01x04 - Tipping Point

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How good of you to
come so quickly,

And at such short notice.

Of course, governor.

Please, have a seat.

Let me begin by saying

What happened to your ship's
cargo will not stand.

The crown will see to it

That you are fully
compensated for your losses.

Thank you, sir. Thank you.

Provided, of course, you
supply us with information.

Everything you know.

Everything. And I want names, sir.

Now, I'm quite sure

I already know the band of
hooligans behind all this.

And I understand they
were able to pressure you

Into making some
ill-informed decisions,

But you don't owe them anything.

I will see to it

That they are tried

And imprisoned for their crimes.

But to do that, I need you.

Adams, Hancock, and Warren.

They were in charge.

Just as I suspected.

So tell me, when did
they first hear them

Threaten to dump
the tea overboard?

Well, governor, to be honest,

I never heard them say
anything like that at all.

Then you saw them leading
the men onto the ships?

No, sir. I was not at the harbour.

I was actually with them at
the old town meeting house.

Mr Adams was giving a speech

To rally his followers
to the cause.

There must be some mistake.

But I'm certain they planned
it. They must have.

Of course, they planned it.

And I will get to
the bottom of it.

Of course, sir.

For now you are free to go.

Thank you, sir.

This treason must
not go unanswered.

Imagine walking through Boston

On the morning of
December 17th, 1773.

The tea is still
floating in the harbour.

The air is thick with
nervous excitement.

Governor Hutchinson and the
British have underestimated

What the Sons of Liberty
are capable of.

The patriots have destroyed
92,000 pounds of tea,

Enough to brew 18 million cups.

And not a single Bostonian

Will say he knows
anything about it.

"What tea party?

I was home sitting by the fire."

But as the British try to
get a grip on what happened

And who was responsible,

Will the people of
Boston remain silent?

Will they maintain their
solidarity, or will they crack?

It's hard to keep a secret

When you're facing the
business end of a bayonet.

With the last of the
tea still sinking

To the bottom of the harbour,

Samuel Adams and the
Sons of Liberty

Now need to get away with it.

Elizabeth, what are you doing?

It's only a matter of time
before they come for you.

Well let them come.

I didn't set foot in the
harbour last night.

You think they'll
care where you were?

You have to trust me.

Elizabeth, listen.

You have to trust me.

Samuel Adams and John Hancock
may well have been worried

That their names were
being bandied about

As the leaders of the resistance,

But unless you can get
witness to testify

Against a defendant, there
was no one to prosecute.

Samuel Adams has put his trust

In the people of Boston to
protect the Sons of Liberty

And keep their identities secret.

But as news spreads
throughout the colonies,

Both sides begin to understand
the scope of what was done

In New York and Philadelphia,

People celebrate when they hear

About the destruction of
the tea in Boston harbour,

And it empowers them
to take more action.

It's really hard to know
what the majority of people

Felt about the Boston tea party.

There's a mixed set of reactions.

But there are other towns
that were supportive,

Like, "yeah, we should
do everything we can

To resist the tea act.

We're glad the
Bostonians did this."

But there's probably
some legitimate fears

About what parliament
would do in retaliation.

Knowing time is of the essence

Governor Hutchinson
doesn't waste a moment.

Hutchinson is outraged.

John Adams describes him scurrying

Back and forth around town

As he's trying to find out
who is responsible for this.

And Hutchinson is
probably worried,

What will the repercussions
be in London.

Clear the square.

Hutchinson knows that the King

Expects him to find
those responsible.

So he commands the redcoats out
into the streets of Boston.

Open up in the name of the King.

Hutchinson orders the soldiers

To find the men behind the
destruction of the tea...

Looking for willing witnesses
and rounding up suspects.

As I told you, I was at
town hall all night,

Giving a speech.

There will be no
shortage of witnesses.

And there is no evidence tying me

To the events at the
harbour last night,

No matter how many of my
possessions you destroy.

We're done here, Mr. Adams.

For now.

Enjoy your freedom while it lasts.

There does seem to have
been a great deal of worry

About possible arrests.

