Newburyport, Massachusetts tea boycott resolution: manuscript

Collection — Shared box: 13877

Identifier: BC-2025-095

Scope and Contents

Two-page manuscript signed by approximately 65 men and women, pledging not to buy, sell, or consume tea, in protest of the Revenue Act of 1767.

With two fragments of contemporary watermarked paper (blank), a clipping from the Merwin Clayton auction catalog: Rare Books, Broadsides, Manuscripts relating to American History, December 5, 1912, lot 449, and a card reading: In loving memory of Mrs. Ferdinand W. Hultquist.

Dates

Creation: 1770 April 6

Access Note

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

These materials are made available for use in research, teaching and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. The original authors may retain copyright to the materials.

Full Extent

1 Items (1 sheet ([2] pages)) : paper ; 32 x 19 cm

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Two-page manuscript signed by approximately 65 men and women, pledging not to buy, sell, or consume tea, in protest of the Revenue Act of 1767.

Custodial History

Merwin Clayton, New York. Rare Books, Broadsides, Manuscripts relating to American History, December 5, 1912, lot 449. From the collection of William "Billy" McMillen (1941-2022).

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased from Bonhams Auctions, 2025.

Physical Description

Sheet is torn with loss of text.

First line

"At a meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Newbury Port held at the town house in said town on Tuesday the third day of April 1770."

Transcription

"At a meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Newbury Port held at the town house in said town on Tuesday the third day of April 1770. Voted to refrain from the use all India tea of what name or kind so ever the committee is desired to lay before the inhabitants writing adapted to the occasion. We the subscribers for many obvious and weighty reasons which is needless to enumerate do solemnly promise & engage to and with each other that from this time we will not buy, sell, or suffer to be consum'd in our respective familys any Bohea or other sort of India tea, until the Revenue Acts so justly complaind of are repeald."