The American Revolution - OverSimplified (Part 1)

Summary

The script humorously recounts Christopher Columbus's misadventures, leading to the discovery of America instead of India. It then fast-forwards to the 18th century, detailing the build-up to the American Revolutionary War, including British taxation without representation, the Boston Massacre, and the Boston Tea Party. Key figures like George Washington and events such as the First Continental Congress and the Battle of Bunker Hill are highlighted. The narrative culminates in the Declaration of Independence and subsequent British retaliation, showcasing the resilience of the Continental Army and the struggle for American freedom.

Takeaways

• 🛳️ Christopher Columbus set sail in 1492 with the intention of finding a new trade route to India but instead landed in Central America.
• 🏴‍☠️ Columbus's voyage led to the discovery of a new continent, which he exploited for gold and other resources, marking the beginning of European colonization.
• 🗺️ The subsequent European powers' race to explore and conquer the New World resulted in territorial claims and conflicts, including the involvement of George Washington.
• 🏛️ Britain's victory in the Seven Years' War left them in significant debt, leading to the imposition of various taxes on the American colonies to recoup the costs.
• 📜 The Stamp Act introduced by Britain was met with fierce resistance from the colonists, who protested due to the lack of representation in Parliament.
• 🚫 The colonists' boycott of British goods and the economic impact eventually forced Britain to repeal the Stamp Act, but they continued to assert their control through other taxes.
• 🗣️ The Boston Massacre in 1770 further fueled anti-British sentiment and was used as propaganda by the Patriots to rally support for their cause.
• 🍵 The Boston Tea Party in 1773, where the Sons of Liberty dumped tea into the harbor, was a direct act of defiance against British taxation and control.
• 🤝 The First Continental Congress convened to discuss a response to British actions, bringing together influential figures like George Washington and Samuel Adams.
• 🎯 The American Revolutionary War began with the 'shot heard 'round the world' in Lexington, marking the start of open conflict between the colonies and Britain.
• ⚔️ Despite initial British victories, the colonists' resilience and the support of foreign powers like France and Spain eventually turned the tide in favor of the American cause.

Q & A

What was the main goal of Christopher Columbus' voyage in 1492?

The main goal of Columbus' voyage was to find a new trade route to India by sailing westward.

What did Columbus discover instead of India?

Instead of India, Columbus discovered a previously unknown continent, which is now known as the Americas.

What significant event did Columbus initiate upon his return from the New World?

Upon his return, Columbus initiated a period of theft and murder spree, where he stole gold, jewelry, people, and other items like tobacco, pineapples, turkeys, and a hammock.

Which European was the first to land in America before Columbus?

Leif Erikson, a Viking, was the first European to land in America in the 11th century.

What was the primary motivation for European powers to explore and conquer the New World after Columbus' discovery?

The primary motivation was the abundance of gold and other valuable resources found in the New World.

Why did the British send George Washington to confront the French in North America?

The British sent George Washington to confront the French because the French built forts in a disputed area, which angered the British.

What was the outcome of the Seven Years' War in relation to North America?

The outcome of the Seven Years' War resulted in Britain gaining Florida from Spain and France giving up all its territories in North America.

What was the main reason Britain introduced the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act?

Britain introduced the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act to raise money to repay the massive debt incurred from the Seven Years' War.

What was the British response to the colonists' protests against the Stamp Act?

The British initially repealed the Stamp Act due to the economic toll the protests took on British businesses, but they continued to assert their control by levying new taxes.

What event is referred to as 'the shot heard round the world' and why is it significant?

The event referred to as 'the shot heard round the world' is the first shots fired in Lexington, marking the beginning of the American War of Independence.

What was the British strategy during the early stages of the American Revolutionary War?

The British strategy was to intimidate and wear down the American forces by building up their presence, waiting, and using psychological tactics like suggesting the Americans sue for peace.

How did Thomas Paine's 'Common Sense' contribute to the American Revolution?

Thomas Paine's 'Common Sense' was a pamphlet advocating for total independence from Great Britain, which spread widely and helped bring the idea of independence into the mainstream, influencing Congress to consider and eventually declare independence.

What was the significance of the capture of Fort Ticonderoga by the Americans?

The capture of Fort Ticonderoga was significant because it provided the Americans with a large amount of guns and ammunition, which were crucial for their continued resistance against the British.

What was the turning point for the American colonies in deciding to pursue independence from Great Britain?

The turning point was the publication and widespread acceptance of Thomas Paine's 'Common Sense', followed by the unanimous vote by Congress in favor of independence on July 2nd, and the official Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson.

Outlines

00:00

😮 Columbus' Misadventure and the Discovery of America

The script humorously recounts Christopher Columbus' journey to find a new trade route to India but instead discovers a new continent. Columbus' arrival in Central America in 1492 is depicted as a time of theft and violence, where he took gold, jewelry, and even people back to Spain. The script also mentions the Vikings' earlier arrival in America but pivots to a modern-day advertisement for the game 'Viking's War of Clans.' It then describes the ensuing European colonization and conflict, leading to the involvement of George Washington and the start of a seven-year global conflict won by Great Britain, which resulted in significant debt for Britain.

05:02

🤑 British Taxation and Colonial Unrest

This paragraph details Britain's financial struggles after winning the seven-year war, leading to the imposition of taxes on the colonies without representation. The Sugar Act and the Stamp Act are highlighted as particularly contentious, with the latter requiring a tax stamp on all legal documents. The colonists' reaction to these acts included protests, boycotts, and the harassment of those loyal to Britain. The British eventually repealed the Stamp Act but continued to assert control, leading to further unrest and the Boston Massacre, which intensified colonial anger and resistance.

10:03

🔥 The Road to Revolution: Tensions Rise and the First Shots Fired

The script moves on to describe the escalation of tensions between the British and the American colonies, culminating in the Boston Tea Party, a significant act of protest against British rule. The British retaliate harshly, leading to the convening of the First Continental Congress. Key figures such as George Washington and Samuel Adams are introduced. The British military actions, including the movement of troops and the siege of Boston, are outlined. The script also covers the appointment of George Washington as Commander-in-Chief and the early military engagements of the Revolutionary War, setting the stage for the conflict that would lead to American independence.

Keywords

💡Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, opening the way for the widespread European exploration and the eventual conquest of the Americas. In the video, Columbus is depicted as discovering a new continent by accident while trying to find a new trade route to India, which is a humorous take on his historical significance and the impact of his voyages on the world.

💡New World

The term 'New World' refers to the Americas, which were 'new' to the Europeans who discovered them in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. In the video, the 'New World' is the landmass that Columbus encounters, and it sets off a chain of events leading to European colonization and conflict over the land.

💡Vikings

The Vikings were seafaring people from the late eighth to early 11th century, originating from the Nordic regions. They were known for their raids and explorations. The script humorously mentions that Leif Erikson, a Viking, was the first European to land in America, predating Columbus, and uses this as a segue to promote a Viking-themed mobile game.

💡George Washington

George Washington was a Founding Father of the United States and the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. In the video, he is depicted as an upcoming British lieutenant-colonel sent to confront the French, which humorously foreshadows his later role in American history.

💡Boston Massacre

The Boston Massacre was a fatal riot that occurred on March 5, 1770, during which British soldiers killed five colonists in Boston. The video uses this event to illustrate growing tensions between the colonists and the British, which contributed to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War.

💡Sons of Liberty

The Sons of Liberty were a secret society of American patriots that formed in the Thirteen American Colonies to protect the rights of the colonists and to fight against the abuses of the British government. In the video, they are shown as instigators of the Boston Tea Party, a key event leading to the war.

💡Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea Party was a political protest by the American colonists against the British government and the East India Company that controlled all the tea imported into the colonies. In the video, the Sons of Liberty, disguised as Native Americans, dump tea into the harbor as a protest against British taxes, which is a pivotal moment leading to the war.

