The Lodge of St. Andrew owned the building that housed the Green Dragon Tavern in Boston. The second level of this building was used for lodge meetings and rooms were made available to various resistance groups. Loyalist Governor Thomas Hutchinson referred to the Green Dragon as a “nest of sedition.” Daniel Webster referred to it as the “Headquarters of the Revolution.” It was within this building that plans were …
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 …
All works on Joseph Warren note his involvement in Freemasonry but fail to recognize the probable planning of Warren and others for him to ultimately obtain the title and position of Most Worshipful Grand Master of North America. Freemasonry became a distinguished fraternal organization in eighteenth century Europe and America and was an intrinsic part of colonial society. It promoted not only social connections but acts of charity as …
Many ask, “Why did Joseph Warren risk his life by participating in this battle?” His friends and colleagues implored him not to go. His commission as major general of the Massachusetts forces was not official. “You are needed in council” they protested. His response to such protests: “Dulce et decorum est pro patris mori,” (“It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country,”) Was his determination to participate …
On June 11, 1775, as the 16,000 American forces surrounded Boston, Dr. Joseph Warren – president of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress and chairman of the Committee of Safety turned thirty-four. His wife had died two years prior leaving him with four children ages one to nine. Though the children had been in the care of his mother and brother Sam at the family home in Roxbury, Warren made plans …
Commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill (actually Breed’s Hill) cannot be properly achieved without tribute to Liberty’s martyr – Joseph Warren. A prominent young physician and widowed father of four small children, Warren was the foremost Patriot leader in the months leading to the Battles of Lexington and Concord until his ultimate sacrifice on Breed’s Hill. Joseph Warren ignited the American Revolution! Anticipating an …
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 …