A number of members
of the tea party,

People actually involved
in the destruction,

Actually left town.

The governor is trying to get
people arrested for this,

But he can't find
anyone who can testify

To anyone else who was there.

It's really remarkable that
the story is then kept quiet.

This is a huge act of
civil disobedience.

Well, I suppose that
could have been worse.

Elizabeth, please.

But not much.

Hutchinson considers

Whether he could prosecute the
tea destroyers for treason,

But some of his advisors
say, "I don't know

Whether we're gonna be able
to make that charge stick.

After weeks of trying
to find a witness

Hutchinson has fallen short.

He can't even find a British
prosecutor to take the case.

Thomas Hutchinson did find trouble

Getting anyone to
prosecute these cases,

Because they know how
difficult it would be.

The prosecutor actually left town

Rather than take this case.

Hutchinson really finds
that he has essentially

No more power to do anything.

He can't find anyone to arrest,

And he can't find anyone
to charge with anything,

Although he's sure these people
are guilty of high treason.

Back in England,

Parliament is demanding results.

When King George III first hears

About the Boston tea party,

He's actually initially
not worried about it.

Then the news gets worse and worse

As they hear the full extent
of what has happened.

They're like, "what are
these Bostonians doing?

Who are these people?

Why would they think that
they can just destroy

All this valuable property?"

the British, knowing that
they need a stronger hand,

Fire Governor Hutchinson.

He is thrown out of his mansion
and recalled to England...

Where he will have to
answer to the King himself.

With the removal of governor

And no leads on their
participation,

The Sons of Liberty
can finally celebrate

To our esteemed former
Governor, Thomas Hutchinson.

Let's not ruin a
perfectly good beer now?

A man of great ambition,

Little character, and
absolutely no backbone.

May they put that
on his headstone.

As we laugh, Hutchinson is
probably going to be set up

On a little English estate
with some fancy title.

Well he's getting what
he always wanted:

To be an Englishman.

It's one of the things

That I think we
continue to marvel at,

These people who could
have just gone along

But decide to take this step.

The Boston tea party is, in a way,

A clash between two
visions of law and order.

Thomas Hutchinson sees himself

As a representative of the law

That emanates from the
King and parliament.

The radicals in Boston
also see themselves

As protectors of the
most fundamental aspect

Of British political life,
which is political liberty.

So long we never
hear from him again.

Good riddance.

Little did they
know the man chosen

To replace Hutchinson
would be far worse.

Determined to put
Boston in its place,

The King appoints a new military
governor of Massachusetts:

General Thomas Gage.

General Gage.

Admiral.

Thank you for taking the
time to meet with me.

Assuring a smooth transition
is my top priority.

With the destruction of the tea,

Parliament decides to get tough.

They don't like
Governor Hutchinson.

We'll send them a
governor who's a general,

General Thomas Gage,
who's the commander

Of British military
forces in North America.

Boston will be under
military rule.

We're not dealing with some
local politician any more.

The British empire is now
cracking down with General Gage.

With my intricate understanding
of the situation,

I'm hopeful that I can
give you guidance

Where it might be required.

Thank you, but I don't believe
guidance should be needed.

The King has made it quite clear,

Challenges to the crown's
authority must not stand.

Boston will be shown a firm hand.

I couldn't agree more.

Good.

Because I will be keeping you
and your men quite busy.

The new military governor
of Massachusetts,

British General Thomas Gage,

Plans to teach the colonies a
lesson they will never forget.

And the lesson will
start in Boston,

Which must pay back the
British East India company

For all that tea it destroyed.

But as it turns out, Samuel
Adams and the Sons of Liberty

Will be the ones to educate
General Gage about Americans

And the way they'll fight
for their liberties.

Lieutenant.

With General Gage in place,

Parliament drafts
a set of new laws

Meant to punish the colonies.

They become known as the
intolerable or coercive acts.

The coercive acts, as the
parliament called them,

Were meant to bring
Massachusetts into line.

We've tried to appease
these people.

No more pussyfooting
around with them.

Let's get tough

And show them what a
real government is like.

This is Boston harbour.

In three weeks' time,
it's the first of June.

