Chapter IV

INDEPENDENCE Washington’s arrival in Cambridge 155 Continental officers: Daniel Morgan 156 Benedict Arnold, John Stark, John Sullivan 157 Nathanael Greene, Henry Knox 158 Israel Putnam 159 Horatio Gates and Charles Lee 160 Lee’s personal peculiarities 161, 162 Dr. Benjamin Church 163 Difficult work for Washington 164 Absence of governmental organization 165 New government of Massachusetts (July, 1775) 166 Congress sends a last petition to the king 167 The king issues a proclamation, and tries to hire troops from Russia 168-170 Catherine refuses; the king hires German troops 170 Indignation in Germany 171 Burning of Falmouth (Portland) 171 Effects of all this upon Congress 172, 173 Montgomery’s invasion of Canada and capture of Montreal 174, 175 Arnold’s march through the wilderness of Maine 176 Assault upon Quebec (December 31, 1775) 177 Total failure of the attempt upon Canada 178 The siege of Boston 179 Washington seizes Dorchester Heights (March 4, 1776) 180, 181 The British troops evacuate Boston (March 17) 182, 183 Movement toward independence; a provisional flag (January 1, 1776) 184 Effect of the hiring of “myrmidons” 185 Thomas Paine 185 His pamphlet entitled “Common Sense” 186, 187 Fulminations and counter-fulminations 188 The Scots in North Carolina 188 Sir Henry Clinton sails for the Carolinas 189 The fight at Moore’s Creek; North Carolina declares for independence 189 Action of South Carolina and Georgia 190 Affairs in Virginia; Lord Dunmore’s proclamation 190 Skirmish at the Great Bridge, and burning of Norfolk 191 Virginia declares for independence 192 Action of Rhode Island and Massachusetts 192 Resolution adopted in Congress May 15 193 Instructions from the Boston town meeting 194 Richard Henry Lee’s motion in Congress 194 Debate on Lee’s 195, 196 Action of the other colonies; Connecticut and New Hampshire 196 New Jersey 197 Pennsylvania and Delaware 197-199 Maryland 199 The situation in New York 200 The Tryon plot 201 Final debate on Lee’s motion 202 Vote on Lee’s motion 203 Form of the Declaration of Independence 204 Thomas Jefferson 204, 205 The declaration was a deliberate expression of the sober thought of the American people 206, 207