On This Day In History

On this day in 1765, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act to fund British soldiers stationed in the colonies after the French and Indian War. The Act taxed most printed documents in the British colonies—everything from legal documents to magazines and playing cards, touching nearly everyone's daily life.

 

It was the first direct tax on American colonists and had to be paid in British sterling, a currency nigh impossible for the colonists to obtain (who had long paid taxes to colonial legislatures in local currency). Act violations were prosecuted in jury-less Vice-Admiralty courts that could be held anywhere in the British Empire.

The Act broke decades of "salutary neglect," a mostly hands-off stance from Great Britain that had allowed the colonies to prosper. At the Stamp Act Congress that fall, representatives argued that as English subjects, they could not be directly taxed without representation in Parliament, and announced a boycott of British goods. Although the British repealed the act a year later, it dug in with the Declaratory Act, which asserted Parliament's right to legislate for (and tax) colonists.

On the heels of the Writs of Assistance these taxes led to widespread protests and fed colonial resentment over British taxation.  The episode was a key stepping stone toward the American Revolution that unfolded a decade later.

Friday Music

This week we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Patrick - Patron Saint of Ireland.  We're celebrating our Semiquincentennial this year and our war for independence from the yoke of the British Crown.  The Irish have their own story of the struggle for independence from British rule.  I figured this is as good a week as any to feature this song.

Composed by Father Charles O'Neil (1887-1963) it is a product of the political situation in Ireland in the aftermath of the Easter Rising and World War I.

More than 200,000 Irishmen served in British forces during the war.  This resulted in mixed feelings for many Irish, particularly those with nationalist sympathies.  Many Irish felt the moral justifications for the war and freedom for small nations such as Belgium and Serbia should be applied to Ireland subjugated by the British.

The Easter Rising of 1916 was an armed rebellion in Dublin against British rule.  The British put down the unrest in six days of street fighting.  450 were killed - mostly civilians and the rebel leaders were executed.  Public revulsion to the response and executions contributed to a growing alienation from Britain and led to the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921).

O'Neil reflected this alienation when he composed the the song telling the story of the Easter Rising and commemorating the few hundred brave men who rose-up against the most powerful empire in the world.

His feelings are summed-up in the line:  Twas better to die 'neath an Irish sky than at Sulva or Sud el Bar.

Foggy Dew.....  

Scratching Your Druid Itch

 

06.08.24 Stonehenge

The ancient Druids did not build Stonehenge.  As a matter of fact, as a consequence of a timeline mismatch they had nothing to do with it.  This monument was constructed during the Neolithic and Bronze Age and predates them by more than 1000 years.  This was long before the Celtic Druids appeared in Britain.  Any association is a 17th-century myth, although ancient Druids may have used the site for rituals just as modern-day Druids do.

As the sun grows warmer we notice small signs of life beneath our feet.  First are the crocuses and daffodils, followed by the bluebells and wood anemones. Many of us view these emergent plants as mere greenery.  Druids see life in all living things including springs, creeks, rivers, rocks and stones.  In Druidry all life is sacred.

One of the great mysteries is the Druid's egg.  Life-giving, it is the egg protected by the hare, which is the symbol of Alban Eilir, - the Festival of the Spring Equinox which means The Light Of The Earth.  As Christianity supplanted pagan festivals Christians today celebrate Easter with eggs courtesy of the Easter bunny.

Happy vernal equinox.   

The astronomical arrival of spring is a consequence of the earth’s tilt on its axis as it orbits around the sun.  Equinox from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night) means the the earth’s two hemispheres are receiving the sun’s rays equally.  On this date the sun rises exactly due east and set exactly due west with sunlight striking both hemispheres of the earth equally.   Night and day are approximately equal in length. 

As you observe the movement of the sun across the sky each day you will note that it is shifting toward the north.  Birds and butterflies begin their northward migration as a response to this change in daylight following the path of the sun.

 

It would be premature to pack-away your winter outerwear, return the snow shovels to the shed or plant a garden.  Nevertheless, this is a harbinger of the arrival of astronomical spring for those of us in the northern hemisphere.  

 

The official start time will be tomorrow, March 20, at about 9:46 AM CST (give or take). 

Astronomers base season cycles upon the position of the earth in relation to the sun.  The beginning of Astronomical Spring or the Vernal Equinox marks the time when the sun passes directly above the equator.  Meteorological spring is based-upon annual temperature cycles.  Your weatherman will tell your that meteorological spring begins March 1 and goes thru the end of May.

 

No matter how you slice it the days will grow longer, the temperatures warmer and mud season is in full swing.

Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em

One of the most storied names in the tobacco business is Chesterfield; remembered for its rapid rise in popularity in the med-20th century and its iconic They Satisfy marketing campaigns.

The cigarette brand can trace its lineage all the way back to 1873 when it was introduced by the Drummond Tobacco Company of St. Louis, Missouri. 

In 1911 Chesterfield was acquired by Liggett & Myers (L&M) and they reblended it into a Turkish-Virginia mix to compete with Camel and Lucky Strike.  In the 1930s and 40s it was the Big Three - Camel, Lucky Strike and Chesterfield - that engaged in a fierce tobacco war spending millions on radio, print and celebrity endorsements to grab their share of a rapidly-growing population of smokers.

During World War II combat field rations (C and K) included a pack of three, four or nine cigarettes introducing an entire generation of servicemen and women to smoking on the the government's dime.  While Chesterfield was most frequently found in K rations, by the end of the war industry leader Camel had earmarked more than half of their total annual production to the military.

Chesterfield's signature slogan was They Satisfy - eventually introducing Blow Some My Way in a not so subtle reach for women smokers. The brand was famously pitched by Ronald Reagan, Lucille Ball and James Arness (Gunsmoke).  It was the brand of choice for James Bond and the first of countless smokes consumed by author Stephen King.

 

Nowadays, the brand is owned by Altria (manufactured by subsidiary Philip Morris USA) and after a brief hiatus was reintroduced to the US market in 2019 with filters - Gasp!  Philip Morris International supplies the rest of the world.

I grew-up with second hand smoke.  Unfiltered Chesterfields were my late, great mother's smoke of choice until my daughter was born 

Fast Fact: The inclusion of cigarettes in military rations did not officially end until 1975 as health concerns finally outweighed any lingering morale-boosting benefit.

Smoke 'em if you got 'em..... 

Highway Patrol

 

Is this photo a still taken from a Blues Brothers movie?  I dunno.  It appears to be a 1967 Chevrolet Impala Police Cruiser.

In the mid-1960s the Chicago Police Department favored the use of Impalas of this era for their size - sufficient room for two officers and their equipment, winter driving capability, ability to engage in high speed expressway pursuits and their over-all reliability.

This vehicle was produced by GM's Chevrolet motor division as a spec-built fleet vehicle for taxi and police department use.  Consequently, it was assembled with 'beefier' components including: a heavy-duty rear axle including a limited slip differential, heavy duty suspension, springs and shocks, larger sway bars, a reinforced frame, power steering and plain steel wheels with bias-ply tires including 'dog-dish' hub caps.  Later models included experimental front disc brakes but virtually all vehicles produced included heavy duty drum brakes all-around.

 

Tennessee State Trooper 1966 Biscayne model 

I'm familiar with this vehicle line as our household ride in the 1960s included a 1965 Chevy Belair later replaced by a 1967 Chevy Impala SS (Super Sport).  Both of those vehicles were equipped with a 283 (4.6L) V8 and the police version was powered by a 327 (5.4L) V8 rated at 275 hp.  Pursuit-model law enforcement models were generally equipped with a 396 (6.5L) V8 rated at 325 hp.

Hitched to the rear-wheel drive was a 2-speed 'Slush Box' Powerglide automatic transmission - same as my 1968 Pontiac Le Mans convertible.  Later years witnessed the introduction of a 3-speed Turbo-Hydromatic transmission.  

Police units came factory-equipped with a single 'Gumball' red rotating beacon, dash-mounted or column siren control, a Motorola radio console, drive side spotlight and sometimes a steel [partition between the front and real seats. 

From a post just about a couple of years ago is a Wisconsin State Patrol 1967 Chevrolet Biscayne.

This is not a police model but it is a most excellent surviving restoration of a 1967 Impala Super Sport (fully loaded).

Vroom!

On This Day In History

On Valentine's Day 1990, thirteen years after leaving earth, Voyager 1 directed its cameras back towards the sun and took a series of images of the planets, creating the first ever 'family portrait' of our solar system.

Image credit: NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory-Cal tech

Famed astronomer Carl Sagan spent years trying to convince NASA to have Voyager 1 turn around and take this picture on the way out. The picture is actually a mosaic that combines sixty frames.

Patron Saint

In the Roman Catholic tradition of the Christian Faith St. Valentine is the Patron Saint of betrothed couples, happy marriages, love, lovers, bee keepers, fainting, epilepsy, plague, travelers, and young people.  His feast day is today.   

As a consequence of so little being known about the man the Church removed St. Valentine from the General Roman Calendar in 1969.  Nevertheless, he remains recognized as a saint.  

One of many stories is that Valentine was imprisoned for committing the most heinous of crimes - marrying Christian couples and aiding Christians being persecuted by Emperor Claudius of Rome.  Angered to the point of rage Claudius commanded Valentine to renounce his faith or be beaten with clubs and beheaded.  Refusing the emperor - Valentine was martyred outside the Flaminian Gate on February 14, 269.  

In case you’re wondering if Valentine was a real person - archaeological excavations have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to him.  In 496 Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration honoring his martyrdom.   

Today his relics can be found throughout the world – including his skull at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Rome.  

 

click on the relics for a closer look

Happy Valentines Day.

 

Highway Patrol

Dodge was a significant player in the the highway patrol and police cruiser marketplace over the years.  Here's a classic for you.

A 1965-66 Dodge Polara in dark blue and white livery sporting a Wisconsin State Patrol shield.  The officer in the photo is sporting the traditional State Patrol dress uniform of the era and a Smokey Bear hat that persists today.  

Chrysler's C-body lineup was a favorite of police departments for their durability and reliability, straight lines and wide stance and in Wisconsin for wintertime performance.  Powered by a standard 383 V8 rated at 330 horsepower; a 413 V8 and 440 V8 were also available.  A heavy-duty, police spec, Tourqueflite automatic transmission tied it all together.  

Naturally, the suspension, alternator, radiator, brakes, wiring harness and more were higher capacity and heavier duty that civilian models.  Upholstery was vinyl.  These vehicles were factory-equipped with a Motorola two-way radio (with a whip antenna), shotgun rack, a single red rotating "gumball" roof beacon and exterior siren.   

This smiling dude is the proud owner of a restored 1965 Dodge Cornet police cruiser...

 

   

Manifestly Monroe

James Monroe served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825.  

As a student at William and Mary he left school to enlist with the 3rd Virginia Regiment in 1775 joining thousands of colonists on our road to independence from British tyranny.  He participated in the New York and New Jersey campaigns and crossed the Delaware with Washington.  He was critically wounded at the Battle of Trenton nearly costing him his life.  He eventually rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before studying law and beginning his lengthy political career.  This patriot was the last Founding Father to serve as president.

American Battlefield Trust

He is also remembered for the Monroe Doctrine - a foreign policy recently resurrected as one of several justifications for regime change in Venezuela.  I would like to take a few moments to walk down U.S. History's Memory Lane to refresh my reader's memories of the origins and particulars of Monroe's preeminent foreign policy.

It was 1821 when Secretary of State John Quincy Adams first expressed the notion that the American continent should be closed to colonization by other countries.  Adams felt strongly that any further colonization in America - excepting for Canada - should be left exclusively in the hands of the Americans.  As the principal architect and author it was his ideas that were subsequently adopted by President Monroe as the Monroe Doctrine.  Formalized in1823 this policy declared American dominance in the region and closed the Western Hemisphere to future European colonization and intervention. 

In simple terms the Monroe Doctrine put the European powers on notice to not colonize or interfere in the Americas anymore; in return, the United States would keep its nose out of European politics and conflicts.  President Monroe's intent was to affirm the influence of the United States in protecting newly independent countries in our hemisphere.  

Does the Monroe Doctrine allow or uphold regime change in the Western Hemisphere?  

It does not.

What it stipulates is threefold. That European powers shall not colonize or interfere in the Americas.  That the United States is opposed to external influence over newly independent nations in our hemisphere.  And it specifically does not authorize the United States to overthrow governments.  This critical distinction is that the doctrine was about keeping Europe out and not about the United States choosing governments in our hemisphere.

It was US foreign policies and actions in the late 19th and 20th centuries that went beyond the Monroe Doctrine that has contributed to misinterpretations and revisionist mashups both then and persisting to present time.  Specifically, interventions as a consequence of the Roosevelt Corollary.  Multiple subsequent Cold War interventions bastardized and reinterpreted the Doctrine to justify meddling in foreign governments including regime change.  

If you know your history you would know that the Monroe Doctrine of 1823 was a foreign policy warning to Europe; it says nothing about US expansion or territorial control.  Armed with this knowledge you would also know from our history that in the 1840s there evolved an expansionist dogma (not specific foreign policy) that the U.S. had a divine right to spread its power, way of life and expand its domain.  As a pervasive cultural attitude it justified imperial ambitions that led to the annexation of Texas, the Mexican-American War, and acquisition of the territories of Hawaii and the Philippines. 

This expansionist ideology was characterized as Manifest Destiny. 

I was wondering aloud the other day to an acquaintance who is a history nerd if there was some possibility that President Trump or Steven Miller somehow mangled their knowledge of U.S. history and got cattywampus with legitimate foreign policy and divinely-inspired expansionism.   

His short answer was yes; but it would be more accurate to say that the President has conflated the ideas in a rhetorical jumble, but not formally redefined them.

Trump's sonorous flourishes have drawn on themes about US dominance in the Western Hemisphere calling for the exclusion of Russian, Chinese and Iranian influences.  From time-to-time he has invoked the Monroe Doctrine as justification for strong action in Latin America.  Historians suggest that this framing treats our Western Hemisphere as a sphere of US influence and control more often aligned with the tenets of Manifest Destiny and to a lesser extent the policy of the Monroe Doctrine.

To be clear, the Monroe Doctrine is about excluding foreign empires; Manifest Destiny is about asserting U.S. power and expansion.  When the Monroe Doctrine is used to justify coercion, intervention, dominance, territorial expansion or regime change these motivations are more accurately a pretense for invoking Manifest Destiny. 

The President has implied a re-imagined Monroe Doctrine as a modern day equivalent he coined the 'Donroe Doctrine'.  Foreign policy and US history scholars suggest that renaming the Gulf Of Mexico and promising to seize the Panama Canal and Greenland echo Manifest Destiny in actual practice.

You're probably thinking:  Geeze Tom lighten-up on the semantics. You're being way too picky; cut the Prez some slack.  

To which my response would be:  Don't be a slacker.  And don't take my word for it.  Read your history.

Trip of The Magi - Chapter, Verse and Calendar

From the Gospel of Matthew we all know of the the story about the Magi or the Three Kings. In three paragraphs it goes like this: 

Kings?  Wise Men? More likely priests or wealthy astrologers who journeyed from Arabia, Babylon or Persia.  More importantly, they came to pay homage and to worship Jesus.  And they came bearing gifts; rare and expensive gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Symbolically, some would suggest this is significant proof of gentiles recognizing Jesus as king; thus marking a turning point in Christian tradition.  

After their arrival the Magi were warned in a dream to avoid King Herod and to return via a different route to throw-off snooping Romans with murderous intentions.  An angel also appears to Joseph in a dream with a warning that Herod intends to slay his child.  Consequently Joseph, Mary and Jesus flee to Egypt.  They return home only after there is news of Herod's death.   

With the passage of time the 'Three Kings' received names:  Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar even though the bible is silent about their identities.  Their appearance along with shepherds in nativity scenes is a bit of a historical mash-up; but more about that in a bit.  

What about the star?

Was the appearance of the star a literal event or a symbolic literary device? 

There is no scientific astronomical evidence to suggest a star moving as described.  Due to the Earth's rotation a real star (fixed in the heavens of the northern hemisphere) would be unable to move east to Jerusalem and stop over a house in Bethlehem.  It is possible there may have been a supernova, comet or planetary conjunction - naturally-occurring astronomical events -  explaining its appearance.  Needless to say, some faith traditions suggest the appearance of the star was divine, a genuinely miraculous event.  

