Exeter High School - Eagle Yearbook (Exeter, NE)

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Bright Futures DARRELL HARRE DIANE HALL GEORGE JENCKS TOM KLEMN ALAN KOVANDA RON KUSKA

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Seniors Anticipate LAURIE BONTA STEVE CARRIGAN MARGARET COFFEY DORIS EKELER STEVE EKELER KRIS GILLAN

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“Stand Your Ground . . . If They Mean to Have a War, Let It Begin Here. ” Capt. John Parker 1 Capt. -John Parker uttered those words as the colonial militia under his command prepared to meet the British troops at Lexington. Those works and the painting—Spirit of 76—exemplify the dedication and determination of the American patriots in their fight for independence. The colonies had organized to express their grievances in an effort to resolve the differences within the framework of the Empire. Several of the colonial legislatures had instructed their delegates to the Con- tinental Congress in Philadelphia to oppose any move toward in- dependence. The movement for independence was gaining strength and following the publication of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense. which argued for colonial sovereignty, a resolution was adopted and a committee of five appointed to draft a declaration of independence. 2 General Washington, who had been appointed commander-in-chief of American forces by the Second Continental Congress, was a brilliant military strategist. It was his decision to take his Continentals across the Delaware River on Christmas night which resulted in the first ma- jor colonial victory. That victory at Trenton over Hessian mercenaries gave the ragged army renewed vigor. Supported chiefly through the printing of Continental currency, the colonial army also went through the personal fortunes of many American patriots—among them Washington, Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee and John Adams. These fortunes were donated to the cause of liberty—a cause supported by about one-third of the American population which was near 2,000,000. Another one-third remained loyal to the English crown and the remainder were apathetic. Despite many defeats, the colonies managed to keep an army in the field as a symbol of American resistance, to guarantee a negotiated rather than dictated peace.