WEBVTT NOTE 15. The Newport Case 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.080 Volume 3, Chapter 15, The Newport Case 2 00:00:05.080 --> 00:00:08.880 Enforcement troubles in Rhode Island began promptly. 3 00:00:08.880 --> 00:00:14.240 The assembly forbade the governor from swearing in any customs officials. 4 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:18.760 And after John Temple, Surveyor General of the Customs at Boston, 5 00:00:18.760 --> 00:00:23.880 seized the ship Rhoda at Newport for engaging in illegal trade, 6 00:00:23.880 --> 00:00:29.160 a party of citizens loaded the cargo at night and put the ship to sea. 7 00:00:29.160 --> 00:00:34.960 The Rota, incidentally, was owned by a judge of the Rhode Island Superior Court. 8 00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:41.600 In a more important case, John Robinson, in the spring of 1764, seized a vessel and cargo 9 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:47.520 of sugar that had, in turn, been seized by a British naval officer. Robinson took the 10 00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:53.000 cargo to Rhode Island's Admiralty Court, which superbly thwarted the collector by selling 11 00:00:53.000 --> 00:01:07.600 In March 1765, moreover, Robinson and his deputy, John Nicholl, seized the vessels Wayne 12 00:01:07.600 --> 00:01:14.200 Scott and Nellie for possessing illegal molasses and took the case to the Rhode Island Admiralty 13 00:01:14.200 --> 00:01:21.720 Court. The judge, John Andrews, and the prosecutor or king's advocate, James Honeyman, were both 14 00:01:21.720 --> 00:01:27.680 Both native Rhode Islanders, and both highly sympathetic to the merchants. They did their 15 00:01:27.680 --> 00:01:35.020 best to thwart the whole proceeding. Witnesses were not summoned and were permitted to escape. 16 00:01:35.020 --> 00:01:40.200 Honeymen refused to attend the trial, and finally Judge Andrews acquitted both of the 17 00:01:40.200 --> 00:01:46.640 ships. When Robinson and Nickell complained to England of this treatment, Judge Andrews 18 00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:53.680 Judge Andrews retaliated swiftly, suing the customs officers in Common Law Court for defamation. 19 00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:59.420 Judge Andrews won the case and proceeded to sue Robinson for complaining to the governor. 20 00:01:59.420 --> 00:02:04.920 Such cases being typical in Rhode Island, the judge and the king's advocate effectively 21 00:02:04.920 --> 00:02:10.480 stymied the royal customs officials in that province. 22 00:02:10.480 --> 00:02:18.680 When, therefore, John Robinson seized the ship Polly in April 1765 for smuggling molasses, 23 00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:24.640 he should not have been surprised to receive the full treatment from populace and judiciary 24 00:02:24.640 --> 00:02:31.800 alike. In fact, here was an excellent example of cooperation in obstruction between the 25 00:02:31.800 --> 00:02:39.760 citizens of Rhode Island and neighboring Massachusetts. The vessel was seized at Dighton on the Massachusetts 26 00:02:39.760 --> 00:02:55.760 The first step for Robinson and his aides was to have a crew bring the Polly to Newport to be condemned in court, but they could find no one indicted to serve on such an obnoxious voyage. 27 00:02:55.760 --> 00:03:01.760 That night a large group of citizens carried away the whole cargo and grounded the sloop. 28 00:03:01.760 --> 00:03:08.120 Robinson's two aides found it healthier not to interfere, and when warned by the local 29 00:03:08.120 --> 00:03:14.560 justice of the peace of further rebellious action by the mob, they scurried back to Newport. 30 00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:19.780 And a cruise sent by Robinson to bring the Polly to Newport was sent fleeing back by 31 00:03:19.780 --> 00:03:23.680 a turbulent crowd of about a hundred people. 32 00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:28.680 Hearing the news of the popular resistance, John Robinson gathered an armed force of British 33 00:03:58.680 --> 00:04:05.380 Robinson arrived in Dayton, then he was arrested and sued for 3,000 pounds in damages by Job 34 00:04:05.380 --> 00:04:13.160 Smith for seizing his vessel, the poly, and its cargo. The suit would eventually be superseded 35 00:04:13.160 --> 00:04:19.560 by justification for probable cause in Vice Admiralty Court, but meanwhile Robinson was 36 00:04:19.560 --> 00:04:26.720 taken to Taunton, Massachusetts to the jeers and threats of the populace. Without friends 37 00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:31.440 Forced to stand bail, Robinson was forced to spend the night in jail until bailed out 38 00:04:31.440 --> 00:04:33.160 by John Temple. 