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Johnny tremain : A historical analysis

Johnny tremain : A historical analysis. Madison Kuzma. (Zion Tube, 2012). Summary of the film.

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Johnny tremain : A historical analysis

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  1. Johnny tremain:A historical analysis Madison Kuzma (Zion Tube, 2012)

  2. Summary of the film The movie begins with Johnny Tremain as an arrogant teenage boy. Johnny has an apprenticeship as a silversmith with Mr. Lapham. He dreams of running his own shop in the future. Then, one of Johnny’s hands is severely burned after he accidentally touched molten silver. This causes him to lose his apprenticeship and forces him to find other work. He then meets Rab, a young man who is a part of the Sons of Liberty. Johhny then joins the Sons of Liberty in their fight for rights and meets many historical figures, including Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and Joseph Warren. ("Johnny tremain (1957)," 2011)

  3. Background information

  4. Background information Publisher: The movie is based on the book, which was published in 1943 by Houghton Mifflin. Producer: Walt Disney Walt Disney and his brother, Roy, co-founded Walt Disney Productions, which became one of the world’s most famous motion-picture production companies. He won a total of 22 Academy Awards during his life. Some of his other notable works include the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, as well as Fantasia, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, and 101 Dalmatians. Year Published: 1957 (Chua, 2008)

  5. (Printfection, 2012) (Owens, 2012) Historical content Boston Tea Party Sons of Liberty The Revolutionary War

  6. Boston Tea Party What’s in the Movie What History Reveals Parliament passed the Tea Act in 1773 to prevent the East India Company from experiencing bankruptcy. Colonists especially opposed this tax because it involved taxation without representation. On December 16, 1773, Sam Adams led the Boston Sons of Liberty, dressed as Mohawk Indians, to the Boston Harbor. The men boarded the Dartmouth and dumped an entire cargo of tea into the Boston Harbor. The cargo was worth £9,659. No damage was done to the ship. • After the Sons of Liberty pleaded Governor Hutchinson to send the taxed tea back to England, they met at Old South Church. • At the meeting, they received the Governor’s response. He would not allow the tea to be shipped back to England. • At the meeting, Samuel Adams said, “This meeting can do nothing more to save the country.” These words were Johnny’s signal to blow his whistle. The Sons of Liberty, dressed as Indians, heard the whistle and headed to the Boston Harbor. • There, they dumped all of the ship’s tea into the harbor. No damage was done to the ship.

  7. Sons of Liberty What’s in the Movie What History Reveals The Sons of Liberty formed in the summer of 1765 and originally called themselves “The Loyal Nine.” The group consisted of artisans and shopkeepers. Their opposition to the Stamp Act drove them together. The Sons of Liberty also opposed the Townshend Acts, the Tea Tax, and all forms of taxation without representation. The Sons of Liberty included famous historical figures such as Samuel Adams, John Hancock, James Otis, Paul Revere, and Joseph Warren. The Sons of Liberty had several rituals, including secret code words, symbols, and medals. They even had a “Liberty Tree”, which is portrayed in the film. • Mr. James Otis was the founder and the leader of the group. • Rab tells Johnny that the Sons of Liberty include “everyone in Boston who believes their liberties are worth fighting for.” • They met in secret to discuss their plans. • They transmitted messages in secret. (In the film, Johnny was responsible for delivering information.) • They had a “secret knock” so that they could verify who wanted to enter their meeting place.

  8. The Revolutionary War What’s in the Movie What History Reveals General Thomas Gage was ordered to destroy the Patriots’ military stores in Concord, Masachussetts. At midnight on April 19, 1775, 650-900 troops left Boston and crossed the Charles River. On that night, Paul Revere waited with William Dawes for a signal from the steeple of the Old North Church. If one lantern glowed, it meant that the British were coming by land. If two glowed, the British were coming by sea. After the two lanterns glowed, Paul Revere set off on his famous ride. The Revolution began on April 19, 1775 when “American Minutemen and British Redcoats exchanged fire…across Lexington Green,” (George, 2005). It is unknown which side fired the first shot. However, the Redcoats heard the shot. This resulted in the British firing at the miliita. • Joseph Warren, with the help of Johnny Tremain, figured out that the British troops would be marching on Concord, Massachusetts and that they would be coming by sea. • Two lanterns were lit in the steeple of the Old North Church in Boston. This signaled to Paul Revere that the British were coming by sea. • He then proceeded by riding through the streets on his horse exclaiming, “Turn out your militia! The Redcoats are coming!” • Johnny, along with the other Patriots, traveled to Lexington, where they faced the British troops. • There, the first shot of the Revolutionary War was fired. One of the British generals was asked who fired the bullet. He responded by saying, “One of them, one of us, someone in one of those houses over there, I don’t know. What difference does it make now?”

