Trevor's Blog

The conclusion for some weird reason became a bigger font

What makes this time period so important in American history? I believe it is because these were America’s starting years and that is why they are so important and so well documented today. The books I have read so far (Johnny Tremain and The Witch of Black Bird Pond) seem to be a good representation of some of the most major events that happened back then. In the following paragraphs I will elaborate on the main points of these two books to try and help you understand what makes this era so extremely important.

The first book I read was Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes. This book is about a young man by the name of Johnny who lives with a silversmith and his family. He lives there because his mother knew that one day Johnny wanted to be a silversmith so she tried her hardest to find the best place for him to live the rest of his life. As we discover at the start of the book, we find that Johnny is one of the favored apprentices (of three) and is growing up to be a great silversmith. One day a man comes in to there shop and asks to have a sugar basin made to match the rest of the set. Johnny immediately accepts on behalf of his master and begins work on it immediately. While working on the basin he slowly begins to discover that he will not have enough time to finish. So he asks his masters family to help him work on the basin on the Sabbath day so it will get finished. While working, another apprentice by the name of Dove comes up with a cruel plan to make Johnny look like a fool. So, when Johnny asks for a crucible Dove hands him a cracked one. As Johnny begins to pour the mold it breaks apart causing molten silver to spill out onto his hands. When he awakes, he discovers that his hands have grown back together and will never be able to become a silversmith. The story goes on and elaborates on Johnny’s new life and how he eventually finds work with a printing company and a young man named Rab delivering the news around Boston. The book goes on describing Johnny’s participation in the Boston Tea Party, and other historical events. All in all, this book is a good description of the experiences of the revolutionaries.

The other book I have read is called The Witch of Black Bird Pond. This book is about a young woman named Kate who travels to Wethersfield when her grandpa dies in Jamaica. She is not to greeted to happily but is accepted nonetheless. The book goes on talking about her friend ship with a supposed witch and how she becomes accustomed to her new life. In the book she meets a young girl named Prudence and eventually teaches her how to read. She also meets a man who plans on marrying her but eventually does not. She is accused of witchcraft and is sent to trial. During the trial Prudence and her soon to be husband Nate intervenes freeing her of all charges. As you can see, this book also depicts an important event in American history.

In conclusion, I believe that these books are an important representation of our country’s early years during its struggle to become independent. I think they are a good choice for our honors selection but the time period should be changed in the near future.

YAY i finished the book!! I think its great that John and Kit are getting married. I also think its really lucky that Kit was able to helpHannah escape the way she did. I hope Hannah is happy with John's grandmother. I also think it was really lucky that at the last possible second of Kit's trial John and the little girl came and set her free. I also hope that William and Judith are happy along with Mercy and her husband. And if all goes well, everyone will live happily ever after andJohn will love his new boat.

To add to my second blog, she also finds out that John Holbrook visits Hannah's house. While eating, she feels as if her spirits are lifting and feels great when she returns home. In the next few days Kit becomes pretty used to life in Wethersfield and learns of some of its problems. She learns that the people can't make their own holidays and that the king won't allow the people to celebrate Thanksgiving. It must be pretty hard to live in a place where you can't have a day to thank the people that let you live in this country.

I have reached the point in the book where Kit saw the giant field, the field seems to call to her and brings her in. As she is lying in the field an old lady by the name of Hannah Tupper finds her and tells her to come to her house to eat. She does so and on the way there begins to realize that this woman is supposedly a witch and becomes scared. When she reaches the house she finds that she is only a defenseless old woman who makes a good pie.

Hmmm. Water for breakfast, just a little strange. I know i would probably act the same way though, But back then i guess it wouldn't be as big a deal if u were really poor. I think its also kind of weird that the father wont let Judith and Mercy have the dresses Kit offered them.How can Hannah's house still be standing if its been flodded so many times, wouldn't it start rotting from the inside or something? And why do most of the people think a women is a witch if she can swim? That's pretty stupid.

This is the first of my blogs for the witch of black bird pond. The main character is a girl by the name of Katherine Tyler. The year is 1687 and Kit is traveling to Connecticut to live with her Aunt and Uncle. She is doing this because her grandfather who she had been living with the majority of her life died. When she first sets foot on land, she discovers that the small town she see's is not very impressive. She then boards the longboat to return to the Dolphin. On their way back to the ship, she see's that a young girl has dropped her doll in the water. When she discovers that no one will save it, she strips off her clothes and dives into the water. She then rescues the doll and is greeted by evil glares.

I'm in the point in the story where Johnny has just discovered that the British are going to take fairies to portsmouth and Charelstown to defeat the minute men. Johnny signaled a man and he lit two candles in the church steaple so that people across the harbor would know how the british were attacking. He then went to the edge of town and found the Lytes trashed coach which was carrying their family and Cilla and Issanah. He then went with Cilla to the Lytes country home so Cilla could close it up even after the the home was attacked.

I just finished Johnny Tremain and I think the ending is horrible. Johnny arives in the town where the first shots were gired and finds that Rab was mortaly wounded before he could get off a single shot. Johnny talks to Rab in his room and Rab decides that Johnny should have his gun. He then walks outside and begins to talk to Mr. Warren. Warren see's Johnny's and asks him if he can look at it. Warren decides he can make Johnny's hand useful again through surgery. Johnny accepts and the book ends.

So far, Johnny is currently living with Rab and helping the Sons of Liberty. In the past days the Sons of Liberty have poured several bags of English Tea into Boston Harbor to stop taxation without representation. Because of this, England is taxing the residents of Boston for the destroyed tea. So, for Johnny to help out Rab's household he is delivering letters for the British troops at 4 times the price. Rab's aunt uses this money to buy the very expensive food in town. At this point in the story there isn't much action, except for Rab getting knocked out by a British officer because he touched his gun.

The point in the book I'm at is just before the Tea Party. Johnny has moved in with Rab and delivers the Boston Observer across major parts of Massachusetts. Johnny and Rab's attic is the meeting place for the fathers of the Sons of Liberty where they decide that the tea from England must not reach shore because it has been taxed and will cost the Americans more than it should. They decide that the tea must be destroyed so they find a bunch of young men who will board the tea ships and cut open the bags of tea and pour it into the water. So far the book is pretty good even though i read it a couple years ago.

The book I am currently reading is called Johnny Tremain. The book is about a boy named Johnny during his apprenticeship to a silversmith named Mr. Laphman. The start of the book talks about Johnny's current life on Hancock's Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts. Johnney and Mr. Laphman are approached by Mr. Hancock himself who asks them to make a sugar basin to go with the set hat Mr. Laphman made forty tears prior. Johnny accepts the task and tells Mr. Hancock that the sugar basin will be done in one week on monday at 7:00 am. On the saturday before the basin is due, Johnney discovers that he will not have enough time to finish. So, Mr. Laphman's family (without him knowing) and the other apprentices Dove and Dusty help Johnny to work on the sabbath day. During the work, Dove hands Johnny a cracked crucible to get back at him for bossing him around, because of this when Johnny is pouring the mold for the basin it cracks and motlen silver pours on Johnny's hand burning them. When Johnny awakes he finds that his hand is badly burned and is very painful. After a month of healing, a nurse unwraps his hand to show to his horror, that it has healed together.