The Massachusetts Acts of 1774: Coercive or Preventive?

Abstract

CCTHE TEA that bainful weed is arrived; so wrote Abigail Adams. 1The future first lady referred, of course, to appearance at Boston of three tea ships of British East India Company.1 Resistance to landing of tea and to payment of threepence duty was widespread in America; but most sensational incident occurred in Boston, where for weeks local patriots attempted to force consignees of East India Company to ship tea back to England. Richard Clark, Thomas and Elisha Hutchinson (sons of governor), Benjamin Faneuil, Jr., and Joshua Winslow petitioned governor, council, and justices of peace to take charge of cargoes assigned to them; but to no avail. The councilors contended that they had no authority to take tea from consignees; if they advised landing cargo, duty would be paid, and they would be advocating a measure inconsistent with declared sentiments of Massachusetts legislature. In despair, Governor Thomas Hutchinson wrote to British secretary of state enclosing debates of council; his lordship could see, he remonstrated, the situation of a Massachusetts Governor, and that he is without least support in measures for maintaining authority of Crown'2 Since governor on his own authority had not been able to help them, consignees and four of five royal customs commissioners (John Temple, a colonist, sided with patriots) fled to protection of royal garrison at Castle Wllliam in Boston Harbor.