In pursuance of the directions of the Town of Boston we have the honor to transmit you a Pamphlet containing some observations upon diverse letters and memorials wrote by Governor Bernard and others wherein the Town has been injuriously aspersed and its Inhabitants grosly misrepresented. Your unwearied endeavors to serve the interest of this Province and the American Colonies in general has...
Many unforeseen engagements, and unavoidable accidents, furnish us with our only apology for not transmitting a seasonable answer to your favour of March last. We flatter ourselves you will be so kind as yet to accept of our most sincere thanks, for all your noble and generous expressions of regard for the Colonies. We yet too sensibly feel the loss of every right, liberty and privilege, that...
3Address to Lieutenant Governor Hutchinson Requesting the Return of the General Court to Boston, 7 June 1770 (Adams Papers)
7 June 1770. MS ( M-Ar ), in an unidentified hand. Printed: Mass., House Jour. Journals of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts [1715–], Boston, reprinted by the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1919–. (For the years for which reprints are not yet available, the original printings are cited, by year and session.) , 1770–1771, p. 22. Prepared by a committee appointed 6 June composed...
12 June 1770. MS not found. Printed: Mass., House Jour. Journals of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts [1715–], Boston, reprinted by the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1919–. (For the years for which reprints are not yet available, the original printings are cited, by year and session.) , 1770–1771, p. 25–32. Prepared by a committee appointed 8 June composed of Joseph Hawley,...
15 June 1770. MS not found. Printed: Mass., House Jour. Journals of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts [1715–], Boston, reprinted by the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1919–. (For the years for which reprints are not yet available, the original printings are cited, by year and session.) , 1770–1771, p. 38. Prepared by a committee appointed and reporting the same day, composed of...
31 July 1770. MS , fair copy, in the hand of Samuel Adams ( MB ). Printed: Mass., House Jour. Journals of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts [1715–], Boston, reprinted by the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1919–. (For the years for which reprints are not yet available, the original printings are cited, by year and session.) , 1770–1771, p. 63–71. Prepared by a committee appointed...
28 September 1770. MS not found. Prepared by a committee appointed 27 September, composed of Thomas Cushing, Samuel Adams, Jedediah Foster, Thomas Denny, JA , John Hancock, George Godfrey, James Warren, and Humphrey Hobson Mass., House Jour. Journals of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts [1715–], Boston, reprinted by the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1919–. (For the years for...
8Message to Lieutenant Governor Hutchinson on his Speech to the General Court, 4 October 1770 (Adams Papers)
4 October 1770. MS not found. Printed: Mass., House Jour. Journals of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts [1715–], Boston, reprinted by the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1919–. (For the years for which reprints are not yet available, the original printings are cited, by year and session.) , 1770–1771, p. 86–87. Prepared by a committee appointed and reporting the same day composed...
5 October 1770. MS not found. Prepared by a committee appointed and reporting 5 October, composed of John Murray, Joseph Gerrish, JA , Jedediah Prebble, and Samuel Adams. Murray reported the same day. In his reply to the House Message of 4 October (see preceding calendar entry), Hutchinson claimed he was “not at Liberty” to communicate the order in council of 6 July to which he had referred...
10Message to Lieutenant Governor Hutchinson on the Command of Castle William, 23 October 1770 (Adams Papers)
23 October 1770. MS not found. Printed: Mass., House Jour. Journals of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts [1715–], Boston, reprinted by the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1919–. (For the years for which reprints are not yet available, the original printings are cited, by year and session.) , 1770–1771, p. 111. Prepared by a committee appointed 17 October composed of Samuel Adams,...
11Message to Lieutenant Governor Hutchinson on the Style of Enacting Laws, 6 November 1770 (Adams Papers)
6 November 1770. MS not found. Printed: Mass., House Jour. Journals of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts [1715–], Boston, reprinted by the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1919–. (For the years for which reprints are not yet available, the original printings are cited, by year and session.) , 1770–1771, p. 134–135. Prepared by a committee appointed 2 November composed of Daniel...
