{"id":11767,"date":"2025-08-24T22:47:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T02:47:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/?page_id=11767"},"modified":"2025-08-26T11:14:34","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T15:14:34","slug":"amdm2025august26","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/amdm2025\/amdm2025august26\/","title":{"rendered":"August 26th: Attention on the Second Continental Congress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Announcements<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Charlotte Debate Team and Speech Team\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Charlotte Speech &amp; Debate Interest Meeting<\/strong><br>Wednesday, 8\/27, 5:300pm-6:30pm<br><span style=\"background-color:yellow\"><strong>Room: Colvard 5090<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Debate Practices for Fall 2025<\/strong>: TBA<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>First Tournament is Online<br>Friday, September 26th, and Saturday, September 27<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>More than a month to practice!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Italian-American Association Interest Meeting<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Today!!! 8\/26 @ 5:30pm<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>CHHS 147 (free food)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ninerengage.charlotte.edu\/event\/11449742\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">RSVP on Niner Engage<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/americanstudies.charlotte.edu\/about-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>American Studies Minor<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thursday&#8217;s (8\/28) reading is longer than the previous readings<br>J. Hector St. John de Cr\u00e8vecoeur. \u201cWhat is an American?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Please check out the Debate team. We&#8217;re relatively new but have grown out of the long-standing <strong>Charlotte Speech Team<\/strong>: <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/charlottespeech\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a><\/strong> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ninerengage.charlotte.edu\/organization\/debate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>NinerEngage<\/strong><\/a>.<br><strong>Charlotte Debate Team<\/strong>: <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/charlottedebate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Benefits of joining include&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Expressing ideas thoughtfully<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Learning to think about perspectives<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The pinnacle of intellectual engagement<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Continuing a 2500-year tradition of Western Civilization<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Plan for the Day<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>More on Rhetoric: ethos, pathos, logos\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Some history, too<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/amdm2025\/amdm2025august26\/meckdecsaga1775\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence<\/a><\/strong>, May 20, 1775 (???)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/amdm2025\/amdm2025august26\/remembertheladies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Abigail Adams to John Adams &#8220;Remember the Ladies&#8221;<\/a><\/strong> (March 31 &amp; April 5, 1776)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Democracy\/Liberty\/Freedom\/ETC. quotation:<br>&#8220;Remember Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself.&#8221;<br>&#8212;<a href=\"https:\/\/founders.archives.gov\/documents\/Adams\/99-02-02-6371\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">John Adams. &#8220;From John Adams to John Taylor,&#8221; 17 Dec 1814<\/a>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_Taylor_of_Caroline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">John Taylor<\/a><\/strong> (a Virginian) wrote <em>An Inquiry into the Principles and Policy of the Government of the United States<\/em>, which Adams had problems with, and wrote Taylor about his concerns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>More on Rhetoric<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As mentioned last class, rhetoric is often associated with lying, deception, and political speech, but, time permitting, let&#8217;s discuss some more over on the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/genderdigital\/rhetoric-an-introduction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rhetoric Introduction page<\/a><\/strong> or, at least, discuss these major rhetorical appeals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>logos<\/strong>: appeal to reason or logic<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>ethos<\/strong>: the presentation of one\u2019s character (usually to show the speaker\/author is credible)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>pathos<\/strong>: appeal to emotions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Rhetoric for Engaging with American Democracy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>What&#8217;s the relationship between rhetoric and the course goals? Let&#8217;s remind ourselves of the prevailing course focus we have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Area of Focus 1:<\/strong>&nbsp;Theoretical Frameworks, Ideals, and Principles of American Democracy<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Define core principles of American democracy<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Analyze how core principle(s) of American democracy have been interpreted and redefined over time<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Analyze how the principle(s) of American democracy differ from other democratic models\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As mentioned last week, we won&#8217;t do an extensive comparative analysis of other systems, but I may point to examples, such as parlimentary forms of democracy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Although <strong>no communication situation is devoid of rhetoric<\/strong>, there&#8217;s no universal, unfiltered human-to-human transmission of meaning. Meaning is <strong>socially constructed<\/strong> and, more importantly, reproduced. Arguing one&#8217;s point, attempting to persuade others, trying to inform, etc. all involve rhetoric. As members  interacting with the culture of the United States, you engage with (or are subject to) American Democratic principles. Unfortunately, there are no exact definitions for prevailing values (freedom, liberty, pursuit of happiness, etc.), but we can identify general assumptions. Let&#8217;s take a look at <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/resourcesforhistoryteachers.pbworks.com\/f\/1625427494\/Screen%20Shot%202021-07-04%20at%203.37.14%20PM.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the Thirteen Colonies<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How do they communicate?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What behaviors do they have in common?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does geography make a difference in their needs, values, and assumptions?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How about population? Resources?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, as we consider the compromises that the Founders made in approving the Declaration of Independence and, eventually, the Constitution, what rhetorical strategies will work best to convince these independent colonies to band together? What warnings does the John Adams quote offer? A way to think about this, especially in the context of John and Abigail as husband and wife, is through a relationship lens:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Partnership, paternalism<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Deal breakers, expectations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reciprocity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Trust<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sacrifice<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Breakup, divorce, reassessment of the arrangement<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Compare to a Relationship?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Engagement requires being informed about the needs, rules, and assumptions about the community, State, or Country. With an informed opinion, you can better engage with the information vying for your attention and draw your own conclusions. Unfortunately, we may never have the appropriate amount of time* to devote to the issues to make the <em>perfect<\/em> decision. Guess what? I&#8217;d argue that even with full information and all the time to sift through it, we won&#8217;t ever make &#8220;perfect&#8221; decisions&#8230;we strive for good enough.<br>*What is the appropriate amount of time to devote to becoming informed on the issues germane to democratic engagement?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A relationship is a microcosm of forming a nation, a Union. Two parties, formally and informally, draft contracts that pledge agreement and support. Expectations are set, and consequences are codified. But just like a relationship, the parties involved cannot account for all possibilities, so there&#8217;s a need for compromise and flexibility to have a <em>working relationship<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s head over to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/amdm2025\/amdm2025august26\/meckdecsaga1775\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a new page<\/a><\/strong> that houses our discussion points and notes about this perplexing document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Abigail Adams to John Adams \u201cRemember the Ladies\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ve put up <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/amdm2025\/amdm2025august26\/remembertheladies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a separate webpage<\/a><\/strong> for discussing this famous letter between this important founding couple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Next Class<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As I mentioned, J. Hector St. John de Cr\u00e8vecoeur&#8217;s [<em>krev-kur<\/em>] &#8220;What is an American?&#8221; (on <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/instructure.charlotte.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Canvas<\/a><\/strong>) is a bit longer than our readings to date, so set aside extra time. We&#8217;ll catch up on Thursday with anything we&#8217;ve missed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Announcements Please check out the Debate team. We&#8217;re relatively new but have grown out of the long-standing Charlotte Speech Team: Instagram and NinerEngage.Charlotte Debate Team: Instagram Benefits of joining include&#8230; Plan for the Day More on Rhetoric As mentioned last class, rhetoric is often associated with lying, deception, and political speech, but, time permitting, let&#8217;s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":598,"featured_media":0,"parent":11703,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-11767","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P2HAOx-33N","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/598"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11767"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"http:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11823,"href":"http:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11767\/revisions\/11823"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}