USA > Connecticut > The trade of Revolutionary Connecticut > Part 11
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26
fabrios ranked high among the other imports.
I. W. Stuart, Life of Jonathan Trumbull (Boston, 1859), pp. 65-66, 69. Ibid., pp. 67, 115-116; Caulkins, Borwich, p. 312; Trumbull, Trumbull, pp. 64-72.
10 c Caulkins, Low London, p. 484.
12 Caulkina, Forwich, p. 311; Martin, p. 14.
160,
There was a small but steady trade to Ireland, both diroot and indirect, of which flaxseed constituted the raison d'etre. "" The main product imported in turn, directly or indirectly, was Irish linsn.
A considerable amount of flaxseed was exported from New Haven. ... .. Captain Peter Bontecou, for example, made numerous voyages to Cork,." Ireland in his bark, the Hawk, of forty-seven tons, loaded with flaxseed. On his return he very likely stopped at the West Indies to sell English and Irish goods and pick up a promising cargo for the New Haven market. 14 In the year ending May, 1774, New Haven sent out 150,000 pounds of flaxseed.' a.15
Other toms and individuals also participated in this trade. Wethersfield sont considerable flaxseed == a new development of the decade, or so, before the Revolution. 16 The Trumbull firm likewise bad sa occasional ship in Irish waters." 17
Trade with the Continental European powers was very mall and unimportant. Mention has already been made of Trumbull's trade with Amsterden and with Hamburg." 18 French goods seem to have been obtained
almost entirely by way of Boston or New York. 19 To Portugal, Spain, and
13 C. R. XIV, 498.
14trowbridge, p. 115.
15, Ibid., p. 114.
16 George Clark, Silas Deans (How York, 1918), p. 11; Mieks, p. 225. 17. Caulkins, Norwich, p. 312.
10Trumbull dealt with Cespar Voght and Company, one of the wealthiest firms in Hamburg. Stuart, p. 67.
:+3 ... .. 15,
19 Martin, p. 14.
€
161.
Gibraltar a few Connection't veasela made intermittent voyages. The 1762 report to the Board of Trade referred to "samme few vessels to Lisbon and the Mediterranean with fish. .20 The 1774 report listed 1. 1 lumber, flour, rum, and "muling stores" as products sent to Gibraltar. 21 22 Fish were carried to Lisbon and Bilboa, and wines were brought back.
Wine also was obtained at times from the Madeira Islands and Fayol.
- Staré,
23
.
1
4
t.
1.
.
1
·
* .*. A .: 1
20 C. R. XI, 629 .; 21c. R. XIV, 498 .; ..
clark, p. 11. , 2. : 13. 23 Andres, pp. 20-21; C. R. II. 297. ..
162.
and Africa
Colonial Trade with South
The trade of Connecticut with South America and Africa was an
occasional affair which amounted to a very small total in muaber and value.24 Yet, the trade should not be ignored.
The brig Two Brothers of Rocky Hill, for example, cruised as far
Soul s exports to
, as Dutch Guiana with a cargo consisting of twenty-five tierces of
tobacco, seventy-six bushels of cats, sixty bundles of oak stares, twenty eight barrels of flour, some onions, and a large quantity of bricks. 25 1
In October, 1756 Gurdon Saltonstall of New London wrote to Jared . 1
- - Ingersoll asking the latter's good offices in getting a permit from the
1 - Governor to ship one hundred barrels of beef and pork, the same amount of flour, and forty horses to Surinam, Dutch Guiana. Ho expected to get the flour at New York and the other items locally. He assured Ingersoll that the goods could not possibly be intended for the French. 26
The trade with Africa occupied more ships, though only a trifle as compared with those on West Indian commerce. In 1762 the Governor reported to the Board of Trade that Connecticut had "also some few vessels to the coast of Guinea." 27.
The slave trade was not advertised by participants, but an unusually long absence of a trip in southern waters set tongues to wagging. Two
24 See tables on pp. 146-147.
25
Wesden, pp. 757-758.
26. Ingersoll Papers, 217:16.
27c. R. XI. 629 ..
163.
round trips yearly to the West Indies were generally made from Comestieut parts .. But if a ship sailed for the West Indies and returned a good nine months to a year later, without any English. or south European goods, it was a safe bet that a "live cargo" had been taken from West Africa to Virginia or nearby." . 28 A report for 1770 gives Commectiout's exports to Africa as E7814 19sh. 8p .; but imports from Africa for all of New England as only m80.29
It has already been shown in the study of population that Connectiout had a large number of Negroos. Yet, one gets little official information about their arrival. In 1709 the Governor and Council informed the Board of Trade that not a single Connecticut ship had imported any Negroes since 1698, and that sometimes about six a year came from the West Indies. $1
Negroes were found in New Haven as early as 1664, but by 1680 - Governor Leste reported only three of four yearly coming in from Barbados. Occasionally, a Conmotiout captain was lost off the African coast. "
It is know that Middletown and Rooky Fill ships were engaged in slave trading on a mall.scale. 88 At least three Middletem captains, :
D. Walker, Gleason, end Easton, at one time were involved in the trade. "
28 Griswold, p. 467.
29Van Metro, Economic History of the United States, p. 102. The difference is probably due to the landing of the slaves at distant porta -- perhaps in the West Indies.
soges pp. 37-40.
Elizabeth Domman, History of Slave Trade (Washington, 1931), II, 106. 52 Ibid. , pp. 1-3"." 33 Griswold, p. 467; Fowler, pp. 16-17. . . ... .. .
34 Fowler, p. 124.
.
1
-
164.
The Mediterranean trade attracted a few Connecticut ships 35 including an occasional one to the Barbary Coast,' 36 6 with a
with a cargo usually of flour, lumber, New England rum, and "stores for muling. "37
1
36 C. R. XI, 629.
"o"Statisticks of New London," p. 219,
87 Benjamin P. Adams, "The Last Years of Connecticut under the British Crown," Connecticut Magazine, I, 224; C. R., XIV, 498.
..
**** I
5. 4
1 1.
PART II .
THE REVOLUTIONARY TRADE STORY,
.
..
1775-1783,
AND ITS IMPLICATIONS
-
. . .
4
15%.
CHAPTER XITOS
call-terminy ord: 32 xing af oot tron
The Coming of the War
The passage of the Stamp Not in 1765 produced immediate political 1 repercussions in Commecticut. The colony sent representatives to the Stamp Act Congress, but they were instructed to tread warily, which they did. Comectiout separately sent the resolves of the Congress on to"its: agent in London to present to the King and the two houses of Parliament." The non-importation agreements affected Connecticut chiefly through the great reduction in trade with England from Boston and New York, where most English goods to Commecticut were normally received. In any case, the speedy repeal of the Stamp Aot in 1766 mest that its effect was very temporary and caused only a slight brief dislocation in Connecticut's trading pattern.
The Townshend Acts actually affected Connecticut more deeply sooncmically. Following the lead of Boston, several Connecticut tous early in 1768 adopted non-consumption agromsents. In April, 1769 How York merchants called upon those in New Haven to adopt the same measures as already adopted in Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. On July 10+ New Haven merchants reached a non-consumption agreement, and it had wide effect in the Colony. The lower house, controlled by farmers, at the October session of 1768, expressed approval of the merchants' actions. 4
As already pointed out, Governor Fitch's adherence to the law and appointment of stamp collectors caused his defeat at the next election by Willima Pitkin.
"C. R. XIV, 420-425.
9
3Schlesinger, p. 112. Forwica took the lead, and was followed by Now London, Windham, Mansfield, and New Haven.
Ibid., pp. 150-151.
.
166.
It should be noted that the non-importation agreements were fundamentally self-denying ordinances which tended to have a boomeranging effeet upon -: : their originators.
Commecticut merchants, slow at the start, soon gave enthusiastic support to the agreements as long as they were in effect, despite increasing numbers of violations in New York and Rhode Island as tim passed.5 A general meeting of merchants and others was held at Low Haven at which time resolutions censuring the violators of the agreement were passed. Committees of inspection were set up to enforce the agreement against importation of British goods, and public opinion generally supported the, Observance was not easy as the lack of British Dammfactures imposed real privations for many, as homemade produots . t .... could not take up the slack and were too expensive in addition,
. The decisivo breakdown of the agreements occurred at New York in 1770, which was soon after the repeal of all the taxes bat toa. However; Connecticut merchants clung to thes longer than this. A meeting of merchants from all over Comsetient at Middletown in February, 1770 .. brought adoption of stronger non-importation resolutions; but by May. 1771, even in Connecticut, goods forbidden by the Middletown agrsomen were openly imported. -
The period from 1765-1770 had been one characterized by strong differences of opinion and even some open elashes between the Mother Country and the Americans. From a long range vierpoint, however, these
5 Boardman, pp. 102, 107-109; C.C.S. 11, 44.
1
6 Gideon H. Hollister, History of Connecticut, II, 124.
** Schlesinger, p. 151; Boardman, p. 109.
.
