My Responses to the Primary Source Documents

Circular Letter of the Boston Committee of Correspondence

I kind of liked this letter because it was promoting unity and trying to get all the colonists on one page. In their eyes, Great Britain was being too dominant and disrespectful. The colonists apparently felt as though they were being taken advantage of and looked down upon. So the colonists finally decided that enough is enough. And that’s the aspect of the letter that I don’t really like. If you think about it, Great Britain had every right to close down that port. That was colonists’ land, but the colonists didn’t necessarily own it. All of the colonies belonged to Great Britain, so it’s only fair that they handle the land as they see fit. The colonists only felt violated because they had been governing and looking out for themselves for a long time. I suppose it’s almost like having a big brother. When you’re young, he can kind of boss you around and tell you what to do. Then he gets married and moves out and you grow up a bit. Then, he returns several years later and starts trying to boss you around again as-if you were still a little kid. Obviously that doesn’t work out too well. If I were in the colonists’ position, I would have probably done the same thing. Contact the other colonists in private and get everyone on the same page in order to repel the British injustice.

Letter from New York Committee to Boston Committee

This was another letter that really strengthened the unity between the colonists. The New York Committee welcomed Boston with open arms. They expressed their empathy for the recent blockade, and told Boston that they’re ready to help out. In fact, the New York Committee says that it’s their “duty” to assist Boston. This clearly shows how unified the colonies have in fact become. In the end, they once again emphasize their desire to work together with Boston and other colonies in order to insure American liberty and justice.

Declaration of American Rights

This document feels really firm and strong. It seems that, at this time, the colonists are starting to feel all bad-ass like they can contend with the will of Great Britain. Most of the resolves seem to make sense. But, in my opinion, the whole tone of the document is kind of bratty and selfish. They’re asking for all the rights and liberties of the citizens of mainland Britain. But at the same time, they want to be immune from all the negative connotations and laws. I understand their desire for more independence and benefits, but come on. If you belong to a king and country, you’ve got to abide by the laws and regulations, even if they aren’t all that easy.