Gary, Thanks for the plug! The Lincoln Historical Society (LHS) should consider a re-issue. Brooks also has a publication with interesting town history-a View from Lincoln Hill-still available through the LIncoln Historical Society. http://lincolnhistoricalsociety.org/Pages/publications.htm Stay tuned for upcoming LHS events/programs as we march toward the celebration of the 250th-April 19. Much to talk/write/debate about.
Huzzah! Sara Mattes, President Lincln Historical Society > On Jan 1, 2025, at 4:48 PM, Gary Taylor <gatlinc...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Donald, > Thanks for this informative post. It seems worth mentioning a short and > informative book by Paul Brooks, "Trial by Fire, Lincoln Massachusetts and > the War of Independence" published for the Bicentennial Commission in 1975. > It addresses Lincoln's progression from (perhaps reluctant) concern to deep > involvement in resisting British governance. It highlights the role of > Eleazer Brooks, a story inspiring as an example of the role a principled, > but common person, can achieve when committed to self-governance. It is only > 55 pages long, and worth a quick read. > Best, > Gary Taylor > 2 Beaver Pond Road > > From: Lincoln <lincoln-boun...@lincolntalk.org> on behalf of Lincoln > Historical Society <presid...@lincolnhistoricalsociety.org> > Sent: Wednesday, January 1, 2025 4:12 PM > To: LincolnTalk <Lincoln@lincolntalk.org> > Subject: [LincolnTalk] "Did You Know ...?" A Bit of Lincoln's History from > the Historical Society > > The Lincoln Historical Society > > “Did You Know … ?” That in December 1773, Lincoln’s reaction to the Dumping > of the Tea into Boston harbor was rather tepid? > > The town of Lincoln had no voice in the dumping of the tea into Boston harbor > on December 16, 1773, and there is no record that anyone from Lincoln boarded > the ships, broke open the tea chests, and scattered the contents to the > tides. In today’s terms, the forty-two tons of tea were worth almost $2 > million. > > Boston’s Committee of Correspondence sought solidarity from other towns, for > approval of what had been done and pledges not to purchase or consume any > British tea until the tax was repealed. > > Lincoln took up the matter at a town meeting on December 27, 1773. Eleazer > Brooks, a member of the town’s Committee of Correspondence, had drafted a > statement, for the town’s approval, to be sent to Boston. The rhetoric of > Brooks’ draft was fiery enough in some passages: > > “We trust we have courage and resolution sufficient to encounter all the > horrors of war in the defense of those rights and privileges, civil and > religious, which we esteem more valuable than our lives, and we do hereby > assure not only the town of Boston but the world that whenever we shall have > a clear call from heaven, we are ready to join with our brethren to face the > sword, the bayonet, or the mouth of a cannon rather than to be the slave > dupes & fools of any of our own species not distinguished from ourselves > except in a disposition to enslave us.” > > Town meeting judged that Brooks’ vivid prose about swords, bayonets, cannon, > slaves, dupes, and fools was a bit over the top. That was changed to “we are > ready to join with our brethren to face the most formidable forces rather > than tamely surrender up our rights and privileges …” > > In other notable ways, the version adopted by town meeting was more > restrained than Brooks’ draft. There was, for instance, the matter of the > destroyed tea. Did Lincoln’s town meeting approve such destruction of > private property? Apparently not, for it deleted specific mention of the > dumping of the tea from Brooks’ draft and left in place this statement: > > “… we cannot therefore but commend the spirited behavior of the town of > Boston in endeavoring to prevent the sale of the East India Company’s teas by > endeavoring to persuade the consigners to resign their office or any other > lawful means.” > > “Or any other lawful means.” The destruction of the tea was, of course, > anything but “lawful means.” > > And then there was the matter of the pledge not to buy or consume British > tea. At the town meeting, a document was laid upon a table for signatures by > those pledging their support publicly. Fifty-one men in town signed the > pledge (and one woman—a story for another time). An impressive number, but > far short of the eighty-seven men who met the property qualification to vote > in town meeting. So were the others opposed to the pledge? Or reluctant to > have their signatures on a public document? Or did they simply not bother to > attend the town meeting, despite notice that a vote would be taken on the > matter? Whatever the reason, Lincoln’s tempest over tea seemed rather tepid. > > Donald L. Hafner > The Lincoln Historical Society > December 2024 > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln.
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