39 00:04:33.160 --> 00:04:39.960 Meanwhile, Robinson ranted that the wretch Smith was deserving of the severest treatment 40 00:04:39.960 --> 00:04:42.880 that the law could inflict. 41 00:04:42.880 --> 00:04:49.560 At Taunton, it was again justices of the peace who obstructed Robinson's efforts at enforcement. 42 00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:56.600 Finally, Robinson called on a British warship and re-seized the poly. 43 00:04:56.600 --> 00:05:02.600 Acted strongly by Temple, he then lashed out at the Rhode Islanders by taking the case 44 00:05:02.600 --> 00:05:10.960 to court at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Not only remote, Halifax was in a militarily held domain 45 00:05:10.960 --> 00:05:17.400 as well. Resentment in the colony also piled up against the British fleet, both for its 46 00:05:17.400 --> 00:05:24.480 enforcing activities and for impressing colonial seamen into the Royal Fleet. The impressment 47 00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:31.680 issue burst forth in the summer of 1764. Three crewmembers of the British naval schooner, 48 00:05:31.680 --> 00:05:39.160 St. John, came ashore and stole some pigs and chickens from Newport citizens. The Newporters 49 00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:45.020 were incensed to find that the sheriff rowing out to arrest the thieves was prevented from 50 00:05:45.020 --> 00:05:50.880 boarding the St. John. The same day, one of the ships' impressed seamen managed to escape 51 00:05:50.880 --> 00:05:58.360 to Newport, and the St. John sent out an armed party to recapture him on the charge of desertion. 52 00:05:58.360 --> 00:06:04.120 This outrage was too much for the people of Newport. When the armed party landed, a Newport 53 00:06:04.120 --> 00:06:09.960 mob promptly seized the commanding officer, giving him a little taste of impressment in 54 00:06:09.960 --> 00:06:16.780 reverse, and stoned and drove off the rest of his men. In retaliation for the warship's 55 00:06:16.780 --> 00:06:32.780 In this defiance of the civil sheriff, two members of the Rhode Island Council ordered the gunners at the Fort to shell the St. John, as it left port that day, and fifty other New Porters enthusiastically joined in the firing. 56 00:06:32.780 --> 00:06:45.780 Such incidents polarized the conflict on both sides. Thus, the Rhode Island Council chastised the gunners for not trying conscientiously to sink the warship. 57 00:06:45.780 --> 00:06:51.380 In the meanwhile, Captain Richard Smith of the Royal Navy was urging the British government 58 00:06:51.380 --> 00:06:59.460 to use this act of insurrection as a means of a coerced change of government in this licentious 59 00:06:59.460 --> 00:07:08.260 republic. At about the same time, the British schooner Chalour impressed some fishermen off 60 00:07:08.260 --> 00:07:15.540 Long Island in New York. The Chalour's master was threatened with death if the men were retained. 61 00:07:15.780 --> 00:07:19.020 and so the victims were released the next day. 62 00:07:19.020 --> 00:07:28.020 Notwithstanding, a New York City mob seized a boat from the chalour and burned it ceremoniously in front of City Hall. 63 00:07:28.020 --> 00:07:34.020 Thus the impressment issue kindled opposition to Britain in the colonies. 64 00:07:34.020 --> 00:07:47.020 The explosive issue of impressment, or at least forced conscription, into the Navy was also involved in a clash off New England in December 1764. 65 00:07:47.020 --> 00:07:58.020 Officers of the British warships Signet and Jamaica forcibly boarded a passenger ship off New England looking for deserters from the Navy. 66 00:07:58.020 --> 00:08:04.500 The passengers rose to their own defense and managed to throw several of the officers overboard. 67 00:08:04.500 --> 00:08:10.100 The fight ended when an officer ran through one of the passengers with his sword, a finale 68 00:08:10.100 --> 00:08:16.880 that incensed the citizens of Newport when the signet put into port shortly afterward. 