In the late summer and early fall of 1774, all of Massachusetts outside of Boston shed British rule. From October 1774 to April 1775, a Provincial Congress prepared to defend this revolution against an anticipated British counter-revolution, mustering supplies to outfit an army of 15,000. After Lexington and Concord, it fell upon the Provincial Congress to run this army until the Continental Congress agreed to take over.
All this is closely documented in this invaluable collection of primary sources. To access, click here and then click the full screen icon on the upper right.
The Massachusetts Provincial Congress’s journals appear on the first 500 pages. Of special interest is page 231, the entry for May 16, 1775, when the Provincial Congress asked the Continental Congress to manage the army it had raised. Additional military details are in the journals of the Committee of Safety and the Committee of Supplies, 502–597. The proceedings of the County Conventions of Committees of Correspondence, pages 600-660, detail the overturning of British authority in 1774, before the Congress convened. (Note that the famous Suffolk Resolves were matched by other counties.) Be sure to check out ALL the appendices, which provide source material on both Lexington/Concord and Ticonderoga/Crown Point. A summary of Warlike Stores accumulated prior to Lexington and Concord is on 756.
One thought on “Journals of Each Provincial Congress of Massachusetts”
Totally agree! The Massachusetts Journals are indeed a terrific primary resource, rendered in compelling “you are there” fashion. I would rank them as one of the top three places to go for accounts of the war’s early days and its subsequent impact on the state’s inhabitants. Highly recommended!
Yes, SPM, Happy Bunker Hill Day to you also!