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On the Prohibitory Act...
On the Prohibitory Act...
Item # 550871
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March 20, 1776
THE CONNECTICUT JOURNAL, New Haven, March 20, 1776
* Revolutionary war original from America
* re. Prohibitory Act
Most of page 2 is taken up with: "By the KING, A PROCLAMATION" "Appointing the distribution of prizes taken during the continuance of the rebellion now subsisting in divers parts of the Continent of North America."
As a bit of background, in late 1775 Parliamentary leaders looked back over the preceding months and noted the total disintegration of the relationship between the mother country and the 13 American colonies.Retaliation came in the form of the American Prohibitory Act that was designed to strike at the economic viability of the errant colonies. Parliament felt compelled to prohibit all British trade with the American colonies. Further, all American ships and cargoes were to be treated as if they belonged to an enemy power and were subject to seizure; if adjudged a lawful prize by an admiralty court, the ships and cargoes were to be sold and the proceeds distributed among the capturing ship’s officers and crew.This measure served as a declaration of economic warfare and did not go unnoticed in the colonies. Congress and the individual states reacted by issuing letters which authorized individual American ship owners to seize British ships in a practice known as privateering.
This text is printed in full on page 3 (photos show portions). This is followed by a report which includes in part: "...that one Arnold was arrived at Point Levi, opposite to Quebec, with a body of Provincials..." with more (see).
Also: "When all the intended reinforcement arrives in America the Provincial Camp will not be attacked. The plan laid down is said to be this: To destroy every town on the sea coast, to draw their army from one place to another, & harrass and starve them if possible..." & more (see).
Reports on the Revolutionary War continue to page 3 as well with reports from Quebec, Montreal, and Watertown, and Cambridge (see photos for some).
A page 3 item notes: "...a small reconnoitering party from our army went on Bunker Hill, which they found was abandoned by the regulars, & that they had taken off all the cannon but a few...".
The back page has additional reports on the war with items from Williamsburg and New Bern, and more.
Complete in 4 pages, never bound nor trimmed, two folds do not cause any loss, generally a handsome, clean newspaper with a wealth of Revolutionary War content.
Category: Revolutionary War
No Longer Available