Within a fortnight
I want your ships

Stationed at Orbison
point and Ahar point.

First, they pass the
Boston port act.

We're gonna blockade the harbour,

Forfeiture of any merchant ships

That attempt to enter Boston.

The port act is probably the one

That has the biggest
implications for Boston,

Because it shuts down
the port of Boston,

No commerce in or out.

Boston relies on its
international trade

Now that is shut off.

The Boston port act was
particularly serious.

If you put a stop to all commerce,

You are really
creating unemployment

For a lot of Bostonians
in a very serious way

in addition, they pass
the quartering act

Allowing British soldiers
inside of American homes

They announced that we're
going to send in troops.

Those troops can move
anywhere within Boston.

They can kick you
out of your house

And take over your home.

And finally,

They pass the administration
of justice act.

In order to make this enforceable,

Parliament also passes something

Called the administration
of justice act,

Which was to make
sure that if anybody

Was charged with
k*lling Bostonians

While enforcing the
Boston port bill,

That they could be
tried in England

with the ability to
enforce these acts,

The British starve the people
of Boston into submission

Threaten Bostonians
within their own homes

And deny them the right
to a fair trial.

The Sons of Liberty know
they have to take action.

Gage has a noose
around Boston's neck.

The man has no heart.

Nor a soul.

Which is why it
pains me to say it,

But I fear there is
little we can do that...

We slit Gage's throat
is what we do.

Won't make things worse.

How much worse could things get?

There could be blood
in the street.

We've seen what the
British will do

When their back is
against the wall.

I will never forget
the patriot blood

That flowed on King
street that night.

The cries of those dying men.

None of us will forget, Doc.

Which is why we do nothing.

Anything that we do,
any action we take,

Will just result in
another m*ssacre.

Bigger and bloodier.

One that could crush any hope
we have ever had of liberty.

We made our stand,

And now we must deal
with the consequences.

This is bigger than us, Sam, and
this is bigger than Boston.

If we want to take out
Gage we can't do it alone.

Doc is right.

Gage is winning.

But Paul has brought
word of growing anger

In New York, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Charleston.

Alone, we are at Gage's mercy.

But together?

Together, we can bring
him to his knees.

Samuel Adams really understood

That what Massachusetts
needed to do

Was get the other colonies
to go along with them

Or become involved with them
and keep them on their side.

And that's really the big
challenge for Adams.

Let me see what we have.

On June 17, 1774,

Samuel Adams drafts the resolves

Of the Massachusetts house
of representatives,

Officially petitioning
the other colonies

To come to Boston's aid.

The fundamental concern is that

Parliament has taken
it upon itself

To alter the charter of
one of its colonies,

And this gives Massachusetts
residents the ammunition

That they need to go to the
other colonies and say, "look.

If this happened to us, it
could happen to you, too."

Samuel Adams really sees this

As both a major problem as
well as an opportunity.

He wants to bring
the other colonies

Into an alliance with Boston,

But really fears what will
happen if that fails.

After the other colonies
come to understand

How severe the situation
is in Boston,

Aid comes in the form of
desperately needed supplies.

Other communities
around in other states

Send provisions to Boston.

Connecticut sends up droves
of sheep and cattle.

Cape Cod sends supplies of fish.

Other places do try
to provision Boston

To help them out in
this time of distress.

By the late spring of 1774

Paul Revere returns with
word from the other colonies

I was beginning to fear the worst.

I rode as fast as I could

But there are redcoats everywhere.

I added 50 miles to my journey

Trying to steer clear
of their traps.

Well, hopefully the
effort was worth it.

Are they with us?

It's complicated.

It's complicated?

The choice here is as
clear as black and white.

The other colonies sympathise

With us but, the
consensus is that.

The leadership in
Boston is too volatile.

I suppose I should be insulted,

But I would much rather
be volatile than servile.

Perhaps if they had
spent the past year

With the crown's
boot on their neck,

They would understand
our volatility.

Perhaps if they...

Samuel.

I agree with them.

I believe these men
share our goals.

They just want to make
sure we get there

Without any bloodshed.

