Happy Friday and Happy 4th of July!  To help you get you in the mood to celebrate the birthday of the USA, I dusted off an old Scholastic book, circa 1970 purchased for the grand sum $0.60.  (I see it is selling on the internet for a lot more than $0.60 these days) The book was edited by Bill Lawrence, an eighth grade history teacher who complied some of his favorite excepts from his students.  Here is an excerpt about The Revolutionary War.

Enjoy!

TAXACATION WITHOUT REPRESENGTON

At first the British decided they could tax us with stamps.  They told us we had to put stamps on things like legal papers, lead and paint, glass, tea, and the Bill of Rights.  We didn’t appreciate this of course.

James Otis said, “All men are created equal, and taxacation without represengton is tyranny. (Tyranny is something that the people have no voice in.) If this be treason then let’s fight like treasons!”

James Otis played an important part in the war against the British and the Americans. He fought hard against the writs of assistance.  The writ was a place where they had all the bad people in.  They was very bad people who was in there.

Otis predicted that he would be stroked by lightning someday.  He always said he hoped God would take him out in a hurry.  He said, “When I die, by God, I hope I get stroked by lightning.”  Sure enough he did, and he lost his mind.

Patrick Henry was always quoting famous too.  He was always going around quoting, “Give me liberty or give me death!” Somebody should have give it to him.

Thomas Pain, an outspoken newspaper boy, wrote something called “Common Sense,” but I’m not sure what it was all about.  All I can say is Common Sense is something a person had who doesn’t do silly things.  I don’t have Common Sense for writing this.

Thought for the Week

Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all!
By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.
~John Dickinson

http://www.quotegarden.com