"Common Sense" by Thomas Paine

 
"Common Sense" was a 50 page pamphlet writtern by Thomas Paine in 1776. Ok, you might be wondering why we mention this book: What special role does it have on the American Revolution? It was the first written material which challenged British government authority and the royal monarchy. It had a great impact on the colonies, because every one could read and understand it; even the commoners. This was because it was written in such a plain and direct language and relying on Biblical verses and philosophical ponderings. This book was the first one who openly asked for independence from Engand.

"We have power to begin the world all over again." -Thomas Paine

Click me! For a summary of "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine was born in England, but because of the advise of Benjamin Franklin he moved to America in 1774. He worked in a Philadelphia magazine the first year, but it was in 1776, a few months after the confrontation between militias and lobster backs in Lexington Green and in Concord, which are considered the first events of the American Revolutionary War; when Thomas Paine published "Common Sense". In his work he argued that instead of protesting against taxes colonists should claim total independence from Great Britain. This pamphlet gathered all his ideas about human liberty, he opposed slavery of any kind.

"These are the times to try men´s souls." -Thomas Paine

"Common Sense" made the still undecisive colonists ponder that they had an important issue to discuss in a public way. It even got to start debate between the colonists, but the article not only exposed problems but also offered solutions. For example, for the colonists who were disgusted  because of the tyranny they were governed by he proposed a Republican government. I imagine the courage he had to defy Parliament and the monarch is such a direct way, because of the tensions that had happened between the people living in the colonists and the two power previously mentioned. Going back to this 50 page pamphlet, shorter than most books available in the worldwide market today, made way and greatly influenced the writting of the Declaration of Independence, which was signed by the delegates of the Contintental Congress and other colonial delegates and committee members in July 4, 1776.

Second Continental Congress

On May 10, 1775, delegates from the 13 British colonies met at the State House in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress. On the first Congress of the colonies, the Stamp Act Congress 9 colonies had attended. On the First Continental Congress 12 colonies attended, and now all the colonies were present. Several new delegates, important characters in the American history, were present. This included John Hancock from Massachucetts, Bejamin Franklin from Pennsylvania, and Thomas Jefferson from Virginia. When the Second Continental Congress the confrontation in Lexington Green between militia and lobster backs had happened, in which 8 lobster backs had been killed. The other confrontation in Concord when the lobster backs were going back to Boston, also with the militia, had also recently occured, in which 200 lobster backs had been killed and wounded.
Video: Reenactment of Lexington Green battle:

The first thing that was done on the Second Continental Congress was to take responsability for war. They created what is known as the Continental Army in case they needed to meet the military threat of the British government. They named George Washington as the supreme commander of the Contintental Army, and he even chose to serve without pay. Another thing they did in July, was to approve the Olive Branch Petition which was direction to the king of that time, King George III. With this petition they attempted a peaceful resolution  and declared their loyalty to the Crown. The King, though refused to receive this petition and declared that the colonies were in a state of rebellion in the month of August. The colonists felt disappointed, they had previously believed that only Parliament was against them and now they knew it was also the King.

George Washington hired Hessian mercenaries to keep the colonists, which were opinions against Parliament were in majority stronger than ever. The colonists were beginning to feel part of another nation, or country not anymore members of Britain. Patrick Henry was one of the first colonists who had called the 13 colonies as America , back in the First Continental Congress. With time, cries of independence were beginning to be heard. The members of the Congress were even getting accused of treason against Parliament. They could just hope that all would end well and kept on governing.

First Continental Congress

The First Continental Congress formed shortly after the imposing by Parliament of the Coercive Acts, from September 5, 1774 to October 26, 1774. Philadelphia was the host of this Congress, specifically in Carpenter's Hall. Delegates from 12 colonies were sent, leaving only Georgia out. This delegates were elected by the people on the colonies: through the colonial legislature or the Committees of Correspondence of the colonies. Their goal was to unite to show some authority to England, but the delegates had been sent with different ideas outbursting their in their minds. For example, delegates from Pennsylvania

and Carpenter´s Hall nowadays New York wanted to seek a resolution with England, while others wanted coonial parity or even separation from England. Even with all this mixture of ideas they all had a common goal: they had to make the King and Parliament understand their grievances.

