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In the past, the Western nations did not have constitutions; although some of them had rules for parliaments, most were ruled by autocracy. At the outset everyone benefited greatly, but as people changed, schisms slowly developed. In one or two hundred years, a multitude of schisms grew and plunged the common people into severe distress . Struggles for power among sovereigns led to wars that killed innocent souls like flies. Some individuals flaunted the authority of the Roman Pope, while some others relied on all the powers and influences of emperors, aristocrats, generals, and judges in creating turmoil. In the heat of such turmoil, the people had to suffer the insufferable. It is natural that all living creatures want to avoid hardship and choose comfort or avoid death and seek life. However, an attempt to live separately in search of deliverance from the misrule of a vicious government is like the fish in a dried-up pond trying to find a new stream. At the time of the discovery of the American continent, people thought that, by crossing the Atlantic Ocean, they could reach a vast land with untapped resources where none but barbarians lived, scattered here and there, where limitless quantities of gold, silver, copper, and iron remained unexcavated and unused and where fertile lands were left as wooded areas free for wild beasts to roam. They further thought that this was a land that God had set aside especially for poor souls like themselves. Their reasoning was that they could escape the brutal oppression, which was as dreadful as a ferocious tiger, and live a happy life by going over [to the new world], opening and cultivating the land that they could then pass on to their descendants. [This is why people] abandoned their countries and homes, sailed 95 17. Events Leading to American Independence across the ocean in droves, cut down trees, opened fields, drove off wild animals, fought the barbarians, suffered countless casualties, and struggled to establish temporary settlements where they held daily meetings . Within a few years, the number of households increased; they settled down in a somewhat peaceful land and established their own communities. This was a case of sweet success after bitter struggle, and they were indeed fortunate. But an examination of their situation also revealed foreboding signs. Those in power, vicious as they were, became even more oppressive. Great Britain at this time occupied the American continent and made all its residents British subjects, who only hoped for good treatment at British hands. [Britain] eventually sent officials to govern, but they were more brutal and unreasonable than before. They treated [the settlers] as slaves of British people and imposed unfair taxes on all goods. In lawsuits, [the settlers] received one-sided mistreatment. No words could describe fully theses abuses. These people [the settlers] originated from among those with learning and knowledge in various countries. They crossed the ocean to come to this [new] region because of their unhappiness with those who treated them like slaves; they were certainly different from those rotten people who would gladly accept oppression out of concern for their lives. Courageous men of learning rose up in various places, resolutely opposed Britain without fear of its power, and the war was on. Looking at the situation at that time, from the high officials down to the soldiers and patrolmen and even some of the common people on the street, [all] were loyal subjects of England. They maintained that it was immoral and treasonous to criticize the mother country and defy royal command. They therefore advocated crushing the uprisings wherever they occurred. England controlled all power groups except for merchants and farmers—the simple but powerless people who had to work with their hands to earn their living. How then did they hope to fight powerful Britain if they were only small groups of common men without power? They believed that all people were equal, and that anyone who would willingly accept being a slave to others had already lost the rights of a human being. If a man had lost but could not reclaim his rights as a man, they believed, he might as well give up his life, and build a valuable foundation with his own blood so that his offspring could enjoy eternal blessings. They [the independence advocates] also argued that their elders considered slavery as loyalty [to the British king] because of their greed for government posts or monthly stipends. They feared...

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