1772

 

__________

 

“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

__________

The Americans set fire to the Gaspee.

 

January 31: Anna Green Winslow, age twelve, writes in her journal:

 

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.

 

*

 

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 Ned43 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.

 

*

 

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.

 

*

 

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.

 

*

 

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.

 

*

 

 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.

* 

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)

 

*

 

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.