The Porteous Riots and the Stamp Act Riots, 1736;1765

Nota Bene: To skip to the primary source, a letter sent to Governor Cadwallader Colden of New York in November 1765, see italicized text below.

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            What things now stand sharp in our public consciousness? What events or moments do we collectively share in public memory? This is something that we little think of, yet it is entirely true that we do share a collective remembrance of events, songs, media, folklore, history, etc. It was no different in the past, and when one considers what was common in the public remembrance of a bygone era, one can get closer to understanding the headspace of historic persons, the possibility of which modern historians are rather incredulous of (for good reasons!).

NH Gazette, Oct 31st, 1765. Newspapers offer direct access to the past.

While it is axiomatic of the discipline of history that we can access real events in some way however faulty by means of written records offering testimony of past events, nevertheless it is a more difficult thing (or perhaps, is it impossible?) to try to access the psyche or mind itself of a once-living person from the past. Even with access to diaries and private letters, historians are quick to point out the curated nature of such documents, restraining us from completely accessing the true mind of the author; in historical analysis there is always a layer of disbelief on behalf of the historian, and a presumed layer of bias (howsoever little or much) in the original author. Hence, the historian is always wary of receiving the testimony of primary source documentation without a consideration of whether or not said testimony truthfully relates what it purports to relate, and be sure, dear readers, historians to their credit are not a trusting bunch!

This caveat being stated, we can in some limited fashion still try to access the truth of the past, and of the mind itself of historical persons, and there are many solid avenues for attempting to do so. In my estimation (little though it is as an amateur lover of history), some of the most fecund paths to such information are contemporary newspapers and primary sources which give hints to contemporary public collective knowledge and memory. In the latter of these two, one can find and meditate upon what the public (from whichever strata one is considering, whether high or low) considered important and what was commonly known. From such considerations, one can peak, in a way, behind the nigh impenetrable veil of time, at the actual mind of a person from the past.

For example, in the mid to late 18^th century, in the middling to upper classes among English people, certain literary luminaries appear time and time again in newspapers, private letters, direct and undirect quotations, etc, such as Dr. Swift, Pope, the Spectator [1711-1712], Dryden, etc. What I have found to be completely spelling binding to consider, and I admit this is a rather mundane fact, though I am often completely enchanted by the mundane, is that to 18^th century minds, what was considered common to their remembrance, were things of the 17^th century, things which one learning of the 18^th century are surely ignorant of ( I am speaking from personal experience here!). When studying such a time and then perusing the texts and common remembrances that dominated their minds, it is as if we can sense or imagine to sense what was common in the imagination or memory of historic persons long torn away from this world.

Cadwallader Colden 1688-1776, Governor of the Colony of New York

Of such examples which I find fascinating is a small primary source from the NYC Stamp Act Riot of November 1765. In this prelude to the American Revolutionary War, New Yorkers who were incensed about the arrival of royal tax stamps in Manhattan began to protest against their usage by marching south upon Fort George (which stood upon the site directly adjacent to the Bowling Green, which now houses a museum) then the residence of the royal governor of NY. In 1765, the governor was Cadwallader Colden, and at that tumultuous time, he had two choices, either capitulate to the demands of the citizenry (which inevitably happened in most of the 13 colonies), or turn the cannon upon the battlement of Fort George northward facing Broadway and the Bowling Green, threatening to fire upon the marching crowd, in hopes of forcing their dispersion. It is at this moment that a public letter was written, warning the governor of what might befall him and his family should he choose the latter course of action, and at is likewise here that we can find a glimpse into the collective remembrance of the public. Here is a transcription of the letter as it was delivered to Governor Colden:

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To the Honorable Cadwallader Colden Esq. Lieut. Governor of the City of

New York

 Sir,

The People of this City and Province of New York, have been inform'd that you bound yourself under an Oath to be the Chief Murderer of their Rights and Privileges, by acting as an Enemy to your King and Country to Liberty and Mankind in the Inforcement of the Stamp-Act which we are unanimously determined shall never take Place among us, so long as a Man has Life to defend his injured Country. . . We can with certainty assure you of your Fate if you do not this Night Solemnly make Oath before a Magistrate, and publish to The People, that you never will, directly nor indirectly, by any Act of yours or any Person under your Influence, endeavour to introduce or execute the Stamp-Act, or any Part of it, that you will to the utmost of your Power prevent its taking Effect here, and endeavour to obtain a Repeal of it in England. So help you God.

We have heard of your Design or Menace to fire upon the Town, in Case of Disturbance, but assure yourself, that, if you dare to Perpetrate any Such murderous Act, you'll bring your grey Hairs with Sorrow to the Grave, You'll die a Martyr to your own Villainy, and be Hang'd like Porteis, upon a Sign-Post, as a Memento to all wicked Governors, and that every Man, that assists you, Shall be, surely, put To Death.[1]

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Rendition of the Porteous Riots of 1736, c. 1855

This lovely and passionate letter gives hint to a common memory, namely of a riot that history has almost forgotten, at least to readers in the United States, namely, the Porteous Riots of 1736. Here our New York author misspelled the name, spelling it Porteis, yet he bears witness to a remembrance that was common to the reading public of NY in 1765, namely of that riot and of the consequences of official state violence against a riotous public. In Edinburg in the year 1736, a protest (for details, see the below link, and for those more interested, the novel by Scott) was well underway, and a certain Captain John Porteous choose the latter option mentioned above, of firing upon the crowd. Let me tell you, it did not go well for him, as he was quickly lynched to death upon a pole. It is fascinating to me, that in 1765, this event from a generation earlier, was still fresh in the public remembrance, and when one considers the events of 1736, the minds of 1765 are accessible in this one way, that we consider now what was a living lesson to them, namely, not to fire upon a crowd if you are in a position of authority, for it will not go well for you!

Lucky for the governor of the British Colony of New York, he heeded well the lessons of history, and did not, like Captain Porteous, fire upon the crowd of protesters in 1765, but rather capitulated rather quickly to the demands of the righteously indignant population, hastening the beginning of a long and dramatic chapter in North American history.

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⸺ For more on this topic, start here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porteous_Riots

⸺ For those more intrepid or interested in these riots, see the fascinating novel The Heart of Midlothian [1818] by Sir Walter Scott, which takes place immediately following the riots of 1736 and offers an interesting account of them and the remembrance of them in the early 19^th century.

⸺ For those interested in the events in New York in 1765, keep an eye out for more information on my upcoming historical fiction novel, which takes place in the years 1765-1776, and features the Stamp Act riots heavily in the first act of the book. Details coming soon!

Until then, I am your most humble and obedient servant,

C.B.

[1] For more on Governor Colden and the NYC Stamp Act Riot, see Engelman, F. L. “Cadwallader Colden and the New York Stamp Act Riots.” The William and Mary Quarterly 10, no. 4 (1953): 560–78. https://doi.org/10.2307/1923595.