Gen. Richard Montgomery's death in a blizzard siege on Dec. 31, 1775, ignited the outrage that fueled Thomas Paine's "Common Sense."

That assertion may come as a surprise to people in the United States ahead of its 250th anniversary

Gen. Richard Montgomery's death in a blizzard siege on Dec. 31, 1775, ignited the outrage that fueled Thomas Paine's "Common Sense."