British atrocities and Paine’s pamphlet jointly pushed colonists toward separation

Evidence

The text of the king’s speech did not reach the colonies until December and first appeared in some newspapers during January 1776, after news about the burning of Norfolk, which in turn had followed word of the British bombardment of Charlestown and Falmouth. By then, copies of Common Sense, a new pamphlet published anonymously on January 10 in Philadelphia, had begun spreading like wildfire throughout the colonies. As never before, events and words—deeds done and ideas expressed—aligned in the patriot mind with an energy that transformed America and ultimately the world. … “A few more such flaming Arguments as were exhibited at Falmouth and Norfolk,” Washington wrote from his headquarters outside Boston on January 31, 1776, “added to the sound Doctrine, and unanswerable reasoning containd in the pamphlet Common Sense, will not leave numbers at a loss to decide upon the Propriety of a Separation.” Spiraling violence combined with soaring rhetoric to animate the revolutionary spirit of 1776. — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 48

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to course theme of how material circumstances and ideas jointly generate legal-political first principles like the right of revolution. — connects to: Ideas and bloodshed together, not either alone, moved colonists to revolution; British punishment of Massachusetts rallied rather than isolated the other colonies; Pre-Paine patriot rhetoric demanded redress within the British system. — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 50 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Ideas and bloodshed together, not either alone, moved colonists to revolution #corroborates (0.95)
• British punishment of Massachusetts rallied rather than isolated the other colonies #expands (0.75)