Changes

As the Congress met in Philadelphia, the colonial "Green Mountain Boys" captured Fort Ticonderoga from the British in 1775 because Ethan Allen wanted to protect his land holdings in a disputed area near Lake Champlain.  (Lake Champlain is located in the far north of Vermont, which was not a colony then.)  

As the Congress met in Philadelphia, the colonial "Green Mountain Boys" captured Fort Ticonderoga from the British in 1775 because Ethan Allen wanted to protect his land holdings in a disputed area near Lake Champlain.  (Lake Champlain is located in the far north of Vermont, which was not a colony then.)  

In January of 1776, [[Thomas Paine]]'s published a pamphlet called ''[[Common Sense]]'', which argued against divine rule and economic reasons to stay with Britain, in plain language.  Paine's book and ideas worked the colonists into a frenzy, and gave them the courage to realize that separation from Britain was necessary and attainable.  After only three months, 120,000 copies had been sold, which was about 5% of the total population!  Today a bestselling book has sales of 30,000 out of a population of 300 million (only 0.01%).  '''''Thomas Paine's pamphlet ''Common Sense'' sold 500 times as much as a bestseller today, when measured as a percentage of the population'''''.  And many more read borrowed copies, or heard speeches that quoted from the book.

In January of 1776, [[Thomas Paine]]'s published a pamphlet called ''[[Common Sense]]'', which argued against divine rule and economic reasons to stay with Britain, in plain language.  Paine's book and ideas worked the colonists into a frenzy, and gave them the courage to realize that separation from Britain was necessary and attainable.  After only three months, 120,000 copies had been sold, which was equivalent to about 5% of the total population!  Today a bestselling book has sales of 30,000 out of a population of 300 million (only 0.01%).  '''''Thomas Paine's pamphlet ''Common Sense'' sold 500 times as much as a bestseller today, when measured as a percentage of the population'''''.  And many more read borrowed copies, or heard speeches that quoted from the book.

Here are some of Paine's words against divine rule: "The heathens paid divine honors to their deceased kings, and the Christian world had improved on the plan by doing the same to their living ones.  How impious is the title of sacred majesty applied to a worm, who in the midst of his splendor is crumbling into dust!"

Here are some of Paine's words against divine rule: "The heathens paid divine honors to their deceased kings, and the Christian world had improved on the plan by doing the same to their living ones.  How impious is the title of sacred majesty applied to a worm, who in the midst of his splendor is crumbling into dust!"