Time and Place
In the 1770s, the city of Boston was almost an island. It projected out into Boston Harbor, connected to the mainland by a thin strip of land called “the Neck.” This was both good and bad for
Bostonians. It was good because it provided easy access to Boston Harbor, while the Neck’s
guarded gates helped protect the city from attack. It was bad because it meant that the city could
be easily isolated from communities on the mainland.
The city itself was a fairly typical eighteenth-century British-style town. A main feature was
the Common, which still exists today. This land was shared by all and was used for pastureland,
military training, horse-riding, and general recreation. People gathered at the Common to
exchange news, as they did at the many water pumps scattered throughout the city.
Did You Know?
Johnny Tremain, like many poor boys of his time, was apprenticed to a master craftsman to learn
his trade: silversmithing. Apprentices worked and usually lived with their masters for a period of
about seven years. In exchange for the boy’s efforts, the master would train, house, and feed him.
Paul Revere, whom Johnny consults for advice on a difficult smithing task, was a very talented and well-regarded silversmith in Boston. He learned the trade during an apprenticeship
with his own father. Revere was particularly famous for his ability to keep the basic beauty of a
design, while adding many decorative frills that were popular at the time.
Time and Place
As early as 1767, the British were taxing the tea that was shipped to the American colonies. Some
colonists began boycotting British tea; as a result, tea exporters such as The East India Company
lost a great deal of money. To help this important business, the British government gave it exclusive
rights to sell tea in the American Colonies, under The Tea Act of 1773. In September of that year,
the East India Company filled seven ships with tea bound for the colonies. These ships, carrying
hundreds of thousands of pounds of tea, were headed for Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and
Charleston. Protests broke out in all these cities, and several of the ships turned back to England.
The ships bound for Boston reached their destination in November 1773. The Patriots responded
with a dramatic protest that you will read about in the next section of the novel.
Did You Know?
In the 1770s, Boston was a key American shipping port, both because of the fine ships built there
and the many different products traded on the Boston wharves. Most Bostonians were somehow
connected to the shipping trade or to the fishing industry: a variety of craftspeople built ships;
unskilled workers loaded and unloaded merchandise from ships and warehouses; other Bostonians
made a living catching and selling fish and oysters. Many of Boston’s wealthy families had made
their money through shipping and trade.
Time and Place
Bostonians responded with outrage to the closing of their port and the arrival of British soldiers
and warships. The Committees of Correspondence that Sam Adams began in the early 1770s
evolved to play an even more active role. In September 1774, all the colonies except Georgia
sent representatives to the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia. The Congress decided on
a boycott of British goods and promised to stand together in defense of Boston. One result of this
promise was the forming, arming, and training of colonial militias. The Congress also prepared a
summary of its complaints for King George. The king, however, was not interested in reviewing
these complaints and sent more soldiers and ships to Boston.
Did You Know?
Colonial militiamen had no uniforms and had to supply their own guns and ammunition, as well
as food and other accessories. Many had learned to shoot while hunting for food or fighting
Native Americans in the countryside. They were hardly prepared for the organized and almost
polite method of warfare practiced by the British army, in which soldiers lined up on opposite
sides of the battlefield and advanced toward the enemy, shooting. Though the militiamen’s rifles
were accurate, they held only one shot and often lacked the bayonets (knives) attached to British
guns. This meant that while the militiamen were reloading, they were defenseless. On the other
hand, the British soldiers’ bright-red uniforms made them easy targets.
https://www.amscopub.com/products/pdfs/e_tr/74737%20Johnny%20Tremain.pdf
The story of Johnny Tremain begins in
1773 in the Boston home and workshop of
old Mr. Lapham, a master silversmith.
Fourteen-year-old Johnny Tremain is one of
three apprentices who live with the Lapham
family while learning the silversmith trade.
Although Johnny is an orphan, he had the
advantage of a mother who taught him to
read and write. These abilities, along with
Johnny’s intelligence and superior skill as an
apprentice silversmith, make him overly
proud. He wins no friends with his haughty
attitude toward the other two apprentices.
Johnny is so proud and aware of his value to
the Laphams that, at times, he even treats his
master’s family disrespectfully.
As the story begins, Johnny is far more
interested in his personal ambitions than in the
political turmoil brewing all around him. At
this time, the colonies were on the eve of the
American Revolution, and Boston was a hotbed
of tension and unrest. Many colonists were
fiercely engaged in debating how much control
Great Britain should have over the colonies and
whether to form a separate nation.
Johnny’s story is filled with characters,
places, and events that make Boston, as it
existed in the early 1770s, come alive. Some
characters are mostly interested in their daily
lives. Other characters are passionately interested in the political changes erupting around
them. Though many of these characters are
fictional, Forbes has skillfully interwoven their
stories with those of real people and events
from history. In fact, the author has combined
fact and fiction so seamlessly that readers may
not always know what is real and what is
invented. In the words of one critic, “If
Jonathan Lyte Tremain never lived in the flesh,
he lives vividly with the men of his time.”
