The Lincoln Gambit

[diddyriddick]

Ledgersko,

Keep right on posting. But beware-when you post. DiLorenzo is not just wrong in his interpretation, but inacurate in his facts. There are many who make very convincing arguments along the same lines, but not DiLorenzo.

 

[Freddy]

The DoI, as a historical event, should not studied in isolation from its historical context. The representatives of all the colonies have already met in General Congress Assembled and United all the colonies under the authority of all the good people of the colonies.
After justifying rebellion, they conclude "That these united Colonies are, and of right, ought, to be Free and Independent States,..." it then, followed that, logically, if the America colonies were no longer colonies of Britain, then the representatives in General Congress Assembled, chose to changed the, now inaccurate, descriptive, united Colonies, to the more accurate, United States of America.
Quite logical, really And, even better, Historical.

My question would be colonies united in what sense?

In September 5- October 26, 1774 the First Continental Congress met with 12 of 13 sending delegates. It authorized the Continental Association or formal boycott and a Second Continental Congress to meet in 1775.

In May of 1775 the Second Continental Congress met. In July it sends the Olive Branch Petition to the King in an attempt at reconciliation even after more than 500 Patriot casualties, including 165 dead, in fighting that was not directed by either Congress. British casualties were 1,350 with 300 dead.

In fact, the petition did not even ask for independence only to negotiate British/Colonial tax and trade policies.

Days before Bunker Hill the SCC creates a Continental Army. In July it approves an invasion of Canada and Washington as CIC.

Even while sending the peace petition the SCC is making war. Patriot casualties by January 1776 total 3,000 with more than 500 dead. British casualties total 2,300 with 400 dead.

It would seem that by mid-1775 the colonies were united with the option of peace or war with the British.

What would have happened if the King had accepted the petition in mid-1775?

 

[LedgerSko]

Ledgersko,

Keep right on posting. But beware-when you post. DiLorenzo is not just wrong in his interpretation, but inacurate in his facts. There are many who make very convincing arguments along the same lines, but not DiLorenzo.

Diddy - Where would I find those guys?

 

[OpnDownfall]

Although the Continental Congress' were not nat'l gov'ts in a strict legal sense, they were de facto governing bodies, purporting to speak for All the good people of the colonies and making decisions affecting all the United Colonies. While the,exact, status of the Continental Congress may be debatable, the existrence of the Union is not.
IMO, For the British Crown to have accepted colonial demands would have meant that in very meaningful terms, the colonies would be, in effect, if not in fact, self-governing provinces within the British Empire. .