💡Minutemen

The Minutemen were American militiamen who were ready to fight at a minute's notice during the early stages of the American Revolutionary War. In the video, they are depicted as local militias preparing for conflict, symbolizing the readiness of the colonies to defend themselves against British rule.

💡American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence, was a conflict between Great Britain and thirteen of its North American colonies, which had declared themselves the independent United States of America. The video outlines the events leading up to the war, including the battles of Lexington and Concord, which marked the beginning of the war.

💡Lexington and Concord

The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. The video describes these battles as the confrontations where the 'shot heard round the world' was fired, marking the start of the war and the colonists' resistance to British rule.

💡Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine was an influential writer, pamphleteer, and political philosopher who wrote 'Common Sense,' advocating independence from Great Britain for American colonists. In the video, Paine's publication is depicted as a catalyst for widespread support of the idea of independence, which is a simplification of his actual impact on American thought and the push for revolution.

💡Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence is the document in which the Thirteen Colonies declared their independence from the British Crown. The video mentions Thomas Jefferson's authorship of the declaration and its significance in solidifying the colonies' break from Britain, marking the birth of the United States.

Highlights

Christopher Columbus's misadventure of not reaching India but discovering a new continent instead.

Columbus's arrival in Central America in 1492 and the subsequent exploitation and violence.

Introduction of previously undiscovered items to Europe such as tobacco, pineapple, turkeys, and hammock.

Historical correction that Leif Erikson, not Columbus, was the first European to land in America.

Promotion of the mobile game 'Viking's War of Clans' inspired by classic strategy games.

The French and English territorial disputes leading to the construction of forts and conflicts.

George Washington's involvement in the early stages of the conflict between the French and English.

The Seven Years' War resulting in Britain's victory but at a high financial cost.

Britain's financial crisis leading to the imposition of taxes on the American colonies.

The introduction of the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act as means to recoup war expenses.

Colonists' resistance to the new taxes, highlighting the lack of representation in Parliament.

The Boston Massacre and its role in escalating anti-British sentiment among the colonists.

The Boston Tea Party as a significant act of protest against British rule and taxation.

Formation of the First Continental Congress with notable figures like George Washington and Samuel Adams.

The beginning of the American Revolutionary War with the battles of Lexington and Concord.

Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys' successful capture of Fort Ticonderoga.

Washington's strategic use of artillery to force the British out of Boston.

Thomas Paine's influential pamphlet 'Common Sense' advocating for American independence.

The drafting and adoption of the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson.

The British military buildup and their arrival in New York, marking a turning point in the war.

Washington's retreat from New York and the challenges faced by the Continental Army.

Transcripts

*Fancy music*

"Hooooooly smokes!"

Christopher Columbus!

That is no way to address the King and Queen of Spain! What is wrong with you?"

"Ok. Ok!"

"So you know how we're looking for a new trade route to India, right?" "Right"

"And the earth is round, right?" "Right."

"So I'm thinking we can just sail the oooother way around the planet, right?" "Yeah?"

"So I set sail, right?"

"Mhm?"

"And I reach India, right?"

"Righ-" "Wrong!"

"W R O N G!"

"I did NOT reach India."

"I did NOT!"

"Alright-" "NO"

"Alright, get to the point."

"DID YOU KNOW"

"There's a whole another freaking continent out there!"

"Okay. And do you think I should care about this, why??

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I forget to mention? There's GOLD EVERYWHERE!"

"Gold?"

AAHHHHH!

Columbus landed in Central America in October 1492

and he had the time of his life.

And by that, I mean, he went on a huge theft and murder spree.

He stole gold, jewelry, people, and a hammock.

And then he returned to show off all of his riches,

Including a few previously undiscovered items, such as tobacco, the pineapple, turkeys, and a hammock.

Now I know what you're thinking.

