The American Revolution

CHAPTER IV

Chapter 4346 wordsPublic domain

INDEPENDENCE

Washington's arrival in Cambridge 155

Continental officers: Daniel Morgan 156

Benedict Arnold, John Stark, John Sullivan 157

Nathanael Greene, Henry Knox 158

Israel Putnam 159

Horatio Gates and Charles Lee 160

Lee's personal peculiarities 161, 162

Dr. Benjamin Church 163

Difficult work for Washington 164

Absence of governmental organization 165

New government of Massachusetts (July, 1775) 166

Congress sends a last petition to the king 167

The king issues a proclamation, and tries to hire troops from Russia 168-170

Catherine refuses; the king hires German troops 170

Indignation in Germany 171

Burning of Falmouth (Portland) 171

Effects of all this upon Congress 172, 173

Montgomery's invasion of Canada and capture of Montreal 174, 175

Arnold's march through the wilderness of Maine 176

Assault upon Quebec (December 31, 1775) 177

Total failure of the attempt upon Canada 178

The siege of Boston 179

Washington seizes Dorchester Heights (March 4, 1776) 180, 181

The British troops evacuate Boston (March 17) 182, 183

Movement toward independence; a provisional flag (January 1, 1776) 184

Effect of the hiring of "myrmidons" 185

Thomas Paine 185

His pamphlet entitled "Common Sense" 186, 187

Fulminations and counter-fulminations 188

The Scots in North Carolina 188

Sir Henry Clinton sails for the Carolinas 189

The fight at Moore's Creek; North Carolina declares for independence 189

Action of South Carolina and Georgia 190

Affairs in Virginia; Lord Dunmore's proclamation 190

Skirmish at the Great Bridge, and burning of Norfolk 191

Virginia declares for independence 192

Action of Rhode Island and Massachusetts 192

Resolution adopted in Congress May 15 193

Instructions from the Boston town meeting 194

Richard Henry Lee's motion in Congress 194

Debate on Lee's 195, 196

Action of the other colonies; Connecticut and New Hampshire 196

New Jersey 197

Pennsylvania and Delaware 197-199

Maryland 199

The situation in New York 200

The Tryon plot 201

Final debate on Lee's motion 202

Vote on Lee's motion 203

Form of the Declaration of Independence 204

Thomas Jefferson 204, 205

The declaration was a deliberate expression of the sober thought of the American people 206, 207