From the Radio Free Michigan archives ftp://141.209.3.26/pub/patriot If you have any other files you'd like to contribute, e-mail them to bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu. ------------------------------------------------ The following report covers the events preceding the American Revolution and illustrates how a single stupid incident, when added to so many others, can eventually cause an otherwise peaceful climate to turn warlike in a hurry. Today, with the marvels of communication available to us, we learn news faster than our forefathers and therefore react more quickly, if with nothing more than our emotions. Users of ExecuNet are urged to read this material that was very kindly compiled by Mark Siporen and edited by Richard Bash. The material for this document came from Arthur Abington, "Learn United States History The Easy Way" by Arthur Abington (Bronxville, New York: Cambridge Publishers, Inc., 1959, Revised 1961), pages 60-66. With this brief review of American history, I hope that the reader will take the time to go down to the library, check out a book on our past and READ IT! This is a 2988 word, 8 page article. Even though it is lengthy, you SHOULD read it (please!). =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The French and Indian War had been an expensive one for the British. It had increased their national debt by about $35,000,000. The obvious solution was to raise money by taxing British colonies. To raise more money in the American colonies a new English colonial policy, called the Grenville program (1763- 1765), was instituted by Lord Grenville. This plan ordered an increase in old taxes and the levying of some new ones on many goods imported into the colonies. In order to enforce this taxing scheme, the "Quartering Act" provided for 10,000 British troops to be stationed in the colonies. These soldiers were to be fed and housed by the American colonists. The first direct tax ever levied by England upon the colonists was the infamous "Stamp Tax" from The Stamp Act of 1765. This placed a tax on all newspapers, pamphlets, legal documents and even calendars and playing cards used in the colonies. The colonists reacted rather quickly against this tax. Fires and riots broke out. Debates took place in many colonial assem- blies. In the Virginia House of Burgesses (equivalent to today's state legislature), Patrick Henry warned the English king of the possible effects of such a law. In answer to the cries of "Trea- son! Treason!" that were flung at him by Virginians who were still loyal to England and the King, Patrick Henry uttered the famous words, "If this be treason, make the most of it!" The House of Burgess then drew up the Virginia Resolves condemning the Stamp Tax. They stated that only the colonial assemblies had the right to vote taxes in a colony. Opposition to the tax was led by secret organizations known as the Sons of Liberty. Including some of the leading citizens in the colonies, like Paul Revere in Massachusetts, these groups decided that the tax should not be paid. They drove out stamp-tax collec- tors and forced merchants not to buy the stamps. In order to make England feel the anger of the American colonies ever more, the Sons of Liberty also enforced an unofficial boycott of English goods. Meeting in New York in 1765, representatives from nine colo- nies met to draw up a protest against the tax. This meeting later became known as The Stamp Act Congress of 1765. Led by John Dickinson of Pennsylvania, the delegates drew up a "Declaration of Rights and Grievances." This document explained to the English government that the American colonists were still loyal to the British crown but protested the tax. They claimed that they were entitled to all the rights and liberties of Englishmen, including the right to tax themselves through their elected representatives. In fact, they were, in the majority view, merely Englishmen at some distance from England. When British exports to America fell off because of the refusal of the American colonists to purchase English goods and their opposition to the tax, the British Parliament repealed the tax. However, at the same time it repealed the Stamp Tax (in 1766), Parliament also passed a "Declaratory Law," in which Parlia- ment claimed the right to pass any laws on any matter in the colonies. In 1767, the new English Chancellor of the Exchequer, Charles Townshend, proposed a new series of taxes to increase English revenues from the colonies. Taxes were to be levied on lead, glass, paper, paint and tea. This was known as the "Townshend Program." Part of the money raised from these taxes was to go to pay the salaries of the officials enforcing the law. Up to now the assem- blies had paid these officers, but now colonial control over them would be weakened. To wipe out smuggling, the officials were to be given "writs of assistance" to enter any place and search for and seize any goods that had come into the colonies illegally. Colonists accused of violating the laws were to be tried without a jury. Any appeal from these trials was to be taken to England. Once again the colonists turned to a boycott of English goods. In the next two years, more and more merchants refused to buy English products, and the people backed them up. Sales of British products fell off, almost by half, as the boycott spread throughout the colonies. England was forced to send troops to Boston to keep order there, while the Sons of Liberty were winning popular sup- port. Again the British merchants complained to Parliament about their loss of business. Again Parliament listened to them and, in 1770, repealed all of the taxes in the Townshend Program, except the one on tea. The tax on tea was continued simply to show the colonists that Parliament could tax them. The colonists did not object to this, however, because smuggled tea, which the colonists bought, was cheaper than English tea, anyway. The British troops stationed in Boston found themselves in trouble with the citizens. In March, 1770, a small riot broke out between a group of soldiers and town workers. As the riot spread, other