167.
clashes cannot be considered es serious. The various trade acts, the Stamp Aot, and the Temasend Act precipitated strong resistance in Amoricas but in each ongs a modus vivendi was found before an important independence movement developed. . ...
. The next two or three years brought a marked lull in the storm, In fact, relations between England and the American Colenies roassumed 41
generally the friendly tone of the pro-1760 years of "salutary neglect." .. Most Americans seemed happy to settle back into their traditional peaceful grooves of political, social, and sconasio activity as loyal members of the Empire.' The British ministry under. Lord North, however, apparently did not believe in Walpole's famous infmotion regarding the Colonials;'namely, to "lot sleeping dogs lie!" As a result, in 1773 tho Tea Aot was passed. "It produced violent American protests which reached a climax in the Boston Tea Party and struck spark to the tender gathered by Sam Adams and his "radical" friends. There was tremendous excitement throughout Connecticut, and events concerning Massachusetts were followed with elose attention. To the blockaded Bostonians were forwarded largo relief donations, mostly in the form of livestock and prodnes. Lebanon sont 375 fat shoop by Captain Elijah Hyde, and promised 130 worth o beef cattle . Other contributions flowed in from many towns
8 including Norwich (sheep), Farmington (rys and cora), Wethersfield (wheat, rye, corn), Groton (sheop, osttle, rys, corn), Hartford (736 bushels rye, 111 bushels corn), Coventry (shoop), Woodstock (sheep), Fairfield (grain), Tolland (shesp), and Waterbury (rye, wheat, flour).
8 Letter from Lebanon to Boston, August 8, 1774 in N.H.S.C., XXXIV, 42-65.
N.E.S.C., IXXI7, 8, 14, 18, 45, 48, 72, 89, 95, 98, 100, 103, 107, 126, 133, 136.
168.
.
·
The deepening political crisis cast its shadow over Connectiont throughout 1774 and early 1775. The spirit of resistance was waxing strong. In May, 1774 the general assembly approved a Declaration of Rights and Liberties -- a notable statement impelled by the Intolerable Acts. In it the Connecticut lawmakers stannohly affirmed their right to self-government as set down in the liberal Charter of 1662 and attacked specifically the closure of ports and the erection of the new Admiralty Courts .. 10
In deep alarm over and grave protest against the Coercive (Intolerable ) Acts of 1774, the first Continental Congress not at Philadelphia in September, 1774. Connecticut was ably represented by Roger Sherman, Eliphalet Dyer, and Silas Deano. 11
The passage by the Congress of the resolve calling for the Continental Association did not find Connostiout unprepared. In fact, certain elements in the Colony had anticipated the measure. About three months earlier, the town meeting of New London had passed a resolve urging Congress "to stop all Imports and Exports to and from Great Britain. 12 Two months later delegates from New London and Windham Counties in session at Norwich sent a letter to the Congress pointing out the impracticability of a non-importation agreement without a "Non-consumption Agreement." 18
In Hartford, too, sentiment was rising for action to boyoott British goods. At the town meeting of September 2, 1774 a non-consumption
-
10 c. R. XIV, 347-349.
11 C. R. XIV, 324 ftn., 326 ftn.
Gazette, July 1. 1774 (meeting held on June 27, 1774).
1ºConnecticut Miscellaneous Papers, 1637-1783.
<
.
169.
agreement was proposed, as was a meeting of all the county's, toms to .
.. take place at Hartford, 14 Earlier, the Committee of Correspondence bad decided to invite all the toms in the Colony to a meeting on ...: non-consumption on September 15.15
The meeting took place on schedule with delegates actually prosent : 2
" . . 1 from all'towns except a few in Litchfield County. William Wolcott aotod as chairman, and Samuel Wyllys, as clerk. The resolutions adopted afford an excellent picture of the temper of the times among the more "radical" merchants.
1.2
This Meeting taking into their serious consideration the absolute necessity of a non-consumption agreement, as shall bo recommended by the general Congress of Delegates from all the free British Colonies in America, now convened at Philadelphia, and also that their opinion and resolution thereon hath not boan yet fully made knam to the Delegates from this Colony in . said Congress.
Do Deelere and Resolve, That, in case the said general Congress chall recommend a non-importation of British goods only. or of British and West India goods, we will enter into a solem contract and agreement not to purchase or consumo any articles that shall be prohibited by such non-importation agreement, and use our utmost endeavours to render the same general and effectual; and we do hereby make known that we have, in general, been assured, by the towns we represent, that they will readily acosde to, adopt, and religiously observe suoh non-consumption agreement, aforesaid.
