Thomson, Charles Manuscript journal and letter book
High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC01018 Author/Creator: Thomson, Charles Place Written: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Type: Autograph manuscript Date: 1765-1781 ( bulk: 1765-1766 ) Pagination: 1 v. (ca. 200 p.) 32 x 20 cm Order a Copy
Bulk, 1765-1769 on Stamp Act Congress; some pages cut out. In four sections: 1) Correspondence of CT and Philadelphia Merchant's Committee, re: Stamp Act, 1765-1766; 2) Resolves of colonies re: Stamp Act Congress, with minutes of the Congress from Oct. 1765; 3) Records of the Philadelphia Merchants' Committee for 1769 with CT's transcripts of letters sent to Benjamin Franklin and others; 4) Retained drafts of correspondence, 1780-1781, with two long letters to John Jay (10/12/1780 and 7/11/1781) on the Revolutionary War.
Written in a reverse calf copybook with engraved label of bookbinder Samuel Taylor.
Born in Ulster, Charles Thomson (1729-1824) came to Philadelphia as a young schoolmaster. During the 1765 Stamp Act Crisis, Thomson became a significant figure in local politics, orchestrating resistance to the measure in Philadelphia. Over the next decade, Thomson continued to be a central figure in the organization of Philadelphia opposition to British trade policies. With the coming of the Revolution, Thomson became Secretary of the Continental Congress, a post he retained until the creation of the federal government in 1789. Ignored by the Washington administration, he spent the last 35 years of his life out of public office.
Here, Thomson, writing as a member of the Philadelphia Merchants' Committee, which strongly supported the non-importation efforts, argues that British actions--the imposition of illegal taxes, the bloated customs bureaucracy, the stationing of an army among the people--all were part of a plot to deprive Americans of their liberties.
First the parliament claims a right to levy taxes upon the Americans without their consent;...they declare that they have a power to make laws to bind them in all cases whatever: By another act they suspend the legislative authority of an American Assembly for daring to dispute their commands.... The army, which was left in America after the late war under the pretence of securing and defending it, is now publikly declared to be for the purpose of enforcing obedience to the authority of Parliament. The remonstrances and Petitions of the Assemblies in favour of their rights, and against these claims of Parliament, are treated as sedition and the attempts of the people to procure a redress of grievances are deemed rebellion and treason: and, in order to intimidate the colonies, an antique, obsolete law is revived and the crown addressed to send for persons accused of treasonable practices in America & try them in England. How much further they may proceed is uncertain; but from what they have already done the colonies see that their property is precarious & their liberty insecure. It is true the impositions already laid are not very grievous; but if the principle is established, and the authority, by which they are laid, admitted, there is no security for what remains. The very nature of freedom supposes that no tax can be levied on a people without their consent given personally or by their representatives.
....I have often viewed with infinite satisfaction the prodigious growth & power of the British Empire and have pleased myself with the hopes that in a century or two the British colonies would overspread this immense territory added to the crown of Britain [i.e. Canada], carrying with them the religion of Protestants, and the laws, customers, manners, & language of the country from whence they sprung;... But alas! the folly of a weak administration has darkened the prospect. [Body of text]
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.