Four colonial newspapers published versions of the cartoon in May , with the most dramatic modification by the Boston Gazette on May Individuals, whether interpreting the snake emblematically or superstitiously, understood its message — if the colonies did not unite to defend themselves against foreign encroachments, they would perish and become subject to other nations.
To scholars such as J. Leo Lemay and Gordon S. These historians are correct to assert that the cartoon encapsulated the political and social struggles of the American Revolution, especially when Britain began enforcing new taxation laws on its North American colonies.
However, the story turns much more captivating when reading the newspaper editorials. Once word reached the colonies that Parliament passed the Stamp Act in March , a surge of protests spread throughout the continent. The lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, Thomas Hutchinson, feared for his life, and lamented to Franklin about the mobocracy that was forming in Boston. These acts made Hutchinson hope for a speedy repeal of the tax, but as Franklin suggested in a private letter, this was not likely to happen.
Hutchinson also informed Franklin how Bostonians protested the new tax. When Parliament passed the Boston Port Act at the end of March , riots swept the city and other colonies lent moral and economic support to Boston.
The article stated:. The act of parliament for blockading the harbour of Boston, in order to reduce its spirited inhabitants to the most servile and mean compliances ever attempted to be imposed on a free people, is allowed to be infinitely more alarming and dangerous to our common liberties, than even that hydra the Stamp Act which was destroyed by our firmness and union and must be read with a glowing indignation by every real friend of freedom, in Europe and America — … The Generals of despotism are now drawing the lines of circumvallation around our bulwarks of liberty, and nothing but unity, resolution, and perseverance, can save ourselves and posterity from what is worse than death — SLAVERY.
On June 27, , the paper reported:. The freeholders and inhabitants of New Jersey, had a meeting at Newark in said country, the 11th of June inst. As the article claimed, there were individuals who boasted that the colonies would not unify for the revolutionary cause. Yet as this Patriot declared, a congress was being summoned for that very purpose. This article demonstrated the tensions that stirred between Loyalists and Patriots during the tempestuous months of Colonists of several ideological backgrounds began to contemplate their political views, and many resolved to determine which side they would support.
The newspaper displayed a snake separated into nine parts contending with a dragon. Adopting language from the third chapter of Genesis , the rhyme manipulated the curse that God had placed on the serpent. New York: Oxford University Press, Matthews, Albert. Olson, Lester C. Washington, D. Ruppert, Bob. Leonard W. That detail was lost as the U. Gregg L. Lint et al. Like Like. You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account.
You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. Like this: Like Loading Thank you for posting this.
Pingback: Merkwaardig week 30 www. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Enter your comment here Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:. Franklin's symbol, however, failed to have the intended effect in England, as British politicians likely saw the formation of colonial governments as a threat to their control. Although Join, or Die was meant for the French and Indian War, it became a powerful symbol in colonial opposition to the Stamp Act, and other British taxes that ultimately led to the Revolutionary War.
It remains one of the iconic images representing colonial sentiment toward the British. This activity can be copied directly into your Google Classroom, where you can use it for practice, as an assessment, or, to collect data.
Upgrade to MrN to access our entire library of incredible educational resources and teacher tools in an ad-free environment. If you like MrNussbaum. Franklin published the image with a specific political objective in mind. At the time, he was preparing to join other colonial leaders at the Albany Congress, a meeting called to discuss how they should deal with the growing military threat from the French and their Native American allies.
Franklin thought that the colonies needed to join together in a strong alliance. He proposed a unified colonial government that could levy taxes and form a military, governed by a council of representatives from each of the colonies and headed by a President General appointed by the British monarch.
But he apparently wanted to reach another influential audience as well on the other side of the Atlantic. In retrospect, that may not have been the wisest move.
0コメント