11From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 27 September 1774 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Public Record Office I wrote to you lately by the Boston Packet, Capt. Shepherd, and by several preceding Conveyances. I should be glad to hear from you what Letters of mine came to your hands, as I suspect they are often intercepted. The Ministers have for some time been out of town, as well as those of both Houses who are Friends of America. But the latter have frequent Communications,...
12From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 10 October 1774 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New York Public Library I wrote to you a few Days since, and have little to add. The Election for Lord Mayor ended on Saturday, when Wilkes was chosen by a great Majority both of the Livery and of the Aldermen; and ’tis thought he will carry the Elections of 4 Members for the City, 2 for the Borough of Southwark, 2 for Westminster, and 2 for the County of Middlesex, himself one of the...
13From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 3 April 1773 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Public Record Office; letterbook draft: Library of Congress My last was of the 9th past, since which nothing material has occurr’d relating to the Colonies. The Assembly’s Answer to Gov. Hutchinson’s Speech is not yet come over; but I find that even his Friends here are apprehensive of some ill Consequences from his forcing the Assembly into that Dispute, and begin to say it was not...
14From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 27 July 1774 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Public Record Office The last Line I have been favour’d with from you, is of the 30th of April. I have since written to you several times. I hope our Correspondence is not intercepted. This serves to cover a Pamphlet or two just published here; of which I shall send you a Number, as I think it may be of Use in America to see what Sentiments are entertain’d here: And believing they maybe...
15From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 3 September 1772 (Franklin Papers)
AL (letterbook draft): Library of Congress I write this Line just to acknowledge the Receipt of your several Favours of July 15 and 16, enclosing the Resolves of the House relating to the Governor’s Salary, and the Petition to the King. Lord Dartmouth, now our American Minister, will probably not be in Town till the Season of Business comes on, I shall then immediately put the Petition into...
16From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 2 April 1774 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Antiquarian Society; copy: Public Record Office My last was of the 22d past, since which I have received none of your Favours. I mentioned that the Bill brought into Parliament for Punishing Boston, met with no Opposition. It did however meet with a little before it got through, some few of the Members speaking against it in the House of Commons, and more in the House of Lords....
17From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 1 June 1774 (Franklin Papers)
ALS and copy: Public Record Office; draft: American Philosophical Society I received your respected Favour of March 31. with another of the same Date from the Committee. The latest of my Letters which had then come to your Hands was of Jany. 7. since which I have written several, viz. of Feb. 2 to yourself, and one of the same Date to the Committee. Of Feb. 15. containing a full Account of the...
18From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 16 April 1774 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Public Record Office The above are Copies of my two last. The Torrent is still violent against America. A Bill is brought in to alter the Charter, appointing the Council by the Crown, giving Power to the Governors to nominate and commission Magistrates without Consent of Council, and forbidding any Town Meeting to be held in the Province (except the annual one for chusing Town Officers)...
19From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 1 November 1773 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Public Record Office I duly received your Favour of the 26th of Augt. with the Letter enclos’d for Lord Dartmouth, which I immediately sent to him. As soon as he comes to Town I shall wait upon his Lordship, and discourse with him upon the Subject of it; and I shall immediately write to you what I can collect from the Conversation. In my Opinion the Letter of the two Houses of the 29th...
20From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 15 September 1774 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Public Record Office I received, last week only, your Favour of June 27. and I have received no other from you since that of April 30. You complain of hearing seldom from me, and yet I have written oftener this Year than ever before. I apprehend our Letters are intercepted. I hope you have received mine of June 1. for in that you will find the Dates of many of the Letters I had written...
21Samuel Swift to Thomas Cushing, 2 October 1774 (Adams Papers)
Since I wrote you, Jealousies seem to rise higher between the People and the Army. It has been Rumour’d they were about to Fortifie Dorchester neck, which if they Attempt I am well satisfyd the people will Rise, but at Present that Report Seems to Subside. There was a plan of their intended Operations droped and which was made publick. I have it not by me but the Substance that Occurs, was to...
22From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 6 October 1774 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New York Public Library Since my last to you, which went per Capt. Foulger, the Parliament, by a sudden and unexpected Resolution in the Cabinet, has been dissolved. Various are the Conjectures as to the Motives; among which one is, that some Advices from Boston, importing the Impossibility of carrying on Government there under the late Acts of Parliament, have made it appear necessary...
23From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 7 July 1773 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Public Record Office; ALS (letterbook draft): Library of Congress I am favoured with yours of April 20, and May 6. The Letters communicated to you were not merely to “satisfy the Curiosity” of any, but it was thought there might be a Use in showing them to some Friends of the Province, and even to some of the Governor’s Party, for their more certain Information concerning his Conduct and...
24From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 6 May 1773 (Franklin Papers)
LS (duplicate): Public Record Office; letterbook draft: Library of Congress Franklin’s account in this letter of his interview with Lord Dartmouth indicates how little scope was left to either of them, two years before Lexington, to further reconciliation between Massachusetts and the mother country. Both the Englishman and the American wanted an end to the quarrel, yet neither could find a...