  9. Critique of media

  10. Critique of media After comparing the film with historical information, I have found that the film is accurate in many ways. It provides insight into colonial times and events. It includes significant historical events such as the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution. It also includes several historical figures such as Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and Joseph Warren. The movie, though, is “Disneyfied”; it does not give insight into the pain, death, and suffering that came with the time period. (After all, that aspect of colonial life would not be very “family friendly.”) (Toto, 2012)

  11. Historical contexts Importance of Religion The Quest for God-Given Rights British Support

  12. Importance of Religion What’s in the Movie What History Reveals The first colonists came to the New World in hopes of achieving religious freedom. The colonies’ original governments required colonists to support a specific church, regardless of individual practices and beliefs. In the 1600’s, establishments such as Rhode Island and Pennsylvania encouraged religious freedom for all. • When Johnny claims that he is able to replace Jonathon Lyte’s piece of fine silver, Mr. Lapham quotes Proverbs 16: “Pride goeth before destruction on the holy spirit before a fall.” • When Mr. Lapham has difficulty replacing Mr. Lyte’spiece of silver, he says, “God’s will is plain. Mr. Lyte will have to find another Smith.” • When Johnny breaks the Sabbath laws by trying to replace Mr. Lyte’s silver on a Sunday, he burns his hand on molten silver. His injury was seen as a punishment from God. (Sanders, 2011)

  13. The Quest For God-Given Rights Before the Revolutionary War begins, Mr. Otis addresses the Sons of Liberty: Mr. Otis: “The fatal shot will come [from] whoever is to pull the trigger. When it does, then fight we must and fight we will. But for what? This is the thing we must know—that the whole world must know: For what do we fight? Paul Revere: “To rid ourselves of these…Redcoats.” Mr. Otis: “That’s no reason for blood on our land, Paul. …We are not going off into a civil war just to get them out of Boston. Tell me why, then. Why do we fight?” Samuel Adams: “To end tyrannous taxation.” Mr. Otis: “Something more important than our precious pocketbooks. But what is it?” Johnny Tremain: “The rights of Englishmen.” Mr. Otis: “Rights, yes. But why stop with Englishmen? Is the Earth so small that there can only be room for one people? Or can we here fight for men and women and children all over the world? For this we can have war. The battles we shall win over the worst in England will benefit the best in England until the end of time. Even as we shoot down British soldiers, we will be winning rights their children shall enjoy forever…and the peoples of the world…shall see freedom rising like a new sun in the west. For this we fight—those natural rights God has given every man.” In the end, the colonists were “victorious” because they “were motivated and unified by a shared cause, while the British were fighting a war in which they had no personal stake,” ("Do you know," 2010).

  14. British Support What’s in the Movie What History Reveals Colonists that supported Britain were referred to as Loyalists. Loyalists did not want the colonies to gain independence from Britain. Though many Loyalists did believe that the colonies had “suffered at the hands of the British”, they “hoped that a peaceful reconciliation with [the] British government was possible,” (Fuller). Many Loyalists were wealthy landowners or people that possessed close political and/or business ties to Britain. • When Jonathon Lyte and Admiral Montagu, both wealthy members of society, are discussing the tea, Montagu expresses that he feels it would have been a “misfortune” if the tea had been shipped back to England. • If the tea was not claimed within 20 days, it would be turned over to the Governor, who would auction it off. Their discussion revealed that Lyte planned to buy the tea at the auction at a reduced price with hopes of making a profit off of it. • After Joseph Warren and General Gage discussed Lord Chatham’s address to the House of Lords, Gage expresses that, though he admires Chatham, he feels it is his duty to remain loyal to the one in power: the King. ("The loyalist flag,")

  15. Additional facts

  16. Additional Facts • The author of the book Johnny Tremain, Esther Forbes, began writing the book on December 8, 1941, the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked. • The book received the Newberry Medal, which is awarded annually to the best piece of children’s literature. • In Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, there is an area called “Liberty Square.” At its center, there is a “liberty tree” filled with lanterns, just as the tree is seen in the movie. The film was the inspiration for this area. • The film was originally a two-part episode featured in the Disneyland television series. • In the 1950’s (the time during which the movie was made), there was a large amount of media addressing the issue of teenage rebellion. In fact, in 1954, a Congressional sub-committee participated in televised hearings that addressed the causes for “juvenile delinquency” (Olwell). This issue of teenage rebellion could have influenced the way in which Johnny was portrayed in the film.

