UNITED STATES (HISTORY). 



729 



act of parliament was passed, continuing the du- 

 ties on certain articles imported into the colonies, 

 towards raising a revenue; and it was provided 

 that all penalties for breach of the acts of trade 

 and revenue committed in America might be reco- 

 vered in any vice-admiralty court in the colonies. 

 In 1765 (March 22) the stamp act was passed ; 

 and soon after a bill was brought in authorizing 

 the quartering of troops in the colonies. These 

 acts and measures were received in America with 

 universal opposition ; and a general congress of the 

 colonies (the first of the kind) was held at New 

 York, which adopted a declaration of rights and 

 grievances, asserting taxation by themselves, and 

 trial by j ury, to be the inherent rights of the Brit- 

 ish subjects in the colonies. The colonial assem- 

 blies adopted similar measures, and popular meetings 

 throughout the country, heated essays in the news- 

 papers, and more elaborate, but not less inflamma- 

 tory, pamphlets,* served to set the whole country 

 in a flame. In many places, the stamp officers and 

 their supporters were exposed to personal violence; 

 and, on the first of November, the day on which 

 the act was to have taken effect, neither stamps 

 nor officers were to be found in the colonies; busi- 

 ness of all kinds was therefore transacted without 

 the aid of stamped paper. In this state of affairs, 

 the stamp act was repealed (March 18, 1766), and, 

 at the same time, a declaratory act was passed, as- 

 serting the right of parliament to bind the colonies 

 in all cases whatsoever. The Rockingham ministry, 

 by which these measures were carried, was soon 

 displaced; and, in June, 1767, the new chancellor 

 of the exchequer, brought in a bill imposing duties 

 on glass, paper, pasteboard, white and red lead, 

 painters' colours, and tea, imported into the co- 

 lonies. This act, after increasing the exasperation 

 of the colonists, particularly as troops were quar- 

 tered in Boston to enforce obedience, and giving 

 rise to combinations among the Americans against 

 the importation of the articles specified, was also 

 repealed (March 5, 1770), the duty on tea being 

 alone continued. The colonists accordingly re- 

 nounced the use of that article, or obtained it from 

 foreign countries. In 1773, the ministry procured 

 an act, permitting to the East India company a 

 drawback on teas exported to America, for the 

 purpose of rendering it cheaper in that country, and 

 inducing the Americans to submit to the small 

 duty imposed upon it. Large shipments were 

 made; but in Philadelphia and New York, the 

 vessels were not allowed to land their cargoes ; in 

 Charleston, it was put into stores, but not permit- 

 ted to be offered for sale ; and in Boston, where 

 the British authorities refused to allow the vessels 

 to return, without having been entered, the tea 

 was thrown overboard. This act of violence was 

 followed by the Boston port bill (March 31, 1774), 

 interdicting all commercial intercourse with the 

 town of Boston, and by a bill (May 20) for entirely 



i- --. ir- who may have more courage than I have, and be less a 

 friend to commerce than I am. It has been a maxim with me, 

 during my administration, to encourage the trade of the Ame- 

 rican colonies in the utmost latitude. Nay, it has been neces- 

 sary to pass over some irregularities In their trade with Europe; 

 far, by encouraging them to an extensive growing foreign com- 

 merce, if they gain L.500.000, I am convinced that, in two years 

 afterwards, full L.250,000 of their gains will be in his majesty's 

 exchequer, by the labour and pnkmct of this kingdom. This is 

 taxing them more agreeably to their constitution and ours." 



* The most important prodvictions to which this dispute gave 

 rise, were Otis's Rights of the Colonies (1764) ; John Adams's 

 Essay on the Canon and Feudal Law (1765) ; Eland's Enquiry 

 into the Rights of the British Colonies (1766). The Farmer's 

 Letters, by Dickinson, were written on the passage of the act 

 of 1767. 



subverting the government of Massachusetts. See 

 Quincy's Observations on the Boston Port Bdl 

 (1774, republished in his Life by his son). 



