July 10. We can assure the Public, that Spinning is so much encouraged among us, that a Lady in Town… has within about three Weeks become a very good Spinner, though she never spun a Thread in her Life before." What is the most likely source of this quotation?
A journal kept by a woman who was responding to the Townshend Acts
A journal kept by the son of a cotton farmer in Massachusetts
A newspaper article about colonial women who were learning a trade****
A newspaper article covering the conditions working in textile mills
I think you're right. Homespun became important to avoid and protest taxes imposed by the Crown.
Thank you guys! :D Can you help with another one?
Which legislation justified Britain's taxing American colonists to pay for its war debt?
Proclamation of 1763
Stamp Act of 1765
Declaratory Acts of 1766
Townshend Acts of 1767
I think its B or D
I think it is D because of what I found on a website:
Townshend Acts, 1767, originated by Charles Townshend and passed by the English Parliament shortly after the repeal of the Stamp Act. They were designed to collect revenue from the colonists in America by putting customs duties on imports of glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea. The colonials, spurred on by the writings of John Dickinson, Samuel Adams, and others, protested against the taxes. The Boston merchants again boycotted English goods, the Massachusetts Assembly was dissolved (1768) for sending a circular letter to other colonies explaining the common plight, and British troops sent to enforce these laws and keep peace were involved in unpleasant incidents, notably the Boston Massacre. The boycott decreased British trade, and in 1770 most of the Acts were repealed, but retention of the tea tax caused the Boston Tea Party.
Justification? Heavy taxes were an effort to recoup the cost of the French and Indian War, beginning with the Stamp Act, solidified and expanded by the Townshend Acts. The Stamp Act was repealed in 1765 when it failed. The Declaratory Act was meant to solidify colonial dependence on the Crown, so could be considered "justification". You choose.
The most likely source of this quotation is a newspaper article about colonial women who were learning a trade.
To determine the source, we can analyze the details mentioned in the quotation. The phrase "Spinning is so much encouraged among us" suggests that spinning, which is the process of turning fibers into thread, was being promoted or encouraged as a useful skill. The mention of a "Lady in Town" who became a good spinner within a few weeks despite having no prior experience further indicates that spinning was being taken up by women as a new trade or activity.
Taking these clues into consideration, it is reasonable to conclude that this quotation would be found in a newspaper article that covers the topic of colonial women learning to spin as a trade, potentially highlighting their progress and achievements.