Chapter 650 (1/2)

Before the war of independence, more than two million British colonists lived in the new world of North America.

Most of these colonists were people who could not survive in the British mainland, otherwise they would not have left their hometown or even risked their lives to cross the Atlantic Ocean and come to this continent.

The richness of the new world gave these colonists hope. They all thought that in such a good environment, as long as they worked hard enough, they could lay a foundation here with their own hands. I'm not sure I'm rich, but there's no problem in maintaining food and clothing.

These colonists originally thought that they could escape the exploitation of the big men without leaving their motherland, but unfortunately, even if there was an Atlantic Ocean between them, the big men of their motherland would not let them go.

Those nobles and big men are just like leeches, lying on these colonists, desperately sucking blood from them.

The vast and deep Atlantic Ocean can't stop the laws that make people feel numb, and even more can't stop the despairing exorbitant taxes and levies. Britain, which has defeated Spain, Holland and France successively, has become the most powerful country in Europe. Relying on its Armada, it controls the colonists in the new world.

Especially after the end of the seven-year war, this kind of exploitation intensified and eventually led to the resistance of the colonists.

In fact, even if there were the Boston Massacre, even if there were the Boston Tea incident, even if the British authorities issued five unbearable decrees in succession, at the beginning, these colonists did not want to pursue independence through war.

The so-called Continental Congress, which led the colonists to fight against Britain, could not represent the majority of ordinary colonists. Who were the members of the first Continental Congress? They were all the big men who were high up among the North American colonists, such as bankers, such as plantation slave owners, such as wealthy businessmen

The 55 representatives of the whole 12 colonies are all of this kind of goods. How can these 55 great figures represent more than two million colonists?

These people formed the Continental Congress for their own interests, not for the interests of the colonists.

There is no doubt about this!

Because at the first Continental Congress, these people adopted the declaration of rights. And what is this high sounding manifesto for? Simply, the declaration only required the British government to lift all kinds of economic restrictions and five high handed decrees on the colonies; He reiterated that taxes should not be levied on the colonies without the consent of the colonial people, and demanded that the colonies exercise autonomy and withdraw the British garrison. If Britain does not accept these demands, the North American colonies will begin to boycott British goods and prohibit the export of any goods to Britain.

It can be seen from this manifesto that the representatives of the so-called colonists who formed the continental conference paid more attention to their economic interests. Because if we don't abolish the laws issued by the British authorities and impose exorbitant taxes, these people will suffer the most.

Moreover, when the Continental Congress was set up, they did not want to fight for independence at the beginning. They even submitted a ”peace petition” to the king of England, saying that the colony was still ”loyal” to the king of England

If it wasn't for Lexington's bluffing, perhaps the war of independence would not have started.

Politics has always been the ugliest and darkest thing on the planet.

The Continental Congress could not represent more than two million ordinary colonists, and most of them did not want to go to war.