Uncommon Good Sence-Our Founding History-Part 2

While it was clear that the American people were ready to fight for their freedom, it was equally clear that the British government seemed intent on taking over the reins of authourity and power. (I think at this point it is important to state that the people had their freedom prior and th British tyranny took it from the people).

The American peoples tempers and passion began to rise due to the fact of a series of new oppressive government decrees. And in turn Great Britain was equally defiant toward the American people.

On August 14, 1764 an effigy was hung from an elm tree in Boston's Hanover Square. Beside it was a large black boot with a devil crawling out of the opening. This area became a gathering point for protesting Americans and beating the effigy or the boot was sybolic of striking a blow for freedom. This effigy became know as the "Liberty Tree".

The Quartering Act of 1765 permitted the quarting of British troops in private residence without the permission of homeowners. The stamp act of 1765 required stamps (tax) be purchased and placed on nearly all publicly sold goods. Poor people were thrown out of work because their employers could not afford to pay both them and the government. As a result British officals were seized and beaten by American citizens and the slogan "no taxation without representation" was heard all across the land.

In 1766 the Declaratory Act, which proclaimed Parliaments supreme power over the colonies in both taxation and legislation. In 1767 the government implemented the Townshend Acts-a series of external taxes levied on imports. The government now had all economic control over the people. Unauthorized warrents and seizures were now in place and American fiscal affairs were to be controlled by Great Britain.

There was no organized revolutionary movement in America. However, gradually and steadily a determination to resist government autority grew among businessman, merchants, professionals and southern plantation owners.

Fevers where high and in April of 1768 a Boston businessmen by the name of John Hancock defiantly prevented an inspection of one of his cargo ships. This led to his arrest, but charges were dropped. Even though these charges were dropped individual disobedience of government law became more and more common.

On October 1, 1768 a large number of British troops landed in Boston to suppress the dissidents and provide coeraive support for the local government. People immediatily resented their presence and groups began roaming the streets.

March 5, 1770 the British opened fire on one band of unarmed citizens, killing five and wounding six. Word spread quickly throughout the colonies of "The Boston Massacre". Liberty Trees were consecrated from South Carolina to Connecticut as Americans rallied against the tyranny of government and freedom.

After a few years of trying to quell the outrage, in March 1773 through the newly form Gaspee Commission, the govrnment took unprecedented step of assuming power to negate trial by jury in the American colonies. And as that was not enough, Parliament passed the Tea Acto of 1773 in an effort to rescue the near bankrupt East India Company. (Any of this sound familiar)

The British already had a monopoly on tea and the Americans were further outraged when British businessmen (tory merchants) were granted sole rights to sell tea.

Late on the evening of December 16, 1773, in what has since become knon as the "Boston Tea Party", a group of Bostonians disquised as Indians boared the British ships and thrw 342 chest of tea overboard.

January 29, 1774, after the news reached England, a privy council summoned Benjamin Franklin (who was in London at the time) and spent more than an hour insulting his virtue and character. He could do nothing but take it.

In responce to the Boston Tea Party the Boston Port Bill was passed. This created a blockade to cut off all trade with the American people until the lost tea wa repaid. Parliament also passed several laws in order to disove local governments, abolis town meetings, (sound fimular)

Those accused of capital crimes were sent to England for trial and punchment. Americans called these new laws "Intolerable Acts". By September 1774, Boston was uner siee. (In todays terms this would be Marshall Law)

The siege of Boston, along with the Intolerable Acts, raised the conflict between Great Britain and the American Cololnies to a new level.

Citizens were starving, businessess were closed, people were thrown out of work, personal property values fell and peo;le were fleeing to safer places.

General Thomas Gage, acting governor of Massachusetts told American leaders. "What fools you are to pretend to resist the power of Great Britain".

The American people were outraged by the incursions and oppressivee acts taken by the British government. Loads and crates of food that were smuggled to the people, began to contain one simple note. "Consider we are all embarked in the same boat and must sink or swim together".

Citizens became committed and stood ready to preserve their homeland and to regain their freedoms that a government had taken from them. "Death is more acceptable than slavery". Resolved a group in Marlborough Mass. "A free born people are not required to submit to tyranny".

Rumors of General Gage sending troops to seize a supply of gun powder in Charlestown, and of pillage and torture. It took less than twenty four hours for an estimated 20,000 armed citizens from all over to descend on Boston to defend its inhabitants.

Clearly, the American people had had enough and were ready to fight for and regain their freedom. The American people needed leaders and those leaders rose within the ranks.

As a matter of fact, history requards the crisis of the American Revolution as having produced some of the greatest leaders that civilization has ever known.

By carefull observation and the study of acknowledged leaders, one can see the importance of small government and the destuctuion of progression and how it works against all that our founders created.

Moreover, of all the events our government has engaged in from take over, to saving bankrupt compainies, to suppression of speech, to calling protesters haters, to the circumventing of the constitution, I say its history repeating itself in the name of Social Justice.

WEL3