Some of the most known delegates were:

Massachusetts Bay: John Adams, Samuel Adams.
Virginia: Patrick Henry

The first weeks of the First Continental Congress were spent in debating and proposing. The colonists had for long been independent entities from England and they would not let them have too much control over them at the moment. One of the ideas they had on the First Continental Congress was A Plan of Union to Great Britain. This was proposed by Joseph Galloway from Pennsylvania. This plan consisted in that the colonists would elect a Grand Council for all the colonies, who would be an equivalent of the British Parliament and thus a continental represenant of the King. This plan was idea, for the colonist because their greatest desire was to have representation in Parliament. This seemed a good plan, but later on it was discarded after the passing of the Suffolk County resolves ; which were radical resolves for resistance against the Coercive Acts and British authority, even a suggested Massachucetts to appoint military officers.

Unity of Colonies would result in U.S.A.!

Resolutions, such as one that stated that colonists should begin training their citizens for war were approved. The delegates also attempted to define America's rights, such as liberty, and to place limits on Parliament's power such as the previous described Plan of Union showed. They took care to discuss the tactics they would use to resist the harsh acts the British Parliament was imposing. For this purpose they made a pact that agreed on non-importation of British goods in an attempt to resist Great Britain. This pact would come into effect the 1 of December of 1774 if Parliament didn't take away the Coercive or Intolerable Acts. After the First Continental Congress, tensions between the colonists and England increased, but unity between the colonists increased.

Coercive Acts

 

The Coercive Acts, also known as the "Intolerable Acts" as nicknamed by the colonists, were passed by British Parliament as a response to the Boston Tea Party. British Parliament was clearly surprised by this bold act of rebellion from the colonists, and they had to do something to control them and restore order in Boston.

There were 5 Coercive Acts, which were:

1) Boston Port Act: The Boston Port Act was imposed on March 31, 1774. It demanded that Boston Port would remain closed until the colonists payed for the damage caused after the Boston Tea Party. Of course the colonists were against this act, first of all they didnt want to pay the taxes and they were expected to repair the damages caused by a rebellion against taxes.

Administration of Justice Act: was it
really just?

2) Administration of Justice Act: This act was imposed on May 20, 1774, and was only applied in the colony of Massachucetts. It imposed that the British officals were from that moment on immune to criminal prosecution. It authorized the governor of Massachucetts to move trials of royal officials that were accused of crimes to England or another of the colonies if he believed that the accused person would not received a fair trial.This act is often known as the Murder Act because the colonists feared that royal officials would take advantage of this to escape punishment from committing capital offenses.

3) Massachucetts Government Act: It came into effect on May 20, 1774. This law repealed the colony's charter and gave English crown major control. Previously, the colony had elected members of it executive council, but thi Act took away that right and gave the king the absoulte power of appointing the members of this council. Town meeting were prohibited without the approval of the governor, except for one annual meeting. As you see, this taking away of the colonist's democratic power was a giant reason to fuel the colonist's anger.



Colonist has to quarter British soldiers
in her house

4)Quartering Act of 1774: This was the second Quartering Act that was imposed on colonies, but this time it had a different meaning. This law called colonists to provide members of the British troops with supplies and housing, in other words to quarter them, as a last resort on their private homes. In the first Quartering Act, the Quartering Act of 1765, the colonists had to quarter the soldiers who were protecting their land, but now they had to quarter people who were guarding that the law's set by Parliament was being accomplished.

5)Quebec Act: This was imposed on the date of June 22, 1774. This act involved Canada, but it joined the colonial Coercive Acts. This act extended the freedom of worship to the Catholics of Canada, and it also granted Canadians with the continuation of their judicial system. It is considered a Coercive Act because the colonists were mainly Protestants and they didnt like the idea of Catholics worshiping freely on their land.

FACT: Tarring and Feathering. Loyalists could be punished by Patriots by Tarring and Feathering a torture method in which they threw hot tar at the victim, subsequent to the throwing of feathers, and forcing hot tea down the throat.