apex english iii learning packet · 2020-04-10 · apex english iii . learning packet . 4/20 –...

CHARLES COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

APEX English III Learning Packet

4/20 – 5/1

Student:_____________________________________ School:______________________________________ Teacher:_____________________________________ Block/Period:_________________________________

The Rhetoric of Revolution

You may know that around 250 years ago, many citizens of the American colonies were unhappy with

the way Great Britain was treating them. However, some colonists weren't so sure that going to war for

independence was the best option.

This reading will focus on what was happening in the colonies before the Revolutionary War and how

language and literature played a role in moving us toward what is now the United States of America.

1. Print and look over your reading guide.

2. Open your reading and look for the underlined text as you read. Each question in the first part of your

reading guide is related to an underlined word or passage. You can also find the questions at the bottom

of your reading.

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Reading GuideEnglish 111.1.2 Read: The Rhetoric of Revolution

Name:Date:

While you read:

Each of the following questions is related to an underlined passage or word in the reading. Be ready to

answer the questions as you read. Write your answers below.

1. Define railed.

2. Define galvanized.

3. What does this tell you about what the colonies had to overcome?

4. Define legislature.

5. Define autonomy.

6. What does it mean to "levy" a tax?

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7. What do you think is so bad about "taxation without representation"?

8. Do you think the colonists or the British gave the Intolerable Acts their name? Why?

9. In your own words, explain the difference between the first and second time the "Join, or Die" cartoon

was published.

10. What is a pamphlet?

21

11. Define eschewed.

12. "To enlighten" means to give knowledge or understanding. Why might this be an appropriate name

for the Enlightenment movement?

13. Define inalienable.

14. Define status quo.

15. Why do you think colonists considered themselves British subjects rather than Americans?

16. How do you think Paine's sign-off helps his case against the English?

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After you've read:

1. How did the French and Indian War create the conditions that led Paine to write Common Sense?

2. Why did some colonists feel loyalty to Britain despite the unfair taxes?

3. What was the role of pamphlets in changing American attitudes?

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4. What made Common Sense particularly effective in persuading Americans to support the revolution?

In one or two sentences, write down the gist, or main point, of this reading.

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Reading MaterialsEnglish 111.1.2 Read: The Rhetoric of Revolution

Name:Date:


No "Paine," No Gain

When Englishman Thomas Paine arrived in America in the winter of 1774, he was a mess. The 37-year-

old had lost his job, his possessions were auctioned off to pay his debts, and his second marriage lay in

rubble. On top of that, he was deathly ill with typhus, contracted on his transatlantic voyage. But Paine,

like many of his countrymen before him, had made it to America. With an encouraging letter from

Benjamin Franklin in his pocket, Paine crossed the ocean in order to join the ranks of those pressing for

liberty and to encourage the rejection of the same king whose restrictions he'd railed [1] against in

England.

But once he felt well enough to turn his ear to the streets, taverns, and meeting halls of the colonies, he

was alarmed at what he found: Citizens were clearly agitated by British rule but unsure what to do about

it, if anything. At this point, the 13 colonies had made gestures toward unity — the First Continental

Congress convened in September 1774, four months before Paine's arrival — but there was still self-

interested squabbling and no galvanized [2] movement toward independence. [3] "Fetch my ink and

quill!" Paine likely called to no one in particular, as he was too poor for an assistant. He knew there was

work to be done.

Not Quite Ready for Revolution: How'd We Get Here, Exactly?

The 13 American colonies were founded between 1607 and 1733, established as part of the British

Empire. But between the first settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, and Thomas Paine's arrival in 1774,

much changed in the relationship between England and the colonies — changes that would ultimately

lead to all-out war.