12Committee Report on the State of the Province, 16 November 1770 (Adams Papers)
16 November 1770. MS not found. Printed: Mass., House Jour. Journals of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts [1715–], Boston, reprinted by the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1919–. (For the years for which reprints are not yet available, the original printings are cited, by year and session.) , 1770–1771, p. 164. Prepared by a committee appointed 16 October composed of Thomas...
13Message to Lieutenant Governor Hutchinson on the Command of Castle William, 20 November 1770 (Adams Papers)
MS not found. Printed: Mass., House Jour. Journals of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts [1715–], Boston, reprinted by the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1919–. (For the years for which reprints are not yet available, the original printings are cited, by year and session.) , 1770–1771, p. 171–172. Prepared by the committee on the state of the province, appointed 16 October (see...
14Committee of Correspondence to Benjamin Franklin, 17 December 1770 (Adams Papers)
Boston, 17 December 1770. RC ( MeHi ). Printed: Franklin, Papers The Papers of Benjamin Franklin , ed. Leonard W. Labaree, William B. Willcox (from vol. 15), and others, New Haven, 1959– . , 17:301–304. Prepared by a “Committee of Correspondence” appointed 7 November composed of Thomas Cushing, John Hancock, Stephen Hall, Samuel Adams, and JA . Although “Boston” was used in the date line, the...
15Boston Town Committee Report on a Society to Promote the Arts, Agriculture, Manufactures, and Commerce, 29 September … (Adams Papers)
Boston, 29 September 1770. MS not found. At the Boston Town Meeting of 20 Sept., JA was named to a committee including John Hancock, Thomas Cushing, Samuel Adams, Thomas Boylston, Joseph Warren, and William Dennie to consider the “Proposal of a number of Inhabitants for forming a Society in order to promote Arts, Agriculture, Manufactures and Commerce in this Province.” The town meeting...
16II. Samuel Adams to John Adams, 22 February 1773 (Adams Papers)
If you have had Leisure to commit your Thoughts to writing agreable to my Request I shall be oblig’d if you will send them by the Bearer. The Govr says the House have incautiously applied a Rule of the Common Law (see the 4th Coll. of his Speech). The Assertion is mine , upon your Authority as I thought. If it be vindicable, pray give me your Aid in that as briefly as you please. I am sorry to...
17Report of the Committee on Proposals for Boston’s Conduct under the Port Act., 18 May 1774 (Adams Papers)
18 May 1774. Report of the Committee on Proposals for Boston’s conduct under the Port Act. No Dft found. printed : Boston Record Commissioners, 18th Report City of Boston, Record Commissioners, Reports , Boston, 1876–1909; 39 vols. , p. 175. Prepared by a committee appointed 13 May composed of Samuel Adams, John Rowe, Thomas Boylston, William Phillips, Joseph Warren, John Adams, Josiah Quincy,...
18From John Adams to the Freeholders and Other Inhabitants of the Towns and Districts of Massachusetts Bay, 10 December … (Adams Papers)
Cambridge,10 December 1774. printed : Mass. Provincial Congress, Jours. William Lincoln, ed., The Journals of Each Provincial Congress of Massachusetts in 1774 and 1775, and of the Committee of Safety , Boston, 1838. , p. 69–72. Prepared by a committee appointed 12 October, originally composed of fifteen members: John Hancock, Joseph Hawley, Joseph Warren, Samuel Dexter, Artemas Ward, James...
19Report Relative to Assuming Civil Government, 10 December 1774 (Adams Papers)
Cambridge,10 December 1774. printed : Mass. Provincial Congress, Jours. William Lincoln, ed., The Journals of Each Provincial Congress of Massachusetts in 1774 and 1775, and of the Committee of Safety , Boston, 1838. , p. 73–74. This, the second report on this date of the Committee on the State of the Province, was framed in the form of three resolutions: that the adjournment on 29 October had...
