[Anti-Townshend Act circular] Gentlemen, You Are Already Too Well Acquainted with the Melancholly and Very Alarming Circumstances to which this Province, as well as America, Is Now Reduced
Artifact IDTL 2026.1.7
Object Type
Temporary Loan
Date
September 14, 1768
Place MadeBoston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Medium
broadside circular accomplished in manuscript
DimensionsOverall H 13 in x W 8 in (33 cm x 20.3 cm)
Physical DescriptionA single-sheet printed broadside original copy of the 1768 Boston Circular Letter, dated September 14, 1768, issued in Boston, Massachusetts. The document features an introductory header reading "BOSTON, SEPTEMBER 14, 1768. GENTLEMEN," opening with a large woodcut initial "Y" decorated with floral elements. The text block consists of six long paragraphs typeset in a single, justified column, concluding with an italicized complimentary close. Signed in ink by the Select-Men of Boston: Joshua Henshaw, Joseph Jackson, John Ruddock, John Rowe, John Hancock, and Samuel Pemberton.
Following the Townshend Acts, Royal Governor Bernard dissolved the Massachusetts assembly for its anti-taxation stance. Facing imminent British military occupation without a legislature, Boston's Selectmen (including John Hancock) bypassed royal authority. They mass-printed this circular letter to every Massachusetts town, calling for an unauthorized emergency convention at Faneuil Hall on September 23, 1768. Nearly 100 towns responded, creating an early precedent for coordinated, colony-wide governance independent of British control.
Following the Townshend Acts, Royal Governor Bernard dissolved the Massachusetts assembly for its anti-taxation stance. Facing imminent British military occupation without a legislature, Boston's Selectmen (including John Hancock) bypassed royal authority. They mass-printed this circular letter to every Massachusetts town, calling for an unauthorized emergency convention at Faneuil Hall on September 23, 1768. Nearly 100 towns responded, creating an early precedent for coordinated, colony-wide governance independent of British control.
Historical NoteParliament’s next tactic was to soften the directness of its taxes but harden their prosecution. The Townshend Acts of 1767-1768 included a law that levied import duties on tea, lead, glass, paper, and paint; a law that established a Customs Board in Boston charged with collecting duty payments; and a law that allowed British tea to avoid certain duty burdens. Boston’s business elite, many of whom were transatlantic importers or smugglers, were affected the most by this port-of-entry taxation regime, and they used their positions in local politics to raise the alarm. This circular letter, secretarially signed by John Hancock, the city’s wealthiest merchant, warns that “Regiments may soon be expected in this Province.” These troops would be “Enforcing by military Power the Execution of Acts of Parliament.”
Additional DetailsCredit Lineon loan courtesy of the David M. Rubenstein Americana Collection
National Archives Catalog CollectionJohn F. Kennedy Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 1676934)
National Archives Catalog SeriesPolitical Memorabilia (National Archives Identifier 1677287)
Use Restriction StatusRestricted - FullyUse Restriction NoteThe use of this image and document information is fully restricted. Reproduction in any manner is not allowed.On view