From the beginning, each colony had its own legislature [4] — at times offering the illusion of autonomy

[5] — but they were ultimately ruled from afar by the British Parliament and the king of England, who

often installed his own "royal governors" when necessary to keep things in line. Overall, though, the

American colonists were content: They were able to assemble locally, their economies were fairly

prosperous, and they actually paid lower taxes than British citizens in England. The king's American

subjects even displayed their loyalty by fighting alongside the British in the French and Indian War (1754

– 1763), a victory for the British Empire. War is pricey, though, and somebody was going to have to pay

the bills.25

Most colonists were farmers, so textiles, metal wares, and other manufactured goods were generally

imported from other countries, as were crops such as sugar and tea. To help pay for the French and

Indian War, Parliament levied a series of taxes [6] on the goods the colonists imported. Because no

colonists served in British Parliament to represent their own interests, many resented this "taxation

without representation." [7]

The colonists' resentment eventually turned to protest. The Stamp Act of 1765, which taxed newspapers,

pamphlets, and other documents, led to rioting, and occasionally these protests become violent. In 1770,

five colonists in Boston were killed after heckling British soldiers, an event that became known as the

Boston Massacre. Three years later, a Boston mob boarded a merchant ship and threw its tea into the

harbor. As punishment for what is now known as the Boston Tea Party, Parliament imposed harsh

regulations on the colonists, closing Boston Harbor and requiring British approval to hold town

meetings. These penalties, which became known as the Intolerable Acts, infuriated the colonists, but

Parliament refused to repeal them. [8]

The Intolerable Acts increased unity among the colonists. Following the closing of Boston Harbor,

people throughout the colonies sent food and supplies to help the city's residents, though open rebellion

or any other public hostility toward the king was still opposed by many. After the First Continental

Congress met in Philadelphia in 1774, colonists were urged to boycott British imports until the

Intolerable Acts were lifted. Colonists worked hard to produce their own clothing, furniture, and other

goods. However, the boycott of British goods did not stop the Intolerable Acts, leaving the colonists little

choice but to unite and fight for their independence.

Revolution, Then! Wait, Not Quite Yet . . .?

Even though all signs seemed to point to revolt — oppressive taxes, lack of representation, an entire city

under siege — the issue at hand was quite complex for many of the colonists for a variety of reasons.

While some colonists had varied ancestries, many still considered themselves British, via either heritage

or loyalty, or both. Also, for those and others, life under a king was all they knew, and, despite the lack of

representation and liberty, it had always come with relative prosperity, safety, and security. If they

rebelled and lost, they'd likely lose everything: homes, farms, businesses, land, and more.

In addition, war would require much of what the colonies did not have: unity and military assets. Despite

their efforts in opposing the Intolerable Acts and building consensus during the First Continental

Congress, the colonies still had separate legislatures and separate economies to consider. On top of

that, they had no real means with which to fight a major war. Each colony had its own militia, but there

was no unified national army or navy; Britain, on the other hand, had a vast army and the most powerful

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navy in the world. Even if colonists could manage to raise an army, the Americans did not exactly

impress the British as soldiers during the French and Indian War. Georgia's royal governor, Henry Ellis,

described the American soldiers as "poor species of fighting men," while British general James Wolfe

offered the phrase "cowardly dogs."1

These kinds of comments don't exactly create a recipe for success, though the motivation was there in

many of the colonists, as was the will. The fire, however small, was smoldering in America, and certain

writers and patriots were doing their best to douse it in gasoline.

Read This Pamphlet!

As far back as the French and Indian War, some prominent colonists wrote newspaper editorials

advocating the unification of the colonies. For his part, in 1754, Benjamin Franklin published his famous

"Join, or Die" political cartoon — depicting a snake broken into segments representing the different

colonies — and an accompanying editorial in the Pennsylvania Gazette to argue the necessity of unity to

defend the colony from the French. The cartoon would resurface a decade later as the postwar taxes

were levied, though this time it urged colonial unity against the British, not the French. [9] Writers like

Franklin used editorials to bring ideas about unity and liberty to a wide audience. They wanted to expose

the dangers of being connected to, and exploited by, an empire that offered a large portion of its citizens

no voice in Parliament.

Along with editorials, pamphlets [10] like John Dickinson's series of essays titled Letters from a Farmer

in Pennsylvania (1767) echoed the concerns of those struggling under the oppressive British taxes that

would eventually stir up the Boston Massacre and Tea Party. Pamphlets had the benefit of a wide

distribution — almost everyone read them — without being burdened by the schedule, overhead, and

editorial restrictions of a newspaper.

