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West of the Appalachian Mountains is the Ohio Valley.  This area was rich in animals necessary for the lucrative fur trade, and covered vast amounts of unsettled land.  The Ohio valley was occupied by Native American tribes, primarily peoples such as the Shawnee and Lenni-Lenape (Delaware) who had been displaced by the Iroquois League.  Both the British and the French traded with the Indians in this region.  As the population and confidence of the English settlers in the colonies grew in the mid-1700s, they began to migrate to Ohio.  There they came into conflict with the French over the fur trade and control of the region.  Conflict between the English colonists and the French traders increased after the end of King George's War in 1748.

West of the Appalachian Mountains is the Ohio Valley.  This area was rich in animals necessary for the lucrative fur trade, and covered vast amounts of unsettled land.  The Ohio valley was occupied by Native American tribes, primarily peoples such as the Shawnee and Lenni-Lenape (Delaware) who had been displaced by the Iroquois League.  Both the British and the French traded with the Indians in this region.  As the population and confidence of the English settlers in the colonies grew in the mid-1700s, they began to migrate to Ohio.  There they came into conflict with the French over the fur trade and control of the region.  Conflict between the English colonists and the French traders increased after the end of King George's War in 1748.

In 1754, 7 colonies met to address these problems at the Albany Congress.  They considered, but did not adopt Benjamin Franklin's Albany Plan of Union.  The Albany Plan of Union attempted to unite the English colonies with the Iroquois League in a defensive stance against New France.

In 1754, 7 colonies met to address these problems at the Albany Congress.  They considered, but did not adopt Benjamin Franklin's Albany Plan of Union.  The Albany Plan of Union attempted to unite the English colonies with the Iroquois League in a defensive stance against New France.  Franklin published the political cartoon at the right to urge unity among the colonies.

The governor of Virginia sent a 21-year-old named George Washington to stop the French from building a fort near the site of present-day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and to protest French attacks.  But in Western Pennsylvania, at Fort Necessity, the French defeated and captured him and his 400 troops.  They made him sign a statement in French (which George Washington did not understand) "confessing" that his men had assassinated some Frenchmen.  Then they released George Washington.  He remembered that lesson and in the Revolutionary War made sure that in the future he always had an aide who could understand French.  That future aide would be the very influential Founding Father named Alexander Hamilton.

The governor of Virginia sent a 21-year-old named George Washington to stop the French from building a fort near the site of present-day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and to protest French attacks.  But in Western Pennsylvania, at Fort Necessity, the French defeated and captured him and his 400 troops.  They made him sign a statement in French (which George Washington did not understand) "confessing" that his men had assassinated some Frenchmen.  Then they released George Washington.  He remembered that lesson and in the Revolutionary War made sure that in the future he always had an aide who could understand French.  That future aide would be the very influential Founding Father named Alexander Hamilton.

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 pamphlet called [[Common Sense]] argued against divine rule and economic reasons to stay with Britain, in plain language.  Paine's argument gave countless colonists the courage to realize that separation from Britain was necessary and attainable.  After only three months, 120,000 copies had been sold!

In January of 1776 [[Thomas Paine]]'s pamphlet called ''[[Common Sense]]'' argued against divine rule and economic reasons to stay with Britain, in plain language.  Paine's book and ideas worked the colonists in 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 30 million (only 0.1%).  Thomas Paine's book sold 50 times as much, 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!"