1773. 1. What is tea sent to 42. 'In Charleston the tea was landed, but was not permitted to be offered for sale; and, being stored in damp cellars, it finally perished. The tea designed said of the for Boston had been consigned to the particular friends Charleston? of Governor Hutchinson, and permission to return it account of to England was positively refused. But the people as the destruc obstinately refused to allow it to be landed. In this at Boston. position of the controversy, a party of men, disguised as Indians, boarded the ships; and, in the presence of thousands of spectators, broke open three hundred and fortytwo chests of tea, and emptied their contents into the harbor. b. tion of tea a. Dec. 16 1774. March 31. said of the 3. What is Boston Port 4. Of the 43. In the spirit of revenge for these proceedings, parliament soon after passed the Boston Port Bill; which forbade the landing and shipping of goods, wares, and merchandise, at Boston, and removed the customhouse, with its dependencies, to Salem. The people of Salem, however, nobly refused to raise their own generosity fortunes on the ruins of their suffering neighbors; and Marble and the inhabitants of Marblehead* generously offered the merchants of Boston the use of their harbor, wharves, and warehouses, free of expense. of Salem head? 5. What measures against setts? 44. Soon after, the charter of Massachusetts was c. May 20. subverted; and the governor was authorized to send to another colony, or to England, for trial, any person were taken indicted for murder, or any other capital offence, com- Massachu mitted in aiding the magistrates in the discharge of their duties. The Boston Port Bill occasioned great 6. What reso suffering in Boston. The assembly of the province lution did resolved that "The impolicy, injustice, inhumanity, adopt? and cruelty of the act, exceeded all their powers of expression." "The Virginia assembly appointed the 1st 7. What did of June, the day on which the bill was to go into effect, assembly do as a day of "fasting, humiliation, and prayer." the assembly the Virginia 8. What were ings of the second colo 45. In September, a second colonial congress, composed of deputies from eleven colonies, met at Phil- the proceedadelphia. This body highly commended the course of Massachusetts in her conflict with "wicked ministers;"agreed upon a declaration of rights;-recommended the suspension of all commercial inter nial congress! Marblehead, originally a part of Salem, is about fifteen miles N.E. from Boston, and is situated on a rocky peninsula, extending three or four miles into Massachusetts Bav 1774. course with Great Britain, so long as the grievances of the colonies were unredressed; voted an address to the king, and likewise one to the people of Great Britain, and another to the inhabitants of Canada. Oct. 1. Their ef British gov 46. The proceedings of the congress called forth fect on the stronger measures, on the part of the British governernment? ment, for reducing the Americans to obedience. 2Gen2. What was eral Gage, who had recently been appointed governor al Gage? of Massachusetts, caused Boston neck to be fortified, and, seizing the ammunition and military stores in the provincial arsenals at Cambridge and Charlestown, conveyed them to Boston. Sept. .What was setts? Oct. 47. On the other hand, the assembly of Massachuione by the setts having been dissolved by the governor, the members assembly of Massachu again met, and resolved themselves into a provincial congress. They appointed committees of "safety" and 'supplies ;"-voted to equip twelve thousand men, and to enlist one-fourth of the militia as minute-men, who should be ready for action at a moment's warning. Similar preparations, but less in extent, were made colonies? in other colonies. 4. In other 1775. said of the pression on the part of England? 8. Of the 43. As the last measures of determined oppression reb..March. a bill was passed for restraining the commerce of the 5. What New England colonies; which was afterwards exfinal meas tended to embrace all the provinces, except New York ure of determined on and North Carolina. The inhabitants of Massachuserts were declared rebels; and several ships of the line, and ten thousand troops, were ordered to America, to aid in reducing the rebellious colonies to submission. 49. The Americans, on the other hand, having no end longer any hope of reconciliation, and determined to Le Amer resist oppression, anxiously waited for the fatal moment to arrive, when the signal of war should be given. Though few in numbers, and feeble in resources, when compared with the power which sought to crush them, they were confident of the justice of their cause, and the rectitude of their purposes; and they resolved, if no other alternative were left them, to die freemen. rather than live slaves. eistance of icans? 1. 'IN the beginning of April, the royal troops in Boston numbered nearly 3000 men. "With so GENERAL WARREN. large a force at his disposal, General Gage indulged the hope, either of awing the provincials into submission, or of being able to quell any sudden outbreak of rebellion. 'Deeming it important to get possession of the stores and ammunition which the people had collected at various places, on the night of the 18th of April he secretly despatched a force of eight hundred men, to destroy the stores at Concord,* 16 miles from Boston. 