Influences for Independence

By julia.godinich
  • 1776 BCE

    Common Sense by Thomas Paine

    Common Sense by Thomas Paine was published on February 14, 1776 in Philadelphia and became extremely popular, selling over 500,000 copies. Due to its wide distribution, many people listened to what it was suggesting: freedom and a path forward in fairness and equality, and all they had to do was to fight for their independence. Common Sense convinced many reluctant colonists to join the revolution and fight for their rights.

  • Join or Die

    On May 9, 1754, Benjamin Franklin published a Join or Die woodcut that depicted a snake (representing the colonies) chopped up with the message underneath saying Join, or Die. The picture showed the colonists the fatal repercussions if they didn't join the rebellion and pushed many to join them. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-story-behind-the-join-or-die-snake-cartoon

  • The Boston Tea Party

    On December 16, 1773, American colonists dumped 342 chests of tea worth 1.7 million dollars into Boston Harbor in protest of the British tea tax. In response, the British passed laws called the "Intolerable Acts" to punish the rebellious colonies. The Boston Tea Party and the Intolerable Acts passed in response escalated the conflict between the British and the colonies and was a key push for the revolution. https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-boston-tea-party

  • The Bloody Massacre

    While colonists were protesting in the evening on March 5, 1770 in Boston, conflicts rose as gunshots rang, and three Americans were dead while eight were wounded. This event stirred rebellious sentiment amount anti-British and helped grow the rebellion. https://www.masshist.org/database/2?ft=Boston%20Massacre&from=/features/massacre/visual&noalt=1&pid=34

  • Declaration of Independence

    The Declaration of Independence was mainly written by Thomas Jefferson and was made in Independence Hall, Philidelphia. It was signed on July 4, 1776. The importance of the Declaration was that the voice of the people was being heard, and it stated that it was right to stand up against the British. This gave the colonies the confidence that they were doing the right thing, and so long as they were fair, they would succeed. https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript