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 British tea until the tax was repealed.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
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