REBELLION: 1775-17763. Loyalists III: Join—or Else
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Everything here is in the utmost confusion. Committees are appointed to inspect into the Characters and Conduct of every tradesman, to prevent them selling Tea or buying British Manufactures. Some of them have been tarred and feathered, others had their property burnt and destroyed by the populace. . . . In short, everything is ripe for rebellion. Nicholas Cresswell, 1774 What the British travellers Nicholas Cresswell and Janet Schaw witnessed in America that inspired their grim appraisals was the harsh and uncompromising enforcement of loyalty to the Patriot cause, often pursued through intimidation, threats, and violence. After the First Continental Congress initiated a boycott of British goods in late 1774, Patriot "Committees of Safety" were created in all the colonies, and one of their first tasks was to gather signed pledges of support for Congress and the boycott. Insisting on one-hundred-percent support, the Committees threatened Loyalists and the uncommitted with ostracism, loss of property, and physical harm. They were "often self-appointed and usually composed of the Sons of Liberty," writes historian Catherine S. Crary, whose purpose "was not justice or a regard for civil rights, but rooting out Loyalists and blocking their support of the British cause."1 What the Congress had promoted to spur a united front in demanding Americans' rights from Britain soon degenerated into mass violations of the rights of Loyalists or wavering citizens. Here we see the workings of the Committees of Safety as described by two British travellers in the southern colonies.
Discussion Questions
Framing Questions
PrintingNicholas Cresswell, travel journal, Virginia Supplemental SitesThe Journal of Nicholas Cresswell, full text in American Notes: Travels in America, 1750-1920 (Library of Congress) Janet Schaw, Journal of a Lady of Quality . . . in the Years 1774 to 1776, full text in Documenting the American South (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library) Which Side to Take: Revolutionary or Loyalist?, North Carolina (Learn NC, UNC-Chapel Hill) The White Loyalists of Williamsburg (Kevin P. Kelly; Colonial Williamsburg) "Was the American Revolution Inevitable?," not-to-miss teachable essay by Prof. Francis D. Cogliano, University of Edinburgh (BBC) Teaching the Revolution, valuable overview essay by Prof. Carol Berkin, Baruch College (CUNY) General Online Resources 1Catherine S. Crary, ed., The Price of Loyalty: Tory Writings from the Revolutionary Era (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1973), pp. 55-56. Images: Banner image: Original Declaration of Independence, parchment, 1776 (detail); on exhibit in the Rotunda of the National Archives, Washington, DC. Courtesy of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. *PDF file - You will need software on your computer that allows you to read and print Portable Document Format (PDF) files, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have this software, you may download it FREE from Adobe's Web site. Which of the following was a weakness of Congress under the Articles of Confederation?Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
Each state only had one vote in Congress, regardless of size. Congress had not have the power to tax. Congress did not have the power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce. There was no executive branch to enforce any acts passed by Congress.
What was the constitution first called?America's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers, couldn't regulate commerce, or print money.
Was there a Congress under the Articles of Confederation?The Articles of Confederation created a national government composed of a Congress, which had the power to declare war, appoint military officers, sign treaties, make alliances, appoint foreign ambassadors, and manage relations with Indians.
What are the articles of confederations?The Articles of Confederation were adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. This document served as the United States' first constitution. It was in force from March 1, 1781, until 1789 when the present-day Constitution went into effect.
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