John Hancock did not have a hand in directing the Boston Tea Party but he had an interest in stopping the enforced delivery of East India Company English tea. It was not surprising for Bostonians to discover how close Hancock and Samuel Adams had become. John Hancock did manage, however during his lifetime, to become President of the Continental Congress and the first and third Governor of Massachusetts.
John Adams: As my cousin Samuel
mentioned to you, I am an attorney and will gladly listen to your side of this
unfortunate matter. While it is often convenient to break the law when it is
perceived that no enforcement is in sight, I would not chance it further if I
were you.
John Hancock: I will take your counsel
to heart.
Adams: You do understand that you are
charged with smuggling, a criminal offense? If after you have told me
everything you can about your activities, I will decide if I think I can be of
assistance. Please remember that you can be certain that any information that
passes between us will not be repeated to a third party. Do you understand?
Hancock: Yes, of course.
Adams: Please tell me how you came
about this profession.
Hancock: I can’t believe it’s a crime.
My uncle was a smuggler. I learned everything from him.
Hancock: Yes, he was a prominent
smuggler himself. But it was never a question of being charged with a crime. He
just made monetary contributions to various people and everything was fine.
Adams: Sir, you are a man of
considerable wealth, are you not?
Hancock: And that also is not a crime.
Adams: Please bear with me. If it was
general knowledge that you made a fortune smuggling, then I must assume that
you did not continue the practice of making monetary contributions to certain
people.
Hancock: Then you assume wrongly. I
continued making the contributions and even increased them as it was requested.
Adams: Tell me again what kinds of
cargo you were moving illegally.
Hancock: I smuggled glass, lead, paper,
French molasses and tea.
Adams: Ah Ha. Tea! As long as you were
not putting your finger in the king’s eye, you were left alone. It is the tea
that brought you trouble.
Hancock: I’m sure you are correct.
Adams: We all knew that you were making
a fortune smuggling Dutch tea which was cheaper than the East India tea that
the Crown was selling to the colonies. Not only were you angering England by
selling cheaper tea but you paid not a penny in taxes.
Hancock: Well I never pay taxes.
Adams: So on one bright morning as your
sloop made its way back from England, it was impounded by British customs officials
for violation of revenue laws.
Hancock: The
Liberty was my favorite vessel. Can we get her back?
 |
| John Adams |
Adams: We would do well keeping you out
of an English stockade!
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