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If you had seen a newspaper in 1776, here are some of the people you might have read about.
Three of them later became presidents of the new nation. Can you pick them out?
▲ Benjamin Franklin was an inventor and a scientist. He was also a Patriot. In July 1776, he helped Thomas Jefferson with the Declaration of Independence. Several months later, Franklin went to France. He asked King Louis XVI for help in the war against the British. After the war, he was named the first American ambassador to France.
▲ In 1776, Nathan Hale was a 21-year-old captain in the Continental Army. He was pretending to be a Dutch schoolteacher when he was caught spying on the British. As he was hanged, he was reported to have said: “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”
▲ The First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia. Representatives complained about Britain interfering with the colonies. Patrick Henry made a strong speech. It ended with these words: “The distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, and New Englanders are no more. I am not a Virginian, but an American.”
▲ Mercy Otis Warren wrote plays that made fun of the British and the Loyalists. The Defeat and The Group were published in newspapers and handouts. Warren also wrote The Blockheads, but didn’t put her name on it.
▲ Thomas Paine was an Englishman. He wrote a little booklet called Common Sense that helped start the revolution. In simple language, it explained why the colonists should want independence. It was very popular. It sold half a million copies in just a few months. George Washington said: “Common Sense is working a powerful change in the ideas of men.”
▲ In 1776, Phillis Wheatley was kidnapped in Africa. She was eight years old. She was taken to the colonies on a slave ship. Boston tailor John Wheatley bought her as a servant. She was taught to read and write. Wheatley wrote patriotic poems that many people read in 1776. One of them praised General George Washington. After he read the poem, Washington asked her to meet him at army headquarters.
▲ Philadelphia lawyer John Dickinson tried hard to bring Britain and the colonists together. He didn’t sign the Declaration of Independence. But he was one of the few Continental Congress members who actually fought against the British.
▲ In 1776, Thomas Jefferson was 33 years old. He was already a political leader. Jefferson was a member of the Virginia legislature, which was called the House of Burgesses. People thought he was a great thinker and writer. So he was asked to write the Declaration of Independence.
Penelope Barker invited 51 women to her home in Edenton, North Carolina. They all signed a paper saying they wouldn’t buy British goods or drink British tea. The Edenton tea party reminded Americans that everyone could take part in political action, even if they couldn’t vote. ▶
◀ George Washington was from Virginia. He first became famous as a military leader during the French and Indian War. People admired his bravery. In 1775, the Continental Congress chose him to lead the Continental Army.
The Adams Family
▲ John Adams supported the Patriot cause. But he defended the soldiers accused in the Boston Massacre. He wanted to make sure they had a fair trial. Adams also helped write the Declaration of Independence.
▲ Abigail Adams ran the family farm while her husband, John, was away. She later became a great and powerful first lady.
▲ Boston patriot Samuel Adams was a cousin to John Adams. He was a fiery speaker. He got many people to support the revolution. He also got them to take action.
