pillow--and two more mugs o' rum:
The pillow is for Franklin to rest his aching foot
on. The two mugs of rum--at least one of them
is for himeslf. Hopkin's overfondness of rum
should have become quite obvious by now.
 45. your voice is hurting my foot: Your voice is
piercing; exaggeration for effect.
 46. how do you explain the strange quietude
that Congress has been treated to these past
thirty days?: How do you explain why they
(advocates for independence) have been so
quiet in the past thirty days? A number of
sentences have been left out here. In the
original, Franklin had proposed to break the
stalemate in Congress by getting someone else
to raise the issue of independence instead of
John Adams, who was "obnoxious and
disliked".
 Franklin had got Richard Lee of Virginia to go
back to Virginia to get the resolution. He was
rather late in coming back. Meanwhile John
Adams had refrained from losing his patience.
He declared that he would only wait for Lee
for one more day. Now Dikinson is
deliberately turning to his follower Wilson and
making cruel fun of Adams. This, like adding
fuel to fire, throws Adams into a rage.
 47. the usual morning festivities concluded: A
mild sarcasm, meaning now that the usual
morning session of drinking is over.
Grammatically this part is a nominative absolute
construction formed by a noun phrase plus the
past participle concluded.
 48. call ... to order: a usual expression used at
meetings when opening a session or resuming
discussions after a recess. Also used when
demanding that a. speaker not speak out of turn
or other- wise disobey the rules of agenda.
 49. Sweet Jesus: a mild oath to show
amusement, disgust or despair at the great
number of meetings that had already taken
place without result and maybe also at the
pomposity of the whole
show
 50. the stores of rum and other drinking
spirits are hereby closed to the colony of
Rhode Island: Rum and other 'drinking
spirits are not to be supplied to Hopkins.
The colony of Rhode Island isa
metonymy, standing for its delegate
Hopkins.
 51. The Chair: metonymy. It Stands for
the president of the Congress.
 52. make the best of it: make the best of his
membership; turn the situation to the best
advantage. The implication here is that it is difficult
to do so in the Congress.
 53. the entire delegation of New Jersey: Franklin's
son was Royal Governor of New Jersey and was
against Independence. His father was not in touch
with him. He was later taken prisoner by the
Continental forces.
 54. Benjy, Johnny, Dickie: Benjamin Franklin, John
Adams, and Richard Lee respectively. The three
were on very intimate terms because they had
plotted together and were "in'on the secret manoeuvre to make Lee put forward the resolution for
independence.
 55. a Southern war whoop: shouts (or more
properly, screams) made by American Indians
when going into battle. They were the terror of
the early white settlers, but were later picked up
and improved upon by the white people. Here
Lee lets out a Southern war whoop to show his
triumph in bringing back the resolution.
 56. is it done?: Have you succeeded?
 11. Resolved: A formal decision is made about
the following
 57. of a right: by right, in justice
 58. they are absolved from all allegiance to the
British Crown: They are freed from all
obligations of support and loyalty to their ruler,
the British King. the British Crown: metonymy,
meaning the British King and all powers of the
King
 59. I second the proposal: Second means to
give formally one' s approval or support to a
motion moved as a necessary preliminary to
discussion of, or vote on it. As we can see from
the play, any member of a delegation is
entitled to move or second a proposal, but in
voting a delegation must be counted as a whole.
 60. y' little weasel: you little weasel, a term of
abuse, imputing Read to be a sly, cunning or
sneaky person
 61. having borne the brunt of the King's tyranny:
having suffered most because of the King's
tyranny Example: The workers bore the brunt
of the economic crisis.
 62. Shame! Shame!: Shame on you. This is a
usual cry issued when speaker says something
particularly unacceptable to others at a meeting.
Here it is the word "tyranny" that angers his
opponents.
 63. Sit down, John: John is again launching into
one of his lengthy, repetitious speeches that do
more harm than good to the cause of
Independence. That is why those for
Independence shout"Sit down, John!"
 64. Rhode Island is out visitin' the "necessary":
Hopkins is out pissing. The "necessary" is a
euphemism for the "pisser", which straight
forward word is used by Hopkins elsewhere in
the play. ("You'd think the Congress would have
its own pisser! ") The word piss is vulgar in all
uses.
 65. After what Rhode Island's consumed, I can't
say I'm surprised: After Hopkins has drunk so
much rum, I'm not at all surprised that he should
do that.
 66. Rhode Island passes: This is an
unintentional pun. Thomson means, by saying
“passes", that he' 11 come back to Rhode Island
later. But the verb"pass" can mean to pass
water (urine).
 67. Laughter, Thomson looks around, not
understanding: The delegates are laughing at
the pun, but Thomson, being pedantic, if not
dull, doesn' t realize this. Such is one of the
small instances of comedy one would expect
to find in a musical comedy.
 68. While Connecticut has, till now, been
against this proposal ... could not any
longer withhold its support: Till now Conn.
has been against independence. The
Conn. legislature instructs that