In this crisis, the other colonies made common 

 cause with Massachusetts, and, September 5, a 

 general congress met at Philadelphia. Congress 

 adopted a declaration of rights, asserting the exclu- 

 sive power of legislation, in all cases of taxation 

 and internal policy, to be in the provincial legisla- 

 tures; with a statement of grievances, declaring 

 the acts imposing duties for raising a revenue in 

 America, extending the power of the admiralty 

 courts, and depriving the Americans of trial by 

 jury, authorizing the trial in England of persons 

 charged with certain offences in America, shutting 

 up the harbour of Boston, altering the government 

 of Massachusetts, &c., to be infringements and vio- 

 lations of the rights of the colonists. They next 

 proceeded to interrupt all commercial intercourse 

 with Great Britain, by the non-importation, non- 

 consumption and non-exportation agreement, bind- 

 ing themselves riot to import, consume or export 

 certain articles, until the acts complained of should 

 be repealed. These proceedings had no effect to 

 change the policy of the British government, and 

 general preparations were now made in the colonies 

 for resistance : gunpowder was manufactured, war- 

 like stores collected, and the citizens began to arm. 

 Massachusetts was declared to be in rebellion, and 

 new restrictions were imposed upon the trade of 

 the colonies. A detachment of troops sent from 

 Boston to seize some provincial stores, collected at 

 Concord, fired upon the citizens who assembled to 

 oppose them, and actual hostilities were now com- 

 menced. (See Lexington.') The second congress, 

 which met in May, 1775, immediately determined 

 to organize an army, and Washington was appointed 

 (June 15) commander-in-chief of the colonial forces. 



We have counted the cost of this contest," said 

 congress, in a declaration of July 6, "and are with 

 one mind resolved to die freemen rather than to 

 live slaves." July 4, 1776, congress adopted a de- 

 claration of independence. f 



II. The History of the United States, from 1776 

 to 1832, a Period of fifty-six Years. 



1. To the Adoption of the Federal Constitution in 

 1789. The Declaration of Independence, after re- 

 capitulating those acts of the British government 



t For the history of the colonies, we refer the reader to 

 Hazard's State Papers (containing the colonial charters, and 

 other early documents, 2 vols., 4to , 1792) ; Chalmers's Annals 

 of the United Colonies. 1st vol. to. 1688, chiefly compiled from 

 documents, (London, 1780) ; Burke's European Settlements in 

 America (2 vols., 8vo., 1757) ; Marshall's History of the 

 Colonies (printed separately, in 1824) ; Holme's Annals of 

 America (2d ed., 2 vols., 1829). For the disputes preceding the j 

 revolution, see the pamphlets already mentioned, with Frank- ' 

 lin's Interest of Great Britain, &c. (1760) ; Jefferson's Summary 

 of the Rights of British America (1774) ; J. Adams's History of 

 the Disputes with America, from their Origin in 1754 ; Quincy's 

 Life of Quincy; Wirt's Life of Henry; Tudor's Life of Otis j 

 Lee's Lives o'f the Lees. The Massachusetts State Papers, 

 from 1765 to 1775, and Hutchinson's History of Massachusetts, 

 are also of general interest. The Annual Register ( Dodsley '%), 

 of \vliich the chief part of the earlier volumes was written bv 

 Burke, the volumes of the parliamentary history (Hansards 

 ed., 36 vols.) relating to the period, and Almon's Prior Docu- 

 ments, from 1764 to 1775 (1779), and Remembrancer (17 vols., 

 1775 84), are also valuable sources. Congress has recently 

 made an appropriation for examining the papers in the English 

 archives relating to the colonies, with a view to procuring 

 copies of them. The library of Harvard university contains 

 nearly a complete collection of works relating to America. 

 The library of Ebeling presented by the late Israel Thorndiko 

 of Boston, contains upwards of 3200 volumes, chiefly on Amer- 

 ican history, and 10,000 maps, charts and views. The original 

 owner was fifty years in collecting it. Another collection, 

 made by Mr Warden, late American consul at Paris, and author 

 of a valuable work on the United States, waa presented to the 

 library by Samuel A. Eliot of Boston. This collection consists 

 of about 1200 volumes, besides maps, prints and charts. 



