SSStttooonnnyyy BBBrrrooooookkk UUUnnniiivvveeerrrsssiiitttyyy The official electronic file of this thesis or dissertation is maintained by the University Libraries on behalf of The Graduate School at Stony Brook University. ©©© AAAllllll RRRiiiggghhhtttsss RRReeessseeerrrvvveeeddd bbbyyy AAAuuuttthhhooorrr... The Sense of the City: Politics and Culture in Pre-Revolutionary New York City A Dissertation Presented by Luke John Feder to The Graduate School in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History Stony Brook University December 2010 Copyright by Luke John Feder 2010 Stony Brook University The Graduate School Luke John Feder We, the dissertation committee for the above candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree, hereby recommend acceptance of this dissertation. Ned C. Landsman — Dissertation Advisor Professor, Department of History Donna J. Rilling — Chairperson of the Defense Associate Professor, Department of History Kathleen Wilson Professor, Department of History Andrew Newman Assistant Professor, Department of English, Stony Brook University This dissertation is accepted by the Graduate School Lawrence Martin Dean of the Graduate School ii Abstract of the Dissertation The Sense of the City: Politics and Culture in Pre-Revolutionary New York City by Luke John Feder Doctor of Philosophy in History Stony Brook University 2010 This dissertation explores how political partisanship and local understandings of British political culture shaped New York City’s reaction to the revolutionary crisis of the 1760s and 1770s. I investigate how the Livingston faction, DeLancey faction, and Sons of Liberty each attempted to define and manipulate “the sense of the city” to suit its private agenda. In the eighteenth century, “the sense of the city” and other similar phrases stood for public opinion. For this study, however, I push the term beyond public opinion and also use it to unpack how New Yorkers made and unmade the practices, rules, rituals, and symbols that existed within their local political culture. Therefore, “the sense of the city” became a contentious notion in which partisans vied with one another in order to gain as well as to sway the political hearts and minds of the general populace. I examine newspapers, pamphlets, broadsides, literature, poetry, journals, letters, and other personal papers in order to reconstruct the city’s political milieu during five key iii episodes. First, I explore street theater and partisan politics during the Stamp Act Crisis (1765-1766). Second, I investigate the role of the legal profession and anti-lawyer propaganda during the election of 1768. Third, I examine the political tensions between Anglicans and dissenting Protestants during the election of 1769. Fourth, I scrutinize the political ascendancy of Alexander McDougall who became known as the “Wilkes of America.” Lastly, I examine consumer politics and attitudes towards nascent capitalism in the events surrounding the Townshend Revenue Acts (1767) and Tea Act (1773). My dissertation questions some of the recent trends in early American political history and presents a more nuanced understanding of political culture in pre-Revolutionary New York City. iv For my grandmothers and in memory of my grandfathers. TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements viii Introduction 1 I. “A Storm Was Rising”: The Making of the Stamp Act Crisis 25 “Everything Is Tumbling Down” 28 “The Stamps Themselves, Intended to Enslave Us” 35 The Sons of Liberty 50 “A Most Hideous Din” 64 II. “No Lawyer in the Assembly!”: The Legal Profession and the Election of 1768 69 Merchants v. Lawyers 75 The Defense 81 The Prosecution 86 “If The Same Man Be Both a Lawyer and a Dissenter, He Is a Devil” 96 The Election and Aftermath 106 III. “No Churchman”: Religious Politics and the Election of 1769 111 “The Most Violent Heats and Animosities” 114 “A Snake in the Grass” 118 Dissenters versus Anglicans 126 Reciprocity and Re-Election 136 The Election and Aftermath 143 IV. “We Have a Wilkes of Our Own”: Alexander McDougal and the Quartering Act 150 The Betrayed Inhabitants 153 “A Wilkes Suffering for the Good of His Country” 164 Wilkite Rituals and Symbols 173 “Transposition and Alteration” 181 “Vanished Into Air” 187 vi V. “Not As Slaves, But As Freemen, Our Money We’ll Give”: Consumer Politics and the Townshend Revenue Acts 192 Revisiting Non-Importation 195 Popular Protests and Mobilization 206 “Enemies to this Country” 213 “The Sense of a Few” 217 “No Duty On Tea” 227 Epilogue 239 Bibliography 245 vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Throughout my undergraduate and graduate years, I have incurred many debts—both scholarly and personal—in order to reach this point. My graduate studies would have never occurred if it weren’t for the amazing professors I had as an undergraduate at Eastern Connecticut State University. In particular, I would like to thank Emil Pocock, Barbara M. Tucker, James E. Lacey, Nicole Krassas, and Christopher Vasillopulos. Special thanks goes to Dr. Pocock who first got me interested in early American history and who is the reason that I write with any clarity and grace. I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Tucker who was one of my biggest champions during my undergraduate years. The idea for this dissertation first came into existence when I decided to write a paper on the Stamp Act riots for Gary Marker’s research seminar. I also had the pleasure of taking Gary’s dissertation prospectus workshop a few years later. I wrote an early version of Chapter Four for a research seminar taught by Elizabeth Garber. I would like to thank my classmates from the research seminars and prospectus workshop. I also had the benefit of taking Herman Lebovics and Christopher Sellers’ co-taught core seminar, which made a substantial impression on a naïve, first-year grad student and shaped the way I write and think about history. Over the years, I have also learned valuable lessons about scholarship and teaching from other members of the SUNY-Stony Brook faculty—especially Joel T. Rosenthal, Wilbur R. Miller, Harry Denny, and David Maynard. Dave deserves special distinction as my favorite boss for my time with the Freshman Learning Communities Program. For two years, I had the good fortune of having visiting scholar status with the University of Pennsylvania, which helped tremendously with my investigation of print sources. I would also like to thank the staffs at the New-York Historical Society and Melville Library at SUNY-Stony Brook. Over the years, I have learned the teaching trade and received financial support from the Department of History, the Program in Writing and Rhetoric, and the Freshman Learning Communities Program at SUNY-Stony Brook as well as the Department of American Studies at SUNY College at Old Westbury. I presented an early version of Chapter Four at the History Department’s Colloquium Series. Early versions of Chapters Two and Three were presented at the Early American/Atlantic Studies Work Group at SUNY-Stony Brook. I would like to thank the audiences at both of those events. Several of my graduate colleagues have read portions of this dissertation, raised questions, and offered advice. I would like to thank Dr. Kraig Larkin, Sarah Marchesano, Daniel Woulfin, Lynn Rubin, Annette Cramer Van Den Bogaart-Ricciardi, and Melixa Abad-Izquierdo. On occasions too numerous to count, I have also had the pleasure of good food, good drink, and good conversation with Sarah Marchesano, James Nichols, Matthew L. Sisk, Kraig Larkin, Daniel Woulfin, Lynn Rubin, Hilary Aquino, Peter Sidoriak, Adam Johnson, and Michael and Randi Colanero. My friends on Long Island have provided an amazing support system throughout my years as a grad student. I would like to thank my dissertation committee, Ned C. Landsman, Donna J. Rilling, Kathleen Wilson, and Andrew Newman. Over the years as my advisor, Ned has read countless drafts of papers and chapters. His critical eye has saved me from many embarrassing mistakes. He has also reshaped my understanding of early American history. I would like to thank Donna for also being a wonderful mentor to me—especially during the early days of graduate school. I never had the pleasure of taking a class with Kathleen, but I feel fortunate for having gotten to work with her on this dissertation. Her book, The Sense of the People: Politics, Culture and Imperialism in England, 1715-1785, helped to inspire my fascination with political culture as well as the title to this dissertation. I thank Drew for agreeing to be my outside reader and for bringing a much-needed literary perspective to the dissertation. I thank them as a whole for their questions, comments, and critiques. Any mistakes that remain are my own. I would like to thank my parents, Robert and Yvonne, for their love and support. They have always encouraged me to further my education. My little sister, Stefanie, has become a wonderful friend to me. I would also like to thank my parents-in-law, Irwin and Judith Fein, especially Judy who always asked for my daily page count. My brother- in-law, Jonathan, has been a good source of much needed distraction. Kaylee and Noah with mischievous cheer kept me company through the long hours of writing. I would like to thank my wife, Jamie, for her love and encouragement through the highs and lows of writing this dissertation. Lastly, this dissertation is dedicated to my grandmothers, Marta Zych and Lois Feder, for their love and generosity. It is also dedicated in memory of my grandfathers, Stefan Zych and William Feder, Jr., who I wish could have seen me realize my dream. 1 INTRODUCTION One week in April 1774, the residents of New York City had the displeasure of seeing the arrival of two freights, the Nancy and the London, loaded with tea from London. On the night of April 18, the first ship crept into the waters of Lower New York Bay and anchored itself near Sandy Hook, New Jersey.