[Music] [Applause] I yet still I know the truth will rise and fall that's just W to the wise the world was made CH each is a surprise I'm looking at life through my own eyes I'm searching for a hero to idiz feeling the pain [Applause] in I take my heart battle that freedom rattle get my Independence de C it on the D line the freedom bring and patriotic vo sing white blue never give up you represent America for a brighter day I listen to my heart and I oby how can I see it any other way I'm looking at my [Music] my today on Liberty's Kids come on man we have to catch whoever's hanging these posters and if I find so much as one poster it's jail for the lot of [Music] dearest mother they called it the Boston Tea Party but believe me this is one party I wish I had [Music] missed the Yankees claim all this trouble is over taxes why are you destroying the tea we're protesting unfair taxation Parliament rais the tax over our objections maybe next time they'll listen rians C ly disguised as Mohawk Indians destroyed a shipment of tea no without representation Red Coats Abandoned Ship Abandoned Ship Sorry Miss Phillips but I can't print my story from jail let me go I said let me go I'd love to but Dr Franklin told us to take care of you jade look out in a street struggle I lost father's locket I'm very angry America is a strange strange place I can't say that I like what I've seen of it we live in a barn hiding from his Majesty's soldiers sheltered by a remarkable woman a poet and slave named Phyllis [Music] Wheatley James HRI and Moses support these radicals but I for one can't wait to leave Boston who okay okay I'm sorry Cesar I won't brush so hard hey allow me when is Dr Franklin coming soon I hope very soon your loyal loving daughter Sarah [Music] [Applause] how many do you see HRI English HRI not French I'm counting the English how many are there now too many there mustn't be a soldier left in England what should we do what should we do the British are occupying Boston I've got to get this to The Gazette right away come on [Music] hria do you really think he's a traitor on the evening of 16 December the year of Our Lord 1773 cowardly Bandits disguised as Indians attacked the Dartmouth a ship flying the colors of his majesty King George III and who is responsible for inflaming the subjects of Boston to this violence none other than the man before us the esteemed Benjamin Franklin his crimes are enormous the East India Company lost hundreds of crates of tea with many thousands of pounds this lawlessness was encouraged by Dr Franklin in his speeches and writings his inflammatory paper the Pennsylvania Gazette continues to F sedition Rebellion violence treason you have no honor sir you are a scoundrel sir have you nothing to say for yourself the heart of a fool is in his mouth but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart ah the famous Franklin wit perhaps I need to remind you a rope is the proper reward for treason [Music] Boston Harbor is closed hundreds of new soldiers arrived by ship this morning the whole city is filled with red goats would you please mind your tongue where's my pencil I have a story to write this is Headline [Music] News James those filthy red coats are everywhere that's right James after that long sea Voyage these lovely Red Coats could use a good cleaning this may need some soap and water let me help you miss Phillips fine morning isn't it is you who could use the soap and water in that smart mouth of yours you're absolutely right you'll have to forget my manners I'm an orphan I was raised on the streets and sometimes forget my place where's that grub we was promised I'll check on it right away sir why don't you come give me a hand in the kitchen the kitchen that's Woman's Work hey the kitchen of course it would be an honor her to help my lady what are Red Coats doing in the barn it's called quartering a soldier just knocks on your door anytime day or night and moves into your house we have five more upstairs I can't believe King George would allow that it was parliament's doing they call it the coercive axe the Intolerable axe would be more like it this is an outrage that's right we have to cook for them wash their clothes and they don't have to pay a single sh I am outraged too this spy was too smart you are the funny one aren't you how did you come to be in the colonies I came here with my parents HRI was 6 years old when he left France with his parents they signed an agreement with the ship's Captain to work for 7 years in exchange for their passage 3 weeks into the journey the plague hit the ship and half the people on board died including hre's parents the captain made me his Cabin Boy he said I had to pay off my family's passage oh I work all the time cleaning his room getting his food his clothes alling buckets of coal and if I did anything wrong he threw me in the hold for hours how dare he I belonged to him you mean he made you a slave enri that's terrible they Heaven you're here now how did you do it Moses and I went to the dock to pick up parts of a printing press that had come over from France we went down into the hole to get the parts there was HRI on the floor behind bars I thought they came to Hur me but Moses got him out with the handle of the printing press it was amazing it was just what needed to be done but how did you get him off the ship we found the crate of parts and Moses took the Parts out hid them under straw and put enri in instead we closed the crate and carried it off the ship right under the captain's nose right under his nose but we had to wait another month to find other parts for the printer I'm still not sure it was a good trade then I wrote to Dr Franklin and asked to have HRI work in the print shop to pay for his room and board Dr Franklin said yes but then he did something very bad what he told me I must learn to read and write French and English the speaking you have but the reading we have to work on see work on it work speaking of which I must get back to my work or it will raise suspicion Lieutenant Brampton was by here earlier talking about the Tea Party and telling Master Wheatley if Boston's going to cause trouble Boston's going to pay the piper that only makes sense whose side are you on I didn't know there was sides we're all the king subjects Maybe you're a subject but I'm a citizen I have rights doesn't Phyllis have rights you know what your problem is Miss Phillips you think too much for a girl and you talk too much for a gentleman Phyllis I need a printing press I've got to get the word out James until Moses can fix the wagon we're stuck here the city is swarming with soldiers who would like nothing better than to arrest us for your tea party take this James Tom Malone published my poems I can use his press anytime Mr Maloney Tom Maloney open up we're friends of Phyllis Wheatley there's no one in there today's the Sabbath The Lord's day well the Lord helps those who help themselves remember Phyllis gave us the key ladies first at last a sign of manners red we have to work [Music] fast oh no what who goes there where' them kids go off to I've been busy doing my chores I'm sure they're around here somewhere no I don't Basel t on your feet those little troublemakers have run off the city is under martial law the breaking curfew we better fet Lieutenant Bramton oh no I've got to [Music] warn I'll bet they're the same brats who got away during the t- riot but they won't get away a second [Music] time keep going onri a sir the sunet good it's time to spread the word what's wrong Sarah James are you really an orphan I heard you tell the soldiers before it's true I was a tiny baby when it happened mother and father didn't have one of Dr Franklin's new fangled lightning [Music] rods our house was struck and burst into flames it burned to the ground I was lucky a neighbor pulled me out in the nick of time Dr Franklin's lightning rod has saved thousands of lives when I was old enough I sought him out he offered offered to take me in as an apprentice and I've been working at The Gazette ever since I'm sorry for complaining about a silly locket when you've lost so much more that locket meant a lot huh my father gave it to me before he sailed for America when it was around my neck it was like having him near me always he went up the Ohio River to explore new lands when he returns mother will join us here but we haven't heard a word from father in nearly a year you're worried about him see this it's beautiful it's my mother's ring so you see I know just how you feel about the locket James I'm done grab a stack HRI it's time to go must you do this you'll only make things worse I have to why because as Dr Franklin's friend Edmund Burke said an Englishman is the unfittest person on Earth to argue another Englishman into slavery in summary my lords Benjamin Franklin the deputy postmaster of his Majesty's colonies is a traitor the proof is in his own words his own writings and for this treachery I ask that as a minimum he be stripped of his position as postmaster and that he bear the stigma and shame of a scoundrel disloyal to King and Country [Music] from the bottom of my heart I thank Mr wurn for everything he has said against me what kind of trick is this my gratitude is sincere you've answered a question which has troubled me since Boyhood but you have finally put my mind at ease the question is fundamental and when my fellow colonists arrive at the same answer as I a great Empire may fall more treason Mr wurn says I'm a traitor but this is not true the question he has answered for me is thus am I a British subject or am I the citizen of a new nation a country distinct and different from England and today I declare my answer I am not British I am an American and man can only betray his own country my country is no longer England my country is [Music] America let's put one here hey you hold that's an order run [Music] what do we do now we pray Moses has that axle fixed hry I think we may have overstay our welcome in Boston how do we get past those Red Coats follow me [Music] look out must have fallen off a cart come on men we have to catch whoever's hanging these [Music] posters are you all right HRI which one of you said that James HRI are you all right whoa quick we have to get out of here too late everybody [Music] inside the wagon is good as new we must leave town right now while it's still [Music] dark so my men and I are riding past this print shop when I hear voices coming from inside so I asked myself what's someone doing in a print shop at this hour on a [Music] Sunday you know what I told myself I said printing these you have this all wrong sir these gentlemen are interested in my poetry they wanted to see where it was published poetry you what do you take me for show them fellas yes let's hear this poetry of yours descend to Earth their place thy Throne to sucker man's Afflicted son each human heart Inspire to act in bounties unconfined enlarge the close contracted mind and fill it with thy fire right so you're a poet but I still believe these runs have something to do with spreading rebellion and I aim to find the evidence tear the place apart if you have to and if I find so much as one poster it's jail for the lot of you you me what's your name Sarah Phillips sir Phillips you say I served under a major Phillips during the Seven Years War major Phillips is my father sir is that so then you're an English woman Miss Phillips it's your duty to tell me who made these posters the truth now your father would expect you to tell the truth to an officer in the service of his [Music] King I I I spill it lit [Music] girl well I'm waiting young lady where are my manners you must be half Frozen riding in this cold weather I'll fix a pot of tea on the Franklin stove there the fire is stoked we'll have hot tea in half a tick um now what was that you asked me something about posters nothing Lieutenant the place is clean no sign of them signs I don't have time for this come on men the Rabel rousers are out getting away while we're Dilly dallying with children and Poets and tea quick to the wagon before they come back Phyllis how can we ever thank you keep fighting for Freedom that's how now be off I'll keep watch until you're safely gone [Music] thank you for what you know I don't know what you're talking about sure you do you saved our hides James I'm very tired and I'm cold [Music] a I'm going to make a gentleman out of you yet and I'm going to make an American out of you yeah [Music] [Applause] [Music] yeah a little more Moses good that looks great dearest mother so much has happened I hardly know where to begin your latest letter brought the shocking news from London it's terrible that Dr Franklin has lost his position as postmaster but praise the Lord he didn't end up in jail or Worse James cut out that racket a little more Moses good would you please stop that noise I'm trying to concentrate go ahead James it's finished Sarah what is it the boys have a little something for you for me a thank you for saving us here for me Moses made it it was my idea it's beautiful you like it I love it but where in the world did you get the gold are you sure you like it your ring it's the greatest gift I've ever [Music] received myar for a her lies feeling the pain as innocent looking at a li my own I take my heart battle give that freedom batt get my Independence declare it on the line white blue never up you represent [Music] America cookie [Laughter]