In the early years of the 1760's, the number of colonists in the "new world" increased dramatically. Prsperity and self-confidence started to grow. New British taxes for sugar, tea, paper, and other products led to acts such as the Stamp Act of 1765 and the Boston Tea Party in 1773. The fear that the British empire would abuse the colonies for it's own resource-hungry kingdom arose. Unrest turned to violence in 1775, with the first battles taking place in Lexington and Concord. The British soldiers were well trained and had quality equipment compared to the smaller, less organized Continental army. At first, the American rebels were outnumbered by the much larger British regiments. On the 16th of June, 1775, the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought. While considered a technical victory for the British, the huge losses incurred gave the Continental army hope. On the 4th of July, 1776, the 13 colonies declared independence from the crown. In 1777, a major victory was struck for the Continental army at Saratoga, convincing France, Holland, and Spain to support the American cause. In 1781, Lord Cornwallis was blockaded by the French by sea, and beseiged by the Continental army by land. The surrender at Yorktown paved the way for the Treaty of Paris to be signed in 1783, ending the war.

Engraving of the Repeal of the Stamp Act Titled "The Repeal or the Funeral Procession of Miss Americ-Stamp"

The British government decided it should stop demanding the use of special stamps and cancelled the law in February 1766. While this was cause for celebration in the colonies, the damage had been done. The path to independence from Great Britain had begun.

Courtesy Dr. Gary Milan Collection

The Boston Tea Party

On the evening of December 16, 1773, with crowds of people looking on, 150 Sons of Liberty led by Sam Adams dramatically boarded the ships, broke open the tea chests, and heaved them into the harbor. As the electrifying news of the Boston "tea party" spread, other seaports followed the example and staged similar acts of resistance of their own-paving the way for the Declaration of Independence to follow less than three years later.

Engraving. Plate opposite by W.D. Cooper

An Original Broadside "Invitation" to the Boston Tea Party

The Sons of Liberty called on their "Brethren and Fellow Citizens" to take action against the tea shipment. When he rejected this request the patriots took another course of action.

Courtesy Dr. Gary Milan Collection

Hand Colored Engraving of the Boston Massacre

Paul Revere was a noted Massachusetts silversmith and engraver, who had met Samuel Adams and John Hancock and shared in their beliefs. he engraved and sold this depiction of the so-called "Boston Massacre" to gain support for those who opposed British taxation. On march 5, 1770, five colonists died on the icy streets of Boston during the incident in an exchange with British soldiers from the 29th Regiment of Foot. One of those killed, Samuel Gray, owned a rope factory, an important product for sailing ships of the era and other uses. Others included Jonas Caldwell, a sailor, Patrick Carr, and Samuel Maverick, who was only seventeen-years-old when he was killed. The first to fall, though, was an imposing 6 feet 2 inch seafarer, who had escaped from slavery years before. Crispus Attucks, and African American, knew well about what it was like to be denied freedom. Because of this he made the greatest sacrifice in the name of liberty.

Courtesy Dr. Gary Milan Collection

The Declaration of Independance

After the Dunlap broadside was printed, a handwritten version of the Declaration of independence was prepared for the signatures of members of the Second Continental Congress. Between August 2, 1776 and January 19, 1977, this "official" copy was signed by most of the representatives, beginning with John Hancock as president of the congress. The original document eventually was entrusted for safekeeping to the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Even before that, between 1820 and 1823, William Stone prepared facsimiles of the Declaration, including the signatures, for sale to the public. these were on parchment, while a later press run, assumed to have taken place in 1847, was printed on paper. In both instances Stone reproductions have become scarce and represent the interest in the Declaration of Independence by many people over generations.

Courtesy Dr. Gary Milan Collection