4 Chapter 3 We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident

Chapter 3 "We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident…" When he married in 1772, Jefferson was in his third year in the House of Burgesses. Over the past few years, the thirteen colonies had grown restless under British rule. England had been trying to tax the colonists. The Americans refused to pay. Britain's Tea Act of 1773 made things worse. On December 16, a group of people in Boston, Massachusetts, protested this tax on tea. They boarded three ships and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. The tea dumping became known as the Boston Tea Party. To punish Bostonians, Britain closed the city's harbor. This made it difficult for people in Boston to obtain supplies they needed.

第3章“我们认为这些真理是不言而喻的……”1772年，杰斐逊结婚，这是他在下议院的第三年。 在过去的几年里，十三个殖民地在英国的统治下变得焦躁不安。 英国一直试图向殖民者征税。 美国人拒绝付款。 英国1773年的《茶叶法案》让情况变得更糟。 12月16日，马萨诸塞州波士顿的一群人抗议这项茶叶税。 他们登上三艘船，向波士顿港倾倒了342箱茶叶。 倾茶事件被称为波士顿倾茶事件。 为了惩罚波士顿人，英国关闭了波士顿的港口。 这使得波士顿的人们很难获得他们需要的物资。

The British hoped the punishment would scare Americans into obeying them. Just the opposite happened. Many colonists, including Thomas Jefferson, were furious. They felt that the unjust British taxes had provoked the Bostonians. During this time of trouble, Patrick Henry made a famous speech. He said, "Give me liberty or give me death!" Unlike Patrick Henry, Jefferson was a poor speaker. In fact, he often sat silently at public meetings. But could he write! In 1774, he wrote A Summary View of the Rights of British America. This pamphlet was his first major writing on politics. It revealed that he was

英国人希望这种惩罚能吓到美国人，让他们服从他们。 结果恰恰相反。 包括托马斯·杰斐逊在内的许多殖民者都非常愤怒。 他们认为英国不公正的税收激怒了波士顿人。 在这段困难时期，帕特里克·亨利发表了一篇著名的演讲。 他说"不自由，毋宁死"与帕特里克·亨利不同，杰斐逊是个蹩脚的演说家。 事实上，他经常在公开会议上沉默不语。 但是他会写字吗?1774年，他写了《英属美洲权利概述》。 这本小册子是他第一本关于政治的主要著作。 这表明他是

thinking of matters far beyond taxes. The colonists might be ready to separate from Britain, he wrote. He even referred to the colonies as the "states of America."

考虑的远不止税收。 他写道，殖民者可能已经准备好脱离英国。 他甚至把殖民地称为“美利坚州”。

Jefferson had another suggestion. On June 1, 1774—the day Boston's port was to close—the House of Burgesses should not do business as usual. Instead, Virginia lawmakers should pray and fast (not eat) to show support for Massachusetts. Jefferson's fellow lawmakers agreed to his idea. Lord Dunmore, Virginia's British governor, learned of the plan. He decided to shut down the House of Burgesses in Williamsburg. This didn't stop Jefferson and his colleagues. They marched to the Raleigh Tavern. There, they declared that Americans were one people and must stick together. They also proposed that a meeting of delegates from all thirteen colonies be organized.

杰斐逊还有另一个建议。 1774年6月1日，也就是波士顿港口关闭的那一天，众议院不应该照常办公。 相反，弗吉尼亚州的立法者应该祈祷和禁食(而不是吃饭)来表示对马萨诸塞州的支持。 杰斐逊的议员们同意他的想法。 弗吉尼亚州的英国总督邓莫尔勋爵得知了这个计划。 他决定关闭威廉斯堡的下议院。 这并没有阻止杰斐逊和他的同事们。 他们向罗利酒馆走去。 在那里，他们宣布美国人是一个民族，必须团结一致。 他们还建议组织一次由所有13个殖民地的代表参加的会议。

This big meeting was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the fall of 1774. It was called the First Continental Congress. Every colony but Georgia sent delegates. Stomach problems kept Jefferson from attending, but Virginia's delegates included George Washington and Patrick Henry. If Britain kept mistreating America, Congress was to meet again the next spring. Britain didn't change its ways. War between the thirteen colonies and Britain broke out on April 19, 1775, at Lexington, Massachusetts.

1774年秋天，这个大型会议在宾夕法尼亚州的费城举行。 它被称为第一次大陆会议。 除了格鲁吉亚以外，所有殖民地都派出了代表。 杰斐逊因胃病未能出席，但弗吉尼亚的代表包括乔治·华盛顿和帕特里克·亨利。 如果英国继续虐待美国，国会将在明年春天再次开会。 英国没有改变自己的方式。 1775年4月19日，十三个殖民地和英国之间的战争在马萨诸塞州的列克星敦爆发。

The Second Continental Congress opened in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania State House that May. Jefferson wasn't there at the start, for he had not been chosen as a delegate. But when a vacancy in Virginia's delegation had to be filled, his chance came. Jefferson set out in his buggy on the 250-mile trip to Philadelphia. By June 22, 1775, the tall, redheaded Virginian had taken his seat in Congress. Although he rarely said a word, everyone knew he had a way with a pen. He was asked to write some of Congress's official documents.

同年5月，第二届大陆会议在费城宾夕法尼亚州议会大厦开幕。 杰斐逊一开始没有出席，因为他没有被选为代表。 但是，当弗吉尼亚代表团的一个空缺需要填补时，他的机会来了。 杰斐逊坐着他的马车开始了250英里的费城之旅。 到1775年6月22日，这位身材高大、红发的弗吉尼亚人已经进入国会。 虽然他很少说话，但大家都知道他很会写字。 他被要求撰写国会的一些官方文件。