Lisa Learns Aloud

Category: history

  • July 4th, 1776

    July 4th, 1776

    250 years ago 56 men committed high treason.

    They were privileged, wealthy, and owned property. Their families were prosperous. As British subjects, they would have continued to be so.

    They risked everything, as they pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor.

    The penalty was not just death by hanging. They would have been hanged until not quite dead, disemboweled while alive, cut into quarters, and their remains would have been scattered. No final resting place. Their families penniless and shamed. Many did die, lost children or wives. They were hounded and tortured when caught. It was because they believed in these words.

    “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 sentence launched a country, a purpose, community, shared values, and a radical experiment with a less than 10% chance of succeeding.

    But let’s back up. How did this document get drafted? If you’re like me, it takes 1,000 words to come up with 35 that are not nearly as eloquent as this one.

    The seeds were planted years earlier, the Tea Party, safety committees, delegations, pamphlets, rebellion, skirmishes, and colonial congresses. I’m going to fast-forward:

    June 7, 1776

    Virginia Delegate, Richard Henry Lee, introduces a resolution at the Continental Congress in Philadelphia that stuns the delegates, even though the idea had been bandied about previously.

    “Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”

    Along with the resolution was a suggestion to create a plan of confederation, distributed and adopted by the Colonies.

    Even though the King had already declared the colonies in open rebellion, this was a definitive step to independence.

    Congress began a full debate on the subject and in the end tabled the issue to July 2nd, letting some less enthusiastic delegates to decide before voting on the resolution. The New York delegation, in particular, was asking their members to withhold approval. The hesitancy riled up a contingent of the population in favor of independence to assault and even jail loyalists.

    June 11, 1776

    A delegation of 5 members were appointed to draft a statement for independence. Three we know well. John Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, along with Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston.

    Congress also creates a Board of War, begin drafting Articles of Confederation, and consider negotiations of treaties with foreign powers. The Virginia Convention votes on a Bill of Rights, which will be used in the future for state and national constitutions.

    June 20, 1776

    The Connecticut General Assembly renounce allegiance to King George III and vote for independence.

    June 28, 1776

    The drafting committee of the Declaration of Independence, charge Thomas Jefferson with presenting the document to congress for debate and adoption. The issue is tabled again.

    July 1, 1776

    Congress debates the Lee resolution. Many delegates are still hesitant to take such a drastic step. They knew declaring independence would brand them traitors. Open rebellion against the King might have an off-ramp. Once they voted for independence, there would be no going back, it meant success, or death.

    Imagine the weight of this decision, contemplating treason. Caution was understandable. I often wonder about the men who didn’t dither. The 56. Were they reckless? Rebellion, war, creating a new country out of whole cloth? That’s a young man’s game. The average age of the signers was 44. Ben Franklin was 70. In the eighteenth century, life expectancy was 44. You might be more willing to throw caution to the wind when you’ve already beat the odds.

    July 2, 1776

    13 colonies voted. 12 yeas with 1 abstention. *New York had not yet received instruction from the state convention. They would approve the resolution on July 9th.

    “Resolved, that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown…”

    And so the process begins.

    July 3, 1776

    The Independence Day that Wasn’t or That Time When John Adams was Wrong.

    Excerpts from John Adams letter to his wife Abigail.

    “Yesterday the greatest Question was decided, which ever was debated in America, and a greater, perhaps, never was or will be decided among men”

    “You will see in a few days, a Declaration setting forth the Causes, which has impelled us to this mighty Revolution and the Reasons which will justify it, in the Sight and God of Man

    “The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.—I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance, by Solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be Solemnized with Pomp and Parade with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”

    He had all but the date wrong.

    Congress now convened to debate and revise the language of the document.

    July 4, 1776

    Debate continues, and finally the language was agreed upon and approved by vote. Congress orders the document “authenticated and printed”.

    The first copy of The Declaration of Independence was printed as a broadsheet in a Philadelphia shop owned by John Dunlap. Copies were made to send to conventions, state congresses, committees, and commanding officers along with other colonial offices.

