Assignment #2, step 1: Creating a Persona

Use the question below to help you create an 18th century persona. You do not have to be an 18th century "you," but can be someone completely different - if the persona you get says "you are a man" and you are a woman, just run with it. If you really want your persona to be a woman, start again until you find a persona that works for you.

For the purposes of this assignment, imagine you are this person. The persona from the questions below are only a starting point. You will need to give some thought to who you imagine "yourself" to be. What is your name? (See post below for ideas.) How old are you? Where do you live? What is your family like? What are your greatest concerns in life? (Damnation or salvation, religious ideals, crops, weather, politics, prices, fear of violence, fear of failure, children, work, or other aspects of your life?)

Based on the materials you have for this class, in this assignment, you will consider how you imagine "you" would view the world and the events leading up to the War for Independence.

REMEMBER: USE the documents and textbook to write thoughtful, informed letters. Whatever you may decide about "your" character, you are very interested in the politics of the day.

Yes this is homework, but if you embrace the geekiness of it, it can be fun!

Which 18th persona are you?

1. What kind of a job do you feel best suited for?
a. I like to be top dog. Fortune 500 company, here I come.
b. In a job where I get to make things, or even design new products.
c. I want to help people. I’d like to work in a field where I can improve society.
d. I like to keep track of the latest trends. I want to work in a field where I can get paid to do that.
e. I’d like to work in agriculture, be it as a scientist, working with animals, or one of the many other amazing fields within agriculture.
f. I already know what I want to be: a lawyer.  Someday I might go into politics or business, but I'll probably start with law school.
g. I like to buck the system. Whatever I end up doing, it will not be based on what other people tell me to do.

Picking a name

Names popular to the 18th century are not the same as they were then, although there are many overlaps - George, Martha, John, Abigail, Thomas, James, Sally, Eliza, Adam. But when was the last time you met someone named Cotton? Here are a few sources of inspiration - but as you noticed from the personas, you can run with your imagination on this. You do not need to be the same sex or age or race or anything else that connects to who you are today. Boy names. Girl names. (Why yes, these are baby name sites.)