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Seco nd class 52 PO WER STREET, PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND postage paid at Providence, Rhode Island . 02906 and printed by a gran t of the STATE or RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE The Rhode Island HistoricalSociety assumes no responsi. PLANTATIONS, Philip W . Noel, Governor. bility fOT opinions of ,on/ribulars. Duncan Hunter Mauran, president George C Davis, via presidtnf Lawrence Lanpher. viet rmsidml Ta ble of Contents Bradfor d F. Swan, m rtfliTy Dennis E. Sta rk. assishlllf mretary Molasses to Musket s - Rhode Island 1763-1775 George H. Cicma, treasurer by JotlIt Cohtn 99 Thomas R. Adams, assistant treasurer Albe rt T. Klyber g, direr/or Clifford P. Monahan, director emeritus Grant Us Commission to Make Reprisals upon Any Enemies Shiping by Ptltr E. Jonts 105 Carl Bridenbaug h, ftl/ow of tht Sodtly Revolution's Impact on Rhode Island PU1IlICAnONS COMMlITEE by PatriCKT. Conlty 121 Stuart C.She rm an, chaimUln Henry L P. Beckwith , Jr. Mrs. Philip Davis Wendell D. Ga rrett No rman W . Smith Charles E. Neu Gordon S. Wood STAff VOL UME 34, NUM 8ER 4 NO VEM8ER 1975 Joel A. Cohen, tditor Noel P. Conlon, managingtditor Marsha Peters, pidu rt tditor Rhodt Island His/ory (1942- )and its predecessors Rhodt I ~J'll1d HistoricalSocitty Colltdions (1918-1941) and PubliclitiOIlS Rhodt 1>11l lld Historical Soddy(1893-1901) are available in microform from XeroxUniversity Microfilms, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106. (313)761 -4700. Please write for complete information. 98 i ~~.. , .• ),, -.. _. - 1 N,u'po ,t ," 1TJO 'n ~ 1I1~"t '~ rh ~ ~ I P N'll"lI. I ~ 1I .f Th, "I ~'> h ~ r ~" . Q" .I " .glt.f" 10( ~ I ,, '" onIII,BQY ("n,,,hl,J I" RhoJ, I ,I ~ " J'. J, v,J"p...'n l ~. Q II nltT 0/ 10", "''''' 'n III, //11." n/wry 99 Molasses to Muskets Rhode Island 1763-1775 Throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, towards self-government. Covemorand company Britain's policies toward its American colonies were we re granted all powers of government which "bee based on the concept of mercantilism. This political not contrary and repugnant unto, butt, as neare as and economic philosophy presumed that the colonies may bee, agreeable to the lawes of this our reel me of existed in subordinate status solely for England's bet England, considering the nature and constitutione of terment. Fortunately for America, these mercantilistic the place and people there"; and the inhabitan ts of the doctrines we re implemented only imperfectly. There colony we re to have the same privileges, liberties and was a wide gap between London's mercan tilist legisla rights " .IS if they, and every of them, we re borne tion and the practical ways colo nists used to evade it. within the realme of England." In essence th is cha rte r So with the end of the great wa r for empire in 1763, seemed to insure 01 future of independent activity on many English lead ers be lieved the time was right to the part of Rhode Islanders.' put theory into practice and reorgan ize the ineffectual The economyof eighteenth-century Rhode leland colo nial sys tem. Legislat ion of 17605 and 17705was was oriented toward the sea. Excellent har bor facilities often designe d "not simp ly as a sol utio n to problems at Newport and Providence provided bases for of imperial de fenseor finance but also .IS 01 means to increased com merce. Unfortunately, lack of .I de vel achieve the final and effective subo rd inat ion of the oped hinterland - fro m which raw materials could be com mercial interests of the Ameri cans to the require drawn an d in wh ich manu factured products could be ments of the Moth er Country." Reaction in Rhode sold - caused Rhode Islanders to be ever more Island to thi s rejuvenated mer cantilism would lead to depe nd ent upon a "ca rryi ng" mar itime trade. From spirited protest and ult imately to revolution.' 