Question

Why did it take so long after the start of the Revolutionary War for the Continental Congress to declare independence from Great Britain?

A. The Continental Congress was very militant but not very politically astute.

B. It took a while for the Continental Congress to decide whether they were fighting the British government for repeal of its new policies toward the colonies, or for complete independence from Britain.

C. It took a while for the Continental Congress to form a competent army, so they were reluctant to declare independence earlier.

D. The majority of the American colonists wanted independence, but the members of the Continental Congress just wanted a repeal of British policies.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

B. It took a while for the Continental Congress to decide whether they were fighting the British government for repeal of its new policies toward the colonies, or for complete independence from Britain.

Explanation:

The American Revolution started as a protest to British policies, mainly to the Stamp Act of 1765, where taxes where raised without representation and the colonists, who saw themselves as Englishmen, fought against these taxes with the allegation that they deserved the same rights as the Englishmen that lived in Britain; and formed the Continental Congress to demand respect for their rights, while being loyal to the Crown.

Colonists questioned if they should remained loyal or if they should seek independence, but it was until Thomas Paine published Common Sense in 1776 (a pamphlet that exposed the reasons why the 13 Colonies should be independent from Britain) when this question gained force and the Continental Congress assigned Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence.