Passage 1
Abigail's Independence Day
by Donna Ross
Abigail had wondered for months why her mother sent her to bed early so many nights. From her small loft above the kitchen she could hear the whispers of her father's meetings with the other men who owned the newspapers in Boston. Her father, John Gill, was the editor and publisher of Continental Journal. This night, July 17, 1776, the men seemed particularly enthused.
Mrs. Gill woke Abigail earlier than usual the next morning.
"Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty. We must hurry, Abigail; your father is at the print shop, and he needs our help," Mrs. Gill said.
Abigail ate her johnnycake in the dark as they walked the brick pavement to her father's business. Upon arriving, Abigail saw familiar countenances—some smiling, others with firm resolve, and all with the hope of freedom in their eyes. Everyone scurried about, each one with his or her own purpose.
At daybreak, they were ready; a map of Boston divided the streets and alleys into sections. Abigail's assignment was the section closest to her home. She took her share of the pamphlets and hurried to circulate them among her friends and neighbors. Everyone must be told: The colonists would declare their independence as a nation today! The declaration would be read aloud at one o'clock from the State House's balcony.
When her pamphlets were distributed, Abigail met her mother and father at home; together, they joined the throng of cheering patriots in the square beneath the balcony. Musket fire rang in the air and cannons blasted in the harbor to announce the joy of the Bostonians. Colonel Thomas Crafts could barely quiet the crowd long enough to read the Declaration of Independence. Abigail's mother squeezed her hand tighter than usual as they strained to hear the speaker's words over the surrounding shouts. Mr. Gill had told his wife that 10 days earlier in Philadelphia when the declaration was read aloud for the first time, bells were rung throughout the city for the entire day.
"Down with tyranny! Down with King George!" cried the men and women in the growing crowd as they tore down the emblems of the British crown.
As the most enthusiastic onlookers burned the lion and unicorn that had once been atop the State House, Abigail noticed a worried look cross her mother's face. Abigail couldn't help feeling a knot in her stomach when her mother said, "I'm afraid the times ahead will be as difficult, if not more so, than the past." Abigail watched in wonder without understanding the uncertainty yet to come.
Passage 2
Writing the Declaration of Independence
by Cynthia Webber
In 1772, the Gaspee Affair caused a court decision in Rhode Island that made all colonists fearful. The British-controlled court decided it had the power to send people to England to be tried for crimes carried out in America.
In the spring of 1773, Payton Randolph—the speaker of the Virginia House—and its members wrote a resolution protesting this action. The Virginia House of Burgesses had upset the Royal Governor Lord Dunmore with their resolutions and protests long enough. When Lord Dunmore heard this news, he appeared on the floor of the Virginia House and said:
"Mr. Speaker and gentlemen of the House of Burgesses: I have in my hand a paper published by order of your House, conceived in such terms as reflect highly upon His Majesty and the parliament of Great Britain, which makes it necessary to dissolve you, and you are dissolved accordingly."
That didn't stop them. They changed their name to "The Association" and moved to the Raleigh Tavern to continue their work. There they sent copies of the resolution to the legislatures. They also sent it to the town councils of other colonies to be printed for distribution.
No one was surprised in 1775 when the Royal Governor recalled Randolph from attending the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. His alternate, Thomas Jefferson, took his place. Jefferson was a pensive man with an extensive library who wrote volumes of letters and philosophical papers.
The colonists had experienced years of British tyranny and taxation without representation. The colonists saw British Parliament's Tea Act as a plan to undercut the business of local merchants by allowing British agents to sell tea directly. Philadelphia and New York colonists forced the tea ships back to Britain. Tea rotted on the docks in Charleston. The Royal Governor kept the ships in the port in support of the King's law in Boston, but angry colonists refused to allow them to unload the tea. The colonists dumped the tea in the harbor. This became known as the Boston Tea Party.
Even as early as 1765, the Stamp Act was Parliament's first serious attempt to assert governmental authority over the colonies. It was a tax originally designed to earn money to be used in the American colonies. Items such as newspapers, books, playing cards and legal documents such as licenses and diplomas were marked with the symbol of British authority. This was a daily reminder for colonists that the King of England had control over their lives.
By June 11, 1776, the Continental Congress was ready to declare independence. They chose a committee to draft a declaration. Committee members included Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston. Jefferson had already written an article called "A Summary View of the Rights of British America." The article was printed as a pamphlet throughout the colonies. It was widely accepted, so the committee chose Jefferson to write the first draft. After fellow committee members Adams and Franklin made corrections and elaborations, the Congress added the final changes so all members would agree on its content. The final version of the Declaration of Independence was offered to the Congress on July 1, 1776. It was adopted on July 4. Following public readings in all the colonies, delegates began to sign the document on August 2.
14
Read the sentence from "Abigail's Independence Day."
"She took her share of the pamphlets and hurried to circulate them among her friends and neighbors."
What does the word circulate mean as it is used in the sentence?
