Jacob Shoemaker
Seema LalMickayla Blake Mickaykay’s Updates
The Olive Branch Petition
My group was assigned to read and annotate "The Olive Branch Petition", written by John Dickson. This document was the colonists' first step to try and make peace with Great Britain. THroughout the document, John Dickson uses rhetoric to enhance his arguement by "sucking up" to the King and the government he works under. One example of him doing so is, "That your Majesty may enjoy a long and prosperous reign, and thoat your descendants may govern your dominions with your honor to themselves and happiness to their subjects is our sincere and fervent prayer" (Dickson 12). Another example of this happening again is, "...to Almighty God, to your Majesty, to our fellow subjects, and to ourselves..."(Dickson 8). In both quotaions, the colonists are using fancy words to try to get on the King's good side, hoping that he will change the laws to something much more reasonable.
I think there was a clear difference of rhetoric between my article(Give Me Liberty...) and Olive Branch. In OB, the author is clearing still trying to convey his loyalty to the king, but is also still trying to convey his opinion on what he feels that needs to be change. He is clearly using a non-violent tactic. In my article, McHenry makes it clear that there is no way that he will sympathize with the King and leashes a fiery banter against King George.