The law was perfectly clear. The three tea-laden whalers, merchant vessels flying the flag of his Britannic Majesty King George III, had 20 days to unload their cargo and pay the duties lest the ships and cargo be seized by royal authorities. A great drama was playing out up and down colonial America’s port towns of Charleston, New York and Philadelphia. Tax collectors were refusing to collect duties and enforce the monopoly of the East India Company to dump low-cost tea into the American market with preferential treatments at the expense of American merchants, sailors and laborers. The duties known as the Tea Act were imposed by fiat, without representation and they were despised and opposed. Without anyone to unload the cargo of British merchant vessels laden with East India Company Tea, or any merchants that would sell it, the solution to the quagmire was a simple accommodation. The ships that could not be unloaded were turned around and left before their property could be confiscated under the law.
Thank you for an excellent, concise reminder of our history. As an aside, that Franklin was 85 years old in 1787, active in the creation and fulfillment of our Constitution in Philadelphia's hot, suffocating Independence Hall, should give pause to the many who claim that, Americans in their 80s today, are too old to govern.
“Franklin invented bifocals, and the lightning rod as part of ground-breaking experiments with electricity, paper money, the existence of the Gulf Stream, the first public libraries, insurance companies, volunteer fire departments and dozens of other public institutions that remain recognizable anchors of modern civil society.”
Excellent history lesson Steve. Little known fact: Franklin also invented the first unitary catheter for his brother James, who suffered from kidney stones.
Additionally, let’s not forget that the East India Tea Company monopoly, and the Tea Act was just the last straw. Other major factors of the war included; greater restrictions of the colonies, and more importantly, forcing rhetorical colonies to pay England for its defense during the French and Indian War.
Causes of the Revolutionary War: Taxation without representation. The Stamp Act, Townshend Act, and these Intolerable Acts taxed colonists without consent through Parliament.
Bottom line: the colonies were at a breaking point!…:)
"'A republic if you can keep it,' replied Benjamin Franklin." Hear, hear!!
Application to recent times:
- We've fought two great wars in order to keep our Republic - the Civil War, and World War II.
- One against an internal foe, the other against an external foe.
- Both times with tremendous loss of life.
- We're currently in another internal war - against those that would have us turn fascist/authoritarian.
- Hopefully we'll only have to expend a tremendous amount of emotional and intellectual energy to win and keep our Republic this time; but win we must!
In sum, thank you Steve. Having taught American history for more than 20 years, I strove to share the passion I have for America's "David and Goliath" origin story with students. I agree we, as Americans, are obligated to know the details of how a fractured and disparate collection of immigrant citizens, enslaved Africans, and descendants of Europeans, who could trace their roots back not even two centuries, could unite, much less prevail, over the planet's superpower, England, as to which, before 7/2/1776, they were British subjects. Your thoughtful and rich passage today manifests why I barely have read fiction in the past 40 years. The best stories are those which really happened. America's story is almost not credible, yet true. It has inspired countless nations and humans to achieve the ideals framed by the Committee of Five which drafted the most momentous "DearJohn" letter in history. Our governing documents provide me with a sense of pride for which I deserve no credit; however, tragically they firm the basis of my deep disappointment and sometimes genuine anger regarding the movement led by someone whom I doubt can recite even a fraction of what you have graciously shared today and which poses a threat as great as that which almost caused our demise in Lincoln's time. Thank you for allowing me a respite to the profound concerns I have regarding our great experiment and nation to feel that pride as a woman fortunate to be born in America. May God truly continue to bless and sustain us.
There are many benefits that I have received from my subscription to The Warning, but it is this kind of detailed historical telling about how the country came to be that I feel particularly enriched by..Thank you Steve for sharing this story about Dr. Franklin..
Steve, I want to thank you for your beautifully written piece on Franklin's role in the lead up to the American Revolution. You took us back to that period in our history in a way I must admit, I'd never fully grasped prior to your piece. It's a really moving account of the incredibly vital role that Franklin played in ours and the world's history. Thank you.
