The Copy Book

Keeping the Colonies

Peoples of another culture or region will not long tolerate a Government that uses guns and soldiers to secure their obedience.

Original spelling
1720-1723

King George I 1714-1727

A colonial daydreamer in WIlliamsburg, VA.

© Eric Cosmides, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.

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Keeping the Colonies

© Eric Cosmides, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0. Source

A colonial daydreamer in WIlliamsburg, VA.

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An actor recreates a daydreaming resident of colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. If he is dreaming of independence, then in the opinion of ‘Cato’ (John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon) the authorities in far-off London had only themselves to blame. ‘Cato’ did not want to see English colonies break away, though he observed in passing that Ireland could do with a much better deal than they had at the moment. He did believe, however, that any attempt to secure colonial obedience through troops and artillery would destroy the very thing we wanted to preserve, turning thriving farms and busy factories into an expensively garrisoned desert.

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Introduction

By the 1720s, there were already rumblings of discontent coming from England’s American colonies, but John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon warned against strictness from London. When government of a distant or culturally different people falls to your lot, the only way to keep them on side is to give them a mutually satisfactory degree of freedom and self-determination.

MEN will think it hard to work, toil, and run Hazards, for the Advantage of others any longer than they find their own interest in it, and especially for those who use them ill: All Nature points out that Course: No Creature sucks the Teats of their Dams longer than they they can draw Milk from thence, or can provide themselves with better Food: Nor will any Country continue their Subjection to another, only because their Great-Grandmothers were acquainted.

This is the Course of Humane Affairs;* and all wise States will always have it before their Eyes; and will well consider therefore how to preserve the Advantages arising from Colonies, and avoid the Evils. And I conceive there can be but two Ways in Nature to hinder them from throwing off their Dependence: The one to keep it out of their Power, and the other out of their Will. The first must be by Force; and the latter by using them well, and keeping them employ’d in such Productions, and making such Manufactures, as will support themselves and Families comfortably, and get Wealth too, or at least not prejudice their Mother-Country.

Original spelling

From (preserving the original spelling) ‘Cato’s Letters’ Vol. III (1724) by John Trenchard MP (1662-1723) and Thomas Gordon (?-1750).

* That is, human affairs. In the eighteenth century ‘humane’ was still used interchangeably with ‘human’ in regard to meaning. As the century progressed, ‘humane’ became restricted to the sense of ‘kindly, compassionate’.

Précis

The authors of the Cato Letters, writing in the early 1720s, warned that no creature remains wholly dependent on its mother after it is weaned. Likewise, any attempt prevent Britain’s colonies from learning to fend for themselves would be disastrous. The best way to keep the colonies in the family was to treat them well, and support their economic growth. (60 / 60 words)

The authors of the Cato Letters, writing in the early 1720s, warned that no creature remains wholly dependent on its mother after it is weaned. Likewise, any attempt prevent Britain’s colonies from learning to fend for themselves would be disastrous. The best way to keep the colonies in the family was to treat them well, and support their economic growth.

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Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, although, if, just, must, ought, since, who.

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Word Games

Spinners Find in Think and Speak

For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.

This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.

1 Better. Therefore. Wealth.

2 All. Man. Wise.

3 Making. Mother. Use.

Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)

Homophones Find in Think and Speak

In each group below, you will find words that sound the same, but differ in spelling and also in meaning. Compose your own sentences to bring out the differences between them.

This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.

1. Great. Grate. 2. Two. Too. 3. Aye. Eye. 4. Use. Yews. Ewes. 5. Won. One. 6. Throne. Thrown. 7. Dam. Damn. 8. Knot. Not. 9. Way. Weigh. Whey.

Homonyms Find in Think and Speak

Each of the words below has more than one possible meaning. Compose your own sentences to show what those different meanings are.

This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.

1. Can. 2. Man. 3. Point. 4. Country. 5. Draw. 6. Keep. 7. Long. 8. Own. 9. Well.

Show Suggestions

For each word above, choose one or more suitable meanings from this list.

1. Make a picture. 2. Sharp. 3. The primary issue. 4. (informal) fire from a job. 5. Not badly. 6. Pull along. 7. Attract. 8. A unit of score in e.g. tennis. 9. The most secure part of a castle. 10. An island in the Irish Sea. 11. Provide the crew for. 12. Belonging to oneself. 13. Tin, of food or drink. 14. Fields and woods, not the city. 15. Extending over great time or distance. 16. Indicate a direction. 17. A male person. 18. A deep hole providing water. 19. Possess. 20. Equal number of points in a game. 21. Verb expressing the ability to do something. 22. Retain hold. 23. A particular spot. 24. A particular nation. 25. Yearn. 26. Admit. 27. The cost of one’s board and lodging. 28. Extract.

Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak

Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.

brn (10)

See Words

auburn. bairn. barn. baron. born. borne. brain. bran. brine. burn.

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