"Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living"

  Hi dear bloggers! it´s me Estefania, I'm back from a trip to Washington D.C. Amazing experience!! Can´t believe I had the opportunity to visit the Capital of the United States of America:) I met wonderful people and unforgettable sights. I'll post a few pictures for you to understand why I said this trip was amazing..                                   

Capitol Hill

The Lincoln Memorial

Iwo Jima Memorial

Georgetown University

Note: I´ll try to upload some more when I have time.

As a reaction for the hostile King of England, Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called “Common Sense”. In here, he wrote ideals for independence, the way colonists dreamed for living and union. Thomas Paine was an immigrant from Britain, who was a tax collector and artisan. He used a simple-forceful and direct language, which showed a radical course. He proposed mainly three things:

a.       Independence of Britain

b.      Republican State Government

c.       Union of the New States

In this document, Paine denounced the King and aristocrats of Britain as parasites and frauds. He wanted the common people to elect all representatives in the Government. He saw wrong that the just because you had a title and richness, you would take decisions for a nation. This people always tried to smother the common people. He argued that in a Republic, people would be reward of earned privileges instead of inheriting them. He saw the King as the main enemy and source of problems for the Colonists.  He said as well, that if they free from the English Empire, they could make business and trading with whoever they desired. These ideals with the influence of the Enlightenment thinkers’ ideals, built a movement for Independence in the America. All this ideals were the based for the Declaration of Independence.

He used a plain language that common people could read, his pamphlet was sold in America and Europe.

The Olive Branch Petition

The Second Continental Congress in May 1775, made the decision of sending the King a petition. In this petition they asked for reconciliation between the Colonies and Britain. They had the hope that the King was unaware of the suffering in the Colonies, and he would ally and defend them from the Parliament’s laws and abuses. They asked the King in this petition if he could abolish the Coercive Acts, taxation and send back to Britain the troops that were in Boston to avoid more wars. They wanted the King to consider peace with the Colonies and eventually, give them freedom and independence.  They had exposed their colonial problems and swore loyalty to the King. Continental Congress after 3 months of discussing the content in the petition they send it in July 1775. It’s named the Olive Branch Petition, because it is symbol of peace, and it was signed by 48 members of the Congress. It was given to Richard Penn from Pennsylvania, who delivered it to Arthur Lee, the agent in England for the Massachusetts Colony. A small fraction of the document said:

“Attached to your Majesty’s person, family, and Government, with all devotion that principle and affection can inspire; connected with Great Britain by the strongest ties that can unite societies, and deploring every event that tends in any degree to weaken them, we solemnly assure your Majesty, that we not only most ardently desire the former harmony between her and these Colonies may be restored, but that a concord may be established between them upon so firm a basis as to perpetuate its blessings, uninterrupted by any future dissensions, to succeeding generations in both countries, and to transmit your Majesty’s name to posterity, adorned with that signal and lasting glory that has attended the memory of those illustrious personages, whose virtues and abilities have extricated states from dangerous convulsions, and by securing the happiness to others, have erected the most noble and durable monuments to their own fame.”

                The letter was going to be given to Lord Darthmouth, the Secretary of State, but he didn’t receive it, neither the King. In August 23, the King rejected this petition and saw the colonists as rebellious. He send more troops to Boston: “to suppress such rebellion, and bring the traitors to justice.” The reaction of the King make a bigger desire for freedom in the Colonies.

The Beginning of the Continental Army

After the Lexington and Concord skirmishes in 1775, the colonists saw that they could have success fighting the British troops. The Massachusetts Committee sent a circular letter to the towns in the province, which said: " We conjure you, by all that is dear, by all that is sacred; we beg and entreat you, as you will answer it to your country, to your consciences, and, above all, to God himself, that you will hasten and arrange, by all possible means, the enlistment of men to form the army, and send them forward to headquarters at Cambridge with that expedition which the vast importance and instant urgency of the affair demands." The letter had a positive effect on the colonists; many volunteer men went to Boston as soon as they could. General Artemas Ward was the chief commander of the gathered volunteers which were like 20,000 men. Ward was a senior who took in charge the local militia and wanted to help with the volunteers for war, but he was aged and didn’t have the military ability or energy to be the chief commander.

