The Monumental Signatory
The Greek philosopher Plato once said that “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” It was as if he was predicting the American Revolution before it happened! The American Revolution accumulated many unforgettable heroes, Thomas Lynch Jr. being one of them, from the time it started in 1775 and ended in 1783.
The American Revolution signified the first time colonists of the new world rebelled against their government to gain freedom. After the French and Indian war, which lasted from 1754 to 1763, there was much debt to be paid, so King George III taxed the colonists. Acts such as the Stamp Act, Tea Act, Sugar Act, and the Townshend Act appeared
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sporadically (digitalhistory). The Boston Massacre caused acrimony towards the British, and occurred when a patriot mob threw snowballs filled with sharp objects at British soldiers. The squad retaliated through military force, shooting a total of thirteen people, five of whom perished. The Battle of Lexington and Concord also fueled spite towards England. A Loyalist tipped off the British army about a proliferating stash of gunpowder hidden in Concord (Lennon). An army of about 700 marched to Lexington, but the Patriots had already moved the gunpowder. Sometime during the morning of April 19, 1775, the first shot was fired. This was known as the “shot heard round the world,” and it signified the start of the American Revolution (Lennon). About two months after Lexington and Concord was the Battle of Bunker Hill. Patriot troops led by General William Prescott planned to climb Bunker Hill and attack a British camp. Mounting Breed’s Hill by accident, the rebels were closer to the British Army. Taking action, the British Army charged up the Breed’s Hill twice, only to be pushed down each time. The Patriots, however, were running out of ammo, and to be frank, a lot of their men had been startled by the action and ran away. It was under these circumstances that Prescott quoted the famous words “don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes”. When the Redcoats charged up a third time they managed to take control of the hill. So, all in all, it was a victory for the British (Lennon). However, it was a Pyrrhic victory, because of the 2,300 soldiers who went into Battle in King George III’s name, 1,054 were killed or wounded. After the battle was over, the British knew that the war would take longer than expected, and the Colonial forces gained confidence (ushistory). The Battle of Trenton occurred on Christmas night in 1776, and it was the famous battle in which Washington and his men crossed the Delaware River, attacked the Redcoats, came out victorious, and boosted the Patriot’s confidence. In Saratoga, New York, the American forces surrounded the British and not only came out victorious, but gained France as an ally. It was also the turning point of the war in the north, leaving the Patriots as a formidable enemy. The Battle of Charleston and the Battle of Camden both ended in a British victory, like most other battles in the South, until the Battle of King’s Mountain, which was a Patriot victory thanks to guerrilla warfare. On January 17, 1781, the Battle of Cowpens occurred. Due to impeccable strategy and the famous fake retreat, the Patriots won and British General Cornwallis knew that “this was the beginning of the end. The “bloodbath” battle, the Battle of Eutaw Springs, was a Pyrrhic victory for the British, but that didn’t stop the Americans from trapping the Redcoats and forcing them to surrender, also known as the Surrender at Yorktown. This marked the end of the American Revolution and our claim to freedom (Lennon). But what part did Thomas Lynch Jr. play in this war? How was he significant? For starters, Lynch was recognized as a student, Congressman, and convalescent. Thomas Lynch Jr.
was born to Elizabeth and Thomas Lynch Sr. on August 15, 1749 at Prince George’s Parish , which is a church in present day Georgetown County (colonialhall). His family was a venerable one, and was said to have emigrated from Austria to England, and then to Ireland, and finally South Carolina. He was the third Thomas Lynch in his line. He had two older sisters, Sabina and Esther, born in 1747 and 1748. His mother died in 1755, so his father remarried to Hannah Motte and they had another daughter, Elizabeth. His father was an important man and actively participated in being a Santee River Planter, Winyah Indigo Society President, and emissary of the people of South Carolina in the Commons House of Assembly. Also, Thomas Lynch Sr. was appointed to the first Continental Congress and was an advisor to General Washington along with Colonel Benjamin Harrison and Benjamin Franklin. (dsdi1776). Overall, Lynch Jr.’s upbringing helped prepare him to work hard in all areas, including his …show more content…
education. Thomas Lynch Jr. attended the prestigious and flourishing Indigo Society School, which was located in his hometown, Georgetown South Carolina. During his thirteenth year his father sent him to England so he could receive an education better than the ones accessible in the colonies. He received his undergraduate degree at Eton College (dsdi1776). He graduated with honors at Cambridge University, and was well liked by pretty much everyone because of his zealous attitude towards his studies and amiable nature (vimeo). After his father heard of this, he encouraged him to stay in England and study longer, so Lynch Jr. left to study law in London at Middle Temple (ushistory). When he heard rumors of unhappiness in his homeland and the frustratingly snobbish attitude of British statesmen when talking about the colonies, he felt a desire to return and ventured back to South Carolina in 1772. When he returned to Georgetown, he had experienced all the joys of collecting a proliferating store of knowledge that would prepare him for his life as a Congressman. Soon after returning home, Thomas Lynch Jr. married a childhood friend, Elizabeth Shubrick, the daughter of Thomas and Mary Baker Shubrick (vimeo). The happy couple were wed on May 13, 1772. Elizabeth had two sisters, Hannah and Mary (dsdi1776). Instead of practicing law, he became a planter on the North Santee River (bioguide.congress). His father gave him the Peach Tree Plantation, where he continued to plant for years. Though he maintained the plantation, that did not stop him from fighting for his people’s independence. Lynch Jr. put his education to the test by fighting with words. He would often give eloquent speeches that won the hearts of numerous people and was elected to many civil offices of trust. In between the years of 1774 and 1776, Thomas Lynch Jr. became a member of the First and Second Provincial Congress (dsdi1776). During the First Provincial Congress, which was held in New Bern, North Carolina, the members created a trade boycott over all British goods. This actually removed most of the power that the British authority held and inspired Patriots all throughout the colonies to rebel. The Second Provincial Congress was also held in New Bern and focused mainly on approving the Continental Association. The Continental Association was an economic boycott authorized by none other than the Continental Congress itself (ncpedia). In 1775, Thomas Lynch Sr. suffered from a terrible paralyzing stroke and had to resign his seat in Congress (dsdi1776). The Congress, however, decided that they were not done with the Lynch family, and on the first of February 1776, they elected Lynch Jr. to take his spot (bioguide.congress). So, of course, Thomas Lynch Jr. hustled to take his seat. Lynch and his father were unique in the fact that they were the only “father- son duo” in Congress. Lynch supported the fight for independence and often would impress his comrades with his eagerness and incredible intelligence. Three days before his twenty seventh birthday, July 2, 1776, was an extremely significant day in American history (dsdi1776). Thomas Lynch and 55 other men signed the Declaration of Independence (bioguide.congress). At age 26, Lynch was the youngest man to sign the Declaration. He signed in between Edward Rutledge and Thomas Heyward Jr., leaving a space in hope that his father would recover. Unfortunately, he did not. On the incredibly slow and painful journey home, Thomas Lynch Sr. died and was buried at Annapolis, Maryland. Sadly, the Elder Lynch was not the only one to have his health fail him. In 1775, South Carolina’s first provincial regiment was formed, and Thomas Lynch Jr.
accepted a captain’s commission, and alongside C.C. Pickens, he left to train the company he was to command. While in North Carolina, he was exposed to malarial mosquitoes, and his health never fully recovered. After Lynch returned home from Philadelphia, he and his wife rarely left the plantation. The obstinate fever continued to destroy his health and his condition only worsened (dsdi1776). Taking Thomas’s doctor’s advice, the Lynch couple decided to travel to France to seek treatment. They headed to the East Indies to find a ship to take them to France. Apart from a sighting a few days after its departure, the ship was never seen again. Nobody knows what happened to it, but it was marked as one of the mysterious “Bermuda Triangle” disappearances and the crew and passengers were determined dead. Thomas and Elizabeth were only 30 years old when they died, and were lost at sea sometime during 1779
(vimeo). All in all, Thomas Lynch played an important part in the American Revolution. He is remembered and immortalized throughout his work as a student, Congressman, and convalescent. When I researched him, I learned so much about him that I never would have known was true. The mystery of his death was fascinating and the details of his life as a student inspired me to work hard for academic success. I would recommend that other people learn about him because when you look into the life of someone else it teaches you many new details and perspectives of not only history but life itself. I knew a little about Lynch before I started this project, but I truly enjoyed learning even more about his fascinating life. Researching Thomas Lynch Jr. teaches people to appreciate the little things and, sometimes, even things as little as a student, Congressman, and convalescent can teach you big things about history and the world around us.
