EVEN MORE STORIES ABOUT THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
 
Independence from England was declared following years of tension between the American colonies and King George III. By 1764, and again in 1768, Rhode Islanders attached and burned customs ships that had been sent to enforce the customs taxes.Â
By 1772, a British lieutenant had seized cargo, moved it to Boston and announced that a trial would take place there. Rhode Island had a Royal Charter of 1663 that held that arrests in Rhode Island were to be tried there. As each side intensified their threats there was a growing outrage in the American colonists that they were being denied the right to self-government.
The Reverend John Allen, preaching at the Second Baptists Church, gave a sermon about the dangers of greedy monarchs. The sermon was printed in 4 cities and became a popular pamphlet and inspired numerous newspaper editorials.
Stay tuned for more of the interesting stories about the events that led up to our celebration of July 4, as we …
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