greykit.essays — #1770s
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1777-11-15
[american-founding]
The Articles of Confederation
The first federal constitution of the United States — a league of sovereign states whose weaknesses prompted the Convention of 1787.
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1776-12-23
[american-founding]
The American Crisis
Paine's thirteen wartime Crisis papers (and A Crisis Extraordinary) — "These are the times that try men's souls.
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1776-07-04
[american-founding]
The Declaration of Independence
The thirteen colonies' unanimous declaration dissolving allegiance to the British Crown.
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1776-06-12
[american-founding]
The Virginia Declaration of Rights
Mason's declaration of inherent rights — a direct model for the Declaration of Independence and the federal Bill of Rights.
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1776-04-01
[american-founding]
Thoughts on Government
Adams's blueprint for republican government — a bicameral legislature, an independent judiciary, and annual elections — written as a letter and taken up by several state constitutions.
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1776-01-10
[american-founding]
Common Sense
Paine's incendiary case for American independence and against monarchy and hereditary rule.
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1775-07-06
[american-founding]
Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms
Congress's July 1775 declaration justifying armed resistance a year before independence — "resolved to die freemen rather than to live slaves.
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1775-03-23
[american-founding]
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death
Henry's call to arm the Virginia militia against Britain, closing on the most quoted sentence of the Revolution.
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1774-10-14
[american-founding]
Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress
The colonies' first united statement of grievances and of the rights they claimed as Englishmen, on the eve of the Revolution.