h C o n c r5€ islrrl of tl" e. fl rn erlcQ.," (.ep.rtli .
H
-----il--
unque 5ii,*) t:tr:;l;u'4u'""'s
eting in
The Revolution Precipitated
eclannS
)t to pull
and the
7763-7776
Liberty and Authoity
'lhe American
Benerahon rhar (dme io maru-ir)
beween the Peace of Paris andthe inauguration of
kesident Washington lived in an era that wa,
revolutionary and destnctive for the old British
empire, but creative and constnctive for the
UnitedStates. Thisperiod from 1763 to1789has a
singular unity. We must notlet the rush of events
and the din o{ arms hide from us its reat mean-
ing. ]ust as the Greek tragedie, of rhe Periclean
Age areconcerned not merelywnh the conflicts of
sods and heroes, but witl the depths oI human
nature, so we ma! d;s.ern behrnd rhe nois\ (on
flict of the American Revolution. the srirrmp of a
polidcalp,obtem otde! than recorded hrstorv": the
balancing of liberry with aurhoriry. t hi, aicrerr
question resolves rsellrnrouo rhe federal prob-
Iem ofdisrriburinB power ber*e"n on",
".r,rjtand
many regional Bovernmenrs and rhe democmtrc
one of how far the masses of mankind shatl be
enrmrted with (onrrol. the,e two problem. ore
tne warp and wool o{ American hrstory through
the Civil Wari rnd the crr*.r,r*",
"1 ",,
nme fuve simply resrared these ancrenr "*"
rssuer.
61
'i
ca^h'"l.'
By excluding the French Irom continental
North Amedca, the British rcok over more rc-
soonsrbihq th.n ihe! .ould hdndle. Bafning
querion, of Irdid relatjons.lurtrade, Iand pol
n I a' d mr,rrarl and po)iuciladmini,rrarion ;ere
created- Ior the next twenty-five years, Great
Bitain attempted unsuccexfully to solve the
great nddle of imperial orsanization. And the new
Ame can government found itself confronted
with the same difficulties.
The immense acquisitions of the Seven Years
War per,udded Brnish riaresmen rhat the:r big-
ger empire requned more ships and soldiers.
These would cost rnoney; and unlesgthe British
taxpayer supplied it all, the colonies, which also
benefned, should contribute to the cost. Revenue
couldbe extracted Irom the colonies only through
r stronger cenrrrl adninistrarron. arhe expense
ot colonial .elf governmenr. As Governor Hutch-
inson !\,ore in a sentence rhar loi }im hl, iob,
There mu,l be an abndSenenr of so-called tn6
Lsh t,berri€, rn Ameri.r.' Furrhermore, rhe Acr,
of Trade were strengthened to an extent that
began to impose real hardships on important co-
During the half-century since 1713 the lower
 6)
THE REVOLUIION PREC]PITATED

r,l:"r
;:{i',*"::;*::i}:;}
trfi:ffi+*frffit*{i
,l'l:;:;:i"::l':; the wc
'l

fi**ffi**l*ti+****r
:l
:lilmf[,li;1.";;;,,*,t',,:"1'::':: ;:";::*-i;.1,'":i""'{i
"iJ":.ltu
ilffi:.;,i;i';;H}ttil
liiil-l'"i;r,;1i',.''"
' R,. r7"r ih"re
'. .om. iffi+',:'ffit}*{[
,ne Boverlo
"l; lT "t'::,.:L,iii*ll:
u. ;X".1::i.;I; i,ri

l,
had been uo xed our '"'"- NFh \\o lo, embrd.irS mo'' o'

r",ui nr; ru'ill:iitit

d'idr'' *Jl 1i:i
or iorersn -l'I:"-:'^' **riijlir;;;r"'ti*T,r':'*
n'w fr
;;,'"; ..",'"1 ,D,1e or he, dcqur5;ron ot a
l"a ",".e,.rrdd". Pa,,d-nenr or'((,lJ:nial .[;i"", i",,;':"" 'r'ewa, easer rore'over rhe
ir". D,ot,'db'e ro-rne r"" rnsland dnl
ii,'*"-',.1i,.*i, , dee..Fd
arro'r-ever v"orre'l
i*l ir":,*, "r,..r eone ro 'l'e
il,i,1l"""ii;"1,'il ,,.i,a* , rrhome r,ir "i'r," n,,','"'p-:' "'l',
;",;e.r,he Anericans had rure.,L,,'v"'" "l.l
fea.eor bi prF(umdblv d,rpo5( ll,lX'F,iilf,
I

i',:',#itf
'iii^ffi
*Ht',t-l1l;#il:*ii:+$ti"iI.'#1T.iif i:J"ii6,';+";ft
,*"1;i;;n r",";,*:::l';t. i,*l ilmr*::lu:;: di-contenl
+:' )';ii:;,'l;
;;;,;;;:; t" r761' Bur rhe c"'"'"':i' :; p"l'" ,,."* on rt'" 't'o'onial
"r";"r"a,;;l;"s"$dsmor.,-nedia'ie Pol
iTi,iiii-:,i"","i,;ddeu.e;no,n'erhoo.or
ex"cuns a unr{orm contr r,r, r.onrprrr(yorl-Dtwa'rtremost{ormidable
i,lii"r""*" reJr'.nrh-een- i,i",i"i,it-""f"r'r".*ru,v.c"adedrode'oer-
r"^.menr or,he A.,, o, r'aded.u
^.a,r,",."ercs,:rr 'c"8ation
'i;rf,iL,,i""i."a*'",.o,{ru,ron buLw,-nor :',:;'b";;-;".,'" or ,he.in'r"h IadeI 'nd
:;::;",i.;;i-;,"db,rh.reru,,iorrheFrgrrshro
:i':#,i tn*I" "i"'illil
t'j:J::;
*"" #li*ii*;;ili;i'i;::irJ:il- i:'i;l
,,' rz o -o .,,ong .,'
g.""'.ili,l,], "''
l\'l i:iir"",'. 're
oh:o torned 'v-arrei'
'" rj'l:l
h#*itn:j*':i:ll:1x,1;ir;i:1""1
ha'i r"ushr srffe Masna carta ' i:::i:r'"'m:x'
"'},"';"a;;i li:,:lt':,'ir'"
i"';; d,;'-;";i t" t a' pru'ed ardthe c'
u h'rch Engri'h men "u"th
and wo,rl-d settle for norhtng
Less
 53
THE COLON]Es JN 176] 73

fronder from Niagara to Virginia was ravaged. Vjrginia,. vere we -foundcd;

Vir6iniaand Ma rlard,:rrLr.k bac", b-r ternsyJ_ thoseof others,
Inde- \Fh \or". we,e ,erJous An\ po,r.)
vaniJ. th€_wor.r "rflerer. Iarleo ro p-o\rde :rch.d:
uredl Blrain zdop.ed Bou.d -lFp o. .omLonF,
adequare deiense lor her Ironrrer>npn fheupn>. corn. bL rhp hnd ouei.,on u.a, e, en.alrrrmpe
ing;ar rorcrurned by Ame,i.dns. bur b\ Bn,,sh pol \ h.d ro bc adminr.rered br a , en
red-coats. II the colonies could not evrn cn_ 'ral. 'dnd
tral aurhoriil
operate {or rherr or n d.I"ns" ag:,n* rn. tndrar,, Ernalli .h-e $,, rh" Dot.r,.al p.obl"m
rould there be any.toubr rhrr ,rronSer rmpLrid, tr re,r
.".trol was needed? bc esraoli.hco rr .n_ he-r
s.iar de8ree ot Jet I
eor e-rm"nr sho,rld
Nor was the Indian quesrion merelv one of ,ed.hea dnd {'dr shouJd b",hei. rFtrbe r r,,t
pL

suppressing a rebellion. How were Ind:lns to be io-r ro.hF

reated afterbeing brought to terns Z Shouid thejr
y"".."19T::.,-! ,o ..e mo he, .oJl.r, rne
I reary ol I7b I lad al.oBr\cn
hunthg 8rounds be reserved for them in the I n8land tufl 5d., rron
,itr- inreiesrs of humanirv and rhe fur .-ade or. rtnor,
ovcr .ome 60 000 cJen, h Cdndo;n..
men
"trel rn
ano ri ,h anf una.-..o nec ,o , lp,,,n
by whaL means.nere rhev ro be,e.ured dgarn.. : ,J
'rl.ons ot tds d-rd ddmrn..r,. on. Somi rene,,-
spe.uiarorsand lano-hungrl irontrersmen:). ua, vnF.re oj
the 80\Frnrcn. h"d ro b" prorro.d to.
imperauve ro prov,de nor only for p-e."nr , rrrer.
rleqe,ndDildnr dnd sune n e.hoo
rnly 8en.) br,r to, turure deveropmenr,. a rast n-.es- Barn rhe supporr ol rhe r Church
sitating centralized control.
the
luv . CJosely comected wr,h the tndi"n probrenr *",
rhe tur riddF. flehrv sritJdorrnated rne economre" The Colonies in 1783-73
of Catuda.and We,r FJorida dnd $i, leddrnB ,
the j,!, esr jn
le. J, now b-ret,!,, nel rhe Brrri,h,on,,nen
Ne6 ) o,l. Sourh Cdrohn" and Iouri al
dnJ. rrs lur lrade hA no. merely an rnr-r r a.
.otor-e
,5r"r.:ng ar .re ,o rrnern eno \^es.
.t
uonar,r\alr), but d ru-hle". co--]pet.tjor dmunc
ordc, detned ir r-br o.o \pan.,h t,ofld.
.In we-r o. .he Apdia. hr(old "> ,ec.:o,
peopie ol rhe same (ounrru, i.1 , bu.rne,, whici' "nd " oflrench
the ,ou,ana ,nct-drn8 Mob,t". Bilo\,. d-o \".,1c/.
e'h.c: A: lair a. rhe Dcrrrv of onp re8,on
the ll:wn:
wrs,e\hrusred. tae r.apoer. and tr"der. mored rrd ver) lew furopFan rrhabr.dnr> B", an
the tunher,weir uhere rhel corpered ur.h e.rer8ehr governor 5er up !r\:
the r enrcor" .!mmoned dn
80\e., mp-. rr
the spdnra,dr lor an lndran clie-rere, or bv e,e.uvp a,.rbl\ rn
nch
g:f:'*i:,, +"" ,.rrred up rhe near* rndran:
rnetr ap I 66 and ddverrFFd tor t^g',.h.- r"r,.wirrn
rfe. ren \edrs r"e pop_LIun h"d .r,en
wlro reral,ared on rhe clo.esr whrte
Lmirv Here ro r-u0 f, .-
be wasanotnerungraretuJ rasL ror De,1s,rnd. I200 sLre,. ) he onll
lhe thehrrrssedorfi- Lrn,t-lorida. in tToJ werp 5r AJg-"..re
crars rn I ondon regutauon and Sr.
in- of a group of unonn va,(5 a,r-rhe mou.\ of rn" Ap;Jrch:.or.
crpreo raders who bv arragonrzrns the
its rhe Indiars Deoprejol 5r qu8u5i.ne rhoJgn g d.r Fd
endangered konrie,,nen ard jdpa,d,zed rolcrr
supply ot tur. rhe oon cnor.o leare uhen l.n6ldnd ."ot o!e,, ,
>parr d .oLrd jldgine livrng Jnd.r |
more pemhx.ng was the probtem ..(r-
ble -Fveradmrn j,rrarion
-nm-rar or rer- er(s.,5ourh olSr Augus.rne l.ved on'\ "ri.1
and,ana poi;.1 Sho_ ra,he rrorr-..
mostl) ol r\e Scm nole b.",n o, rt," i
r"t .,-
nC ;",'J J:" ffi J,
pqL^tuwnrte seirtemenr,
i:i: I:1 j;
:T"[:t"[r;; uon
,no trh; , ran had rer pe-"rrar"d
cwrgradps. une xober. lurrbu,'re,
rn€
If rhp ld,re_ .houto laro rL..ed 1,00
nd ierrrers t'om Mr,1or.d. CTeFCF ond
sh
I revenJe. and asr.sed Jril\ rnd er
rr, N"s 5nrv.n" .o
1a i"_blr.leg
drc rherr 'hFrn sroa rndr8o
de..erdanr. ,,e ,. L rh.re (no"n
,'vrrro.ca-,.. tn addi,ron ro rhF.- ,h. (en.-. ",
r,,,/l ihowed.onl\ 288 JI
rll,ir.:,,+,',*- d[#* *ll#* air
wL e5 r1d q00 Neeroe, ln
r!,, Jltrrd- noreno_6hroh, an,,ne,.rrtrn8
 1 r:l9l-r,
ch,4e r or >o-, ca.or,n.,
ll:l:.,Yr": i::;:il:i:;: J":.:,T.',