I had my first visit to Independence Hall this past September. In Philly for a sports event and added some hours to make the visit. My family and I wated in the rain as the line to enter slowly made its way to the door. The rain and wait made tempting to change plans, but did not. Standing inside I closed my eyes and breathed deeply and truly felt the weight of what transpired within those walls. The incredible brilliance, insight and patience of the men gathered there. I shall never regret or forget my visit. Independence Hall must be visited by all Americans.
Fantastic -- I needed to be reminded of this history on this early Saturday morning after yet another distressing week watching our institutions fail to protect our Republic. Can we keep it? Indeed.
Just beautiful Steve. Almost felt like I was there. I learned things about Benjamin Franklin I didn't even know. My biggest takeaway that I can use going forward in my work was how old he was. I love that part. Too bad the Biden campaign couldn't use some of that too. Thanks again for another excellent essay. ❤️🇺🇸💙
Clint Eastwood was asked, “What is your secret to doing such great work late in life?
Eastwood answered,
At about 49, a man starts getting a knock on the door of his heart. He hears a voice that says things like, “You need to start taking fewer risks. You could get hurt. You can’t do the things you used to do when you were younger.” When you hear the knock, don’t let the old man in.
This was nice. One of the great things about growing up in New Jersey was the Revolutionary War sites that abounded.
You had the well-known ones like Washington’s Winter Headquarters in Morristown and the Monmouth Battlefield and the Princeton Battlefield and the Trenton Barracks. But you also had sites of small skirmishes and also endeavors to boot the Brits out.
There was Ringwood where ironworkers fashioned a great chain to lay across a river to block British ships. There was the Batso furnace hidden in the Pine Barrens that forged cannons. I saw cannonballs lodged in an old Quaker Church in Chesterfield. There was fiery Thomas Paine’s home that I walked past all of the time in Bordentown. The history was real in old New Jersey.
Thank you for these fascinating historical details. The US history I learned in school was extremely abbreviated. Franklin was truly a Renaissance Man. When reading your "It is miraculous and the birthright of every human being who is so fortunate to be able to call themselves an American," I was going to make a judgemental comment on the fact that it wasn't "every human being", since Black men and all women weren't included as recipients of these inalienable rights... but you did mention later on the lack of perfection and the mechanisms for improvement over time, so..... I'll let it go :-). As you say, it's too easy to judge the past.
Thank you for an excellent, concise reminder of our history. As an aside, that Franklin was 85 years old in 1787, active in the creation and fulfillment of our Constitution in Philadelphia's hot, suffocating Independence Hall, should give pause to the many who claim that, Americans in their 80s today, are too old to govern.
“Franklin invented bifocals, and the lightning rod as part of ground-breaking experiments with electricity, paper money, the existence of the Gulf Stream, the first public libraries, insurance companies, volunteer fire departments and dozens of other public institutions that remain recognizable anchors of modern civil society.”
Excellent history lesson Steve. Little known fact: Franklin also invented the first unitary catheter for his brother James, who suffered from kidney stones.
Additionally, let’s not forget that the East India Tea Company monopoly, and the Tea Act was just the last straw. Other major factors of the war included; greater restrictions of the colonies, and more importantly, forcing rhetorical colonies to pay England for its defense during the French and Indian War.
Causes of the Revolutionary War: Taxation without representation. The Stamp Act, Townshend Act, and these Intolerable Acts taxed colonists without consent through Parliament.
Bottom line: the colonies were at a breaking point!…:)
Another great history lesson Steve.
"'A republic if you can keep it,' replied Benjamin Franklin." Hear, hear!!
Application to recent times:
- We've fought two great wars in order to keep our Republic - the Civil War, and World War II.
- One against an internal foe, the other against an external foe.
- Both times with tremendous loss of life.
- We're currently in another internal war - against those that would have us turn fascist/authoritarian.
- Hopefully we'll only have to expend a tremendous amount of emotional and intellectual energy to win and keep our Republic this time; but win we must!