A.
to distribute something
B.
to share something
C.
to throw something at others
D.
to move something in a circle
3 answers
Abigail's Independence Day
by Donna Ross
Abigail had wondered for months why her mother sent her to bed early so many nights. From her small loft above the kitchen she could hear the whispers of her father's meetings with the other men who owned the newspapers in Boston. Her father, John Gill, was the editor and publisher of Continental Journal. This night, July 17, 1776, the men seemed particularly enthused.
Mrs. Gill woke Abigail earlier than usual the next morning.
"Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty. We must hurry, Abigail; your father is at the print shop, and he needs our help," Mrs. Gill said.
Abigail ate her johnnycake in the dark as they walked the brick pavement to her father's business. Upon arriving, Abigail saw familiar countenances—some smiling, others with firm resolve, and all with the hope of freedom in their eyes. Everyone scurried about, each one with his or her own purpose.
At daybreak, they were ready; a map of Boston divided the streets and alleys into sections. Abigail's assignment was the section closest to her home. She took her share of the pamphlets and hurried to circulate them among her friends and neighbors. Everyone must be told: The colonists would declare their independence as a nation today! The declaration would be read aloud at one o'clock from the State House's balcony.
When her pamphlets were distributed, Abigail met her mother and father at home; together, they joined the throng of cheering patriots in the square beneath the balcony. Musket fire rang in the air and cannons blasted in the harbor to announce the joy of the Bostonians. Colonel Thomas Crafts could barely quiet the crowd long enough to read the Declaration of Independence. Abigail's mother squeezed her hand tighter than usual as they strained to hear the speaker's words over the surrounding shouts. Mr. Gill had told his wife that 10 days earlier in Philadelphia when the declaration was read aloud for the first time, bells were rung throughout the city for the entire day.
"Down with tyranny! Down with King George!" cried the men and women in the growing crowd as they tore down the emblems of the British crown.
As the most enthusiastic onlookers burned the lion and unicorn that had once been atop the State House, Abigail noticed a worried look cross her mother's face. Abigail couldn't help feeling a knot in her stomach when her mother said, "I'm afraid the times ahead will be as difficult, if not more so, than the past." Abigail watched in wonder without understanding the uncertainty yet to come.
Passage 2
Writing the Declaration of Independence
by Cynthia Webber
In 1772, the Gaspee Affair caused a court decision in Rhode Island that made all colonists fearful. The British-controlled court decided it had the power to send people to England to be tried for crimes carried out in America.
In the spring of 1773, Payton Randolph—the speaker of the Virginia House—and its members wrote a resolution protesting this action. The Virginia House of Burgesses had upset the Royal Governor Lord Dunmore with their resolutions and protests long enough. When Lord Dunmore heard this news, he appeared on the floor of the Virginia House and said:
"Mr. Speaker and gentlemen of the House of Burgesses: I have in my hand a paper published by order of your House, conceived in such terms as reflect highly upon His Majesty and the parliament of Great Britain, which makes it necessary to dissolve you, and you are dissolved accordingly."
That didn't stop them. They changed their name to "The Association" and moved to the Raleigh Tavern to continue their work. There they sent copies of the resolution to the legislatures. They also sent it to the town councils of other colonies to be printed for distribution.
No one was surprised in 1775 when the Royal Governor recalled Randolph from attending the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. His alternate, Thomas Jefferson, took his place. Jefferson was a pensive man with an extensive library who wrote volumes of letters and philosophical papers.
The colonists had experienced years of British tyranny and taxation without representation. The colonists saw British Parliament's Tea Act as a plan to undercut the business of local merchants by allowing British agents to sell tea directly. Philadelphia and New York colonists forced the tea ships back to Britain. Tea rotted on the docks in Charleston. The Royal Governor kept the ships in the port in support of the King's law in Boston, but angry colonists refused to allow them to unload the tea. The colonists dumped the tea in the harbor. This became known as the Boston Tea Party.
Even as early as 1765, the Stamp Act was Parliament's first serious attempt to assert governmental authority over the colonies. It was a tax originally designed to earn money to be used in the American colonies. Items such as newspapers, books, playing cards and legal documents such as licenses and diplomas were marked with the symbol of British authority. This was a daily reminder for colonists that the King of England had control over their lives.
By June 11, 1776, the Continental Congress was ready to declare independence. They chose a committee to draft a declaration. Committee members included Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston. Jefferson had already written an article called "A Summary View of the Rights of British America." The article was printed as a pamphlet throughout the colonies. It was widely accepted, so the committee chose Jefferson to write the first draft. After fellow committee members Adams and Franklin made corrections and elaborations, the Congress added the final changes so all members would agree on its content. The final version of the Declaration of Independence was offered to the Congress on July 1, 1776. It was adopted on July 4. Following public readings in all the colonies, delegates began to sign the document on August 2.
15
Read the sentence from "Writing the Declaration of Independence."
"Jefferson was a pensive man with an extensive library who wrote volumes of letters and philosophical papers."
What does the word pensive suggest about Jefferson?
A.
He would often brood about the situation of his country.
B.
He was often serious and silent.
C.
He was often sad and moody.
D.
He often engaged in deep thinking and reflection.