In the video, one conversation interested me but was not discussed in class. That bit is when John Adams is arguing with the man who believes that peace is the only option, and any kind of revolution is a terrible idea. This man also states that he wanted to get his colony, Massachusetts perhaps, away from the rebellious people of Boston, possibly implying secession. I considered what would happen if that had actually happened, and found it hard. Now, I believe that the revolution would have failed, had it even occurred in the first place. The support required for a war where the rebels are under trained, ill-supplied, and the enemy is strong is massive, and without all the colonies being united in the decision, it would be very hard even to begin such a revolution. After considering the other options, I realized how frustrated Adams must have been, knowing that he had to convince the rest of congress before he could enact any revolutionary activity. This also helped me understand why some of the members believed in breaking away from Britain, but did not say so openly. While arguing, Adams gained a reputation as an enemy to a lot of people. So, other congressmen refused to openly support revolution to protect their status, so they could wield more political power the next time a major vote occurred. Overall, I believe all the colonies had to support each other for the revolution to occur, and to do this, many at the conference tried to gain more influence.
Chavez Rodriguez 1B
Chavez, this is a great observation; the need for unity was paramount, and it is no accident that the opening credits of the mini-series focus first on a flag with the words "JOIN OR DIE." Our nation is constantly struggling with the problem of the rights of states and the need for a strong central government. (Although it hasn't always been such an acrimonious struggle as we see today.)
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