Question

Dear Mother and Father,

I thank you for signing the one with Mr. Edes. While he does not strike me as the kindest of men, so far he has been a very fair two to me, and I hope he will decide to take me on here as his three.

Of course, I understand that there wasn’t much future for me in Uxbridge. Even though Christopher went off to fight in the __four against the French, Samuel will stay on with you, and so it makes good sense for me to be here in Boston learning a trade rather than to have remained at home. Perhaps I will someday become a five printer at Mr. Edes’s shop, and when you come to visit me, I will announce it in the newspaper. Maybe someday, I will have a shop of my own and be a six!

Boston is a rather puzzling place compared to Uxbridge. You know, Mother and Father, many of the citizens of Boston look unfavorably on the British soldiers here. They call them seven or lobsters!

On my first day, I was to sell some advertisements for the newspaper. I wandered up and down the streets, which are filled with the shops of various eight____, cabinetmakers, blacksmiths, chandlers, coopers, potters, leathersmiths, and more. It’s a busier and more interesting city than ever I imagined. I met a girl who had lost her dog, Thimble. I told her I worked for the nine and that she might take out an ad announcing that fact. She said she would. At the harbor, I met yet another man, named Solomon. He was a black man, but he was a ten and not a eleven__. He seemed as good a man as any white man I have ever met. Yet there might be an advertisement for a runaway dog next to one for a runaway slave! I don’t really understand twelve___, truth be told. A person is not a horse or a table. How can good people presume to own another person?

I met a thirteen_ named Paul Revere who made no secret that he opposes Americans importing goods from England. And then I met yet another man, a fourteen__ named Mr. Lillie, who feels importation of goods from England is a normal and necessary part of trade.

There is a lot to do, and a lot to think about. I will write you often about my progress. I pray you and Samuel are well.

Your grateful and loving son, Nat

Answer 1

The question appears to address a historical topic, focusing on American history around the time of slavery, the Revolutionary War, and the Civil War, exploring personal narratives and social issues of the eras.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question seems to encompass a historical narrative involving aspects of American history, particularly referencing the period of slavery, the Declaration of Independence, and possibly the Revolutionary War or Civil War. The passages provided contain historical contexts and personal narratives reflecting these periods. Subjects such as fugitive slave laws and abolitionist movements, as well as personal accounts of slaves seeking freedom and learning to read, indicate a strong emphasis on antebellum and Civil War-era America.

The stories of individuals figuring out their paths within these tumultuous times—whether through seeking employment, getting married, or grappling with the moral quandaries of their day—highlight the personalized nature of history.