George Bancroft, History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent, Vol. 5, 13th edition.

[351] Act punctually into effect. In Connecticut, which, in

chap. XIX.} 1765. Oct.

its assembly, had already voted American taxation by a British parliament to be ‘unprecedented and unconstitutional,’ Dyer, of the council, entreated Fitch not to take an oath which was contrary to that of the governor, to maintain the rights of the colony. But Fitch had urged the assembly to prosecute for riot the five hundred that coerced Ingersoll at Wethersfield; had talked of the public spirit in the language of an enemy; had said that the Act must go down; that forty regulars could guard the stamp papers; and that the American conduct would bring from home violent measures and the loss of charters; and he resolved to comply;¹ on which Pitkin, Trumbull, and Dyer, truly representing the sentiments of Connecticut, rose with indignation and left the room. The governor of Rhode Island stood alone in his patriotic refusal.

But every where, either quietly of themselves, or at the instance of the people, amidst shouts and the ringing of bells and the firing of cannon, or as in Virginia, with rage changing into courtesy on the prompt submission of the Stamp master, or as at Charleston, with the upraising of the flag of liberty, surmounted by a branch of laurel—everywhere the officers resigned. There remained not one person duly commissioned to distribute stamps.

Something more was needed to incline England to relent; and the merchants of New-York, on the last day of October, coming together, unanimously bound themselves to send no new orders for goods or