Massachusetts Convention of Towns
- When
- 1768
- Where
- Faneuil Hall, Boston; Convention deliberations concerning Castle William; London
- Episodes
- 5
The Massachusetts Convention of Towns met in Boston from September 22–29, 1768, an extralegal assembly of delegates from 96 towns responding to news that British troops would soon arrive. Delegates gathered at Faneuil Hall, weighed options including seizing Castle William, and ultimately adopted mild resolutions objecting to the troops rather than militant action. A rumor of open rebellion nonetheless spread through London.
Episodes
- Boston town meeting resolves against a standing army
Boston met at Faneuil Hall on September 12–13, 1768, declaring a standing army without consent unconstitutional and calling a province-wide conference.
- Convention of Towns assembles in Boston
Delegates from 96 towns and 8 districts converged on Boston on September 22, 1768, meeting at Faneuil Hall to discuss responses to arriving British troops.
- Delegates discuss seizing Castle William
Among other options, convention delegates discussed taking over Castle William, which was occupied by Massachusetts militiamen rather than British troops.
- Rumor of Massachusetts rebellion reaches London
Before the convention ended, a rumor spread through London that Massachusetts was openly rebelling and had called up the militia to fight the British.
- Convention endorses mild resolutions and disbands
The conservatives won out, and the delegates endorsed a series of mild resolutions objecting to the troops before disbanding on September 29, 1768.
Background and detail
Background. In February 1768 the Massachusetts House of Representatives issued a circular letter denouncing the Townshend Acts and sent it to the other colonies. Governor Bernard urged the British ministry to send troops to Boston to rescue the government from what he called a trained mob, and on September 3 he unofficially let it be known that British troops would soon be arriving.
Boston Town Meeting and the Call for a Convention. Led by Samuel Adams, James Otis Jr., and Joseph Warren, Boston held a town meeting at Faneuil Hall on September 12 and 13, with Otis as moderator. The meeting declared garrisoning a standing army among them without consent unconstitutional, vowed to defend their rights as British subjects at the utmost peril of their lives and fortunes, and resolved to hold a province-wide conference starting on the 22nd, appointing Otis, Adams, Hancock, and Thomas Cushing to the organizing committee. The selectmen then sent a circular letter inviting towns to send delegates.
The Convention. Delegates from 96 Massachusetts towns and 8 districts began converging in Boston on September 22, 1768, gathering in Faneuil Hall to discuss their options. Slightly more than half the delegates were the same men who had represented their towns in the Massachusetts House earlier that year. The overall tone was considerably more conservative than that of the Boston town meeting; among other things, delegates discussed the possibility of taking over Castle William, which was held by Massachusetts militiamen rather than British troops.
Outcome and Aftermath. The conservatives won out, and the delegates endorsed a series of mild resolutions before disbanding. Before the convention ended, a rumor spread through London that Massachusetts was openly rebelling and had called up the militia to fight the British. Historian Richard D. Brown argues that the convention's very existence shows a revolutionary attitude spreading through Massachusetts, as most politically active towns were ready to defy the governor by attending an extralegal assembly.
People involved
- Samuel Adams · Boston town meeting leader and convention organizing committee member
- James Otis Jr. · Boston town meeting moderator and convention organizing committee member
- Joseph Warren · Boston town meeting leader
- Thomas Cushing · Convention organizing committee member
- Governor Bernard · Royal governor who urged the British ministry to send troops to Boston
Sources
- Massachusetts Convention of Towns Wikipedia
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.