The American Revolution took place between 1765 and 1738 and was a period of great tension between two opposing ideologies. During this time, American colonists rejected the British Monarchy and established the United States of America. Of course, not everyone in the colonies supported the great revolt and as we initially saw with George R. T. Hewes, many focused solely on their business and class status. Nevertheless, something inside George R. T. Hewes’ heart ticked, and, as documented by author Alfred F. Young, his true Patriot colors shined.
Born August 25th, 1742, George Robert Twelves Hewes, “was a nobody who briefly became a somebody in the Revolution and, for a moment near the end of his life, a hero. (p.563)” A nobody he was. A …show more content…
“He built him a shop and pursued the private avocation of his trade for a considerable length of time (p.579).” He was not interested in the arrival of the British in America. Nor was he interested in events taking place around him. As Young puts “he cheerfully submitted to the course of life to which destinies directed (p.579).” But when the British occupied Boston, they brought violence with them. In March of 1770, The Boston Massacre took place. During this event, five workingmen were killed, four of whom Hewes claimed to have known. One of the men “was shot in the back was standing by the side of Hewes, and the latter (Hewes) caught him in his arms as he fell (p588).” This was the first event that resulted in Hewes’ …show more content…
His struggling business landed him in debtors’ prison in September, 1770. While he lost certain rights in prison, his fiery attitude stayed with him. Fresh out of jail, Hewes participated in the Boston Tea Party where he was named a minor leader by Commander Leonard Pitt. Hewes accounts “as soon as we boarded the ship, [the commander] appointed me boatswain, and ordered me to go to the captain and demand him the keys to the hatches and dozens of candles (Young p.591).” This was Hewes’ first time holding a leadership position in his life and he took it in stride. He worked with John Hancock dumping barrels after barrels of tea into the harbor and stirred into further action on his own by seizing the tea that some individuals, namely Captain O’Connor, tried to smuggle off the boat. He caught O’Connor with the tea and told a separate captain about the incident immediately. Because of this, O’Connor was severely punished and Hewes was awarded with “public recognition for an act of courage that almost coast his life (p.593).” Collective action from both the Massacre and the Tea Party earned Hewes public notoriety. As Young writes “his experiences transformed him, giving him a sense of
Born August 25th, 1742, George Robert Twelves Hewes, “was a nobody who briefly became a somebody in the Revolution and, for a moment near the end of his life, a hero. (p.563)” A nobody he was. A …show more content…
“He built him a shop and pursued the private avocation of his trade for a considerable length of time (p.579).” He was not interested in the arrival of the British in America. Nor was he interested in events taking place around him. As Young puts “he cheerfully submitted to the course of life to which destinies directed (p.579).” But when the British occupied Boston, they brought violence with them. In March of 1770, The Boston Massacre took place. During this event, five workingmen were killed, four of whom Hewes claimed to have known. One of the men “was shot in the back was standing by the side of Hewes, and the latter (Hewes) caught him in his arms as he fell (p588).” This was the first event that resulted in Hewes’ …show more content…
His struggling business landed him in debtors’ prison in September, 1770. While he lost certain rights in prison, his fiery attitude stayed with him. Fresh out of jail, Hewes participated in the Boston Tea Party where he was named a minor leader by Commander Leonard Pitt. Hewes accounts “as soon as we boarded the ship, [the commander] appointed me boatswain, and ordered me to go to the captain and demand him the keys to the hatches and dozens of candles (Young p.591).” This was Hewes’ first time holding a leadership position in his life and he took it in stride. He worked with John Hancock dumping barrels after barrels of tea into the harbor and stirred into further action on his own by seizing the tea that some individuals, namely Captain O’Connor, tried to smuggle off the boat. He caught O’Connor with the tea and told a separate captain about the incident immediately. Because of this, O’Connor was severely punished and Hewes was awarded with “public recognition for an act of courage that almost coast his life (p.593).” Collective action from both the Massacre and the Tea Party earned Hewes public notoriety. As Young writes “his experiences transformed him, giving him a sense of