Joseph Warren was the embodiment of the American colonists’ struggle to secure their rights within the British empire. In June of 1775, Warren had just turned thirty-four. He was a widowed father of four young children and an esteemed Boston physician. His political leadership in Massachusetts started in 1765. A protege of Samuel Adams, Warren’s influence began through his writings and orations as a staunch defender of the right …
In 1768, 1,200 British troops occupied Boston to quell the protests of the townspeople against arbitrary taxation – a standing army in time of peace was contrary to the accepted rights of Englishmen. The soldiers, seeking extra money to supplement their army pay by moonlighting, competed with the townsmen for jobs. (They also competed for the attention of Boston’s maidens.) Tension was in the air. Townspeople suffered abuse at …
What set Massachusetts apart from the sister colonies? By the mid 18th century, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was populated by multigenerational families which had depended on one another for well over 100 years. Their system of education for both sons and daughters was well-established. They shared the same Christian dogma. And the abuse of Parliament was encountered in Massachusetts twenty-five years before the Stamp Act of 1765. Struggling with …