Lord Dartmouth, British Secretary of State to New Jersey Governor William Franklin, 5 July, 1775, Catalogue ref: CO 5/992, folios 127-129d.
Thomas Gage was appointed commander in chief of all British forces in North America in 1763. Had it not been for General Gage’s failed attempt at Concord, colonies separately or together possibly might have come to some plan of accommodation. Instead, almost all North America rose against British control.
On April 19, 1775, General Gage sent out regiments of British soldiers from Boston to Lexington to arrest colonial leaders Sam Adams and John Hancock and then move to Concord to supress any resistance. The plan failed as the colonists became aware of the plan and Paul Revere and other ‘Minutemen’ warned the local population that the British were coming.
Transcript
Whitehall, 5th July 1775
Governor of New Jersey
Sir,
Your ideas of the situation of the King’s Affairs in North America and the fatal effects of General Gage’s attempt at Concord are perfectly just and I really believe that if that unfortunate event had not happened just at the time that my letter of the 3rd of March was received by the Governors of the several colonies separately, or upon some plan of communication less dangerous than a general Congress would have been committed such a consideration of the Resolution of the House of Commons of the 20th of February as would have led to some plan of accommodation.
That happy moment of advantage is lost and instead of Reconciliation all North Americans, except Quebec, Nova Scotia, Georgia & the Floridas, is in Arms against Great Britian & committed in Rebellion that menaces to overthrow the Constitution.
In this situation it is the King’s firm resolution that the most vigorous efforts should be made both by Sea and Land to reduce these Rebellious subjects to Obedience & the proper measures are now pursuing not only for augmenting the Army under General Gage but also for making such addition to our Naval strength in North America as may enable Admiral Graves to make such a Disposition of his Fleet as that beside the Squadron necessary for the New England Station, there may be separate Squadrons at New York within the Bay of Delaware in Chesapeake Bay & upon the Coast of Carolina.
…
I have only to add that it is His Majesty’s express Command that you do exert every Endeavour & employ every means in your power to aid & support him [Gage] & Admiral Graves in all such operations as they may think proper to undertake for carrying the King’s Orders into full Execution and restoring the Authority of His Majesty’s Government.
(Dartmouth)
- What criticism of General Gage is inferred by this letter to the Governor of New Jersey?
- What is the attitude of the British Crown towards the North American colonies?
- What steps are the British going to take to meet resistance to its authority?
- What does the letter infer about how the British governed its colonies?
- Find out more context about events at Concord, Lexington, and the role of the ‘Minutemen’.