My Anger at Britian and France

UH, I'm SOOOO frustrated!!! I don't know how I have a spare minute, but I really need to vent. Mom took the boys into town and daddy's out in the fields. Elizabeth is at school. So I'm in charge, and I say I need to vent before I can think strait. I'm so annoyed at anyone involved in this whole stupid disagreement between Great Britain and France. Both Britain and France are acting very childish. I wish I could sit both countries down, like I would my two little brothers, and tell them what they did wrong by saying: "Britain, France claimed the land first, its not yours until they offer it to you, and both of you, its so silly for you to fight over this. Can't you just work it out?" I think war is pointless especially when the cause has no just reason, and it could probably have been prevented, like what happened here. George Washington went over to tell the French to leave with a letter and no violence. I'm not saying he was right to tell them to leave because it was their land for goodness sake! Anyway, what really annoyed me was that when he came back no one realized how wrong it was to just walk up and tell the French to leave their land, so Washington went back and attacked the French when they didn't do anything but not give up their land. Then he ends up losing the battle so, even if I thought it was okay that Washington attacked them, he killed them for nothing because he was captured!!! Even though I'm a Quaker, and don't believe in war, I'm not a pacifist because I have to be, I am because I believe it is wrong and because sometimes, a lot of times, I believe that if war or fighting has no just cause, or can be prevented people shouldn't have to die for no reason or if it can be helped. My dad, like many other Quakers, although he doesn't believe in violence, he wants to protect us. I used to worry about that, day and night. "Are we safe? We are peaceful people, but our attackers won't respect that, who will protect us?" I used to ask myself those questions all the time until I finally asked papa. He said not to worry, we are in one of the safest places. I trusted him for a little bit until I finally asked him, "How are we safe if we cannot fight?" Then he sat me down and explained everything. He said that right now Pennsylvania was controlled mainly by Quakers. Those that were politicians were forced to either agree to start a militia to protect the colony or lose control of it. Most of them forfeited their positions because they were against fighting. Other non-Quakers took over for them and set up defenses. So, in resigning they did the best thing for their families because now they're safe, even though they wish they didn't have to be protected in the first place. Even though I'm not worrying as much anymore, I still don't like the thought that even though we have defenses we can still be attacked. The whole idea about a war starting frustrated me and unnerved me and I just can't seemed to get focused on all my chores and mom and dad are relying on me. On top of that I have extra work to do because daddy put me in charge of making sure Elizabeth wasn't scared, but knew what to do if we were ever attacked. My homeschooling has been delayed even more because mom has too many other things to worry about and she doesn't want to risk us possibly getting hurt by sending us back to regular school. Today is Elizabeth's last day. Well, I guess I better get my focus because I have lots of chores to do before mom gets home.
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= CONFLICT

My Life in the Pennsylvania Colony

Wow, I'm relieved. I can't believe John and Thomas finally fell asleep for their naps, and with Elizabeth at school today I have a second to gather my thoughts. Usually I go to school too, except on meeting days, I either go to the meeting(usually don't), or watch my younger siblings while my parents go to the Quaker meetinghouse. Elizabeth is six, and John and Thomas are both three. My mom, Mary Smith, wants to homeschool us because, although she thinks school is very important, she wants to be able to teach us the three R's "reading, 'riteing, and 'rithmatic" while also giving us enough experience helping out on the farm and learning our religion (especially me, the oldest). I'm a little disappointed about the homeschooling thing because, as important as family is to me, I wont get to see all my friends as much even though they live on the farms close by. I love our farm and neighbors, and Pennsylvania is a great place to have a farm and be a Quaker. Speaking of farming, I wonder how my pa, George Smith, is doing out in the fields and if my mom went out to help him today. She probably did because tomorrow's a meeting day so they have to work extra hard today. That's one of the downsides to meetings. Sometimes it gets a little boring listening to all the grown-ups talk about our Quaker beliefs and stuff like that, but sometimes I do like to listen to all their advice and try to remember as much as I can. My parents are both bugging me now about listening to all and any advice because I'm starting to come of the age where I'm capable of sin. That age is 11 or 12, and I'm 10. So they want me to start going to more meetings and stuff, but they're just too boring. Were supposed to all sit in silence and clear our minds, but I just can't focus because it's too boring and if I try not to think about anything then I think too hard about not thinking. I don't know how the grown-ups stand it and how they can tell if they feel 'moved by the spirit' to speak. When they speak at the meetings I always wonder how they know what to say; do they really 'feel it'? I don't feel anything. I just hope that when I'm grown up I'll be able to attend the meetings regularly without getting bored or frustrated. Well, I better go see if ma needs help cooking, or if I was supposed to make supper alone. If so, I better hurry because Elizabeth will be coming home from school soon, and papa in from the fields and they'll be hungry. Some days I wish we were one of those families that had a servant, but mama and papa won't allow it. They always say they used to have a servant, but discovered it was wrong while meditating at the meeting one day. How do they do it without a servant? Thank goodness they have me to help with the farm and the farm animals and the wash and ... and.. well.. just about everything and anything. Well I think moms calling. Yep, I hear her yelling SARAH SMITH the way she always does when I do something wrong. Oops, guess I was supposed to make supper tonight.

Here's a picture of our meetinghouse:



Our farm fields look similar to this: