What about those Presbyterians??

 According to George Bancroft, the first voice publicly raised in America to dissolve all connection with Great Britain came from the Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. This was in 1766, when a group of Scotch-Irish Presbyterians in Pennsylvania published a pamphlet calling for independence from Britain. The pamphlet, entitled "A Summary View of the Rights of British America," was written by Thomas Paine, a Welsh-born American political activist.

The Scotch-Irish Presbyterians were a group of Protestant immigrants who had come to America from Northern Ireland in the 17th century. They were a fiercely independent people, and they had a long history of resisting British rule. In the 1760s, they were deeply opposed to the British government's policies towards the American colonies, and they were among the first to call for independence.

Paine's pamphlet was a powerful and influential document, and it helped to spread the idea of independence among the American people. It is considered to be one of the most important works of American political thought, and it played a significant role in the events leading up to the American Revolution.

Here are some additional details about the Scotch-Irish Presbyterians:

• They were originally from Scotland, but they were forced to leave their homeland in the 17th century due to religious persecution.
• They settled in Northern Ireland, where they faced further persecution from the English.
• They came to America in search of religious freedom and economic opportunity.
• They were a major force in the American Revolution, and they played a significant role in the founding of the United States.