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Browsing named entities in a specific section of George Bancroft, History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent, Vol. 8. Search the whole document.

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Bristol, Pa. (Pennsylvania, United States) (search for this): chapter 9
Chapter 49: The king and the second petition of congress. August, September, in Europe. November in America—1775. The zeal of Richard Penn appeared from his Chap. XLIX.} 1775. Aug. celerity. Four days after the petition to the king had been adopted by congress, he sailed from Philadelphia on his mission. He arrived in Bristol on the thirteenth of August, and made such speed that he was the next day in London. Joint proprietary of the opulent and rapidly increasing colony of Pennsylvania, of which he for a time was governor, long a resident in America, intimately acquainted with many of its leading statesmen, the chosen suppliant from its united delegates, an Englishman of a loyalty above impeachment or suspicion, he singularly merited the confidence of the government. But not one of the ministers waited on him, or sent for him, or even asked him, through subordinates, one single question about the state of the colonies. The king, on whose decision neither the petit
North America (search for this): chapter 9
taries of state full information of all persons who should be found carrying on correspondence with, or in any manner or degree aiding or abetting the persons now in open arms and rebellion against the government within any of the colonies in North America, in order to bring to condign punishment the authors, perpetrators, and abettors of such traitorous designs. This proclamation, aimed at Chatham, Camden, Barre, and their friends, and at the boldest of the Rockingham party, even more than fer the seat of operations to New York. You may be sure the plan of these people is, by devastations to force back America fifty years if they cannot subdue it. Vergennes had already said: The cabinet of the king of England may wish to make North America a desert, but there all its power will be stranded; if ever the English troops quit the borders of the sea, it will be easy to prevent their return. Vergennes could not persuade himself that the British government should refuse conciliatio
Delaware (Delaware, United States) (search for this): chapter 9
ision to be recorded in their journal. Their act was in every way mischievous in its consequences: nothing could have been devised more completely in the interest of the British ministry, whose accusation that there existed in the continental congress a party for independence on insufficient grounds, appeared to be confirmed by high authority; it was also an intimation to the powers of the European continent, that the colonies were incurably divided. The influence of the measure was wide; Delaware was naturally swayed by the example of its more powerful neighbor; the party of the proprietary in Maryland took courage; in a few weeks the assembly of New Jersey, in like manner, held back the delegates of that province by an equally stringent declaration. Thus for five or six months the assembly of Pennsylvania blocked the way to effective measures, sowing broadcast the seeds of domestic discord, and preparing for Dickinson a Chap. XLIX.} 1775. Nov. life of regrets. Had it done no mo
Sandwich, Mass. (Massachusetts, United States) (search for this): chapter 9
d on him, or sent for him, or even asked him, through subordinates, one single question about the state of the colonies. The king, on whose decision neither the petition nor its bearer had the slightest influence, would not see him. The king and his Chap. XLIX.} 1775. Aug. cabinet, said Suffolk, are determined to listen to nothing from the illegal congress, to treat with the colonies only one by one, and in no event to recognise them in any form of association. The Americans, reasoned Sandwich, will soon grow weary, and Great Britain will subject them by her arms. Haldimand, who had just arrived, owned that nothing but force would bring the Americans to reason. Resolvedly blind to consequences, George the Third scorned dissimulation, and eagerly showed his determination, such were his words, to prosecute his measures, and force the deluded Americans into submission. He chid Lord North for the delay in framing a proclamation declaring the Americans rebels, and forbidding all in
Massachusetts (Massachusetts, United States) (search for this): chapter 9
dvantage to Britain. The navigation acts, of which it already began to be seen that the total repeal would not diminish British trade, were not questioned; the view of a revenue from America had dissolved; the unwise change in the charter of Massachusetts weakened the influence of the crown by irritating the people; the most perfeet success in reducing the American colonies to un- Chap. XLIX.} 1775. Aug. conditional submission, would have stained the glory of a nation whose great name was du could no longer retrace their steps without resigning their places; war was menaced against the remnant of a popular party in England. As to the colonies, the king would perish rather than consent to repeal the alterations in the charter of Massachusetts, or yield the absolute authority of parliament. The progress of these discussions was closely watched by the agents of France. Its ambassador, just after Penn's arrival, wrote of the king and his ministers to Vergennes: These people appea
