Investigating US History

Lesson Modules

The Stamp Act Protests

Historical Accounts

Thomas Hutchinson Recounts the Mob Reaction to the Stamp Act in Boston, 1765

The distributor of stamps for the colony of Connecticut arrived in Boston from London; and, having been agent for that colony, and in other respects of a very reputable character, received from many gentlemen of the town such civilities as were due to him. When he set out for Connecticut, Mr. Oliver, the distributor for Massachusetts Bay, accompanied him out of town.

This occasioned murmuring among the people, and an inflammatory piece in the next Boston Gazette . A few days after, early in the morning, a stuffed image was hung upon a tree, called the great tree of the south part of Boston [subsequently called Liberty Tree]. Labels affixed denoted it to be designed for the distributor of stamps. . . .

Before night, the image was taken down, and carried through the townhouse, in the chamber whereof the governor and council were sitting. Forty or fifty tradesmen, decently dressed, preceded; and some thousands of the mob followed down King street to Oliver's dock, near which Mr. Oliver had lately erected a building, which, it was conjectured, he designed for a stamp office. This was laid flat to the ground in a few minutes. From thence the mob proceeded for Fort Hill, but Mr. Oliver's house being in the way, they endeavored to force themselves into it, and being opposed, broke the windows, beat down the doors, entered, and destroyed part of his furniture, and continued in riot until midnight, before they separated. ..

Several of the council gave it as their opinion, Mr. Oliver being present, that the people, not only of the town of Boston, but of the country in general, would never submit to the execution of the stamp act, let the consequence of an opposition to it be what it would. It was also reported, that the people of Connecticut had threatened to hang their distributor on the first tree after he entered the colony; and that, to avoid it, he had turned aside to Rhode-Island. Despairing of protection, and finding his family in terror and great distress, Mr. Oliver came to a sudden resolution to resign his office before another night. . . .

The next evening, the mob surrounded the house of the lieutenant-governor and chief justice [Hutchinson]. He was at Mr. Oliver's house when it was assaulted, and had excited the sheriff, and the colonel of the regiment, to attempt to suppress the mob. A report was soon spread, that he was a favourer of the stamp act, and had encouraged it by letters to the ministry. Upon notice of the approach of the people, he caused the doors and windows to be barred; and remained in the house. . . .

Certain depositions had been taken, many months before these transactions, by order of the governor, concerning the illicit trade carrying on; and one of them, made by the judge of the admiralty, at the special desire of the governor, had been sworn to before the lieutenant-governor, as chief justice. They had been shewn, at one of the offices in England, to a person who arrived in Boston just at this time, and he had acquainted several merchants, whose names were in some of the depositions as smugglers, with the contents. This brought, though without reason, the resentment of the merchants against the persons who, by their office, were obliged to administer the oaths, as well as against the officers of the customs and admiralty, who had made the depositions; and the leaders of the mob contrived a riot, which, after some small efforts against such officers, was to spend its principal force upon the lieutenant-governor. And, in the evening of the 26th of August, such a mob was collected in King street, drawn there by a bonfire, and well supplied with strong drink. After some annoyance to the house of the registrar of the admiralty, and somewhat greater to that of the comptroller of the customs, whose cellars they plundered of the wine and spirits in them, they came, with intoxicated rage upon the house of the lieutenant-governor. The doors were immediately split to pieces with broad axes, and a way made there, and at the windows, for the entry of the mob; which poured in, and filled, in an instant, every room in the house.

The lieutenant-governor had very short notice of the approach of the mob. He directed his children, and the rest of his family, to leave the house immediately, determining to keep possession himself. His eldest daughter, after going a little way from the house, returned, and refused to quit it, unless her father would do the like. This caused him to depart from his resolutions, a few minutes before the mob entered. They continued their possessions until day light; destroyed, carried away, or cast into the street, every thing that was in the house; demolished every part of it, except the walls, as far as lay in their power; and had begun to break away from the brickwork. The damage was estimated at about twenty-five hundred pounds sterling, without any regard to a great collection of the publik as well as private papers, in the possession and the custody of the lieutenant governor. The town was, the whole night, under awe of this mob; many of the magistrates, with the field officers of the militia, standing by as spectators; and no body daring to oppose, or contradict.