69 00:08:16.880 --> 00:08:23.100 A more directly rebellious act by Newporters against the Crown over in Pressman occurred 70 00:08:23.100 --> 00:08:31.100 in the spring of 1765. The royal ship Maidstone had arrived at Newport at the end of the previous 71 00:08:31.100 --> 00:08:39.060 year and proceeded to conscript colonial sailors at a furious pace. Indeed, the Maidstone men 72 00:08:39.060 --> 00:08:45.460 even broke an agreement not to seize Newport townspeople. Trade was crippled out of fear 73 00:08:45.460 --> 00:08:51.940 of losing crews to impressment, and fishermen refused to venture forth about their business. 74 00:08:51.940 --> 00:09:02.940 The people of Newport decided to take positive measures to defend life and property against these outrages by England. 75 00:09:02.940 --> 00:09:08.940 On June 4, the Maidstone officers impressed the full crew of a ship. 76 00:09:08.940 --> 00:09:14.940 A furious mob of 500 seized one of the Maidstone's boats and burned it completely. 77 00:09:14.940 --> 00:09:20.180 completely. Lieutenant Jenkins of the Royal Vessel was seized by the crowd and almost 78 00:09:20.180 --> 00:09:26.420 killed until cooler and more timorous heads prevailed. A few weeks later the Maidstone 79 00:09:26.420 --> 00:09:32.220 finally bowed to pressures coming from the masses, up to and including Governor Samuel 80 00:09:32.220 --> 00:09:39.900 Ward, and released all the impressed and kidnapped Rhode Islanders. The British officials, 81 00:09:39.900 --> 00:09:46.260 The Maidstone's captain and the Customs officers wrote to England complaining of the form ending 82 00:09:46.260 --> 00:09:52.320 of violent resistance to England by the Rhode Island officials, who being democratically 83 00:09:52.320 --> 00:09:58.720 elected would be turned out of office if they behaved otherwise. The attack on the Maidstone 84 00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:04.500 stemmed from the lawlessness of the people and from the principles of the constitution 85 00:10:04.500 --> 00:10:09.800 of the government, which is the most popular that can be formed. 86 00:10:09.800 --> 00:10:15.640 The merchants also reacted to the Sugar Act and the enforcement of mercantilist restrictions 87 00:10:15.640 --> 00:10:21.320 by trying to encourage self-sufficiency in manufacturing in the colonies. This reaction 88 00:10:21.320 --> 00:10:27.440 at first was meant not as pressure on Britain to repeal the Sugar Act, but simply as a means 89 00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:33.320 of reducing dependence on a foreign trade that was now crippled. Wealthy merchants of New 90 00:10:33.320 --> 00:10:39.760 New York and Boston formed associations and advanced capital for spinning factories and 91 00:10:39.760 --> 00:10:47.560 whisky distilleries to replace rum and planned to increase wool manufacture. Concerted movements 92 00:10:47.560 --> 00:10:55.500 arose in Boston, New York, New Haven and Elizabeth to abstain from luxury imports and substitute 93 00:10:55.500 --> 00:11:01.940 American products. In Boston, an association formed by some counselors, representatives 94 00:11:01.940 --> 00:11:08.900 and others pledged a boycott of British manufacturers and of the consumption of lamb in order to 95 00:11:08.900 --> 00:11:16.640 help domestic woolens. Leading liberals in New York formed in late 1764 a Society for 96 00:11:16.640 --> 00:11:24.420 the Promotion of Arts, Agriculture and Economy of New York City to promote these aims. Included 97 00:11:24.420 --> 00:11:31.140 Among the founders was the eminent radical triumvirate of William Livingston, William 98 00:11:31.140 --> 00:11:38.640 Smith Jr., and John Moran Scott, as well as Philip Livingston, Frederick Phillips, and 99 00:11:38.640 --> 00:11:46.400 James Duane. All these popular actions tended to unite the people against British legislation. 100 00:11:46.400 --> 00:11:51.660 The upshot of the trade restrictions, aided by the check on inflation imposed by the British 101 00:11:51.660 --> 00:12:01.660 The British Currency Act of 1764, in areas south of New England, was a severe business depression in the colonies. 102 00:12:01.660 --> 00:12:15.660 Evidences of severe depression appeared by the spring of 1764 in Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Boston, New Hampshire, Philadelphia, Maryland and Virginia. 103 00:12:15.660 --> 00:12:27.660 In Boston, the bankruptcy of Nathaniel Wheelwright, one of New England's leading merchants, in January 1765, was a severe blow to business confidence. 104 00:12:27.660 --> 00:12:38.660 The Virginia planters, heavily indebted to English merchants, were in particularly bad straits, with the price of tobacco declining sharply.