December 14 to 16, 1773: “The Final Straw”
In December, tensions grew to an all-time high with the arrival of the Eleanor and Beaver. Under the order of Thomas Hutchinson, Lieutenant Governor and Chief Justice of Massachusetts, no vessel could leave Boston Harbor without a pass. As the deadline to pay the tax on the Dartmouth’s tea fast approached, another large-scale meeting to discuss the “tea crisis” was planned for Tuesday, December 14 at the Old South Meeting House. Prior to this, smaller meetings had been held by the Sons of Liberty at the Old South Meeting House almost daily since November 30 to discuss the “tea crisis”. The Sons of Liberty planned a course of action of the utmost secrecy to deal with the “tea crisis” if the issue could not be resolved diplomatically through negotiations. A pamphlet was distributed throughout Boston to announce and call forth the concerned citizenry to meet at 10:00 in the morning on December 14 at the Old South Meeting House, “Friends! Brethren! Countrymen! The perfidious act of your reckless enemies to render ineffectual the late resolves of the body of the people, demands your assembling at the Old South Meeting House, precisely at ten o’clock this day, at which time the bells will ring.” Additionally, news of the meeting was spread to towns in close vicinity to Boston, and towns throughout Massachusetts sent proclamations of support. Samuel Adams called upon the Committees of Correspondence from Massachusetts for support, calling them to be in “readiness in the most resolute manner to assist this Town in their efforts for saving this oppressed country.”
