Dickinson argued rupture from Britain would leave Americans bleeding and unmoored

Evidence

Declaring independence, as Common Sense pleaded, the colonies proposed, and Congress proclaimed, gave a clear goal for the patriot cause. Colonists might oppose taxation without representation or reject the authority of Parliament to pass laws binding them in all cases whatsoever without knowing what concessions would constitute victory. By equating liberty with independence, patriots gained a definite objective and a fixed end point for their struggle. In 1776, independence replaced liberty as the patriot battle cry, but to Americans at the time the two words carried a common meaning: freedom under popular rule. — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 354 (#builds-on, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Early patriot pamphleteers aimed at rights restoration, not separation; Naming a goal transforms an open-ended grievance struggle into a final objective — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 354