Once the Intolerable Acts locked down the port of Boston a few years later, Paul Revere and fellow

patriot (and fellow Boston tea–dumper) Samuel Adams took to the editorial pages to call for the

commoners of America to rise up — not just in protest, but to claim independence.


The editorials and public speeches in Boston and elsewhere were often fiery and rabble-rousing, relying

on emotion first and foremost. Patrick Henry's famous "Give me liberty, or give me death" declaration

from this era is etched into American consciousness because of its passion and force. Often, writings

during this time accused the king of stripping the colonists' God-given rights and forecasted the bleak

future to come if battle lines were not drawn.

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Surprisingly, though, many of the popular writings of the time — including Letters from a Farmer in

Pennsylvania — eschewed [11] fiery indignation for a more thoughtful, measured approach, employing

logic and reason to great effect.

The educated among the colonial leadership — such as Franklin and Thomas Jefferson — were students

of the Enlightenment, a movement in Europe supported by famous thinkers like John Locke, who drew

conclusions about the true powers of government, the rights of man, and the role of law. [12]

Enlightenment thinking was the basis for the inalienable [13] rights that would be listed in Jefferson's

Declaration of Independence and the basis for both revolution and the new nation that would be born

from it. Thus, solid logic and reasoning would become just as much a part of the American rhetoric of

the time as the emotionally charged rallying cries often associated with the revolution. Emotion and

logic worked together in prerevolutionary writing: one to express the outrage of the masses, the other to

clearly declare why the status quo [14] would not stand. No piece of writing, though — outside of

perhaps Jefferson's Declaration itself — had the effect of a 47-page pamphlet by Englishman Thomas

Paine.

Common Sense

By the winter of 1775 – 1776, Paine was back on his feet and healthy enough to produce one of the

most influential pieces of literature in American history, Common Sense. It was published in January

1776, nine months after the revolution began, in the period between the bold beginnings of the war and

the signing of the Declaration of Independence the following July. Despite the constant stream of prowar

rhetoric, a majority of colonists still identified more as agitated British subjects than as Americans

whose human rights needed to be reclaimed. [15] The 500,000 copies of Common Sense that spread

throughout the colonies that winter would change those sentiments for good.2

How? The pamphlet leans on a combination of emotion and logic, and it adds to these an appeal to

American virtue. It engages the character of American citizenry, the hardworking farmers, craftsmen,

and laborers who — Paine asserts — know the difference between right and wrong: "The sun never shone

on a cause of greater worth. 'Tis not the affair of a city, a county, a province, or a kingdom; but of a

continent — of at least one-eighth part of the habitable globe. 'Tis not the concern of a day, a year, or an

age; posterity are virtually involved in the contest, and will be more or less affected, even to the end of

time, by the proceedings now."3 Paine signed his pamphlet "Written by an Englishman," a rhetorical nod

to the value of perspective. [16]

In declaring how "Europe, and not England, is the parent country of America,"4 Paine reminded the

colonists that they were not bound by loyalty to the "monster" across the sea, but that they were free to

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forge their own path. And, in doing so, he built on the work of those before him to reinvigorate a fledgling

revolution with appeals to emotion, reason, and character. John Adams, second president of the United

States, said it best: "Without the pen of the author of Common Sense, the sword of Washington would

have been raised in vain."5

Works Cited

1. John Ferling, "Myths of the American Revolution," Smithsonian, January 2010,

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Myths-of-the-American-Revolution.html?

c=y&page=1.

2. "This Day in History: Thomas Paine Publishes Common Sense," History.com, accessed October 24,

2013, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/thomas-paine-publishes-common-sense.

3. Thomas Paine, Common Sense (New York: Peter Eckler Publishing, 1918), 19-20.

4. Thomas Paine, Common Sense (New York: Peter Eckler Publishing, 1918), 22.

5. Jill Lepore, "The Sharpened Quill: Was Thomas Paine Too Much of a Freethinker for the Country He

Helped Free?," The New Yorker, October 16, 2006,

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/10/16/061016crbo_books.

