America's break with Britain divides families and friends
<p><span word="On">On</span> <span word="July">July</span> <span word="fourth">fourth</span>, <span word="seventeen">seventeen</span> <span word="seventy">seventy</span>-<span word="six">six</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Second">Second</span> <span word="Continental">Continental</span> <span word="Congress">Congress</span>, <span word="meeting">meeting</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Philadelphia">Philadelphia</span>, <span word="approved">approved</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Declaration">Declaration</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Independence">Independence</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="country">country</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="America">America</span>, <span word="was">was</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="war">war</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="former">former</span> <span word="colonial">colonial</span> <span word="ruler">ruler</span>, <span word="Britain">Britain</span>. <span word="Yet">Yet</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="everyone">everyone</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="former">former</span> <span word="colonies">colonies</span> <span word="agreed">agreed</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="decision">decision</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="declare">declare</span> <span word="independence">independence</span>.</p><p><span word="No">No</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="knows">knows</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="sure">sure</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="Americans">Americans</span> <span word="remained">remained</span> <span word="loyal">loyal</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Great">Great</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span>. <span word="John">John</span> <span word="Adams">Adams</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Massachusetts">Massachusetts</span> <span word="political">political</span> <span word="leader">leader</span>, <span word="thought">thought</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="third">third</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="colonists">colonists</span> <span word="supported">supported</span> <span word="independence">independence</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="third">third</span> <span word="supported">supported</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="third">third</span> <span word="supported">supported</span> <span word="neither">neither</span> <span word="side">side</span>.</p><p><span word="Today">Today</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="historians">historians</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="twenty">twenty</span> <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="colonists">colonists</span> <span word="supported">supported</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span>. <span word="Some">Some</span> <span word="colonists">colonists</span> <span word="supported">supported</span> <span word="whichever">whichever</span> <span word="side">side</span> <span word="seemed">seemed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="winning">winning</span>.</p><p><span word="As">As</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="thirty">thirty</span> <span word="thousand">thousand</span> <span word="Americans">Americans</span> <span word="fought">fought</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="war">war</span>. <span word="Others">Others</span> <span word="helped">helped</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="reporting">reporting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="movements">movements</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="troops">troops</span>.</p><p><span word="Who">Who</span> <span word="supported">supported</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span>? <span word="These">These</span> <span word="groups">groups</span> <span word="included">included</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="appointed">appointed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="jobs">jobs</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="king">king</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="included">included</span> <span word="leaders">leaders</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Anglican">Anglican</span> <span word="Church">Church</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="business">business</span> <span word="connections">connections</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="British">British</span>.</p><p><span word="Professor">Professor</span> <span word="Gordon">Gordon</span> <span word="Wood">Wood</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Brown">Brown</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Rhode">Rhode</span> <span word="Island">Island</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="colonists">colonists</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="minority">minority</span> <span word="groups">groups</span> <span word="remained">remained</span> <span word="loyal">loyal</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="king">king</span>.</p><p>"<span word="One">One</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="problems">problems</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="revolution">revolution</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="emerged">emerged</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="quickly">quickly</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tyranny">tyranny</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="majority">majority</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="founders">founders</span>, <span word="revolutionary">revolutionary</span> <span word="leaders">leaders</span>, <span word="had">had</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="anticipated">anticipated</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="we">we</span>'<span word="re">re</span> <span word="seeing">seeing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="problems">problems</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="emerge">emerge</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="overthrow">overthrow</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="authoritarian">authoritarian</span> <span word="leader">leader</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="you">you</span>'<span word="re">re</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="relatively">relatively</span> <span word="democratic">democratic</span> <span word="society">society</span>. <span word="Then">Then</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="protecting">protecting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="minority">minority</span> <span word="becomes">becomes</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="problem">problem</span>.”</p>
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