  17. citations

  18. General References • Siry, S. E. (2012). defiance of the patriots: The boston tea party and the making of america . The Historian, 100. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DA-SORT&inPS=true&prodId=GRGM&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&tabID=T002&searchId=R1&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=9&contentSet=GALE|A284221717&&docId=GALE|A284221717&docType=GALE&role= • Boston tea party. In (1987). Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia (p. 116). HarperCollins Publishers. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=GRGM&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&tabID=T001&searchId=R1&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=3&contentSet=GALE|A18034424&&docId=GALE|A18034424&docType=GALE&role= • Tea act (1754-1783). In (1997). American Eras. Detroit, MI: Gale Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=GRGM&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&tabID=T001&searchId=R1&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=1&contentSet=GALE|A145480783&&docId=GALE|A145480783&docType=GALE&role=

  19. General References (cont.) • Allitt, P. (2010). how to succeed in politics . The National Interest, 36. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DA-SORT&inPS=true&prodId=GRGM&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&tabID=T002&searchId=R6&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=4&contentSet=GALE|A229714675&&docId=GALE|A229714675&docType=GALE&role= • Full cast and crew for johnnytremain. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050567/fullcredits • Johnny tremain: Key facts. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/johnnytremain/facts.html • Walt disney biography. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/walt-disney-9275533?page=3 • Chua, J. M. (Producer). (2008). Quote of the day: Walt disney on nature. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/quote-of-the-day-walt-disney-on-nature.html • Slavicek, L. C. (2000). Religious freedom in colonial america. Cobblestone, 10. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DA-SORT&inPS=true&prodId=GRGM&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&tabID=T003&searchId=R2&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=3&contentSet=GALE|A62495544&&docId=GALE|A62495544&docType=GALE&role=

  20. General References (Cont.) • Ward, S., & Goldstein, Y. (2002). Johnny tremain: Esther forbes. (p. 2). New York, NY: Spark Publishing. Retrieved from http://static.schoolrack.com/files/9155/110378/johnnytremain.pdf • [Web log message]. (2010). Retrieved from http://thedisneyfilms.blogspot.com/2010/01/johnny-tremain-1957.html • Olwell, R. A. (n.d.). Johnny tremain - rebel with a cause. Retrieved from http://www.notevenpast.org/watch/johnny-tremain-rebel-cause • Do you know your compan'ys core values? . (2010, Aug). Administrative Professional Today. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DA-SORT&inPS=true&prodId=GRGM&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&tabID=T004&searchId=R3&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=1&contentSet=GALE|A233623119&&docId=GALE|A233623119&docType=GALE&role= • The sons of liberty . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/sons.htm • Sons of liberty . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.americansonsofliberty.com/sonsofliberty.htm

  21. General References (Cont.) • Fuller, L. (n.d.). Patriot, loyalist, or neutral? you decide. Retrieved from http://www.converse.edu/sites/default/files/site-files/Academics/NEH/PatriotLoyalistorNeutral_YouDecide.pdf • Paul revere: An american patriot. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/us/colonial/revere/ • George, P. B. (2005). The shot heard round the world . American History, 43. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DA-SORT&inPS=true&prodId=AONE&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&tabID=T002&searchId=R1&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=3&contentSet=GALE|A262692196&&docId=GALE|A262692196&docType=GALE&role= • Battle of lexington and concord. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.wpi.edu/academics/military/lexcon.html • Toto, C. (Producer). (2012). Disney-netflix deal boosts streaming's future, cable's peril. [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollywood/2012/12/05/disney-netflix-deal-boosts-streaming

  22. Images and Media • Zion Tube. (Photographer). (2012). Johnny tremain (1957. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.zionvision.com/movies/ziontube/johnny-tremain-1957/ • Owens, E. (Photographer). (2012). Retrieved from http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/26/texas-schools-teach-boston-tea-party-as-act-of-terrorism/ • Printfection. (Producer). (2012). Liberty tree flag. [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from http://www.printfection.com/LibertyJoinorDie/Liberty-Tree-Flag/_s_477732 • (n.d.). The loyalist flag - the queen anne union of 1707. [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from http://www.uelac.org/Loyalist-Monuments/Loyalist-Flag.php • (2011). Johnny tremain (1957). (2011). [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://cinemanostalgia.net/1950s/johnny-tremain-1957/ • Sanders, K. (Producer). (2011). The cross: God's revelation of love. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://kuyakevin.blogspot.com/2011/04/cross-gods-revelation-of-love.html

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