Maryland (Maryland, United States) (search for this): chapter 9
an intimation to the powers of the European continent, that the colonies were incurably divided. The influence of the measure was wide; Delaware was naturally swayed by the example of its more powerful neighbor; the party of the proprietary in Maryland took courage; in a few weeks the assembly of New Jersey, in like manner, held back the delegates of that province by an equally stringent declaration. Thus for five or six months the assembly of Pennsylvania blocked the way to effective measurecolonies to confiscate their cargoes. The captures already made under the authority of Washington they confirmed. To meet the further expenses of the war, they voted bills of credit to the amount of three millions more. A motion by Chase of Maryland to send envoys to France with conditional instructions did not prevail; but on the twenty ninth of November Harrison, Franklin, Johnson, Dickinson, and Jay were appointed a secret committee for the sole purpose of corresponding with friends in G
Bristol (United Kingdom) (search for this): chapter 9
n whose great name was due to the freedom of its people, and would, moreover, have been dangerous, if not fatal, to her own liberties. Yet the word of the king would be irrevocable; for to what power in England could the colonies look for interposition in their behalf? Not to the landed aristocracy, which would not suffer the authority of parliament to be questioned; not to the electors, for they had just chosen a parliament, and thus exhausted their power of mediation; not to the city of Bristol, which bounded its political liberality by its commercial interests; not to the city of London, for with the unprincipled Wilkes as its Lord Mayor, it could offer no support beyond a noisy remonstrance; not to the public opinion of England, for though it really preferred that the colonies should be tolerably governed, it never showed forbearance when the imperial supremacy of England was assailed. Conscious that his will was unrestrained, the king made his decision without a moment's hes
Penn Hill (Pennsylvania, United States) (search for this): chapter 9
as feeble as Charles the First, and every day he makes his task more difficult and more dangerous. Vergennes gave up his doubts, Sept. saying: The king's proclamation against the Americans changes my views altogether; that proclamation cuts off the possibility of retreat; America or the ministers themselves must succumb. In a few weeks the proclamation reached the col- Nov. onies at several ports. Abigail Smith, the wife of John Adams, was at the time in their home near the foot of Penn Hill, charged with the sole care of their Chap. XLIX.} 1775. Nov. little brood of children; managing their farm; keeping house with frugality, though opening her doors to the houseless and giving with good will a part of her scant portion to the poor; seeking work for her own hands, and ever busily occupied, now at the spinning wheel, now making amends for having never been sent to school by learning French, though with the aid of books alone. Since the departure of her husband for congress,
Georgia (Georgia, United States) (search for this): chapter 9
the house of Hanover was a symbol of religious toleration, the British constitution another word for the security of liberty and property under a representative government. They were not yet enemies of monarchy; they had as yet turned away from considering whether well or- Chap. XLIX.} 1775. Nov. ganized civil institutions could be framed for wide territories without a king; and in the very moment of resistance they longed to escape the necessity of a revolution. Zubly, a delegate from Georgia, a Swiss by birth, declared in his place a republic to be little better than a government of devils, shuddered at the idea of a separation from Great Britain as fraught with greater evils than had yet been suffered, and fled from congress to seek shelter under the authority of the crown; but the courage of John Adams, whose sagacity had so soon been vindicated by events, rose with the approach of danger; he dared to present to himself the problem of the system, best suited to the colonies i
New England (United States) (search for this): chapter 9
o be our brethren. Let us renounce them; and, instead of supplications, as formerly, for their prosperity and happiness, let us beseech the Almighty to blast their counsels, and bring to nought all their devices. Her voice was the voice of New England. Under the general powers of commander, Washington, who had hired vessels, manned them with sea captains and sailors from his camp, and sent them to take vessels laden with soldiers or stores for the British army, now urged on congress the apuided by nature and experience, looked for the essential elements of government behind its forms. He studied the principles of the British constitution not merely in the history of England, but as purified and reproduced in the governments of New England, and as analyzed and reflected in the writings of Montesquieu. A legislative, an executive, and a judicial power comprehended the whole of what he meant and understood by government; and as the only secret to be discovered was how to derive t
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