SEPTEMBER 17, 20067 • 3
A STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM
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How America began
tarting in the 1600s, large numbers of Europeans sought a new life in America. Some came because they wanted to worship God as they wished. Others came for land or business. Much of the new country was ruled by England, also called Great Britain, and many people were loyal English citizens. For centuries, England was led by powerful kings and queens. It had a strong army and navy, and it often got into wars with other countries. In 1760 King George III needed more money to pay for a seven-year war against France and Austria. He began to tax the people in America unfairly. This made the people angry. Eventually, they decided to make their own government. They believed George they could rule themselves Washington better than the king of ∫ He was a great leader. All of England could. America loved him. He led the In 1775, they asked American army George Washington to lead to victory over King George III. an army against England’s He became the soldiers. It took six years, but first president of the United States. Washington and his army finally won the war.
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∫ AMERICA’S FIRST BATTLE: This drawing shows the war starting at Lexington, Massachusetts. Nobody knows who fired first, the Americans or the king’s soldiers. Americans who rushed to fight were called Minutemen.
∫ AN OLD MAP showing America in about 1750 — 256 years ago.
THINK ABOUT IT:
Would you ever start a war? Why or why not? If someone was hurting you, would you fight him? What kind of leader would you follow?
King George III of England ∫ England was the most powerful country in the world in the mid-1700s. It had a strong army and navy. But it did not treat the people in America fairly. Its old enemy, France, helped the Americans win their independence.
Fighting Words
hen war started against King George III, a lot of people thought it was time to tell the rest of the world why they were fighting. They believed that their basic rights and freedoms were being taken away. The leaders asked Thomas Jefferson to write a paper that would explain everything, including all the unfair things the English government had done. Jefferson was a good writer, but he had help from others, including Benjamin Franklin. The paper, Thomas called the Declaration of Jefferson Independence, was signed on ∫ He believed that all people have July 4, 1776. That is America’s basic rights just birthday. because they are alive. He later Jefferson died exactly 50 became the third years later, on July 4, 1826. president.
Some ways England made Americans angry ∫ Forced people to let soldiers stay in their homes any time the soldiers wanted to. ∫ Told the people they could not live where they wanted to. ∫ Soldiers shot citizens in Boston who threw snowballs at them.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” From the Declaration of Independence
∫ Refused to allow paper money, which the people needed for business. ∫ Forced people to pay extra for things like sugar, wine and coffee. ∫ Made people pay for special stamps on newspapers, legal documents and even playing cards. ∫ Required people to go to England to settle legal disputes, instead of using judges here.