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1779 Rev War Date, Boston Massacre Pamphlet Commemorating the Ninth Anniversary

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:2,400.00 USD Estimated At:3,000.00 - 3,500.00 USD
1779 Rev War Date, Boston Massacre Pamphlet Commemorating the Ninth Anniversary
American Revolution
1779 “Boston Massacre” Anniversary Commemoration
March 5, 1779-Dated Revolutionary War Period, Printed Pamphlet titled, “An Oration Delivered.... to Commemorate the Bloody Tragedy of the Fifth of March, 1770,” (The Boston Massacre), Boston: Printed by Edes & Gill, in Court-Street, Very Fine.
This very rare Revolutionary War Printed Pamphlet is titled: “An Oration, delivered March 5th, 1779, at the Request of the Inhabitants of the Town of Boston; to Commemorate the Bloody Tragedy of the Fifth of March, 1770, By William Tudor, Esquire,” with 18 pages, measures 5.25” x 8” at, “Boston: Printed by Edes & Gill, in Court-Street. M.DCC.LXXIX.” Signed atop the first page of the oration, “Thos Jackson April 15 1801.” Some pages closely trimmed affecting the last letter of some lines, some soiling and minor ink smudge on the cover and foxing, pages are tied together with its original thread stitching. Some passages are underlined and there are cross-outs and corrections. For example, in the phrase: “Cromwell granted their request – and became sole tyrant of three kingdoms,” Jackson, most probably, crossed out “kingdoms,” replacing it with “countries.” Referring to Sweden’s King Gustavus III, Tudor calls him “so wise, so good a King.” “King” is crossed out and replaced with “Man.” The back page is numbered “20” and the word “Our” appears at the bottom right indicating that at least a twenty-first page beginning with “Our” is missing.

Printed inside the front cover is the text of a motion voted, “At a Meeting of the Freeholders and other Inhabitants of the Town of Boston” on March 5th to appoint a committee of seven including John Hancock to go to Tudor, “to thank him for the spirited and elegant Oration delivered by him at their Request, in Commemoration of the horrid Massacre perpetrated on the Evening of the fifth of March, 1770, by a Party of Soldiers of the XXIXth Regiment, under the Commander of Capt. Thomas Preston, and to request of him a Copy thereof for the Press.” Tudor’s March 6th reply is printed beneath: “Conceiving that nothing short of Impossibility ought to dispense with that prompt Obedience which Individuals owe to the public Voice, this Oration was composed and delivered in Sickness: In the same sentiment I consent to the Publication of it.” (Evans 16500).
Each year since 1770, at a town meeting held in Faneuil Hall, a person was asked to deliver an oration to mark the anniversary of the Boston Massacre including Dr. Joseph Warren in 1772 and 1775 and John Hancock in 1774. William Tudor (1750-1819), Harvard Class of 1769, was one of John Adams’ law clerks when Adams was defending the British soldiers accused of the massacre. Tudor began his own practice in 1774. From 1775-1777, Capt. Tudor served as the chief legal officer on Gen. George Washington’s staff at Cambridge and later in New York City. Lieutenant Colonel and later Colonel, Tudor returned to Boston in 1777 and resigned his commission in 1778.