A History of the City of Brooklyn and Kings County, Volume II.Ostrander, Stephen M.
History
A History of the City of Brooklyn and Kings County, Volume II.
Ostrander, Stephen M.
Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) -- History; Kings County (N.Y.) -- History
When the Provincial Assembly of New York, apprehending danger, and
realizing the necessity of united action on the part of all the
colonies, deemed it wise and prudent to recommend a congress of
delegates to assemble in New York on the 7th of October, 1765, to
consider what action should be taken to oppose the repulsive Stamp Act,
Mr. Lewis was elected to represent New York as a delegate, and when
they met took his seat in the convention. His head, heart, and soul
were enlisted in the cause, and he earnestly advocated the adoption of
the Bill of Rights.
He was one of the men selected to circulate the principles of the Sons
of Liberty, and seek the formation of similar societies throughout
the colonies. In this grand work he was associated with Isaac Sears,
Marrinus Willett, Gershom Mott, Hugh Hughes, William Wiley, Thomas
Robinson, Flores Bancker, and Edward Laight, all of whom were tried
patriots, whose deeds of daring and earnest labors will live in the
memory of a grateful people while time shall last. Truly have they
"left behind them footprints on the sands of time," and "their actions
smell sweet and blossom in their dust."
At this time Francis Lewis resided at Whitestone, L. I., having removed
with his family to his country home early in 1765. His residence in
Queens County did not prevent his acting with the Sons of Liberty. In
those days many of the prominent officials lived in Brooklyn and on the
Island.
The appointment of this committee resulted in the selection of a
correspondent in London, who kept the patriots informed as to the
projected movements of the British authorities, by which means they
were enabled to adopt measures to thwart the purposes of the Crown. The
information received from time to time led to a desire for a closer
union of the colonies. The old Dutch maxim, which has been preserved
and adopted as part of the seal of our good city of Brooklyn, "In union
is strength," was uppermost in their minds, and induced them to invite
the respective colonies to send delegates to a congress to assemble in
New York on the 7th of October, 1765.
Some New England writers have given the credit of the formation of this
congress to Massachusetts. This is an unhistorical assumption. Whilst
New England men did yeoman service in the cause, they did not enlist in
it until they had been spurred on by the "Sons of Liberty" of New York.
This congress of delegates owed its existence to the persistency of New
Yorkers, and was by them first called together.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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