In this episode, I cover the Writs of the Assistance, one of the first points of dispute between colonial sentiment and the British authorities – at least in Boston. In doing so, I revisit James Otis’ fierce resistance toward the writs in 1761, paving the way for the first coherent narrative concerning colonial taxation. It was here that Otis first emerged as a Whig leader, and his ideological influence was extensive. In several ways, the Writs of Assistance sparked a constitutional confrontation between the two powers, which remained a key theme of the entire patriot struggle against Britain.
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Recommended reading:
James Otis, Against the Writs of Assistance (speech)
James Otis, The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved
