Massachusetts Provincial Congress, 1774.


HANCOCK, JOHN. 1737-1793. Autograph Letter Signed ("John Hancock Chairman"), addressed to "Hon Samuel Dexter Esq," tall 8vo, 1 p, dated Cambridge November 29, 1774, written as President of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, requesting Samuel Dexter's presence at a committee meeting, old fold lines, some light browning and a few chips at edges, old restoration of some folds on verso, a few small holes.A very rare letter, sent from John Hancock as President of the newly formed Massachusetts Provincial Congress, to Samuel Dexter, one of the 13 members of the "Defence and Safety of the Province" committee of that Congress, requesting his presence at a special committee meeting at the house of Captain Ebenezer Stedman (1706-1785) in Cambridge, the following day. In May of 1774 the British Government passed the Massachusetts Government Act annulling the Charter of Massachusetts of 1691, and creating a new provincial assembly appointed by the King. In October 1774 Governor Gage dissolved the provincial assembly while it was sitting at Salem, but immediately its members reorganized themselves as a new Massachusetts Provincial Congress with John Hancock as their President, They met first on October 11th 1774, and assumed all the powers of raising taxes, defense, buying supplies and running the militia in the colony—in effect the legislative creation of the American Revolution. Hancock sent Paul Revere to the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia in October 1774 to inform them that Massachusetts had its own autonomous assembly. There followed regular clandestine assembly and committee meetings at safe houses around the colony. The Congress sat from 1774-1780. Until the British forces withdrew from Boston in March 1776 Both Hancock and Adams were wanted men, and were hunted by British Authorities. This led to Paul Revere's famous ride on April 18th 1775 to warn Hancock and Adams, who were hiding out at Hancock's house in Lexington, that the British were marching to arrest them.Samuel Dexter (1726-1810) was an established Massachusetts merchant who opposed the British administration, and was also a member of the Governor's Council early on, but from 1765-1775 served on committees of the house and later several in the new Provincial Congress, including "The Defence and Safety of the Province" committee. Early revolutionary letters of this period are rarely seen on the market.