:$ilrlritli:f [:;:ilr$mhii:;*i:::::':r'*''',
da< in ses'sion'
, ^rr--. whrle the arsembly
i""jf9:.#:; ;,; ;,;;ir' 6at' "i"-'*' -a
-.:"4.ll:l"t'ffi ili:1,,*.!::il]:i;ji
ff did a bu'r'es'
lijl-*i*, "i'a,r";*' "> most vi's,ni'an5 lrved
roarins
1':I:':i::::; ;i,[. ;"ar
'rllii{**[ j*,]",1,,:idlr';m
:-^ " "^"J Drooonion ot slavesi was ncrlr t-:lll:lSf m+*1,,m[*f 1i:

liri.":.""*, li; ::ti,xX illi jIi:i"' li,;i'j; l:*:::* E:N ;:J"lli[""'iii'T"1lxirl;

it'"""rito.ijoo .,* had become rerv pro'petor''
,*"
i.',,'i.-r'i, ft""i't'ing (amtl1-,trees gror-
t"uo-
:::;;;i:;;;;;;
"i t","',*iid unLrr br tl'"tansjed
ll":", s*"* :1""'":*:,t'';'!',1'; il"";::l i:s,:'j:ilJ;;ffi;;;;Peared to be one
llilli"ll'l 1i*" r".rr,!: -Robinson, RandorPh
or the
..a i"* ,l,"''a"a r'"'r of the leaders
tiP;ll,"r'l;ltli*++*lrlt,*l
ir'ji'Jl; ii)','rJ', fimanel ,l:"':l .lill '"L#'Bll?;'ff:,o phrraderphia r':verers
.".^11", t. .ontrast, seemed
,"u*[:::ii:'"""",;=l:l'i*f,:".,,"t.*
::ll*l','"'; lr:l;::liTi;'fl ii"Till,il;,lll;
wa's,irr' rrT: :::' T: i T:lli,Ji li llll."'i,l; l';il"r u,,
or virs,nia
''"ll:::.:I::;-,^-,"nv
-^lli.ili"r'r.)i,ia'"r pbnrattons rowns
:"-:?:^;" ;'. *, will,;m.burB "nd srow'ng
the
rhete
#x*l'";H:;if f ''JJ""f ",r:,",i",,#:
y-:':y:: ilj.'rilk'!"',h'oniv" :oo ho'rses ""d
re,idenL' wlrrum- i;.'ili;;b,d but wtth a ouaker Pnmnes'
?ll-i^l'. r'. " rooo,"'lnu"ent ffi :JI'ii'
: **j;:j"'t' ::r";l'll";";"'1ii'
ll:'.';::{::u:i";.1*}lr"'tuiilH:n\fl
 65
THE COLONIES IN
whalc oil lampr. rnd pol,ced dr night. Philadel
Dhia, with 18,'b6 people rn 1760 sas rhe arge5r
most p.o'pero,' ,o"n jn fu8lish America Ir
"nd tin vi"-s rr rn,,eased bv dno,her 10.000
""orhe,
and acqurrediome
r'ne publi, buildrnSs. includilS
rh. h,"d,ome Crmenrer, Hall, wh.re the Irr"r
Continenral Conprers wou'd meet in 1774. ard
the Old Stare HoLise thererrdepende",ewasoe
clared and the lederal Constitrtion dra{ted
Penn,vl!rnia had alwav, been faithful to the
relisiou,' llber r v ideas of her lounder, but the
'broih",lv lo,e idcr hao nor worked very werl.
There uere manr rensrons berqeen rhe Lneli'h
Ouakers, r'ho hai the highest social standing, the
Germans, whom they regarded aE uneducated
-oueh S.or-'l ich of the bact
boors,
"rd the
counrrv, who h,d nor been siver rhei- due weig\-
:n rhe'a,,e-b'',. Philade phra ua' run bv an
olierr.hv ol las vers and ner.:hanrr. \epr rn po$ er
b1-a hig'h p,operty oualiftcatron for voL ng "h ch
,hur our th" Iower middle clas, a-d Lhe uotk;ng
people.
Proceedine norll"easttard acrosv \err I"ret '
our ra\ elerof lTol soJId rea.l- New I orl City. a
comDrdlv bujlr In rle roh -, rhiro in popular ion rn
,ived the i.elirh colories sr I- bearing marks o{ rhe
tlutch ;eeim". A Iew b'ocks away lror rhe sratelr
i the
-"nsloni of mercrar" I.lcrre r\e Bo"l.ng C-een
g ihe or the iver were evil sl,rms whe.e dav laborers,
iaBe. doclnands, and free blacks lived There were al-
ready enough Irrsr in Ne\, \ ork ro,elebrate St.
Parr.ck's Day. enough Je$, 1o ma.nlarn d
svndEosue. enough sco\ ro ,uPPo i a Pre'by1e-
ngled rian church. ard enoue\ Lerman'ro mrinrain
fou, churc\e" *i$ services in rheir language. The
olph,
f the t$o Anericrn churche-, frinrr\ ard St. Paul s,
qorship-peo ro .ne Bool ol Cormon
l ayer. pra; "ccorornc
ing da'I1 for Ceor6e. our ro+ gra-
r Del- ooris Khe ano Governour. li the Provrnce of
lphia, New rori mosL oristocrotrc o{ rhe ronlinental
(olonie-. rhe la-ded gen*r contro ed pol rc'.
rvlkill UD-ri\e! the Livinesion and Van Renxelaer
:apital -,."*.omorised almosr a mill,on acres; {our
hmilies own;d 200 square miles of Long Island,
larser and on Manhattan Island, hundreds of acres were
owned by rhe Sruy'vesanr. Bayard, De tancev.
ano De Peysrer famihes ro rhe subsequeni en-
ed by ri.hmeff of their descendantt.
176}73
'Ihe New Enel,nd colont., oned rherr pro'
-ro f..hing. shipbrilding, and
Der.rv lareel\
-,";-" -"i.*.". Bosro; wirh I7 000 t'hrbi-
Lalr- wa< r1F L gesr toun. but no r enopoh,;
rhere were a ooTen l,rrlc ,edpo'r. along tLe \oa<.
{rom Brideeporr to Porland. ea,h with so:'
rr;rrime ae, "lry and o{f-.hore lanr-cke. h.d
alreadl sone tn ror deep-'e; uhaling-n a big way
All rhi'i Louns had comforrable brick and wooder
hou,es builL rn rhe Ceore s rtl^ ercellent
"c '.11e.
rntero, decord,ion and nell-l'"pr sarden'. Th"
,hipownina merchdnrt who ouned rhem 'hared
rop sraru, ; irh rhc chrs! . a rew lau 1er'. and the
phr.rcran". xew tnsland as yer had no landed
rri-rocrd,\. \ew lngJarders we-e 'no..ly men-
ber, or one oi the Coner"aar ionrlchur.he( Sone
were ,r'rrlr Ca vin
'r. haring
been sr rrcd up
durrne tl-eireaL AnaLenrna oihers. e>pe. irllytn
rhe laiper towns. had becomr liberal almo,t to the
oornt ol Unit"riani(m herl ullag" had a
rleeimshou>e whrc -erved a, town hall rnd
church; and allchurch+. etcepr in Bostor znd in
Rhode Island, were supported by public taxation
In addition, there were in 1763 about a hundred
Anqlcrn and BaDri,i.hurcres and Qra\er meet
i"e! in N"" tnsldnd. rrery rrlage h"d a lree
,ci'ool. rhe to"ns suppo"red erammar sc\ools
.roueLI\ equtvalenr ro our presenr hrgh school't.
and;o'r 6l rhe people ^ned hou ro re,d :nd
New England had a more democratic social and
polrrcal o sanvrrion .han anl other,ectton. :n
L,ge part b"cause land ua, di+.:bu.ed nore
equalll.ln rhel eragecounrry toh n. almost ever)
partrcrpare rn
adulr male could Lown Eovernmelr.
The rorv po\erno- ol Md-.acnu,etr', Ihomd,
Hut.hin'son- compla:ned of hr' o*n colony, In
moar ol the public pro,eedings o'rhe lown ol
Bo,ron Deruon, o{ rhe be,- characrer a-d e'tat",
'l
have llrile or no concern \ey declrre arrend:ns
losn meetile. where lhe) are sure robeout\ored
by men ol r\i Iowest oroer. all berng admineo and
it bei-s vely rare rhar an) scruriny rs madc tnro
,h. .;li{i.a ons o{ vorer,.' \er e!en in New
Lnetjno, rhe etec.orate deler.ed ro .h" teadrng
per-'onaees uho helo of f i,e. almosr a' rhougL rhel
uere hired;rary p-e,ogar'!ec. Despire ( on'
necLicur r republ,crn form of goverrment. l!'o'
 66
THE REVOLUNON PRICIPITATTD
rhirds olrtretopof{ices were held by men bearing
but menryJive sumames of 'anciend families,
precisely the sam€ patte.n as in 'aristocratic'
Virginia.
British Politics and Georye lll
Bnd,h politics were impoftanr in the American
Revolurion becuse Parliament initiated the new
colonialpolicy and passed the laws whnh precipi
tated the Warollndependence.ln 1750 70whiSs
had successlully eliminated tories by lasreningon
them the snem, oi rebellron rn 1745 EvenKinS
Ccoree called h mselt a whre, ard all the mrnrs-
rries w,rh whnh th€ colonrsts had to deal were
whi8 mini,rries. But the dominant pany was
breaking up into factions.
O{ the drlGrent whiS factionr, the one which
showed mostsympathy for theAmerrcans rvas the
Jd whrc 'so.alled brause rts members clarmed
r" i.h."i tLp r,,lnnr, nl 1688 The,e included
the Duke of Rnhmond, Ceneral Conway, the
Marquex o{ Rockingham, his secretary Edmund
Burke, Lord Camden, and lsaac Barr6; names
grven toAmer(an rc$nsandcountres rn recogni
r o. ot rhpr, pllnr* llsu:llvalLedwrththemwere
the 'Pirrit€s,' William Piriand hrs large personal
Iollowing. These were rhe most liberal groups in
Batrsh pohn(s and a.o the most conservatrve,
the\ opposed tayarion of the colnnres as much
brause rt wr ner as b<auee rr \vas unfarr. Pitt
follorrng,nduded the Dul e ol Gralton, qIo suc
' nrelhe
..".leJ h -:. Pamo Mrnrsrer in 1/67. and Lord
Shelburne, who had a broad *ion of .olonial
problcms th,n any Ers L.h statesman o{ ht, rme,
e'pecraliy of rhe h'estern qucsnon Urfortunate)y
theold rhigs, though rich in talenis, were poor in
t€adership. Ro(k'rgham, a young man bener
known on the turf than ln pol,tics, uas well
meanlng bur ir*k, and a haitlng speaker rn the
Commons. P,tr, a peerless leader in timc of war,
becarn€ inept in time ol peace; and some suange
malady thrust him out ol the picture in 1767
almost as soon as hebecame premier. Next, there
wer a numbsofhctiors Iollowing such po)rtical
free lances * George Grenville and the Duke of
Bedford, whose 'Bloomsbury sans Nas notorious
Iorbeingon hard when theplum-treewas shaken;
and finaJly there was the krns, and hrs frie",r.
ltt. only 22 !ed's old €r \i. in
_ _G-orB.
hdd beel brouShr up,u.dt, the"c.er.,;;
rut"Lg" ot
,1760.
{ron8. mrroe,r uermdn pirnless.
Lcorge. be d kH3i wa, h', norher. {requenr
rntun\'ro1 shLh he apP..r,1o hdve rnrerpretcd
as 'George be a polrncran I I he younp man Ln..
1", ri"1', u na g, t, ;h;Jsh-;;".;;i,il""|
".np *. He ",w^hed
"a.' b"ar .he u higs at rherr or 1
'o
g"ne, and ,e'rore the,pone o( rhe Croun b1
.recung dnd evenrJall\ Bovern'1g rhroush
p,r r ol hr< own. Afrer n'nxt e. unde' m".l;,,"
woud nor do hr, bidd ng had crumbled. ueorse rU
rluhe 80\ Fr rnelr he han,eo undrr
obraincd eta.
hrs.ub,e+ "nr fr.e-d. Lo,d No,h: andirwa,,1,,
minisrry that drove the colonists into revolt, and
lor rhe lrrs. ren v"dF or \i. rei8n. Ceorse I
u"..on.,Larory.owa.d he,ololr,... Heordereo
his {riends in Parliament to vote for the repeal of
the Stanp Acr. When Lord Hillsborough in 1769
propo>ed rorur. h Massachu5err. byaherirgher
c\an-. rhe L.ng relused. But the Bosron Tea
Party, the lirst challenge to hn personal rule,
arousedhisliveliertresentment. InBreatmeasure
ne may b" h" d re'p"n.rble lor the ( oerc,ve A.i.
o1 I l?+. rrd for rhe inelficrenr . ordutt ol rhe war.
I( Ceo-ee lll, for all hrs prrat. v rue, and uell
mrunin! patnoLr'r. i- a p,rable Iigure in hisror).
it is largely for the opportunitie, helort. He might
hare been a pa-ior l.ng rndeed. oy re^l-rng out
he"d, ot rhe roLLrcun' to hs.olonral
,ub;ecr- who we e devlteoly ro\;' and arrarted
br h.s yourh and per-on"l.ry. He did hx be,r for
the empire accordins to his lights, but hi, lights
George III's ministers were no gang o{ unprin
, iphd vill, in.. .Lbrerv enr
ro, ro; al r yrant. I ord
D"rrmorrh. Io, rn. an,e uho sp"r"o ed rhe
( oe,cr\'€ Acrs was rrr o .nd p'ou gentl.ran.
"
prron ol Darmoutl- , olhge ,nd pro,ecror of the
poet Cowper. Almost every ministry meant well
toward the Americans. but almost all were incom-
De.e1' The ,jjur,iol c,lled lo- .,a sh,p ol e'r'l
ire hrsh*r oroer: and rl-c poliri. al .y"t"m uhich
Ceorsc Jll mrlrpu..red ro ht, advantrge pur
srar^r.n.h,p ar a di.cou-r pol.rral followtng at
a premium. In the end it as ignorance, contu

