A Letter to Samuel Adams from the Town of Dartmouth (at that time including Westport!)

Have you been watching Ken Burn’s documentary on the American Revolution? Has this sparked curiosity about how Westport responded to these tumultuous events?

This winter, our community’s own revolutionary story will be explored through an effort to transcribe the town meeting records dating from 1760 – 1790. “In Our Own Words: The Path to Independence” offers you the chance to volunteer as a transcriber or join the conversation at our local history forums. This project will lay the groundwork for an exhibition planned for summer 2026 at the Handy House.

In addition to town meeting records, we are discovering documents that give “voice” to this region’s response to the Intolerable Acts. In 1774 Dartmouth formed its Committee of Correspondence, sending word to Samuel Adams in Boston via a letter written on behalf of the committee by Benjamin Akin. In his words, the New Acts of Parliament (Intolerable Acts) “have thrown us into a State of Nature. We now have a fair opportunity of choosing what form of government we think proper…“it would be best for us to form a New Charter for ourselves that will be most agreeable to us.”

This letter is a reminder that the Revolution required each town to work in unison “to act on one plan.” But how united was the town of Dartmouth in reality — a town that encompassed Quakers and Congregationalists, farmers and merchants, the enslaved and dispossessed. And why did Westport seek its own independence from Dartmouth in 1787 just in time to send its own representative William Almy to ratify the Constitution?

Stay tuned!

To Mr. Sam Adams in Boston 

Dartmouth July 29^th 1774

Letter from their committee (Dartmouth Committee of Correspondence)

Dear Sirs, 

The bearer has brought with him Dartmouth Resolves and we have at last made choice of a Committee of Correspondence.  Hope Now we shall be able to have the early and best intelligences from all Quarters. Should be glad you would send me your opinion in respect[?] what the spirit of the Town of Boston is respecting the late New Acts of Parliament which are to take place the first day of August next and all other Towns in this province so far as you have collected. It appears to me very necessary for every town in the Government to know one anothers mind in the affairs and action one plan. I trust we shal not have one man in Dartmouth will take any office under the New Regulation of Parliament. It appears to me if there is any force in the Late Acts of Parliament they have sett us afloat that is have thrown us into a State of Nature. We now have a fair opportunity of choosing what form of government we think proper and contract with any nation we pleas. for a King to rule over us or [?] as the parliament has been pleased to vacate part of our Charter, if they had a right to take away part, they must have a right to take the whole and when ever affairs come to be settled it would be best for us to form a New Charter for ourselves that will be most agreeable to us and now sir I desire? that you will be so kind as to inform? me into every thing that is necessary for the supporting of the Common Cause and send by the bearer William Tallman who is one of our Committee of Correspondence your compliance. Will greatly oblige 

your Humble Serv.  Benj. Akin

Boston Committee of Correspondence records, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library https://archives.nypl.org/mss/343#overview