On July 3, 1775, George Washington took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Massachusetts. The appointment came as tensions and hostilities began to rise between Massachusetts and England following the Battles of Lexington and Concord in that April. After vocal appeals from the…
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In the minds of many Americans, July 4th is the nation’s birthday—the date celebrated with fireworks, patriotic speeches, and parades across the country. Yet it was on July 2, 1776, that the Continental Congress formally broke ties with Great Britain by adopting the Lee…
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In a dramatic address that shook the walls of the Massachusetts General Court and reverberated across the Atlantic, James Otis Jr. on Tuesday, June 21, 1768, launched a sweeping denunciation of British authority—accusing Parliament of violating the Constitution and likening taxation without representation to…
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In the sweltering heat of June 1776, the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia and decided to change the course of human events. The delegates, representing the thirteen colonies, faced the monumental task of justifying a rebellion that had already sparked skirmishes and ignited…
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