The lead up to the Revolutionary War covered ten years or more. As England tried to recoup the money spent to fight France in the New World, new taxes were imposed on the colonists. The protests that followed caused a divide in the populace. On one side were those who wished to remain Englishmen and on the other side, those who felt it would be necessary to separate from the mother country.
In 1768, the Boston Committee held a Convention at Faneuil Hall and asked towns to send representatives. Unlike some other area towns, Rochester sent delegates who were part of the passing of resolutions that protested the new taxing of the colonies.
Many in the Plymouth Colony were apathetic toward the spirit of independence stirring in Boston. Rochester, however, was more responsive to appeals from there. When new resolutions came from the Boston Committee, the political divide in town widened.
Samuel Sprague who had been the town’s long-time representative was suspected of having Tory sympathies and being pro-England. In response to that belief, Town Meeting voted that anyone who should, “Desert the Cause of Liberty” should be looked upon as, “an Enemy to his country & be treated with Neglect and Contempt.” Samuel Sprague was not reelected.
This began a series of Town Meetings in 1774 that dealt with weightier issues than concerns about wandering livestock or how many alewives each household could harvest. After the tea tax was introduced, one meeting voted to, “abstain from the use of tea.” At another it was agreed, “To sign a covenant to break off trade with Great Britain.”
Charles Nye was appointed to examine the town’s supply of munitions and Nathan Nye, Jr. was told to, “Make up the Town stock of powder to 400 weight with Lead and Flints answerable.” Those attending Town Meeting also voted to select officers to take command of military companies and that, “Every minute man (so-called) in Rochester to the number of One Hundred that shall attend Three Half Days in each week as shall be appointed by their Captain and Twice in a month in one Body to Learn the use of the Fire-licks.”
These practices were held on the muster field pictured here. It’s a triangular piece of land adjacent to the cemetery. The men who trained were instructed to. “Be Ready to March when needed & Equip Himself with a Good Firearm.” For their participation they were entitled to one shilling a week provided by the “Provincial Congress.” As the months passed and the men drilled, the colonies moved closer to war with England.
I hope you will join the Rochester Historical Commission and the Rochester Historical Society on May 7 at 2:00 in front of Town Hall to dedicate a memorial to these men who over 200 yrs. ago fought for independence and the birth of a new country.
By Connie Eshbach