Encyclopædia americana. A popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, a new ed.; including a copious collection of original articles in American biography; on the basis of the 7th ed. of the German Conversations-lexicon. Ed. by Francis Lieber, assisted by E. Wigglesworth ...

210 3BOSTON-BOSWELL.
posed of representatives, but of the pro- of three ships loaded with tea, after various
prietors under the charter, acting in their unsuccessful attempts had been made by
own right. The first church was built in public meetings of the citizens, to prevent
1632. The Middlesex canal, leading from its being landed and sold, in violation of
Boston harbor to the lterrimack river, the non-importation resolves of the peoforms with this river a navigable channel pie, a number of men, disguised as In
to Concord in New Hampshire. There dians, went on board the ships, and threw
are no other means of transportation to all the iea overboard. In the following
and from the interior, except such as are spring, the port of B. was closed by an
afforded by the common roads. In this act of parliament (Boston Port-bill), and
respect, B. is behind the other principal the landing and shipping of goods within
cities of the U. States, and its inland trade the harbor was ordered to be discontinis much less than it would otherwise have ned. The session of the general court
been. Projects are now before the public was removed to Saleml, and additional
for remedying this inconvenience by the bodies of troops and a military governor
construction of rail-roads. The popula- were ordered to B. In 1775, the war
tion has doubled firom the year 1783 commenced with the battles of Lexington
once in about 23 years. Previously to, and Bunker hill, and the town of B., in
that date, the population of the town had which the British troops were encamped
been, for 100 years, nearly stationary, and to the number of 10,000 men, was befor 50 years entirely so; its trade, and that sieged by the American army. The
of the colony, having been subjected to siege continued until the March followsevere restraints and heavy burdens In ing, when the British troops evacuated
the reign of Charles II, the inhabitants of the town and castle, embarked on board
the colony fell under the royal displeas- their own ships, and withdrew to another
ure, and, in 1683, a writ of quo warranto part of the country. The inhabitants
was issued against the charter of the col- were among the earliest and nmost ardent
ony. A legal town-meeting of' the free- assertors of the rights of the people, and
men of B. was held, and the question was among the earliest advocates and active
put to vote, whether it was their wish that supporters of independence. During the
the general court should resign the charter revolutionary struggle, popular meetings
and the privileges therein granted, and it were frequent. These meetings were
was resolved in the negative unaniiimously. usually held in Faneuil hall. Benjamlin
The charter, however, was declared for- Franklin was born in B., Jan. 17, 1706.
feited by a decree of the court of chan- BoswELL, Jaines, the friend and biogcery, and, soon after, sir Edmund Andros rapher of Johnson, born at Edinburgh, in
was appointed the first royal governor. 1740, studied in his native city, in GlasHis administration, which endured for gow, and in the Dutch university of
two or three years, was arbitrary and op- Utrecht. Ile afterwards resided several
pressive. In April, 1689, the people of times in London, and cultivated the acB. took forcible possession of' the fort in quaintance of the most distinguished men
B., and the castle in the harbor, turned the of his tinle. Here he became acquaintguns upon the fiigate Rose, and conpelled ed with Johnson —a circumstance which
her to surrender, seized the governor, and he himself calls the most important event
held him a close prisoner under guard in of his life. He afterwards visited Voltaire
the castle. A little more than a month at Ferney, Rousseau at Neufchatel, and
afterwards, news was received of the Paoli in Corsica, with whom he became
revolution in England, and the event was intimate. He then returned by the way
celebrated with great rejoicings. In 1765, of Paris to Scotland, and devoted himself
after the passage of the staml) act, the to the bar. In 1768, when Corsica atperson appointed distributor of stamps tracted so much attention, he published
was compelled, by threats of violence, to his valuable Account of Corsica, with
decline the acceptance of the office, and Memoirs of Paoli. At a later period, he
the house of the lieutenant-governor was settled at London, where he lived in the
destroyed by a mob. A large military closest intimacy with Johnson. In 1773,
and naval force was stationed at B. for he accompanied him on a tour to the
the purpose of overawing the people. Scottish Highlands and Hebrides, and
On tile evening of March 5, 1770, a ser- published an account of the excursion
geant's guard fired upon a crowd of peo- after their return. After the death of
ple, who were surrounding them, and Johnson, he became his biograFher. The
pelting them with snow-balls, and killed minuteness and accuracy of his account,
five men. Dec. 16, 1773, on the arrival and the store of literary anecdote which