country in every colony. Among those who have rendered me most valuable aid in this respect, I must name in an especial manner the late Mr. Colden of New-York, who intrusted to me all the manuscripts of Lieutenant Governor Colden, covering a period in New-York history of nearly a quarter of a century; the late Mr. Johnson of Stratford, Connecticut, who put into my hands those of his father, containing excellent contributions alike to English and American history; my friend Dr. Potter, the present Bishop of Pennsylvania, who furnished me numerous papers of equal interest and novelty, illustrating the history of New-York and of the Union; Mr. Force of Washington City, whose success in collecting materials for American History is exceeded only by his honest love of historic truth; Mr. J. F. Eliot of Boston; Mr. William B. Reed, Mr. Langdon Elwyn, and Mr. Edward D. Ingraham of Philadelphia; Mr. Tefft of Georgia, and Mr. Swaine of North Carolina, who show constant readiness to further my inquiries; the Connecticut Historical Society; the President and Officers of Yale College, who sent me unique documents from the Library of that Institution; Mr. William C. Preston of South Carolina, to whom I owe precious memorials of the spirit and deeds of the South. The most valuable acquisition of all was the collection of the papers of Samuel Adams, which came to me through the late Samuel Adams Welles. They contain the manuscripts of Samuel Adams, especially drafts of his letters to his many correspondents, and drafts of public documents. They contain also the complete journals of the Boston Committee of Correspondence, drafts of the letters it sent out, and the letters it received, so far as they have been preserved. The papers are very numerous; taken together they unfold the manner in which resistance to Great Britain grew into a sys १ tem, and they perfectly represent the sentiments and the reasonings of the time. They are the more to be prized, as much of the correspondence was secret, and has remained so to this day. If I have failed in giving a lucid narrative of the events which led to the necessity of Independence, it is not for want of diligence in studying the materials, which I have brought together, or of laborious care in arranging them. The strictest attention has been paid to chronological sequence, which can best exhibit the simultaneous action of general causes. The abundance of my collections has enabled me, in some measure, to reproduce the very language of every one of the principal actors in the scenes which I describe, and to represent their conduct from their own point of view. I hope at least it will appear, that I have written with candor, neither exaggerating vices of character, nor reviving national animosities, but rendering a just tribute to virtue wherever found. NEW-YORK, 13th May, 1854. CONTENTS. THE CHARTER OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY IN PERIL. THE FALL OF THE ROCKINGHAM ADMINISTRATION. May-July, 1766. Dissatisfaction of the King and Parliament at the Repeal of the Stamp Act, 3-Weakness of the Ministry, 4-Views of Americans, 5-Events in Mas- sachusetts, 6-Charles Townshend threatens a new System, 9-Altercation with Bernard, 10-Mayhew and Union, 12-Connecticut, 14-South Carolina, Plans of the Rockingham Ministry, 17-Pitt forms an Administration, 18-Displeasure of Rockingham, 22—Character of his Administration, 23— Pitt becomes Earl of Chatham, 24-Choiseul receives a report from his agent, 25-Effect of Chatham's ill-health, 27-Progress of Liberty, 28. Disputes in the Colonies, 30-Paxton sails for England, 32-Plan for Illi- nois, 32-The West, 33-North Carolina, 34-The Regulators, 35-Progress of the dispute in Massachusetts, 38-Shelburne's candor, 39-Gadsden and South Carolina, 42-Rhode Island, 43-New York, 43-Chatham and the Aristocracy, 45-Townshend proposes an American Civil list, 46-He brow- THE BRITISH ARISTOCRACY REDUCE THEIR OWN TAXES.-DEFEAT OF CHATHAM'S ADMINISTRATION BY THE MOSAIC OPPOSITION. January-March, 1767. Hutchinson usurps a seat in Council, 50-Dispute on billeting troops, 51-Shelburne's Colonial policy, 52-Opposed by the king, 55-by factions, 56-by Charles Townshend, 58-Defeat of the Ministry, 59-Earl of Chat- PARLIAMENT WILL HAVE AN AMERICAN ARMY AND AN AMERICAN REVENUE.- Character of Townshend, 62-He rules the Ministry, 63-Bedford in -ish Ministry are misinformed, 68-Conciliation still possible, 69-Townshend unfit to conciliate, 73—He opens his system to Parliament, 75-Strength of the Opposition, 81-Chatham visited by Grafton, 82-Grafton Prime Minister, 83-Jonathan Trumbull, 83-Townshend carries his measures, 84— HOW TOWNSHEND'S AMERICAN TAXES WERE RECEIVED BY FRANCE AND AMERICA. -COALITION OF THE KING AND THE ARISTOCRACY. July-November, 1767. The king governs, 88-Rockingham negotiates with Bedford and Gren- ville, 89-Failure of the Coalition, 92-Policy of Choiseul, 94-Discontent in the Colonies, 96-Death of Townshend, 98-Lord North succeeds him, 100 -The Colonies indignant at the new Taxes, 101-Conduct of Boston, 103- The Bedford Party coalesce with the Ministry, 107-Hillsborough Colo- nial Secretary, 109—His Colonial Policy, 110-His interview with Johnson of Connecticut, 111-He pensions Hutchinson, 116-The Massachusetts As- sembly plan resistance, 117—Their letter of instructions, 121-Their Petition to the King, 123-Their Circular to the Sister Colonies, 125. AN AMERICAN EMPIRE IS IN THE DIVINE DECREES.-HILLSBOROUGH'S ADMINIS- Memorial from the Commissioners of the Revenue, 128-Massachusetts discourages Importations, 129-Du Chatelet goes to England as Ambassador from France, 130-Altercations in Massachusetts, 131-Bernard and the Com- missioners wish the aid of troops, 133-State of the question, 136—Character of the Twelfth Parliament, 137-Temper of the Colonies, 138-Prophecies, 140. Hillsborough orders Massachusetts to rescind its Resolves, 143-Virginia approves the measures of Massachusetts, 146-The Thirteenth Parliament, 147-Progress of opinion in the Colonies, 149-Fresh altercations in Massa- chusetts, 150-Ships and Regiments ordered to Boston, 158. DOES MASSACHUSETTS RESCIND?-HILLSBOROUGH'S ADMINISTRATION CONTINUED. The Romney in Boston Harbor, 154-Riot of the Tenth of June, 155— The Commissioners of the Revenue withdraw from Boston, 157-Boston Town Meeting and Bernard, 158—The Crown Officers report an Insurrection, 160-Instructions of the Town of Boston, 162-The Massachusetts Assembly refuses to rescind, 163—Is dissolved, 165—Progress of Opinion, 166—Choi- seul's projects, 169-Duplicity of Bernard and Hillsborough, 170. The Ministry incensed, 173-Intrigues with Corsica, 175-Policy of the British Cabinet towards America, 176-Boston celebrates the Fourteenth of August, 179-Choiseul's inquisitiveness, 180-Advice of Mansfield and Cam- den, 182 Defects in the judicial system of South Carolina, 183-The Regu- |