This made our great-grandfathers very angry. They refused to pay the
taxes, they would not buy anything from England any more, and some men
even went on board the ships, as they came into Boston Harbor, and
threw the tea over into the water.

So fifty-one men were chosen from all over the country, and they met
at Philadelphia, to see what could be done. Washington was sent from
Virginia. And after they had talked very solemnly, they all thought
there would be great trouble soon, and Washington went home to drill
the soldiers.

Then the war began with the battle of Lexington, in New England, and
soon Washington was made commander in chief of the armies.

He rode the whole distance from Philadelphia to Boston on horseback,
with a troop of officers; and all the people on the way came to see
him, bringing bands of music and cheering him as he went by. He rode
into camp in the morning. The soldiers were drawn up in the road, and
men and women and children who had come to look at Washington were
crowded all about. They saw a tall, splendid, handsome man in a blue
coat with buff facings, and epaulets on his shoulders. As he took off
his hat, drew his shining sword and raised it in sight of all the
people, the cannon began to thunder, and all the people hurrahed and
tossed their hats in the air.

Of course he looked very splendid, and they all knew how brave he was,
and thought he would soon put an end to the war.

But it did not happen as they expected, for this was only the
beginning, and the war lasted seven long years.