On this day 250 years ago, The Connecticut and New-Haven Journal and Post-Boy published “An Address to Americans, upon Slave-keeping” written by Rev. Jonathan Edwards Jr. of New Haven. Edwards wrote that “Americans . . . must stand convicted by their own arguments, of the most flagrant Injustice towards the poor Backs Born among us . . . And surely, if we have any sense of Feeling, an American, that has shewn himself a Son of Liberty, must blush to reflect, that, in one breath, he has been exclaiming against the Tyranny of the British Parliament in but attempting to deprive him of his Natural Rights; while in the next, he is exercising a far worse Tyranny over his Negro Slaves; denying them in the most high handed arbitrary manner, those Rights which he acknowledges to be Natural and Unalienable; which he deems so sacred, and which are so dear to himself.”

Source: https://slavery.princeton.edu/uploads/edwards-1773-oct-22.pdf

On this day 250 years ago, Samuel Adams wrote a letter that he and Thomas Cushing signed on behalf of the Massachusetts Committee of Correspondence to the other colonies urging that all of the colonies be “united” in their resistance to Parliament’s efforts to sell East India Company tea in America.

Source: https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Meeting-of-the-First-Continental-Congress-in-1774; https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/samuel-adams#:~:text=On%20October%2021%2C%201773%2C%20Adams,took%20aim%20at%20the%20consignees.

On this day 250 years ago, the Pennsylvania Journal published “To His Fellow Countrymen: On Patriotism” written by Benjamin Rush under the pseudonym “Hamden”. Rush wrote:

 “we are informed that vessels were freighted to bring over a quantity of tea . . . to raise a revenue from America. Should it be landed . . . then farewell America Liberty! We are undone Forever. All the images we can borrow from everything terrible in nature are too faint to describe the horror of our situation. . . . Let us with one heart and hand oppose the landing of it. The baneful chests contain in them a slow poison in a political as well as physical sense. They contain something worse than death—the seeds of Slavery.”

Source: https://allthingsliberty.com/2019/01/resolutions-shared-by-two-towns-300-miles-apart/

On this day 250 years ago, all seven ships carrying East India Company tea were sailing to America. The seven ships did not all set sail together and the initial ships had departed two weeks earlier. The American colonists were making plans for the arrival of the ships that would make it clear their cargo was not welcome.

Source: https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/three-ships-tea-party

On this day 250 years ago, The Boston Gazette and Country Journal published an editorial by Sam Adams writing as “Praedicus.” Adams warned of the East India Company’s plan to ship tea to America.

Source: https://www.gilderlehrman.org/collection/glc08675

On this day 250 years ago, the Philadelphia Committee of Merchants formed the previous day reported that Thomas and Isaac Wharton had agreed to resign as agents for the East India Tea Company but that the firm of James and Drinker had not agreed.

Source: https://diglib.amphilsoc.org/islandora/object/text:352118#page/1/mode/1up

On this day 250 years ago a meeting of merchants at the State House in Philadelphia adopted resolutions written by group of Patriots led by Benjamin Rush, Thomas Mifflin, and William Bradford. The Resolutions declared:

“That the duty imposed by Parliament upon tea landed in America is a tax on the Americans, . . . without their consent.

That . . . the tax . . . has a direct tendency . . . to introduce arbitrary government and slavery.

That a virtuous and steady opposition to this ministerial plan of governing America is absolutely necessary to preserve even the shadow of liberty and is a duty which every freeman in America owes to his country, to himself, and to his posterity.

That the . . . [tax on] tea . . . is an open attempt to enforce this ministerial plan and a violent attack upon the liberties of America.

That it is the duty of every American to oppose this attempt.

That whoever shall, directly or indirectly, countenance this attempt or in any wise aid or abet in unloading, receiving, or vending the tea sent or to be sent out by the East India Company . . . is an enemy to his country.

That a committee be immediately chosen to wait on those gentlemen who . . . are appointed by the East India Company to receive and sell said tea and request them . . . immediately to resign their appointment.”

Source: https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/phil_res_1773.asp

On this day 250 years ago the Maryland Assembly formed Maryland’s Committee of Correspondence joining Virginia, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, South Carolina and Georgia to coordinate responses to British rule. Thomas Johnson, William Paca, Samuel Chase, Matthew Tilghman, Matthias Hammond, Thomas Beale, James Lloyd Chamberlaine, Brice Thomas Beale Worthington, Joseph Sim, John Hall and Edward Boyd were named to the Committee. All but one of these Patriots would later serve in the government of Maryland during the Revolution.

Source: https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc2908/000001/000064/html/am64p–15.html

On this day 250 years ago, the Massachusetts Spy published essays by “A Consistent Patriot” and “Joshua the Son of Nun” criticizing the importation of East India Company tea.

Source: Norton, Mary Beth, 1774: The Long Year of Revolution, New York, Vintage Books, 2021 at 12.