AN AMERICAN HISTORICAL PAINTER.John Trumbul1was the son of Jonathan Trumbull，the revolutionary governor of Connecticut.The governor was a firm patriot and a staunch friend of Washington，who often sought his advice.It was the general’s custom to address the governor as “Brother Jonathan，”a term which has come into jocular use as personifying the United States.John was graduated at Harvard College in 1773at the age of seventeen，and two years later joined the revolutionary army.He became an aiddecamp of Washington，but before the war was ended resumed his early profession of art.After the revolution he devoted himself to painting a great series of historical pictures，for which he made elaborate studies.“The Battle of Bunker Hill”was finished soon after the war.He made portraits afterwards of the great actors in the revolutionary struggle，painting John Adams in London；Jefferson，and the French officers who were engaged in the American war，in Paris，and making several portraits of Washington.In the rotunda of the national capitol he painted four great pictures“The Declaration of Independence，”“The Surrender of Burgoyne，”“The Surrender of Cornwallis，”“The Resignation of General Washington.”The work of these four took the artist seven yearsfrom 1815to 1822.The pictures are interesting as containing authentic portraits.Mr.Trumbull lived until 1843.
8.So these thirteen colonies we r e g o v e r n e d b y t h e B r i t i s h monarchy.The most of the people in them were of British bloodEnglish，with some Scotch and Irish.The rest of the land now included in our republic either was a wilderness inhabited only by Indians and wild beasts，or belonged to some other European monarchy.
9.But the American colonists，while quite willing to be a part of the British monarchy and to be governed by British laws，yet，after all，preferred to manage their own affairs for themselves，And when the British government tried to make them pay taxes without their having a voice in the matter，there was trouble.The colonists refused to pay the taxes.The British sent over soldiers to compel obedience.But the colonists resisted the soldiers，and so there came to be a war between the mother country in Europe and her colonies in America.This was dragged on for eight years.By that time it was clear that the British could not conquer the colonies，and peace was made.In the second year of the war，July 4，1776，as we have seen，the colonists declared that theyBENJAMIN FRANKLINFranklin was a poor boy who won his way to eminence by tireless industry and great talents.He was a trusted leader of the patriots in the revolutionary war；was a signer of the Declaration of Independence；was sent as envoy to France，where he was received with great respect，and was able to induce that nation to aid the Americans against Great Britain；and was a member of the convention which，in 1787，drew up the Constitution of the United States.Franklin died in 1790，in his eightyfifth year.
JOHN ADAMS
President of the United States，17971801.
would no longer be a part of the British monarchy，but that they would thereafter be an independent nation.When the peace was made，in 1783，the British government gave up the claim to govern the colonies，and consented to their independence.Thus the thirteen colonies became an independent republicthe United States of America.
10.Adams and Jefferson.Jo h n Ad a m s w a s o n e o f t h e f o r e m o s t p a t r i o t s o f o u r r e v o l u t i o n a r y w a r.He w a s a m e m b e r o f t h eContinental Congress whicha d o p te d t h e D e c l a r a t i o n of Independence in 1776，and wa s a member of the committee appointed to draw up that immortal document.Thomas Jefferson，another member of the committee，wa s the one who actual l y wrote the Declaration.John Adams became president ofthe United States in 1797，succeeding the first president，G e o r g e Wa s h i n g to n ；a n d in 1801Adams in turn was succeeded by Jefferson.
A d a m s a n d J e f f e r s o n
THOMAS JEFFERSON
Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence，was secretary of state under Washington，vicepresident under President John Adams，and was himself president from 1801to 1809.He was one of our most original and versatile statesmen.
both died on the fourth of July，1826，the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration.Daniel Webster was invited to deliver a commemorative address on the lives and services of the two patriots，which he did，in Faneuil Hall，Boston，August 2，1826.
In the course of this address Webster gave a vivid wordpicture of the deliberations of the congress，and supposed Adams to have given the following speech，although it was，in fact，Webster‘s speech：
In Favor of a Declaration of IndependenceDANIEL WEBSTERSpeech supposed to have been delivered by John Adams in the Continental Congress，July 1，1776SINK or swim，live or die，survive or perish，I give my hand and my heart to this vote！It is true，indeed，that，in the beginning，we aimed not at independence.But there is a Divinity which shapes our ends.The injustice of England has driven us to arms；and，blinded to her own interest for our good，she has obstinately persisted，till independence is now within our grasp.We have but to reach forth to it，and it is ours.Why，then，should we defer the Declaration？Is any man so weak as now to hope for a reconciliation with England，which shall leave either safety to the country and its liberties，or safety to his own life，and his own honor？Are not you，Sir，who sit in that chair，is not he，our venerable colleague near you，are not both already the proscribed and predestined objects of punishment and of vengeance？Cut off from all hope of royal clemency，what are you，what can you be，while the power of England remains，but outlaws？