"But OverSimplified, Columbus didn't discover America, the Vikings did!"

And you'd be partially right.

In the 11th century, Leif Erikson was the first European to land in America.

But hey, if you love Vikings so much, then why don't you...

check out today's sponsor?

Viking's War of Clans is a mobile game that was inspired

by the famous strategy and RPG games of the 90's

like Age of Empires and Civilization

Do you like building cities? Collecting resources? Training armies? Joining a clan and going to war?

Then my friends, Viking's War of Clans is for you.

And what makes its world so addictive is that

more than twenty million online players are constantly changing the way the game evolves

by never-ending fighting over resources, forging new alliances, and competing in live events.

Support my channel by downloading Vikings for free only from my links in the description box below

and get the special bonus of 200 gold coins and a protective shield.

Don't forget to look me up and join my Vikings clan under my nickname, "OverSimplified"

Now, where was I?

Oh, yeah.

Columbus, time of his life,

hammock.

And suddenly the race was on to explore and conquer the New World.

After a couple centuries of warring with the natives and each other,

the European powers had claimed quite a lot of land,

including this area which both the English and the French claimed is theirs.

One day, the French said, "I'm gonna build some forts along here."

And the English were like, "Could you not?"

And the French said, "Sorry."

"But no, I could not not."

And they went ahead and built their forts,

which pissed off the English.

So they sent an upcoming British lieutenant-colonel by the name of George Washington,

with a combined force of British troops and Native Americans.

After a short battle, the French commander said,

"Alright, alright, we surrender."

"Ok, boys. Pack it up. They're surrenderi-"

*slice*

"Oh, sorry. Was I NOT meant to split his head open with a Tomahawk?"

"Ah, don't worry. It's not like this will start a seven-year long major global conflict."

And what happened next was a 7-year long major global conflict

which Great Britain won! (football's coming home plays)

At the peace negotiations, Spain gave up Florida,

while France gave up all of its territories in North America.

But Britain's victory came at a cost.

A £60 MILLION cost.

They were now broke, in a lot of debt, and had to come up with some way to repay it.

So they went to the Colonies and said, "Okay listen up."

"So a huge part of the war was spent protecting you from the French.

"And now we have no money because of it."

So...

"I'm not sure what you're saying here."

"Okay. So, we spent a lot of money protecting you from the French, right?"

"Right." "And now we're broke."

*subtle silence*

"That certainly is a pickle." "LISTEN TO ME."

"We spent all of our money protecting YOU, and now we need money."

"Can you please pay us back some money?"

"No."

"Okay, we're just going to go ahead and tax you."

In 1764, Britain introduced the Sugar Act,

forcing the colonists to import sugar and molasses exclusively from the British, and to pay duties on them.

Then, a year later, they introduced the extremely controversial Stamp Act, and it worked a little something like this:

"Hello shopkeep."

"Hello, Mr. Bungleberry."

"Here's the deed for your new shack."

"STAMP."

"That'll be three pence, please."

"Wait. What was that?"

"It's the new tax. I get a stamp on any paper or documentation I make, and you have to pay for it."

"Would you like to see this pamphlet that explains everything?"

"Yes, please."

"Okay. Stamp. 2 pence, please."

"This is awful!"

"You know what? Just give me a deck of cards so I can go gamble my pain away."

"OK."

"No.."

"Don't do it."

"Stamp."

Obviously the colonists were like "Hey my dudes, this new tax legislation right here,

This is *BS*"

Until now they had enjoyed relative freedom to rule themselves,

And now suddenly Britain was asserting its control.

They were especially unhappy because they didn't have any representatives in the Parliament that was levying taxes on them.

So they protested.

Orators gave fiery speeches.

British goods were boycotted and anyone loyal to the British found themselves increasingly harassed.

The whole thing actually began to take quite a toll on British business and after just a couple years the British were forced to repeal the Stamp Act.

"But we still desperately need money. What should we do?"

"We could try taxing the colonies."

