American Revolution
Patrick Henry’s Virginia Resolves of 1765: Spark of the Revolution
“Not bound to yield obedience.” That was no mere slogan. It was a warning – and a call to action printed across the colonies in 1765. The British had just passed the hated Stamp Act. But in Virginia, a 29-year-old freshman legislator named Patrick...
Virginia Association of 1769: A Step Toward Continental Unity
In May 1769, Virginia took a decisive step beyond carefully worded protests by launching an organized and strategic boycott against British goods. Led by George Washington and George Mason, the Virginia Association adapted northern resistance models to fit local...
The Tea Act of 1773 Was a Test of Obedience
On May 10, 1773, the British Parliament passed the Tea Act. To the average observer, it seemed like a break. Cheaper tea. A financial rescue for the struggling East India Company. A convenient solution. But to the American Revolutionaries, it was a trap. And Benjamin...
No Deal for Gun Control: North Carolina and the “Wicked Rebellion” Against the British
NO DEAL – That was the response from the Sons of Liberty and other North Carolina patriots in 1776 to a British “offer” – surrender your guns, abandon your allies, give up your right to local self-government – in exchange for a promise of...