brought under discipline. Cannon were transported from Ticonderoga; the British stores in the Bermudas were seized and powder was collected from all the country towns in the region.

254. Invasion of Canada-Congress Fails to Win the Cana dians. In order to save Boston and New York City, measures had to be taken to prevent the British from invading New York from Canada by way of Lake Champlain, whereupon General Montgomery captured Montreal and hastened to join Benedict Arnold and Daniel Morgan. The troops of the latter had reached Quebec by way of Maine, footsore and hungry, after a long march through the forests. They besieged Quebec, the Gibraltar of America, for three weeks and then attacked the city, but failed to capture it. Montgomery was killed and Arnold wounded. In the spring the army retreated from Canada to Crown Point on Lake Champlain.

It was still hoped that Canada might be won over to the American cause. Consequently, while Arnold was in camp before Quebec, Congress sent Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Chase, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, and Father John Carroll to Montreal to propose coöperation, or, at least, to secure Canadian neutrality. They failed, however, in their mission.

The anti-Catholic attacks on the Quebec Act and the religious intolerance of the colonies in the past, had led the Canadians to believe that they might expect fairer treatment from England than from the Americans.

255. The Abnaki Indians Aid the Colonies. Washington asked aid of the Catholic Abnaki Indians of Maine, and deputies of all the tribes met and agreed to aid the colonies. Orono, the noble chief of the Penobscots, became an officer in the American army, and his Catholic kinsmen fought by his side. All these tribes were sincerely Catholic, and Puritan Massachusetts regretted that it could not give these Christian Indians a missionary of the same faith. Strange revolution!

SECOND YEAR OF THE WAR-1776

256. The British Leave Boston-Attack on Charleston Fails. Washington, while disciplining his army, drew his lines closely around Boston. One night he seized and fortified Dorchester Heights. The next morning Howe, who had superseded Gage, saw that not only his army, but also his fleet, was at the mercy of Washington. He must choose either to fight or to get to sea. Remembering the lesson of Bunker Hill, he, with all his troops and some hundred Tories, sailed for Halifax, Nova Scotia (March). Washington, by this bloodless victory, freed New England from the enemy, secured a large quantity of ammunition and heavy guns, and raised the hope of the nation.

A British detachment, under Clinton, had left Boston some time previous to its evacuation, with the secret purpose of making an attack on New York. Washington forestalled the attack by sending General Charles Lee to raise volunteers in Connecticut to protect the city. Clinton, after failing in this plan, sailed south to attack Charleston. Here he was gallantly repulsed at Sullivan's Island in Charleston harbor, by the united. forces of Colonel Moultrie and General Lee, the latter having followed Clinton by land (June). The fort from which Clinton's attack was repulsed bore ever after the name of its brave defender, Colonel Moultrie. In the heat of the battle, the flag of the fort was shot away, and fell outside. Sergeant Jasper, seeing this, cried: "Don't let us fight without a flag!" and, instantly leaping after it, seized it, fastened it to a staff, and in sight of the whole British fleet, amid a volley of bullets, fixed it once more firmly in its place.

Clinton finally sailed to join Howe. This was the first victory over the boasted "Mistress of the Seas" and caused universal rejoicing in America.

257. Steps toward Independence. Heretofore the majority of the colonists had hoped for a peaceful settlement with the mother country without a formal separation; but a year of

war and the fact that England hired soldiers (Hessians) to fight against her own subjects, led the Americans to debate earnestly the question of independence. A powerful pamphlet, written by Thomas Paine and read by thousands of people, boldly proclaimed that the time had come for a final separation from England, and that arms must decide the contest. This pamphlet, called "Common Sense," contained, together with much truth, some errors, and paved the way, as it were, for Paine's other pamphlets, such as "The Crisis."

258. The Declaration of Independence. At the Congress convened on June 7, 1776, in Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia offered the famous resolution: "that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states." The resolution was seconded by John Adams of Massachusetts. On July 2 the Independence resolution was passed and a committee, consisting of Thomas Jefferson (chairman), John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston, was appointed to draw up the Declaration of Independence. This Declaration was written.

by Jefferson, and adopted July 4, 1776. On this date the colonies became free and independent states, and the Fourth of July was henceforth to be celebrated as the birthday of the nation. The Declaration closed with these words: "For the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor." It was signed by fifty-six delegates from the various. states. The signing of the Declaration of Independence was regarded in England as treason, the punishment of which crime was death. John Hancock, as president of the Congress, was the first to attach his signature. He wrote his name in a bold, clear hand, saying: "There, John Bull can read that without spectacles, and may now double his reward of five hundred pounds for my head." Then, turning, he added: "Gentlemen, we must all hang together." "Yes," replied Franklin, "or we shall all hang separately." It is said that when Charles Carroll affixed his signature, some one, alluding to his great wealth, said: "There go millions;" while another remarked: "No, there are several Charles Carrolls," whereupon the eminent signer added to his name the words: “Of Carrollton," saying as he did so, "they cannot mistake me now." Stephen Hopkins was afflicted with palsy; when he was writing his name a by-stander remarked, "Your hand trembles." The patriot answered, "True, but my heart does not." The adoption of the Declaration of Independence caused great rejoicing throughout the country, except in Tory sections. The thirteen British colonies had ceased to exist. In their place stood a new nation-The United States of America. The old Liberty Bell rang out the glad tidings to all the land, while every steeple re-echoed it. In New York the excited patriots pulled down the leaden statue of George III on horseback and molded it into bullets for the use of the army. The people realized that they must make good this declaration of independence by a desperate struggle.