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# The Declaration of Independence ## Paine's Argument Paine’s essay argued in clear and forceful language for the colonies becoming independent states and breaking all political ties with the British monarchy. He argued that it was contrary to common sense for a large continent to be ruled by a sm...

# The Declaration of Independence ## Paine's Argument Paine’s essay argued in clear and forceful language for the colonies becoming independent states and breaking all political ties with the British monarchy. He argued that it was contrary to common sense for a large continent to be ruled by a small and distant island and for people to pledge allegiance to a king whose government was corrupt and whose laws were unreasonable. ## The Declaration of Independence After meeting for more than a year, the congress gradually and somewhat reluctantly began to favor independence rather than reconciliation. On June 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced a resolution declaring the colonies to be independent. Five delegates including Thomas Jefferson formed a committee to write a statement in support of Lee’s resolution, which was drafted by Jefferson. The declaration listed specific grievances against George III’s government and also expressed the basic principles that justified revolution: - **We hold these truths to be self-evident**: - That all men are created equal; - That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; - That among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. The congress adopted Lee’s resolution calling for independence on July 2; Jefferson’s work, the Declaration of Independence, was adopted on July 4, 1776. # The Revolutionary War From the first shots fired on Lexington green in 1775 to the final signing of a peace treaty in 1783, the American War for Independence, or Revolutionary War, was a long and bitter struggle. As Americans fought, they also forged a new national identity as the former colonies became the United States of America. About 2.6 million people lived in the 13 colonies at the time of the war. Maybe 40 percent of the population actively participated in the struggle against Britain. They called themselves American Patriots. Around 20 to 30 percent sided with the British as Loyalists. Everyone else tried to remain neutral and uninvolved. ## Patriots The largest number of Patriots were from the New England states and Virginia. Most of the soldiers were reluctant to travel outside their own region. They would serve in local militia units for short periods, leave to work their farms, and then return to duty. Thus, even though several hundred thousand people fought on the Patriot side in the war, General Washington never had more than 20,000 regular troops under his command at one time. His army was chronically short of supplies, poorly equipped, and rarely paid. ## African Americans Initially, George Washington rejected the idea of African Americans serving in the Patriot army. However, when the British promised freedom to enslaved people who joined their side, Washington and the congress quickly made the same offer. Approximately 5,000 African Americans fought for the Patriots.