Axia College Material

Appendix A

Midterm Exam

• Access the Week Four Electronic Reserve Readings located under the materials section of the student website. • Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. • Write a paragraph of approximately 100 words for each of the following questions.

1. Using the critical thinking skills you have gained and the materials provided for this assignment, identify two possible strategies that Thomas Hutchinson or Samuel Adams, or both, likely used to develop and improve his thinking prior to taking a stand and acting according to his beliefs. I believe that Thomas Hutchinson and Samuel Adams saw that there were imperfections in some things and saw that not only they had dissatisfactions, but others as well. They decided that things needed to change and they were willing to do that for themselves and others. They decided that if they wanted it done they had to do it themselves. Thomas and Samuel, along with many others, realized that the way things were being done was not benefiting them like it should have. They believed that somebody needed to do something to change it and it just so happened to be them.

2. Explain the importance of building a foundation for critical and creative thinking when evaluating historical events such as the Boston Tea Party. First, you have to think about what you are looking for and you have to find the truth behind it all. Another words, you do not want to get any information mixed up or confused. Just because you think you know something does not mean it is true. You have to pay close attention to what you are doing because you need all the details before evaluating anything. Your opinion is just that, it has no truth to it and if you base historical events on your opinion, it will fall through. You must make sure you have a solid ground to stand on before pursuing things, especially when it comes to our history.

3. Explain the basis of the moral judgments made by Samuel Adams and Thomas Hutchinson.

The moral judgments made by Samuel Adams and Thomas Hutchinson were not very good ones in my opinion. I believe they could have done things in a better fashion and saved both of their reputations. Even though Samuel caused a lot of problems and got away, he ended up being the governor. I think he was trying to make a name for himself and he did, but he could have done it in a different way instead of causing problems for everyone. Thomas could have done a better job as well. Samuel and Thomas did not get along; they could not stand each other. Thomas considered strict enforcement which caused him to have a lot of enemies and those enemies burned down his mansion. He was the most powerful man in the colony but once he became governor things got worse and the he was replaced as governor due to the problems he caused. He should not have been so strict on everyone else just because he could.

4. What steps do you think Samuel Adams and Thomas Hutchinson took toward becoming individuals and which steps ultimately made them such important historical figures?

Samuel Adams was a member and clerk of the lower house of Massachusetts legislature. When the laws got tough, he spoke up for the people and then became the leader of the extremists. He became a historical figure in my opinion because he started problems with the British. He also escaped punishment and ended up becoming governor of Massachusetts. Thomas Hutchinson was a member of the General Court and the Massachusetts legislature. Then he became a member of the governor’s council, a delegate to the Albany Congress, Chief Justice, and lieutenant governor. He also became the royal governor and he ended up getting a lot of enemies in the process. He was replaced as governor and moved to England. I think everything he did made him an historical figure and on top of that, he became an author.

5. In this class, we have discussed common habits that hinder critical thinking. Which of these habits may have been a factor in how Samuel Adams and Thomas Hutchinson viewed the issues that led to the Boston Tea Party? How could they have overcome those habits? I believe the habit that hindered their thinking was bad problem solving. Instead of fixing one problem, they would go and start more. They did not know how to control their frustration which would cloud their thinking. They would not take the time to stop and think; they would just jump in and do whatever. I think if they could have used feelings as an advantage, they could have solved a lot of problems and saved a lot of things from happening. When using feelings as an advantage, a lot of questions can be answered and problems could be figured out. They also could have learned to control their frustration and think about what needed to be done to avoid any conflict. If they would have just figured out a way to control themselves, a lot of the things that happened could have been avoided.

6. What is one important distinction you could not overlook making when critically evaluating the information provided in these materials about the Boston Tea Party? Clarify the importance of that distinction.

One distinction that caught my attention was that Samuel was with the people and Thomas was against the people in a way. Before I read the information about these two men, I thought they were in it together and then as I read the information, it stated that they could not stand each other. Thomas was in love with the power and Samuel was trying to put a stop to all this power. Samuel tried to get justice for the people while Thomas was trying to control the people. This is one of the many things that put Thomas in danger and caused him to lose his home. All the problems he caused made him lose his position and he pretty much got ran out of town.

7. What strategies of critical reading, listening, and viewing did you utilize when evaluating the provided materials? With critical reading, I went with skimming through the work. I looked at certain parts that I found were an important part of the information needed. It was easier for me to what I needed. Critical listening is not as easy as critical reading. There is no skimming through words. You have to pay close attention and make sure you hear what is being said. Once it is done you cannot go back and look over anything you think you missed. You have to stay focused on the message that is being said. Critical viewing is just as important as critical reading and listening. One form of critical viewing is looking at graphics. Another type of viewing is advertisements which can come in print or on television commercials. Things like this are not aimed for the minds, but for people’s feelings.

8. Considering what you have learned about the Boston Tea Party, Samuel Adams, and Thomas Hutchinson, apply your creativity to describe what could have been done proactively to avoid the incident.

I think that Thomas and Samuel should have gathered all the other people who were on their side and approached their problems properly instead of acting like fools and getting themselves into trouble. They should have gone straight to the problem and dealt with it like adults and maybe they could have been more successful. I am not saying they were not or anything, I am just stating my opinion. There would have been fewer problems if they could have gone at the problem in a different manner. They caused so much fights and arguments and had people going crazy. Not only did they make their lives hard, but everyone else’s in the process.

9. What techniques could you use to regain a level of curiosity about history or other subjects you learned about previously in school?

To regain a level of curiosity about history or any other subject, I could use the observant techniques. If I sit back and look around me and see what is and was has been it would make me curious about certain things. It would make me want to hit the books and find out all the different stages the world has been through before it got to be what it is. I would start from the very beginning and see how people were able to survive and why it would be so hard for us now if we lost certain things. What would happen if we lost the phones? What would people do without running water or electricity? These are some really interesting questions. I do not think we could survive without everything we had, but it would be interesting to be able to understand how people back then did survive.

10. Explain at least two key elements for producing ideas that you believe led the American colonists to the Boston Tea Party and the eventual American Revolution.

Two key elements for producing ideas that could have led to the American colonists to the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution are that they could have visualized a solution and they could have used the construct of pro and con arguments. Even though there were problems, visualizing a solution makes you think everything is fine and dandy when in reality it is not. You just block out everything that is going on around you so you can live your life. Then there is the construct pro and con arguments. They may have thought they could fix what was going on by making a list or talking about the arguments from both sides. Maybe they were hoping they could work everything out.