In writing Johnny Tremain, Forbes drew
upon the extensive research she did for her
biography of a famous Boston patriot: Paul
Revere. With Forbes’s vivid descriptions,
readers can imagine what it was like to walk
down Boston’s cobblestone streets in the early
1770s. They can share the sense of danger
and excitement surrounding such real events
as the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere’s famous
ride, and the Battles of Lexington and
Concord. Readers also learn more about such
great Patriot thinkers and leaders as Sam
Adams, John Hancock, and John Adams.
In Johnny Tremain, readers share not
only a historical journey but also Johnny’s personal journey of growth and discovery. When
planning the novel, Forbes was determined “to
give Johnny room enough to change and grow.”
She also wanted “an obstacle [for] Johnny . . .
to face from the beginning to the end of the
book. . . . This obstacle was to have psychological significance.” At the beginning of the
novel, Johnny is an arrogant and impulsive
boy, but then life knocks him around quite a
bit. He runs into some bad luck and also
creates some problems for himself with his
excessive pride. He has to face his problems
and try to figure out who he is and what
matters to him. When the dramatic events of
the American Revolution involve Johnny, he
must decide what ideas and beliefs are worth
fighting for.
THE TIME AND PLACE
The story of Johnny Tremain takes place
mainly in Boston, beginning in the summer of
1773 and ending in April 1775. At this time,
Boston was an important colonial city with a
thriving economy. The thirteen American
colonies were well established and had grown
in population to two and a half million. The
geographic area of the colonies was larger
than that of the mother country, Great
Britain. Transportation within and between
colonies was very slow, with horse or horsedrawn carriage the fastest method of travel.
Mail service was minimal and news could take
days, weeks, or months to circulate.
In the 1770s, the city of Boston was almost an island. It projected out into Boston Harbor, connected to the mainland by a thin strip of land called “the Neck.” This was both good and bad for
Bostonians. It was good because it provided easy access to Boston Harbor, while the Neck’s
guarded gates helped protect the city from attack. It was bad because it meant that the city could
be easily isolated from communities on the mainland.
The city itself was a fairly typical eighteenth-century British-style town. A main feature was
the Common, which still exists today. This land was shared by all and was used for pastureland,
military training, horse-riding, and general recreation. People gathered at the Common to
exchange news, as they did at the many water pumps scattered throughout the city.
Did You Know?
Johnny Tremain, like many poor boys of his time, was apprenticed to a master craftsman to learn
his trade: silversmithing. Apprentices worked and usually lived with their masters for a period of
about seven years. In exchange for the boy’s efforts, the master would train, house, and feed him.
Paul Revere, whom Johnny consults for advice on a difficult smithing task, was a very talented and well-regarded silversmith in Boston. He learned the trade during an apprenticeship
with his own father. Revere was particularly famous for his ability to keep the basic beauty of a
design, while adding many decorative frills that were popular at the time.
Time and Place
As early as 1767, the British were taxing the tea that was shipped to the American colonies. Some
colonists began boycotting British tea; as a result, tea exporters such as The East India Company
lost a great deal of money. To help this important business, the British government gave it exclusive
rights to sell tea in the American Colonies, under The Tea Act of 1773. In September of that year,
the East India Company filled seven ships with tea bound for the colonies. These ships, carrying
hundreds of thousands of pounds of tea, were headed for Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and
Charleston. Protests broke out in all these cities, and several of the ships turned back to England.
The ships bound for Boston reached their destination in November 1773. The Patriots responded
with a dramatic protest that you will read about in the next section of the novel.
Did You Know?
In the 1770s, Boston was a key American shipping port, both because of the fine ships built there
and the many different products traded on the Boston wharves. Most Bostonians were somehow
connected to the shipping trade or to the fishing industry: a variety of craftspeople built ships;
unskilled workers loaded and unloaded merchandise from ships and warehouses; other Bostonians
made a living catching and selling fish and oysters. Many of Boston’s wealthy families had made
their money through shipping and trade.
Time and Place
Bostonians responded with outrage to the closing of their port and the arrival of British soldiers
and warships. The Committees of Correspondence that Sam Adams began in the early 1770s
evolved to play an even more active role. In September 1774, all the colonies except Georgia
sent representatives to the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia. The Congress decided on
a boycott of British goods and promised to stand together in defense of Boston. One result of this
promise was the forming, arming, and training of colonial militias. The Congress also prepared a
summary of its complaints for King George. The king, however, was not interested in reviewing
these complaints and sent more soldiers and ships to Boston.
Did You Know?
