The Revolutionary Struggle to the Battle of Brandywine

man, mentally and socially, was but partially developed, picturing to themselves the possibilities of a free representative government, comprehending fully the lesson of the hour, braved the issue, and boldly advocated the adoption of a then untried Utopian scheme. The great mass of the people -- the majority uneducated -- drifted with the day until events made them bitter partisans either for crown or Congress. When sides became radical, as a general rule, the wealthy and cultured few, afraid of change, were loyalists, while the middle classes and the poor were Whigs.

The direct result of the meeting of the Continental Congress of 1774 was to intensify the feeling of the masses in opposition to the ministerial powers, the address issued by that body being so calm and dispassionate, but so convincing, that it found ready response in popular approval. Especially was this true of the resolution that all importations of English goods should be prohibited, and that no articles should be exported from the colonies to Great Britain after December, 1776, unless before that time Parliament had removed the obnoxious law against which the people in America complained. In all parts of the colonies meetings were held to ratify and carry into execution the association recommended by Congress, and on Dec. 20, 1774, "a very respectable number of the inhabitants of the County of Chester convened at the Court-house in the Borough of Chester," at which the following persons were named as a committee to act for the county to that end, viz. : Anthony Wayne, Francis Johnston, Richard Riley, Evan Evans, and James Moore, Esqs.; Hugh Lloyd, Thomas Hockley, David Coupland, John Hart, Sketchley Morton, Samuel Fairlamb, David Coupland, John Crosby, Nicholas Diehl, Jesse Bonsall, Aaron Oakford, Benjamin Brannan, John Talbot, Joseph Brown, Samuel Price, John Crawford, John Taylor, Lewis Gronow, Edward Humphreys, Henry Lawrence, Richard Thomas, William Montgomery, Persifor Frazer, Thomas Taylor, John Foulke, Robert Mendenhall, Joseph Pennell, George Pierce, Nicholas Fairlamb, Samuel Trimble, Charles Dilworth, John Hannum, George Hoops, Joel Bailey, John Gilliland, Joseph Bishop, Jr., John Kerlin, Edward Jones, William Lewis, Patrick Anderson, Joshua Evans, Thomas Hartman, Dr. Branson van Leer, William Evans, Joseph Cowan, Thomas Haslep, Patterson Bell, Dr. Jonathan Morris, Andrew Mitchell, Thomas Buffington, James Bennett, Joseph Musgrave, William Miller, Richard Flower, Walter Finney, James Simpson, David Wherry, James Evans, Thomas Bishop, William Edwards, Jonathan Vernon, Jr., Lewis Davis, Sr., Joseph Gibbons, Jr., and Thomas Evans; which committee were "to be and continue from this time until one month after the rising of the next Continental Congress, with full power to transact such business, and enter into such associations as to them shall appear expedient."

Immediately after the committee had been selected that body organized by the appointment of Anthony Wayne, chairman, and Francis Johnston, secretary. The following resolutions were then unanimously adopted:

   "1st. That any twelve or more of the said Committee, meeting upon due notice, be empowered to enter upon and transact all such business as shall come under their consideration; provided, the majority agreeing shall not be less than twelve.
   "2d. That the present unhappy situation of public affairs in general, and of this province in particular, readers it highly necessary that a Provincial Convention should be hold as soon as possible, for which purpose twelve persons shall be appointed out of the said committee as delegates to attend the said Convention, at such time and place as shall be generally agreed on."

As there were no further matters requiring immediate attention, after the delegation of twelve to the Provincial Convention had been named, the committee adjourned to meet on Jan. 9, 1775, at the house of David Coupland in the borough of Chester.

In the mean while, in furtherance of the resolutions passed by the convention of the people of Chester County, held on July 15th, heretofore mentioned, as well as the similar resolution adopted by Congress, calling on the other colonies to aid with contributions the necessities of the inhabitants of Massachusetts, so long as the enforcement of the Boston Port Bill rendered such assistance needful, the people of Chester County made generous contributions to the fund. Dr. Smith shows that the purse-strings of Friends were unloosened liberally to this end. "Chester monthly meeting contributed £70 for the relief of Necessitous inhabitants of Massachusetts Bay and Provinces adjacent. Darby meeting paid £33 14s. for the relief of the poor and distressed in New England, while Haverford meeting responded to the request of the meeting for suffering, 'that Friends should contribute liberally for the relief of friends or others (in the New England Government), who are or may be reduced to indigent circumstances in this time of public calamity, and in a short time had the satisfaction to receive an affecting account of the state of the poor of these provinces, and of the distribution of the donations sent from hence.'"¹

On Jan. 23, 1775, the Provincial Convention assembled at Philadelphia, and continued in session for six days. Chester County was represented in that body by Anthony Wayne, Hugh Lloyd, Richard Thomas, Francis Johnston, Samuel Fairlamb, Lewis Davis, William Montgomery, Joseph Musgrave, Joshua Evans, and Persifor Frazer. Thomas Hockley and Thomas Taylor, who had been appointed delegates, failed to attend. The proceedings of this body show that the men who composed it had carefully weighed the means necessary to build up and sustain a nation, while at the same time they comprehended that slavery, which then existed throughout the colonies, -- largely due to the fact that Great Britain had always interdicted any restriction in the traffic, -- was an ob-