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The New England Restraining Act...
The New England Restraining Act...
Item # 549060
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April 01, 1775
LONDON GAZETTE, England, April 1, 1775
* The New England Restraining Act
* In a London England newspaper
The front page has a report from Westminster describing the presence of the King at the House of Peers, mentioning that he gave his Royal Assent to several acts including one: "...to restrain the Trade and Commerce of the Provinces of Massachusetts Bay...to Great Britain, Ireland...under certain Conditions and Limitations"
This was known as the New England Restraining Act.
As a bit of background, early 1775 found the British Parliament embroiled in debates over the most effective way to deal with the errant North American colonies. The Boston Tea Party in late 1773 provoked a firm Parliamentary response with the Coercive Acts in the following year. The American counter-response came in the form of protests, boycotts and violence.
One proposal offered that if the colonies would tax themselves in amounts sufficient to pay for their own defense and for the salaries of royal judges and other officials, then Parliament would not impose taxes on them. But more indicative of Parliamentary sentiments was a measure passed at this same time and approved by George III on March 30 (note the dateline of the report in the photo).
The New England Restraining Act singled out the northeastern colonies, much as the Coercive Acts had done earlier, as the source of unrest and disciplined them as follows: Effective July 1, 1775, New England trade was to be limited to Britain and the British West Indies; trade with other nations was prohibited; Effective July 20, 1775, New England ships were barred from the North Atlantic fisheries — a measure that pleased British Canadians, but threatened great harm to the New England economy.
In April 1775, the colonies of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and South Carolina were included under the Restraining Act’s provisions, clearly a move made to punish them for their adoption of boycott actions under The Association.
The full body of this significant Act is not printed in this issue, but rather the historic report of it being approved by the King and the title of the Act.
A very significant report of one of several events which would soon lead to the Revolutionary War.
This is the complete newspaper and is in nice condition.
Category: The 1600's and 1700's
No Longer Available
