bacon's join or die

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What is a rebellion?

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What might cause someone to rebel against their government?

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Sourcing: Is this source a secondary source or a primary source? How do you know?

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Close Reading: Based on this document, why were some colonists rebelling against the Jamestown government?

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Sourcing: This rebellion against the Jamestown government was led by Nathaniel Bacon. He also wrote this document to gather support for this rebellion. Given this information, what kind of biases would we expect to find in this document?

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Corroboration: If you wanted to confirm the truth of these events and accusations that Nathaniel Bacon is referring to in his declaration, what other kinds of historical documents could you analyze?

Fishbowl Discussion Preparation Instructions

Group Roles:

1. Note Taker: This person will be responsible for documenting key ideas and evidence shared by the group. They will organize this information to help the group present a cohesive answer.

2. Reporter: This person will present your group's findings during the fishbowl discussion. They will summarize the group's ideas and ensure they address the prompt clearly.

3. Facilitator: This person will lead the group in discussing their annotations, ensuring that everyone shares their thoughts and that all aspects of gaining, consolidating, and maintaining power are covered.

4. Time Keeper: This person will manage the time to ensure that the group stays on task and completes their preparation for the fishbowl discussion within the allotted time.

Step One: Group Work

• Instructions: After completing your independent reading and annotations, you will work with your table group to share your findings and prepare for a fishbowl discussion.

Step Two: Prepare for the Fishbowl

• Work together to ensure that all roles are fulfilled and your group has a clear, evidence-based response to the prompt.

• The Note Taker should finalize the group notes, and the Reporter should be ready to present your key points.

Step Three: Fishbowl Discussion

• We will gather in a fishbowl format, where each group's Reporter will share their findings with the class.

• While listening, the rest of the class should take notes on the key points shared by other groups.

Step Four: Discuss, share and norm documents and answers
- excerpt of a book written by historian Howard Zinn in 1980, A People’s History of the United States.
-Answer analysis questions 1-3

1. Close Reading: According to this source, what were the causes of Bacon’s Rebellion? 

   • List at least two causes suggested by this reading.

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​Close Reading and Contextualization: According to this source, what was probably Nathaniel Bacon’s true motive for launching this rebellion? 

• Cite textual evidence to support your claim.  

1. Close Reading and Contextualization: How does the information in the secondary source above give you a fuller picture of Bacon’s Rebellion than the primary source you read first? 

1. Corroboration: Which of the accusations listed in the People’s Declaration (document 1) is corroborated by this excerpt from Howard Zinn? 

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Predict: What do you think the abbreviations around the snake represent? 

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Predict: During the 1700’s, there was a popular myth that suggested that if you put together the pieces of a dead snake that had been cut up before sundown, the pieces of the snake would magically rejoin, bringing the snake to life again.  Knowing this, what do you think this image represents? 

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Predict: The caption under this image reads “Join or Die”. This was also the name of the article it appeared with. You will read excerpts from the article following this image.  What do you think “Join or Die” might be about? 

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Part 1 - Join or Die

Close Reading: According to the reports Benjamin Franklin has read, what advantages do the French colonists looking for land in the Ohio River Valley have over the British-American colonists?

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Part 2 - Join or Die

Close Reading: Benjamin Franklin suggests in lines 4 - 6  that further French military reinforcements will be arriving in the Ohio River Valley soon. How could this information motivate the colonies to unite? 

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Part 3 - Join or Die

Close Reading: According to lines 3 - 7, what advantage do the French-American colonists have over the British-American Colonists?

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Part 3 - Join or Die

Close Reading: How does the information in part 3 support the argument that Ben Franklin presented in parts 1 & 2?

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Part 3 - Join or Die

Close Reading: Does Benjamin Franklin appeal to the emotional side of colonists? How?

Cite textual evidence from parts 1, 2, and 3 to support your answer.