Question

Colonist/patriot:

I own a store in the colonies. I refused to pay the tax on the paper playing cards. So I have been arrested. I want an American judge and I want a jury of colonists to decide if I am innocent or guilty. Other colonists understand life here in America. People from Britain are different. They can’t judge me fairly.
British/loyalist:
You are a British subject and you will have a British judge. He was appointed, or chosen, by King George III and sent to America from London. He will decide if you are innocent or guilty.


Key Questions answer ques 1 and 2 by telling me you are a loyalist or a patriot
1 Whose point of view do you agree with and why?

Answer 1

As a patriot, I align with the colonist who insists on having an American judge and a jury of colonists, pointing to the critical need for representation and fair trials in accordance with rights established by the English Bill of Rights and the principles of self-governance.

Step-by-step explanation:

Colonial Grievances and the Right to a Fair Trial

As a patriot, I agree with the colonist's point of view because the issue at hand is not just about a tax on paper playing cards but also about the broader grievances of American colonists regarding representation and fair trials. The colonists believed that being taxed without their consent was a violation of their rights as English subjects, as outlined in the English Bill of Rights and Magna Carta. They fought for the principle that taxes should not be imposed without representation in Parliament, which they did not have. Moreover, the right to be judged by one's peers was a fundamental legal safeguard against arbitrary justice, and the use of admiralty courts without juries (as enforced by the British against smugglers) was seen by colonists as an infringement on their rights. Such grievances contributed to the growing desire for independence and the eventual Revolutionary War.

Furthermore, by prioritizing the need for an American judge and a jury of colonists, the patriot asserts that only those who are familiar with the context and intricacies of life in the colonies could deliver a just verdict, as they share the same experiences and values. This argument diverges from that of the British loyalist, who insists on British-appointed judicial authority as a matter of law and order, which the colonists considered as another form of oppression.