On This Day In The Revolution

On this day 250 years ago, the fifth installment of The Alarm, written by Alexander McDougall under the pseudonym “Hampden”, was published in New York City. The publication ended with a pledge to boycott tea and threat to anyone who attempted to import tea: “We the subscribers, do agree, that we will not import, or…

On this day 250 years ago, George Washington arrived in Williamsburg for a sojourn of more than a month. He had dinner in the Raleigh Tavern. During his previous visit to Williamsburg in March, Washington had participated in the House of Burgesses’ formation of Virginia’s Committee of Correspondence, and on his next visit in May…

On this day 250 years ago, the Boston Gazette published a letter from “Scaevola” (Thomas Mifflin of Philadelphia) entitled “BY UNITING WE STAND — BY DIVIDING WE FALL To the Commissioners appointed by the EAST INDIA COMPANY For the SALE of TEA in AMERICA.” In this letter, Mifflin warned the commisioners “to save YOURSELVES much…

Moravian missionaries established a church (their second) at Schoenbrunn, Ohio for Delaware Indians. These “praying Indians” were friendly to American colonists and provided supplies and information to American forces during the Revolution. Because of their pacifism, however they tried to remain neutral during the war but were mistrusted by both sides. In the worst atrocity…

On this day 250 years ago, Delaware formed a Committee of Correspondence, joining eight other colonies. Source: https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/learn/deep-dives/committees-of-correspondence/

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…

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 . .…

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…

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