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Olive Branch Petition

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they did not like being taxed by the English and created the Olive Branch Petition. The delegates decided to leave the petition in a tavern, on Wall Street in New York, so colonists could sign it.

Jasanoff (2007) relate how many people wanted a change: During three days in November 1776, this petition sat in Scott's Tavern, on Wall Street, to be signed by anyone who wished. A frank declaration of dependence, it completely lacks the revolutionary genius and rhetorical grace of our hallowed July 4 document. Yet in all, more than 700 people put their names to the parchment 12 times the number who signed the Declaration of Independence.

Delegates sent it to England, which insulted the King. They agreed to meet again in May 1775. During the second Continental Congress, the delegates decided that they needed to protect themselves and declare war against England. The delegates made George Washington in charge of all the militia (Ferling (n.d.); 'The Revolutionary War Index', (n.d.)).

Thomas Paine wrote his pamphlet to help support the revolution in January, 1776. It was not published as a pamphlet until February. He talked about how necessary it was to go to war against England. The pamphlet was read by almost everyone in the colonies. He sold about five hundred thousand copies. The English government condemned his actions and banned him from teaching. Thomas Paine helped people believe in the revolution by creating a following (Kiding, 1995,'The Revolutionary War Index',

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