    No one signs The Declaration on the 4th. The bill approving the document was signed by John Hancock, President of Congress, and Charles Thompson, Secretary of Congress. There is no official document to sign. As the last act of the day, Congress forms a committee to design a seal for the United States of America. In retrospect, the day would be anti-climactic.

    As the day ends, they have set in iron ink the Words Heard Round The World.

    In the days to follow, The Declaration is read aloud throughout the colonies. In New York City, the statue of King George III, majestic astride his horse was torn down, the lead melted for ammunition.

    July 19, 1776

    The Declaration, having been drafted, approved, disseminated, and read throughout America, was ordered to be printed on parchment and signed. The date they set is August 2, 1776.

    Timothy Matlock prints the official Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia.

    250 Years Later

    July 4, 2026

    In contemplating this history, this founding, we do not have to gloss over the moral failings of these men, which by today’s standards are abhorrent.

    The document they signed, was a promise, a pledge. It doesn’t matter that they did not live up to those words. They risked everything for them.

    Today, we still do not live up to those words. They are a promise, yes, but also a challenge. We can always do better, we can be better.

    Those five words, all men are created equal, give us our charge, and we can strive to live up to that promise because we are Americans.

    If you have read this far, thank you. Get off your phone, grab a beer and for God’s sake be careful with the fireworks.

    Lisa

    Declaration of Independence by American Artist John Trumbull. commissioned 1817, purchased 1819, date of creation 1818, placed in U.S. Capitol rotunda 1826

    Information in this post was compiled from the following sources.

    The War of the American Revolution Day by Day Volume One – The Rev. Frederick Wallace Pyne, Ph.D

    Massachusetts Historical Society

    National Archives

  • Memorial Day, Dr. Joseph Warren, and the Checks That Were Cashed.

    Memorial Day, Dr. Joseph Warren, and the Checks That Were Cashed.

    Please take a moment at 3:00 PM on Monday, May 25 to honor all those who sacrificed their lives for the freedoms we often take for granted.

    Memorial Day’s first incarnation was created in 1868. On Decoration Day, the custom of placing flowers and other decorations on graves was adopted as a remembrance of all Americans killed during the Civil War, both Union and Confederate. It was expanded and adopted by states up to and until 1971, when the Uniform Monday Holiday Act established it as the last Monday in May. This year, the holiday has added significance as we celebrate America’s 250th birthday.

    Since before July 4, 1776, men and women, volunteered or conscripted, have written America a blank check, payable to us, not only in defense of American freedoms but in defense of other countries as well. One of the first patriot martyrs was Dr. Joseph Warren.

    Joseph Warren was born 1741 in Massachusetts. He attended Harvard College. Upon graduating he taught for a year then went back for a post-graduate degree in Master of Arts. For his thesis, he argued in defense against the proposition that all disease was caused by obstruction of bodily vessels. His argument went against medical consensus at the time, a practice we are horrified by today, bloodletting by way of leeches. He was progressive, both as a doctor, and politically. Living in Boston, he joined the Freemasons, where he met Paul Revere, who was also a Mason, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock.

    In the two decades leading up to the Revolutionary War he became a leader of the Sons of Liberty, wrote articles under the pseudonym A True Patriot, and delivered speeches in commemoration of the Boston Massacre. He drafted the Suffolk Resolves, to advocate for resistance to British Parliament’s Coercive Acts, was appointed president of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, and was a top member of the Committee of Correspondence. Well regarded and respected, he was able to develop a spy network, receiving information that the British were going to raid the munitions’ depot in Concord and possibly arrest Samuel Adams, and John Hancock. He recruited Revere and Dawes for the midnight rides to warn that the British were on their way.

    The morning troops marched toward Concord, Joseph followed and as the British were in retreat after the skirmish on the green, he led the militia harassing the retreating British. A musket ball nearly killed him that day, striking his wig. His activities were becoming more dangerous, and his mother reportedly begged him to stop risking his life. Joseph answered,

    “Wherever danger is near, dear mother, there will your son be. Now is no time for one of America’s children to shrink from the most hazardous duty. I will either set my country free or shed my last drop of blood to make her so.”