1775. 1. What is royal troops in Boston? said of the 2. Of the views of Gen. Gage 3. What measures were taken by him? A marble mon Concord is in Middlesex county, sixteen miles N.W. from Boston. ument, erected in 1836, marks the spot where the first of the enemy fell in the war of the revolution. 1775. 1. How did of the expe 2. Notwithstanding the great precautions which had been taken to prevent the intelligence of this exintelligence pedition from reaching the country, it became known dition reach to some of the patriots in Boston, who dispatched conthe country? fidential messengers along the supposed route; and early on the morning of the 19th, the firing of cannon, and the ringing of bells, gave the alarm that the royal troops were in motion. 2. What events occurred at 3. At Lexington* a number of the militia had assembled, as early as two o'clock in the morning; but Lexington? as the intelligence respecting the regulars was uncertain, they were dismissed, with orders to appear again at beat of drum. At five o'clock, they collected a second time, to the number of seventy, under command of Captain Parker. The British, under Colonel Smith and Major Pitcairn, soon made their appearance. The latter officer rode up to the militia, and called out, "Disperse, you rebels, throw down your arms and disperse;" but not being obeyed, he discharged his pistol, and ordered his soldiers to fire. Several of the militia were killed, and the rest dispersed. the retreat ish. 8. What at 4. The detachment then proceeded to Concord, and Concord? destroyed a part of the stores; but the militia of the country having begun to assemble in numbers, a skir mish ensued, and several were killed on both sides 4. Give an The British then commenced a hasty retreat,—the account of Americans pursuing, and keeping up a continual fire of the Brit- upon them. Fortunately for the British, they were met at Lexington by a reinforcement of nine hundred men with two field-pieces, under Lord Percy. The united forces then moved rapidly to Charlestown, and, the following day, crossed over to Boston. During es were sus this expedition, the British lost, in killed, wounded, and missing, about two hundred and eighty;-the provincials, about ninety. 5. What loss tained? 6. What con followed the 5. 'Intelligence of these events spread rapidly through sequences Massachusetts and the adjoining provinces. The bat battle of tle of Lexington was the signal of war-the militia of the country hastily took up arms and repaired to the Lexington? * Lexington is ten miles N.W. from Boston, on the road to Concord. In 1799 a small monument, with an appropriate inscription, was erected four or five rods westward from the spot where the Americans were fired upon. (See Map, p. 74.) * scene of action; and, in a few days, a line of encamp- 1775. ment was formed from Roxbury to the river Mystic,' and the British forces in Boston were environed by an army of 20,000 men. Ammunition, forts, and fortifications, were secured for the use of the provincials; and the most active measures were taken for the public defence. 6. A number of volunteers from Connecticut and Vermont, under Colonel Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold, formed and executed the plan of seizing the mportant fortresses of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, on the western shore of Lake Champlain, and commanding the entrance into Canada. The pass of Skeenesborough, now Whitehall,† was likewise secured; and by this fortunate expedition, more than one hundred pieces of cannon, and other munitions of war, fell into the hands of the provincials. 1. What expedition said of the of Allen and Arnold? May. 2. What Boston fol- 3. What is said of Gen. tamation? Gage's proc b. June 12. 7. These events were soon followed by others of still greater importance, in the vicinity of Boston. The events in British troops had received reinforcements, under three distinguished generals,-Howe, Clinton, and Burgoyne; which, with the garrison, formed well-disciplined army, of from ten to twelve thousand men. General Gage, being now prepared to act with more decision and vigor, issued a proclamation, declaring those in arms rebels and traitors; and offering pardon to such as would return to their allegiance, and resume their peaceful occupations. From this indulgence, however, Samuel Adams and John Hancock, two distinguished patriots, were excepted; as their crimes were deemed too flagitious to admit of pardon. 8. As the British were evidently prepared to penetrate into the country, the Americans first strengthened their intrenchments across Boston neck; ut after wards, learning that the views of the British had changed, and were then directed towards the peninsula of Charlestown, they resolved to defeat this new project of the enemy. Orders were therefore given 4. What ho tile meas adopted by ures were the Amer icans? 5. What or ders were Prescott? givento Col. * Mystic, or Medford River, flows into Boston Harbor, N.E. of Charlestown. (See Map p. 74; and Map, p. 210.) t Whitehall is situated on both sides of Wood Creek, at its entrance into the south eru extremity of Lake Champlain. Being at the head of navigation, on the lake, and on the line of communication between New York and Canada, it was an important post. (See Map, p 181; and Note, p. 130.) |