25From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 13 April 1772 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from Jared Sparks, ed., The Works of Benjamin Franklin … (10 vols., Boston, 1836–40), VIII , 7–8. I wrote to you in January last a long letter, by Meyrick, and at the same time wrote to the Committee, since which I have received no line from any one in Boston, nor has Mr. Bollan yet received the answer we wait for, respecting the eastern settlements on the crown land. The Parliament...
26From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 22 March 1774 (Franklin Papers)
AL (copy): Public Record Office I received your Favour of Jan. 23. I suppose we never had since we were a People, so few Friends in Britain. The violent Destruction of the Tea seems to have united all Parties here against our Province, so that the Bill now brought into Parliament for shutting up Boston as a Port till Satisfaction is made, meets with no Opposition. An Alteration in our Charter...
27From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 15[–19]? February 1774 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society , first series, III (1794), 109–16. I Wrote a line to you by the last packet, just to acquaint you there had been a hearing on our petition. I shall now give you the history of it as succinctly as I can. We had long imagined that the king would have considered that petition as he had done the preceding one in his cabinet, and...
28From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 13 January 1772 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Public Record Office; incomplete draft: American Philosophical Society I am now return’d again to London from a Journey of some Months in Ireland and Scotland. Though my Constitution, and too great Confinement to Business during the Winter, seem to require the Air and Exercise of a long Journey once a Year, which I have now practiced for more than 20 Years past, yet I should not have...
29From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 28 January 1775 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): American Philosophical Society I have been favour’d with yours of Sept. 24. and Oct. 26. from Philada. Nov. 14. and Dec. 5. from Boston, and thank you for the Information communicated. It gives my Mind some Ease to learn that such good Care is taken both by the General and the Town to prevent Mischief. I hope that Care will continue and be effectual. And that People will be...
30From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 5 January 1774 (Franklin Papers)
Extract reprinted from William Temple Franklin, ed., Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Benjamin Franklin … (3 vols., 4to, London, 1817–18), II , 209–10. I received the honour of yours dated October 28 with the Journals of the house and Mr. Turner’s Election Sermon. I waited on Lord Dartmouth on his return to town, and learnt that he had presented to his majesty our petition for the removal...
31From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 9 March 1773 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (letterbook draft): Library of Congress I did myself the Honour of Writing to you the 2d of December, and the 5th of January past. Since which I have received your Favour of Nov 28. inclosing the Votes and Proceedings of the Town of Boston, which I have reprinted here with a Preface. Herewith I send you a few Copies. Governor Hutchinson’s Speech at the Opening of your Jany. Session, has...
32From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 4 June 1773 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Public Record Office; letterbook draft: Library of Congress In the paragraph of this letter that deals with the Tea Act, Franklin implies that the purpose of the statute was “to keep up the Exercise of the Right” to tax the colonies. This idea was sure to be a red rag to the Bostonian bull. All that is known about the passage of the act, however, indicates that the ministry avoided the...
33From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 10 June 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Public Record Office During Franklin’s correspondence with leading Bostonians over the past year, the gap between his views and theirs had been gradually narrowing; but this letter shows that it had not yet closed. He deplored the exercise of the King’s prerogative through instructions to governors, he denied that Parliament might bind the colonies without their consent, he believed that...
34From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 24 December 1770 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from Jared Sparks, ed., The Works of Benjamin Franklin … (10 vols., Boston, 1836–40) VII , 492–4. In his letter to Samuel Cooper six months before, Franklin had put more emphasis on loyalty to the King than was perhaps welcome to leaders of the Massachusetts House. During the debate over the agency he had been criticized for being, as a postal official and the father of a colonial...
35From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 5 January 1773 (Franklin Papers)
ALS and copy: Public Record Office; letterbook draft: Library of Congress I did myself the Honour of Writing to you on the 2d of December past inclosing some news papers to 30th november last which I hope got safe to hand. I have since received your Favour of Oct. 27. which containing in a small Compass so full an Enumeration of our Grievances, the Steps necessary to a Removal of them, and the...
36From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 5 February 1771 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from Jared Sparks, ed., The Works of Benjamin Franklin ... (10 vols., Boston, 1836–40), VII , 501–6. In 1770 Franklin, in a series of letters to American friends, began a commentary on various aspects of the imperial constitution. The letter below is part of this series. It discusses the current state of the American controversy and prospects for the future, and in the process...
37From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 2 December 1772 (Franklin Papers)
ALS and incomplete copy: Public Record Office; letterbook draft: Library of Congress The interview described in the first part of this letter involved Franklin further in the developing crisis in Massachusetts, and the enclosure he described in the second part inflamed that crisis and deeply affected the remainder of his English mission. The importance of the letter is obvious, and so are the...
After the repeal of the late American Stamp Act, we were happy in the pleasing prospect of a restoration of that tranquility and unanimity among ourselves, and that harmony and affection between our parent country and us, which had generally subsisted before that detestable Act. But with the utmost grief and concern, we find that we flatter’d ourselves too soon, and that the root of bitterness...
39Draft Instructions of Boston to its Representatives in the General Court, 8 May 1769 (Adams Papers)
You have, once more received, the highest Testimony of the Confidence and Affection of your Constituents, which the Constitution has impowered them to exhibit; the Trust of representing them in the great and general Court or Assembly of this Province. This important Trust is committed to you, at a time when your Country demands the Exertion of all your Wisdom Fortitude and Virtue; and...