    Dr. Warren was commissioned as Major General on June 14, 1775. During the next few days, patriots built a fort of earth on Breed’s Hill, just south of Bunker Hill. Arriving in Charlestown as a General, Joseph Warren was expected to direct and organize troops. Newly commissioned, he decided the other officers were more experienced, and he fought as a private on Breed’s Hill. The patriots rebuffed the British twice as they made their way up the hill. During the fight, Joseph rallied his brother patriots, shouting more than once,

    “These fellows say we won’t fight. By heavens, I hope I shall die up to my knees in blood.”

    The third assault resulted in a retreat by the defenders, during which Joseph Warren was shot and killed.

    The British took the hill and buried him in a shallow grave. Accounts from British soldiers described them exhuming his body, desecrating and mutilating it while gloating over his death. General Thomas Gage was said to have declared his death worth that of 500 ordinary rebels.

    Dr. Joseph Warren was viewed by many Americans as a martyr. Paul Revere spent months searching for his friend’s grave, finally identifying him by dental work Revere himself had done. He was interred, then re-interred twice more, at St. Paul’s Church in Boston and his final resting place in the family vault in Forest Hill Cemetery, Boston.

    A widower, Joseph’s fiancée, Mercy Scollay, raised his four children with assistance from Benedict Arnold, John Hancock, Sam Adams and the Continental Congress. Joseph Warren’s younger brother, John, also served in the war and went on to found Harvard Medical School.

    Across the United States today, Towns, counties, streets, and statues, memorialize his contributions in being instrumental to the birth of the United States of America.

    His death was memorialized in a painting called The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker’s Hill, June 17, 1775, by John Trumbull.

    Information in this post was compiled from the following sources. Read more about our first patriot martyr below.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Warren

    https://www.nps.gov/people/dr-joseph-warren.htm

    https://www.drjosephwarren.com/

  • The First Skirmish

    The First Skirmish

    Throughout the early morning of April 19, 1775, a British column marches from the swampy banks of the Charles River, through rain and chill, toward Concord. Their mission is to confiscate arms, munitions, and supplies stored in the town by patriots. After capturing Paul Revere, they realize the mission is no longer covert.

    The patriots, led by Captain John Parker, had the luxury of time due to the warnings from Revere, Dawes, and Prescott. Minute Men, trained and paid by provincial congresses, safety committees, and towns, drilled regularly. A few of the officers, including Captain Parker, had fought in the French and Indian War, and they trained their troops in the British style of column fighting. The more informal militia trained less often. Parker was a farmer, local leader, and militia captain.

    As the British column made its way toward Lexington, it split. An advance guard of light infantry, numbering about 250 men, was led by the second-in-command, Major John Pitcairn. The major was well respected and liked in Boston by locals and patriots alike. He was described as even-tempered and had a reputation for de-escalating conflicts. He led his detachment to Lexington Green, while the main contingent, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith, continued toward Concord and the primary mission of confiscating supplies.

    Expecting a quick operation, the British column would have been lightly supplied. The men, weighed down by sodden wool uniforms, were muddy, tired, and hungry. Throughout the march, a persistent wave of alarm bells and signal guns preceded them—a noise carried on the night air that announced their no-longer-covert mission. Their simple task had become annoyingly public.

    By 5:00 a.m. on April 19, the rain had stopped, and the sky had cleared to a cool morning. Major Pitcairn reached Lexington Green, where he found Captain Parker and the militia arrayed opposite them.

    Parker reminded his troops to hold their fire in order to conserve their limited arms and ammunition. Pitcairn shouted commands for the militia to lay down their arms and disperse. After-action reports note his increasing volume and belligerence as he called insults across the field. Parker ordered his men to disperse rather than fire first. A shot rang out, and its reverberation changed history.

