University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XV

CAUSES THAT LED TO THE REVOLUTION

Condition of the Colony after the War with France. — After
the termination of the war between England and France,
Virginia enjoyed a period of peace, during which she increased
rapidly in population, and was

George III

blessed with abundant prosperity. The
people, as their country grew and developed
began to feel more and more strongly
that they were able to take care of themselves,
and so they were more disposed
than they had ever been, to resist any
encroachment upon their rights and privileges.
The time soon came when they
felt justified in resisting by force of arms even the mother
country, to which they had so long acknowledged allegiance.

Opposition to the King's Prerogative. — George III.,
who ascended the English throne in 1760, was a man
of strong convictions, but very narrow and bigoted; and
he determined to enjoy all royal prerogatives to the fullest
extent, and if possible, to increase them. One of the

rights that had been exercised by the king was that of
vetoing colonial legislation; but in England he dared not
veto an act of Parliament. As time passed, this prerogative
of the king began to be called into question more and
more; for it was held that acts of the House of Burgesses
should be as supreme for Virginia in regard to all local
matters, as those of Parliament were for Great Britain.

The Parsons' Case. — The opposition to the veto power
of the king, which came out in 1763 in the famous Parsons'
Case, gave one of the first indications of an approaching
conflict. Briefly stated, the case was as follows:

Patrick Henry

Tobacco was used as money; and
the House of Burgesses, at a time
when a failure in the crop made
the settlement of obligations press
heavily upon the people, passed an
act that all debts which were to be
paid in tobacco could be settled in
money, at the rate of twopence per
pound for tobacco. The clergymen
had been receiving sixpence per
pound. They appealed to the king, and he annulled the
law. Thereupon Rev. James Maury brought suit in the
county court of Hanover to obtain what was due him.
When the case, which was regarded as a test one, came
up for final trial, Patrick Henry[17] appeared in behalf of
the people, and leaving out of consideration the technicalities
of the case, boldly denied the right of the king to
annul legislation that was for the good of the people, declaring
in regard to this particular act of the Burgesses
that "a king who annulled and disallowed laws of so salutary
a nature instead of being the father of his people,
degenerated into a tyrant, and forfeited all right to obedience."
His eloquence won the case; for though the jury
was compelled, as the law stood, to decide in favor of the
plaintiff, yet a verdict was returned after a few minutes'
deliberation, awarding one penny damages. The announcement
was received with a shout of applause, and
Henry's friends, in token of their appreciation of his
matchless effort, carried him round the court green upon
their shoulders.

Power of Parliament. — The theory held by the people
as to the allegiance they owed to Great Britain was, that
Virginia constituted an integral part of the king's dominions,
subject to the king but not to Parliament. They,
therefore, denied the right of Parliament to legislate for
them in regard to local matters, or to exercise jurisdiction
over the House of Burgesses. While much irritation was
caused when the king annulled acts of the Burgesses, yet
more serious trouble arose when Parliament, under the
influence of George III. and his party, decided to lay a
direct tax upon the people without the consent of the
House of Burgesses, a thing that Charles II. had promised
should not be done.

The Stamp Act. — The first attempt thus to levy taxes
was in 1765, when Parliament passed the Stamp Act,
which required that the colonies should use upon all documents,
pamphlets, newspapers, and almanacs, revenue
stamps costing from a half penny up to fifty pounds. As
a result of this law, it was expected that a handsome sum
would be raised annually for the Crown, which would help
Great Britain to pay off the heavy debt she had incurred
in her wars in Europe.

Patrick Henry's Resolutions. — When the Stamp Act
came up for discussion in the House of Burgesses, Patrick
Henry, who was now a member and a popular leader,
offered resolutions declaring that only the House of Burgesses,
together with the king or his substitutes, had the
right to levy taxes, and that any attempt to take this power

from the House of Burgesses was unconstitutional. He
urged the adoption of these spirited resolutions with an
ardor that alarmed the more conservative members of the
House. Suddenly, while speaking against the Stamp Act,
he exclaimed, "Cæsar had his Brutus, Charles the First
his Cromwell, and George the Third" — cries of "Treason!"
"Treason!" here interrupted him. But fixing his eye upon
the Speaker of the House, he added, "and George the
Third may profit by their example. If this be treason,
make the most of it."

Repeal of the Stamp Act. — The resolutions went through;
and the news of what had happened in Virginia was carried
with wonderful quickness all over the country. Other
colonies adopted similar resolutions, and everywhere such
a determined spirit of opposition was manifested to the
Stamp Act, that it was found to be impossible to put it
into execution, the people absolutely refusing to use the
stamps. Finally Parliament yielded, and in 1766 repealed
the Stamp Act, but at the same time declared that it had
legislative supremacy over the colonies.

A Second Attempt at Taxation. — There was much rejoicing
in Virginia when the repeal of the Stamp Act became
known, but it was of short duration; for Great Britain had
by no means abandoned her plan of taxing the colonies.
The year following, Parliament laid duties on tea, paper,
glass, and painter's colors. Against this, complaints were
heard on all sides; and the loyalty of the people was
much weakened by the irritation caused by Great Britain's
policy.

The Virginia Resolves. — In 1769, the House of Burgesses
passed the famous Virginia resolves, in which they boldly
affirmed that the colonies alone had the right to tax themselves,
and protested against having persons who were
accused of treason carried to England for trial, as Parliament
proposed to do on account of the disturbances in
America.

The Non-Importation Agreement. — When Lord Botetourt,
who was governor at this time, heard what had happened,
he felt that, as the king's representative, he could not
indorse such rebellious proceedings, and so he at once
dissolved the Burgesses; but they met again at the Raleigh

Tavern in Williamsburg, reaffirmed their action, and, in
addition, unanimously adopted an agreement not to import
commodities from England till the duties were taken off.
The Non-Importation Agreement was presented to the
Burgesses by George Washington, but it was drawn up

George Mason.

by George Mason,[18]
who was one
of the greatest
men of the revolutionary
epoch.

The Duties repealed
except the
one on Tea. — The
other colonies,
animated by the
spirited course
with which Virginia
contended
for her rights,
passed similar resolutions, and in some cases adopted hers
as their own. The Non-Importation Agreement became
quite general; and the British government, finding the
colonies on the verge of rebellion, repealed all the duties
except one of threepence per pound on tea, which was
retained for the purpose of establishing a precedent for
taxation. The colonies, however, decided that they would
purchase no tea till the duty was taken off. Thus for a
time matters stood.

Committee of Correspondence. — It became evident, as
the dispute with Great Britain continued, that there

must be some way of securing united action. To bring
about this desirable object, the House of Burgesses appointed
a committee of correspondence, the duty of which
was to give the people news of what was taking place in
Great Britain, and to keep up communication with the
other colonies. Lord Dunmore, who had succeeded Botetourt
as governor, on hearing of what had happened,
hastily dissolved the Burgesses; but the important action
they had taken led to the formation of similar committees
by the thirteen colonies that afterwards constituted the
United States. The meaning of this was that henceforth
there would be unity of action.

Destruction of the Tea at Boston. — In the other colonies,
as well as in Virginia, the people, actuated by a love of
freedom, made vigorous resistance to the policy pursued
by Great Britain. Massachusetts, though not more determined
than Virginia to contend for her rights, had been
so open in her opposition that British troops had been
quartered in Boston. This led to a collision between the
soldiers and the citizens, which inflamed the passions
of the people to the highest pitch; and now an event happened
which gave them an opportunity to display their
defiance of British authority. The East India Company
shipped supplies of tea to different American ports to be
sold in the colonies. Three vessels brought cargoes to
Boston. An organized party, disguised as Indians,
boarded the ships, and threw the tea into the sea. When
news of these bold proceedings reached England, Parliament
ordered that the port of Boston should be closed
on the 4th of June 1774, and the city cut off from all
trade.

Virginia Espouses the Cause of Massachusetts. — The
House of Burgesses was in session, when the action of

the British government against Boston became known in
Williamsburg. The consideration of all other business
was at once postponed, and a protest was passed against
what had been done on the ground that it was subversive
of liberty. The 1st of June was appointed a day of
fasting, humiliation, and prayer. Again Lord Dunmore
dissolved the Burgesses, but the next day they met, regardless
of him, at the Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg,
and issued a call for a general congress. Massachusetts
had already done the same thing; and the measure met
with approbation, all the colonies appointing delegates except
Georgia.

The First Congress. — The first Congress met at Philadelphia,
on September 5, 1774. Its proceedings were calm and
moderate. A declaration of rights was drawn up, and two
addresses issued, one to the people of Great Britain, and
the other to the people of the colonies. At this time there
were but few men who wished the colonies to renounce
their allegiance to Great Britain.

The wise action of this representative assembly won
many friends in England for the cause of the colonies.
"I know not," said Lord Chatham in the House of Lords,
"the people or Senate, who, in such a complication of
difficult circumstances, can stand in preference to the
delegates of America assembled in General Congress in
Philadelphia."

QUESTIONS

• 1. What was the condition of the colony after the war with France?

• 2. What kind of a man was George III, and what right did he claim?

• 3. How did the people of Virginia regard this?

• 4. Give an account of the Parsons' Case.

• 5. Who appeared in behalf of the people, and what were his words?

• 6. What was the verdict, and what is said of Patrick Henry?

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• 7. What was the theory held by the people as to their allegiance to
  Great Britain?

• 8. Hence what right did they deny Parliament?

• 9. What did George III. now do?

• 10. What was the Stamp Act, and what was England's object in passing
  it?

• 11. Give the resolutions of Patrick Henry.

• 12. While speaking against the Stamp Act, what did he exclaim?

• 13. Why was it found impossible to put the Stamp Act into execution?

• 14. What was Parliament forced to do?

• 15. The following year a tax was laid on what articles?

• 16. This led to what action on the part of the Burgesses?

• 17. When the governor heard this, what did he do, and with what
  result?

• 18. What was the Non-Importation Agreement, and by whom drawn
  up?

• 19. Did the other colonies follow Virginia's example?

• 20. What did England agree to do, and how was this received by the
  colonies?

• 21. What did the House of Burgesses decide to appoint?

• 22. What important action did this bring about?

• 23. What was happening in the other colonies?

• 24. What became of the tea that was sent to Boston?

• 25. What order did Parliament give on hearing of this?

• 26. How did Virginia show her sympathy for Massachusetts?

• 27. What happened at Raleigh Tavern?

• 28. When and where did our first Congress meet?

• 29. What is said of its proceedings?

• 30. What did Lord Chatham say with regard to its action?