The Discourse of Revolution

The effects of economics, politics, and culture on historical texts

To become… “better writers and readers as citizens, workers, and

critics of (our) cultures.”

England, 1775-1800according to Michel Beaud’s

A History of Capitalism

Englandaccording to Linda Colley’s

Britons: Forging the Nation, 1707-1873

George Campbell’s Duty of Allegiance

Edmund Burke’s A Letter to the Sheriffs

of Bristol

American Revolution

What does this reading lead to?

A developed awareness of how texts work to form subjects and create consciousness along lines of:

• gender• class• race• age• sexual orientation• etc.

How can we apply historical text analysis to our middle school classes?

What comes to mind?Activating prior knowledge- What comes to mind?

“Historical” Texts

“That’s Just the Way It Is” by Bruce

Hornsby - 1986

“Changes” by Tupac Shakur - 1999

Questions to consider:• What year was this song written? Do you

think the year affects the song’s subject matter? Why/why not?

• From what position is each man writing – observer or participant?

• What does each author think about the world? Find evidence in the text to support your answer.

• How do you think Tupac would react to American politics today? Why?