And whereas this meeting is informed that great quantities of English and India goods are ordered by sundry sordid and avaricious men, in our neighbouring Colonies, to be purchased in Ireland, and imported this fall, to give them an unreasonable advantage, and prevent the salutary effects of a non-importation
Resolved, That such mercenary wrotehes; ... are wholly umworthy of our confidence, friendship, or support; and, that our non-consumption agreement may be useful to any good purpose, ! we will not purchase any merchandise of them, or transact any business for then, or suffer the to transact any for us, but will wholly withdraw from them, ... .
Gazetto, September 2, 1774.
15c. c., August 23, 1774.
170.
Resolved, That the Committees of Correspondence ... bo desired to make diligent inquiry after the persons who have ordered goods, as aforesaid, and inform the next County and Colony Meeting of what they shall discover, that their names may be published, their conduct exposed, and their persons avoided,
Resolved, That if any merchant or trader in the towns aforesaid, shall attempt to engross any great or umusual quantity of goods, with design to forestall and elude a non-importation agreement, wo will find ways. and means, without violating his private rights, to defeat his views, and make him sensible that virtue and publiok spirit will be more for his interest, than low selfishness, and. avarice can be.16
On October 20, 1774 the Continental Congress adopted the famous Association whereby the members pledged that, unless Great Britain 7 acceded to their demands, they would not import a list of British goods after December 1, 1774, that they would not use tea after March 1, 1775, and that they would cut off exports to Britain effective September 10. 1775. Article XI provided for the establishment of a committee in every town to observe and advertise violators as "enemies of American liberty." and to inspect customs entries and seize any goods imported contrary to the Association, The agreement proved to be of great significance, for it forced most persons to take an open stand on a specific major issue of resistance to the British government, and it particularly applied to and affected the merchant olass. The importers and exporters faced a thorough disruption of trade and oven the local merchant had to make a profound readjustment as the normal pattern of overseas trade was broken up, and the supply of goods from abroad disappeared ...
The year and a half after the passage of the Continental Association sur a vigorous effort to enforce the plan with varying degrees of success. Probably, the decisive factor in each town was the force of public opinion. If it strongly supported the Association, fow, if any, merchants would
Peter Force, American Archives, I, 788-789.
171 ..
dare to flont the agreement. Moreover, the abilities and enthusiasm. of the local committee of inspection were vitally important.
The towns responded fairly rapidly to the setion of Congress ...... On November 14 the New Haven town meeting approved the organization of a committee of thirty-one to enforce the Association. In December, the camditteo was increased to fifty-one. 17 Hartford quickly followed How Haven's precedent by resolving to maintain the Association at the toma meeting of Deosmber 20.18 The committees of the tams of the County, soon thereafter, convened to work out carmon methods for enforcing the Association. -
Not every town, however, voted compliance. How Milford was one of those which refused to abide by the agreement. There, one hundred and twenty persons "moh alarmed at the horrible prospect of anarchy and confusion" signed a protest against the Lasociation and carefully acknowledged the sovereignty of the King and the rights of Parliament. 19
The methods and principles adopted by comittees in Hartford County deserve attention. They resolved, first of all, to discharge their ¿aties vigilently. Violators of the Association were to receive written samons to appear within six days. If found guilty, a person would be publicly breaded as an enery of the country. They would not exculpato those dealing with importers who raised prices above levels prevailing the previous twelve months. Every importer was expected to inform the committee about cach importation and have the goods passed. Strenuous efforts should be made to increase the member of sheep, and more broadly.
17 Boardman, p. 125.
18c. C., Doommber 26, 1774. 19 Fores, 4th Ser .. I. 1270.
172.
to improve agriculture and manufacturing in order to lessen dependence upon Britain. They next disarowed any intention of seeking independence, but declared they merely wanted orderly government umder their Charter. Finally the terms recommended that subscribers to the slanderous , Rivington's Gazette onnoel their orders. Such were the policies and Tiepoints of the men responsible for enforcement of the Association in and near. Hartford, "a ",
The proceedings of Hartford County set the example for the other counties. On Jammary 30 a New London County meeting approved them, and Her Exren and Litchfield Counties came into lize by February.20 The newspapers care emple publicity to the Committees and their activities. Apparently, they proceeded cautiously at first, undoubtedly to allow merchants to get adjusted to the new order of things. There was an' erident reluctance to damn a neighbor's reputation by holding him up to publis opprobriu
In Norwich the committee of inspection quickly spreng into sotion. It Faro notice that on January 24, 1775 three chests and six casks of "apothecaries drugs" imported in the ship Lady Garo from London via Bei York since last Deomber first would be sold.21
Among the earliest cases advertised in Hartford was that of Joshua Holcomb of Simsbury who was found "obstinately fixed in fall opposition to the spirit and meaning of said association" whereby he was to be treated with neglect and contempt" for his "incorrigible omity to the rights
2ºc. c., February 6, 27, 1775.