20The Massachusetts Delegates to George Washington, 22 June 1775 (Adams Papers)
In Complyance with your Request We have considered of what you proposed to us, and are obliged to give you our Sentiments, very briefly, and in great Haste. In general, Sir, there will be three Committees, either of a Congress, or of an House of Representatives, which are and will be composed of our best Men; Such, whose Judgment and Integrity, may be most rely’d on; the Committee on the State...
21To John Adams from John Warren and Others, 4 December 1775 (Adams Papers)
As Surgeons of the continental Hospital we take the Freedom to address you upon an Occasion which though it does not immediately Concern our Department, yet as it relates to the Hospital with which we are so nearly connected, we thought called for our Attention, as being a Subject, upon which, we might be able to give some Information, which might perhaps be of some little service in assisting...
22To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 22 December 1775 (Adams Papers)
My Concern for your Welfare induced me carefully to watch the Weather till I conjectured you had got to the End of your Journey, and I have the Pleasure of believing it has been more agreable than one might have expected at this Season. I hope you found Mrs. Adams and Family in a confirmd State of Health. I will not envy you, but I earnestly wish to enjoy, at least for a few Weeks, domestick...
23To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 15 January 1776 (Adams Papers)
Altho I have at present but little Leisure, I cannot omit writing you a few Lines by this Express. I have seen certain Instructions which were given by the Capital of the Colony of New Hampshire to its Delegates in their provincial Convention, the Spirit of which I am not altogether pleased with. There is one part of them at least, which I think discovers a Timidity which is unbecoming a...
The Congress being Inform’d by a Letter from Genl. Washington, that two Thousand of the Continental Troops at Cambridge and Roxbury are deficient in Fire Arms, and that he has not been able to Purchase the Same from the Inhabitants or Obtain them from the Assemblies of the New England Colonies, have directed the General to make Returns to the Assemblies of the Numbers of men Inlisted from...
25To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 13 August 1776 (Adams Papers)
Before this reaches you, you will have heard of the Arrival of near an hundred more of the Enemies ships. There are too many Soldiers now in Philadelphia waiting for Arms. Is it not of the utmost Importance that they should march even without Arms, especially as they may be furnished with the Arms of those who are sick at N York. Would it not be doing great Service to the Cause at this time if...
26To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 16 August 1776 (Adams Papers)
I sit down to write in great Haste as the post is just going. I reached P. Ferry on tuesday Six Clock P M and passed over the next morning. Found the General and his family in Health and spirits. Indeed every Officer and Soldier appears to be determin’d. I have not had Opportunity to view the Works here, but I am told they are strong and will be well defended whenever an Attack is made which...
27To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 16 September 1776 (Adams Papers)
I very gratefully acknowledge the Receipt of your Letter dated the of August. I should have written to you from this place before, but I have not had Leisure. My Time is divided between Boston and Watertown, and though we are not engagd in Matters of such Magnitude as now employ your Mind, there are a thousand things which call the Attention of every Man who is concernd for his Country. Our...
28To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 30 September 1776 (Adams Papers)
I am much obligd to you for your two Letters of the 8th and 14th of this Month, which I receivd, together, by the last Post. The Caution given in the first of these Letters was well designd; and had it come to me as early as you had Reason to expect it would, I should have been relievd of a full fortnights Anxiety of Mind. I was indeed greatly “concernd” for the Event of the proposd...
29To John Adams from Samuel Adams, 9 January 1777 (Adams Papers)
I have every Day for a Month past been anxiously expecting the Pleasure of seeing you here, but now begin to suspect you do not intend to give us your Assistance in Person. I shall therefore do all that lies in my Power to engage your epistolary Aid. You will by every Opportunity receive my Letters, and, I dare say, you will be so civil to me as to answer at least some of them. I have given...
30Massachusetts Delegates to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 21 May 1777 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Gorham and Mr. Russel, Agents of the Town of Charlestown, have presented to Congress a Petition from the unfortunate Inhabitants of that Place, praying for a Compensation for their Losses. The Petition was drawn in very decent and handsome Terms, containing a lively Description of the Distresses to which the unhappy Petitioners are reduced, from a State of Ease and Affluence; and the...