The arrival of the tea escalated an already existing debate over the new tea tax. And the sons of liberty led an effort to protest the kings new measure. After the debate, colonists marched to griffins wharf and dumped the tea in the boston harbor. Last year on the anniversary of this debate, reenactors and observers recreated the scene. This 45 minute event was hosted by Old South Meeting House and the Boston Tea Party museum. And now, ladies and gentlemen, the 242nd anniversary celebration of the Boston Tea Party. Good evening. My name is george shoes. Perhaps you have heard of me. I have been a shoemaker most of my life, a tradesman of the humble class, but now as an old man, i parade around in my colonial clothing as the last remaining participant in the Boston Tea Party. How strange it is to think what i have seen here in boston, how i witnessed a nation born of protest. I was no student of history or politics myself. My entire education consisted of only a modest understanding of
Good evening. Perhaps youve heard of me. Ive been a shoemaker most of my , but as an old man i am a paraded around in my colonial clothing is the last surviving participant in the boston tea party. How strange it is to think of what i have seen here in boston it, how i witnessed a nation torn of protest. I was no student of history or politics myself. Of ancation consisted understanding of reading and writing. I belonged to no associations but participated in no government. Our war for before independence, i became a staunch liberty boy. Continually reflecting upon the unwarrantable suffering inflicted on boston by the tyranny of great written, and my mind is excited by a desire to aid in chastising the king. Here here. Hall after this very the bloody massacre on king street in march of 1770 and again for the meetings of the body of the people in 1773 when we decided the fate. I came into this building a shoemaker. I left a true citizen. Tonight, i ask you to indulge my memory and join
The british soldier and british commander of the area. He wrote to him offering intelligence in exchange for protection from the soldiers for some cash. This was not discovered until the 20th century when clintons papers went to the Clements Library in ann arbor and this correspondence was discovered. So it doesnt look like he got much assistance, much protection, or much cash because his circumstances were considerably reduced after the war. He and his wife moved to providence where they set up a shop. He became a shopkeeper and they had a boardinghouse. So the question is, did ann know about his traitorous activities . We dont know, but it doesnt take away from this beautiful portrait of this very young, very confident, selfassured looking young woman with her beautiful garland of flowers and her beautiful lace sleeves. Another portrait in this room of a woman by copley is this one of Abigail Smith babcock, the wife of another wealthy merchant, who was not a spy. He was a patriot, an
But she has the beads of the garnet wound around her fingers. Its a lovely portrait. Youll see as we go through the galleries that many times the husband and wife were painted or children, son and daughterinlaw were painted. These were family portraits or efforts to portray the whole family. I think they would have been the only way of recording a likeness because photography wasnt available yet. So they were there and probably hung in homes unless they were in some cases commissioned for political like for a state house or Something Like that, but these are personal that were looking. Copley lived on beacon hill in boston. Hed had a quite lucrative business as a portrait painter. This is one of the last ones actually, i do remember that he painted her husband as well, mr. Adam babcock. These paintings were done in 1774, which were some of the last ones copley painted before he left boston for europe. He had a lucrative practice. 1774, he knew torreys and he knew patriots. He didnt see
Massachusetts merchant and political figure. He was 82 when this was painted. Copleys shown him just as he was. Youll notice the way hes painted the face and the hands is a little different. This is 12 years later. Copleys changed his technique, so the hands are painted with al little bit more fluid paint and in the face as well. Its easier to show the details, so copley is changing and developing as he goes along through his career in boston. Il so copleys portraits of men po show you these very substantial realistic figures that look ial comfortable in their setting an you have a sense that they had, these two men especially, that , theyve had successful lives and theyre in a good place. His paintings of women sometimee are just so ravishingly beautiful in their attention to fabric and texture and the o beauty of the skin, like this portrait of Anne Fairchild bowler. Ms. Metcalfe bowler. This was painted in 1763, so about the same time he was proac painting epes sergeant, but its a t