250 and Counting

Tag: Massachusetts History

  • Beginning of the End in Boston–March 4, 1776

    Cover art for March 4, 1776: A map of the Boston area during the siege. from the History Department at the US Military Academy.

    Colonel Henry Knox took about ten weeks to get from Ticonderoga to Cambridge rather than the two he anticipated. But his arrival meant the siege’s end in Boston would come soon.

    Knox had brought something like 60 tons worth of material overland using hand-built sledges and carts drawn by oxen. The last leg of the trip is still a mystery, because Knox’ diary ends about two weeks early. What is known is that as he passed through the occasional town, people would line up to watch. So we know when he was where, but the usual stuff that ran through Knox’ head for that portion of the trip is gone.

    Still, his arrival at Cambridge meant that Washington now had what he needed to fortify his position and do what he needed to drive the British out of Boston. After nearly a year, the siege’s end was actually in sight.

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

  • A New Job For John Adams–February 9, 1776

    Cover art for February 9, 1776: John Adams as portrayed by Mather Brown in 1788.

    One of John Adams’ stronger talents was being able to see the motivation behind the action, and because of this he was usually able to thwart unattractive actions somehow.

    In today’s case, he was able to thwart people who opposed him by simply agreeing with them. As a newly-minted Chief Justice of Massachusetts, some Loyalist (if not Loyalist, then certainly in the Don’t Declare Independence crowd) delegates from Maryland suggested that because he worked for Massachusetts, he had an inherent conflict of interest and therefore couldn’t vote in Congress.

    Now, at that time a colony’s quorum was exactly one delegate, so if he was the only person from Massachusetts attending that day, Massachusetts wouldn’t be able to cast a vote. So, Adams did the sensible thing and agreed with the Marylanders. Then he resigned from the position they thought he’d never give up.

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

  • Rules for Native American Trade–January 27, 1776

    Cover art for January 27, 1776: Engraving titled Washington and Fairfax and a War-Dance by John Rogers, 1857.
    Engraving titled Washington and Fairfax and a War-Dance by John Rogers, 1857. The event depicted actually took place in 1779.

    As noted in the episode, there were several different rules laid down for trading with Native Americans at that time, and some of them were designed to ensure that they remained on our side or, at worst, that they remained neutral in Revolution-based matters.

    But the rules wound up working out well for both sides: the various tribes were able to get the materials they wanted, and trade was conducted under better-controlled conditions.

    In addition, they led to trade-related treaties with several tribes up and down the coast during the next year or so. And with over 80 tribes east of the Mississippi River at that time, that’s a lot of treaties to negotiate.

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

  • Birth Of A Navy–December 29, 1775

    Cover art for December 29, 1775: The Pine Tree Flag, which was the ensign of the Massachusetts State Navy.
    The Pine Tree Flag, which was the ensign of the Massachusetts State Navy. There are a few variations of this, because the original was destroyed by the British.

    While the Massachusetts Naval Militia was pretty much wiped out in 1779 (oops, spoiler alert), it wasn’t the end of a state-based Navy for Massachusetts.

    Massachusetts began to rebuild, but in 1780 a new state constitution was adopted, and just as the navy was delayed in its original inception by bureaucracy, the Massachusetts State Navy wound up dissolved the next year. They were re-established for the War of 1812, but again disbanded when that war ended.

    Nowadays, any state naval militia are automatically part of the United States Militia, and in Massachusetts specifically, any attempt to reactivate a naval militia in Massachusetts must be done either by the governor of Massachusetts or the Massachusetts General Court.

    There are five state naval militia extant, so far as I can tell: Alaska, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas.

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

  • Martha Comes to Cambridge–December 11, 1775

    Cover art for December 11, 1775: Portrait of Martha Dandridge Custis, 1757 by John Wollaston. This was the year her first husband died.

    Most of the portraits we see of Martha Washington were made when she was older, so we have (I think) this image of her as a bit of a crabby old frump.

    And maybe she was, by the time her husband got to be President. She didn’t really love the life of the public spouse and charming party hostess. But it turned out she was good at it, and if it made her crabby, nobody who mattered knew about it on a firsthand basis.

    In fact, Martha Washington was known to be fashionable, calm, outgoing and easy to get along with. And because Boston was rather straitlaced compared to Virginia, she gave off a bit of an exotic air during her time in Cambridge.