 if the proposal for independence is put
forward by any colony outside of New
England, Conn. would change its attitude
and give its support. The reason for this
instruction may be that as one of the six
colonies of New England, Connecticut
doesn't want to act as a bloc against the
other colonies. Connecticut's about-face
seems to prove the correctness of
Franklin's strategy so he and John
exchange satisfied looks.
 69. New York abstains--courteously:
Morris personally favours Independence,
but his hands are tied as the New York
legislature has never sent him “explicit
instructions on anything."
 70. Maryland would welcome independence if it
were given but is highly skeptical that it can be
taken: Maryland would welcome independence
if it were granted by the mother country, but we
doubt very much that independence can be
taken with force. In other words, Maryland
would not object to independence if it were
given as a gift, which is not likely to happen (the
impossibility is expressed by the subjunctive
mood "were"). Maryland doesn't want to make
revolution in order to win independence.
skeptical (also spelt sceptical): unwilling to
believe,' doubting, distrustful.

 Examples:

I' m skeptical of (about) their team's
chances of winning.

Many people are skeptical that the
President's policy can solve inflation and
unemployment.
 71. Virginia, the First Colony: Virginia, named after
Elizabeth I, the"Virgin Queen. ", was the first colony
of America, where the first permanent English
settlement was founded in May,
1607. See Note
9 to "the text.
 72. North Carolina respectfully yields to South
Carolina: North Carolina submits to South Carolina
with respect, yield: vi. to give up, to give way

Examples:

1) Though he was badly wounded, he refused to
yield to the enemy.

2) I hope you'll not yield to his persuasion.

3) The disease yielded to treatment.
 73. effect a separation: bring about, accomplish
independence
 74. Yes, Mr Hewes, I know: Thomson knows
from experience that North Carolina would
follow S.C. slavishly in all voting.
 75. Georgia seems to be split right down the
middle on this issue: It seems that in Georgia
majority opinion is against independence but
Hall (Georgia's delegate) is for independence.
He finds it hard to come to a decision.
 76. So in all fairness until I can figure it out, I'd
better lean a little toward their side: To be totally
impartial, until I find the correct answer, I' d
better incline a little toward their opinion.

fair: just, honest, impartial, unprejudiced (e. g.
that's not fair)

figure out: (colloquial) solve, think it out
 77. So it's up to me, is it?: Note"is it", not"isn't it".
Here Hopkins is not actually asking a question.
It's an emphatic form of saying "The whole thing
is now resting on my shoulders, eh?"
 33. a rum: a drink of rum. Similarly, a
whiskey a beer, a brandy, etc. But not a
red: wine or a white wine. A: red wine
means a kind or brand of red wine, not a
drink of red wine.
IV. Questions




What was the stand of Dr. Lyman Hall on
the question of independence?
A vote was taken. What was the vote on?
Make a list of those for, those against, and
the one who abstained. Also: which are
New England states, which middle, which
Southern?
Why did Hancock vote fro unanimity?
Why did John Adams want to postpone the
debate?
V.
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Rhetorical Devices
Simile
Metaphor
Sarcasm
Irony
Ridicule
Pun
Antithesis
Hyperbole
Euphemism
Innuendo
Metonymy
Synecdoche
alliteration
VI. Effective Writing Skills



portraying characters, especially
psychological movement
making efficient use of elliptical
sentences
making efficient use of figures of
speech
Assignment
 Do exercises