On this day 250 years ago on Castle Island in Boston Harbor, the British set off explosives that demolished Castle William, the fortification that protected the entrance to Boston Harbor. The British fleet remained at anchor at Nantasket Roads a few miles south and British ships continued to patrol off Boston Harbor and the coast of Massachusetts while the main fleet waited for favorable winds to depart.

Source: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/fortifying-dorchester-heights.htm#_ftn3

On this day in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress issued these Instructions to Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Chase and Charles Carroll of Carrollton:

You are with all convenient Dispatch to repair to Canada, and make known to the People of that Country the Wishes and Intentions of Congress with Respect to them.

Represent to them that the Arms of the United Colonies having been carried into that Province for the Purpose of frustrating the Designs of the British Court against our Common Liberties, we expect not only to defeat the hostile Machinations of Govr. Carlton against us, but that we shall put it in the Power of our Canadian Brethren to pursue such Measures for securing their own Freedom and Happiness, as a generous Love of Liberty and sound Policy shall dictate to them.

Inform them that in our Judgment their Interest and ours are inseparably united. That it is impossible we can be reduced to a servile Submission to Great Britain without their sharing in our Fate; and on the other Hand, if we obtain, as we doubt not we shall, a full Establishment of our Rights, it depends wholly on their Choice, whether they will participate with us in those Blessings, or still remain subject to every Act of Tyranny, which British Ministers shall please to exercise over them. Urge all such Arguments as your Prudence shall suggest to enforce our Opinion concerning the mutual Interests of the two Countries and to convince them of the Impossibility of the War being concluded to the Disadvantage of the Colonies if we wisely and vigorously co-operate with each other.

To convince them of the Uprightness of our Intentions towards them, you are to declare that it is our Inclination that the People of Canada may set up such a Form of Government, as will be most likely, in their Judgment, to produce their Happiness; and you are in the strongest Terms to assure them, that it is our earnest Desire to adopt them into our Union as a Sister Colony, and to secure the same general System of mild and equal Laws for them and for ourselves, with only such local Differences, as may be agreeable to each Colony respectively.

. . .

You are from this, and such other Reasons as may appear most proper to urge the Necessity the People are under of immediately taking some decisive Step to put themselves under the Protection of the United Colonies. For expediting such a Measure, you are to explain to them our Method of collecting the Sense of the People and conducting our Affairs regularly by Committees of Observation and Inspection in the several Districts, and by Conventions and Committees of Safety in the several Colonies. Recommend these Modes to them. Explain to them the Nature and Principles of Government among Freemen, developing in Contrast to these, the base, cruel and insidious Designs involved in the late Act of Parliament for making a more effectual Provision for the Government of the Province of Quebec. Endeavour to stimulate them, by Motives of Glory as well as Interest, to assume a Part in a Contest, by which, they must be deeply affected: and to aspire to a Portion of that Power by which they are ruled, and not to remain the mere Spoils and Prey of Conquerors and Lords.

You are further to declare that we hold sacred the Rights of Conscience, and may promise to the whole People solemnly, in our Name, the free and undisturbed Exercise of their Relegion, and to the Clergy the full, perfect, and peaceable Possession and Enjoyment of all their Estates, that the Government of every Thing relating to their Relegion and Clergy shall be left entirely in the Hands of the good People of that Province, and such Legislature as they shall constitute: provided however that all other Denominations of Christians be equally entituled to hold Offices and enjoy civil Privileges and the free Exercise of their Relegion and be totally exempt from the Payment of any Tythes or Taxes for the Support of any Relegion.

Inform them that you are vested by this Congress with full Powers to effect these Purposes; and therefore press them to have a compleat Representation of the People assembled in Convention with all possible Expedition to deliberate concerning the Establishment of a Form of Government and an Union with the united Colonies. As to the Terms of the Union insist upon the Propriety of their being similar to those on which the other Colonies unite. Should they object to this, report to this Congress those Objections, and the Terms on which alone they will come into our Union. Should they agree to our Terms you are to promise in the Names of the united Colonies that we will defend and protect the People of Canada against all Enemies in the same Manner as we will defend and protect any of the united Colonies.

You are to establish a free Press and to give Directions for the frequent Publication of such Pieces as may be of Service to the Cause of the United Colonies.

These Instructions for the Commissioners to Canada were the Continental Congress’s clearest expressions of the freedoms of religion and the press to date. They also showed Congress’s commitment that the principle of self-determination was not peculiar to the settlers of the thirteen English colonies that formed the United States but a universal right enjoyed by other nationalities.

Source: “Instructions and Commission from Congress to Franklin, Charles Carroll, and Samuel Chase for the Canadian Mission, 20 March 1776,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-22-02-0228. [Original source: The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, vol. 22, March 23, 1775, through October 27, 1776, ed. William B. Willcox. New Haven and London:: Yale University Press, 1982, pp. 380–386.]