The New Kent Resolves of July 1774

 

A British cartoon from 1774 labeled "The Bostonian in distress"

New Kent's response to the crisis of 1774 . . .

At a Meeting of the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the County of New Kent, at the Courthouse of the said County, on Tuesday the 12th of July 1774, Thomas Adams, Esquire, being first chosen Moderator, and William Clayton, Esquire, Clerk, the present State of America being seriously and duly considered, the following Resolutions were proposed and agreed to, as an Instruction to our Deputies hereafter named:

Resolved, that our Sovereign Lord King, George III, is lawful and rightful King of Great Britain and all his Dominions in America, to whose Royal Person and Government we protest all due Subjection, Obedience, and Fidelity; and that we will, at all Times, defend and protect the just Rights of his Majesty with our Lives and Fortunes.

Resolved, that the Inhabitants of the British Colonies in America are entitled to all the Rights, Liberties, and Privileges, of free born English Subjects.

Resolved, that the Right to impose Taxes or Duties to be paid by the Inhabitants of this Dominion for any Purpose whatever, is peculiar and essential to the General Assembly, in whom the legislative Authority of the Colony is vested, and that Taxation and Representation are inseparable.

Resolved, that the Trial by Jury of the Vicinage is the Glory of the English Law, and the best Security for the Life, Liberty, and Property of the Subject, and is the undoubted Birthright of all his Majesty's free born American Subjects.

Resolved, that the several Acts and Resolutions of the Parliament of Great Britain made during his present Majesty's Reign, imposing Taxes or Duties on the Inhabitants of America, for the express Purpose of raising a Revenue, and for altering the Nature or Punishment of Offences committed in American, or the Method of Trial of such Offences, are unconstitutional, arbitrary, and unjust, and destructive of the Rights of America, and that we are not bound to yield Obedience to any such Acts.

Resolved, that the late cruel, unjust, and sanguinary Acts of Parliament, to be executed by military Force and Ships of War upon our Sister colony of the Massachusetts Bay, and Town of Boston, is strong Evidence of the corrupt Influence obtained by the British Ministry in Parliament, and a convincing Proof of their fixed Intention to deprive the Colonies of their constitutional Rights, and Liberties.

Resolved, that the Cause of the Town of Boston is the common Cause of all the American Colonies.

Resolved, that it is the Duty and Interest of all American Colonies firmly to unite in an indissoluble Union and Association, to oppose, by every just and proper Means, the infringements of their Rights and Liberties.

Resolved, that we do heartily approve of the Resolutions and Proceedings of our sever late Assemblies for affecting and supporting the just Rights and Liberties of America, from their patriotick Resolves in 1765 this Time.

Resolved, that we will most firmly unite with the other Counties in this Colony, in such Measures as shall be approved of by Majority as the best and most proper Means of preserving our Rights and Liberties, and opposing the said unconstitutional Acts of Parliament.

Resolved, that the most effectual Method of opposing the said several Acts of Parliament will be to break off all commercial Intercourse with Great Britain, until the said Acts shall be repealed.

Resolved, that the several counties within this colony ought to nominate and appoint, for every County, proper Deputies to meet upon the first Day of August next, in the City of Williamsburg, then and there to consult and agree upon the best and most proper Means for carrying into Execution these or any other Resolutions which shall be best calculated to answer the Purposes aforesaid.

Resolved, that it is earnestly recommended to the Deputies at the said general Convention to nominate and appoint fit and proper Persons, on Behalf of this Colony, to meet such Deputies as shall be appointed by the other Colonies in General Congress, to consult and agree upon a firm and indissoluble Union and Association, for preserving, by the best and most proper Means, their common Rights and Liberties.

Resolved, that BURWELL BASSETT¹ and BARTHOLOMEW DANDRIDGE², Esquires, our late and present worthy Representatives, be and they are hereby nominated and appointed Deputies, on the Part and Behalf of the Freeholders and Inhabitants of this County, to meet such Deputies as shall be appointed by the other Counties within this Colony, in the City of Williamsburg, on the first Day of August next, or at any other Time or Place, for the Purpose aforesaid.

Resolved further, that our said Deputies agree to join in any proper Means that shall be adopted for the Immediate Relief of the present Necessities of the Inhabitants of the Town of Boston.

Resolved, that the Clerk transmit the foregoing Resolutions and Instructions to the Printers, to be Published.

                                            WILLIAM CLAYTON, Clerk of the Meeting



- The Virginia Gazette(Williamsburg), July 21, 1774

July 1774 would be shortly after the passing of the "Intolerable Acts" of 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party of December 1773 which included the Royal Navy closing the port of Boston.


¹ - The brother in law of Martha Washington, married to her sister Anna Maria Dandridge.

²- The younger brother of Martha Washington.

These two men were New Kent's Delegates to the House of Burgesses for 1772-1774.