1776

“Every Machiavellian policy is now to be vindicated towards the people of America.” 

Various opinions were expressed as the British Parliament discussed the potential of war with the colonies. Some were loath to fight their “brethren,” fearing it would lead to civil war or otherwise ruin Britain. Some cautioned that the British Empire could not afford to lose America, given its wealth and resources. Others, however, insisted the rebellion must be quelled with strong and decisive action, a position vehemently supported by George Johnstone in the above quotation.

“It was not difficult to distinguish him from all the others. His personal appearance is truly noble and majestic, being tall and well-proportioned.” 

Continental Army surgeon James Thacher wrote this in his journal upon seeing General George Washington for the first time. McCollough pays particular attention to how others perceived Washington as an individual and as a leader; this quote reflects the awe and respect he inspired in his troops.

“Upon the whole, I cannot help saying—although I have never entered the mysteries of government, having applied myself to my shop and my business—that it is always seemed strange to me that people who contend so much for civil and religious liberty should be so ready to deprive others of their natural liberty.” 

Theophilus Lillie was a merchant from Boston who published this remark in a newspaper to criticize the revolution and the battles it waged in cities even though not all colonists wanted independence from Britain. McCollough presents a more rounded history of the war by including such passages, which provide a glimpse into the Tory and loyalist perspective.

“The sun never shined on a cause of greater worth.” 

Thomas Paine published Common Sense in January 1776, months prior to the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. The pamphlet advocated independence from Britain. It was instantly incendiary, pushing the topic of independence into everyday conversation. This quote from the pamphlet positions independence as an indisputably worthy cause, and that conviction is partly what bolstered the Continental Army as the war kicked off.

“Everything that is right or reasonable pleads for separation.” 

This is another excerpt from Common Sense that argues American independence was worthy and just. Washington himself considered the pamphlet a harbinger of change, sensing that its rhetoric was swaying the minds of many colonists to favor independence.

“The future happiness or misery of a great population of the human race is a stake—and if we make a wrong choice, ourselves and our posterity must be wretched.” 

Henry Knox explains what was at stake for the Americans in their war for liberty. Good judgment and strategy were paramount because defeat was intolerable, as it would mean continued subjugation under British rule.

“Remember officers and soldiers that you are free men, fighting for the blessings of liberty.” 

With British troops landing on Long Island on August 22, 1776, Washington spoke to his troops to rouse their spirits, reminding them of what they were fighting for. The idea that nothing was more powerful than free men fighting for their liberty—for their autonomy, their land, their home—was used to keep morale high and spirits dedicated time and again.

“These are the times that try men’s souls.” 

This quote comes from The American Crisis, a pamphlet series written by Thomas Paine between 1776 and 1783. Paine published these pamphlets during the war years whenever the colonists needed inspiration or confidence. Here he acknowledges that the war was wretched and uncertain, emphasizing with fear before reasserting the worthiness of the cause.