This Day In History: The Massachusetts Circular Letter

February 11th, 1768, 254 years ago today, the Massachusetts Colonial Legislature sent out what we today would call an open letter to the British Parliament, with copies sent to the other colonies as well. Recent acts of Parliament were felt in the colonies to be "encroaching" on the public liberty. The rights asserted in this letter were felt to be universal among the British Colonies, and so any infringement upon them was to be met with a united front of resistance. This letter forms part of the important context of the American Revolution. As these rights are inalienable and the principles timeless, it is worth studying to see how we can apply it today. 

 

 

Links:

 

The Stamp Act

 

The Declaratory Act

 

The Townshend Act

 

The Massachusetts Circular Letter

 

Samuel Adams: A Life Ira Stoll

 

TAC- How to read an 18th century legal document

 

The Massachusetts Circular Letter: A Springboard for Colonial Defiance