ABSTRACT
The Boston Tea Party of December 1773 changed the dynamics of the Adams-Sewall friendship, as it did the Britain’s relationship with the American colonies. Sewall’s principal responsibility as attorney general was to prosecute the rioters and procure evidence of treasonable activities. Adams, while he exuded ideological imperatives justifying the criminality of the rioters, feared he might be called on to defend them in court or save Sewall from the wrath of fellow New Englanders. In legitimizing the destruction of the tea, Adams found inspiration in historical analogy, yet knowing that in passing his own Rubicon civil war might be the consequence. This chapter finds that concern for the personal safety of his friend Sewall preyed on Adams’s mind as much as fear for his family. The parting with Sewall in July 1774 that Adams later imagined as a historical turning point in the grand narrative of American history nevertheless had authenticity and integrity in conveying the significance Adams placed on this meeting, the last time they were together as friends before the Revolution. Thereafter, with Adams serving in the Continental Congress, Sewall became “private Secretary” to British governor general and commander-in-chief Thomas Gage and his chief American adviser overseeing the production of Massachusettensis and other propaganda.
