Thomas Paine’s The American Crisis: A Rallying Cry That Changed History
On December 19, 1776, as the War for Independence stood on the brink of collapse, Thomas Paine published The American Crisis. Beginning with the immortal line of “THESE are the times that try men’s souls,” it was no mere essay – it was a...
Before Boston: The Tea Revolt That Began in Philadelphia
The Boston Tea Party is arguably the best-known event leading up to the war for independence, but a number of leading Revolutionaries, including Benjamin Rush and John Adams, held that it actually started in Philadelphia. Resolutions adopted during a Philadelphia town...
The Forgotten Declaration that Explained the War for Independence
We are “resolved to die freemen rather than live slaves.” These powerful words, penned by Thomas Jefferson and John Dickinson, hold a prominent place in the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms, approved unanimously by the Second Continental...