Sons of Liberty: An Intercolonial Network of Organized Resistance
Stamp duty. When these two words touched American soil in April 1764 — as a teaser of the internal tax coming after the Sugar Act — they set in motion a chain of events that forever altered the course of American history. One ripple effect was the formation of the Sons of Liberty. To some, ...
B. Franklin’s Confession to Leaking Hutchinson’s Letters
If a finger had to be pointed at one person for causing the American Revolutionary War, a strong case can be made for pointing it at Thomas Hutchinson. According to the Origins of the American Revolution by Andrew Stephen Walmsley (1999): Rarely in American history has a political figure been so pilloried and despised by ...
18th Century Advertising, When Brevity Wasn’t Key
In 18th century media, long before the days of 140-character advertising (i.e., Twitter), copywriting was less of an art and more of a science. Does this advertisement from the May 10, 1764 issue of Benjamin Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette make you want to pick up some Benjamin Jackson Mustard and Chocolate? Click the image to enlarge.
The Stamp Act Teaser of 1764
On April 16, 1763, King George III appointed George Grenville First Lord of the Treasury, or Prime Minister, of Great Britain — the second of four different prime ministers appointed by George III between 1762 and 1766. During the 18th century, the title First Lord of the Treasury was often preferred to Prime Minister. Grenville ...
