Useless employees, large and small Part 3

So we were talking about the Prohibitory Act, and how neat a thing it was.
Much more notable in the Act than the economic brainlessness we mentioned before was a passage that is probably the single-most important piece of writing in the history of America’s founding. In it, the King declares the colonies out of his protection. Six months later, Thomas Jefferson would acknowledge this decision in a little piece called the Declaration of Independence: “He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection, and waging War against us…”


Read, then re-read, the reaction of John Adams to the passage:

“It throws thirteen colonies out of the royal protection, levels all distinctions, and makes us independent in spite of our supplications and entreaties...It may be fortunate that the act of independency should come from the British Parliament rather than the American Congress.”

If you’re paying attention, you should be shocked, as well as disgusted with your history teachers. Contrary to everything you’ve ever been taught, American independence was not achieved by The Revolutionary War, but by an Act of Parliament.

Fact: Seven months before the American Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in July of 1776, Parliament had affected the independence of the Colonies.

Fact: Many of the “revolutionary leaders” of the Colonies were, right up to the point of independence, trying to avoid it.

Fact: The British Army was emplaced on American soil at the time the Prohibitory Act was passed and had already prosecuted military action earlier that year at Concord and Lexington.

Conclusion: There is no such thing as “The Revolutionary War”. It was a war against an occupying army, fought to maintain a state of political independence that had been created by the very powers commanding the occupiers.

What we know as The Revolutionary War would be better known as The War of Separation.
At least in my opinion.

So, what does that have to do with all of us today? Everything, my hard-working friends, everything…
See you again in a week or three.