Analysis Of John Adams 'Novanglus Letter'

At the time of John Adams writing of the Novanglus Letter, much contempt had been stirred in the colonies regarding the lack of representation of the colonies in the British Parliamant. As Adams opens his letter, he addresses the fact that the colonies in the New World had been established before Great Britain, with the addition of Scotland, itself, without even the consideration of representation(Novanglus 79). Yet Scotland, when adopted, was given the right to representation immediately, as well as their own parliament to govern themselves. In the Novanglus Letter, Adams makes the argument that this treatment is unfair and inconsistent. Not only had the colonies been established before Great Britain, but they consisted of roughly one quarter of England's population, supplying one quarter of England's revenues and yet had no formidable influence on government decisions. Adams' states many of the colony's feelings toward change in government, but also stated is the sincere desire of the colonies to remain under British subjugation. In an attempt to encourage England to comply with the wishes of the colonies, the First Continental Congress met in 1774 to ratify the Suffolk Resolves and to pen the Petition to the King. This established, among the colonies, an agreement of passive resistance against the intolerable acts, a boycott against all imported and exported …show more content…
Ways which, either in reality or as perceived by the colonists, negatively effected those in the New World. By this time the colonies were largely united in the premise of independence from England if resolution could not be made with King George III and the British Parliament. In Adams' Novanglus letter he clearly defines the colonist's grievances along with the terms by which the conflict could be