1772

 

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“There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.”   

John Adams

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The Americans set fire to the Gaspee.

 

January 1: Anna Green Winslow, age twelve, writes in her journal

 

I wish my Papa, Mama, brother John Henry, & cousin Avery & all the rest of my acquaintance at Cumberland, Fortlaurence, Barronsfield, Greenland, Amherst &c. a Happy New Year, I have bestow’d no new year’s gift, as yet. But have received one very handsome one, viz. the History of Joseph Andrews abreviated. In nice Guilt and flowers covers. This afternoon being a holiday I am going to pay my compliments in Sudbury Street.

 

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January 17: Anna describes a party she has attended with a “Miss Soley,” which she had previously explained to her mother she would be attending:

 

I have now the pleasure to give you the result, viz. a very genteel well regulated assembly which we had at Mr Soley’s last evening, miss Soley being mistress of the ceremony. Mrs Soley desired me to assist Miss Hannah in making out a list of guests which I did some time since, I wrote all the invitation cards. There was a large company assembled in a handsome, large, upper room in the new end of the house. We had two fiddles, & I had the honor to open the diversion of the evening in a minuet with miss Soley. Here follows a list of the company as we form’d for country dancing.

 

(There are seventeen girls and young women present.)

 

 Miss Cregur (usually pronounced Kicker) & two Miss Sheafs were invited but were sick or sorry & beg’d to be excus’d. There was a little Miss Russell & the little ones of the family present who could not dance. As spectators, there were Mr & Mrs Deming, Mr. & Mrs Sweetser Mr & Mrs Soley, Mr & Miss Cary, Mrs Draper, Miss Oriac, Miss Hannah – our treat was nuts, rasins, Cakes, Wine, punch, hot & cold, all in great plenty. We had a very agreeable evening from 5 to 10 o’clock. For variety we woo’d a widow, hunted the whistle, threaded the needle, & while the company was collecting, we diverted ourselves with playing of pawns, no rudeness Mamma I assure you. Aunt Deming desires you would perticulary observe, that the elderly part of the company were spectators only, they mix’d not in either of the above describ’d scenes.

 

I was dress’d in my yellow coat, black bib & apron, black feathers on my head, my past comb, & all my past garnet marquesett & jet pins, together with my silver plume – my loket, rings, black collar round my neck, black mitts & 2 or 3 yards of blue ribbin, (black & blue is high tast) striped tucker and ruffels (not my best) & my silk shoes compleated my dress.

 

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January 18: Miss Winslow writes:

 

Yesterday I had an invitation to celebrate Miss Caty’s birth-day with her. She gave it me the night before. Miss is 10 years old. The best dancer in Mr Turners school, she has been his scoller these 3 years. My aunt thought it proper (as our family had a invitation) that I should attend a neighbor’s funeral yesterday P.M. I went directly from it to Miss Caty's Rout & arriv’d ex 

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January 31:

 

I spent yesterday with Aunt Storer, except a little while I was at Aunt Sukey’s with Mrs Barrett dress’d in a white brocade, & cousin Betsey dress’d in a red lutestring, both adorn’d with past, perls marquesett &c. They were after tea escorted by Mr. Newton & Mr Barrett to ye assembly at Concert Hall. This is a snowy day, & I am prevented going to school.

 

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February 9:

 

My fingers are not the only part of me that has suffer’d with sores within this fortnight, for I have had an ugly great boil upon my right hip & about a dozen small ones—I am at present swath’d hip & thigh, as Samson smote the Philistines, but my soreness is near over. My aunt thought it highly proper to give me some cooling physick, so last tuesday I took 1-2 oz Globe Salt (a disagreeable potion) & kept chamber. Since which, there has been no new erruption, & a great alteration for the better in those I had before.

 

I have read my bible to my aunt this morning (as is the daily custom) & sometimes I read other books to her. So you may perceive, I have the use of my tongue & I tell her it is a good thing to have the use of my tongue. Unkle Ned called here just now—all well—by the way he is come to live in Boston again, & till he can be better accomodated, is at housekeeping where Mad^m Storer lately lived, he is looking for a less house. I tell my Aunt I feel a disposician to be a good girl, & she pleases herself 22that she shall have much comfort of me to-day, which as cousin Sally is ironing we expect to have to ourselves.

 

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February 10:

 

This day I paid my respects to Master Holbrook, after a week’s absence [at school]. … Yesterday was very bad weather, neither aunt, nor niece at publick worship.

 

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February 12:

 

Yesterday afternoon I spent at unkle Joshuas. Aunt Green gave me a plaister for my fingure that has near cur’d it, but I have a new boil, which is under poultice, & tomorrow I am to undergo another seasoning with globe Salt. The following lines Aunt Deming found in grandmama Sargent’ pocket-book & gives me leave to copy ’em here.

 

Dim eyes, deaf ears, cold stomach shew,

My dissolution is in view

The shuttle’s thrown, my race is run,

My sun is set, my work is done;

My span is out, my tale is told,

My flower’s decay’d, & stock grows old,

The dream is past, the shadows fled,

My soul now longs for Christ my head,

I’ve lived to seventy six or nigh,

God calls at last, & now I’ll die.

 

Anna later adds:

 

My honor’d Grandma departed this vale of tears 1-4 before 4 o’clock wednesday morning August 21, 1771. Aged 74 years, 2 months & ten days.

 

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April 1: Like any student today, she likely enjoyed the day off. The winter drags on in Boston, as she reports.

 

Will you be offended mamma, if I ask you, if you remember the flock of wild Geese that papa call’d you to see flying over the Blacksmith’s shop this day three years? I hope not; I only mean to divert you. The snow is near gone in the street before us, & mud supplys the place thereof; After a week’s absence, I this day attended Master Holbrook with some difficulty, what was last week a pond is to-day a quag, thro’ which I got safe however, & if aunt had known it was so bad, she sais she would not have sent me, but I neither wet my feet, nor drabled my clothes, indeed I have but one garment that I could contrive to drabble.

 

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 May 16: She writes:

 

Last Wednesday Bet Smith was set upon the gallows. She behav’d with great impudence. Thursday I danc’d a minuet & country dances at school, after which I drank tea with aunt Storer. To day I am somewhat out of sorts, a little sick at my stomach.

 

 

   It would be interesting to know what crime Bet Smith committed that led her to her execution.

 

 

 

June 10: Rhode Islanders board, burn, and sink the British revenue cutter, H.M.S. Gaspee. Andrews says the Gaspee, which had run aground, was captured “after a spirited fight.” (2/58)

 

    The British vessel had been chasing a smuggler.

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In Massachusetts, Governor Thomas Hutchinson announced that, as of 1773, his salary and those of all Massachusetts judges would be paid by the Crown. It would have been hard to dream up a step more fatal to the British cause. The instant colonial officials looked to England for pay and support, they slipped completely out of local control.

 

… what the announcement actually did was to hand Samuel Adams and like-minded men a glittering propaganda weapon. Adams sprang into action at once, toiling to revive and greatly expand those Committees of Correspondence that earlier troubles had called into being. A Boston Committee was set up, its 21 members empowered to communicate with other Massachusetts towns. Then, as though intoxicated by this success, the Committee’s field was widened to take in all colonies and, in a final wild gesture, “the World!” (48/74-75)

 

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GENERAL THOMAS GAGE, commander-in-chief of British forces in North America, orders all settlers beyond the Appalachians to quit these countries “instantly and without delay.” (125/134)

 

    This policy, he believes, will keep the settlers from riling up the natives, requiring British troops to support the settlers.