18th C Document 1781 Westford Samuel Adams Thomas Solemn League Jonathan Johnson
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| Reference Number: Avaluer:55945 | Country/Region of Manufacture: United States |
WE CAN COMBINE SHIPPING ON MULTIPLE ITEMS IF THEY CLOSE WITHIN TWO DAYSOF EACH OTHER, AND CAN BE SENT IN ONE BOX.HAND WRITTEN DEED / DOCUMENTDEED BETWEEN SAMUEL ADAMS AND JONATHAN JOHNSONDATED 1781DIMENSIONSSingle page, single sided, about 12 1/2" X 7 7/8".DESCRIPTIONHand written document recording the real estate transaction between Samuel Adams and Jonathan Johnson of Westford, Massachusetts. Reads in part (spellings as written): "....I, Samuel Adams of Westford in t...he county of middlesex and State of the mass't bay yeoman - for and in consideration of the sum of Eight hundred Spanish mild dollers (i. e. Spanish milled dollars, a currency in use at the time) ....delivery hereof by Jonathan Johnson....a certain tract of land being in Chelmsford in the west part of it and contains about thirty acres more or less consisting of mowing plowing orcharding and pasturing and was about one half of Sam'l Adams home place and is bounded...by said high way to the land of Thomas Adams....this Second Day of May A: D one thousand seven hundred and eighty one and in the fifth year of our Independance...(witnesses) Jacob Abbott / Polly Abbott... (signed) Sam'l Adams." According to the History of Westford, Massachusetts, by Edwin Hodgman, Samuel Adams (born 1728) was a soldier in the American Revolution, and was a land trader and store owner. Jacob Abbott was born in 1760, and is mentioned (probably erroneously) as marrying Polly Cummings in 1787. In 1780, Jonathan Johnson was on the Committee of Correspondence, a shadow government organized by patriot leaders, first established in 1764.Thomas Adams, and possibly other on this document as well, were signers of the 1774 document known as the Solemn League and Covenant. In the spring and summer of 1774, news had reached Boston that Britain's Parliament had enacted a number of measures in retaliation for the Tea Party of late 1773. Known in the colonies as the "Intolerable Acts", these most notably closed the port of Boston, revoked the colony's charter, and outlawed town meetings. Outraged, Samuel Adams (1722-1803) and his colleagues in the Boston committee of correspondence considered a non-importation pledge known as the "Solemn League and Covenant". The Covenant called for its signers to halt the purchase of British goods after August 31 and, further, to stop dealing with those who did not sign. The document was fiercely resisted by area merchants. In addition, there was growing sentiment amongst Bostonians toward waiting for a more comprehensive, inter-colony non-importation agreement. Although Adams ultimately managed to find support at the Boston town meeting in late June, it did not come easily. In an effort to swing around the Boston opposition, Adams and the committee of correspondence sent the document into the surrounding countryside via the network formed by each town's committee of correspondence. Apparently, many towns found it difficult to support the action, and those who did usually made modifications to the language on the printed form they received from Boston. In the end, the effort was eclipsed in the fall of '74 by similar actions taken by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Westford and Concord are two of the towns that supported the pledge. CONDITIONOverall excellent. Has the expected wear, age darkening and toning, and edge roughage (all visible in the images). No major tears or damage. A FINE REVOLUTIONARY WAR DOCUMENT FROM A TIME WHEN AMERICAN WAS ONLY FIVE YEARS OLD AND THE WAR HAD NOT YET CONCLUDED.All items shipped USPS priority mail unless otherwise noted. For payment, we accept PayPal, or Visa and MC (through PayPal). We will ship within two business dayfollowing receipt of the funds. INTERNATIONAL BUYERS PLEASE NOTE: We will shipinternationally via US priority mail and internet tracking. All items will be INSURED AND DECLARED ATFULL PURCHASE PRICE. Please do not ask us to insure or declare for less thanthe purchase price. And please do NOTask us to alter the age or description of any item for the purpose of avoidingcustoms and importation fees. WE WILLNOT FALSIFY ANY DESCRIPTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF AVOIDING IMPORT FEES. If your country charges a VAT or other formof taxation, you are obligated to pay the fees to receive the item.
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