On this day 250 years ago in New Haven, Connecticut, John Adams and the Massachusetts delegation on their way to the Continental Congress met with Roger Sherman. Adams recorded in his diary that Sherman’s views on the rights of the American colonies were even more radical than those expressed by the leading Patriots in Massachusetts:

This Morning Roger Sherman Esqr., one of the Delegates for Connecticutt, came to see us at the Tavern, Isaac Bears’s. He is between 50 and 60—a solid sensible Man. He said he read Mr. Otis’s Rights &c. in 1764 and thought that he had conceeded away the Rights of America. He thought the Reverse of the declaratory Act was true, vizt. that the Parliament of G.B. had Authority to make Laws for America in no Case whatever. He would have been very willing the Massachusetts should have rescinded that Part of their Circular Letter, where they allow Parliament to be the Supream Legislative, over the Colonies in any Case.

Source: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/01-02-02-0004-0005

Sherman is one of our least appreciated Founding Fathers, and as I have previously noted in this blog, was the only one to sign the Continental Assocation, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation. and the Constitution.

Also on this day in Litchfield, Connecticut, judge and militia colonel Oliver Wolcott presided over a town meeting that adopted a resolution that denounced the Intolerable Acts and promised “all reasonable Aid & Support” to the people of Massachusetts. Wolcott would also go on to represent Connecticut in the Second Continental Congress where he would sign the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation, command Connecticut militia at the battles around New York City and Saratoga, rising to the rank of Major General in command of all Connecticut militia, and be elected Governor of Connecticut.

Source: https://connecticuthistory.org/soldier-patriot-and-politician-the-life-of-oliver-wolcott/

Also on this day, Captain Evan Shelby mustered 49 men including his son Isaac into the militia company of the Watauga settlement of North Carolina (present day Sullivan and Carter Counties of Tennessee). Evan and Isaac Shelby would both serve as militia colonels during the Revolution and Isaac would be one of the Patriot commanders at the Battle of Kings Mountain.

Source: https://www.tn.gov/military/news/2018/12/12/tennessee-to-celebrate-national-guard-s-382nd-birthday.html