Declaration of Independence 2: The American Revolution

Excerpt From Common Sense, by Thomas Paine

. . . As to government matters, it is not in the power of Britain to do this continent justice: The business of it will soon be too weighty, and intricate, to be managed with any tolerable degree of convenience, by a power, so distant from us, and so very ignorant of us. . . . For as in absolute governments the King is law, so in free countries the law ought to be King; and there ought to be no other. But lest any ill use should afterwards arise, let the crown at the conclusion of the ceremony be demolished, and scattered among the people whose right it is. A government of our own is our natural right: And when a man seriously reflects on the precariousness of human affairs, he will become convinced, that it is infinitely wiser and safer, to form a constitution of our own in a cool deliberate manner, while we have it in our power, than to trust such an interesting event to time and chance. . . .

Loyalists Oppose the Patriots' Demands

About a fifth of the colonists remained loyal, and many more wished to remain neutral. According to stereotype, Loyalists were wealthy elitists who sold out their fellow colonists to reap profitable offices in the British government. A few Loyalists did fit that description, but many more were ordinary farmers and artisans. Others belonged to cultural minorities who feared oppression by the Patriot majority.

Loyalists Fear Disorder

Although many Loyalists opposed Britain's taxes, they felt that Parliament and the Crown must be obeyed as the legitimate government of the Empire. The Loyalists feared that the resistance would lead to a deadly and destructive war that Britain seemed certain to win. They doubted that the colonists could defeat an empire that had recently crushed the combined powers of France and Spain.

The Colonists Declare Independence

By the spring of 1776, Paine's ideas had built momentum for American independence. Noting the shift in public opinion, Congress selected a committee to draft a document declaring American independence and explaining the reasons for it. On July 2, Congress voted that America was free. Two days later, they approved the Declaration of Independence.

What radical idea was expressed in Common Sense?

Creating an American republic would inspire common people everywhere to reject kings.

John Adams and Jonathan Sewell

During the summer of 1774, two old friends and lawyers walked together to discuss the crisis: John Adams, a Patriot, and Jonathan Sewell, a Loyalist. During the conversation, Sewell warned Adams, "Great Britain is determined on her system. Her power is irresistible, and it will certainly be destructive to you, and all those who . . . persevere in opposition to her designs." Adams boldly replied, "I know that Great Britain is determined in her system, and that . . . [has] determined me on mine. . . . Swim or sink, live or die, survive or perish with my country—that is my unalterable determination."

Why did enslaved people run away to join the British forces?

Enslaved people were seeking liberty.

Loyalists

From throughout New England, thousands of Patriot militiamen rushed to confine the British troops in the city. Provincial assemblies of Patriots seized control of the New England colonies. Loyalists, or colonists who remained loyal to Britain, fled to take refuge in Boston. But would the rest of the colonies help New England fight the British

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War Begins

In early 1775, the dispute between the British government and the colonists took a drastic turn. Following the passage of the Coercive Acts, in addition to being the military commander, General Thomas Gage had been named governor of Massachusetts. John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and other colonial leaders then convened a Provincial Congress to govern Massachusetts without Gage. They also began to stockpile arms and ammunition.

Thomas Paine's Radical Proposal

In simple—but forceful and direct—language, Paine proposed a radical course of action for the colonies: independence from Britain, republican state governments, and a union of the new states.

Creation of a New Nation

Jefferson's argument concludes with a declaration of a new nation that will be called the United States of America. In addition, the document breaks off all association with England. The men who signed the Declaration of Independence were well aware that by signing this document they were committing treason—a crime that could be punished by hanging. They risked everything by signing the document. Benjamin Franklin explained, "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." John Hancock, the president of the Continental Congress, was the first to sign his name. His large, clear signature speaks boldly of his belief in the strength of Jefferson's argument.

Difference in Opinion yet Understood

Some radical members of the Continental Congress wanted to declare American independence from Britain, but they recognized that most of their constituents were not yet ready to do so. Most colonists still hoped to remain within the British Empire but without paying taxes to Parliament. In July 1775, after three months of bloodshed, Congress sent an "Olive Branch Petition" to King George III. The petition reaffirmed the colonists' allegiance to the king but not to Parliament. The king rejected the petition and sent more troops to Boston.

