April 1776 – Our History Matters
General Washington won his first victory, and it felt like a miracle. After he built fortifications and placed cannon on Dorchester Heights, overlooking the city, the British sailed away and abandoned Boston. They have taken their army and all the civilian Loyalists who wanted to leave and sailed to Nova Scotia, which is a part of Canada. It is April 1776, and the Continental Army is in control of an empty city.
The pamphlet “Common Sense,” written by Thomas Paine, is still circulating throughout the colonies. In it, he says, “The sun never shined on a cause of greater worth. Everything that is right or reasonable pleads for separation.” It is encouraging a complete break from England. Washington said, “By private letters which I have received from Virginia, I find ‘Common Sense’ is working a powerful change there in the minds of many men.” Most colonial assemblies are discussing independence and are considering self-governing constitutions. The tide of separation is rolling throughout the colonies.
On April 12th, the Halifax Resolves were adopted in North Carolina. These are very significant because this is the first time delegates to the Continental Congress have been instructed by the people they represent to vote for independence. The people in North Carolina are pushing for complete separation from England. They are the first to instruct their delegates to the Continental Congress to vote for independence. It is the first official colonial endorsement of complete separation from England. The corner has been turned. No one is talking about working with England anymore. The road to independence has become straight and wide, but it is a war.
April marks the transformation from rebellion to complete revolution by the colonies. The high-water mark had been eclipsed; there is no turning back. England is preparing to send more naval ships and troops to support the British army for another attack on the colonies. England is not giving up; it does not want to lose its economic engine in America. They will continue to fight to keep their colonies across the ocean.
General George Washington has begun marching his army to New York, where he expects the British to attack next. The army is in a good mood. They have been stationary around Boston for a year, and it feels good to be marching again. The soldiers in the ranks have no idea where they are going, but they are still glad to be going somewhere. New York will be a hard city to defend, surrounded by rivers on two sides and a large harbor. Whoever controls the water will control the city, no matter how many defenses they build. General Washington knows that the English navy is the largest in the world, and they will be coming.
