THOMAS GAGE

He was acting as French Foreign Secretary at the time.

He was quoting Thomas Gage, 1721-1787, English General and Royal Governor of Massachusetts and British Military Commander in North America who had used the line earlier. As with many historical quotations, the original was not of very great import, but when the king of England wrote this to his prime minister, it was policy and produced attitudes and policies that affected the American Revolution.

While the official battles of the American Revolution did not begin until 1776, parts of the American colonies were in a de facto state of rebellion and the British could not enforce their laws. See {636925} for another of the King’s statements.

Note that Britain was blockading Boston in the middle of 1775, some time before the outbreak of battles in Concord and Lexington in 1776. What Gates did not tell Lord Dartmouth, and maybe did not know himself, was that the skilled Massachusetts sailors smuggled a great deal through the blockade in small boats at night landing in the many inlets and coves in the Boston area. Also, do not think of Boston in 1775 as today. At that time most people had, in the city, their own farms and gardens and grew much of their own food. The Boston Commons was a common area for grazing sheep. So the British Blockade of Boston was not very effective.

We are so used to hearing the freedom seeking reasons for the American Revolution that we overlook the more selfish and venal motives. This quotation shows that the large merchants of the colonies had banded together in an illegal conspiracy trust and monopoly and managed to keep many British competitive products out of the colonies. The British, for equally venal reasons, began to enforce the laws in favor of free trade. Many large American merchants were getting huge profits (and American consumers paying more) from their protectionist illegal monopoly. A Revolution would de facto assure that monopoly for many years to come, so they became supporters—patriots—of the American Revolution. As the Revolution drew closer, the Americans made efforts to protect the protectionism and monopoly of some of the richest Americans. See {636861}.

The American Press was actually split and there were Tory and revolutionary editors. However, like almost all politicians of all times in time of crisis, he saw the press as inaccurate and corrupt and an unfortunate “appendage of public liberty.”

This quotation shows that the dissent leading to the American Revolution did not emerge suddenly in 1776 after the Battle of Bunker Hill. Dissent, sedition and even violence was documented here in 1774. Salem at the time was the second largest port in the colony and the customs tax collectors—Loyalist Americans—were run out of Salem.

He was wrong. The protesters were general including merchants, lawyers, politicians, shopkeepers, sailors and other occupations. The Privateer Captains were no more or less involved as other occupations.

The American Press was actually split and there were Tory and revolutionary editors. However, like almost all politicians of all times in time of crisis, he saw the press as inaccurate and corrupt and an unfortunate “appendage of public liberty.”

Chief of the Ottawa Nation of Indians

The Stamp Act induced rioting, but Gage believed that plunder was the main motivation. See Robert Novack for a similar view of riots and protests.

The British Governor was genuinely anxious to avoid bloodshed and the American Revolution. However, the conflict had been brought about by the actions of the British Parliament and the Kings ministers, and Gage did not have the power or authority to alter the issues of the fundamental conflict—taxation, colonial government, economics, self determination. While he offered pardons, in this proclamation he specifically exempted Samuel Adams and John Hancock of whom he said “whose offences are of too flagitious a nature …”

He was quoting Thomas Gage, 1721-1787, English General and Royal Governor of Massachusetts and British Military Commander in North America who had used the line earlier. As with many historical quotations, the original was not of very great import, but when the king of England wrote this to his prime minister, it was policy and produced attitudes and policies that affected the American Revolution.

This quotation shows that the dissent leading to the American Revolution did not emerge suddenly in 1776 after the Battle of Bunker Hill. Dissent, sedition and even violence was documented here in 1774. Salem at the time was the second largest port in the colony and the customs tax collectors—Loyalist Americans—were run out of Salem.

We are so used to hearing the freedom seeking reasons for the American Revolution that we overlook the more selfish and venal motives. This quotation shows that the large merchants of the colonies had banded together in an illegal conspiracy trust and monopoly and managed to keep many British competitive products out of the colonies. The British, for equally venal reasons, began to enforce the laws in favor of free trade. Many large American merchants were getting huge profits (and American consumers paying more) from their protectionist illegal monopoly. A Revolution would de facto assure that monopoly for many years to come, so they became supporters—patriots—of the American Revolution. As the Revolution drew closer, the Americans made efforts to protect the protectionism and monopoly of some of the richest Americans. See {636861}.

He was wrong. The protesters were general including merchants, lawyers, politicians, shopkeepers, sailors and other occupations. The Privateer Captains were no more or less involved as other occupations.

While the official battles of the American Revolution did not begin until 1776, parts of the American colonies were in a de facto state of rebellion and the British could not enforce their laws. See {636925} for another of the King’s statements.

Note that Britain was blockading Boston in the middle of 1775, some time before the outbreak of battles in Concord and Lexington in 1776. What Gates did not tell Lord Dartmouth, and maybe did not know himself, was that the skilled Massachusetts sailors smuggled a great deal through the blockade in small boats at night landing in the many inlets and coves in the Boston area. Also, do not think of Boston in 1775 as today. At that time most people had, in the city, their own farms and gardens and grew much of their own food. The Boston Commons was a common area for grazing sheep. So the British Blockade of Boston was not very effective.

The letter was written 9 days after the Battle of Bunker Hill.