John Holt's Account of the Stamp Act Riots in New York, 1765

The matter was intended to be done privately, but it got wind, and by ten o Clock I suppose 2000 people attended at the Coffee House, among them most of the principal men in town - The Culprits apologies did not satisfy the people, they were highly blamed and the Sons of Liberty found it necessary to use their influence to moderate the Resentment of the People. Two men were dispatched to the Collector for the Stamped Bonds of which he had 30 in all, he desired Liberty to confer with the Governor, which was granted. The Governor sent Word, if the Stamps were delivered to him, he would give his word and honor they should not be used; but if people were not satisfied with this, they might do as they pleased with them - The message being returned to the gathering multitude, they would not agree to the Governors proposal, but insist upon the Stamps being delivered and burned, one or two men attended by about a thousand others were then sent for the Stamps, which were brought to the Coffee House, and the Merchant who had used them was ordered himself to kindle the fire and consume them, those filled in and all, this was accordingly done amidst the Huzza's of the people who were by this time swelled to the Number one suppose of about 5000, and in another hour I suppose would have been 10,000 - The people pretty quietly dispersed soon After, but their Resentment was not allayed, Toward the evening . . . tho' the Son of Liberty exerted themselves to the utmost , they could not prevent the gathering of the Multitude, Who went to Mr. Williams house, broke open the door and destroyed some furniture . . .

The people were generally satisfied and soon dispersed - but many of those of inferior Sort, who delight in mischief merely for it's own sake, or for plunder, seem yet to be in such a turbulent Disposition that the two mortified Gentlemen are still in some Danger, but the Sons of Liberty intend to Exert themselves in their defense. William Shepherd Attempts to Collect Customs Duties in Philadelphia, 1769. Having obtained the inspector general's leave of absence for the recovery of my health, I returned here on the 13th instant. I now in obedience to your commands signified to me when I had the honor to attend the board, do lay before your honours the following account of the disturbances which happened at Philadelphia, viz. On Saturday 1st instant, about ten o'clock in the morning, a seizure was made by the collector in consequence of an order from the inspector general, of near fifty pipes of Madeira wine, which was lodged in a store belonging to Mr. Andrew Hodge. . . .

I waited upon the inspector general and acquainted him that I had great reason to suspect that it was the intention of some of the inhabitants to rescue the wines from the officers. He told me that he would take care to prevent it. I informed the collector of my not being able to get the key of the store, and with my apprehensions of the design of the inhabitants, and recommended that the wines being removed as soon as possible. He told me that he had no stores to put them in and that if he had, it was not in his power to get it removed on account of the rain. The rain was over about four o'clock in the afternoon when the collector went down to the store but was denied admittance therein by a man unknown who had armed himself with pistols and swore that if he pretended to enter he would blow his brains out, or words to that effect; upon which the collector retired and sent to the chief justice and procured a writ of assistance, and number of constables to assist him in the execution of his duty, and they returned to the store about five o'clock in the afternoon, but they were not able to afford him any help, the mob being so numerous. They ordered the constables off of the wharf, though I think they tarried there long enough to read the Riot Act or writ of assistance, but which I do not know. They likewise prevented the collector's executing his duty, obliging him to go away, swearing they would shoot him if he attempted it. The pelted him with stones, glass bottles, etc., one of which struck him in the lip and hurt it considerably. . . .

(T)he lock which the collector put on the store was broke off by the mob and the door forced open and all the wines therein taken out and put on board three lighters or shallops and carried up the river. All the time they were transacting this matter they swore revenge and destruction against me, taking it for granted that I was the cause of making the seizure. . . .

