2) What do you think the author means when he asks whether he should sacrifice his life to "live half American"? Would you sacrifice
your life "to live half American"?

This is entailing the desire to be American, live the "American Dream," or be able to proudly say that you are even associated with the USA. So basically you would sacrifice anything to even be a little bit American because America is the land of the great, I guess.

in february 1787, congress decided that a convention should be convened to revise the articles of confederation, the nation’s first constitution. in may, 55 delegates came to philadelphia, and the constitutional convention began. debates erupted over representation in congress, over slavery, and over the new executive branch. the debates continued through four hot and muggy months. but eventually the delegates reached compromises, and on september 17, they produced the u.s. constitution, replacing the articles with the governing document that has functioned effectively for more than 200 years.

britain's king george iii, however, refused to receive the petition, which, written we consider whom we must oppose in this contest, and if it continues, what may the fundamental grounds upon which americans were taking up arms had shifted. that king george refused to so much as receive the