The Provincial Congress of Massachusetts agreed that it would be the best for the organization and regulation of the volunteer men for war, if the Continental Congress assumed it. John Adams suggested that the troops had to be adopted and the rest of the Continental Congress accepted. They needed to choose a new chief commander for the troops, and Thomas Johnson, from Maryland, proposed George Washington, from Virginia, for chief commander. By unanimous vote he was chosen in June 15, 1775. Like this the Continental Army was formally formed. The president of the Congress, John Hancock, announced to Washington his new job. George accepted his new task. He formally assumed to be chief commander on July 2, in Boston. His assistants were: his assistants: Artemas Ward, Charles Lee, Philip Schuyler, and Israel Putnam, as major-generals. Seth Pomeroy, Richard Montgomery, David Wooster, William Heath, Joseph Spencer, John Thomas, John Sullivan, and Nathaniel Greene, as  brigadier-generals. Horatio Gates was appointed as adjutant-general.

Lexington and Concord

Patriots’ fight for freedom after the Coercive Acts was more drastic. John Hancock and Samuel Adams as leaders of the colonists, created a Provincial Congress were they gathered to govern Massachusetts without any British Government influence. They had also created a stockpile of fire arms and ammunitions. The British Government saw this as a threat. The Governor in Massachusetts during these events was Lt. General Thomas Gage. He was given with the order to arrest the leaders of the colonists John Hancock and Samuel Adams. Gage kept secret his plans of the capture of the leaders, even from the soldiers.  He also decided to destroy the stockpile of fire arms and ammunitions that was stored in Concord, Massachusetts.

John Hancock and Samuel Adams were told to leave Massachusetts one day before the order was given. They went to Reverend Clarke’s house in Lexington, Massachusetts. On April 18, 1775, by night Gage told his soldiers they were going to leave Boston to arrest the leaders of the Patriots. Half an hour later the secret was spread, colonists knew the plans. William Dawes and Paul Revere immediately make their way to Lexington to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams. When they arrived to Lexington, the colonists were warn and prepared to send the troops back to Boston. The militia of the Patriots, who were fulltime farmers and part-time soldiers got prepared.

When the British troops arrived to Lexington, a group of the militia was waiting for them at Lexington Green.  The British rather than fight they wanted to capture the militia and take their arms. Someone fired a shot and with this the British began shooting. Eight colonists were killed and ten wounded. 

The British were moving to Concord to destroy the weapons. When they approached, at the North Bridge in Concord, they found a group of armed militia. The colonist fought with the British troops and won the short but intensive war. They send the troops back to Boston. The victory of the colonists was called “The Shot Heard Round the World” throughout the world.   

First Continental Congress

In response to the Coercive Acts colonists delegates from every colony, except Georgia, met in Pennsylvania in the Fall of 1744, for the First Continental Congress. In Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the meeting took place. This delegates where elected by the people and committes of correspondence. This congress was where many of the colonists actions against England were decided. The Congress, took weeks for delegates to work together, because colonies had always work separately. All colonies had a common purpose, which was protest against England.

Some of the actions taken by the Congress are:

Galloway Plan of Union- This was proposed by Joseph Galloway a Pennsylvania delegate, who wanted a reconcilation between the Colonies and the Parliament. He wanted them to unite and work together.

Suffolk Resolves- this resolves were proposed by Paul Revere, which had radical ideas against Britain. This were based in many Bostonian ideas.

The Association- The delegates agreed to make a Continental Association, which decided a economic boycott against British. They agreed to not buy, not consume nor import economic items. They do not export neither.

Declaration of Rights and Grievances- This was a recopilation of the colonists' thoughts and complains, which was sent to the King. In this declaration they stated what rights they deserve and how they needed to be treated in the colonies.

Delgates of the First Continental Congress

New Hampshire:	John Sullivan, Nathaniel Folsom
Massachusetts Bay:	John Adams, Samuel Adams, Thomas Cushing, Robert Treat Paine
Rhode Island:	Stephen Hopkins, Samuel Ward
Connecticut:	Eliphalet Dyer, Roger Sherman, Silas Deane
New York:	Isaac Low, John Alsop, John Jay, Philip Livingston, James Duane, William Floyd, Henry Wisner, Simon Boerum
New Jersey:	James Kinsey, William Livingston, Stephen Crane, Richard Smith, John De Hart
Pennsylvania:	Joseph Galloway, John Dickinson, Charles Humphreys, Thomas Miffin, Edward Biddle, John Morton, George Ross
Delaware:	Caesar Rodney, Thomas McKean, George Read
Maryland:	Matthew Tilghman, Thomas Johnson, William Paca, Samuel Chase, Robert Goldsborough
Virginia:	Peyton Randolph, Richard Henry Lee, George Washington, Patrick Henry, Richard Bland, Benjamin Harrison, Edmund Pendleton
North Carolina:	William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, Richard Caswell
South Carolina:	Henry Middleton, Thomas Lynch, Jr., Christopher Gadsden, John Rutledge, Edward Rutledge

