-
The join or die snake cartoon
The join or die snake cartoon was accompanied by an article about a recent military loss by Benjamin Franklin. The article was meant to warn of the presence of the British in North America. Franklin's art is considered an early masterpiece of political messaging because the eight cut pieces of the snake represented the British colonies. Link - https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-story-behind-the-join-or-die-snake-cartoon -
The bloody massacre
The bloody massacre occurred when crowds finally pushed the British soldiers over the edge. After an unruly crowd taunted British soldiers with snowballs. That's when the standing guard soldiers shot out into the crowd leaving 2 dead and 8 wounded. -
The Boston tea party
During the Boston tea party, 100 colonists dressed as Native Americans dumped 342 chests of tea which is valued at $1.7 million into the Boston harbor. The colonists originally wanted the tea to be sent back to England because it was heavily taxed, but the colonial governor of Massachusetts refused because they wanted to sell and collect taxes on the tea. https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-boston-tea-party -
Common Sense by Thomas Paine
Common Sense is a 47-page pamphlet written by Thomas Paine. Common sense advocated for independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies. Writing clearly that marshaled moral and political arguments to encourage common people in the Colonies to fight for egalitarian government. -
The declaration of independence
The declaration of independence was a document that declared America's independence from Britain. To the American people, this meant that they would be pledging their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor together.