"GREAT IDEA!!!"

"Wait, didn't we literally just try that, and it failed miserably?"

"Man, look at me. I look fabulous.

*georgy, dont get frisky*

Have you ever seen such a handsome boy? No siree, Georgie. No way

You're the handsomest, smartest, most popular King that ever lived and everybody likes you.

You're doing such a good job."

"Uh, Your Majesty ?"

"Oh, you're still here."

"Get the hell out."

So in 1766 the British made a declaration saying "We can do what we want, because we're in charge and you can all go suck it"

Then they levied a whole bunch of new taxes on the Americans via import duties.

Glass? There's a tax for that. Lead? There's a tax for that.

Paper? Tea? Oil?

There's a tax for that.

And once again The Americans boycotted British goods,

British business felt the pinch, and the British had to back down.

"Alright, this is ridiculous. They're my colonies and I have to be able to assert my control.

Repeal all the new taxes except for the one on tea. Also send 1,000 troops to Boston to take control."

"Oh and make the colonists pay for them."

And as British troops arrived, the tension in Boston is palpable, you could cut it with a knife.

And it was all about to come to a head.

On March 5th, a band of local Patriots began heckling a British guard at the Customs House.

More and more Americans joined in the heckling,

While more British troops turned up in support of their comrade.

Snowballs were thrown at the British.

The snowballs turned to rocks.

The rocks to oyster shells.

The soldiers, outnumbered.

Panicked, one thing leads to another and you can see where this is going.

*Gunshots*

five civilians were killed. The Patriot pressed throughout the colonies declared the Boston Massacre an

unwarranted crime committed against the people of Boston, by the cruel British.

And the anger continued to grow.

A British revenue schooner that ran aground in Rhode Island is burned by the locals.

When it came to light, that the governor of Massachusetts supported the suppression of the colonists,

his house was burned by the locals.

And next, the colonists would set their sight on the remaining tax on tea.

On December 16th, 1773 a band of patriots known as the Sons of Liberty

Disguised themselves as Native Americans, marched down to Boston Harbor.

Boarded a British merchant ship loaded with tea.

And in front of thousand spectators, threw nearly 10,000 pounds worth of tea overboard.

The British were disgusted, and they punished Massachusetts with a vengeance.

They dissolved its General Assembly, revoked their charter, and sent 3,000 more troops to occupy the city.

Meaning Boston and Massachusetts were now essentially under the direct rule of Great Britain.

And oh boy were the people pissed.

The other colonies saw what was happening, and worried they might be next.

So they called a brain trust to decide what to do.

Fifty-six delegates from 12 colonies gathered and met in Philadelphia at the First Continental Congress.

And the roll call read like a who's who of America's finest thinkers

I'm talking lawyers extraordinaire: Johnny A and Johnny Jay,

Experienced military commander; George Washington

Businessman and future alcoholic beverage; Samuel Adams.

Fiery Orator; Patty H

Guy who married a rich lady; (BIG) J Dickinson.

And while they weren't present at the first Congress,

Soon name like James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and much later...

Alexander Hamilton would all serve time in the Continental Congress.

The question now though, was what to do about the British.

After much bitter debate and disagreement,

they eventually agreed on an amazing solution.

They would simply ask the British to stop.

"Can you stop?"

"No."

"It didn't work."

"OK, then tell the local militias to start arming and be ready at a minutes notice."

And across the colonies, these Minutemen stood ready for the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.

Now having your colonies in open rebellion is one thing.

Once they start arming themselves, that's when it really hits the fan.

So British General Thomas Gage ordered 700 troops from Boston out into the rebel controlled

Massachusetts countryside, to destroy stores of arms and ammunition held by the rebels in Concord.

The British set up in the middle of the night.

Patriots including Paul Revere rode ahead to warn that the British were coming, giving the rebels time to prepare.

The two sides met in Lexington as the Sun began to rise.

They faced off against each other, and in the confusion somebody shot first.