soldiers were called out and some fired into the crowd, killing five and wounding others. This "Boston Massacre" increased hatred of the American colonists against the British. Lack of good communications was a serious handicap to the colonists. Under the leadership of Sam Adams, a committee of correspondence, consisting of 21 men, was formed in Massachusetts to keep in touch with similar committees in the other colonies. By sending fast riders with news of developments, these committees were able to form a chain of communications that linked the colo- nies. Sam Adams was the one who kept the committees in touch with one another. In 1773, the East India Company was faced with bankruptcy. To prevent failure English King George III gave them the right to sell tea to the American colonists at a price below that of foreign or smuggled tea. Americans opposed this move because this would have destroyed the colonial tea business. The company sent out one ship loaded with tea to Philadelphia, New York and Boston. The officials in Philadelphia and New York refused to allow the ship to dock. The governor of Massachusetts, however, allowed the ship destined for Boston to dock there. When the ship entered Boston Harbor, a group of citizens, disguised as Indians, boarded the ship and threw the tea into the ocean. The British government acted swiftly and severely. This incident is fondly remembered in American history as the "Boston Tea Party." To punish the colonists, the English Parliament passed a series of laws against Boston. The following then became known as "Intolerable Acts of 1774." 1. The port of Boston was closed. No ship could enter or leave it until the tea had been paid for. 2. The charter (constitution) of Massachusetts was taken away. No town meeting was permitted without the consent of the Governor. All officials were to be appointed by the Governor. 3. More troops were moved into Boston and stationed in the homes of colonists. British officers and soldiers who were accused of crimes against colonists would be tried, not in the colony, but in England. 4. The Northwest Territory, partly claimed by Massachusetts, was annexed to Quebec. These acts only served to unite the colonies. In answer to an appeal, food and supplies were rushed to Massachusetts. A movement spread among the colonies to call a general con- gress (meeting). At this meeting all the colonies would send delegates who would decide what steps to take. This was to become the First Continental Congress of 1774. Early in September, 1774, 56 delegates from 12 colonies (Georgia was not represented) met at Philadelphia. Many leading figures were present: Sam and John Adams from Massachusetts, Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee from Virginia, Joseph Galloway from Pennsylvania. After much debate the Congress drew up a Declaration of Rights and Grievances, which denounced the Intolerable Acts as unjust and unconstitutional. They drew up also a list of colonial rights -- life, liberty and property, the control of taxation by the colonial legislatures, and others. The delegates agreed to organize an American Association which would buy no goods from England until the Intolerable Acts had been repealed. Furthermore, they urged Americans to arm themselves. It was hoped that the petition would lead the king to settle the dispute. In the meantime, the Congress adjourned until the following May, to meet then if the colonial grievances were not settled. Sam Adams and John Hancock had been ordered arrested for stirring up the colonies. General Gage learned that Sam Adams and John Hancock were in hiding near Lexington and that large supplies of cannon and powder were hidden near Concord (about 20 miles from Boston). General Gage sent a force to capture the men and seize the stores. The Boston Committee of Correspondence learned of his plans, however, and sent Paul Revere and William Dawes to warn the leaders and alert the countryside. The famous ride of Revere and Dawes on the night of April 18, 1775, lives forever in the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. When the British troops reached Lexington, they were met by 70 Minutemen. Shots were fired between the two groups, killing eight Americans and wounding ten. Then the British pushed on to Concord, where the military supplies were hidden. Here they found a large force of armed militiamen and were forced to retreat. The retreat almost became a rout, as shots were fired by Americans hidden behind trees, bushes, stones and houses. Before they reached safety, 70 Britishers had been killed and 170 wounded. BATTLES OF LEXINGTON AND CONCORD. The following material was extracted from "American History Before 1877" by Ray Allen Billington (Ames, Iowa: Littlefield, Adams & Co., 1951; reprinted 1957), pages 59-60. When General Thomas Gage, the British commander at Boston, decided to send troops to Concord to capture rebel supplies, the militiamen gathered to resist. They met the redcoats on the village green at Lexington at daybreak on April 19, 1775, losing eight men in the skirmish that followed. The soldiers then marched on to Concord, only to find that most of the supplies had been removed. The British were pursued into Boston by a growing force of patriots, leaving the countryside inflamed with wrath. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The following material was extracted from "The Structure of Ameri- can History" by Richard Hofstadter, William Miller, and Daniel Aaron, (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964), page 54. Before adjourning on October 26, 1774, the First Continental Congress agreed to meet again in May, a timely date as events proved. Unnerved by the gathering of Minutemen around Boston, British General Gage, on April 19, 1775, sent 700 troops to destroy the large amount of munitions and supplies that the colonists appeared to be collecting in Concord, about twenty miles north. Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Dr. Samuel Prescott were sent by Boston patriots to arouse the Minutemen along the way and at Lexington green, five miles short of Concord, the redcoats encoun- tered a line of armed farmers and townsmen. Eight Minutemen fell here and the British moved on. Revere and Dawes were halted by the British before reaching Concord, but Dr. Prescott got through in time to warn the Minutemen there to get their supplies away, which they did. Frustrated at Concord, General Gage's men turned back toward Boston, but by then thousands of Minutemen lined the road and shot down the redcoats as they passed. By the time the British troops reached Boston the British counted 273 casualties. Ninety- three Americans had been killed or wounded. There remained many men on both sides who tried, still, to avert war. But the battle of pamphlets and protests clearly had yielded to a battle of rifles and cannon. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The following material was extracted from "The American Pageant," volume 1, by Thomas A. Bailey and David M. Kennedy, (Lexington, Massachusetts / Toronto: D. C. Heath and Co., 1956, 7th ed. 1983), page 95. The petitions of the Continental Congress were rejected, after considerable debate, by strong majorities in Parliament. In Ameri- ca, chickens squawked and tar kettles bubbled as violators of The Association (those who violated the boycott of British goods) were tarred and feathered. Muskets were being collected, men were openly drilling, and a clash seemed imminent. In April 1775, the British commander in Boston sent a detach- ment of troops to nearby Lexington and Concord. They were to seize stores of colonial gunpowder, and also to bag the "rebel" ringlead- ers, Samuel Adams and John Hancock. At Lexington, the colonial "Minute Men" refused to disperse rapidly enough, and shots were fired which killed eight Americans and wounded several more. The affair was more the "Lexington Massacre" than a battle. The Redcoats pushed on to Concord, whence they were forced to retreat by the homespun Americans, whom Emerson immortalized: By the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to April's breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood, And fired the shot heard round the world. The bewildered British, fighting off murderous fire from militiamen crouched behind thick stone walls, finally regained the sanctuary of Boston. Licking their wounds, the British could count about 300 casualties, including some 70 killed. England now had a war on her hands. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The following material was extracted from "Review Text in United States History" by Paul M. Roberts, Revised 1978, (New York, N.Y.: Amsco School Publications, Inc., 1966), pages 76-77. THE FIRST SHOT IS FIRED (APRIL 19, 1775) Anticipating war, the citizens of Massachusetts began to organize themselves into an army, or militia. They called them- selves Minutemen, since they stood ready for action at a minute's notice. They drilled regularly and armed themselves with ammuni- tion and weapons. In defiance of General Gage, the British mili- tary governor, the Massachusetts assembly met secretly and prepared for war. Gage sent troops to capture the "rebel" ringleaders, John Hancock and Samuel Adams, who were rumored to be in Lexington, and to seize stores of gunpowder hidden in Concord. The colonials, however, learned of Gage's plans. Two Patri- ots, Paul Revere and William Dawes, rode through the night and warned the countryside of the oncoming British. When the British troops arrived at Lexington, they were met by the local Minutemen. In an exchange of shots, 18 colonials were killed or wounded. The British then proceeded to Concord, and another skirmish took place. As the English marched back to their base in Boston, the aroused colonials, hiding behind houses, trees, and stone walls, poured a steady fire into the redcoats. Almost 4,000 Americans participated in the action that day. The British suffered 273 casualties, the colonials 93. In March, 1775, just before the outbreak of hostilities in Massachusetts, Patrick Henry delivered a speech urging that Virgin- ia prepare for war. He closed with "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!" "Disperse, ye rebels; lay down your arms." -- British officer to Minutemen at Lexington. "Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon; but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here!" -- Captain John Parker's order to the Minutemen at Lexington. The following material was extracted from "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine, Edited by John Seelye with introduction by Isaac Kramnick, (first published 1776; paperback reprint from England: Penguin Books Ltd., 1976, reprinted 1982), page 92. "....on the breaking out of hostilities, it was not worth the while to have disputed a matter, which time would have finally redressed, unless we meant to be in earnest; otherwise, it is like wasting an estate on a suit at law, to regulate the trespasses of a tenant, whose lease is just expiring. No man was a warmer wisher for reconciliation than myself, before the fatal nineteenth of April 1775 (massacre at Lexington), but the moment the event of that day was made known, I rejected the hardened, sullen tempered Pharaoh of --- for ever; and disdain the wretch that with the pretended title of Father of His People can unfeelingly hear of their slaughter, and composedly sleep with their blood upon his soul." Note: Thomas Paine used "----" or "k---" in referring to "king" or "England" or any representative of same, probably to avoid charges of libel or worse. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= These were the events that preceded the American Revolution of 1776. Review these words carefully and consider the events of today. A government is tested when it attempts to exert unreason- able controls over its citizenry. Are we nearing that threshold again, beyond which the American people will take no more? ------------------------------------------------ (This file was found elsewhere on the Internet and uploaded to the Radio Free Michigan archives by the archive maintainer. All files are ZIP archives for fast download. E-mail bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu)