Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine was an English author, political and revolutionary. He was born in January 29 1737, Thedford and died in June 8 1809, New York. He was a very important men during The American Revolution because his writing was inspirational for others. Since he had many visions and brilliant ideas for the colonies. In January 1776, a really powerful book came out named "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine. The book consisted of a radical proposal , it was a simple but directed language. The proposal consisted of: First to declare independance from Britain, second a Republican State Government and third one to united the 13 Colonies.

The English Revolutionary Thomas Paine denounced the King and Aristocrats as frauds and parasites. He also thought people should elect all the government and hated social structures.
Later on they found out that the real enemy was the King not Parliament. He started being a journalist in Philadelphia. Thomas Paine was also part of the Continental Congress, but he didn't succeed being a soldier. During that time of his life he wrote another inpirational book named "The American Crisis". It was a really strong book, George Washington used to read the book to his soldiers for them to get insipiration and get strong as an army.

Later on he returned to Europe and wrote another book named "The Rights Of Man". In response for the French Revolution. His proposals and books were not being supported in England and they decided to arrest him. When he was going to be arrested, he fled to France to join The National Convention. By 1793 he was arrested inf France for not supporting Louis XVI. While he was imprison he wrote another book called " The Age Of Reason". He was free in 1794. In 1802 he returned to America.

The Colonists Declare Independence

Everything started in 1776 in Philadelphia. After the levy of taxes and the lack of liberty and opinion colonists decided to declare the independence. The book ''common sense'' help them defeat the British. It tells the major ideas that the Founders had about government. The Declaration also contains the Founders' complaints against the British king. The british began to pass new laws that taxed the colonists, colonists started to get angry and didn't want the British to control them.


In 1774, the colonists sent representatives to a meeting called the First Continental Congress for them to  make a solution for the problem. Some of the delegates of the meeting wanted to stop trading with Britain. Others wanted to fight with the British. Some ideas that were expressed in the declaration of independence were that all men were created equally, the king is a Tyrant, the unalienable rights. Colonists were used of their way of living that they ere their own bosses. Colonists thought that the British parliament and the King were taking away to much of their freedom.



 On July 2 they voted for Independence and in july 4 it was approved. It was drafted between June 11 and June 28 by Thomas Jefferson which was the third president of the United States . The text of the Declaration can be divided into 5 sections. The original Declaration of Independence is located in Washington in the Capitol. The Declaration of Independence contains the ideals or goals for the nation. It expressed freedom.

Patriots and Loyalists Disagree

Most colonists supported and were on favor to the Patriots, but a large minority of Loyalists preferred British rules, who favored the king. They were afraid of the Patriots, they called them vermin. One loyalist said they were lawless.
Loyalists feared disorder. They didn't like taxes, but they thought the Parliament and King should be obeyed. Loyalists feared that a war was coming.
In Summer 1774 a loyalist called Jonathan Sewell, warned John Adams who was a Patriot that if they didn't obey what they imposed they would get in trouble.

And John Adams said he would continue to his determination, and that his ideas and opinions wouldn't change. Loyalists often opposed to Patriots demands. They were rich people, but most of them were ordinary people. They feared the oppression of Patriots. Loyalists hated the militia drafts, they disliked patriots taxes, the oath of legion, they also shut down the newspaper, and they were furious because the Patriots demanded more taxes than the Parliament.

Loyalists opposed to Patriots demands because of everything they have done, they took away many rights and important things to them, so they were furious. They joined or went in favor to the British Parliament, because their propositions were in favor to the Loyalists, and they thought it was going to be a good change if they joined them, and it was going to be better for them and their future.

The Native Americans thought that if the colonist won they would take over their land. And the slaves in the South united to the British cause they promised liberty to the slaves, and Patriots didn't.
Loyalists seek for their liberty back, they didn't like what the Patriots took away from them.

The Second Continental Congress

Everything started in May,1775. The 13 colonies sent delegates to Philadelphia. They formed  a continental army that had blue uniforms , and their commander was George Washington. Virginia was one of the richest and powerful colony,and the army needed their help. The colonists were not ready for war, but they were brave enough to go against England. They assume responsibility for the war, they wanted to fight for their liberty in society.

By July 1775 the Continental Congress sent an Olive Branch Petition to the King. The petition consisted of a letter that represented peace hoping the King would side with them to fight against Parliament. Patriots thought that Parliament was the enemy not the king. The King rejected the Olive Branch Petition and instead he sent more troops to the colonies.  Most colonies supported the Continental Congress but a majority of called the Loyalist would prefer the British Laws. They view the patriots as illegal, brutal and would called them vermin.