    Frump, indeed.

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

  • The Capture of the Nancy–November 28, 1775

    Cover art for November 28, 1775: Wood blcck engraving of John Manley, 1782. Artist unknown. Via Peabody Essex Museum.

    The capture of the British brigantine Nancy wasn’t Captain John Manley’s first (it was perhaps his third), but it was probably one of his most significant, considering the cargo. It was also probably the first British ship of any real consequence to be captured by any American.

    Overall, Manley’s effectiveness as a Navy captain was rather variable. He was a big risk/big reward kind of sailor, and so when he was successful, he was very successful, and when he wasn’t, he wound up imprisoned. And frankly, there were a few times he wasn’t successful.

    But that doesn’t take away from his successes. Between 1775 and 1783 Manley was the sole ship captain for the capture of ten ships, and was an active participant in the capture of five others.

    The US Navy has named three ships after him, the most recent a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer which was decommissioned in 1983 after 26 years of service.

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

  • The Fate of War and Some Refugees–November 25, 1775

    Cover art for November 25, 1775: a manuscript map of Boston showing Point Shirley to the far right, away from the city. (It's under the "fu" in "refugees")

    It’s hard to emphasize just how remote Point Shirley is compared to the Boston. Let me try anyway. On most maps of Boston, Point Shirley isn’t even on the map. It’s so far to the east that it’s nearly in the ocean. I’m not sure it’s even possible to see Boston from Point Shirley.

    And given Point Shirley’s location at a place between the bay and the ocean, and the fact that it’s November, and you’ve got a cold, windy place where you’ve just dumped 300 sick, destitute people without provisions or a means of getting warm.

    Here’s a weird coincidence: if you look closely at this “manuscript” map from 1775, Point Shirley is at the center right. Need another hint? It’s just under the “fu” in the word “Refugees.” And if anyone got a big FU from the British, it was this group.

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

  • A Day of Thanksgiving–November 23, 1775

    Cover art for November 23, 1775: detail of the proclamation of a day of Thanksgiving as published in the New-England Chronicle (Cambridge, Massachusetts) on November 16, 1775.

    November 23, 1775 was at least the fifth time that a day of Thanksgiving was declared in North America. It might be the sixth, but the documentation for one of them is kind of thin,

    It might be the first Thanksgiving held on a Thursday, but again it’s tough to know for sure. It’s certainly the third held in New England.

    This is my first Thanksgiving in a few years in which I’m not the person cooking the meal, so I’m a little bit at loose ends this weekend; usually I’m already in pre-game mode. But I get to do Christmas, so I’ll save Family Madness Preparation for that week instead.

    If you’re the one preparing for Thanksgiving, don’t forget to take a moment now and then to relax a bit and take in the day.

    And the parade, of course. Watch the parade. And a couple of episodes of The West Wing (you know the ones, if you’re a fan like Mike and I are).

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

  • Sam Adams on Armies–October 31, 1775

    Cover art for October 31, 1775: Samuel Adams, ca. 1772 by John Singleton Copley

    Sam Adams was a patriot in his own right, oftentimes supporting his second cousin John. The two of them were often able to work together closely. What’s more, they were an efficient team, with Sam Adams being the fiery agitator and organizer, and John Adams acting in the more measured and sophisticated role, playing the political diplomat.

    But Sam also had his own ideas about how things should be organized. When he heard that the Massachusetts Assembly was considering putting together military groups, he applauded the idea, but he was also worried that having each colony create an army, then putting them all under the control of a single entity, might be dangerous in the long run. He expressed these fears in a letter to Eldridge Gerry, written on October 29 and delivered to Gerry today.

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

  • Dorothy Becomes Mrs. Hancock–October 28, 1775

    Cover art for October 28, 1775: Portrait of Dorothy Quincy, 1772, by John Singleton Copley

    It’s nice, isn’t it, that not everything we have for your benefit concentrates on people shooting at each other or generally not being kind?

    Take today, for instance. It’s Wedding Bells for the President of the Continental Congress! John Hancock got married to Dorothy Quincy today!

    (Okay, never mind that the motivations to get these two together may have been a little corrupt. Let’s just be happy for this couple, hm? )

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed