Colonial Resistance, Stamp Act Repeal, Townshend Acts, and the Boston Massacre

The Sons of Liberty and Early Resistance

• Formation and Leadership:
  • Self-proclaimed defenders of colonial "soil" and "turf."
  • Led by Samuel Adams, a descendant of original Puritan families.
  • Membership included middle-class artisans and professionals, as well as lower-class "street toughs" or "hooligans." These members were fervent in their beliefs and often sought "a good time."
• Activities:
  • Benign Activities: Held meetings under an elm tree, popularly renamed the "Liberty Tree," encouraging steadfast opposition to the Stamp Act.
  • Violent Activities: Became infamous for beating, tarring, and feathering those who defended British legislation. These individuals were known as Loyalists or Tories (a term for defenders of royal power in London).
    • Tarring and Feathering: An illustration depicts a Loyalist being tarred and feathered and having hot tea forced down his throat. While appearing humorous, the actual process was brutal and dangerous. Tar was applied hot, causing extensive burns. One victim was bedridden for weeks with skin peeling off.
• Opposition to Sons of Liberty:
  • Many moderate patriots, including members of legislative assemblies, opposed these violent acts.
  • Their concern was that such actions could lead to "mob rule and anarchy."
• Interplay of Legal and Non-Legal Resistance: This period demonstrated how legal and non-legal forms of resistance worked together from the outset.

Repeal of the Stamp Act and the Declaratory Act

• Reasons for Repeal:
  • Economic Inefficiency: The expenses of enforcing the Stamp Act ( ext{enforcement costs} > ext{revenue} collected).
  • British Merchant Pressure: British merchants feared long-term damage to their trade relationships with the colonies due to ongoing controversy (e.g., anger from tobacco planters in Virginia).
  • Merchants lobbied Parliament to address the issue.
• Timeline: In early $1766$, Parliament repealed the Stamp Act.
• Colonial Reaction: Widespread rejoicing across the colonies.
  • Public celebrations, statues of King George III erected, singing "God Save the King."
  • Declarations of support for the King and Parliament flooded into London, suggesting "all is forgiven."
• The Declaratory Act (Passed Simultaneously):
  • Amidst the jubilation, Parliament quietly passed a measure stating its right to legislate for the colonies "taxation or otherwise."
  • This act was largely overlooked by the colonists at the time, who were willing to "pretend that this hadn't happened."

Government Reorganization and the Townshend Acts

• Political Changes:
  • George Grenville, architect of the Stamp Act, stepped down as Prime Minister.
  • King George III appointed William Pitt, the hero of the French and Indian War, as the new Prime Minister. Pitt was popular in America due to his role in defeating the French.
  • However, the actual policy direction was largely led by Charles Townshend, one of Pitt's ministers.
• Charles Townshend's Rationale:
  • Townshend acknowledged colonial objections to internal taxes imposed by Parliament (like the Stamp Act), arguing that these fell under the purview of colonial legislatures.
  • He believed colonists could not object to external taxes on imports, which were goods brought into the colonies via transatlantic trade.
  • This was based on the principle that Parliament had the right to regulate trade between Britain and its colonies.
• The Townshend Acts (Early $1767$):
  • A series of taxes imposed on imported goods such as glass, lead, paper, and tea, among others.
• Colonial Objections to the Townshend Acts:
  • Beyond general opposition to new taxes, a key objection was a provision diverting some revenue to pay colonial governors, judges, and other senior officials.
  • Power of the Purse: Previously, these officials were paid by colonial legislatures, giving the assemblies leverage and making officials accountable to the people they represented. By paying them from London, their salaries would no longer depend on the assemblies, removing their incentive to cooperate with colonial demands.
• Suspension of the New York Assembly ($1767$):
  • Parliament suspended the New York Assembly for refusing to fully quarter British soldiers stationed there.
  • Though quickly resolved, this act was seen as a direct attack on the idea of colonial legislatures as independent parliaments.
  • Colonists recognized that if Parliament could suspend one assembly, none were truly safe from such interference.

Renewed Resistance and the Boston Massacre

• Legal and Economic Resistance to Townshend Acts:
  • Legal Arguments: Lawyers and writers throughout the colonies published articles and pamphlets arguing against the legality of the Townshend Acts.
  • Economic Boycotts (Non-Importation Agreements):
    • Northern merchants and Southern planters collaborated to agree not to import British goods until the acts were repealed.
    • These were the first widespread organized colonial boycotts of the period.
    • Effectiveness and Reality: While later idealized by figures like Thomas Jefferson as a moment of great solidarity, there was significant cheating, with merchants buying/selling under the table and planters smuggling goods.
    • Despite the cheating, these agreements did significantly reduce British imports, pressuring British merchants to lobby Parliament for repeal.
• Repeal of Townshend Acts ($1770$):
  • Parliament repealed most of the Townshend Acts.
  • Key Exception: The tax on tea was retained to explicitly demonstrate Parliament's authority to tax the colonies.
• The Boston Massacre (Context):
  • Boston had gained a reputation in London as the most "dangerous and agitating city" in America.
  • Two British regiments were stationed in Boston to maintain order, a move deeply resented by Bostonians.
  • Bostonians regularly insulted and harassed soldiers, calling them "lobster backs" (due to red uniforms) and throwing rocks or snowballs.
• The Event ($03/05/1770$):
  • A mob of $50$ or $60$ locals attacked British soldiers on duty.
  • Amidst the chaos, an order to fire was allegedly heard, and soldiers fired into the crowd, killing or fatally injuring $5$ people.
• Historical Perspective vs. Propaganda:
  • The term "massacre" is contested by historians, who suggest it was likely a misunderstanding and tragic event in the "heat of the moment," rather than a deliberate slaughter.
  • However, Samuel Adams and other patriot leaders distorted the events for propaganda purposes.
  • Paul Revere's engraving, depicting a "deliberate slaughter of innocent bystanders," quickly became a powerful symbol.
• Aftermath and "Cooling Off" Period:
  • The bloodshed shocked many, leading to a temporary de-escalation.
  • The soldiers who fired were put on trial for murder and ably defended by John Adams (Samuel Adams' cousin).
  • All but two soldiers were acquitted; the remaining two were convicted of manslaughter but received a light sentence (branding on the thumb).
  • The British garrison was transferred out of Boston, and soon after, the repeal of the Townshend Acts was confirmed.
  • This led to a "cooling off period" for the next couple of years.
• Unresolved Fundamental Issues:
  • Despite the repeals, the core disagreement remained: Did Parliament have the right to tax the colonies and impose other measures, or did it not?
  • This fundamental disagreement, with Parliament asserting its right and patriots denying it, would eventually lead the colonies down the path to open revolt and war, as discussed in the following lecture.