Paine dated American independence to the first shots at Lexington and Concord
Evidence
Put us, some say, on the footing we were in the year 1763,” he mocks in imitation of the reconcilers, “To which … I ask, as a reasonable question, By what means is such a corrupt and faithless court to be kept to its engagements?” No more, no longer, Paine declares, “The Rubicon is passed.” He again backdates that pivotal moment to the battles of Lexington and Concord. “The independence of America should have been considered as dating its era from, and published by, the first musket that was fired against her.” — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 93
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: The Lexington and Concord battles converted the late-arriving Paine to independence.; Paine’s Common Sense reframed colonial resistance as a revolution for independence.
- yield-rescued: below the book’s yield-target cutoff, included anyway for connecting to: The Lexington and Concord battles converted the late-arriving Paine to independence.; Paine’s Common Sense reframed colonial resistance as a revolution for independence.