1. Define railed.

2. Define galvanized.

3. What does this tell you about what the colonies had to overcome?

4. Define legislature.

5. Define autonomy.

6. What does it mean to "levy" a tax?

7. What do you think is so bad about "taxation without representation"?

8. Do you think the colonists or the British gave the Intolerable Acts their name? Why?

9. In your own words, explain the difference between the first and second time the "Join, or Die" cartoon was published.

10. What is a pamphlet?

11. Define eschewed.

12. "To enlighten" means to give knowledge or understanding. Why might this be an appropriate name for the29

Enlightenment movement?

13. Define inalienable.

14. Define status quo.

15. Why do you think colonists considered themselves British subjects rather than Americans?

16. How do you think Paine's sign-off helps his case against the English?



Terms of Use

30



Take a minute to review your answers on the reading guide.

31

Persuasion is everywhere.

Understand Rhetoric

Imagine this: You wake up to the radio blasting a commercial for

ZipZoo Energy Drink. You turn on your computer to check your

email, and you see an ad flashing: "Everyone is buying it! Get

yours now!" Next, you saunter through the living room, where your

older brother is watching the morning news, only to hear an

advertisement for a breakfast cereal.

You've officially encountered three persuasive messages, and it's

not even 9 a.m. If you think too much about the amount of

persuasion you deal with on a daily basis, it might be a little

overwhelming!

Where do you encounter persuasive messages throughout the day? Check all that apply.

TV commercials

Radio ads

Internet ads

Newspaper ads

Friends

Family members

Other

READING SUPPORT REDISCOVER CHECK IT OUT

SUBMIT

32

Complete the questions on your study guide as you work through this activity. Reviewing your notes

before quizzes and tests will help you succeed. You'll be able to check your answers once you've

completed the study activity.

1. Louise Story, "Anywhere the Eye Can See, It's Likely to See an Ad," New York Times, January 15, 2007,http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/15/business/media/15everywhere.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&.

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Study GuideEnglish 111.1.3 Study: Understand Rhetoric

Name:Date:

Write the definitions of the following words.

If you come across a word you don't know, write it in a blank space below. Try to figure out what the word

means by looking at its context. Then use your dictionary or the Internet to look up the correct definition

for the word.

34

Word Definition

rhetoric

audience appeals

ethos

logos

pathos

rhetorical device

rhetorical question

diction

parallelism

figurative language

metaphor

simile

personification

author's purpose

tone

Rationalism

35

Write a short answer to each question.

1. What is the purpose of rhetoric?

2. Name two ways that a writer can use an appeal to logos.

3. Name two ways that a writer can use an appeal to pathos.

4. Name two ways that a writer can use an appeal to ethos.

36

5. What is the purpose of using rhetorical questions in persuasive writing?

6. What is the purpose of using figurative language in persuasive writing?

7. What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor?

8. How does the author's purpose affect his or her rhetorical choices?

37

9. What was the main purpose of the colonists' writings?

In one or two sentences, write down the gist, or main point, of this study.



Terms of Use

38


Rhetorical Appeals

When people attempt to persuade you, they're using rhetoric. They use

specific tactics even if they don't know they're doing it. Often, these

tactics include three particular audience appeals: logos, pathos, and

ethos.

Logos

This is an appeal to logic — to your brain. Specific examples, logical

conclusions, and indisputable facts all fall under the category of logos.

Pathos

Pathos is an appeal to emotions — to your heart. Emotional anecdotes

and words that have strong connotations (liberty, slaughter) are ways

to appeal to emotions.

Read on to learn more about ethos.


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Ethos creates a gut-level reaction: This

person is trustworthy.

A Little More about Ethos

The idea behind ethos is a little more complicated than it is for

logos and pathos. If you want your audience — whoever that may

be — to believe you, you have to get them to trust you. Here are

some ways to develop that trust:

Address the Counterclaims

By acknowledging the views that are opposite of yours, you show

you've thought about all sides of the issue.

Prove Your Knowledge

If you can show you're knowledgeable about a topic, people are

more likely to believe you.

