American Rum 19: Rum and Mobs
In America during the 1760’s, the British authorities had the Royal Navy, but the Patriots had Rum and Mobs. What were mobs exactly, or more precisely, the “disciplined mobs”, a phrase which would seem almost a contradiction in terms? Well, think of scores of men who meet in a tavern, listen to the speeches of their leaders, discuss and drink rum, plenty of strong, cheap American rum.
As time goes on, their numbers grow and they move out of the taverns, still discussing and drinking. Then, at a certain point, inflamed by patriotic zeal and by the rum which they have drunk in great quantities, they set out. Usually mobs gathered against someone specific, some “enemy” whose name had been mentioned widely in the local papers: customs and tax collectors, Navy men, officials and Governor’s entourage, but also some unlucky American Loyalist. Made up of hundreds, sometimes thousands of angry people, armed with clubs, cudgels, rocks, knives and everything that could be used as a weapon, the mob represented a force to be reckoned with and created widespread fear.
As the years went by and the conflict became irreparable, there was an escalation of violence. The mobs insulted and threatened their enemies, burnt their effigies in public, at first they “simply” vandalized and later even razed to the ground their homes and property, chased them, beat them up, often tarred and feathered them. They rarely went as far as killing them, but anyway they were exceedingly brutal. And they were fearsome.
Stamp Act Riot
As far as I know, the best contemporary description of a mob in action is the account of a Captain James Hawker, given during a trial at Charleston in 1767. Here is an excerpt:
“I sent a Boat with a proper officer to board a Schooner. She happened to get pretty near the Wharf before the Boat got on Board. A Mob collected, headed by a Person who had the appearance of a Gentleman, asking is this the Man of War Boat? And being answered in the Affirmative, replied, ‘Let’s murder the Dogs’. Upon which they immediately threw Stones, Logs of Wood, Staves, and anything they could lay hold of into the Boat, wounded the Officer and Men and obliged Two of them to jump overboard to prevent worse Consequences. … I therefore ordered the Boats to be manned and armed, and went into the Bow of the foremost myself, with the British Flag in my hand; but sorry I am to say it, that instead of having that respect paid which was due to it, received the highest Insults. I boarded the Schooner; but was there met by the Mob (by this time considerably increased) armed with Cutlasses, Axes, Stones, Clubs etc. to resist me forcibly in the Execution of my Duty. However after much abuse, violent Threats and most insulting Speeches against His Majesty’s Dignity, and the British Parliament, the Master or Owner brought me the Papers belonging to Her. I found them regular. I told the Mob I was content if the Gentlemen of the Custom-House were. I gained my Point in behalf of His Majesty by seeing the papers and was satisfied. Had she been Seizable, I would have done it, if possible.”
Then Hawker goes on to consider the social composition of the mob:
“I could sincerely wish that the Mob consisted only of lower class, or an idle unthinking Rabble; but it was quite other wise. People of no small Repute appeared as the Ringleaders, a Merchant was one of the foremost with a short Club in his hand, holding it up and daring me, with many others, to fire the Pistol I had in my hand, and asking me in a very insolent manner if I wanted to introduce the English Laws.”
Then the Militia appears, but: “The Light Infantry Militia Drums beat to arms, not to quell the Mob collected in Defiance of all Law and Allegiance to their Sovereign, but to increase it.”
Stamp Master
The Captain’s amazement is understandable, even in Britain riots and mobs existed, but the rioters were from the lower rank of the society and the Militia repressed the mobs. In America the situation was altogether different: all social classes took part in the demonstrations; actually, it was cultivated, wealthy people who often led the protests with their authoritativeness, and the Militia was on the side of the mobs.
The account we have just read is by the commander of a warship, with cannons and an armed crew. Just imagine the effect that the mob must have had on a civilian, alone and unarmed, like a customs officer or a Loyalist!
-Article written by Marco Pierini-
My name is Marco Pierini, I was born in 1954 in a little town in Tuscany (Italy) where a still live. I got a degree in Philosophy in Florence and I studied Political Science in Madrid, but my real passion has always been History. And through History I have always tried to know the world, and men. Life brought me to work in tour ism, event organization and vocational training. Then I discovered rum. With Francesco Rufini, I founded La Casa del Rum (The House of Rum),that runs a beach bar and selects and distributes Premium Rums in Italy, www.lacasadelrum.it.
And finally I have returned back to my initial passion: History. But now it is the History of Rum. Because Rum is not only a great distillate, it’s a world. Produced in scores of countries, by thousands of companies, with an extraordinary variety of aromas and flavors; it has a terrible and fascinating history, made of slaves and pirates, imperial fleets and revolutions.
All this I try to cover in this column, in my FB profile, www.facebook/marco.pierini.3 and in my articles on the Italian webpage www.bartender.it