Cassette, January 20, 1775. According to the Association no -
English goods could be imported after December 1, 1774.
.
-
.
173.
of British America ,22
An interesting case handled by the Hartford committee occurred in the fall of 1775. Peter Verstille, Josiah Gibbs, and Stephen Hears, merchants, were found guilty of violating the ninth article of the Association by selling certain merchandise at excessive prices. Mears even refused to appear before the Committee. All persons were ordered, therefore, not to have further dealings with any of the trio. At the same time, the committee amouneed that no person could move into Hartford to settle without delivering a certificate from his home town to the effect that he was friendly to American liberties, 23 .. .
Publio disapproval quickly had its effect. By December the trio no longer eared to breast the tide. They eppsared before the ommitteo with a signed statement to the effect that they had violated the ninth article and had been published in the Courant and thus punished ..... Now they were determined to observe strictly the Association and wished, therefore, the esteem and confidence of all friends of American liberty. The committee voted this statement satisfactory.""
On April 8, 1776 Ebeneser Watson, publisher of the Courant, began publishing the public enemies with this explanations
ALL Persons inimioal to the Country, that are living up to View in the CONNECTICUT COURANT, by the Committees of Inspection; will have their Names, and Places of Abode published in this Part of the Paper weekly, till a deep Senso of their Guilt, and Promise of FAmendment, shall restoro them to the Favors of their insulted Country. N.B. The Committees of Inspection are desired to receive
22c. c., August 28, 1775.
23December 4, 1775. The case come up early in Cotober.
24 Jermary 15, 1776.
174.
no Confession from any Person within the above Discriptica, till he has advanced one DOLLAR, to pay the Printer for his Trouble in publishing such Confession. PERSCHS hold up to PUBLIC VIEW, as BREMIES to their COUNTRY. Jonathan Hill, Alford, Massachusetts Bay. Stephen Seers, Sharon, Connecticut, Weut. Ebenezer Orvis, Farmington, ditto."
The list tended to grow longer as the spring and summer passed and independance was declared. In late July it contained ten names. The September 23, 1776 list was the longest one, however, with foarteon nemos; and it also was the final ons. The rapid disappearance. of most names on the list bears strong testimony to the power of majority public opinion in ourbing the tendencies of a dissident minority. As a matter of fact, even the recalcitrants in New Milford som changed their tune and sent in a signed statement to the newspapers in which they ammounosd their conversion.25
The committees stirred up much interest and opposition in the ocurso of their work. "Fhilopolites" in the Courent on Jamary 23, 1775 emphasized the great importance of their task, urged the niwest care. in watching the merchants, and asked the strictest observance of th Association. "Polemoscope," on the other hand, took ismus with the action of a country wide meeting at Hartford on Karch 27, 1776 in setting the price of Muscovado sugar at sixteen shillings per 250 pounds. This was, he declared, below the usual peasstime price whereas costs bad risen forty per cent. The merchants already were discouraged; and, if this ast were enforeed, they would let people go without such articles."
2 C. C., April 1. 1776.
26
April 15, 1776.
175.
It is probable that in 1775-76 the Association created more excitement and emotion than it did serious economic effect upon the trade of Connecticut. True enough, it severod the ties of direct trade with Britain. More important, the chief supply centers for. . Connecticut-Boston and New York-were cut off from British goods. The stock of British goods on hand on December 1, 1774 was, however, largo enough to prevent undue shortage and suffering for a good many months afterward. It provided a period for readjustment to changed conditions, for stimulation of home memfactures, and for location of now sources and new markets. Some merchants did suffer from lack of British goods and found the adjustment hard. Others, openly or oovertly violated the Association, but they constituted a tiny minority, and most of them quickly were convinced of the error of their ways ...
Meanwhile, in the sphere of politics, great developments were being shaped. The Continental Association served as a rallying-point forthe patriots. Trade with the Mother Country fell off tremendously; in fact, it nearly stopped. A well-defined split between Patriots and Loyalists .
now took place, and fence-sitting bomans increasingly difficult to . achieve. Hostility to Britain's program centered in Massachusetts, which colony was the special objective of the Coercive Acts. Connecticut felt strong bonds of sympathy with the beleaguered patriots of her neighbor, and evineed it by sending relief supplies, as already described.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.