Only the Gospel of Matthew mentions it; the Gospel of Luke does not.  Some biblical scholars have suggested that the appearance of the star may have been a later addition to Matthew's narrative to serve as a literary device - a metaphor or allusion for his audience.

The bible does not specify tell us when Jesus was born.  There are only clues such as Herod The Great's reign and a census facilitated under Syrian Governor Quirinius.  The Scriptures are silent as to a specific year and date.  The birth story of Jesus is found only in the Gospels of Mathew and Luke 1-2 and place his birth during the reign of King Herod.  Herod died in 4 BCE; consequently, Jesus was likely born between 7 and 2 BCE.  Naturally, this conflicts with the later Christian calendar system.  A calendar miscalculated in the 6th century. 

Matthew 2:1-12 informs us that the star appeared at Jesus' birth and appeared from the east.  Upon the arrival of the Magi; Joseph, Mary and Jesus are living in a house (not a stable) and Jesus is referred-to as a child.  Furthermore, Herod orders the slaying of all boys two years of age and under.

The implication is that the star materialized shortly prior to or at the time of Jesus' birth, hypothetically 6–5 BCE.  The Magi arrive months or possibly 1-2 years later.  Herod dies 4 BCE.  The adoration of the Magi would be unlikely to coincide with the visitation of the shepherds.

So why is it only Matthew mentions the star and Luke mentions shepherds instead of Magi? 

The answer may be found in their respective audiences.  Inasmuch as there was no single and consistent birth narrative in very early Christianity both Matthew and Luke tell a true story as they understood it, using different oral and written traditions shaped by purpose; and complementing one another.

Matthew was preaching to a Jewish audience; consequently, he focused on the fulfillment of old testament scripture and prophecy.  Numbers 24:17: A star shall come out of Jacob; symbolism and prophecy signaling the birth of a Jewish king. 

Luke was preaching to a Greco-Roman audience; consequently he places an emphasis on shepherds, angels and census records.  Stars and astrology add little theological substance and are avoided. Luke explicitly says he chose what to include in Luke 1:1-4; an orderly account of Jesus' life.   

In closing, why December 25?  First-off it's not a historical date and was likely adopted somewhere around the 4th century.  This is because Christian holy days and important events were intentionally chosen over many years to supplant pagan holidays, Roman festivals and themes like those of the triumph of light over darkness.  The Winter Solstice comes to mind.  This was done for theological, liturgical and evangelical reasons.  To be clear, it is not historical conflict; rather it is the intentional telling of Christian theology.

The story of Jesus' birth, the Magi, shepherds, Herod, Matthew and Luke have captured the hearts of untold millions of believers, wanna-believers and the attention of some non-believers.  It is a a story rich in drama and allegorical symbolism.  It is a fun story readily embraced by children.  And as with many things in life; parts of the story are supported by history and science and other parts are articles off faith.  Neither are irreconcilable. 

Happiest of holidays to all my readers however you celebrate them; or not.

Cheers!

On This Day In History

Yo!  

Deer Camp Pals....

Been perusing some older digital photos in the collection and came across this one.  It was taken during a rain-sodden deer camp in November of 2005. 

The perspective is looking west out of the second floor blue bedroom. 

Except for low-light conditions there was no way a whitetail could sneak across this stretch of territory without being vulnerable.
 

Twenty years later - not so much. It's some dandy permanent cover out there nowadays. A real forest... 

 

Highway Patrol

The 1961 Ford Fairlane Police Interceptor was part of Ford’s strategy to compete in the police fleet market by offering powerful V8 options in relatively light, midsize sedans.  The 1961 Fairlane Interceptor was part of the transition era in American police cars — lighter than the postwar tanks, but still muscular.  Ford’s use of the “Interceptor” branding predates the famous Crown Victoria Police Interceptor and was used as early as the 1950s.

The Fairlane was Ford’s full-size car until 1962, slotted below the top-tier Galaxie.  It was often used by police departments as a more affordable alternative to the heavier Galaxie, while still being able to house big engines.

The Interceptor package included:  Heavy-duty suspension, brakes, and cooling.  Reinforced frame, 12-volt electrical system with high-output alternator and a certified speedometer (up to 120 or 140 mph).  The vehicle was prepped for spotlight mounts, siren and radio.  There was also an optional blackout or “no chrome” trim for unmarked use.

