Kiel truly lived up to being a genuine chemist. Compared to the student-level chemistry enthusiasts at Philadelphia College, his speed in producing results far exceeded Charles' imagination.
Just as Charles had finished arranging for Philadelphia College students to research nitroglycerin, Kiel extracted something else from coal tar.
The extraction method was also very simple: heating and distillation to see if anything could be separated. This is the first step in general analysis, and coal tar responded well to this, yielding substances upon distillation.
Having obtained a large number of components, Kiel naturally had to inform Charles, his employer, to come and see the results.
Coal tar distillation is the preliminary separation of coal tar, usually yielding six fractions: light oil, phenol oil, wash oil, naphthalene oil, anthracene oil, and asphalt tar.
Naphthalene is used to produce phthalic anhydride, which is used in the production of resins, engineering plastics, dyes, paints, and medicine.
Phenol and its homologues are used to produce synthetic fibers, engineering plastics, pesticides, medicines, fuel intermediates, and explosives.
Anthracene is used to prepare anthraquinone dyes, synthetic Dianaders, and paints.
Asphalt is the residue from tar distillation, a mixture of various polycyclic high-molecular compounds, used for roofing coatings, damp-proof courses, road construction, and the production of asphalt coke and electric furnace electrodes.
In fact, there is also a high-temperature distillation method, but Kiel's experimental conditions obviously could not achieve it.
As soon as Charles entered the laboratory, the first thing he saw was the pile of asphalt that had already solidified into black.
In fact, the coal tar when it first came out was just like heated asphalt. But the asphalt Charles saw was clearly separated.
And Kiel was placing several cans of equally separated substances.
"Sir Kiel, what exactly did you get from the separation?"
"The things obtained are all here. As for what these things actually are, we will only know after testing and analysis. I don't even know what their current uses are; I still need to experiment slowly. Don't worry, I have already tested it. The composition of this coal tar is very complex; it is a very valuable material for research, and I will study it thoroughly, starting with that big black pile! This stuff looks a bit like natural asphalt, but its melting point seems very low, so its properties might be completely different."
Kiel pointed to the pile of asphalt.
"Research this? How do you plan to research it?" Charles was very puzzled.
There are asphalt mines in nature. Ordinary people might not know, but many chemists do know about this stuff. Since Kiel could say the term 'asphalt,' he should know that its main use seems to be paving roads.
"Since it looks like an ointment, I'll start by researching its medicinal value," Kiel announced with a smile.
Charles nearly stumbled: "Sir Kiel, you should research other things. This stuff is just asphalt. I also know its effect; it's used for paving roads and waterproofing roofs, nothing else."
"How can this be? It's the main product; how can the main product be..."
Charles quickly waved his hand to interrupt: "You should research those trace products first; those things seem very important. I'm taking this asphalt. My new house's roof has a slight leak, so I'll use it to patch it up."
Picking up the solidified lump of asphalt, Charles turned and left, completely ignoring Kiel's calls from behind.
Charles had been busy these days, and several days had passed. The drafting of the Declaration of Independence was almost complete.
Jefferson had always been the "penman" among the Continental Congress Representatives. The declaration he drafted was the first to articulate the demands of the bourgeois revolution in programmatic form.
It absorbed the theories of the seventeenth-century english bourgeois political theorist Locke and the eighteenth-century French bourgeois philosopher Rousseau, embodying important principles such as the doctrine of natural rights and popular sovereignty.
This declaration, with its concise text and powerful momentum, provided a sharp theoretical weapon for the struggle for national independence in America.
The Declaration of Independence was drafted by Jefferson, then revised and refined by Benjamin and others, before being formally submitted to the Continental Congress for deliberation.
And, as in history, the Continental Congress immediately engaged in a long and intense debate over this draft.
"Gentlemen! Someone suggested deleting the condemnation of slavery from the draft, which I find unbelievable. We are all aware of the misery and injustice of slaves. That is a disgrace to our civilized society! Slavery and the slave trade are disgraces forced upon us by the British king. We must resolutely and strongly condemn such inhumane acts! Moreover..."
