Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-06-24
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These laws were comprehensive and strict being
designed to give British merchants a monopoly
of trade with the colonies and to protect British
manufacturers against colonial competition. War
ships were now placed along the coast to stop
the colonial trade with France and Spain and
their West Indian colonies. The "Writs of AS
sstance'' were general search warrants given to
customs officials to enable them to break into and
search any premises at any time. James Otis,
the famous Boston lawyer, opposed the right Of
the British government to issue the writs or even
to pass an act of trade imposing tax on the
colonies. John Adams said Of Otis celebrated
speech: sit breathed into this nation the breath
of life" Undoubtedly this situation was one OF
the contributing causes of the Revolution.
Then King George demanded that the colonies
pay the expense of British army of about 2O,-
900 men to be quartered in America to protect
the colonies against the Indians. The colonies
suspected the purpose of this army and would
have none of it. Here was the beginning of real
trouble a little later.
The Boston Tea Party" was serious affair,
not in itself but because parliament immediate
ly took measures to punish Boston and Massa-
chusetts The closing of the port of Boston, the
removal of the seat of government to Salem, the
appointment of General Gage as governor of Mas
sachusetts and the remodeling of the charter of
Massachusetts constituted warning to all the
colonies that free government was in imminent
danger everywhere. On top of this came the
act providing that British officers or magistrates
charged with murder or other capital crime should
be tried in some other colony or in England; the
act billeting soldiers people who failed yolun-
tarily to provide quarters and the act extending
the boundaries of Quebec to the Ohio river ana
establishing an arbitrary form of government.
This emulation of activities on the part OF the
crown seems to have convinced the colonies that
their only salvation lay in getting together for
united action. SO the First Continental Congress
met. This congress was merely deliberative and
advisory; it issued a declaration of rights; It
formed an association for carrying out the non
importation agreement it forwarded petltlon
to the king and set out an address to the col
onies it provided for another congress to meet
in 1775 Still there was no open discussion OF
independence.
It was Massachusetts which finally set off the
powder barrel General Gage summoned the pro-
yincal congress to meet in Salem, but put OFT the
date of assembling The delegates met without
him and his counsellors. They provided for the
appointment of a committee Of safety and issued
a call for 10000 Minute Men," Parliament then
declared Massachusetts to be in state OF re-
belion Next was the expedition out of Boston
to seize powder and to arrest the two chief trait
ors'.
Then came the "shots heard round the world"
and bloodshed The fight was on. And still there
was no open movement for independence until
after year of bloody fighting. 1t was not until
June Z 1916, in the Second Continental congress,
that Virginias instructed delegate, Richard Hen
ry Lee, introduced the resolution beginning, Ihat
these united colonies are, and of right ought 10
be- free and independent states"
The Declaration Of Independence as drafted
by Thomas Jefferson with the aid of John Adams
Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert
r. Livingston and amended by congress, consists
of two principal parts: statement OF American
political theories in justification of independence
list Of Inv
operated to absolve the united colonies from all
allegiance to the British crown. The facts here
in set forth make clear most of the abuses as out
lined in the declaration.