You must choose one of the questions below to answer. Start a new thread for the question that you select. Please type the question first, and then type your answer. Your post should have between 100 and 300 words and be written in paragraph format; however, it is not merely the number of words that you write, but rather, the content in your post, that will determine your grade. Also, I grade for grammar and coherence. (Remember to check the rubric below on how I grade your discussion posts.) You should respond by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, September 30th. Your post will count for up to 40 points.

You must also reply to 2 classmates’ posts by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, October 2nd. You must post before you will be able to read your classmates' posts. Add to what your classmates have contributed (don’t simply answer “yes” or “no”, and don’t just say “I agree with what you said.”) Replies to classmates do not add to your discussion grade; however, failure to provide a quality response to 2 classmates will reduce your grade up to 8 points.

1. Was the American Revolution “revolutionary”? Discuss the nature of British colonial administration and explain how it contributed to the American love of liberty. In fighting for independence and freedom, were the colonists fighting for something with which they were unfamiliar? Were they fighting for political change or for a status of independence they had come to expect by the mid-eighteenth century? Explain your answers.
2. Discuss the choices that Loyalists faced during the Revolutionary War. What was the approximate percentage of the population that made up the Loyalists? What was the approximate percentage of the population that made up the Patriots? What types of people made up each group? Did you find any examples of a colonial who changed sides?
3. Focus on the philosophical connections between the Declaration of Independence and the writings of John Locke. Point out specific phrases in the document that directly reflect Lockean theory regarding natural law and the contract theory of government.
4. What is the meaning of the term federalism, and what characteristic of the American political system does it describe? How does the movement from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution reflect eighteenth-century American concerns about federal versus state and local power? To what extent is American fear of centralized power rooted in the American colonial and revolutionary experience? Do ambiguities regarding this balance of power persist today? If you like, you may comment on how modern-day Democrats and Republicans disagree on this issue. How is this disagreement reflected in their views on current political issues? (Let’s stay civil and friendly in this discussion. Don’t insult either party or any person! Look at this question as if you are an outsider, from a purely academic standpoint. You don’t need to tell us what your own political views are.)