*Gunshots*

The shot heard around the world marked the beginning of the American War of Independence.

The rebels were outnumbered and had to fall back to Concord,

as the British slit up to search for rebel supplies.

However, more and more Patriot rebels kept showing up,

and this time it was the British who outnumbered, as more fighting kicked off in Concord.

The most professional army in the world was forced to flee back to Boston at the hands of local, poorly trained militiamen.

And all along the British route back to Boston, patriot rebels continued to gather an open fire on the retreating British.

When the British reached Boston, the rebel militias surrounded them.

Boston and the British were now under siege, as small landed naval skirmishes continued around the city.

And the British would suffer another embarrassing blow.

This time in upstate New York,

Colonel Benedict Arnold concocted a plan to take the British stronghold, Fort Ticonderoga.

Which held a large amount of guns and ammunition, he set off towards the fort alone.

Hoping to recruit men along the way, when he came across the Green Mountain Boys,

lead by Ethan Allen.

Who as it turned out, had the exact same plan he did.

So they decided to work together...

But I'm in charge. No, I'm in charge. No, I'm in charge

No, I'm in charge. No, I'm in charge. No, I'm in charge. No, I'm in charge

This went on for some time, until the Green Mountain Boys threatened to go home and, Arnold had to concede.

The group raided the fort at night, while the Redcoats were asleep.

And they caught them completely by surprise, taking the fort and all of its munitions with almost no resistance.

"Wow, great job Ethan, very impressive. By the way. What happened to that other guy we sent to take the fort?"

"Who?"

"Benedict Arnold."

"Never heard of him."

"ouch."

...

"What.

"What. The.

"What. The. Fu-"

Nobody knew what was going on.

The colonies were an open rebellion, and for now they even seem to be winning

So King George fired general Gage,

replaced him with General William Howe,

and ordered their rebellion to be put down immediately.

"Okay, the British are definitely going to retaliate for all of this.

So we should probably put together a proper army.

First we need to pick a Commander-in-Chief,

and I think we can all agree that that job should go to the man,

the myth,

the legend...

George Washington."

"My friends, I am humbled and honored that you would consider me for such an important role.

I did not expect for this-"

"All right, you've been showing up in a military uniform every day for the last 10 months.

We all know you wanted this, so cut the crap George"

"Dude...

Uncool."

So Washington began his journey up to Boston to take command of the newly established Continental Army,

just as British made their first major attempts to break the siege.

They made plans to take the high ground on Bunker Hill,

but spies warned the continentals of the British plans.

So they fortified Bunker Hill, and set up defensive positions on nearby breeds Hill.

The day of the battle came.

And as the British advanced, a barrage of continental gunfire was opened up on them.

Twice they tried to climb the hill, twice they were pushed back.

The battle lasted three hours until the Continentals finally ran out of ammunition and had to retreat.

Allowing the British to take the hill.

While technically a British victory, they suffered nearly 1,000 casualties to the Continental's 400.

The colonists show the British that this wasn't just a rebellion.

It was war, and they were ready for it.

BUT,

One thing they weren't sure about, was why they were fighting.

Well some radicals were starting to throw around the 'i' word,

most hope to eventually repair their relationship with Great Britain.

So they sent a letter to King George saying: "Hey man, looks like things aren't going your way.

Remove the taxes and let's be friends?"

"I'm

"I'm gonna

"I'm gonna kick

"I'm gonna kick your

"I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"Send that to the colonies."

"Your majesty, your handwriting is terrible. Are you sure?"

"JUST DO IT!"

"What does it say?"

"He's gonna...

lick my..."

"Gross."

So for the remainder of the year small engagements continued to occur around the colony.

The British burned down the towns of Falmouth, Massachusetts and Norfolk, Virginia

As revenge for earlier anti-British incidents.

These actions played right into the hands of Patriot propaganda

Overseas, the British were seen as brutes, and the French and Spanish would soon begin sending supplies to the rebel cause

During this time

There was also minor fighting going on between patriot and loyalist militias in the southern colony.