    Major Pitcairn called for his troops to hold, but the British responded with a volley that killed eight militiamen and injured ten. Only one British soldier was slightly wounded. In the aftermath, the British continued on to Concord.

    Militia companies began arriving in Concord, and their numbers swelled to about 400. A contingent of British guarded the North Bridge while the rest of the force searched the area—including homes and farms—for munitions. Captain Isaac Davis’s company responded after seeing smoke, thinking the town was burning.

    Around 10:00 a.m., the two sides met again at the bridge. The British fired first, and the militia, commanded by senior officer Major John Buttrick, gave the order to return fire. This was the first time the patriots were called upon to fire in formation. Three British soldiers were killed and nine injured. The British then ordered a retreat back across the bridge. Two patriots were also killed. This was the first victorious action for the militia, but it came at a price.

    Captain Davis, a 30-year-old gunsmith and farmer, father of four and husband to his young wife Hannah, marched without hesitation. As he left, he reportedly told his wife goodbye and asked her to take good care of the children.

    The British retreated into Concord as more militia continued to pour into town, their strength now between 500 and 600. Lt. Col. Smith realized the situation had deteriorated, and he prepared for a retreat back to Boston.

    Smith was described as a portly commander—cautious and deliberate—but he had underestimated the rebels. His company would have been decimated without the relief column led by Brigadier General Hugh Percy. Despite the missteps, General Gage defended Smith, who was later promoted to brigadier general.

    Lord Percy was an aristocrat and a field commander (he would eventually become the 2nd Duke of Northumberland). He and his 1,000 troops raced from Boston to provide cover for Smith’s retreat. Percy organized a fighting withdrawal as the confident militia—now numbering around 3,000—began attacking from covered positions behind walls, houses, and trees. This was one of the first battles to feature the colonists’ informal style of fighting. The British suffered heavy casualties. Major Pitcairn’s horse was shot out from under him, and he later complained about losing a pair of prized pistols when the baggage was abandoned.

    At 8:00 p.m., the British limped into Charlestown, protected by the guns of the Royal Navy. Percy’s discipline saved the British from outright disaster, but they had lost men and equipment in the humiliating retreat.

    Aftermath

    British casualties: 73 killed, 174 wounded, 53 missing/captured.
    Patriot casualties: 49 killed, 39 wounded, 5 missing.

    The news spread through the colonies, and the newly confident militia mustered 15,000–20,000 men. The siege of Boston—and the war—had begun.

  • Paul Revere’s Ride

    Paul Revere’s Ride

    “Listen, my children, and you shall hear / Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

    Unarguably, one of the most familiar stories of the American Revolution began 251 years ago this evening; Paul Revere’s daring ride to warn militias along the road to Lexington that a contingent of British soldiers were headed to Concord. The story might not have become legend had Longfellow not memorialized Revere’s ride in his famous poem 85 years after the events began on April, 18th, 1775. Historical fiction embellishes, and the poem, geared toward children, with its lyrical, rhyming cadence was like an after-school special based on real events, or a top-ten Billboard single. The true story is not as simple, nor without danger and intrigue.

    Paul Revere, as a silversmith, was one of the Mechanics, who were a small, secret group of tradesmen and artisans somewhat flying under the radar of the British, as well as a member of the Sons of Liberty. The Sons operated out in the open as activists. The British thought them an annoying gang of rabble rousers. The Mechanics (also known as Liberty Boys) were a small group of tradesmen and artisans. The Mechanics were respected members of the community, allowing them to be in a position to form an intelligence network for the burgeoning revolution. The group patrolled at night as a neighborhood watch, spying on troops, noting their movements, and putting themselves in positions to overhear information, which was funneled to the Provincial Congress and Dr. Joseph Warren of the Committee of Safety.