THE ORGANIZAION OT THE WEST
,ion, a'1d unrerponrivenecs to rrying
in rather thrn corruprion or dplibeare illsill
which
convinced the Ameicans that then liberties were
of
no )onger safe within the British empire. And
these rhree faoor,-ienorance. corfu,ion. ano
irresponsiveness-have brought down more gov-
ernmentr than we can count, and will continue to
do so in the furure unless replaced br Inouledge,
order, and sensltrvrty.
by
The Organization ot' the West
aho
Thechain of events thatledtotheAmerican rebel-
eIll lion began with the situation con{rontinS the
Crown in 1753. To cope with the immediate task,
this
the admrni.rrarion and defenx ol new acqursr.
tions, the Grenville minirtry adopted €mergency
e Ill measureE for what was thought to be a tempo-
rary situation. Th€ ministry decided that settlers
al of must be excluded from the trans-Allegheny
1769 country undl the Indian, were pacified, and a
definite land policy worked out. The Royal Proc
3her
Tea- lamation of 7 October 1763 reserved all lands
rule, between rhe AppJac\ran,. rhe I lori&.. the Vic-
sissippi, and Quebe. for the lndians. Thus at one
stroke the Crown swept away every Western
land claim of the Thnteen Colonies. and drew a
well- 'Proclamation Line' along the crest of the Ap-
palachians.
night ln the following year, 1764, an elaborate plan
for the regulation of Indian affairs was advanced.
ii,",.r As earlv as 175s General Braddock had laid the
foundaiions of an imperial Indian loli(y by ap-
poiniin8 rso liShly,dpabl" <oloni,t,. Sir Wilham
lights loh-nson and ]ohn Stuart. ,uperinterdenr, -e,pe.-
tivelyofthe Northern and Southern lndians. The
nprin PIan of'1764 -e.ommended a well-organized Ic-
Lord dran service under rhe ronrrolof Lhese superinren-
:d the dentsi licenrea, regrladon, and fixed tanlfs for
trrder,: and repeal of ill.olfli, anB.olo-irl ldss
'Ihi, wa, roo ambiriou. a prog-a:r for rmmedrate
of the
nt well tulfilLnent, bur ir looled in rhe right dire.non.
Before op€ning the country west ol the Procia-
ship of mation Lineto whire settlement, it was necessary
which to punha'e terrrtory from rhe Indians and e,trb
ge Put li"h a new boun&11 resr of Lhe AlJeghen:es In
dinS at 1763 Stuart negotiated with the Cherokeenation a
tr€aty establirhing the Indian boundary line west
67
needs. of Georgia and the Carolinas. A 1768 treatv ex-
tended this boundary north to the Ohio ai the
confluence o( that river with the Great Kanawha.
This line called foth a storm ol protest from
V'rgrnia Iard speculator: w", subsequerry
"nd ln rhe sami year.
adiuried ro meer rherr v.ew,.
John'on eirdblshed rhe Iine rorth ot Lhe Orio
when by treaty the Iroquois ceded for sorne
I10,000 their rights to a large part ofcentral New
York and Pennsylvania as well as rheir claims to
territory south of the Ohio.
Intimately associated with Indian affairs was
the pressing question of defensc. 'What military
establishment will be sulficient? What new {orrs
to be ereded?' inquired the secretary ol state of
the Board of Trade. Pontiac's relellion made the
i..u" d.ure. The Boa,d o{ lrade propo,ed esrab.
hshrng: cha n o! garri,on, from .he sr. I awrence
to Flodda, and from Niagara to Michilimackinac,
with 10,000 soldiers required to sarrison these
lorr. o-d m.intarn rhe milirJr) enJb.isnm€nr in
Amedca. An effortto force the colonies topay lor
this costly, in fact excersive, military estabtish-
ment. mer srour re,i-rdr . e. Bu'for r'me being
adequate defensehad been provided,'\e the {rontiers
suf6ciendy garrisoned, the Indians pacified, the
malpractices of Indian traders stopped, and an
Indian demarcation line drawn.
Colonial fur traders and British militarv men
wrshed ro keep rhe w*rbeyo"d the rreary Iines an
Indi"1 rerervarion lor rhe use o{ rhe fur trad<,y
Opposedto this policy were thepromoters ofsev-
eral big speculative conpanies. O{these the most
imponant was Lhe Vardalia Compdn]. promoreo
by Benjamin Lrnllin. Geo-8e Croehan. and
Thomas Whaton of Philadelphia. The Vandalia
aimed to acquire 10 rnillion acres in the Ohio
valley, for which it proposed to pay the Crown
X 10,000. Ii did, to be rure. Dromiee to rs.uae rhe
cosL of administraiion, dno of rarirlying rhe In-
dians, who of course were not consulted. The Van-
dalia let in leadin8 English politicians on the
ground floor to enlist thelr active interest, and
bribed freely when it thought bribery would do
good. Another scheme pressing for a Crowngrant
was 'Charlotiana,' embracing most of Illinon and
Wis.onsin, promoted by Franklin and Sir william
lohnson. But the Board oI Trade and Plantations