Colonial militiamen had no uniforms and had to supply their own guns and ammunition, as well
as food and other accessories. Many had learned to shoot while hunting for food or fighting
Native Americans in the countryside. They were hardly prepared for the organized and almost
polite method of warfare practiced by the British army, in which soldiers lined up on opposite
sides of the battlefield and advanced toward the enemy, shooting. Though the militiamen’s rifles
were accurate, they held only one shot and often lacked the bayonets (knives) attached to British
guns. This meant that while the militiamen were reloading, they were defenseless. On the other
hand, the British soldiers’ bright-red uniforms made them easy targets.
https://www.amscopub.com/products/pdfs/e_tr/74737%20Johnny%20Tremain.pdf
The story of Johnny Tremain begins in
1773 in the Boston home and workshop of
old Mr. Lapham, a master silversmith.
Fourteen-year-old Johnny Tremain is one of
three apprentices who live with the Lapham
family while learning the silversmith trade.
Although Johnny is an orphan, he had the
advantage of a mother who taught him to
read and write. These abilities, along with
Johnny’s intelligence and superior skill as an
apprentice silversmith, make him overly
proud. He wins no friends with his haughty
attitude toward the other two apprentices.
Johnny is so proud and aware of his value to
the Laphams that, at times, he even treats his
master’s family disrespectfully.
As the story begins, Johnny is far more
interested in his personal ambitions than in the
political turmoil brewing all around him. At
this time, the colonies were on the eve of the
American Revolution, and Boston was a hotbed
of tension and unrest. Many colonists were
fiercely engaged in debating how much control
Great Britain should have over the colonies and
whether to form a separate nation.
Johnny’s story is filled with characters,
places, and events that make Boston, as it
existed in the early 1770s, come alive. Some
characters are mostly interested in their daily
lives. Other characters are passionately interested in the political changes erupting around
them. Though many of these characters are
fictional, Forbes has skillfully interwoven their
stories with those of real people and events
from history. In fact, the author has combined
fact and fiction so seamlessly that readers may
not always know what is real and what is
invented. In the words of one critic, “If
Jonathan Lyte Tremain never lived in the flesh,
he lives vividly with the men of his time.”
In writing Johnny Tremain, Forbes drew
upon the extensive research she did for her
biography of a famous Boston patriot: Paul
Revere. With Forbes’s vivid descriptions,
readers can imagine what it was like to walk
down Boston’s cobblestone streets in the early
1770s. They can share the sense of danger
and excitement surrounding such real events
as the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere’s famous
ride, and the Battles of Lexington and
Concord. Readers also learn more about such
great Patriot thinkers and leaders as Sam
Adams, John Hancock, and John Adams.
In Johnny Tremain, readers share not
only a historical journey but also Johnny’s personal journey of growth and discovery. When
planning the novel, Forbes was determined “to
give Johnny room enough to change and grow.”
She also wanted “an obstacle [for] Johnny . . .
to face from the beginning to the end of the
book. . . . This obstacle was to have psychological significance.” At the beginning of the
novel, Johnny is an arrogant and impulsive
boy, but then life knocks him around quite a
bit. He runs into some bad luck and also
creates some problems for himself with his
excessive pride. He has to face his problems
and try to figure out who he is and what
matters to him. When the dramatic events of
the American Revolution involve Johnny, he
must decide what ideas and beliefs are worth
fighting for.
THE TIME AND PLACE
The story of Johnny Tremain takes place
mainly in Boston, beginning in the summer of
1773 and ending in April 1775. At this time,
Boston was an important colonial city with a
thriving economy. The thirteen American
colonies were well established and had grown
in population to two and a half million. The
geographic area of the colonies was larger
than that of the mother country, Great
Britain. Transportation within and between
colonies was very slow, with horse or horsedrawn carriage the fastest method of travel.
Mail service was minimal and news could take
days, weeks, or months to circulate.
The circumstances leading to the momentous historical events described in Johnny
Tremain had been brewing for more than a
decade. In 1763 Great Britain found itself
deeply in debt after the end of the French and
Indian War. The British government decided
that it was time that the American colonies
helped pay for their own defense. Between
1763 and 1775, the British Parliament
approved a variety of laws requiring colonists
to pay new taxes. Many colonists objected
strongly to paying these taxes because they
had no representatives in Parliament. Thus,
they said, Parliament had no authority to tax
them. “No taxation without representation”
became the rallying cry of colonists opposed
to the new taxes.
One of the new laws, the Stamp Act,
meant colonists had to pay a tax—in cash—
for most products made from or using paper.
As this tax affected nearly every purchase,
the colonists decided to protest by boycotting, or refusing to buy, British goods.
Some protests led to violence. The most
important effect of the Stamp Act, however,
was that the colonies began to unify. People
like Sam Adams began to organize groups
dedicated to the cause of fighting British
tyranny.
Another event that helped trigger the
American Revolution was the Boston Massacre
in 1770. Confusion during a routine street
dispute led to violence and bloodshed
between colonists and British soldiers who
were stationed in Boston. This event further
convinced Patriots such as Sam Adams that
all the colonies should unite against Great
Britain. He encouraged regular communication
between important leaders from the different
colonies. Eventually, Adams’s “committees of
correspondence” became the Continental
Congress, which met for the first time in 1774.
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