Loyalists feared disorder cause they didn't like taxes, but they believed that the king and the Parliament should be obeyed. They feared that resistance would led to a war and cause death. They also doubted that the colonists would fight with the British cause the British were potentially powerful. And the colonists were a lot less powerful than the British. In Summer of 1774 John Adams had a loyalist friend called Jonathan Sewell, and he warned John that if they didn't obey what they imposed they would get in trouble. And John Adams said he would continue with his determination.

The Boston Tea Party

 King George ||| and Lord Townshed needed to raise money for their government, there were debts to be pay, a royal lifestyle to be maintained, and the England population had no more money. After the Stamp Act that was repealed in 1766. The British passed the Townshend Act in 1767, creating new import dutties on everyday items, like glass, paint, lead, paper and tea.The colonits were discontent with the heavy taxes that were being levied on them. So they decided to do a boycott of all British goods.

 Later on they relent and drop the tax except for tea. They decided it was a brilliant idea to tax the colonits again but this time Parliament passed a law to sell the tea directly to the colonists and cheaper. The colonits wouldn't buy it and also protested. In December 16, 1773, the British East India Company sent a ship loaded with tea to Boston Harbor. Boston Patriots dressed as Mohawk indians took control of the Boston harbor through all the tea from the ships into the ocean. They were 342 trucks in all. The British were unable to indentify the guilty ones.

This act of rebellion cause many problems with the British king and the Parliament. They didn't accepted the act of disobedience from the colonists and were furious. So they set some new rules for the colonists called the Intolerable Acts. Parliament passed the Boston Port Act. They closed the harbor until colonists payed the taxes from the Boston Tea Party. The Intolerable Acts lead to the unification of the colonists and started their first continental congress.

Patrick Henry

Patrick Henry was born in May 29, 1736. He was born in Hanover County, Virginia. He was a lawyer and a polititian. He was elected to Virginia House of Burgesses in 1765; Admitted to the Bar of the General Court in Virginia, 1769; Elected to the Continental Congress, 1774; Virginia Militia Leader, 1775; Governor of Virginia, 1776-1778, 1784. He died in June 6, 1799. Henry's reputation as a passionate orator exceeded even Samuel Adams. His Stamp Act Resolutions were the first shot fired in the Revolutionary War.

Young Patrick was a very intelligent person, with a curious personality, everyone knew he was bright but he simply wouldnt lift a finger except for his own pleasure. By the age of 10 his parents knew that he wouldn't be a farmer and they tried to train him toward academic studies.
He would not apply himself to studies either. At age 21 his father set him up in a business that he bankrupted shortly after. He was very pressured by his family, and that maked him get married at 18 years old that caused him to study for six weeks and take the bar exam, which he passed, and begin work as a lawyer. In 1764 he moved to Louisa county, Virginia, where, as a lawyer, he argued in defense of voting rights before the House of Burgesses.

The following year he was elected to the House and soon became its leading radical member. It was that year that he proposed the Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions. Few members of the Burgesses, would argue openly for defiance of Great Britain. Henry argued with remarkable fervor in favor of the five acts. In 1774 he represented Virginia in the First Continental Congress where he continued in his role. At the outbreak of the revolution, he returned to his native state and lead militia in defense of Virginia's gunpowder store. In 1776, Henry was elected Governor of Virginia. He was re-elected for three times and then he was succeeded by Thomas Jefferson. He was again elected to the office in 1784.

Patrick Henry was a strong critic of the constitution proposed in 1787. He was in favor of the strongest possible government for the individual states, and a weak federal government. He was also very critical of the fact that the convention was conducted in secret. President Washington appointed him Secretary of State in 1795, but Henry declined the office. In 1799, President Adams appointed him to France, but failing health required him to decline this office too. He died on June 6, 1799 at age of 63.

Samuel Adams

Samuel Adams was born in Boston on September 27,1722. He died in october 2, 1803. Everybody thinks that Samuel Adams is brother with John Adams but no, they are cousins. John Adams who became the second President of the United States.Samuel Adams graduated in 1743 from Harvard College. He got a Master of Arts degree. After college he entered private business, and throughout this period was an outspoken participant in Boston town meetings.

He was a leader of the fight against British colonial rule, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.Samuel Adams was the leader of the Sons of Liberty, which was formed by patriots. The Sons of Liberty made a torture called Tarring and Feathering to the tax-collectors. This cruel act was done by throwing tea to them and later on feathers.They also grabbed them and put tea bags in their throats.Samuel thought the it wasn't fair that the colonist were taxed like that.The colonists believed that their own elective officials had the right to levy taxes on them.

The colonists didn't wanted one thing, which was representation in parliament. The British opposed to that so that's how everything's started.The British Parliament responded to the Boston Tea Party by passing a set of laws known as the Intolerable Acts. These laws included the closing of Boston Harbor and the restriction town meetings. Adams then urged a general boycott of British trade by the American Colonies. The colonists didn't buy British things anywhere and that was called the economic boycott. Samuel Adams created all this,you just need one person to change a lot of thoughts.