US History (Monday, January 23, 7th period)

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

Josh was looking a little cranky today. Could have something to do with the announcements Principal Smith had made about a certain old colleague of his.

"Okay, last week we talked about Massachusetts and Virginia. Today, we're going to blow through all of the history that happened before the Revolutionary war. That's right. 150 years of history in an hour. Prepare to take notes."

Josh then gave a very terse rundown of life in colonial America, lacking much of his normal snarky humor.

He looked up. "Okay, you now have thirteen colonies to choose from--where would you live now? Bonus points if you say Connecticut or New Hampshire, but only if you can back it up with reasons other than 'because the teacher told me I'd get bonus points.'"

He sat down at his desk. "Homework for the day is to give me at least a hundred words from Wiki about the French and Indian War. That war'll be very important as we talk about the Revolution, so be sure to look for any names that seem familiar." He raised an eyebrow. "A hint for you out-of-towners: Washington DC was named for the Washington who first shows up in the French and Indian War."

Comments

Re: Homework (January 23)

[lovechildblair.livejournal.com]

The fall of French dominion in Canada and the West left the Algonquin Indians unprotected. The many tribes had lived in harmony with the French, and had been their faithful allies. But now things were different. The French had treated them as equals and brethren; but the English never went out of their way to conciliate them. The French had lavished presents upon them, but the English doled out bare essentials sparingly.

A conspiracy was soon formed to massacre all the English garrisons and settlers along the frontiers of Virginia, Pennsylvania, and the regions of the Great Lakes. The leader of this great movement was Chief Pontiac. Pontiac visited many of the tribes and won them by his extraordinary eloquence. To others he sent messengers, each bearing a wampum belt and a red-stained hatchet. Almost every tribe of the great Algonquin family, and one tribe of the Six Nations, the Senecas, joined in this conspiracy. So adroitly was the plot managed that the attack was made almost simultaneously in all parts, and every English post fell into the hands of the savages except three, -- Detroit, Fort Pitt, and Niagara.