A New Nation:  Texts to Know

"Speech in the Virginia Convention" by Patrick Henry

• (1)  Persuasive Rhetoric [Literary Terms and Writing Style] (.PDF)
  • deductive structure - beginning with a thesis, and using facts or examples to support it
    inductive structure - beginning with examples or facts and then drawing a conclusion from them
• (2)  About Patrick Henry (.PDF)
• (3)  "Speech in the Virginia Convention" by Patrick Henry -- Part 1 (.PDF) -- Part 2 (.PDF)
• (4)  Patrick Henry "Vocabulary in Context" (.PDF)
  

"What is an American?"  Essay by Michel-Guillaume Jean de Crevecoeur

Read "What is an American?" and annotate it using SMILES.

• "What is an American?" Text (.PDF)
• SMILES Chart -- Please create a similar chart on lined paper. 
  Try to find 3 examples of similes, 3 examples of metaphors, and 3 examples of imagery (if possible).  L = Locate the main idea, E = Effects of the author's voice (mood and tone), S = Summary/Sequence of Events
• 
  "What is an American?" Comprehension Questions (.docx)

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Poor Richard's Almanack (Aphorisms) by Benjamin Franklin

Here are some suggestions for places to look to find aphorisms by Benjamin Franklin.

• Aphorisms Galore! (Benjamin Franklin)
• Aphorisms Quizlet Cards
• Quotes from Benjamin Franklin
• List of Aphorisms
• Match the Aphorisms
  

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Letter to the Rev. Samson Occum by Phillis Wheatley

To learn more about the author, click here.

• "Letter to the Rev. Samson Occum" Text (.PDF)
• Assignment for Wheatley and Adams (.PDF)
  

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Letter to John Adams by Abigail Adams

• "Letter to John Adams" Text (.PDF)  **Questions are above, after Wheatley's letter**

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