Benedict Arnold was still on a mission to win some personal glory for himself

So he headed up an attempt to invade Canada in a two-pronged attack.

The Continentals managed to capture some British forts and the city of Montreal.

But a harsh snowstorm with some smallpox on the side saw them defeated

and pushed back at Quebec City.

And they were forced to retreat all the way to Fort Ticonderoga.

Speaking of which, remember all those guns and ammunition?

Well, this guy's got a plan for what to do with them.

He uses oxen to drag a hundred and 120,000 pounds of artillery,

for two months through the harsh winter.

300 miles all the way to Washington and his Continental Army surrounding Boston.

BOOM!

Washington's got himself some big guns.

Which is fortunate, because up until now his army had been suffering through the cold winter,

not knowing when the siege would end.

Now they could make him move.

Washington wanted to launch a full assault on the city.

But his junior officers felt the British were too fortified, and to his credit

Washington was great at hearing and taking on board the ideas of others.

Instead, the continentals worked through the night setting the guns up on Dorchester Heights

overlooking the city.

And when Dawn Broke, and the British saw the guns,

they knew they were toast, their positions were completely exposed.

It was checkmate.

They had no choice but to abandon the city

120 ships carried 9,000 redcoats, and 2,000 loyalist, away to an unknown fate.

Washington had his first victory, of the war.

Washington then moved his army to New York.

Knowing that when the British returned, they would probably land there.

in the meantime a friendly looking old man by the name of Thomas Paine

Had written and published a pamphlet called 'Common Sense'

In which he advocated for total independence from Great Britain.

It spread across the colonies like wildfire.

Until this day remains the best-selling title in America

It was read aloud in taverns and meeting halls, and brought the idea of Independence into the mainstream

Congress began to seriously consider the idea.

Thomas Jefferson was selected to write up an official declaration of independence.

And he went hard, writing that: 'All men are created equal, with certain inalienable rights."

Of course Jefferson had over a hundred slaves

but we don't have to talk about that.

The 2nd of July, congress voted unanimously in favor of independence.

And Johns Adams declared that the 2nd of July would go down as

the most remembered day in American history.

Then a couple days later, independence actually came into effect.

The United States of America was born.

There was no turning back now.

The Americans tore down a statue of King George in New York.

And melted him down into 42,000 musket balls.

To the British, it was treason.

and if the King had his way Washington and all of Congress would be hung.

Speaking of the British...

Guess who's back?

The king sent an intimidating force of 130 warships and 25,000 men to New York.

Washington knew that taking on the most powerful military in the world wouldn't be easy.

The British set up camp on Staten Island.

As the Americans dug into defensive positions around Brooklyn Heights.

Waiting for an attack to come.

But the British just...

waited...

Wearing down their opponents nerve, while building their own strength.

At one point, they launched a big scary artillery barrage and then said:

"You know if I was you right now, I'd probably sue for peace."

But Washington told him to shove it.

The Americans kept holding out for what was coming,

and when they finally hit they hit hard.

15,000 British troops approached the American position, and the two sides fired on each other in massive rows.

But what the Americans didn't realize, was they were only fighting a decoy

The main British force was going around to flank the Americans from behind.

And when they arrived they inflicted heavy casualties.

the Americans panicked and retreated back to Brooklyn Heights.

Where they then found themselves trapped between the British Army and the river.

It looked as though the war was already lost.

But luckily, instead of attacking, the British decided to dig in for a siege.

And then a thick fog set in, allowing Washington's army to escape across the river unimpeded.

The British continued to chase and engage the Americans at Manhattan.

And the Americans suffered defeat, after defeat, after defeat.

It was a disaster, Washington's leadership was called into question.

As thousands of American POWs were left to rot as traitors.

Washington's army fled through New Jersey.

All the way down to, Pennsylvania

Rarely had an army been so badly beaten yet survived to fight another day.

*music*