Jefferson was explaining his draft declaration, and the debate below was very fierce... "Gentlemen! The content condemning British king George III for allowing slavery and the slave trade in the Colonies must be deleted.
Please be clear about one fact: the vast majority of representatives present here either own slaves or have used slaves. We ourselves are supporters of slavery and the slave trade. Are we now going to lie in this declaration that represents the position of our Thirteen American Colonies!" A representative from Georgia loudly proclaimed.
"Slavery is not only an important foundation for our development of America, but it is also our tradition, a right granted to us by God. How slaves are treated is a personal act; slavery itself bears no responsibility.
The so-called 'enticing them and transporting them to another hemisphere to serve as slaves, or causing them to die tragically during transport' is not our responsibility. As a plantation owner, I can frankly tell everyone that I am very gentle with my slaves, and their productivity is also very high.
If not for them, I can hardly imagine how I alone would train such vast tracts of land, so I firmly oppose the abolition of slavery." A representative from South Carolina also stood up in agreement.
"No! gentlemen! The use of slaves is not just a humanitarian issue; it is also the greatest constraint on the future development of our country. Slaves are the most restricted labor force. Currently, developing land and the war against Britain both require a large number of free laborers.
If we do not free the slaves, we will all be confined to the eighteenth century. Right now, we only lack population, but when our population becomes numerous, we will be dragged down in national development by a large group of unfree slaves with low productivity," Jefferson continued to present his views calmly.
The biggest debate regarding this draft was not whether to publish it, but rather the content concerning slavery.
Jefferson and Franklin were both opponents of slavery, but the current social situation in America was that the vast majority of the wealthy class used slaves. In the southern Colonies, the main labor force for major plantation owners had completely become slaves.
The inclusion of sentences opposing and exposing slavery in this draft of the Declaration of Independence naturally drew opposition from these Colonies. Even when facing prominent figures like Franklin and Jefferson, they still maintained their stance.
However, the liberation and abolition of slavery, as an inevitable trend, also garnered support from many far-sighted representatives in the Continental Congress, who came forward to express their support. For a time, disputes naturally arose.
These supporters and opponents were no longer merely debating whether slaves should be used; their focus of debate actually centered on whether retaining slavery was beneficial or detrimental to national development.
Many people themselves opposed the use of slaves but believed that the development of America would certainly require extensive use of slaves, so they were willing to free their own slaves but opposed the abolition of slavery. Others believed that for the country to develop normally and quickly, slaves must be freed to improve their productivity, so even though they owned slaves, they firmly supported the abolition of slavery.
There had been debates about the use of slaves before, but they were more due to different views on the use of slaves caused by economic disparities between the North and South, and did not touch upon abolition itself. But this time, it truly elevated abolition to a debate concerning the long-term development of the nation.
However, this was also a successful debate. The representatives of the Thirteen American Colonies did not fall into division due to the debate over the content of the Declaration of Independence.
On the contrary, through this debate, all Continental Congress Representatives gained a greater sense of belonging and responsibility for the United States formed by the union of the Thirteen Colonies. It can be said that it was precisely because they felt a sense of responsibility for this United States that this debate arose. Through the debate, everyone became more united, forming a true national consciousness, laying the foundation for the future establishment of the States.
"Gentlemen! Sirs! Whether or not to abolish slavery has no necessary connection with whether we need to condemn slavery in the declaration. In such a sacred declaration, there is naturally no room for a trace of falsehood.
But similarly, it also does not allow for a trace of injustice! When we draft this declaration representing the three million people of American Colonies, we must consistently represent their interests. Slaves are also members of our society, and there are many outstanding talents among them. When we draft the Declaration of Independence, we must also consider their feelings.
Only by considering the interests of all social strata and uniting the strength of all the people of America can we have the ability to defeat Britain. Gentlemen, I myself use slaves, but I firmly support retaining the condemnation of slavery in the declaration!" Charles only spoke at the very end of the debate.
This was indeed a very difficult issue to handle.
Even if the condemnation of slavery were retained in the declaration, it would be impossible to get everyone to act to abolish slavery, so this support might be considered hypocritical for a long time. Since everyone had to speak, Charles could only stand on the side of righteousness and express his personal support for this condemnation.