For the Police Interceptor version Ford offered high-performance V8s, including a 352 cu in (5.8L) Interceptor V8 (a popular police engine) or  390 cu in (6.4L) V8 (Hubba Hubba).  Drive train offerings were a 3-speed manual or optional automatic (Cruise-O-Matic).  

The 4-door sedan was the most common configuration for police use; although, some 2-door sedans may have been used for pursuit work or highway patrol.  

Never forget, as fast as the highway patrol is - you cannot outrun Motorola....

Semiquincentennial

This small wooden house located in Boston's North End is the oldest surviving structure in the city.  The home of Paul Revere, it was already 90 years old when he purchased it in 1770.  

On April 18, 1775 the middle-aged silversmith set out on a ride popularized by the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow making Revere one of America's most celebrated and remembered patriots from our road to independence.  Consequently, his home survives to this day having not been demolished in the name of urban renewal.   

 

The dwelling has been remodeled over the years; a modernization added a partial third floor, subsequently removed in the early 20th century to restore the home to its original 1680 appearance.  Without the third story the structure had seven rooms and a basement.  For the Revere family in 1770 it was a cozy home for Paul, his wife Sara, five children and Paul's mother Deborah.

In all, Revere fathered sixteen children over 29 years.  Five died at a young age and at most only eight ever lived at home at any one time.  Sara died at age 37 from complications of childbirth of their eighth child.  Revere remarried within six months and his second wife - Rachel - bore him eight more children. 

 

Rachel and Paul Revere

    

Being a silversmith in colonial America was a respectable trade.  In the absence of banks families retained wealth in the form of silverware and decorative objects such as trays and teapots.  Nevertheless, under British subjugation times were difficult and Revere performed copper plate engraving for purposes of printing and fashioned false teeth for his side gig of practicing dentistry. 

 

 

Paul Revere Tea Service - Minneapolis Institute of Art

After the revolution Revere became in early industrialist inventing a method for rolling sheet copper sheathing for ship hulls and other uses.  He established a foundry to cast artillery pieces and some of the earliest bells in America.  He later founded Revere Copper and Brass eventually pioneering clad copper-bottom cookware in 1939. 

As an early patriot Revere was an organizer and his politics evolved into what he is most known-for today.  As a member of the North Caucus, the Masons and the Sons of Liberty Revere became one of the trusted few who knew how to arouse popular sentiment.  He was a talented propagandist.

Besides organizing the masses he was an express rider who couriered message to distant colonies.  His fist documented ride was for the Committee of Correspondence in 1773.  He was also one of six riders who warned other seaports not to allow tea ships to land their cargoes.  Shortly afterward Revere carried the news of the Boston Tea Party south to New York and Philadelphia.  He likely rode thousands of miles as a courier for the patriotic cause. 

Paul Revere's most famous ride carried him only 13 miles to Lexington; yet it would be nearly a year before he dared to return to Boston.  Rachel and the children joined him in the relative safety of nearby Watertown and the eldest son Paul stayed at home to protect the house and shop from plunder at the hands of British troops.

By now farmers, merchants, tradesmen and other colonists had been drilling the military arts and honing skills previously learned during the French and Indian War. They were know as the Minute Men.

Minute Man National Historic Park

 

Semiquincentennial

Mention Boston to a British subject nowadays; the response will likely be - Aye, that's where they dumped the bloody tea.  Neither the Stamp Act rioting,nor the Boston Massacre nor Paul Revere's ride have quite the notoriety of Samuel Adams' Indian Caper - or Boston Tea Party.

This event was singularly a turning point in colonial resistance to the crown's trade restrictions and taxes.  Governor Hutchinson himself acknowledged that war and separation from Britain was inevitable.

The first tax on tea was imposed by the Townshend Acts of 1767; but this tax was ineffective.  Boycotts by the colonists  prevented taxed tea from being sold; then smuggled tea from Holland  undercut the price of legal, taxed tea.  By 1773 the East India Company was nearly bankrupt with millions of pound of tea moldering in London warehouses. 