THE REVOLUTION PRECIPIIATED
reported aSainst biB Ia nd conpanles on the Sround
thattheywouldmake troublewiththelndians, and
thar'inland colonies in America'were contrarv to
Bridsh interests. Lettherestlers Amerjcans fill up
Nova Scotia and the Floridas, where rhey will
export di rectly ro EnSland, and buy Briurh goods
This poli.y became offici.l tu a Royal Proclama,
tion o11774. Itdoubrless contibured ioward mak-
ing the big land speculators favor an independent
qne-,.a. uh.h rr.gl't lool, no I ndlv on rherr
"
Two Attempts 7o'[ax the Colonies
Ilc annr,l .o, Lo CjeJ. dr.rd.n oi mainrain.rg
ht . v'l and m I't.,1 e<rabl,.hmen...n Amar.a
had isen lrom someJ70,000in 1748 to well over
.C350,000 in 1764. In the light of this sltuatlon.
Georse G.enville, Chancellor ol the Exchequer,
fclt that it \Las both necessary ard just to exrract
revenue hom lhe colonies. Parliament greeted
this lroposirion with enrhusiasti. approval, and
ev€n the level-headed Frarklin anricipated no
trouble from America.
The exact ex tent of colonial con tributio ns to the
upkeep of the empire is not easy to determine.
English Iandowners, paying an income tax of 20
percent, felt that thecolonrsts couldwellal{ord to
shoulder soneofthenburden. But the Americar rs
insisted that they were alread), carrylng their full
share, a nd contributing, dire.tly and indirecdy, to
the maintenance of the imperial Sovernment to
rLe rmrr ol rheir cap".ir.e. 'l ne colon.e- hdd .n
curred a debt ol overJ2.5 mrlLon for the prosecu'
tion olthewar, and, notwithrtandinBtheSeneror-
ityofParliament in assumlnga partol that debt, a
b-ge po,rion -. ,a 1ed. lnd-e,,,onrr bu,,on. ir
the lorm of English port duries and rhe monopoly
ol colonial trade ivere considerable; William P,r
estimated that colonial commerce brought an an'
nual profit of not less than l2 million to British
merchants. l{hatever the right ol these new reve-
n:e m.a.u-e n ay I..ve bcrn evrnr. proved .hcrr
inexpcdiency quickly enoush.
The Revenue Act ol 1764 olten known as the
SuSar Act-w!s the {irst o1 these measures. The
preamble stated frankly its purposes: 'That a rev-
er.ebcra-edrn1ou.. V"1.. v , oo rrn on,,n
-.-
68
Amer.., ior dei"r,ns rhe eyoen.es of.o.renoirg
pror^ nJa "nd ie,unnc ,he *n. I u,s al,o
de,rg-ed ro plug hdl. rn l-e Acr- oi rrrde and
Ndugar on The lah cu. rhe dr ry on foreisn "ro-
las,es rn half burl"v ror.
I F.8n -uB"r dld ol luIl "d,ddrrroralourres"or
ne5 >uch r. i-rF ,il . and
l, ", t. enu-"r",ed rorecolon,atp-odr, r"sucl
"-
hide, qh.,h.ou dt"e)po'r"do, ,\ -o tnBL, d
and rr u,rhdres .66p e-rl."r ere,nprron, rh; 1fe
colonies had enjoyed, such as lree importation of
madeiIa. That Iavorlre bevera8e of well,to-do
Amer.can. rowhe.ame (ubie., ro, d. .\ ol I 7 D.r
dorbL hog,he"d ,, o8r'1r. .u. o" po
",1.npri"ro
po r"o rh'oucr iiSdro dl obvio, s r-Le
th:-se . krns haorr. ol ,ne , o ocral ai.,r,.
re dr n
crars ro lrofit rhe Bfltish exchequcr. Colonial
leaders promptly seized on rhe dedared revenue-
mning purpose of rhis afi as a constirutional
po.n. . Darlare-r S"r .n..v rr.rh r"r.re rheir
trade for revenue pu rposes, itmight proceed to ;,x
rhe.r l.nd .. or a ; rh.rs. lLi, ."emcd p,ophe.i.
wLen f.{rrme-. ol 7) Md1\ I o. pd,.ed rhe
Stamp Act.
The Stamp Act levied the flrst direct, jnternal
tax ever to be laid on the colonles by Parliament;
indeed, rhe {irst tax ofany sort orher than customs
duties. lt provided {or revenu€ sramps to be aI,
flxed ro all newspapere, broadsides, pamph)ets,
Iicenses, comnercial bills, nores andbonds, adver
tisements, almanacs, leases, Iegaldocurnents, and
a number of similar papers. AII the revenue was to
beexpended in the colonies, under the direction of
Parliament, solely for the purpose o{'defending,
protecting and ,ecurjng the colonies.' Offenses
against the law were to be tried ln admiralty courts
with no jury A, a sugar-coating to the pill only
Americans were to be appornted as.agents, and a
number ofunsuspectins colonials such as Rnhard
Henry Lee app)ied for such posnrons.
T\e rex,.on ro rhe -r,; a,. P\erywl.erP rn
the Thirteen Colonies was violent. for rt was the
peculirr misfortune of rhe Acr to ollend the mort
polverful and articulaie group, in thc colonies:
the merchanrs and businessmrn, lawyers, jour-
naltts, ard clergymen. Business came to a tem-
porary standstill; trade with rhe mother country
{ell ofl.€300,000 r rh€ sumni."r of r765. Respect-
able men organlzed as 'Sons of Liberty' coerced
 69
TWO ATIEMPTs TO TAX ]11E COLONIES

in8, ,ta1lp drrrriburo nro rc,i8nins. burnpd rhe

strmped papFr. a1d rncired people ro
ar14k Ln.
Dopular iocdl charac-er5. On rhe verv day (l
Novembtr r-65) rh,r rhe Sramp A,r io"re rnro
lor- opLranon. a hoshng \ew )o.lmob forred
Lieurenant Covtrnor Colden ro raL" re{use on
bnard a Bnrish warshrp. rhe m.b rh"n ,r;(ted
t'e lorrdr lhe Balrery. bro(e rnro rhe gorernor ,
I the .oqch house. de.lroyed h\ c"rrrages, and com-
Pelred lhp ollirer rn charge ot qamped paper to
burn rhe lor. ln chdrte.ton Hen;y f";r""".
wronslv su-pecred by rhe loc"t mob of hrdinc
im- .tamped p:per rn hi< hou.e. n,s p:Jled
our of bei
ar mjdniBht \{hile rle hou,e wa, searched b1 hi,
, r rend-, whom he re. oSniu ed undq black.:a.
e
)nial ,ailor d:s8urse. tn Bo.ron a mob rurred rts anen-"nd
tion to the royal customs collectors and Chjef
JusLice Hurclinron SLrrrnB rheir hou,er. burn,ng
their rheir lurnru.e. ano ro$ing rheir boo\s a"d paper
hetic The Iaw wa. compJetelv nLrllif,ed by violence.
I the -
Louns reopened. ve$ets cteared ano en-ered. and
bu.iners.resumed wirhour rhe L,e ot aramp.. AII
ernal Lhrs on lhe assuilplion Lhai rhe Lw wa> uncun-
srirurronal and roid. Vrrsrnia led.he ua\, in Lr_
tlibrary al ca;ere*) pressrng rhat view. on j0 Va1 parric( Herrrl
made hrs Cae-ar nad hr. Brur'r,,, Charles I hrs
ets,
Cromwell' sptech, after rvhich the assembly
passed a ser of resolve, declaring rh"r ir had rhe
only and role exclu>,,e riShr and power ro lay
afiix the STAIVIP. tax€s. . . upon the inhabitants of this Colony,,
who were 'not bound to yield obedience to any
Cing, o
law ol ParLament atrempirne ro tax rhem.
A fer dai after Henrl l.rd- ;r-ed up Virs:nid,
"
Mas,arhuserts inrrLed all conrrrent"l iotonies to
only
dppoinr delegare" ro a (ongre5> ro.orsrder rhe
r" slrnp Acr menace. thrs conere* whi,h mer at
:hard
New \orL rn October j7o5, dle\^ oelegares from
nrie colonje-. Chri.topher Gad,den ol Sorrh
Carolin, .oundeo rhe k"ynore: We shourd sLand
upon rhe bro,:d comnon eround of natural
nghr. . . . The,e oughr to bi no New j nstand
mdn. no Ne$ \orler. knoun on rhe contrienr
jour-
but all of us Ame cans-, After the debate the
congress ad,opted a set of resolutions asserting
oncemorerhar /notaxes everhave been, orcan b;
JPect-
consriruuolrlly irpored on rhem, bur bv rhen
respeoive legislatures.
 70
THT REVOLUTION PRECIPITA'IED
In AuSusr 1765 even belore rhe Sramp Acr
Cor8re", mer. rhe Crel\ ille minisrn jeJl. An old
whLg m,nistry led by the Marquesi of RocUns
ham now came inro power ParLamenr, encour-
aged bv rhc Ingrepealed rhe ,,ramp A.r rn
rid-Mr-Lh .l,bb. Ihe law ras repealei stnply
because it could not be enforced ag,i"x uniiei
opposirion and b"Lduse tnB.irh minhanrs and
marulactr rers sulfereo fror a bovco or Briri.l.
goods promoteo b1 the 5or, of [rbern. parli.
ment drd nor rherebv renor,n. e rhe righ- ro Lar the
cololie(. ;. o-o\ed b) the irrr r\ar on alTorr ,he
,ame day a- rLe repeal irpaqsedaDeclararo-vAcl
a'hrming larljamenr. rrghr. the sorerergn
".
Iegtlaru-e of the Brin.h empire ro brnd .h" , d-t
oni€s... in all (dse, $hdrsoever. Ameri.aE
,hou.o Lhe..fundam"rr,l lova\v to rhe C-onn
by rahng no not:ce of .he rair .h"r rhe Reven,t
Acr of J76{ M", nol repea.ed. and no notrce of tt,e
DeclaraLory A(r. Alhouph rhe.oloFrrt, reioic"o
in rheir vicrory in realirithe Brit.sh eovernment
had raken three step" {orward-Proc.iamarion of
175{, Revenue Acr. De,l"ra.ory A.r: and onty
one back, repeat oI the Stamp Act.
The Townshend Acts
During the jubilation that followed repeal ol the
Stamp Acr. no ,er:ous effort wa, maoe bv rhe
Briri,h go.',ernnenr ro Hnd out u hat, rf anyrhi"g,
could be done to rarse de{enre funds throLreh .o
Ionial assemblies. No roval.ommtron wx <em
to America to study and report. Instead, a fresh
attempt was made by Parliament to tax the col-
oni.r and a plar ol impelrl reorsani/dior wa,
pJaced in elfect without consuking them.
The audacioJ- nes Br:ri5h inirauve came from
Charles Townshend, brilliant, ambitious, and
urprincipled. who. taunted by George Crenville
in rhe Common, rha- he dared nor rr\ to tax
America. rctorred. 'I will, I willt, and-did. He
proposed to reduce the Bdtish income tax bv
one-qua.rer and meeL po,- of rhe re,ultins deli, ll
by obrarnrne revenue from rhe.olon e<. rhr, ua,
to be done by .oll€ctine import duries in the col-
onies on tiBlirh painr lead, and paper- and un
tea As rhe colonie. had aluays paid.ome cu,rom,
dut:ec how could rhev obrerr to rheser tor mure
"{froent collecrron a Board of Commr+ioners oI
the Customs was established at Boston, and new
r ice-admiralry coun: rercc,e"Fd. Wri,s ofd*ir-
tance, whose legality had been challenged by
Iame5 Orrc in 17b1. facrliLared ertry inro private
Premi'es. Mo{ imponanr of all. rhe moniy rhus
raised in rhe colonres, ins.ead of goirs to supporr
the Sarrirons, was ro be used Lo oar -he salries
of royal gorernors ard judges and rhus render
them independent of colonial arremblies
The'lownrhe.d Acts rool Anercar< bv ,ur-
pr:se. bu colonial Ieaoers r.e,e hard Dur ro 6nd a
legalargumentagainsttheduties. Thevwishedto
deny Parliamenr's power to tax them; vet ro ac-
knosledge Parhaneii, porver ro rcgulte rhei,
commerce, ior rhey uere nor prepared ro oreak
loo,e hom rhp prorecrive:l,Lem of the Acts ol
Trade and Navisauor
'l
he.olonul l;rd"r who c.m" closest ro resolr-
ing this dilemma wa,lohn Dickinron ofPennryl-
varia. who ,tyled him-eIf rhe tenn,v.vanra
Iarmer buL acruallv was a cor"ervanve p6.tadel-
p\ra Iawyer. \eiLheiagiraror nor polrii( ian. Dicl,
inson was a public-spirrred cirizen devord of ar,r-
birion or van;i wno ab)r orred vrolen ce a nd noped
,o (e..le all pFnding di(prres wirh t.Bland by
persuasion. His twelve'Iarmer's Letters,' which
Iegar romrng out in colonial r"wspapers ar rhe
end oL t/b/ were exacll\ whar Ane.ian)
wanted and tl-e loyal, respectlul rone of them
ro many in Lnshnd. D.kinson cor. eded
"ppealed
r!at Parliamen. had the rrghr to regu.a Le, er en to
'uppress.omnerce, b:t he denied r\at rt had tl-e
right to le\.T intemal raxes or even Dorr duties.
Nonetheless, he counselled restrainr-:
let !s bebave 1il<e durilul children, who ha!e received
unrerred blow> Iron beloreo prr"rt ter us.om-
plin Lo ou' prrenr. bLr "lpt our corph,1t, speaI ar tt-e
sre nme rhe larsus8e of afflic. on and ve erarioh.
Samuel Adams of Boston, boss o{ the tow,,
meerins and ledde- in rhe a..e:rolv. had already
reached conclusior> thar rrenr wetibetond rhue
o{Dickinson. He believed rhat Parliamenr had no
righr io legisldre tor the colonies on anv subre, r.
Bur he was roo clever a polincian to lei rhat our
now. An austere, implacable member of Bostonr
o{

