Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.
The Boston Circular Letter and the Seeds of War
This day, 250 years-ago, was nothing out of the ordinary at the Colden Store. Monday was generally a busy day, but today there were only seven customers and twelve transactions. Three transactions were purchases of rum. Neal Gillespie deposited a large amount of cash. Benony Brown bought two and one-half yards of Check fabric. He also picked up an order of sundries on John Ostrander's account 'for use of Danial Hains.' The specifics of that order were not given. Tea, Molasses, Wool Cards, and a Scythe were also sold.
What would happen on this day, eight years in the future, would be extra-ordinary.
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This article is one in a series of a daily accountings of Colden Store transactions. Be sure you read the first installment for an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.
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Eight years prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the stage for conflict with Britain was being set. The July 4, 1768 edition of the New-York Gazette and Weekly Mercury described the arrival of the King's response to the Massachusetts Bay Colony's grievances. These grievances had been sent to the King via a packet boat in February of this year.
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| Excerpts from July 11, 1768 edition of the N-Y Weekly Mercury starting with the Letter from the Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony to his House of Representatives. He attached the King's 'Requisition' that they rescind their letter of grievances sent to their sister colonies. The House voted 'in the negative' to this request. Lastly, they confirmed in a letter to the Governor that the new Revenue Acts (Intoloerable Acts) were 'an unsupportable burden.' Accessed at genealogybank.com |
Massachusetts had also shared their complaint with the Speakers of the Assemblies of all of the North American colonies. The King found this "a most dangerous and factious Tendency" and requested that they rescind the letter. He also threatened to send troops to enforce the so-named Intolerable Acts if the Bostonians failed to comply.
On June 30th, the Massachusetts Bay Assembly responded to the royally-appointed Governor, that they would not rescind their letter. (This letter would not appear in print until the July 11 edition of the Mercury)
The seeds of independence, planted years earlier, had taken root and were about to explode in Massachusetts.
In New York City, life proceeded pretty much as normal. The concert and fireworks (3rd in the series) were still planned for this evening at 8 p.m. at Ranelagh Gardens for two shillings [July 4, 1768, New-York Weekly Mercury, p. 3].
Copies of the New York papers would probably not reach Coldengham for a few more days. The customers of Colden's store may have discussed the tension in Boston in their churches and taverns, but the fall-out from this conflict was yet to affect them.
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