After the ambushes of the British army on April 19, 1775, it was evident that SOMETHING was happening, but what exactly wasn’t at all clear. There was no tradition of Peasants Revolts overthrowing Kings and no successful examples of colonies gaining independence. And, although the Second Continental Congress met shortly in Philadelphia and assumed some of the functions of a government, including appointing George Washington to command the Continental Army, there was no sense that they were creating a new country or demanding independence.
The first months of the war saw some serious fighting. The June 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill was one of the war’s bloodiest, with1000+ British casualties and 400+ Americans, and in July 1775, the Congress authorized an invasion of Quebec to “liberate” the 14th colony. (Montreal was captured but the invasion forces failed at Quebec).
The first statement of colonial resistance, the Hanna’s Town Resolves, was passed shortly after Lexington and Concord in a small town in southwestern Pennsylvania. But while the Resolves pledged to resist English tyranny, thy did not call for independence.
It was a very long step from “Rebellion” to “Independence” and in the summer of 1775 into the fall, there was no support for the latter step. Most believed that the purpose of the rebellion was to demand their rights as Englishmen under the British Constitution. In fact, many colonists believed the King was a good and decent man but that his will was being usurped by evil advisors.
On July 5, 1775, Congress dispatched the “Olive Branch Petition” to King George III, saying:
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…. We therefore beseech your Majesty, that your royal authority and influence may be graciously interposed to … settle peace through every part of our Dominions, with all humility submitting to your Majesty’s wise consideration.
Obviously, many attitudes had changed by July of the following year. The behavior of the British army played a part. Many colonists were angered when the British increased raids and confiscations and encouraged Loyalists to take up arms against their neighbors.
A key step in changing colonists’ minds was the King’s August 23, 1775, proclamation that Colonies are in a “State of Sedition and Rebellion.” The Olive Branch Petition had obviously not been accepted.
Perhaps the most important step in persuading colonists to back independence was taken in January 1776. Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” was undoubtedly the most influential pamphlet ever published. Paine argued that the Monarchy would not change and gave reasons why Britain’s American Colonies should declare independence. It argued for unity, the natural rights of man, and the necessity of forming a new, democratic nation.
He argued that “The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind” and that “We have it in our power to begin the world over again.”
The pamphlet was an immediate best seller and was enormously influential. In proportion to the population, it is the best-selling American book ever, with estimates of 75,000 or more copies sold in the first year. Whereas Paine found in early 1775 that the peoples’ “attachment to Britain was obstinate, … and their single object was reconciliation,” this sentiment had shifted in favor of independence within a few weeks after the pamphlet was published. All that was needed was political resolve and someone to explain the Colonies’ position.
