A declaration seeking life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
<p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="week">week</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="series">series</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="continue">continue</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="story">story</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="Revolution">Revolution</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="seventeen">seventeen</span> <span word="seventy">seventy</span>-<span word="five">five</span>. <span word="Colonists">Colonists</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Massachusetts">Massachusetts</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="fought">fought</span> <span word="battles">battles</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="troops">troops</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="towns">towns</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Lexington">Lexington</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Concord">Concord</span>. <span word="War">War</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="declared">declared</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="citizen">citizen</span> <span word="soldiers">soldiers</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="thirteen">thirteen</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="colonies">colonies</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="ready">ready</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="fight">fight</span>.</p><p><span word="Who">Who</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="organize">organize</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="colonists">colonists</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="army">army</span>?</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="faced">faced</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Second">Second</span> <span word="Continental">Continental</span> <span word="Congress">Congress</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="delegates">delegates</span> <span word="met">met</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="May">May</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Philadelphia">Philadelphia</span>, <span word="Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="delegates">delegates</span> <span word="decided">decided</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="man">man</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="job">job</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="George">George</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="experience">experience</span> <span word="fighting">fighting</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="French">French</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Indian">Indian</span> <span word="War">War</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="seemed">seemed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="colonist">colonist</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="military">military</span> <span word="commander">commander</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="delegates">delegates</span> <span word="elected">elected</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="commander">commander</span>-<span word="in">in</span>-<span word="chief">chief</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Continental">Continental</span> <span word="Army">Army</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="accepted">accepted</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="position">position</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="leading">leading</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="army">army</span>.</p><p><span word="George">George</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span> <span word="left">left</span> <span word="Philadelphia">Philadelphia</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="Massachusetts">Massachusetts</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="command">command</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="July">July</span> <span word="third">third</span>, <span word="seventeen">seventeen</span> <span word="seventy">seventy</span>-<span word="five">five</span>. <span word="Jayne">Jayne</span> <span word="Gordon">Gordon</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Massachusetts">Massachusetts</span> <span word="Historical">Historical</span> <span word="Society">Society</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span> <span word="looked">looked</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="impressive">impressive</span>.</p><p>"<span word="He">He</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="tall">tall</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="elegant">elegant</span>, <span word="very">very</span> <span word="well">well</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="together">together</span>. <span word="It">It</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="interesting">interesting</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="command">command</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Continental">Continental</span> <span word="Army">Army</span>, <span word="many">many</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="England">England</span> <span word="soldiers">soldiers</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="quite">quite</span> <span word="sure">sure</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="man">man</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="was">was</span>, <span word="after">after</span> <span word="all">all</span>, <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Virginia">Virginia</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="England">England</span>. <span word="Washington">Washington</span> <span word="won">won</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="over">over</span>. <span word="His">His</span> <span word="conduct">conduct</span>, <span word="his">his</span> <span word="grace">grace</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="discipline">discipline</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="extremely">extremely</span> <span word="important">important</span>."</p>
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