Chapter II

THE CRISIS Character of Lord North 44 John Dickinson and the “Farmer’s Letters” 45 The Massachusetts circular letter 46, 47 Lord Hillsborough’s instructions to Bernard 48 The “Illustrious Ninety-Two” 48 Impressment of citizens 49 Affair of the sloop Liberty 49-51 Statute of Henry VIII. concerning “treason committed abroad” 52 Samuel Adams makes up his mind (1768) 53-56 Arrival of troops in Boston 56, 57 Letters of “Vindex” 58 Debate in Parliament 59, 60 All the Townshend acts, except the one imposing a duty upon tea, to be repealed 61 Recall of Governor Bernard 61 Character of Thomas Hutchinson 62 Resolutions of Virginia concerning the Townshend acts 63 Conduct of the troops in Boston 64 Assault on James Otis 64 The “Boston Massacre” 65-68 Some of its lessons 69-72 Lord North becomes prime minister 72 Action of the New York merchants 73 Assemblies convened in strange places 74 Taxes in Maryland 74 The “Regulators” in North Carolina 74 Affair of the schooner Gaspee 75, 76 The salaries of the Massachusetts judges 76 Jonathan Mayhew’s suggestion (1766) 77 The committees of correspondence in Massachusetts 78 Intercolonial committees of correspondence 79 Revival of the question of taxation 80 The king’s ingenious scheme for tricking the Americans into buying the East India Company’s tea 81 How Boston became the battle-ground 82 Advice solemnly sought and given by the Massachusetts towns 82-84 Arrival of the tea; meeting at the Old South 84, 85 The tea-ships placed under guard 85 Rotch’s dilatory manœuvres 86 Great town meeting at the Old South 87, 88 The tea thrown into the harbour 88, 89 Moral grandeur of the scene 90, 91 How Parliament received the news 91-93 The Boston Port Bill 93 The Regulating Act 93-95 Act relating to the shooting of citizens 96 The quartering of troops in towns 96 The Quebec Act 96 General Gage sent to Boston 97, 98