The Tea Act  was principally a bailout of the East India Company.  Reducing the price of tea it retained the three-penny tax on tea as before and gave the company a one-shilling-per-pound subsidy on all tea sold in North America.  Consequently, the company could undercut the smuggler and get rid of its surplus inventory profitably. 

Bostonians weren't having it however.  The Tea Act gave a monopoly to certain consignees who were all relatives and cronies of Governor Hutchinson.  Boston merchants were outraged.  If royal officials could do this with tea they could do it with anything else.  No shop owner or merchant would be safe. 

Moreover, the Tea Act was perceived to be a ruse to get the colonists to pay the three-penny tax they had long opposed.  From Faneuil Hall the cry of No tax on Tea! was heard loud and clear.  Ironically, the Tea Act managed to offend just about everyone including many loyalists. 

The consignees were labeled as enemies of the country and hardly anyone, save the consignees and the Governor, wished the tea to be offloaded.  Abigail Adams said it well; The flame is kindled and like lightning it catches from the soul to soul.

    

The Tea Party originated at the Old South Meeting House from which organizers marched to Griffin's Wharf where the three tea ships were docked.  The ships log of the Dartmouth provides this description: 

Between six and seven o'clock this evening came down to the wharf a body of about a thousand people.  Among them were a number dressed and whooping like Indians.  They came on board the ship and after warning myself and the Customs House officer to get out the way the unlaid the hatches and went down to the hold where was 80 whole and 34 half chests of tea which they hoisted on the deck, cut the chests to pieces and hove the tea overboard where it was damaged and lost.

 

Nothing, save the tea, was damaged.  One padlock had to be forced open and was replaced the very next day.

Depend upon it, wrote John Adams, they were no ordinary Mohawks; as the Tea Party was organized well in-advance.  Most of the 120 or so young men and boys had gathered secretly in taverns, houses and warehouses while the crowds were at the Old South Meeting House.  

Once the deed was done the fear of British retaliation was so great that lips were sealed so effectively that many of the perpetrators went to their grave without acknowledging their participation. 

Destroyed were 342 chests, half chests and quarter chests of tea weighing  92,616 pounds - more than 46 tons of tea leaves.  Enough tea to brew 18,523,000 cups!  The East India Company's loss amounted to £9,659, 6 shillings and 4 pence.  About $1.5 million in current dollars.

Rumors spread around town of the taste of fish being altered and the behavior of fish not unlike a that of a nervous overly-caffeinated individual. And since not a soul was willing to talk, Parliament meted out communal punishment on the entire town.  The Boston Port Bill closed the harbor to all vessels, even restricting the ferries, until the townspeople paid for the tea.  The economy of Boston came to a standstill.

The Coercive Acts of 1774 abolished most all of the colony's popularly-elected government, assembly was restricted, trials were moved to England, General Thomas Gage was appointed Governor by King George III and troops could be quartered in colonist's homes against their will.

These Intolerable Acts did not break the colonist's spirit as Parliament had hoped.  Rather, these measures inflamed hostilities ensuring  that people would resist even more strongly; with their lives if it came to that.

And it wasn't long before it came to that.

Semiquincentennial

As March 5, 1770 dawned, tensions between colonists and British soldiers were running high as a consequence of troops occupying Boston to enforce civil law for two long years already.  The presence of soldiers to enforce order inflamed resentment.  The town was a powder keg ready to explode.

Trouble began in late February when a schoolboy named Christopher Snider was shot and killed by a British loyalist during a melee.  The boy's funeral, organized by Samuel Adams, drew thousands of angry Bostonians.

On March 2, a British soldier, seeking a job, was told to clean my shithouse.  This triggered rioting.

On Monday, March 5, rumor had it that there would again be trouble.  The town was filled with people, mostly boys and young men milling about.  Many from out of town.  This was one of many brawls and arguments that broke out in Boston on that day.  

This one began innocently enough with a dispute over a barber bill.  A wig maker's apprentice was pestering an army officer, tailing him all over town, insulting him about the debt - which had, in truth, been paid. Eventually the officer entered a tavern on King Street opposite the State House.  The apprentice continued his harassment outside.  A solitary sentry on guard at the nearby Custom House joined the argument and struck the boy with the barrel of his musket.  A crowd began to gather, someone rang a church bell - normally used as a fire alarm - and more people arrived.  Many had sticks and clubs.

