Running head: AMERICAN REVOLUTION
American Revolution Persuasive Essay
Student A. Sample
Grand Canyon University: HIS 345
12/12/2012
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AMERICAN REVOLUTION
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American Revolution Persuasive Essay
The American Revolutionary War forever changed the idea of a government “of the
people, by the people, and for the people” and took the first steps in bringing an end to the
world’s last great true empire. The reasons the Americans decided to break free from Great
Britain are numerous, but the British Empire’s sense of superiority was the most important
reason. Also important was the failure of the British Parliament to address the needs and growing
discontent of Americans weary of “taxation without representation.” Colonists also began to
oppose rule from Britain because of ideas developing in new intellectual schools of thought like
the Enlightenment.
King George III’s arrogance was well founded in the 1760s, but it led to poor decision
making. Early in his reign, the British had resoundingly defeated France in the Seven Years’ War
to become the dominant power both in North America and on the Asian subcontinent. This
dominance clearly created a false sense of security and as the British Empire continued to grow,
its central authority, or ability to control its ever-expanding colonies, weakened significantly.
Great Britain’s failure to recognize its weaknesses and its foolish decision to respond to every
colonial expression of discontent with a tightening of the noose effectively sealed it into an everescalating spiral of conflict. The conflict could have been avoided and King George III could
have secured the colonies’ loyalty to the empire for generations if he would have simply signed
off on a relatively modest series of reforms.
The British Parliament failed to address the needs and growing discontent of Americans
weary of “taxation without representation.” Great Britain’s indifference to colonial life, its
failure to recognize the fact that Americans (or any group of people willing to face the challenges
of the New World) were very “independent” by nature, and its choice to view Americans as
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second-class citizens directly led to a series of major political missteps beginning in the mid1760s. The Quartering Act forced the colonies to provide housing for British troops stationed in
North America. The Americans resented and refused to enforce the act almost from day one for a
number of reasons
First and foremost was the cost. Creating barracks and putting up the troops was an
expensive measure that the colonies were loathe to undertake. Second, the Quartering Act
was indicative of a policy Americans did not support; having a large standing army in the
colonies. The colonists preferred having strong militia to deal with problems and not have
a large army present. (The Quartering Act, n.d., para. 3)
The Stamp Act imposed a tax on every document or newspaper printed or used in the colonies
(Stamp Act Imposed, n.d.). The tax was approved with no debate. Both acts alone would not have
led to war, but the two together, along with many other slights including the “Boston Massacre,”
helped radicals like Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and other New England patriots incite antiBritish sentiment that would eventually lead to war.
The American Revolution was a culmination of many of the ideas of the Enlightenment,
a movement which began in Europe and raised ideas such as the “natural rights” of individuals
and the responsibility of the government to protect these rights (American Revolution, n.d.).
Many of the revolutionary leaders had studied major writings of the Enlightenment including
those of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and the Baron de Montesquieu.
From these writings, the founders gleaned the concepts of the social contract, limited
government, the consent of the governed, and separation of powers. The Declaration of
Independence was a direct product of Enlightenment thinking and Common Sense, one of the
most influential pamphlets in American history by Thomas Paine (1776) (a key Enlightenment
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figure), galvanized the American public to support the Revolution and condemn the monarchy in
Great Britain.
Great Britain, due to arrogance, failed to see the writing on the wall. King George III
could have prevented the American Revolution (for at least a few more decades) from catching
fire with a few simple gestures between 1760 and 1775. His failure to compromise and the
failure of Parliament to deal with American discontent were key factors in the Americans’ final
victory, and this served as a warning for monarchies around the world—furthering the principles
of the Enlightenment and sounding a rallying cry for future democracies.
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References
American Revolution. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/
Causes+of+the+american+revolution
Paine, T. (1776). Common sense. Philadelphia, PA: R. Bell.
The Quartering Act: 1765. (n.d.). History Central. Retrieved from
http://www.historycentral.com/revolt/Quatering.html
Stamp Act imposed. (n.d.). History Central. Retrieved from http://www.historycentral.com/
revolt/stamptax.html
Running head: AMERICAN REVOLUTION
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Persuasive Essay Assignment
Select a topic and write a persuasive essay (700-800 words).
Take a position on your topic by deciding if you are for or against the topic or agree or disagree with specific issues related to the
topic. This would be considered the “writing prompt” or what you will be responding to in your essay.
Persuade your audience to agree with your position. Your written essay should demonstrate critical thinking and consider and/or
include the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Manage emotions and avoid fallacies.
Provide evidence to support your position.
Acknowledge other perspectives and evaluate assumptions about the topic. Use facts and figures when appropriate.
Use at least two outside sources in your essay to support your position. Be sure to cite and reference your sources
appropriately.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract
is not required.
Persuasive Essay Rubric
Criteria
%
Value
% Scaling
1: Unsatisfactory
2: Less Than
Satisfactory
3: Satisfactory
4: Good
5: Excellent
0%
65%
75%
85%
100%
Identifies the topic; presents
an argument relative to the
topic and presents minimal
Identifies the topic;
presents an argument
relative to the topic
Identifies the topic;
presents an argument
relative to the topic and
Content – 70%
Identifies and
Summarizes Topic
20%
Does not identify and
summarize the problem, is
confused or identifies a
Identifies the topic;
presents a vague
argument relative to the
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different or inappropriate
topic.
topic and presents no
evidence to support the
argument.
evidence to support the
argument. Not all evidence
is relevant to the argument.
and presents key
evidence to support
the argument.
presents key evidence
to support the
argument. Identifies not
only the main issues,
but also the embedded,
implicit, or unspoken
aspects of the topic.
Evaluates
Assumptions
20%
Fails to identify
assumptions about the
topic.
Identifies some
common assumptions
about the topic.
Identifies some common
assumptions about the topic
and evaluates them for
plausibility or clarity.
Identifies and
evaluates all the
obvious assumptions
as well as those
assumptions widely
accepted as truth.
Identifies and evaluates
all the obvious
assumptions as well as
assumptions widely
accepted as truth.
Objectively reflects
upon own assumptions.
Personal Perspective
and Position
30%
Fails to clarify one’s own
position on the topic.
Appropriately identifies
one’s own position on
the topic. Extensive
fallacious reasoning.
Position completely
appeals to emotion
instead of reason.
Appropriately identifies
one’s own position on the
topic. Paper includes some
fallacious reasoning.
Position mostly appeals to
emotion instead of reason.
Formulates a clear
and precise personal
point of view of the
topic. Paper includes
limited fallacious
reasoning. Position
appeals mostly to
reason.
Formulates a clear and
precise personal point
of view of the topic.
Paper includes limited
fallacious reasoning.
Position appeals mostly
to reason. Draws
relevant support from
personal experience and
examples.
Thesis is clear and
forecasts the
development of the
paper. It is
descriptive and
reflective of the
Thesis is
comprehensive;
contained within the
thesis is the essence of
the paper. Thesis
statement makes the
Organization and Effectiveness – 20%
Thesis Development
and Purpose
8%
Paper lacks any
discernible overall
purpose or organizing
claim.
Thesis is insufficiently
developed and/or
vague; purpose is not
clear.
Thesis is apparent and
appropriate to purpose.
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Paragraph
Development and
Transitions
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arguments and
appropriate to the
purpose.
purpose of the paper
clear.
7%
Paragraphs and transitions
consistently lack unity
and coherence. No
apparent connections
between paragraphs are
established. Transitions
are inappropriate to
purpose and scope.
Organization is disjointed.
Some paragraphs and
transitions may lack
logical progression of
ideas, unity, coherence,
and/or cohesiveness.
Some degree of
organization is evident.
Paragraphs are generally
competent, but ideas may
show some inconsistency in
organization and/or in their
relationships to each other.
A logical progression
of ideas between
paragraphs is
apparent. Paragraphs
exhibit a unity,
coherence, and
cohesiveness. Topic
sentences and
concluding remarks
are appropriate to
purpose.
There is a sophisticated
construction of
paragraphs and
transitions. Ideas
progress and relate to
each other. Paragraph
and transition
construction guide the
reader. Paragraph
structure is seamless.
5%
Surface errors are
pervasive enough that
they impede
communication of
meaning. Inappropriate
word choice and/or
sentence construction are
used.
Frequent and repetitive
mechanical errors
distract the reader.
Inconsistencies in
language choice
(register), sentence
structure, and/or word
choice are present.
Some mechanical errors or
typos are present, but are
not overly distracting to the
reader. Correct sentence
structure and audienceappropriate language are
used.
Prose is largely free
of mechanical errors,
although a few may
be present. A variety
of sentence structures
and effective figures
of speech are used.
Writer is clearly in
command of standard,
written, academic
English.
Appropriate template
is fully used. There
are virtually no errors
in formatting style.
All format elements are
correct.
Mechanics of Writing
(includes spelling,
punctuation,
grammar, language
use)
Format – 10%
Paper Format
(Use of appropriate
style for the major
and assignment)
5%
Template is not used
appropriately, or
documentation format is
rarely followed correctly.
Appropriate template is
used, but some
elements are missing or
mistaken. A lack of
control with formatting
is apparent.
Appropriate template is
used. Formatting is correct,
although some minor errors
may be present.
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Research Citations
(In-text citations for
paraphrasing and
direct quotes, and
reference page listing
and formatting, as
appropriate to
assignment and style)
5%
No reference page is
included. No citations are
used.
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Reference page is
present. Citations are
inconsistently used.
Reference page is included
and lists sources used in the
paper. Sources are
appropriately documented,
although some errors may
be present
Reference page is
present and fully
inclusive of all cited
sources.
Documentation is
appropriate and
citation style is
usually correct.
In-text citations and a
reference page are
complete and correct.
The documentation of
cited sources is free of
error.