The Battles of Lexington and Concord 2

The Redcoats marched on to Concord. What happened next stunned the British. The British troops began their march back to Boston following a skirmish with Patriots in Concord. However, hundreds of minutemen, Patriot militia who earned their name by their ability to respond quickly to calls for soldiers, lined the roads, firing at the British from behind trees and stone walls. The Patriots killed or wounded more than 200 British soldiers. Stunned and exhausted, the British reached the safety of Boston in the late afternoon.

George Washington

The answer came in May 1775 when delegates from all the colonies assembled in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress. To the relief of New Englanders, Congress assumed responsibility for the war. Armed volunteers from the Middle and Southern colonies marched north to join the Patriot siege of Boston. Congress gave the command of the new Continental Army to George Washington. Washington had served as a colonial officer in the French and Indian War and he came from Virginia, the largest and most powerful colony. New England needed Virginia's help to win the war.

In 1776, after the battles of Lexington and Concord, Thomas Paine published a pamphlet that challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy. According to Paine, what were the reasons why it was difficult for Great Britain to rule the colonies?

The business of it will soon be too weighty, and intricate, to be managed with any tolerable degree of convenience, by a power, so distant from us, and so very ignorant of us.

British Wrongs

The next part of the Jefferson's argument is the list of grievances against the King of England. This is his evidence for the necessity of separating from Britain. The document charges the king with many misdeeds, including disbanding the colonial legislatures, blockading harbors, and sending troops to the colonies during peacetime.

Why did some colonists remain loyal to the British Crown?

They feared a destructive war. Many Loyalists believed that the strength of the British Empire would overpower the colonists if war broke out.

Most colonists supported the actions of the Continental Congress, but a significant minority preferred British rule. The Loyalists feared that the resistance would lead to a deadly and destructive war that Great Britain would certainly win. Which statement is true about the Loyalists?

They felt that Parliament and the Crown must be obeyed as the legitimate government of the Empire.

Declaration of Independence

This sweeping statement was far ahead of the social and economic reality in the new United States. For example, many of the signers of the Declaration owned slaves. But the idea of equality would inspire future generations of Americans, including enslaved people, to make a better, more equal society. Declaring independence on paper was one thing. Achieving it was another. The colonists faced many challenges before they could become an independent nation. No colony in the Americas had yet won independence from a European empire. Fighting the British for independence would pit the poorly organized colonists against the greatest military power on Earth.

Basic Rights

Thomas Jefferson begins by making a claim and offering reasons to support his claim. The Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal and, therefore, have the basic right to life, liberty, and happiness. Congress embraced the Enlightenment ideas that all men are born with natural rights that cannot be taken away by a government. Jefferson calls them "unalienable rights." If a government becomes corrupt or violates these rights, it is the right and responsibility of the people to change it.

Why did the Second Continental Congress ask George Washington to lead the Continental Army?

Washington was an experienced officer.

What did Congress send to King George III as a sign of peace?

an "Olive Branch Petition" Most colonists wanted to keep their ties to the British but did not want to pay taxes to Parliament. King George rejected the petition.

In his book Common Sense, what action did Thomas Paine want the colonists to take?

declare independence from Britain Paine believed that the colonists should break away from Britain and establish a republican form of government.

After declaring independence from Great Britain in 1776, what major obstacle did Americans have to overcome to gain independence?

defeating the greatest military power in the world

According to Thomas Jefferson, what are people entitled to do when faced with an unjust government?

it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government

What did the term natural rights mean to Thomas Jefferson and other members of the Second Continental Congress?

rights that all men are born with

By the spring of 1776, Paine's ideas had built momentum for American independence. Congress selected a committee to draft a document declaring American independence. On July 4, Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. What idea is found in the Declaration of Independence?

that all men are born with rights that cannot be taken away by a government

According to Thomas Paine, who or what was the greatest enemy of American liberty?

the king

According to Thomas Paine, what should be the ruling factor in a free country?

the law

Why did General Thomas Gage send soldiers to Lexington?

to arrest colonial leaders hiding there

In January of 1776, Thomas Paine wrote the radical book Common Sense. In it, he proposed America's full independence from Britain and a model government that would inspire common people everywhere to reject kings and aristocrats. Why did Thomas Paine write Common Sense?

to persuade the colonies to declare independence

Why did the Second Continental Congress send an "Olive Branch Petition" to King George III?

to reaffirm the colonists' allegiance to the king rather than Parliament

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence is a document that continues to have great influence today. What were the unalienable rights Jefferson referred to in the Declaration of Independence?

Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Loyalism Appeals

Loyalism also appealed to Native Americans and to enslaved people. The Indians wanted British help to keep out the settlers pressing westward. Because slaveholders led the revolution in the Southern Colonies, their slaves saw the British as the true champions of liberty. Thousands of enslaved people sought their freedom by running away to join the British forces

Loyalists Oppose the Patriots' Demands 2

Loyalists disliked the taxes, oaths of allegiance, and militia drafts demanded by the new Patriot authorities to support the Patriots' war. They also resented the Patriots for shutting down Loyalist newspapers and for punishing people who criticized the Patriots' actions. Loyalists concluded that the Patriots demanded more in taxes and allowed less free speech than did the British.

Patriots and Loyalists Disagree

Most colonists supported the Continental Congress and the boycott of British imports, but a large minority preferred British rule. These colonists were later called Loyalists. Champions of law and order, many Loyalists dreaded the Patriot crowds and committees, viewing them as illegal and brutal. One Loyalist declared, "If I must be enslaved, let it be by a King at least, and not by a parcel of upstart, lawless committeemen. If I must be devoured, let me be devoured by the jaws of a lion, and not gnawed to death by rats and vermin."

The Battles of Lexington and Concord

On April 19, 1775, war erupted at Lexington and Concord, two-country towns west of Boston. Gage provoked the battles by sending troops to arrest Hancock and Adams in Lexington and to seize Patriot weapons stockpiled in Concord. Tipped off by men, including Paul Revere, who had ridden into the countryside to warn of the approaching British troops, the local Patriots rallied to drive the troops back to Boston. The Patriot fighters were militia, full-time farmers, and part-time soldiers. By morning, about 70 Patriots had gathered on the Lexington Green. As the British soldiers, called Redcoats, marched into town at dawn, the British commander ordered the militia to disperse. As they did, someone fired a shot. When the shooting stopped, eight Patriots were dead.

Thomas Paine's Radical Proposal 2

Paine denounced the king and aristocrats of Britain as frauds and parasites. He wanted the common people to elect all of their government, not just a third of it. Paine depicted the king, rather than Parliament, as the greatest enemy of American liberty. He hated the rigid class structure of Britain for smothering the hopes of common people without a noble title or money. A republic, he argued, would provide opportunities to reward merit rather than an inherited privilege. Freed from the empire, Americans could trade with the entire world. By uniting to create a republic, Americans could create a model that would inspire common people everywhere to reject kings and aristocrats. Paine concluded, "The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind." This view was new and powerful in 1776, when the revolution was a desperate gamble.

Opinion Swings Toward Independence

Patriot leaders knew that they had to gain the support of their fellow colonists. In January 1776, a short but powerful book swung popular opinion in the colonies in favor of independence. Entitled Common Sense, the book was by Thomas Paine, a recent immigrant from England who had been both an artisan and a tax collector. Dr. Benjamin Rush, who would later sign the Declaration of Independence, said that the effects of the pamphlet "were sudden and extensive upon the American mind. It was read by public men, repeated in clubs, spouted in Schools, and in one instance, delivered from the pulpit instead of a sermon by a clergyman in Connecticut." In Common Sense, many Americans read what they longed to believe but had not known how to express. Similar ideas would soon appear in a declaration of the colonists' independence.

British troops clashed with Patriot militia at Lexington and Concord, while Loyalists took refuge in Boston. The Second Continental Congress assumed control of the war and named George Washington as commander of the Continental Army. Why did colonial leaders convene a Provincial Congress to govern Massachusetts?

Patriots objected to Great Britain's naming General Thomas Gage as governor.