This document details the request from many townsmen of Concord to put an article for the erection of new stables on public land, specifically the Common, upon the Sabbath in the warrant for the town meeting for the month of May. This document was written April 10, 1773, one month before the desired request would be discussed at town meeting. It is addressed directly to the selectmen of the town of Concord and signed “your humble servants” as a sign of respect, and has the signatures of several men on the bottom showing evidence for a desire for more stables. Several of these signatures are from the Wheeler family, a prominent family in early Concord with lineage tracing back to it’s founding. This document was written during a transitional period in American history, when the colonies, and especially Massachusetts, were slowly considering going to war with their oppressive governing body, the Kingdom of England.
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The townsmen requested that an article be put in the warrant for the town meeting in May, meaning that the idea of additional stables being built would be brought up during the town meeting and voted on by the selectmen. These small scale local decisions in towns in colonial Massachusetts were allowed to be decided on by the townspeople, while more important decisions or ones regarding a large area would be decided upon by a Royal Governor appointed by the King. These town meetings were very important to Massachusetts residents, as it gave them a sense of decision making and freedom separate from the absolute rule of governors, whom they eventually grew to greatly dislike. After the Boston Tea Party, which occurred just months after this document was written, Massachusetts was disallowed from holding town meetings as punishment for their insubordination. This angered the people of Massachusetts, and ended up being a major factor in their decision to all-out fight the
The townsmen requested that an article be put in the warrant for the town meeting in May, meaning that the idea of additional stables being built would be brought up during the town meeting and voted on by the selectmen. These small scale local decisions in towns in colonial Massachusetts were allowed to be decided on by the townspeople, while more important decisions or ones regarding a large area would be decided upon by a Royal Governor appointed by the King. These town meetings were very important to Massachusetts residents, as it gave them a sense of decision making and freedom separate from the absolute rule of governors, whom they eventually grew to greatly dislike. After the Boston Tea Party, which occurred just months after this document was written, Massachusetts was disallowed from holding town meetings as punishment for their insubordination. This angered the people of Massachusetts, and ended up being a major factor in their decision to all-out fight the