U.S. History

Thomas Paine, Revolutionary

Here's a look back at the radical influence of Thomas Paine, the often-overlooked founding father whose words sparked the American Revolution.

Declaration of Independence

Happy Fourth, friends.  It's a good day to remind ourselves what the Declaration of Independence had to say.

It's good, too, to think about the courage required of the American rebels who wrote it and voted to adopt it.  Imagine the fear, trepidation, and excitement they must have felt in the face of their bold action!  England would regard their actions as traitorous, punishable by death.

One of the great things about the 2008 HBO mini-series on John Adams was its success in capturing the emotion of the times.  Here are two short clips from that series, the first showing Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin discussing the wording of the Declaration; the second focusing on the decision of the Continental Congress to declare independence.