Since our family lives in the home of Eleazer Brooks, I'd love to know how I could read a copy of *Trial by Fire. *Is this something one can find at our library?
Thank you, Kim On Wed, Jan 1, 2025 at 5:12 PM Sara Mattes <samat...@gmail.com> wrote: > 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. > Publications <http://lincolnhistoricalsociety.org/Pages/publications.htm> > lincolnhistoricalsociety.org > <http://lincolnhistoricalsociety.org/Pages/publications.htm> > <http://lincolnhistoricalsociety.org/Pages/publications.htm> > <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. > > > -- > 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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