is-
by

ler

da
ito

,of
nv-
,yl_

Cel-
ick-

,ped
by
nich
the

:ded

I the

Sanuel Adams (1722-18031, firebrand of tle American Relolution. This 1271

ponrait by lis fellow Bosionian ]ohn Stnsletor Copley (1738-1stsJ, often re-
8.rded as the first inportart Ane.ican painrer, was conmisioned by John
Hanco.k. PointinS ro rhe Ma$achusetrs charter, Sam Adams prorests 10 rhe
ileutenant-sovernor of ttre colony against the stationins of red coats 1n Bosron.
lMtse"tu al line Arts, Bastan)
eady

7L
 72
THE REVOLUTION PRECIPITA']ED
middle cla$, this 'Marchiavel of Chaot was a grv" rhe royalcuq.ors o(rcra! a very rough nme.
tvpr.al revolurionary. A ma+eror propag.nda, he
re:lizeo t\a. people n ant errerarnmenr irrh their
pohti.,, Jnd Adam, Drovrded ir ir hrgttv as:ee-
,bie lo, n,. There sd, dancing rround rhe L,beIy
'l ree. a bi8 elm nea, Bo,ton Common
sejecred for
rhat_purpo:e: unpopu a. cha,rfl*r were hanged
in ef6sy lrom ns branches, and thor whomihe
ra&cals wished ro become popular were,er
enaded. His Iavorrre notto ias'prin,ipi,s ob,ta,
'Tale a sra.rd at rhe siar.'IesL b1 one appease-
Tenr aher anorhe, vou end in.omplere.ubjec-
rior. \o oralor. Adams ler othe- Sons of I iberrv
lrle Joseph lrrrren and the 6rebrand Otis male
rle speeches $hrle he wrore pro!o(arive Jrrctes
ior rh" newspaperr and organized demonsna-
In Iebruary i768 Adams and Otis drafted {and
.he Ma,sachuserts assembrl adopredl a circutar
lerrer ro rhe Ioser houses ol all conrinenral colo.
rdes to call their attention ro the Townshend Iaws.
Ihe assembly. sraied rtu> lerre,, ha, prelerred a
humble. durif!l ard lolal peririon ro orr nost
g,doouc so\ ererSn . . . ro obtain redress 'The Ian
gua8" ol rhi, circular le er $qs as moder,Ie and
Ioyal a" rh of DicEinron, bur tl-" Grajton mims-
try decided ro make it the occasion for a show-
down Iord Hrllrbo'ouph rhe new secrerarv for
t\e colori"s oroered rl.i Massachuserts assembly
.o re.cind rle lerrer, and Go'ernor Bernard ro
drsri+ them iI they refu'ed. The a+embtv did
retuse by a vore oi 9) ro I7. And it was suppbr.ed
by a ser or Virsrnia -erolve, inrroduced bv rhe
burejss from rairfax County, Colonel ceorse
WarhinSron and ,i8ned. among olhe!. by r6e
new burgei. from Albemarle Countv, thorrra,
JelteDon. Adams and rhe Son, ;r Liberrv
everwhere:rade heroes or rhe par-iouc 92, wIo
in Boston the chief conrributor to the Sons of
Libeny war .]rerr Ior free rur ar Liberw 't ree
,allie' was a l1-re:r old merchanr. tohn Han
cock. The new Commirrioners ol the Customs
therefore determined to put him out oI business.
He ua, {raned b1 pro.*uuon o! hr. .r,up
rib+ry "
falsely charged with smuserrrs maoerra.
A Bosron mob re,cued hrrn dnd hi" \;,set. and
Co!ernor Be-ndro a"Leo ror pror".r:on, Ind rwo
regimenB of the Hal.fax qarrrson
Boston
Thepresence ofBritish red-coats in Boston was
d srandinB ineirrtjon ro disorder. tt drd not rake
long lor antagon:sm beween ciruen, and soldiery
Io flare up. lnrhe,o(alled Bolon Ma,sacre of
5 Marrh 170. anowbalhna o, rhe cJsrom( hoJsc
guard -welled inro a mobzrrack. someoneg:ve rhe
order ro hre, a1d Iour Bo onidnr. rn,ludrng I
black named Cdspus Artucks, Iav dead in ihe
snow. Although provocation came'from civilians,
Samuel Adams and loseph Warrer ,erzed upon
rhe marsacre for purpo,e> oJ propaganda. the
Eritrsh soldiers wer" courageouJr oelendeo by
voung lohn Adans. sams rousir, and losiah
Quinry, and acquineo ol the charge ol murder;
but rhe royal goverlor \^a- forced ro remove rhe
garrison from the town to the castle, and the
,trategic advanrage lay with the radicals.
On the rery oay of rhe Bo,ron \4a,,acre, rhe
ne\^ Brirish miristry headed bv Lord Nonh,e-
pealed all r!e lown.h.na duriec e). epr rhe on' on
rea. A tax ol rhree pence pe- pound na> Lep. on
rhi, artrcle p-manlr d\ dn asseJlio- oi Ddr-
liamentary authonry. A peppercorn in ac,<noul-
edgment of rhe rjght i" or more value rhar mit-
lions withour it,' George crenville had said, and
eary-goinB Lord No,rl- dcquresced - tni, gl;b frl
Except for that teasing li*le duty on tea, all
ourward grievance. of rhe colon,"rs had beer re
movedbyrhesummerol 1770 The rddicrl, tound
themselves without an issue. Sam Adams did his
be,t ro keep up rhe ag'rarion, wlrh a-nuet exhrbir
o{bloody relics of the'Boston Ma$acre,,but the
people showed nha. rhey rhoueht of him bv de-
fearins hrm io- ., o;.o' in his iome
coulty In Ne( ) '.8,",;,
orl ioldrers ol rhe ga.ri,on could
promerad" rheir grle on rhe B,ier1 u -hour
berng insuhed. Prospenri rpiBned imporrs inro
N"r Eng)a-d alone lumprng 1'ron r:J0,000 to
t1.2 million..lt.ooked a, rf colonial a6rrarior
But Sam Adams was simply waitins for some
unwrse moveb. the Norrrr rrnrs.r) ro -e!rve ir.
 73
BACK COUN'IIY TURMO]L

