jan 4, 1776 - July 4th 1776 - Declaration of Independence

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Common Sense: Thomas Paine, an English immigrant, wrote and published Common Sense in 1776, which was a very powerful pamphlet expressing the first American cry for independence from Britain. More than 150.000 copies were sold throughout the American colonies, and people started to have a different conception of what independence meant. Before Common Sense, people in the colonies had never officially formulated any ideas or expressed any real thoughts regarding independence, so this definitely marked a turning point for American history.
Governments in Colonies. In May of 1776, the Second Continental Congress authorized all colonies to establish their own Governments. In June, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia suggested that the colonies should declared themselves “free and independent from Britain.” This was passed in June 2, but in June 4, the Declaration of Independence became the official document which formally stating that the American colonies had declared themselves independent.
Declaration of Independence: The Continental Congress appointed a committee of 5 key figures to draft the document. Thomas Jefferson did most of the writing but was supported by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert Livingston and Roger Sherman.
Triggers: The American Revolution was triggered by several events, such as the British attempt to control all trade, all the taxation without representation, the violence, the fact that the Parliament was not hearing nor representing the people in the colonies. Additionally, the American Revolution was also carried out of personal interests of some key figures, including George Washington, who was a significant landowner against the regulation the British had imposed in which they prohibited expansion toward the west lands.
Contradictions: The most significant contradiction highlighted by the African American poet, Phillis Wheatley, who stated that it was very hypocritical for the writers of the Declaration of Independence to claim they wanted to break free from a tyranny while at the same time, wishing to enslave people.

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