Pens and Pamphlets Brought down a Monarch.
And United a Nation
“History books often dwell on the events, and not the personalities that actually participated or created the circumstances of those events. I wanted to put 'faces' on the events that brought thirteen independent colonies together - into one.”
— Jack head
When Thirteen Became One is the story of the people involved in forming this new culture while fending off pressure from Great Britain until General Gage sent the royal troops into the countryside to bring the subjects back, leading up to the confrontation on April 19, 1775, when British and American soldiers exchanged fire in the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord.
For over a hundred and fifty years, the two cultures clashed. The British parliament demanded control of their “subjects” in this foreign land and placed more tariffs on goods. This story begins with a few families embracing a new culture based on religious tolerance, fair commerce trade, and self-government in 1620. These were the armed pilgrims with an ambition to self-govern, and who wrote the Mayflower Compact. All those who followed them contributed to this new culture, and the colonies became more robust. They began to challenge and torment parliament, who only considered them subjects.
When Thirteen Became One traces the development of this new American culture, telling the story of the people who helped create it as they continually opposed the British Empire. When Thirteen Became One is the telling of all the little stories that got lost in telling the big story of the American Revolution. #When Thirteen Became One
“As the title of this amazing book implies, When Thirteen Became One is a fascinating account of the early period of a largely forgotten part of American history: how the original English-established thirteen colonies became the United States. While the entire Revolutionary War is not covered, its antecedents and first year are incisively delved into with little before known facts intensively researched by Jack Head. The reader will learn and enjoy this fascinating account written very eloquently by a proud warrior! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!”
-Bernie Weisz, Historian
Part One:
The Full Story
This story starts with the first New England Colonies: Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay, owned by two British Companies. The first to arrive were literate and armed Pilgrims with the ambition to self-govern as written in the Mayflower Compact. While Britain continued to receive items no longer available in England, they provided protection from the indigenous people. For the next 150 years, the tension, interaction, and demands from both sides grew.
In 1773 King George III instructed the Governor of Massachusetts, who was also the General of the Army, to seize control of all the gunpowder in the American provinces. Still, the right of gun ownership was ingrained in them. The Providenciales continued to send a strong request to the king for a voice in their government as they continued harassing the troops and destroying government property. General Gage sent troops to one town after another to squelch the insurrections to gain control and finally marched 700 of his best men to Concord vie Lexington….
This is the history of the terrorist acts of rebellion, proclamations, and peaceful protests that didn't get the message to the king that the colonies were fed up with the present system of government. From 1620 to 1775, the colonies were preparing for their opportunity to self-govern. Their stories are of bravery and dedication to a goal only seen by some in their lifetime.
Part Two:
The Genealogy of Known and Missing Heroes
The growth of the United States was achieved by many individuals whose stories each deserve their own book. Many of these heroes are well known; others, not so much. You know the story of Lexington and Concord; You know the story of the revolution; You know many of the heroes.
But not all of them.
As we get farther and farther from the events which we call history, we lose sight and knowledge of many of those who performed actions of great consequence. Some heroes get forgotten. And we forget that these heroes were true people with true lives.
Part two is a genealogy of the stories of the heroes of the American Revolution who have been forgotten. And it is so much more - it is an exploration into who these men were: their passions, family, experiences, and their contribution to the founding of these United States.
The Revolutionary War is full of Heroes. Get to know the ones you never knew existed.