However, Charles' influence at this time was already much stronger than when he first became a Continental Congress Representative. The entire Pennsylvania canal interest group supported him, and many Northern gentlemen who had bought land in Pittsburgh and benefited from him also had to support him on this issue that did not involve their personal interests. The debate on abolition, historically, was almost evenly matched, but now with Charles' one sentence, the result produced a small, completely opposite change.
The debate ultimately did not make major changes to Jefferson's draft, and did not delete his strong condemnation of British king George III for allowing slavery and the slave trade in the Colonies.
Part of the content that would have been deleted in history was written as follows: "He has waged cruel war against human Nature itself, violating its most sacred Rights of Life and Liberty in the Persons of a distant People who never offended him, captivating and carrying them into Slavery in another Hemisphere, or to incur miserable Death, in their Transportation thither."
The content in the Declaration of Independence attributed to Charles, besides his speech when he first entered the Continental Congress, was this passage condemning slavery and the slave trade.
Pennsylvania's State Hall, built in 1732, was a two-story red brick building with off-white doors and windows, and an off-white spire.
A large clock was embedded in the spire, and the bell hanging at its top was later renamed the Liberty Bell.
The entire building was simple and unadorned, yet it exuded solemnity, inspiring awe.
On her two wings, there were also two symmetrical smaller buildings, with the same red brick walls and architectural style, serving as Pennsylvania's Assembly Building and City Hall, respectively.
Since the Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, this State Hall had continuously served as the venue for the Continental Congress.
Now, the venue merely provided convenience for the Continental Congress, but from now on, this venue would be immortalized in history because of the Continental Congress.
On July 4, 1776, numerous Continental Congress Representatives streamed into the venue, which would be renamed Independence Hall after today.
The first floor was the meeting room, the signing place of the Declaration of Independence and the future Constitution.
The second floor was a rectangular public activity room, with two simple libraries and a dining room adjacent to it.
After days of intense debate, today would be a historic moment, as everyone decided to formally vote on the draft Continental Declaration.
John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, announced:
"Representatives! sirs! Today is a sacred moment; we will formally vote on this open letter to the British king, drafted by sir Thomas Jefferson.
This is also a clear declaration of our relationship with Great Britain! sirs, do not hesitate, let us vote by show of hands!"
The result, naturally, was self-evident: a flurry of raised arms across the room.
The historically significant Declaration of Independence, penned by Jefferson, was officially unveiled, passed by the representatives in the grand hall of Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
At this momentous occasion, the entire city rejoiced, people spread the news, and salutes boomed repeatedly.
The Liberty Bell's chime resonated through the clouds.
The Declaration of Independence solemnly proclaimed to the world: the United States of America was born!
From then on, July 4 became the United States' Independence Day—its National Day.
When the Declaration of Independence was voted on in the Continental Congress, most representatives voted in favor, but it was not passed unanimously.
At this time, the outcome of the war was undecided, the future unknown, and the success of America's independence still required time.
Should it fail, those associated with this declaration would surely face death, so while this declaration was voted on and passed on July 4, it was continuously delayed, as many representatives dared not sign it.
Charles had no time to waste with these people in Philadelphia.
While they still wished to continue negotiations, he proactively suggested:
"Sirs, since the declaration to the British king has already passed, let us quickly sign it and send it for printing.
Then, let us distribute it throughout America, so all people of the United States can share the joy of independence!"
"This... let's first find someone to write a formal document and make a copy to be read to the Continental army!"
"Whether we sign it immediately or not does not affect the public release of this document to all people of the United States," John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, cautiously stated.
"Additionally, we need to give this document a formal name.
This is the declaration that leads us to independence; we cannot keep calling it an open letter to the British king, can we?"
"Indeed! Indeed!" most Continental Congress Representatives agreed.
The so-called Declaration of Independence was originally a letter from the Continental Congress to the British king.
America's independence, of course, was a declaration to the former suzerain's king, and an announcement to the whole world.
And the formal name was almost without suspense: the Declaration of Independence.
