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On this day 250 years ago in New Bern, North Carolina, the Provincial Assembly, which Governor Josiah Martin had declared “the only lawful Representatives of the people of” North Carolina, merges with the Provincial Congress, which Martin had deemed “highly offensive to the King and dishonorable.” The merger made sense to the members of the…
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On this day 250 years ago in New Bern, North Carolina, the Province of North Carolina General Assembly is convened by Royal Governor Josiah Martin. Although the General Assembly was the official body recognized by the British Government, it proved to be no more cooperative with Governor Martin than the outlawed Provincial Congress. That was…
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On this day 250 years ago in New Bern, the Second North Carolina Provincial Congress convenes, notwithstanding Royal Governor Josiah Martin’s Declaration that the Congress was “in every light illegal, and inconsistent with good order and government.” John Harvey is elected Moderator of the North Carolina Congress. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_North_Carolina_Provincial_Congress; https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/nc_revolution_government_1775.html On this day 250 years…
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On this day 250 years ago two ships from England arrive at Marblehead, Massachusetts carrying newpapers reporting that orders had been issued to General Gage to take offensive action against the Patriots. They also reported that the King had insisted that all laws be enforced in America, that a bill had been introduced to prevent…
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On this day 250 years ago in Concord, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress in recognition that a company “of indians, natives of the town of Stockbridge, have enlisted as minute men,” gives this address To Johoiakin Mothksin, and the rest of our brethren, the indians, natives of Stockbridge: Good Brothers — It affords us great pleasure…
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On this day 250 years ago, the Boston Committee, joined by the committees of ten other nearby towns, writes to the Massachusetts Provincial Congress to request “some immediate and effectual Measures . . . for the publick security” due to “the Insults and Depredations of a lawless and hostile Band of armed Soldiers” occupying Boston…
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On this day 250 years ago in London, King George III signs the New England Restraining Act. The Act prohibited the New England colonies — Massachusetts, New Hamphshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut from trading with any country but Great Britain. Sources: https://www.historycentral.com/documents/NERestraining.html; https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/march-30/king-george-endorses-new-england-restraining-act On this day 250 years ago in Massachusetts, the First Brigade of…
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On this day 250 years ago in Montreal, Canada, John Brown prepares a report to Samuel Adams and Joseph Warren of the Massachusetts Committee of Correspondences. Brown was a lawyer from Pittsfield, Massachusetts who had traveled to Montreal to assess the status of sentiments in Canada. Brown writes that Governor-General Guy Carleton of Canada is…
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On this day 250 years ago, in Williamsburg, Virginia Governor Lord Dunmore issued a proclamation prohibiting the Second Virginia Convention from electing delegates to the Second Continental Congress. He was too late, the Virginia Convention had already elected its full delegation to Congress and had adjourned the day earlier, not that they would have heeded…
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On this day 250 years ago in Richmond, the Second Virginia Convention adjourns, but as one of its final acts it elects Thomas Jefferson as an alternate delegate to replace Peyton Randolph if he was unable to attend the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Randolph had needed to resign from the First Continental Congress due…