1700 on, commerce increased, especially fro m New Rhode Island's econo my and traditionally inde port, where trading W dS done with most mainland col pendent nature would be seriously challe nged by onies and with Ma deira, Surinam, and We st Indies. attempts to enforce British legislation. Traits of pdr By 1731 the colony hold even esta blished direct trade ticulatisrn, individualism and independent action with Holland, the Med iterranean , and England. In whi ch bega n in the 16305 were reinforced by the char 1740 vessels from Newport and Providence for foreign ter of 1663. This document incorporated the colon y port s had grown to one hundred and twenty, and by and gave Rhode Islanders the right "to hold forth a 1763 over five hundred and thirty-four shi ps from livelie expe riment" in civil government "with a full Newport alene were involved in overseas and coastal libertie in religiou s concernemen ts" ; thus they were tra de.' allowed and - in certain respects - encoura ged Rhode Island then in 1763 was an important trading •AssociatE' profE'ssorof h,slory, Un,v..rs,ty o f Rhod.. l, land. ..nd VICE' clw,rnwn of th.. suI..·s B"E'nt ..nmal Comm,s"on. Dr Cob..n h..s bHn f'ditor of th .. lO...rn..o l sure.. lonO ..nd wrll rehnq...,s.h tha t post w,th th,s 'ss..... 2. lohn R.... ... 11 B.ntlE'". ed . " ",,,J...I I ~ r ("/"".. ..1 R ~ ..Jr /,I,,"J ,,"J P' '' ~ Hltt.u P1 . "I . "~"1 ," Nile [ ..g1u J IOv. (rro"VldE'nc". 1llSb-1805) 2: 3-21 I Thomas C Burow, ··8.lc kgrou nd toGl"E'nv,lIE' Program . 17S7 1763." W,Il,.", uiM."Y Qu.".I) Zl. 1 (J.anu.ary 19651104, ··Proj ) '.mn B. HE'dgn. B."",", '" P.....,J""u P1" "I~h..~. ( ..1..~ ,~ 1 Yt~ •• ret for Imprri.l R..form Hints Rnpt'<ting SrttlE'mrnt for ou r /C..mbndgE'. H..rv..rd Un' .... rsi ty ~. I Q52.I"iv- , Frank AmE'Tlc.an Provlncn. 17bJ:· W,II,.", ..." M,,"Y QII..,.rl):U 1 Grf't'nE' B.otn. " ~oJt Illu J . ~J f .......I,"" '" t~r U ~' Ir\ E' w Ydrk ; O.n....ry 1%7) !080-126 M.acm,llin. I8Q81)1 -)2. 100 MO lASS[S ro MUSkETS and sh ipping center. Seed , oil. Hax, horses, cheese, and American colonies reached its height on March ZZ, lumber from Rhode Island were limited in qua ntity: 1765, when royal ap proval was given to the Stamp but the addition of fish, flour, and beef from other col Act. By the term s of this act, stamps were to be placed onies served merchants well in the ir deal ings with on all decisions of civilcourts, licenses of various ever-gro wing west lndnn trad e. Molasses was the kinds, bonds, deeds, pamphlets, almanacs and news single most important product taken aboard in the papers .IS well as man y other articles and documents. islands and after proper distillation in the colony In addition to these taxes, which in several cases were became rum . Rhode Islanders used molasses and rum very high, Parliament also provided for possible trans to help payoff their debts in England . to purchase gressions. Heavy Fines and penalties were to be meted African slaves, and to buy products of other colonies out by colonial vice-admiralty courts to anyone who for consumption and export. When the Grenville min violated the act! istry in 1763 indicated its des ire to resuscitate and Rhode Island looked on th is tax as an infringement E'nfoTCE' the Navigation Acts, which colonists had so of its traditiona l rights and liberties. O n August 7, successfully ignored - particularly the Molasses Act 1765, a specia l town meeting was called in Providen ce of 1733 - it could be sure of stron g protest from the for the purposE' of expressing the town's dis Narragansett BdYcolony.' satisfacnon with the act. At this meelinga committee In 1764 the British government did adopt a revised made up of Stephen Hopkins, John Brown and others version of the Molasses Act which threatened to ruin was appointed for the purpose' of drafting instructions the colon y's economy. Rhode lslanders desperately to the town's de legates in the Cenerel Assembly. Six needed molasses imported from the foreign-con days later the instructions and resolutions which the trolled west Indies because British Islands could not committee reported WE're unanimously accepted, For supply enough, and the new three pence per gallon the most part , these resolutions would soon be duty on foreign molasses, if enforced, would not allow espoused with slight modification and addition by the merchants d profit. Predictably, the General Assembly General Assembly.' sent its complaints about this bill to the king.