of a similar tendency, could not fail to produce a rupture.

The first act of violence was the unfortunate transaction at Boston, on the evening of the 5th of March, 1770. A body of British troops, as has been already observed, was stationed in Boston, to intimidate the refractory inhabitants, and enforce the measures of parliament. On the fatal day, when blood was to be shed, as ■ prelude to more tragic scenes, the soldiers, while under arms, were pressed upon, insulted, and pelted by a mob, armed with clubs, sticks, and snow-balls covering stones; they were also dared to fire. In this situation, one of the soldiers, who had received a blow, in resentment fired at the supposed aggressor. This was followed by a single discharge from six others; so that three of the inhabitants were killed, and five dangerously wounded. The town was immediately in commotion; and such was the temper, force, and number, of the inhabitants, that nothing but an engagement to remove the troops out of the town, together with the advice of moderate men, prevented the townsmen from falling on the soldiers. The killed were buried in one vault, and in a most respectful manner, in order to express the indignation of the inhabitants at the slaughter of their brethren, by soldiers quartered among them, in violation of their civil liberties. Captain Preston, who commauded the party which fired on the inhabitants, was committed to jail, and afterwards tried; but the captain, and six of the men, were acquitted, and two only brought in guilty of manslaughter; for it appeared on the trial, that the soldiers were insulted, threatened, and pelted, before they fired: and it was also proved, that only seven guns were fired by the eight prisoners; these circumstances, therefore, induced the jury to make a favourable verdict.

In 1773, the spirit of the Americans broke out into open violence. The Gaspee, an armed schooner belonging to his Britannic majesty, had been stationed at Providence, in Rhode Island, to prevent smuggling. The vigilance of the commander irritated the inhabitants to such a degree, that about 200 armed men boarded the vessel under favour of the night, compelled the officers and crew to go ashore, and set fire to the schooner. A reward of £500, offered by government for apprehending any of the persons concerned in this daring act, produced no effectual discovery.

The resolution of the colonies not to import or consume any tea, having, in a great measure, deprived the

English government of a revenue from this quarter, the parliament formed a scheme of introducing tea into America, under cover of the East India company. For this purpose, an act was passed, empowering the company to export all sorts of teas, duty free, to any place whatever. The company departed from their usual mode of transacting business, and became their own exporters. Several ships were freighted with teas, and sent to the American colonies, and factors were appointed to receive and to dispose of their cargoes.

The Americans determined to oppose the revenue system of the English parliament in every possible shape, considered the attempt of the East India company to evade the resolutions of the colonies, and dispose of teas in America, as an indirect mode of taxation, sanctioned by the authority of parliament. The people assembled in various places, and, in the large commercial towns, took measures to prevent the landing of the teas. The same spirit pervaded the people from New Hampshire to Georgia. The cargo sent to South Carolina was put into warehouses, no person daring to offer it for sale. In Massachusetts, they, in like manner, viewed the tea as a vehicle of an unconstitutional tax, and as inseparably associated with it. To avoid the one, they resolved to destroy the other. About seventeen persons, dressed as Indians, repaired to the tea ships, broke open 342 chests of tea, and without doing any other damage, discharged their contents into the water.

This act

No sooner did the tidings of this destruction of the tea reach Great Britain, than the parliament determined to punish that devoted town. A bill was brought in and passed, "to discontinue the landing and discharging, lading and shipping of goods, wares, and merchandise at the town of Boston, or within the harbour." passed March 25, 1774, and called the Boston port bill, threw the inhabitants into the greatest consternation. The town of Boston passed a resolution expressing their sense of this oppressive measure, and a desire that all the colonies would concur to stop all importations from Great Britain. Most of them entered into spirited resolutions on this occasion, to unite with Massachusetts in a firm opposition to the unconstitutional measures of parliament.

The first of June, the day on which the port bill was to take effect, was appointed to be kept as a day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer, throughout the colonies; to seek the divine direction and assistance, in that very

critical and gloomy aspect of affairs. But the port bill was not the only act that alarmed the apprehensions of the Americans. Determined to compel the province of Massachusetts to submit to their laws, parliament passed an act "for the better regulating the government in the province of Massachusetts bay." The object of this act was, to alter the government as it stood on the charter of king William, and to make the sheriffs and judges dependent on the king, and removeable at his will and pleasure.

This act was soon followed by another, which ordained, that any person indicted for murder, or other capital offence, committed in aiding the magistrates in executing the laws, might be sent by the governor, either to any other colony, or to Great Britain, for his trial.

This was shortly after succeeded by the Quebec bill, which enlarged the bounds of that province, and granted many privileges to the Roman catholics. The view of this act was, to secure the attachment of that province to the crown of England, and prevent its joining the colonies in their resistance to the laws of parliament.

These acts of severity, though mostly levelled in appearance at the town of Boston, yet had the effect of rousing most of the other colonies, and of uniting them in opposition to the measures of parliament. They thought they saw, in the fate of that devoted town, the punishment that might soon be inflicted on themselves; as they had all been guilty of nearly the same offence, if not in destroying, at least in refusing the tea. They therefore determined to make oue common cause with the people of New England; and accordingly concurred in a proposition for holding a congress, by deputation from the several colonies, in order to concert measures for the preservation of their rights.

On the 26th of October, 1774, delegates or commissioners from all the old British colonies (except Georgia) assembled at Philadelphia; and their proceedings were cool, deliberate, and loyal: but distinguished by great firmness and unanimity. Their first act was a declaration of their claims to all the rights of British subjects; and particularly that of not being taxed without being represented, and of regulating the internal police of the colonies. They presented a bold and spirited remonstrance to his majesty, soliciting a redress of grievances; and they published an address to the inhabitants of Great Britain, and another to the people of America. In the former address, they enumerated the oppressive conduct of par

liament, and called on the British nation not to aid the ministry in enslaving their American brethren: in the latter, they endeavoured to confirm the people in a spirited and unanimous determination to defend their constitutional rights. They also signed an association to suspend the importation of British goods, and the exportation of American produce, until their grievances should be redressed. In addition to these measures, congress exhorted the New Englanders to oppose the execution of the Boston port bill, and of the other severe acts that had been lately passed against them; and they even promised to assist them in case of necessity. To this, indeed, that people were sufficiently inclined by their own natural disposition; as, of all the American colonies, New England was perhaps the province, which, from its independent spirit in religion, had longest cherished the wish, and even entertained the hopes of becoming independent in government.

The fire, therefore, which had been so long smothering between Great Britain and her colonies, now broke out into an open flame. General Gage, governor of Massachusetts, having been informed that a large quantity of ammunition and military stores had been collected at Concord, seventeen miles from Boston, and where the provincial congress was sitting, sent a detachment under the command of colonel Smith and major Pitcairn, to destroy the stores, and, as was reported, to seize Messrs. Hancock and Adams, the leading men of the congress. They set out before day-break, on the 19th of April, marching with the utmost silence, and securing every one they met on the road, that they might not be discovered. But notwithstanding all their care, the continual ringing of bells and firing of guns as they went along, soon gave them notice that the country was alarmed. About five in the morning they had reached Lexington, ten miles from Boston, where the militia of the place were exercising. Major Pitcairn, advancing briskly on horseback in front of his men, and within a short distance of the militia, called out, "Throw down your arms, ye rebels, and disperse!" This was answered by a volley of musketry from some houses in the neighbourhood; the military then made a discharge, which killed eight and wounded several of the militia. The detachment proceeded forward to Concord, where, having destroyed the stores, they were encountered by the Americans; and an action ensued, in which several fell on both sides. The purpose of their expedition being thus accomplished, it was necessary for the king's troops to retreat,

which they did through a continual fire kept upon them from Concord to Lexington, a distance of seven miles. Here their ammunition was expended; and they would have been unavoidably cut off, had not a considerable reinforcement, commanded by lord Percy, luckily met them. The Americans, however, continued their attack with great fury; and the British would still have been in the utmost danger, had it not been for two field-pieces which lord Percy brought with him. By these the impetuosity of the Americans was checked, and the British made good their retreat to Boston, with the loss of 263 killed and wounded; that of the Americans was eighty-eight.

Here, then, was spilt the first blood in that ever-memorable war-a war which severed America from the British empire. Here was opened the first scene of the great drama, which, in its progress, exhibited the most illustrious characters and events, and closed with a revolution equally glorious for the actors, and important in its consequences to mankind.

This battle roused all America. The news of the engagement was no sooner carried into the different parts of the country, than the whole province was at once in arms. The militia assembled from all quarters, and in a few days Boston was beseiged by 20,000 men. The colony of New York, which had hitherto continued to waver, now united with the rest; and as the situation of the city of New York rendered it unable to sustain an attack from the sea; it was resolved, before the arrival of a British fleet, to secure the military stores, send off the women and children, and set fire to the city, if it was still found incapable of defence. The congress, upon hearing of these transactions, highly approved of all the steps which the New Englanders had taken; and they passed a resolution, declaring that the inhabitants of Massachusetts owed allegiance no longer to the British crown. They strictly prohi-. bited all the people from supplying the army, navy, or transport ships, with any kind of provisions; and the more effectually to mark their contempt for the British government, they erected a post-office, at the head of which they. placed Dr. Franklin, who had been disgracefully removed from that post in England. And upon General Gage's publishing a proclamation, offering a pardon to all such as should lay down their arms and return to their duty, but excepting from it Messrs. Hancock and Adams, they immediately chose Mr. Hancock president of the congress.

As matters had now been carried too far to admit of an immediate reconciliation, it was generally believed that