    In mid-April, the revolutionaries developed information that the British were preparing a covert operation to confiscate weapons, ammunition, and supplies from the militia’s stockpile at Concord. As the British operation commenced, Dr. Warren alerted Revere, who had arranged for the signal in the church belfry in case his ride was disrupted. One if by land, two if by sea. The British decided to cross the Charles River by boat, rather than moving through the narrower land route. As the signal was set, Revere began the dangerous crossing in the shadow of a warship. William Dawes left by traversing the narrow strip of land through the British checkpoint.

    Once on shore, Revere confirmed the backup signal had been seen, and then borrowed a horse beginning his ride to Lexington, rousing patriots along the way. In Lexington, Revere, Dawes, and other riders spread out, carrying the alarm, and the militia organized to meet the British. Revere was caught on the way to Concord as Dawes escaped. Neither man reached Concord.

    The British company of 700 weren’t nimble. They arrived in Concord almost 7 hours after Revere and Dawes. This gave the patriots time to move their supplies and muster a response. The British underestimated the Sons of Liberty, Liberty Boys, and patriots. It wouldn’t be the first time they did so.

    Revere was captured, and with a gun to his head confessed riders had already dispersed to warn Concord. He was taken back toward Lexington and released after soldiers heard gunfire. Convinced Revere told the truth, they confiscated his mount and released him. He walked to Lexington, witnessed the skirmish at the green later that morning, accompanying John Hancock and Samuel Adams from Lexington. Dawes escaped capture, was thrown from his horse and though uninjured, didn’t make Concord either.

    So yes, Paul Revere has gotten all the credit, but it was still a dramatic and dangerous night, ushering in the first official confrontation of the American Revolution.

    Lisa
  • Red Lines and Scottish Rebels

    Red Lines and Scottish Rebels

    The American Revolution day by day. May and June 1775. Red Lines and Scottish Rebels.

    One of the things becoming apparent is that although the colonies were separately working to form militias and safety committees, it was the Carolinas—North and South—that were among the first to adopt declarations moving toward independence. In May 1775, North Carolina adopted the Mecklenburg Resolves. These resolutions challenged royal authority in the colonies, declaring that anyone who accepted a royal commission would be considered an enemy of the people. It was a clear red line.
    The Governor of North Carolina, along with some other high-ranking British authorities, relocated to British ships anchored offshore for their own safety. The Provincial Congress of South Carolina also asserted solidarity with the other colonies. So the Carolinas were leading the early push in that direction.

    A theory of mine (from too many viewings of Braveheart and Outlander) is:
    At the time, a significant number of Scots were living in North and South Carolina. The Scots’ history and experiences under British rule had been tumultuous. They already knew what it was like to live under the thumb of the British. Those experiences probably made them suspicious of British rule—they didn’t want to live under it again and were unwilling to put up with the restrictions the British were imposing.

    Lisa
  • Before it was a War

    Before it was a War

    One of the more interesting observations as I read the day to day events leading up to declaring independence is the timing of events in the colonies. By 1775, the Boston massacre (1770) and the Boston tea party (1773) along with other fuses, put the colonies in a revolutionary mood. The first battle was Lexington and Concord, which I’ll cover later. Events in the days before that first battle played out in Connecticut and Massachusetts. What’s striking is word of the battle wouldn’t hit Pennsylvania, the Carolina’s or Georgia for 3-14 days, yet decisions to create safety committees, militias and the first small steps of the individual colonies to distance themselves from the crown all seem to be happening at once. 250 years later, it feels and looks coordinated, but it wasn’t really happening that way. It was more like a patchwork quilt. 1770-1775 were the squares as each colony formed a kind of shadow government and it wouldn’t be until summer of 1775 for more formal coordination to occur.

    Lisa
  • America 250

    America 250

    In honor of our 250th anniversary,

    I am reading a day by day account of the revolutionary war. History doesn’t happen linearly but simultaneously. Washington was doing his thing here, Madison there, Jefferson, and Franklin.

    I’m starting with April 18th, 1775, hopefully reading at least one entry every day. My goal is to read through 1778 (appx 500 pages) by December 31, 2026. I’m going to make you suffer along with me by occasionally posting a quote or thought from my journey.

    Lisa