The original draft could not, of course, be used as the formal signing document; the Declaration of Independence was transcribed onto a single sheet of paper.
Charles saw the document, which was exactly the same size as what he had seen in later generations, only the paper was newer.
He immediately felt a sense of familiarity.
Recalling a film he had seen in the 21st century, he quietly asked Franklin, one of the drafters:
"This transcribed copy of the Declaration of Independence, and its duplicate, was it written by a Quaker?"
Franklin looked at Charles with a puzzled expression, then merely nodded slightly, confirming Charles' guess.
However, Charles did not feel comfortable asking if there was truly some Templar treasure secret on the back of the document.
He merely thought mischievously, wondering if he should leave some numerical codes for future decryption experts to speculate about this non-existent treasure.
After the official document was presented to the Continental Congress Representatives, Charles ignored the other people's disputes over signing.
He walked straight up and, with his actions, demonstrated his resolve by boldly signing his full name, Charles Godfrey.
Subsequently, Franklin and others also abandoned their arguments and followed suit in signing.
However, all signatures, as in history, were not completed until August 2.
Including Charles, there were a total of fifty-seven signatories, of whom twenty-eight were lawyers, thirteen were wealthy merchants like Charles, eight were plantation Slave owners, and seven were self-employed professionals.
The signatures were completed, but for over six months, the list remained a closely guarded secret.
However, hidden behind this monumental news was another piece of information overlooked by people at the time: the simultaneous establishment of Pennsylvania Bank, Pittsburgh Bank's Philadelphia branch, and Pittsburgh Coal and Steel Consortium's Philadelphia branch on a single street in Philadelphia.
Regarding Pennsylvania Bank, the Biddle family initially believed they should be the major shareholders.
However, when it came time to invest capital, miss Diana Rogers, the countess, suddenly announced an investment of fifty thousand pounds, firmly overshadowing the Biddle family's forty thousand pounds.
Although the Biddle family had prepared for the bank for decades, they had continuously invested in industry, and with recent investments in canals and Pittsburgh land, they could not quickly recover much capital.
They could only helplessly watch as Diana became the largest shareholder.
Coupled with the ten thousand pounds Charles borrowed from Diana, the Pennsylvania Bank was formed into ten shares, with a total capital even exceeding that of Morris' Bank of America when it was first established.
old Biddle of the Biddle family served as the bank manager, and Biddle, along with James, also served as managers of Pittsburgh Bank's Philadelphia branch, effectively becoming senior employees of the bank.
On July 5, 1776, John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, prepared to dispatch a special envoy to deliver a copy of the Declaration of Independence to New York, requesting General Washington to read it aloud to the entire army.
Originally, this task was to be entrusted to Charles, who had experience as a special envoy.
However, in June 1776, the British army's Commander-in-Chief, William, who had withdrawn from Boston, rested and regrouped, returning with renewed vigor.
The British regular army, along with Hessian mercenaries, totaled over thirty thousand men.
Now, strong in both men and horses, advancing by land and sea, they could move south at any time to capture New York and the Hudson River in one fell swoop, cutting off the Continental army and completely crushing America's independence.
Going to New York at this time was undoubtedly very dangerous, so Charles, after much deliberation, still refused Hancock's request.
Nevertheless, the Declaration of Independence was successfully conveyed to the officers and soldiers of the Continental army, who cheered enthusiastically upon hearing the declaration.
The bell symbolizing freedom also rang in New York City.
Soldiers and residents worked together to pull down and smash a lead statue of British king George III in front of the fortress, sending it to the blast furnace to be melted down and cast into bullets.
Washington reported to the Continental Congress that he believed the promulgation of the Declaration of Independence was "the most decisive effort..."; the reactions and actions of the officers and soldiers proved their enthusiastic support for the declaration.
The official birth of the United States of America gained political initiative; from now on, she could finally officially engage in foreign relations as a nation.
However, she was like a malnourished newborn, weak and sickly.
A powerful enemy still stood before her—the British Empire, gnashing its teeth, eyeing her covetously, ready to strangle her in her cradle at any moment.