Back-country Turmoil ince law rvhich allowed only anglican clergymen

to perform marriage ceremonies, when there were
Parts of the 'back-country' were full of turmoil
no such clergy in the back-country! The Resu-
during the years of agitation against the Stamp
lators marched on Newbern, site ofthe royat gov-
and Townshend Acts; but this turmoil had noth-
emort palace, but being untrained and partly
ing to do with the America versus England con
unarmed. rhey were ea.ily deleared by hal, rheir
troversy. It was caused by discontent with local number of loya1 militia, 15 May '177'1, at the
v governing classes. ln Pennsylvania, in 1764, a
)f so called Battle ol the Alamance. Carualties were
band of frontier hoodlums known as the 'Paxton
Boy. funou, ar rle r'ack oI p-orecrior durirS onlyninemen kil1ed on each side, sincethe Regu-
lators ran awayafter the firstvolley. Eut filteen of
Pontiac's rebcllion by the Quaker-dominated as-
.e-!ly. rool, a couardll revenge by na..acring rhenuerecdprur"d ald,,iFd {o,,rea-on ;nd <ir
.ore pe". etu- r"mbe-, of rl" ( ore.toga r r ile in were hanged. Governor Tryon and his army then
made a tiumphal progres, through Regulator
Lancaster County. The 'Paxton Boys' then
country and exacted an oath of allegiance from
rhrearened ro wrpe ou, Lhe so-called Morarran
every male inhabitant.
Indians rn Algonquran r, ibe hich had been con-
)y "
v€rted by Moravian missionaries
That was the end of the 'War of the Regulation,'
and settled on a
+ reservation near Bethlehem. These Indians Iled to
the most sedous internal rebelljon in the English
colonies since Nat Bacon'e. It was put down
Philadelphia where the government quartered
largely by whigs who later Lecame patriots,
them in barrackr, protected ly British regulars.
he though Martin Howard, the hanging judge, be
The Bota ls00.irons heavily armed and ut-
came a prominent loyalist. The next assembly
terrng h:deous ourcr,$ rr imirarion of the wr-
pased some remedial legislation, but the North
whoop,'marched on the capitalin lebruary 1764,
Carolina back-country was still so full of discon-
bent on killine every redskin retusee. Philadel-
tent in 1776 that many former rebels emigrated to
phia was in a panic, andit took Ben lranklin to talk
Tennessee to avoid taking part in the war, and
the ruffians into retuming hone, by promising
others became tories.
n'ore fronr.er p,olecLion and legrslauve bounres
wl- Back-country brawls f-om Ne'v Hamp,htre
for scalps. The Pennsylvaria back-country then
ri]- to South Carolina s€em never to have inter€sted
quieted do*'n, but bided its time to obtain more
rhe BriLrsh so\ernrenr nhrcn rhereby rixed "
weight in the assembly. golden opportunrrr ro wir supporr from fron
fal-
Thi, situation became most explosive in the riersmen asan+ rhe srlk-stockrnged :or' of LIb-
Carolinas, where back-cor,rtry society orffered rn env:nd their qharf-raL con{ederate'. But Lon-
all
oriSjn, rehgion, and even race from that of the dori wasinvolvedinanotherWesternproblen. In
seaboard. In North Carolina the separation be- 1774 the Britirh govemment ordered <oyal gover-
-rnd
tween coastal region rnd intenor wa, very sharp.
his nors to Srant no ]and/ and permit no new settle-
Here the Wertern grjevan.es were not lack of gov-
bit, ments/ except a{ter prior survey, allotment, and
ernment, butbad government-unequal taxation,
the sale by auction. Although notput into effect out-
de
extortion by centrally appointed judges and cor- side Canada, this order called forthThomas leffer-
rupt sherlfis, greedy lawyers, uncertainty of land
son'sboLd Suntnary view al the Ri1ht, ol Brilish
titles, scarcity of hard money to pay taxes, refusal
ruld ,4,fleli.", denying the Crou'n's dght to dispose of
of the assembly to provide pap$ money or to any Western land. It furnished one more griev-
allow taxes to be paid in produce, .onsequent tax
ance for the Declaration ol lndependence. Yet the
levies 'by distress,' and sheriffs taking over poor
0to United States public land system was based on
ment farmr.lA particular complaint was a prov- exactly the same concept.
1. Note simil.rity of these Bievances to thor of Shayts
rebels in Ma$a.husetts in 1786 And it n siSnilicant thet
Herman Husland, hadq of the Nonh c olin! Re8ulatore,
ru'n. Lp )r Jed,l.'e'J- " r\Li,L.J 'ebel .' I1n.r'!,rL
 74
THT REVOLUTION PRECIPJTA'IID
The lssue loined
Saauel Addms , reniL, w;' {or agirarion ard de-
rildioi \et ha wa' no me,e rabble-rous.'.
preedr lor power He brlteted land rhc Iee' o1
Vrreiria, rhe New \ork Sors of Libertv, :nd
Gad".den of Sourh Caroln" agreedt rhat everv
dr\ n .he calm period oi l//U J slren8tnens
ani weaken' us thev we'e right'
^,"--*'rs
Pro,perrrv dulled rteilance. and Lhe e{ticrer' v ol
to-inrs,ioner,-o{ rhe CJsrom> brou8hr in
'h"
<uch ample -evenue even a{ter rhe Town'hend
/,'rie, w:re reoea."d rh.rr lhe BnLish governmen'
or, o ,og io"-.o, u"d lrdg. ,frer anorher on
'"
i". c-",i oirr"ll. The'doical, tumed agarn-r
rhr, i- rarr-rhe a,erage colonist rl"ouglr ir hne
ro be relieved ol oav re hr. eoter nor" and ;udges'
Adams lel- thar .r ihi, stem .ere "l o"ed ,o go
on. Ane,ic"r. would
',
qite up some dav ard find
rhaL -hev were nelples. under royal oll.tals But
he nedid a ,pecracular, emorronal i*ue to bnnS
homethis daiger!e{ore it was toolate. ln the tea
a{fair, he found it.
rhe Doherlul La'. lnd:; Corpanv. bernS in
{inan.idl ,rraic, app.aled Lo rhe Bnrich Sovern
menL for aid and wis e-anteo a nonopolv or all tea
Lo the co-or'ies. The Componv decided to
",""',ed
seil tea Lhror.:eh in own aeen,s rhu, e'i-ninat:ng
Lhe independJnr rerchanrs, and disposirg o1 the
ut ,hrn the usu.l pn.e. thu ronopolv
'", "'-- the colorial merchant, and thtew
Lh'em asarn into all ance r:rh I ne rrdicals. Burke'
his ipe".h on.oncrl,r,on, eoreeo wel rhe
'"
Amedc.n remDer. ln orher .orntrie', the
people. . . judge or an "l pr incroJe .n gove nmert
onI br an actual er:evorce, he_e thev antictPare
,tekit.... Itel iugu' mrssoternm"rt at a dis-
tance, and snuffthe approach of tl,rannvin every
Colonial reaction to the teamonopoly tookvar-
ious forms. ln Charleston the tea was landed, but
not oflered for sale; at Phiiadelphia and New York
$e con-.gnmenr' w(re reiec.eo and rerurned to
rno,nd Bur rn Boston rhe inseriour Sar Adams
bro'ushr aboutadrararic,ho"dor^n. Here. on the
n,nhlof lo Decemb", l77l,son, of lrberq di-
guised as Moh"wks boa-ded Lh" rhree rea shrps
and dumped the offendins leaves into the water.
The radiaal, hadcalled the ministerial bluff. They
had relused even the peppercorn in acknowledg-
,he eoion Tea Parry accomplish"d lusr uhar
sam Adam, nanred. the deqrucrron of
.,ooerw -and rea ar.har-aroused John Bull
.o|e r(,n mobbine otrrral' "nd be,ting up red
coars. The die:s nou ca.r,' urore Ceorge lll to
Lord North.'The Colonies must either submit or
r umDh. The House ol Commons, no* obedrent
to rhetine ard Lord \onh. pas.ed rn May lune
1774 a o! Coercr!e ,qns T|*e closed the
"er-res
Dorr of Borlon unti rhe re. was pard for dras-
ircal changed rhe p-o!in(ral Sovernment in
I
Maesachu,erLs, d.rd pro\jded lor rrrF ransportJ
rior of cerrain otf"nders to lngland {or tnal.
There laws threatened thevery life ol Boston. To
exclude her from the sea, the element that made
her g-ear. ua' ounrs rr"nL conp,rable ro th"
"
destruction ol Carthaee
r hpce lnrolerable -A.ds. a' rl-e,olont,r. cdlled
them, were quickly followed by the Quebec Act of
1774 This situte;f Parliament, theoutcome ofa
care{rllv thorshr-ou plrn to Eive a Permanerr
,"*-,i,"", to ouebec. *as receired bv rhe <ol-
inoo u, ,", rnorher pun'rive mea'rre TLel
v,oed the ororuion, oi tr" aw,wLnherLended
rhe boundane, of Oueb.. ro embrace rhe va,r
countrv west of the Appalachians and north of the
Ohio, as a deliberate a ttemPt to discourage exPan
,ion bv rhe colont,t. bevono rhe mounrarns and to
'e1ore Lieir Iand cl",r'. TheY
dlturbed br a starerenr o! rhe pnt'rieees ot rhe
aaLnoli. Church in Canaoa. )oure {lexanoer
Ham'lon warned rhar prte,rly ryrrnly mjSht
fird aE oroodors a soil in Canad. as it er er has In
Sp.in a'nd Portugal. The Quebe. Acr aimed at
con, iliarrne the f,ench \abrranr, hadtheunan-
n.ioaLed co-r'eque-ce of leed ng Nonh American
,.t"11i".. and the Coerci\e Acs rrl ied Lle other
lnsli,h rolonrB to Mas,.chusetts. On 27 Mat
1774 aember o'rhe V1r8i-i3 {ssembly, meeirnS
rn rhe Ralereh lavern ar Wrlhan g. called {or a
"bu
-r*-s oI all .ontinenral Amernan colonies
clo"rds. indeed and darlness, Edmuno
'Jid
Burke, rest upon the furure.'
The r;rrr aoitinenLal Congress whnh a+
c
I
j
v
d
lLibtdry ol cons/ess)
sembled in Carpenteri Hall, Philadelphia, on 5
Septenber 1774, had been summoned not for inde-
pendence bur for liberty, as American, under-
stood that word. They expected Congress to take
steps to $,ard offparliamenrary wrath, vigorously
to asrert colonial rights, and happily to restore
imperial relations to their formeraereeable status.
The Conunenral CorSrers was an eMr.legal booy
chosen by provincirl ,onsresses. or popuiar cor
ventions, and instru.ted by them. Thirmeantthat
'y
r8 the patriot party was in control ol the ,ituation,
and that extreme conservatives who would have
nothin8to do withresistance to the laws were not
1d rep,erenred. Orherwrqe, rhe nerber,h,p ol rhe
Congrers ua, a farr cross-<ecrion o, ahencan
opinion. Here were exrremists like theAdamses of
75
Massachusens, Richard Henry Lee and Patrick
Henry o( Virgin; and Chrrstopher Gad<den of
South Carolina: moderate, ll"e Peyron Randolph
tchosen presrdenr of rhe Congreslt and Ceorge
Wa,hrngton of Vrrgrr,; lohn Dicl,n.or of
Penn,vLanr". and rhe Rutledges of Sourh
Crrolrna: conservaiives Ike John ]ay ol \ew \ orh
rrd lorpl Callowal of Pern J l!rn,r. Fvery col-
on) ercepr Ceorgra sen. at lea.r on" delegaLe, and
rhe toral number wa< I.{r1. f,r e-large enough for
divers,ry of op nion. .mall enough fo- genurne
debate and effecuve acnon
Able as rhi. Congrerrqa, ir {rced a d ,rressing
problem.Ir mLsr 8i\ e dn rppedranceot firmne(r ro
per'u;de or trrghten the Brirsh governmcnr inro
ron, e+ions. bur ar rherre r;re avo,d any show
 76
THE REVOLUTION PRECI?ITATED

of radicalEm that miSht alarm conservative ighro{ the,ame Crow", u,_r

ereisn in
Americali or encoLraBe rhe,pirir of ldhlerrness
and lcvel,ne rhar w", alrerd\ dbrord ir rLe cuun-
-idetatiane on thpA",L^.-.
r*son' >un tuat,J -': "-"'t !) " '1"'un 5Cot
-; rattntuPht I
v;cu ..," Adrm-,N;,1::]"
try. p,pe1 publi-neo rhr, rrrltin" ,-^ - ",'"rgll
Lawlessness, o the conservative, called ir, gor Au8url I774 a1o t TTqo u""ry
iebrurr,, oerheL
in the firsr lick. While Congre$ was discussir6 a round, no.s.ou1d
ror p"rrr";;i;,";il:ill.ljh.
.ta'tsnanlrle p'a- ol un.on presenred by to.epl rhough rhey ddmrUFd rh,r ,r"
CaIlow"v, Paul Revere,ame g,l'op,ng tr;r eo. ^^;l-.'.",.4
d.leprel ,r. ro8i,"rr" ,r",; ,j,"i",1,,""'"at
ror to lh ladLlphu wi-h rhe ,rd:,al Sujtoll Re l{edkry
solve, in h, saodlebass The,e rerolurion,, a, 'ii,:'lti lii,t,iilii,l.f tilii: ::'.-:i: :iTi+"
dratted by lo,eph waren and adopred b1 a.on
venr.on ol r\e rown, dround Boston. declared the l
l:I",:,lt ::-o ha, ob'.rve
ronctuded wrrh othcr princes; but 'i;',,.:i,;"i
oth_*,." i^
Coercive Acts to be unconstitutional and void- h., d",.,"d"d
1lrged Ma.,.hureIl" ro rrm and a. r as a tree srare : 1-l:l:".,"::: I i;, ;;;';ilY::
ol::tli'e ,me.d9mlnion..r"r,s ,r.nh n'
u ntil rhes e 'attempts o{a wicked adminirtrati on to :Lo
rne orrcrar b.{c,ot il-e,tsrirFh "
Commonqeahh
enslave America'were repeated, and called on rhererrires l_ad no remu
,

Congress _o adopr econonrc san(rior. aAa.nn .doi

Great Bitajn. Congress, by a majority oi one
colony, shelved Gallowayt plan (similar to the
Albany Plan of 1754) and endorsed the Sr:Ifolk
Resolves, which Gallowav considered 'a declaro-
tio- o! waragainsr Crear'Bntain. Congre$ then
oroceeoed to rdopr new and more srnnierr non
importation, non-exporration, and non-consuhp-
tion agreenenrs In pracirce. by denying rhe
colonirt" -e"ded rLpples, these san,rion, Irun
the Amedcan, more than the Britirh.
H"rrng ag-eed upon rhi( counrerol[ensive,
to-g-ess pa.'ed d Declararion o- RrehLs and
C,ie\ ance, addrerred ro ih" people of Gi.at Brrt-
ain and the colonies; and, as a sop to the moder-
are- a peulron to rle <ng These papers. ralen
rose,hF-. 'ed Lhe Edrl of ( har\am to de< Lre rn the
Houre ot I ord. for genuine ,agacir) . io- sinEu-
la, modera.ron for sol:d wrsdom manlt .pi;ir
subline senri-elr dnd ,impI, rry o( Ianguase .
rhe Co-8re"s ol Philrdelphir .h.ne, unrival ed.
'lhe Dedaranon oI R.ehr ;rtrcrpated in manl
par culars r\e D*laraion o. Ind'epend.r.e, bJL
drd .or,ede pd,liamelrary regulai.on or ,on
'l
hr. <oncessron drd r or p.e,:.e -1" raorcal' jn
oependenrry orone,".,li"r, lrme- Wrlron of
Pennsylvania, Thoma, lefferson, and john Adams
had reached the conclusion that Parliament had no
rightful jurisdiction over the colonies. ,AIl the
drller.r- menbe,s oi rhr Briri,h Frprre' .a,d
Wrl.o.. Jr dr rnc crare. ndepenoenr ol ea.h
other, bu t connecred toBether u nd er rhe sa
cnan\F or d(ceprance ver\ teh frSli.hnen
coul
Jnderrdnd,how r.conmun:rv roulo be rn
emprre unless !artjamenrary authontv over
tt
ll-e no.r :mpor.an-work of rhe Congre.s
rL
.n.dgreemenr rulted ,The a,so.ranon. ihi- pr.
vided lor commifiee, of rnrp..uo" ,n ., ,i,
"r, r!
or ,ounrv whose durte, were to superui'.e
non-impo atjon, non-exportation, and nor
consumptjon agreements. The Association w.
charged to publish the names ol merchants wh
vrolared rhe e,arcr ons. ro cont-,aretl-eu impor
ratjons.. d1d ,o e-courage frugalrrr, e.oroml
ard rndustrl. t orgress al'o vored io aive u
inponeo rea a-d w'1es Rum. houever, wassrill
oa-rouc beverage. I Lu, rhe Corgress called r
pror$r qgirn-, parlrarerr"ry u.urparron ende
by creating extra legal machlnery forsupervrsin
Ameican daitylife. The Arsociarion caured man
moderare. to draw bacl,n.rl,rm. ll re nust L
endaved, w-ore r re Ior alLr s,muelseaburv, I.
:r be by a kirg l.J;, ano no( by J par.el (
"r
u!start, lawless committeemen.' Having done a
this, ConSrers rose on 22 October 1774, r€solvin
to meet again the followins May ifcolonial grje!
ances had not been redresed by then.
Hostilities Begin
Befo-e Congre'- r.. o- r ened. IishrrnB brole our
lnevrrabll wher warc,me, r b"arn in Mdrrdchu
se.b 5rn-e the o,eviou, ru umn Ma,sa.hu'ert-
me sov- as susg, sred b1 ;he 5uiroll R.,olve,. had becom
;

,f

d
g
it

c!>

o-
v'
uP
1a .9

ed
n8
ny

let
F.
o{
all
i"g

%
 78
THE REVOLUTION IRECIP]TATTD

a f'e",.rdLe, sover"ed bv a poputarh e'"c ed pro

vr1fldt conSre\s dnd a .oT.rl ree of,dterv \{hi!\
orgor,[ed drmfd re.i,rance. On I8 Apri] t775, rLe
6flrFh general. Thoma< Cage. o- he"rrne rhar rhe
il:*li[:i".l1trii:t:,*..,;"l; l*r,
re\olutro'lorv con mitree hd, collecrinS mil,ldry
siores ar Con, ord. senr a sllo.g deuilof hi" gar
":i"'i; [:::: :: ti::*,:n.,':xil*.{tr
son ro derro\ them. Aruderurpriseawa.rathe
Ii drsungur.hedgroup. \d\e tr.*a
mofialrry as rhe signere.
", tohn
f,i;,,ili
red-coars, lor (oundinS rhe ular-r rhrous\
uery Ha".;.;,
'!eal,hy Bo5ron .",.t"n,. *",.t.*'"1'-'".
I
vrddlesex nltaseand firm
p"ul R"vere:nd wrll ;rtpr rhe dea-h .r i;;;";'"R"';;:i;'hP,.jld,
Dawer .rdred rhe wlole (ounrrvrid" W\en rl.oma, tctrson w+ rne." ,,";i;:il
Malor trircdirn, afrer
a nrghr of nar.hrre, led hrs sd,l:ry yr",,,"d .h"
."f,
;;;;,.;i:P;
(otumn or i1tan.,v inlo the vrllaee of lig-hll
.IBhl d,(ouru8pd bv hi..vJln sear.h
Le)(ilBon. hr saw th,ough the.arlv mornrng ll:l.Yl
concrI]a on:9rn London to have become a.
as
I
mrr'- a g,in bd.ld of Trnure-men Iined up a., u_ -
rhe common. lhere was a morenr ol hesi.arron,
nenr or irdepmden.e \. ihJl;;;;i"il;-l
plsn rnrouSl rherr progr"m oI <cept.ng
cfle( and moeF rror borh ,ide, a-d rn -\e m,d,, w31a
oe(larrng rl,rependen, F wir'.our a ser ere-srrusgl
or rhe .onrusior."o,nebody 6red. Then irri.g ronn,ur.r.nson d8djn rur(Fd hi, vone
broke our alorg borh lire, and rhe Ame,nr In fdv;r
b conor.d.ron,dnd Der.,,deo h.s reru.tan, (c
d,speEed. ,eav,ng eigh, of rheir number dead
on led8Ues,o ddopr anorher pe.,rron ro the
rhegreen. The frr, blood ot rh. War tor Ame,ican lons
t\en,d, (o1gre,s w,, debatire, rr rool"rl
lndependence-hrd leen shed w\o Ii.rt fired, rrxrra be,regjnS Bosro.1 rnro ir. je,\rce, ar
or r nglishman. rs ore of rhe unsolved then appornred Coto.let CeorBe Wa-hrnsro
^men(an
flddles ol
.hr$ory: bur rhe parflo= mana6ed to ::mmild:--,n (h'€r oJ rhe drmed lorce,
oad
crrcurale ,terr own vreh of rt as a b.ural and un.red.( olonr4 Or 21lune Wa,\rngron rodeu
wanton attack on peaceful vrllaeers. trom PhrladelphD -o rat. .harge ol rfie armr.
The Bru."h conrrnued rheiimrrch ro Con- r
roJrp_he heard rhe,..fi:n8 o-y ot BunIe,'Hrl
cord, wherF.rhe embattled farmer. ar the bridge (Jn,)/ tune 1774 tle Bnti,h Sarrison rn 8o"ro
'lired rhe .hoi heard round the wo,ld. nroe
Th;il rroltala+rulr on, hrtirn near.br Charl,:
d
purpo'e parralJv a,.ompl,,hed. rhe B,irirh reSr_ n
toh rrlrri" hdd forrihed .t Ie
h hrch rhe pdrrror
menrs. begrn t}err rerurn ma(h. AII won rhe h,ll but rr co,t rhem t05a krlled dn
atone rle
road. behrnd ,rone saltq, hr ock,, and ho"u,ft, uou.lded oJr ot 2200 rroop( en8d8ed A, rhe
Lhe mrnute.rnen mJde targers of rhe brighr L,:
redr >lrnd-Lp baltie berween New Fnqland troup
red.oal,. Wt-en rhe wearv .olumn Iinaity and Bnr.h red coo.s. rr was o ,rrat.ari vicror
5tumbled ilto Bo,ron ir had lo,r 2a7 in v to
krlled .h. Amarc.ns shonty atrer. C.;s,"., a;t.
dnd uounded. ln'de of d weFk Borron wa_ a be nzed , pro ecr sh,.L rhe B,irsh .ould onty cor
eoer hdront) aegressive-an orerla,rd erpedrnor
On 10 Viy 'i17< uhrle rh" counrry wa.,r.,l ro Uuebe. rnder Benedi(i Ar"old. ro brinr
resoundrrS h 1rle'r'-ocrr"s o{ Lexrneron
( on(ord. rhe Secoid ( onrin".1r.l
and Ca rada rnro rh. Un,or as rne founee.rrh co.ony
Concre,. a,.
,en biedin th:ladeiDh,a. Tne propterr, "wo-d,
In Oc,ober J--5 Con8re- besrn orerlizina :
ol naw. in November r cre.r"o,[" M";ne Co;D,
r-arfl.r Herrv were.rrll ringrng in rhe ed-s of rhe
oeleSalec: 1t r> vain srr. ro exlenualp lhe mallc,. "nd in Decerber ir.enr rhe Conrrnenral fteeio
ight ,onvryred mer.\anrren ro rard \assau rr
LenrjemFn mdv c.v peace pedre burrhe-ersr.u
pe4e lhe xar i. a,rurlly be8un, the nexr e.le
thdr sueeps t-om Lhe no,th will br ine ro oLr Lr,
thF clrsh ol resoundrng drmsjOur brerhren arr lndependence
al,erd) in ,he netdt Why s,ald se herc .dtel \everrhehss. over a vea- elarsed rher Bunk.,
Lven a. ( on8rcs, mer que,iron". Fthr, Alrea
rnd Hill before ConBress \ould m;ke uD ,,, mDd ro
hi' CreFn Mounrarn Bov. u"re crdrhrng in ro Ior'
declrre ,ndepend"nce Th" verv rdea nas rep,rs
.
Bo sroN

