The subject at the moment in my Revolutionary Writing course is the practice of tarring and feathering, which took place frequently as colonial America moved toward the Revolution. From my contribution to yesterdays online forum discussion: Tarring and Feathering is often treated with humor now, as though it were some prep school prank, but in fact it was an outrageously harsh form of torture. People subjected to it were often disfigured or maimed for life, and in some instances they died. Such forms of political protest only reenforced in the minds of loyalists (on both sides of the Atlantic) that those in favor of independence were a lowly criminal element--a mob. And they were right, by and large, although there were also numerous colonists who were eager to express (in writing, speeches, broadsides, etc.) the philosophical arguments that underpinned the desire for independence. Thomas Paine, John and Abigail Adams, James Lovell, Dr. Joseph Warren--they wrote and/or spoke of liberty in ways that complimented mob activities; a very different approach, yet possessing equal fervor. To be tarred and feathered (and often set adrift in a harbor or on a river without oars) was an horrific experience, often bestowed upon individuals who conducted the kings business. Thus tax collectors, customs officers, and the like, were often targeted. The treatment of loyalists, before and certainly after Lexington and Concord, was often cruel and undignified. There are accounts of loyalist farmers being dragged from their homes in the middle of the night, tossed down holes in the ground, from which they might require days to escape. Their houses were sometimes burned; often degraded (smearing farm houses with animal excrement was not uncommon). There is a tendency to clean up and glorify the image of our revolutionary ancestors; indeed they deserve full credit for their determination and bravery in the face of terrible odds, but its important to recognize who and what they were, and what kind of behavior they were capable of, if we are to fully understand and appreciate what makes Americans a unique people and culture.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 09:54:35 +0000
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