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Journal of James Williams
by Thao
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| May 27,1754 My name is James Williams. I am 35 years old right now. I live in the Ohio Valley. The most important thing to me is my family because if I lost them then I don’t know what I would do. I have two brothers and one sister. My youngest brother’s name is Jonathan, and he is 32 years old. I have another brother named Max , and he is 24, and my sister’s name is Martha. She is 26 years old. I am a silversmith, and I have my own shop. Well, it is not really my shop. It was my uncle’s and he left the shop to me when he passed away. It is so hard for me because I am the only silversmith in the Ohio Valley. I am always so busy. Today has been a difficult day. The fire kept on going out. Ah! I hate it when it keeps on going out. I am making a pot for this man named John Franklin. It takes a long time to make the pot. After the fire is hot enough to shape it, I have to go get the hammer and pound the inside and the outside and make the shape of the pot. It takes along time, but finally I am done with the shape. I have to go get more of the silver and make the cover. After the cover is done I have to go to the fire and put the pieces together. Right now I am so tried I even don’t know what time it is. Tomorrow I have to go get one of my friends. His name is Ben Johnson. He is the best artist in town. I have to go get him over to the shop to help me out with the design. May 28, 1754 I was tried and hungry when I woke up today. On the way to my shop, I saw a man in a uniform, and I was wondering what was going on here in town. Then a man told me that there might be a war where the French, and Indians, are allies against the British. When I asked him why, he told me that the English want to get more land to the west, but French say they own land and have rights for fur trading and trapping. George Washington sent a letter to the British people telling them that the war was coming. Since I am friends with the French, I ran home to get my belongings and my gun. I left my home, and after that I slept in the small house that I made on my own. I was about to leave town the next day until I saw the English solider. I was so afraid that I ran back to my house. When I looked out the window, I saw a man on a horse. But, was not the soldier. I took my clothes and my gun, and I jumped out the window quietly. The man off the horse and wondered off to the woods. I ran over to the horse, and got on the horse and galloped away. When the man saw me, he ran out and started to shooting at me, but he kept on missing me. I heard George Washington sent his Virginia troops to fight against the French. Right now I even do not know where I am going. I think I am lost. I think I have a map in my nap sack. Yes, I am almost to Pennsylvania. Well right now I need to take a break and find somewhere so I can sleep. Wow! I just woke up I’m so tried right now. Well I think I live here for now. I have to go to look for wood and make my house. I’m so tried of living in the wilderness, now I’m going to hunt for food. Since now I live here I have to go to sleep after I eat. Epilogue After the war he made his way home, and found his shop has burned down. He found his family dead and his house burned down. After that he rebuilt his house and his shop. James Williams got married to Elizabeth Adams. They had sons together. One of his son works as a blacksmith after his death. When the French finally lost the war, the Treaty of Paris (signed on February 10, 1763) gave Britain control of the French areas east of the Mississippi River. The English colonists no longer needed to be protection from the British. They wanted their independence from Britain. This war also resulted in higher taxes paid to Britain. These things eventually led to the American Revolution. |
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