After the French and Indian War, Great Britain was in tremendous debt and had additional land to rule. By cause of their debt and their obligation to their new land, they began to put taxes on the colonists living in that land. The colonists were enraged because they were getting taxed without representation in British Parliament. Two acts that caused some of these reactions are the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts. Overall, British actions after 1763 caused numerous reactions from the colonists, which led to the American Revolution.
The American Revolution started in the year 1765, when the Colonists rejected the Parliament of Great Britain to tax them without representation and ended in 1783 with the peace treaty with Britain; Treaty of Paris. But a lot of major events occurred in the colonies before the American Revolution could be over and these events would result in series of social, political, and intellectual transformation in American history. In his book, The Minutemen and Their World, Robert Gross’s describes the lives of people in Concord, Massachusetts before, during and, after the American Revolution, where much of these events took place and changed the way of life people lived in Concord. He goes through a very brief detailed aspects of colonial life in
Mary learned to read at an early age, probably from her grandmother also. Soon she was using this new-found ability to teach a favorite servant to read. It was illegal in South Carolina to teach a slave to read or write, but Mary was a favored grandchild and her grandmother was proud of her ability. In 1831, however, her grandmother died. Mary was twelve years old when the entire family moved to Mississippi, where they owned some other plantations. Most of the family fell ill, however, and within a year the family had returned to the South Carolina plantation to resume their lives there. Shortly after their return, the family was visited by Mr. Chesnut, owner of a nearby plantation, and his son James. James was twenty-one and had just graduated from Princeton. James and Mary began a courtship that ended with James proposing to Mary when she was fifteen years old. Her mother and father d...
Thomas Paine is undoubtedly one of the most prolific founding fathers of the United States, albeit not in the manner most would expect from a founding father. Paine was not a drafter of the constitution, nor was he an early member of Congress or President of the United States. However, Paine did have a profound impact on society, not only in America, but also abroad. Often remembered for helping spur the American Revolution, yet not as often remembered for the other revolution in France. Two of the more famous writings from Paine are, of course, Common Sense and The Rights of Man, both of which were written during revolutionary times in separate countries. It goes without saying that when a revolution is taking place there will be many on both sides of the war; in both of these instances, Paine was the voice of the people and stood up for what was right regardless of the consequences. I posit Thomas Paine was the most influential man for revolution in America and France despite fear of backlash or imprisonment. In fact, near the end of his life Paine was not only imprisoned, but somehow evaded being beheaded as well. Thomas Paine was even more influential as a result of his extreme lack of self-interest and ability to stay true to the cause of his writings rather than wither away in fear.
It was a good year for a revolution, 1776. But it didn't start off quite as well as the colonists would have liked. When George Washington agreed to take command of the American forces in 1775, he probably didn't realize what he was truly getting himself into. Washington took command of an army made up of old men and young boys that had either come from their farms or the street. The army was short on weapons and gunpowder, lacked uniforms, and was racked by disease and drunkenness. Washington understood that what lies ahead would be difficult, considering he would be facing the most powerful country in world. But he probably didn't expect his worst problems to come from his own army, which was an undisciplined and untrained group that would eventually tamper with his great patience. Through it all he would stay determined and always try to stay one step ahead of the enemy.
The colonists of Roanoke disappeared mysteriously around 1590. All the colonists were gone without a trace and without any exact way of letting anyone know what happened to them. When the governor of Roanoke, John White, arrived to Roanoke in 1590,there was only one clue about the disappearance that remained. The letters ''CRO''were written on a tree nearby. No one had knowledge of what happened to the colonists or where they might have gone. The question that is still being asked is,'' What happened in the time between when White left and returned?'' and , '' How did the events leading up to and after Roanoke affect the later colonies?'' There were eleven children, seventeen women, and ninety men that were supposed to be in Roanoke , but no remained. It is a mystery that hasn't been solved up to this day.