In sum, thank you Steve. Having taught American history for more than 20 years, I strove to share the passion I have for America's "David and Goliath" origin story with students. I agree we, as Americans, are obligated to know the details of how a fractured and disparate collection of immigrant citizens, enslaved Africans, and descendants of Europeans, who could trace their roots back not even two centuries, could unite, much less prevail, over the planet's superpower, England, as to which, before 7/2/1776, they were British subjects. Your thoughtful and rich passage today manifests why I barely have read fiction in the past 40 years. The best stories are those which really happened. America's story is almost not credible, yet true. It has inspired countless nations and humans to achieve the ideals framed by the Committee of Five which drafted the most momentous "DearJohn" letter in history. Our governing documents provide me with a sense of pride for which I deserve no credit; however, tragically they firm the basis of my deep disappointment and sometimes genuine anger regarding the movement led by someone whom I doubt can recite even a fraction of what you have graciously shared today and which poses a threat as great as that which almost caused our demise in Lincoln's time. Thank you for allowing me a respite to the profound concerns I have regarding our great experiment and nation to feel that pride as a woman fortunate to be born in America. May God truly continue to bless and sustain us.
OMG!! If every American would read that heart and soul stirring account of how our country came to be, how could they even tolerate a man like Trump.
Thanks Steve. If only more of our children were really taught American history .
There are many benefits that I have received from my subscription to The Warning, but it is this kind of detailed historical telling about how the country came to be that I feel particularly enriched by..Thank you Steve for sharing this story about Dr. Franklin..
Steve, I want to thank you for your beautifully written piece on Franklin's role in the lead up to the American Revolution. You took us back to that period in our history in a way I must admit, I'd never fully grasped prior to your piece. It's a really moving account of the incredibly vital role that Franklin played in ours and the world's history. Thank you.
I had my first visit to Independence Hall this past September. In Philly for a sports event and added some hours to make the visit. My family and I wated in the rain as the line to enter slowly made its way to the door. The rain and wait made tempting to change plans, but did not. Standing inside I closed my eyes and breathed deeply and truly felt the weight of what transpired within those walls. The incredible brilliance, insight and patience of the men gathered there. I shall never regret or forget my visit. Independence Hall must be visited by all Americans.
Fascinating history lesson Steve. I’m not American so especially interesting for me.
Hard to believe that today there are so many who are prepared to throw all of this away. Shameful, really.
Steve -
Fantastic -- I needed to be reminded of this history on this early Saturday morning after yet another distressing week watching our institutions fail to protect our Republic. Can we keep it? Indeed.
Thank you Steve for your excellent and truly thought provoking piece. I am so glad I’ve subscribed to The Warning. Please carry on sir!
Just beautiful Steve. Almost felt like I was there. I learned things about Benjamin Franklin I didn't even know. My biggest takeaway that I can use going forward in my work was how old he was. I love that part. Too bad the Biden campaign couldn't use some of that too. Thanks again for another excellent essay. ❤️🇺🇸💙
Clint Eastwood was asked, “What is your secret to doing such great work late in life?
Eastwood answered,
At about 49, a man starts getting a knock on the door of his heart. He hears a voice that says things like, “You need to start taking fewer risks. You could get hurt. You can’t do the things you used to do when you were younger.” When you hear the knock, don’t let the old man in.
Thanks for the article Steve.
This was nice. One of the great things about growing up in New Jersey was the Revolutionary War sites that abounded.
You had the well-known ones like Washington’s Winter Headquarters in Morristown and the Monmouth Battlefield and the Princeton Battlefield and the Trenton Barracks. But you also had sites of small skirmishes and also endeavors to boot the Brits out.
There was Ringwood where ironworkers fashioned a great chain to lay across a river to block British ships. There was the Batso furnace hidden in the Pine Barrens that forged cannons. I saw cannonballs lodged in an old Quaker Church in Chesterfield. There was fiery Thomas Paine’s home that I walked past all of the time in Bordentown. The history was real in old New Jersey.
Thank you for these fascinating historical details. The US history I learned in school was extremely abbreviated. Franklin was truly a Renaissance Man. When reading your "It is miraculous and the birthright of every human being who is so fortunate to be able to call themselves an American," I was going to make a judgemental comment on the fact that it wasn't "every human being", since Black men and all women weren't included as recipients of these inalienable rights... but you did mention later on the lack of perfection and the mechanisms for improvement over time, so..... I'll let it go :-). As you say, it's too easy to judge the past.