Answer: Washington CHAPTER 6 • SECTION 4 trapped the British the British forces, decided to withdraw his troops. On March 17, over 7,000 in Boston by placing British soldiers departed Boston in more than 100 ships. Boston Patriots cannon captured from Fort Ticonderoga on joyfully reclaimed their city. Although the British had damaged homes and Dorchester Heights. destroyed possessions, Boston was still standing. The British would never Rather than fi ght, the return. British agreed to leave Teach Boston peacefully. CAUSES AND EFFECTS Explain how the British were forced to leave Boston. Rebellion Becomes Rebellion Becomes Revolution Revolution KEY QUESTION What ideas can be found in the Declaration of Independence? As the British evacuated Boston, Americans debated the crisis. Most Think, Pair, Share Americans hoped to avoid a final break with Britain. However, the • What are the main points of Common Sense? publication of a pamphlet titled Common Sense helped convince (all monarchies are corrupt, all men should be many Americans that it was time to fight for independence. able to vote, there are economic benefits to Common Sense Changes Minds Common Sense had been written being free of Britain) by Thomas Paine, a recent immigrant from England. Paine was con- sidered a political radical. He believed that all men, not just land- • Why did colonial leaders choose Thomas owners, should have the right to vote. He also ridiculed the idea that Jefferson to write the Declaration of kings ruled by the will of God. Calling George III “the Royal Brute,” Independence? (He was a good writer and Paine argued that all monarchies were corrupt. He also disagreed with was from Virginia—an advantage to getting the economic arguments for remaining with Britain. “Our corn,” he said, support from this key colony.) “will fetch its price in any market in Europe.” He believed that America • Sequence Events List the events should follow its own destiny. leading to the adoption of the Declaration PRIMARY SOURCE of Independence. (Possible Answer: May: Everything that is right or natural pleads for separation. The blood of Continental Congress authorizes individual “ the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, “ ‘Tis time to part.” Even governments for each colony; June: Lee the distance at which the Almighty had placed England and America is a proposes that each colony is now a state free strong and natural proof that the authority of the one over the other was from Britain, committee appointed to write never the design of heaven. Declaration, Jefferson starts writing; July: —Thomas” Paine, Common Sense Congress accepts Lee’s resolution, adopts Declaration) Common Sense was an instant success. Published in January, it sold more (above) political writer than 100,000 copies in three months. Americans were beginning to under- Thomas Paine (below) stand that it was time to fight for independence. the pamphlet, Common More About . . . Sense, that moved A Time for Decision The Continental Congress remained undecided. A many colonists toward majority of the delegates did not support independence. Even so, in May revolution Common Sense 1776, Congress adopted a resolution authorizing each of the 13 colonies to establish its own government. Some historians credit Common Sense, On June 7, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced a key resolution. more than any other document, with It called the colonies “free and independent states” and declared that “all generating popular support for the political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is . . . totally Declaration of Independence. About dissolved.” Congress debated the resolution, but not all the delegates were Common Sense Benjamin Rush said it was ready to vote on it. “read by public men, repeated in clubs, In the meantime, however, Congress appointed a committee to draft a spouted in schools. . . .” John Adams, however, attacked its ideas as either 180 Chapter 6 “honest ignorance or knavish hypocrisy.” DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION More About . . .

Thomas Paine Inclusion Pre-AP Thomas Paine was born in England in 1737 Create an Illustration for Paraphrase the Declaration of and came to America in 1774. He wrote Common Sense Independence articles condemning slavery and supporting Assign each passage of the Declaration women’s rights. In 1776, Paine published Review the passage in the text that of Independence to students and have Common Sense. He joined the Continental describes some of the ideas that Thomas them paraphrase it in standard modern Army, and from 1776 to 1783 he published Paine promoted in Common Sense. Then English. Have students post their 16 more pamphlets entitled The American have students choose one idea and draw passages in order. Then ask students to Crisis. They were wildly popular, but Paine an illustration and caption for it. Have make any necessary corrections to ensure refused to accept any profits. He wanted students share their work with the class proper grammar, style, and usage. cheap editions to be available to ordinary and explain the visual elements they people. chose to include.

180 • Chapter 6 Declaration of Independence . The committee included Benjamin Franklin, CHAPTER 6 • SECTION 4 John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson. The group chose Jefferson to compose the Declaration. Two reasons for selecting Jefferson were that he was an excellent writer and that he came from Virginia. The members knew that no independence movement could More About . . . succeed without Virginia’s support. Jefferson immediately went to work. In two weeks, he had prepared most Preserving Historical Documents of the Declaration. (See pages 184–188.) On July 2, 1776, Congress consid- ered Lee’s resolution again. Despite some opposition, the measure passed. The original copy of the Declaration of The colonies now considered themselves independent from Great Britain. Independence is on display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. During the Revolutionary War, the Declaration moved COMPARING Symbols of Freedom frequently with the Continental Congress. During its travels, it was unrolled and re- REVOLUTIONARY FLAGS rolled many times. As early as 1817 it was During the Revolution, Patriot militiamen created elaborate flags to represent noticed that signatures had begun to fade. their colony and military traditions. Often these flags were carried into battle. However, for years it was still exposed to sunlight and humidity.

Regiments from South Carolina Recently, a team of experts completed adorned their flag with a a thorough restoration of this historic crescent. Another version had This flag was carried to document. Using a microscope, they the Battle of Bunker Hill by the word “Liberty” stitched in Massachusetts militiamen the crescent. reattached tiny flakes of ink, repaired small in 1775. The Liberty Tree tears, and cleaned off dirt. Now, future represented freedom in generations can continue to view the the colonies. Declaration of Independence—one of the This flag, created in 1775, Charters of Freedom. was adorned with the British Union, as well as 13 red and white stripes.

This flag was carried to COMPARING Symbols of Freedom Boston by Rhode Island militiamen in 1775. Revolutionary Flags This was the flag of Gadsden, South Carolina’s Continental Here are some interesting facts about flags: Navy. The snake was a • Flags as we know them were likely first warning to those who would used centuries ago in ancient China or The North Hampton County tread on liberty. Militia adorned its flag with India. 13 white stars, a blue field, • Vexilology is the study of the history of and 13 red and white stripes. flags. Create a Revolutionary Flag • The Second Continental Congress passed Create a flag that might have been carried in the a law on June 14, 1777, establishing the CRITICAL THINKING Make Inferences Why did some Revolution. Use symbols to represent your state Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the Patriot flags include British symbols? What does that tell you about or hometown. some colonists’ desire for independence? United States. Ask students what they think the colors The Road to Revolution 181 of the U.S. flag stand for. (Although there is no official meaning attached to the DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION colors of the U.S. flag, the Secretary of the Continental Congress noted they had the following significance: Red—hardiness and Struggling Readers English Learners valor; white—purity and innocence; blue— vigilance, perseverance, and justice.) Design a Pamphlet Cover Comprehension: Task Support Have students design a cover for Have pairs of students read the CRITICAL THINKING ANSWER a Revolutionary pamphlet—either Comparing Symbols of Freedom feature Make Inferences Possible Answers: Common Sense or a title they invent. together, identifying the various symbols Some colonists may have wanted to Remind them that the cover should on the flags. Have students make acknowledge their British origins; this display the title of the pamphlet and drawings of the flags with labels for may indicate that some people felt torn should grab the attention of the reader. each symbol (Liberty Tree, crescent, about separating from Britain. Students might include slogans, symbols, stripes, stars, field, snake, and so on). or illustrations in their designs. Encourage students to also pay attention to words on the flags, such as “Hope” and “Don’t tread on me,” and to explain what they think those mean.

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