The American Revolution (1775-1783) was a war between England and the colonies which were settled earlier by the English. There were many factors and events that led to the American Revolution. The Revolution was mainly an economic rebellion that was fueled by taxation without representation following the French and Indian War. The English Parliament was more often than not considered cruel and unfair by the colonists. With conflicts over trade, taxes and government representation, the colonies were at a starting line of a revolution that would later transform into the basis of the United States of America.
The American Revolution, also known as the War for Independence began from 1785-1783. The primary cause for the war was because of a conflict between the 13 British colonies and England. The American Revolution resulted in a victory for the 13 British colonies who would declare themselves as the United States of America. However, there are many questions on whether or not the American Revolution was really revolutionary and if there were revolutionary changes being made to society. The American Revolution was not revolutionary because separation between African-Americans and Whites still existed, no change in women's representation or their voices being valued as high as men, and the Indians were promised the “Utmost Good Faith” but the result
The American Revolution change the North America and how it was defined. According Jeff Helgeson, “For enough people began parliament and the king were corrupt and tyramine because they were hindering with their individual properties.” Before the French and Indian war, the colonist did not have to pay any taxes. After the French and Indian wars, the British needed money
Thomas Jefferson, an educated, well respected career man, served as governor of Virginia, secretary of state, and president of the United States. The Revolutionary era, during the 1770's, proved to be one of America's most victorious times. Despite the casualties the American colonies suffered, they proved to be stronger than their ruling land, Britain, and won the right to be a free land, becoming the United States of America. Living through this difficult turning point in history inspired Jefferson to write "The Declaration of Independence." Once again, nearly two hundred years later, America faced yet another turning point in history.
The American Revolution has too often been dominated by the narrative of the founding fathers and has since been remembered as a “glorified cause.” However, the American Revolution was not a unified war but a civil war with many internal disputes that wreaked havoc and chaos throughout America. In his book, The Unknown American Resvolution, Gary B. Nash attempts to unveil the chaos that the American Revolution really was through the eyes of the people not in power, including women, African American slaves, and Native Americans. In his book, Gary B. Nash emphasizes their significance in history to recount the tale of the American Revolution not through the eyes of the privileged elite but through the eyes of the people who sacrificed and struggled the most, but were left forgotten, in their endeavors to reinvent America.
The American revolution was a reaction to unfavorable tax policies from the King of England. When the King of England began to infringe on the colonists’ liberties, leaders inspired by the enlightenment grouped together to defend the rights of the American colonies. As Thomas Jefferson writes in the Declaration of Independence, “History of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries ad usurpations,
The document “The American Crisis” focuses mainly on the crises that America would face during the time of revolutionary war. Thomas Paine, in this article urged people to unite and to fight against Britain. He encouraged and inspires the colonialist’s soldiers to strive for independence from “tyrant and evil” colonial kings and its government. He believed wholeheartedly in the American Revolutionary cause but oppose violent practices.
The American Revolution was sparked by a myriad of causes. These causes in themselves could not have sparked such a massive rebellion in the nation, but as the problems of the colonies cumulated, their collective impact spilt over and the American Revolution ensued. Many say that this war could have been easily avoided and was poorly handled by both sides, British and American; but as one will see, the frame of thought of the colonists was poorly suited to accept British measures which sought to “overstep” it’s power in the Americas. Because of this mindset, colonists developed a deep resentment of British rule and policies; and as events culminated, there was no means to avoid revolution and no way to turn back.
A revolution is a forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system. In 1775, America was ready for dramatic change, freedom, and a disconnection from Great Britain. Taxes, trade regulations, and overarching, power, made all colonists, aside from the loyalists, more than ready to detach from Great Britain’s rule. The American Revolution portrays many similarities and qualities of the French revolution, due to the inspiration of one to another. The similarities and qualities lie within their spiraling economies, selfish, money-worship-thirsty leaders, ideologies, and provocation.