And because of this Declaration of Independence, she would attract even more animosity and endure even fiercer attacks.
Shortly after the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed, the Continental army immediately prepared for battle with great enthusiasm.
The Continental Congress was also busy organizing the administrative work of its state governments, while Charles, taking advantage of the Military Ordnance Committee's lack of affairs, prepared to return to Pittsburgh again.
In fact, on July 2, 1776, when the Continental Congress debated whether to proclaim the Declaration of Independence, Delaware representative John Dickinson and others voted against it.
However, nine days later, Dickinson submitted another bill to the assembly, namely the articles of confederation and Perpetual Union, abbreviated as the articles of confederation.
This was the most important document after the Declaration of Independence and before the Federal Constitution.
However, its implications were even more significant, so the discussion time was even longer.
Historically, it was passed by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, and came into effect on March 1, 1781.
According to this article, the "United Colonies" nominally became the "United States."
The name of this United States was explicitly stipulated at the outset as the "United States of America," the legal document establishing the United States.
Charles had already realized that he was helpless in discussions that required unanimous agreement from all states.
Charles was confident in his strong persuasive abilities, but the resistance of these representatives was equally strong.
His various viewpoints often made listeners nod frequently, but if his policies could not provide them with substantial benefits, they would not agree.
Charles, after all, was a modern man.
Initially, he quite enjoyed this work of debating and persuading people, but after a long time, coupled with several failures, he naturally grew tired of such constant talk.
In his previous life, he had constantly been arguing.
Now, in this world, the conditions were already so good.
Did he still have to do such work?
Thinking of Pittsburgh, his backyard kingdom, Charles felt a bit restless.
Moreover, it had been almost two months since he left Pittsburgh.
He didn't know how the Western expedition plan against the natives, prepared last time, was progressing.
If a large area of land was captured and he wasn't there, it was very likely to be seized and controlled by that fellow Patrick.
Coupled with Diana in the castle also restlessly wanting to go out for a walk, Charles simply left his agent, Secretary James-Jonathan, to represent his opinions, while he himself, with Diana and other attendants, left Philadelphia and returned to Pittsburgh.
Before reaching the town of Pittsburgh, Charles was startled by the bustling scene of people coming and going outside the town.
Such a large flow of people was a situation usually seen only in a city of at least ten thousand people.
Pittsburgh couldn't have developed that quickly!
Greatly surprised, he immediately hastened his journey.
Upon reaching the town's entrance, he gained a slightly better understanding of the situation outside.
Because various tents were spread out outside the town, and many adult men carrying muskets were moving in and out.
These people, clearly from civilian backgrounds, were evidently temporary civilian armed forces from nearby villages and towns.
Charles had already determined that these people should be related to the Western expedition against the Great Lakes natives, but he didn't know why they were still outside the town now.
And finally, when crossing the Ohio River, Charles found that the canal project on the Pittsburgh side had been fully completed.
The neat and regular docks were all built with large stones quarried from nearby mountains.
Charles even saw shrewd people already starting to build boats by a newly constructed dock.
Building canals, of course, required boats to explore the waterways, but at present, Pittsburgh's only shipyard was the fishing boat shipyard on Charles' territory.
Therefore, the boats currently used for exploring the river channels were all Charles' original fishing boats.
Since Jonathan had expanded the shipyard, there was no shortage of fishing boats for exploring waterways now.
However, there were still many clever people in Pittsburgh; some immediately started thinking about building their own boats.
Whether for personal use or for selling to others, these boats would not be built in vain.
Currently, most fishing boats were docked at this completed canal wharf, waiting to depart when needed.
In fact, the western route of the canal was centered in Pittsburgh; workers could not camp in the desolate areas infested with wild beasts, so they mostly lived in Pittsburgh and went to their work sections when the time came.
Charles' return this time was not met with as many extras, so he simply went directly to Greenspan's trading center.
"Greenspan! Greenspan!" Charles dismounted and shouted loudly towards the door.
"Sir!" Greenspan hurried out, trotting.
"Welcome, you..."
"Greenspan! What's going on in town? Where did all these people come from?" Charles interrupted his greeting and asked directly.