At the 29th Regiment's nearby HQ, Captain Thomas Preston 'walked up and down for near half an hour' wondering what to do.  The lone sentry was surrounded by hostile citizens and clearly in danger.  Finally, Preston led a detail to the Custom House to escort the sentry to safety.  Upon arrival Preston and his eight men found themselves surrounded.  For fifteen minutes the crowd grew uglier as the mob confronted the soldiers.  Insults and profanities were hurled.  Ice chunks were thrown at the soldiers.  Snowballs mixed with horse dung from the street were thrown at the troopers.  A club was thrown hitting one of the redcoats and knocking him to the ground.  Under stress and confusion and presaging events at Kent State two hundred years later - the trooper stood and fired at point-blank range.  More shots followed.  

Preston frantically ordered his men to cease fire; but three already lay dead and two more were dying.  Five colonists were killed including an African American - Crispus Attucks - remembered as the first violent casualty of the Revolution.  Several other Bostonians were wounded.

Samuel Adams and Paul Revere played this for all it was worth for its value as propaganda.  Their perennial villain, Lt. Gov. Hutchinson was forced to evacuate the troops to Castle Island in the harbor.

Revere's engraving of the Bloody Massacre was plagiarized from an illustration by Henry Pelham and was factually inaccurate but was terrific agitprop.  Prints were sold throughout Boston, the other colonies and made their way to England. 

But Boston was not ready for war and with the troops removed the situation quieted-down.  Two ardent patriots, John Adams (future president) and Josiah Quincy  defended the soldiers in court and won an acquittal for all but two of them.  The two found guilty of manslaughter were branded on their thumbs and set free.  

First installed in 1887, the circular brick memorial was in the middle of the street near where it was said Crispus Attucks fell.  It's been moved three times since with the present location selected so visitors would be less likely to be struck by traffic. 

The incident deepened colonial hostility toward Britain and contributed to unifying the opposition further laying the groundwork for the Revolution.

click on image to read the grave marker

 

Semiquincentennial

On the road to independence it is 1760 and the British government has imposed the Writs of Assistance on their subjects in the American colonies.  Heretofore, the writ applied to citizens in Britain under a 1662 Act enabling customs officials to combat fraud and smuggling.  The practical impact in North America is that the writs were broad search warrants that allowed officials to enter homes, shops, warehouses, ships or businesses at any time to search for smuggled goods without having to disclose what they are looking for.

The colonists were strongly opposed to these measures because it was a violation of privacy and security of property and was without limitation.  Because the writ had previous not applied to British citizens in the colonies they became a symbol of the tyranny of King George and further fueled resentment leading up to the revolution.

Massachusetts lawyer, James Otis, famously argued against the writs in 1761 articulating core colonial grievances and popularizing the phrase - No taxation without representation.

Faneuil Hall in Boston was built in 1742 as a marketplace and meeting hall.  This building and James Otis were attached at the hip.  Otis delivered fiery speeches at this location protesting British policies and advocating for independence from British rule.  Faneuil Hall's assembly room served as a rallying location where patriots organized resistance, voiced their grievances and advocated unity in their resistance.  It eventually earned the nickname:  Cradle of Liberty. 

When the Stamp Act (1765) was imposed Boston patriots gathered at Faneuil Hall to denounce the tax and organize boycotts of British goods.  Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty used the hall to rally support and coordinate their resistance with other colonies.

The Townshend Acts (1767) imposed new duties on imported glass, paper, paint and tea.  A year later British officials seized John Hancock's ship Liberty claiming  it was involved in smuggling wine without payment of duties.  While it is true that Hancock was indeed a smuggler - and a flourishing one too - the seizure sparked outrage as Hancock was a wealthy merchant and a popular fellow.  Bostonians viewed this action as political targeting and responded with rioting and attacks on customs officials.  

The people were pissed-off.

The unrest escalated to the point that Britain sent troops to Boston later in 1768 to impose order.  The presence of troops in the city to enforce the law directly increased tensions between colonists and soldiers.  This occupation by military forces set the stage for the Boston Massacre two years later.