Lt.-Gov. William Bull (Charleston, South Carolina) to the Board of Trade November 3, 1765

I think it my duty to acquaint your lordships with some very extraordinary and universal commotions which have happened in this town upon the arrival of the stamp papers ….

Upon the arrival of the stamp papers on the 20th ultimo a great concourse of men assembled. Application was thereupon made to me for protection of the papers. As the intention of the populace were too well known to be doubted, I thought it my duty to secure them from destruction or even insult and therefore requested Capt. Fanshawe of his Majesty's sloop Speedwell to receive them on board until it should be necessary to remove them on shore for the execution of the Act. His ship was then heaving down at Hobcaw to careen and he thought it not safe to have them on board as he lay at a wharf; I then desired he would send his boats armed to take the packages of stamp papers out of the ship which brought them before night, at which time the populace vowed to execute their design. This he readily complied with, and I sent the papers down to Fort Johnson, and lest their madness should attempt to carry their scheme into execution, I reinforced the garrison with a detachment of a sergeant aud 12 Royal Americans who happened to be in town, that the appearance of military troops joining the few provincials there might deter them from the rash undertaking; and I gave directions to Col. Howorth, who commands in that fort, to take every precaution against a surprise, and put it in the best posture of defence against an escalade. These measures happily prevented their making any attempt on the papers. Their fury was then directed towards striking a terror into the stamp officers if they persisted to perform their duty; which was done by night in great numbers, battering the house of Mr. Saxby, who was suspected to be arrived, though he then was not, and hunting after Mr. Caleb Lloyd, searching his lodgings, who prudently had withdrawn himself.

On the same day the information was given to me that the stamp papers were arrived, I summoned the Council, acquainting them therewith and what I had done thereon, and took my oath to use my utmost endeavours to carry the Act into execution, and as this commotion began on Saturday while the Court of General Sessions for the whole province was sitting in town, I thought proper to recommend to the chief justice to require all peace officers to exert themselves in suppressing such unlawful assemblies. But the infection was too generally spread to receive any check from his authority. On the Monday, being informed what had happened on Saturday and Sunday nights, I published a proclamation offering a reward from my own pocket of £50 sterling to any person who would discover the author of the outrage, and a pardon to any informer who was an accomplice, aud commanded all judges, etc., to do their duty in preserving the public peace, but all this produced not the desired effect. And some insults having been committed on several persons' houses under pretext of searching for stamp papers, I ordered an advertisement to be published that they were by my order lodged in Fort Johnson. The commotions upon this in some measure subsided till the arrival of Mr. Saxby from London on the 27th when everything was again set in motion by a very great concourse of people threaten in everything against the persons and effects of Mr. Saxby and Mr. Lloyd to deter them or any other person from doing their duty under that Act. Mr. Saxby having been apprised of these dispositions by his friends on the first arrival of the ship, prudently declined coming up to town but went on shore at Fort Johnson, whither Mr. Lloyd had also retired for his safety, which was all the protection my power could afford them. The commotions still continued and all this during the sitting of the Court of Sessions which by law is vested with the powers of the King's Bench in criminal matters, till on Monday these two officers, prevailed upon by the importunate request of their friends, consented to decline acting until the sense of the Parliament of Great Britain should be known upon the joint petition of the colonies which is now on the anvil at New York. These two gentlemen wrote me a letter on the occasion of their declining to act, a copy whereof I have the honour to transmit to your lordships.

Although these very numerous assemblies of the people bore the appearance of common populace, yet there is great reason to apprehend they were animated and encouraged by some considerable men who stood behind the curtain. This contagion has spread through this whole country and many are alarmed by various false representations, not only of what this act enjoins, but with fears of what is to follow from future laws of the like nature.

As there are no stamp papers can be issued during this situation, a stop is now put to all business in every office where they are required, and notwithstanding the great inconveniences and detriments which it will occasion, the people at present seem determined to submit to them patiently all they see the fate of New England, which I presume they will follow, in returning to their duty in this matter, as soon as they know that province is brought to theirs.