In the article “The Shoemaker and the Revolution”, Alfred F. Young seeks to shine a light on pre-revolutionary colonial America, and the factors that led ordinary men like George Hewes, a poor shoemaker, to explore the tumultuous world politics at the time, and why today he is considered a hero. The article concerns how Hewes turned into an active participant of three major events that lead up to the Revolution: The Boston Massacre, The Boston Tea Party, and the tarring and feathering of John Malcom.
In 1768, British troops were stationed in Boston to enforce the Townshend Act of 1767, as well as to control rowdy colonists. Tensions between colonists and the British soldiers ran high, as the troops often victimized, took advantage of, and robbed …show more content…
During this act of bravery, Malcolm had struck Hewes over the head with his cane. This altercation resulted with rising tensions between both class and political differences. While Hewes had wanted justice to be brought to Malcolm, Bostonians and the Sons of Liberty had taken the matter into their own hands, declaring that he could not be trusted to justice. Malcolm was then tarred and feathered as punishment for his actions. Hewes had thought this was cruel punishment for any man to suffer. “Hewes was at odds with the crowd. He wanted justice from the courts, not a mob… he could not bear to see cruel punishment inflicted on a man, any more than a boy” (Young, …show more content…
The article was only based in the New England Colonies, thus only giving the reader their perspective of life pre-revolution. Every colony in America had their own opinion that wasn’t mentioned or compared with the New England colonies. Since 1764 the colonists in the colonies, and Boston especially, protested against the British taxation in the aftermath of the French and Indian war, from the Stamp act in 164 and then against the Townshend Acts in 1765. Most American’s did not believe that Britain had a right to tax them without representation in parliament. After the Quartering Act in 1765, many Colonists felt violated by the force of the soldier's presence and wanted them out and for the Townsend Acts to be repealed. Conflicts arose between the soldiers and colonists as soldiers were allowed to work off-duty. The article makes it seem that the Boston Massacre was merely the result of a skirmish, when it was the result of antagonism between the soldiers and the colonists. Following the Massacre Paul Revere and Samuel Adams used the Massacre as propaganda to gain sympathy from the other colonies and to demand that the soldiers return to
In 1768, British troops were stationed in Boston to enforce the Townshend Act of 1767, as well as to control rowdy colonists. Tensions between colonists and the British soldiers ran high, as the troops often victimized, took advantage of, and robbed …show more content…
During this act of bravery, Malcolm had struck Hewes over the head with his cane. This altercation resulted with rising tensions between both class and political differences. While Hewes had wanted justice to be brought to Malcolm, Bostonians and the Sons of Liberty had taken the matter into their own hands, declaring that he could not be trusted to justice. Malcolm was then tarred and feathered as punishment for his actions. Hewes had thought this was cruel punishment for any man to suffer. “Hewes was at odds with the crowd. He wanted justice from the courts, not a mob… he could not bear to see cruel punishment inflicted on a man, any more than a boy” (Young, …show more content…
The article was only based in the New England Colonies, thus only giving the reader their perspective of life pre-revolution. Every colony in America had their own opinion that wasn’t mentioned or compared with the New England colonies. Since 1764 the colonists in the colonies, and Boston especially, protested against the British taxation in the aftermath of the French and Indian war, from the Stamp act in 164 and then against the Townshend Acts in 1765. Most American’s did not believe that Britain had a right to tax them without representation in parliament. After the Quartering Act in 1765, many Colonists felt violated by the force of the soldier's presence and wanted them out and for the Townsend Acts to be repealed. Conflicts arose between the soldiers and colonists as soldiers were allowed to work off-duty. The article makes it seem that the Boston Massacre was merely the result of a skirmish, when it was the result of antagonism between the soldiers and the colonists. Following the Massacre Paul Revere and Samuel Adams used the Massacre as propaganda to gain sympathy from the other colonies and to demand that the soldiers return to