,d

rf
,t-

1d

he
if
En
i]l.

rev

irst

for
ho-
The Batle of Bunker Hill, 17 June 1775' Historians have vielded ro the popular
lmPre$ioninidentifyinSthnencounte'whichaduallvtookPla'enolonBunkeis
dng Hiil bul o" Breed; Hill on Charlestown Peninsula This illustrat;on sho$s
ihe Hill raked by British shiPs 5nd land batieries' lNdtianal Gallet! af Att)
18a

toI Dtkinsons utSen reore"r 'hc OLve Bra-'h

Lo r-oreres,ardroalaree
m.nv members ol
"anL
,"'i.t't"a'""'^,"*orle Mlen,rarta DruLi Pertrion ro CeorS' lll assunns H'' Malerr 'n
'O,""" r.;-U"," ,t. Cto"o, -n"'ot',.o" ,i," mo:r Ioval aro r"pecrlul rerrn'orrh' :rd'r
iJi",nr"tii. v.rlboroueh !^ol,e ,hesesere dcsrrfor ahaop, ondper*n'nrrc'oncrtatton
s',i,,h ;";"","" i. "ri.i ,t" .olon.e, h"d rhi' per,(to- ua' br almo'r even 'ub
'rgro
-'i,,.a. r'r,li il"v U.",1with all that? sequentsr6ntrottheDeclaranon"f,lndepen&nce'
q'lare airhe aurunr ol I 5 rheleqr'larrc'
ii"s r,t" 175. airerrnene*sol BunlerHtll
r!u8- f,,J.*.t'.1 er,ii"aapr.', Corgres adopted at of North Carolina' Pennsvlvania' New lersev'

79
 80
THE REVOLUTION PRECIPITATED
Nru York, and Maryland went on record against
independence, and in lanuary 1776 the king's
heahh wa, toasred nightll in the offi.en mes
presided over by General Warhington
\er the colonies could nor (orever rema,n half
in, half out of the empire, profexing allegiance
while relusing obedi ence. The popula r theory that
they were not fighting the long or the mother
countrybut a 'ninisterial army made little sense.
Man; . however, . r.ll hoped to, a pol,rical criqc in
I nsl"nd rh"t world place the f,iends ot Ame, i.a in
power. But KinB GeorSe refused to receive the
'Olive Branch Petition,' and proclaimed the col
onies to b€ in a state of rebellion (23 August
1775). On 22 December 1775, Parliament inter-
dicted all trade and intercourse with the Thirteen
Colonies.
Early in lanuary 1775, belore news ofthatvital
step toward severance reached America, Thomas
Pa.ne < pan'phler Cannan Sea,? p.e,ented il
popular Iorm the natural rights philosophy that
was tobeembodied in the Declaration oflndepen
dence. 'Sociery jn every state is a blessing, but
Government, even in its best state, is but a neces
sary evjl, in ns worst, an intolerable one.'With
ruLhle* dLreeard lor rradition and senument
Parne arrackedihe monarchv and the Briu,h Cur
stitution. Monarchy, he argued, was a ridiculous
form of government; one honest man worth 'a]i
the crowned ruffians that ever lived'; and'the
Royal Brute of Great Britain,' George III, the
worst of the lot. How absurd, too, that a continent
should be governed by an rlandl This unnatural
connection subjected the colonier to exploitation,
and involved them ln every European war. Inde-
pendence would brlng positive benelitr, such as a
world market for American trade. Anticipatin8
the policy of isolation, Paine announced it to be
the true interest of America to steerclear of Euro
pean contentionr, llhjch shc can never do uhile,
by her dependence on Great Brjrain, ,he is made
the make weight in the scale of Bitish politics.'
Thus with persuasive simpiicity Paine presented
the alternatives : contin ued ,ub misrion to a tyran
nicalking, an outworn government, and a vicious
economic syEtem; or libeny and happiness as a
sellsufficient republic. Within a month this'
amazing pamphlet had been read by or to almosr
every white American. It rallied the undecided
and the wavering. 'Every Post and .verl, Day rolls
in upon us Independence lil<e a Torrent,' observed
lohn Adams exukandy.
lr e*)r ,o o-y a leer rtrugle wds Boins on
berween , on.ervarir e- and ,adi,dl. for
conral oI
its delegation in Congress. As -vet only a few
delegations were definnely instructed Ior inde-
pendence; it was the task ofthe radicals to lorce all
into line. In Pennsylvania the struggle was par-
ticularly bitter, coincidinSwith the ancient I€ud oI
Scots lrish fronriersmen and city artisans aSainst
Quakers and the weakhier Germars. The radicals
here achieved success by overthrowing the old
government, errablirhinga new one with lull rep-
resentation of their {rontier counries, and drawjnS
u! a new constitution. This new Sovernmenr
prompdy instructed the Pennsylvania delegates
for noepende:rce lhe effecr oc rle Corsrex srr
ting in Philadelphia was overyowering.
Events now moved rapidly toward indepen
dence. In I anuary 1776 patriots burned Norlolk to
prevent lts falling into the power of Governor
Dunmore. In March the North Carolina legisla-
ture instructed its delegates to declare indepen-
dence ano ro-m forign a'lian.es. Congre-' rhen
rhre$ American pofts open to the comr,rerce ol
the world, and sent an agentto Franceto obtain as
sistance. In early May new, arnved that George lll
was sending over 12,000 German mercenaries
ro drugoon hi. American subje(tr. Or l0 V"\.
Consre* advi<ed rhe colonres ro e,tabli,l- rnde.
pendenr .rare SovernmenLs Virginra oth"rs
"nd
p-o.eeded ro do ro. On 7 June Rrchard Henry lee
rose in Congress and moved 'That these United
Colonies are, and of right ought to be, Free and
Independent Stater.' Alter a terrific debate, Leet
motion carried on 2 ]uly. ln the meantlme Con-
gress had appointed a committee which consisted
of .l-ora, lefle-:or. tohi Adan). Benjd11in
FEnldin, RoBer Sherman, and Robert LivinSston
to prepare a formal declaratjon 'settinS forth the
causes which impelled us to this mishty resolu
tjon.' This Declaration of lndependence, written
by'lhoma' lef{er'on. ua, adopred 4 lull l77o
 81
The Great Declarction
ied
The Declaration ol Independence announced not
olls
orly rhe brnh of a new narron; rr erp e.'ed a
theory w\rch has been a dl rami. force'rnrough-
out the world. Or:t of a 'decent respecr to rhe
op,nions of nrnkino. lelfersor summed up. not
lof only the -eason, whrch rnpelled Americjns to
rndependence, but the oolrrrcal and sorial prin-
de-
riple" upon whrch the itevolutron it'elf reited
: a1l
The particular 'abuses and usurpations' charged
a6ainst the king are not advanced as the basis lor
dof 'erolution. but merely as prool i\ar GeorBe lll s
objecrive wd, ihe
^'ablishmenr ot an ab.olur.
tyranny over these states.'The Declaration resls,
old
therefore, not upon particular grievances but
eP-
rn8 upon a broad basis which commanded general
support in Europe as well as in Ameica. Some oI
the gievances, examined in the candid iighr of
hi,torv. seem drsrorred. orher, ir,on,equennal.
,it- One of rhe -rrongex dn rnorcrmenr ot Briri-h
supporr ol rhe Alncan rade. w"s struck our
'l"ve
at the insistence of Southern and New England
delegates Bur Jefler.on so. ror wrrtrng hrsLory:
he was trying to iniluen.e iti course.
sla-
Therndictmenr rs drawn a8ai-)- GeorSe lll The
only rete,ence to I'a,Liamenr i, in-le clause, He
hen
ha. combined wrLh others ro subrect u. ro d luris
eof
diction foreign to our constitution and unac-
tnowledged bv ourlaw, 8r!,rng nis assenr ro rhei-
elll
acts o{ pretended legislation.' Thus the odium of
parliamentary mirdeeds is transferred to the hap-
lav,
rd+ Ie* Ceo-8e lll Themarnrea.onfor6rinsalj the
blan,e on poor Georae har to undermrne rra-
ditional Amedcan loyalty to the Crown. covern-
Lee
ited ment, according to the theory which almost
everyone then believed, was the result of a com,
pact between ruler and peopte ro protect 'lile,
liberty, and the pursuit o{ happiness.' And, to
quote the Declaration, 'Whenever any form ol
sted
gor"rnment become, d"'rru.rrve ro rhese eid,. rr
min
is the right of thepeople to alter orabolish it, and
to institute new government, laying its {ounda
the
tion on such principles and organizing its powers
olu
in such form, as tothem shall seem mostlikelv ro
ellect their safety and happinex.' By breakinithe
76.
compact, the king had released his suLjects from
their allegiance.
Wharev"r rhe ongin ol gove.rment may have
been in prehistonc nmes, rn Ame-ica ir ohen aro(e
iu+ as lefferson de<ribed. 45 rn rhe Maynoser
Compa(r of 1o20. so rn counrle\c fronuer se le-
ments from the Watauga ro rhe Wjllamette, men
came together spontaneously and orSanized their
own governments. Jef f ersont philosophy seemed
tothemmerely thecommon sense of the matter.
The Loyalists
The Declaration ol Indep€ndence &vided those
who hoped to solve the problem ol imperial order
by evolution from those who insisted on revolu-
rion. By callinB rnio exi,ten.e r new nation rl
made ioyalty to King George treasonr and in most
(olonier pdLnot commrneLs lvenr abour {orcinS
everyone, on pain of imprisonment and confisca-
tion of property, to take an oath of allegiance to
the United Stater. Thus it gave to the loyalists or
tories the unpleasant altemative of submission or
llighr.
There were loyalists in every colony and in
every walk of life. In New York, Newlersey, and
Georgia theyprobablycompriseda majorny olthe
popularion. Although rr i, imposs ble to ascerta:n
their number, the {act that some 80,000 loyalists
left the country during the war or after, and that
everyone admitted these to be a minority of the
pafl). g,ve. ,ome irder of rheir ,trengt}. Most
loyahsLs took rhe requrred oath< and paid tar<,.
while praying Ior the defeat of the American
cause. srmply becarse thel had no pla.e toso. A,
latea< ISr0rhere rvereololadresinr.'ewYoikand
Portsmouth, N.H., who quiedy celebrated the
king, bnhday. but drer cunains and clo"ed
shutters or the tourth of luly.
The Ameican Revolution was a civil rather
r},n a ,1r,, wdr. w:rh rories ,nd whigs finding
supporrers rn al' cla'e.. Ourride Vrrginia and
Maryland, most of the greatesr iandowners were
tory, although many remained passive durins the
war to save their property. Yet the loyalisrs also
won the allegiance of many back-country farmers
in New York and the Carolinas. Officials went
tory as a matter of course; so, too, most of the
Anglican clergy, whose church prescribed loyalty
to onet lawtul sovereign as a Christian dury. The
 82
THE REVOLUION PRECiPITATID

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