Coercive Acts

The Bostonian actions angered the Parliament, so they passed the Intolerable Acts in 1744. The colonists called them the Coercive Acts. The prupose of this Acts was to restore the order in Massachusetts after the Boston Tea Party. Some of the Coercive or Intolerable Acts are: Boston Port Act, Quatering Act, Administration of Justice Act, Quebec Act and Massachusetts Government Act.

Boston Port Act was passed by the Parliament in March 31, 1744. The act stated that the Port in Boston would be closed with no importation and exportation of products, until the accepted to pay the cost of tea they threw to the water in the Boston Tea Party and the damage they did to the customs.

Administration of Justice Act was passed by the Parliament in May 20, 1744. This stated that if a soldier committed a crime or murder then he would be put on trial in England.

Quatering Act was passed in June 2, 1744. British troops went back to the colonies, for them to put in order the angry mobs.

Quebec Act was passed on June 22, 1744 and this act stated that the King would take away some of the colonies land.

Massachusetts Government Act was passed in May 20, 1744. This stated that the colony would be under the control of the Governor, who was choosen by the King. Also they could not have town meetings and assemblies. They lost the right to govern themselves.

This Coercive act lead to a colonial unity, was a way American could unit to beat the British. It brough an American feeling to the colonies and especially in Massachusets. A result of this was the First Continental Congress.

Boston Tea Party

The colonists had done a great job on protesting against taxes and all their different tactics had work. All taxes were repealed in 1770 except for the taxes on tea. Colonists continue using one of their tactics which was economic boycott; this brought financial problems to British merchants. As a result of the tea tax, the colonies refused to buy the British tea. The boycott on tea brought even worse problems to the British East India Company. The British East India Company had controlled all tea trading between India and the British colonies.  Instead, they bought tea from Holland. In order to help the company, the Parliament passed The Tea Act. Allowed the company to sell the tea cheaper, but colonists still abstain from buying.

On December 16, 1773 the Boston Patriots dressed up as Indians and boarded the 3 ships loaded with tea, which came from London to Boston. They dumped the 345 trunks of tea into Boston Harbor. Since the colonists weren't identified because they were dressed up, the British Governor couldn't punish them. 

This act by the colonists wasn't acceptable. The British king and Parliament would place new rules. 

Daughters of Liberty

After many acts passed by the Parliament to increase taxes on the colonies, colonists began together to fight against taxes. The protest against taxes took different forms, one of them was: Economic Boycott. Colonists agreed to abstain from buying and using British articles. As a result of this boycott, a group of brave and respectable women join to support the protest. These women are called: “The Daughters of Liberty”.

Since colonists didn’t buy any more British products, they have to manufacture their own textile and clothes. Here’s where our heroines make their contribution to the boycott. Women colonists used their skills to weave yarn and wool into fabric known as "homespun". Women got together in weaving rooms to homespun the clothes. They also manufactured other goods which were needed by the colonists.

Their contribution to the protest was really helpful and indispensable because without these women, colonists wouldn’t be able to abstain from buying British goods. They are not that recognized as men, but they made a mark on history.

One of the most influential women in this association was Abigail Adams. She was John Adams’s wife, who was one of the most famous leaders in Boston protests and was member of the association called “The Sons of Liberty”. Abigail Adams is best known for the letters she sent to her husband saying him to "Remember the ladies" who died a great contribution to the colonies. She fought for women's equality during the war and was a great leader of the protests.


Here is a letter from Abigail Adams to her husband John Adams.

MARCH 31, 1776

        "I long to hear that you have declared an independency. And, by the way, in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.

        "Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands.

        "Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.

        "That your sex are naturally tyrannical is a truth so thoroughly established as to admit of no dispute; but such of you as wish to be happy willingly give up -- the harsh tide of master for the more tender and endearing one of friend.

        "Why, then, not put it out of the power of the vicious and the lawless to use us with cruelty and indignity with impunity? 

        "Men of sense in all ages abhor those customs which treat us only as the (servants) of your sex; regard us then as being placed by Providence under your protection, and in imitation of the Supreme Being make use of that power only for our happiness."