Now they've proposed a meeting

With representatives
from each colony.

Everyone's voice will be heard.

Philadelphia volunteered
to serve as host.

Philadelphia?

They won't back us if
we don't go along.

Sam?

In response to the coercive act,

The Sons of Liberty across
the American colonies

Get a lot more serious.

They say, "let's
meet in Philadelphia

As part of a continental congress

In order to discuss these problems

And come up with good solutions."

They are willing to take a step

That's never been taken before,

To meet together to
talk about the threat

That is coming to them from
the British empire itself.

Not from external enemies, but
from their own government.

Samuel Adams convenes the
house of representatives

At the meeting house
for the last time.

With the British
soldiers on the way,

He moves to elect the delegates
to represent Massachusetts

At the first continental congress

Write your votes down clearly,

And give them to Mr. Hancock.

The beauty of the
continental congress,

Because you're getting delegates

From all the different colonies,

Is that it kind of
created a critical mass,

That it would be hard
for the British empire

To now go in and start
arresting all of them.

So there was a strength in
unity to this collection.

Gentlemen, the votes
have been tallied.

The following members will
represent Massachusetts

At the first continental
congress in Philadelphia.

Samuel Adams, John Adams, Thomas
Cushing and Robert Paine.

Events get much more
serious, right?

In 1774, Adams is participating
in the continental congress.

They're one step ahead
of the British army,

And at that point, there
really were warrants

For their arrest.

As word of the continental
congress spreads,

Gage tries to capture the leaders

Before they leave Massachusetts.

But Samuel Adams stays
out of the public eye

And eludes the British.

Adams, now 52 years old, has
never left Boston in his life.

And on August 10th, 1774,

He sets out on a 300-mile
trip to Philadelphia

And the first
continental congress,

Not knowing if he'll ever return

I don't think anybody
knows what it meant

To go to a continental
congress in this time.

Was it an act of treason?

It was unclear.

Something like that had
never happened before.

Sam had a genuine idea that
there should be a rebellion,

There should be a revolution.

But he also knew
that Massachusetts

couldn't do it alone.

Samuel Adams is definitely
underappreciated.

He was always conscious
that what they were doing

Was not fighting this for the
purpose of benefiting us,

But thinking of posterity

And thinking about the rights

For which Adams and his
contemporaries were fighting

Were applicable to all people.

As Samuel Adams races
across the colonies

British soldiers
move to arrest him.

But when they enter the
Massachusetts house

They find it empty.

General Gage is too late

Admiral.

Any sign of Adams?

No sir.

None of the representatives
can be found.

Then lock the city down.

General, we only have 4,000 men.

They could be anywhere between
Salem and Springfield by now.

Then pull in the garrisons.

Which ones?

New York City, new
Jersey, Philadelphia,

Halifax, and Newfoundland.

Sir?

This started in Boston.

It will end here.

Yes, sir.

On General Gage's orders

3,000 British soldiers
pour into Boston.

How is Gage, in addition to
being Massachusetts governor,

Is also the commander
in chief in America,

And so he has the power to pull
troops from other stations

To supplement his
forces in Boston.

Gage wanted as many
forces as he could.

He was also writing
to London, saying,

"you need to send me more troops,

You need to send me more money."

Gage was perceiving
the resistance to him

As having becoming military.

As the colonies move
towards independence

Gage will use the full might
of the British empire

To end the rebellion
where it started.

In Boston.

In December 1773, the
Boston tea party

Ignites a spark of rebellion.

It fans the flames of liberty

That have been smouldering
for many years.

The harsh measures
the British impose

In reaction to the tea party
only fuel the colonists' anger

And reinforce their
resolve to stand united

Against parliament and the King.

Soon enough the colonists
will have to make a choice:

Bow before the might
of the British

Or stand together and fight
for their liberties.

Their decision to fight

Will change the course
of human history.

We owe a lot to the men of Boston

Who took action on that
December night in 1773.

But my favourite quote is from
comedian Greg Fitzsimmons,

Who summed it all up:

"I love tea. I love parties.

I hate taxes. I'm in."

I'm Rob Lowe.

Thanks for joining me.