Does change take place slowly, over long periods of time, imperceptible at proximity, only visible with perspective and distance, or does the world evolve in brief eclats, moments where everything changes with great rapidity, and the world adapts around those years and events?
This is the first in a series of “exhibits” centered around the latter point of view, focusing on years of great and rapid change, where the forces of gradual shifts reached a point of no return and history marked out great and rapid change for those involved. These documents bear witness to that transformation, where the men and women who lived through them recognized that the world would never again be the same.
1776 was an iconic year that really is the flag bearer for a period of 7-10 years during which the Western Hemisphere began a realignment around the principles of liberty and self government, heralded by the Declaration of Independence. Its reach went far beyond the English-speaking world.
Although in 1776 the Revolutionary War had already begun the year prior at the Battles of Concord and Lexington, some believed peace between Britain and the American colonies could be achieved. By the spring and summer of 1776, it became clear to the Founding Fathers that declaring independence was the only option to secure their rights.
Historical Documents from the Revolutionary Era
“Persevere!”: John Hancock, 1776, and Independence
John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, believed that the time for mediation between Britain and America had long since passed. He had been outspoken against the Crown during the years leading up to the Revolutionary War and served in multiple elected positions. The British attempt to arrest Hancock had led to the confrontations at Concord and Lexington, while Hancock fled to Philadelphia.
From Philadelphia during those pivotal months, Hancock gathered information, managed the fledgling Congress, and provided insight and inspiration to fellow patriots. On April 12, 1776, he wrote to a colleague in Massachusetts announcing the capture of a British vessel, expressing his yearning to see Boston again, and requesting news in the wake of the British occupation. He also advises, “Persevere in doing all the good you can.”
Just a month later, Congress voted to adopt Richard Henry Lee’s resolution for independence, prompting Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence. In early July of 1776, Congress approved the document that essentially launched the American republic.
John Hancock: “this great cause”
The year 1776 was, in some ways, the culmination of revolutionary ideas that had been brewing in the colonies for years, if not decades. Colonists resented several acts that increased their taxes, including the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts, and the Tea Act (which later prompted the Boston Tea Party). The Boston Massacre in 1770, in which three died when British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists after a minor disagreement, indicated that tempers were high.
On April 19, 1775, British General Thomas Gage marched his soldiers to the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord where they confronted a small group of American militiamen. Fighting ensued, and when the smoke cleared, the Revolutionary War had officially begun.
Hancock, having narrowly escaped arrest by Gage, established himself in Philadelphia where he served as president of the Second Continental Congress. Within months of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Congress authorized the creation of the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as commander-in-chief. Commissions for officers and calls to raise troops were sent out by Congress. Hancock wrote to the New Jersey Provincial Assembly on October 12, 1775, calling for troops and issuing an inspirational message about what Americans were fighting for: “Gentlemen: Some late intelligence, laid before Congress, seems to render it absolutely necessary, for the protection of our liberties and safety of our lives, to raise several new battalions, and therefore the Congress have come into the inclosed resolution, which I am ordered to transmit to you. The Congress have the firmest confidence that, from your experienced zeal in this great cause, you will exert your utmost endeavors to carry the said resolutions into execution with all possible expedition.”
Benjamin Franklin: The Revolution Grows and Reaches Europe’s Shores
Once Independence had been declared, however, there was a long road ahead. Historical documents from the late 1770s and early 1780s, written by men like Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams, illuminate and contextualize events during this time.
Franklin, for his part, was on a diplomatic mission to France, where he worked to secure French support for the Revolution. This rare 1777 document signed by Franklin signifies an important moment between France and the fledgling American republic and has been called a “mighty” piece of history. Only a week later after he signed this document, providing credentials for the first individual colonial mission in France, Franklin’s efforts, bolstered by the victory at Saratoga, resulted in an agreement that reshaped the American Revolution. Initially this meant a significant aid package consisting of munitions and soldiers, which was followed by the signing of the Treaty of Alliance and a Treaty of Amity and Commerce.
George Washington: The Grim Task of Liberation Through Conflict
George Washington had been leading the Continental Army since 1775. The general sent many missives during this time to Congress and to fellow military leaders. In this 1780 letter signed by Washington, he is negotiating a prisoner exchange and mentions British Commander-in-Chief Sir Henry Clinton.
The exchange concerned British and Hessian POWs, particularly two Hessian generals who had surrendered at Saratoga and had been kept in custody since. Clinton and Washington had agreed to terms, and Washington both implemented them and gave orders for transporting them safely in this letter. In return, America would get two of the three brigadier generals that had long been held by the British. In a separate letter written the same day as this one, Washington urged the Board of War to allow old and infirm Hessian POWs to return home.
Thomas Jefferson: Working with Washington, Greene, and von Steuben to Safeguard the Homeland
Thomas Jefferson had not only been one of Virginia’s delegates to the Continental Congress, but the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. By 1781, he was serving as governor of Virginia. When the traitor Benedict Arnold raided Richmond, Jefferson wrote this letter to “Genl. Washington’s Head-Quarters,” requesting supplies and trying to hurry the appointment of a new deputy quartermaster in southern Virginia. The letter shows Jefferson’s crucial participation in wartime decision-making and mentions other Revolutionary War heroes General Nathanael Greene and Baron von Steuben.
In another extraordinary wartime letter as governor, Jefferson writes to Colonel James Wood about supplies for British POWs of the Saratoga Convention being held in Charlottesville, Virginia. He specifically mentions George Washington in the signed letter, as he works to allay a potential shortage of food and supplies for the prisoners–a situation that had attracted the notice of Washington, who wanted things handled properly.
Jefferson would later serve the country as a diplomat, as secretary of state, and as president. (Click here to learn more about collecting Jefferson signed letters and documents from each of these stages.)
John Adams: A Hard-Earned Peace & New World Realignment
Without John Adams, the Revolution might never have happened. He agitated for and proposed Independence, served as a delegate to the Continental Congress, and worked with Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence. In the war years that followed, Adams, like Franklin, took on diplomatic roles in France and Holland. After the British surrendered in late 1781, he helped to negotiate peace.
Adams wrote this letter from The Hague in October 1782 during those negotiations. In it, he announces to fellow envoy John Jay that he encloses documents received through secret channels indicating that the Dutch would recognize American Independence and that the British would begin negotiations on America’s terms. Adams then traveled to Paris to take part in formal peace talks that resulted in the Treaty of Paris, ending the American Revolution.
He spent more time abroad, but Adams would be called back to serve as the first vice-president of the U.S. and then as president.
Revolution & Republic
At Raab we believe historical documents allow collectors to get close to the historical people and events that most inspire them. To learn more about buying historical documents and autographs from the Revolutionary period, visit our dedicated Revolution & Republic page.