Use Credible Evidence

Certain sources are more trustworthy than others. If you have to use sources other than your own brain

to support your argument, find ones that everyone trusts. Your Uncle Malcolm probably isn't the best

authority to quote on the need for unmanned space vehicles — unless he works at NASA.


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Combining Appeals

The best appeals are usually some combination of logos, ethos, and pathos. See if you can determine

which appeals exist in the following examples in which Jeremiah argues for a new family dog by

referencing his last dog, Rex.

SUBMIT

Combining Appeals

1 of 2

I felt incredibly happy and lovedwhen I would come home fromschool every day to �nd Rexwagging his tail.

Which two appeals does thisstatement combine?

Logos and pathos

Ethos and pathos


41

Combining Appeals

The best appeals are usually some combination of logos, ethos, and pathos. See if you can determine

which appeals exist in the following examples in which Jeremiah argues for a new family dog by

referencing his last dog, Rex.

SUBMIT

Combining Appeals

2 of 2

I fed and walked Rex every day forthree full years until I gave over theresponsibility to Gwen.

Which two appeals does thisstatement combine?

Ethos and pathos

Logos and ethos


42

Diving into the Rhetoric

An audience appeal is just one type of rhetorical device. Within audience appeals, and in other

persuasive language, there are many other rhetorical devices used to support arguments. Three very

common ones appear in the image below. Let's take a closer look at each of them.

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Transcript: Diving into the Rhetoric

No audio.

Animation illustrates three common rhetorical devices: rhetorical questions, diction, and parallelism. The

starting image shows a car dealership with a large sign reading "SALE." A customer stands next to a car,

facing a salesman. Down the right side of the frame are three buttons labeled "Rhetorical Questions,"

"Diction," and "Parallelism." When you click on each button, an example of that type of rhetorical device

appears in a speech bubble above the salesman's head.

Rhetorical Questions: Really, what's not to like about this car?

Diction: This car is reliable and stylish.

Parallelism: I know you like it. I know you want it.

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Rhetorical Questions

A rhetorical question is one that is not meant to be answered. In fact, it is supposed to prove a point

because the answer is so obvious.

You might run across this device when someone is trying to warn you about something without actually

warning you. That person might say,

Are you sure you want to do that?

The answer should be obvious: No, I guess I'm not sure I want to do that. See if you can tell the

difference between a rhetorical question and a question that's meant to be answered.


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Is It Rhetorical?

Rhetorical question Regular question

How can people do that?

Have you really thought about what you're saying?

When will there be a better time? Did you remember to do the dishes?

How long until we get to the theater? Where do you want to eat tonight?

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Writers are choosy about their words

and sentence structures.

Diction and Parallelism

Choosing My Words

"Strategic word choice" is the basic definition of diction.

Someone who is making an argument or trying to persuade

another person usually chooses words pretty carefully. A writer or

speaker might use emotional diction, critical diction, or some

other type of diction to affect the audience.

Usually, a writer's word choice depends on the audience and the

message he or she wants to convey.

And Now for Some Emphasis

When an author uses parallelism in an argument, he or she is crafting sentences with similar structures

so that they stand out and can be more easily remembered.

Check out how President Kennedy repeats the structure of his list to make his point:

Let every nation know . . . that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any

hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and

the success of liberty.1

Kennedy's parallelism emphasizes that the United States will do just about anything to protect liberty.

1. John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, Washington, D.C., January 20, 1961, http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres56.html.


47

Explore Words and Structures

Take a minute to explore how diction and parallelism work. See if you can choose the most powerful

word or the correct parallel phrase to complete the following sentences.

Drag the tiles to the blanks.

SUBMIT

Creating Rhetoric

1 of 3

The result of this trial could be .

unpleasant di�cult bad

disastrous

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SUBMIT

Creating Rhetoric

2 of 3

You can't pressure me, manipulate me, or to

change my mind.

lie to me tell me something new

trick me

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SUBMIT

Creating Rhetoric

3 of 3

If we want to , we're going to have to try harder.

do well succeed get better

50

apex english iii learning packet · 2020-04-10 · apex english iii . learning packet . 4/20 –...

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