A New Kind of Freedom

Johann was convinced to go to America by these things: 1) Mr. Penn seemed like a practical, reasonable man, just like him, 2) if he comes he will get 450 acres!, a fortune in land, 3) he too wanted religious freedom, and 4) the soldiers were going to knock down his door and drag him away if he stayed much longer. Y'know, I think I'd go too.

As for how he felt later, I can tell you he was pretty pleased. In the narrative, the tone of voice describing his life there said as much. As well, he seemed determined to help William Penn create Pennsylvania. Making the Holy Experiment work was very important to him and at the end of the narrative he and Anna were talking about how amazing it was that so many religions were coexisting there. That shows he was serious about Pennsylvania.

Molly's Dream

Molly's dream is to be free and to have a house that is near a pond that is inhabited by geese and ducks. Also, she wanted him to live there too. And, she had a secret dream. She wanted to be courageous, intelligent, swift, and forward looking.

To get this, she must have: 1) enough money, and I understand indentured servants are not paid well, so that might be something of a problem, 2) she needs a seller, because how else would she buy the land, 3) there has to be space, but that might not be a problem, and 4) she'll need a job so she can pay for the upkeep of the house, as well as food, clothing, etc. etc. etc.

Essential Questions, Post Two

Many people move because of their jobs. However, some people move because of the situation in their home country. I believe I touched on this in my last post. Freedom, economy, and space are all possibilities for immigration, though I think there is another one. Similar to the economy issue, people might move sometimes simply because of taxes or health care. In the BrainPop video, they gave the example of the immigration from Britain to the New World upon the Mayflower. The main reasons were religious freedom and economic possibilities. This, among other things, can be the main reasons for other immigrations. Such other things are: 1) running from war-stricken or otherwise potentially dangerous countries, 2) running from potentially dangerous economic situations, or 3) wanting a change of scenery or job.

Essential Questions, Post One

People naturally run away from- or deal with- their problems.* Many times these problems are spawned from differences. People have to do something about such differences, it's human nature, and sometimes leaving seems the most logical way.

People move because of this feeling of logic. (Human nature is also drawn to logic.* **) Obviously people move because of money, job opportunities, or just a change of scenery. But I believe that when someone moves because of religious, political, or racial conflict, it's because of this sense of logical security.



*From Your Inner Reptile, a book about adaption and evolution.
**Though we are not particularly logical ourselves.