by (ANTI-STAMP ACT MANUSCRIPT)
REVEREND JOHN PAGE (1738-1783). Page received from Harvard College his AB in 1761 and his AM in 1764. He was ordained as a Congregational minister in Danville, New Hampshire in 1763. He died of smallpox on January 29, 1783 after tending to sick parishoners. THE STAMP ACT. In the wake of Britain’s expensive victory in the French and Indian War, Parliament decided to tax the colonists to pay for the conflict. In 1765, the British government required that materials printed in the colonies use paper produced in London and bearing an embossed revenue stamp; this included newspapers, legal documents, etc. Additionally, Parliament stated that the tax had to be paid with British currency, not cheap colonial paper money. The colonists thought the tax was unfair and that they had no say in its passage. Street protests erupted in several states and there were political measures taken too. In October 1765, the Stamp Act Congress, attended by nine colonies, was held in New York City. Across the Atlantic, Parliament got the message about the Stamp Act, and voted to repeal it in February 1766. The Stamp Act, however, was the forerunner to the Townsend Act and other unpopular measures Parliament took, and they are regarded as perhaps the first shot in the quest for Independence. AM. 3 ¾” x 6 ¼”. 20 pgs. 1765-1766. No place [Danville, New Hampshire]. A lengthy and fiery manuscript sermon delivered by Reverend John Page of Danville, New Hampshire. The minister responded to the Stamp Act from the pulpit. In this manuscript (which was likely his reading copy), Reverend Page frequently uses abbreviations (i.e. “Chh” for “Church” and “Jes” for “Jesus”). He mixes Biblical stories with what was occurring in the Colonies. The sermon begins as the usual fire and brimstone from the era with a mention of Revelation 3:2 (“ Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God”), and then states: “This Chap begins with ye Epistle of our Jes & to ye Chh of is in Sardis (wh was one of ye Seven Chh…in Asia) after ye Glorious Description given of & yt he has ye Seven Spirit of - & ye Seven Stars – he acquaints ye Ch with her own State & Condition yt tho she had a Name to live – yet was dead – he then propounds a remedy & a Reason to excite them to ye else of ye same – ye Remedy in this to be watchful & to strengthen ye Things yt remain yt are ready to die – I shall consider at ye time only ye first of these – Be watchful & here I shall show…so yt we must keep ye at all times in all places upon all Occa when we are along & when we are in Company Abroad and at home…in Civil Affairs & moral…in our Religious Duties…”. Several pages in, Reverend Page turns his attention to the effect of the Stamp Act on his parishoners: “see as first hand as ye is truly ye case with New England & with America for several years past we have been involved in a controversy of a most interesting nature with Gt. Britain a Controversy wh Strikes at ye root of our Civil & gtly endangers our religious liberties & privileges – ye British parliament in wh we are in no sense represented have in performance of an assumed right to…Laws binds on ye Colonies in all Cases whtsover passed many Grevious Acts tends to destroy our Constitution rob us of our freedom & subject us to a state of Inglorious Servitude alarmed at these proceeds, ye Colonies have referenced…& remonstrated but all in vain to who control ye Councils of Gt. Britain. Beg determined as it seem at all hazards by force & violence to carry yr oppressive schemes into Exect – ye last year have al last been driven to extremity & America have been reduced to ye disagreeable Necessity of resist to blood – British troops have stand yr honor by draw ye Sword & commence hostilities against yr Brethern & fellow subjects for ye base purposes or enslave…have wantonly ravaged & destroyed some of our sea port Towns & many of our B[rether]n driven fr them &…other sea ports have been obliged to seek a quiet residence in ye Country for ye unprovoked insults & outrages of these Instruments of ministerial Vengeance & ambi – Some & not a few of our Br have fallen in Battle whose memories are dear to us for having fallen in Defense of yr Country – unwearied pains have been taken to rouse ye Savages of ye Wilder & against us & excite yn to fall on our frontiers in short every iniquitous method has been attempted for brining Slavery & misery upon us – but it is not enough yt Gt Britain drove out our pious ancestors by ye iron rod of Tyranny…& forced yr to flee for refuge into ye howling wilder of America, but must she also pursue us yr Posterity into these remote regions to chastise us with ye same rod for no other fault…beg a free peo[ple] & beg resolved to continue so – out worthy Progenitors in order to remove yms. Out of ye reach of civil & ecclesiastical Tyranny & to enjoy unmolested ye Bless of Liberty voluntarily exchanged ye pleasant fields of Britain for ye inhospitable wilds of America & wr we (onside ye qt & almost unsuperable Difficulties wh our fore fathers underwent in leaving yr Native Country & transplanting…in Yr Land for ye Love of Liberty ye Bless we of wr not permitted to enjoy on Cheaper terms – wn we consider also how many undeniable proofs ye American colonies have given fm ye Beginning of yr Loyalty & firm allegiance to ye British kings & yr warm affect ye parent State & wn we consider also yt Britain has been amply paid for all ye Expense she has ever been at in protects us by regulating our Trade so as to secure ye principle advantages & profits yr of to hers – I say wn we consider these & how unjust how cruel must it appear in ye mother country to attempt & endeavor to deprive us of ours so dearly bo’t & unforfeited Liberty & to reduce us to Servitude & Bondage. But when we must look above ye Instruments of our Troubles must look to ye Supreme Disposer of all events ye providence of presides over ye…in all human affairs – all second Causes & subordinate arguments are subject to his Govermt no Event happens contrary to or besides his will either positive or promissive riches honor & Prosperity come fm him & all adversaries & Calamaties whether public or private are ordered by him is yr evil in yr City & ye has not done it wtever confer & disorders, wars tumult & Bloodshed yr are in ye all these 5 are subject to ye superintend, providence of infinitely wise & infinitely gracious - & tho we have reason to all use ye Instruments of our Troubles of gt Injustice Trials to be just considered as ordered by we must acknowledge ye we are justly dealt with by – in all yt is bro’t upon us for shall not ye Judge of all ye do right we know yt it is impossible for him to do otherwise - - ye most dark & intricate footsteps of his providence are agreeable to ye Eternal Rules of R & would appear so to us had we a Clean Comprehen= of ye whole plan of his Moral Govermt & thus tho has been afflicting us & bro’t sore & distress calamities upon us by ye Sword of our unjust cruel & unnatural Enemies yet his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out yt still ye sword is yet unsheathed & baths its in Blood ye war continues & ye…are multiplied tho hand has been heavy upon us yet ye token of his displeasure are not removed his hand is not withholden we have reason to lament in ye wds of Jeremiah o thou sword of ye – how long will it be ere than be quiet put…into thy scabbard…”. There are several more pages of Bible stories and sulfuric references. Danville, New Hampshire is just a few miles inland from Portsmouth. In September 1765, a mob gathered and burned the local stamp collector in effigy. On November 1, 1765, the day the Stamp Act official became law, Portsmouthians had a mock funeral for Liberty, complete with a coffin and ringing bells. Surely Reverend Page was aware of what was occurring in nearby Portsmouth, as well as Boston just to the south. The manuscript is in very good condition with dark ink, though written in a small hand. There are some light stains and a few of the pages have their edges chipped, affecting a few words. The best, most anti-British passages are mostly written on four smaller pages glued in the center of the manuscript. The American Book Prices Current shows no other Stamp Act sermons ever selling. A fine example of anti-British sentiment from a minister, and it is representative of the energies and resentments that led to the American Revolution a decade later. (Inventory #: 4496)
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