Contributed by Maine Historical Society
Description
Samuel Chase represented Maryland in the First and Second Continental Congress. Like Adams, he had opposed the encroachment of British rule since the Stamp Act in 1765.
After fighting broke out in 1775, he believed the separation between the colonies and Britain had been made. Congress needed to proceed as if already independent, and prepare for war. In June of 1776, the Maryland Provincial Convention ordered its delegates to work for reconciliation. Chase rode between Philadelphia and Annapolis over the next several days, finally securing permission to support independence.
The Maryland delegates voted for independence on July 2, but Chase did not join them. He returned home to tend to his seriously ill wife, but did sign the Declaration on August 2, 1776.
Chase's letter is a demand for clarification about the Battle of Saratoga. A major victory for the colonies, this battle helped turn the tide of the war, proving the risks made in declaring independence a year earlier were one step closer to paying off.
Transcription
About This Item
- Title: Samuel Chase on the Battle of Saratoga, Annapolis, 1777
- Creator: Samuel Chase
- Creation Date: 1777-11-07
- Subject Date: 1777-11-07
- Location: Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, MD
- Media: Ink on paper
- Dimensions: 29.21 cm x 19.05 cm
- Local Code: Coll. 420, Box 58/6
- Collection: John S. H. Fogg autograph collection
- Object Type: Text
Cross Reference Searches
Standardized Subject Headings
- Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811--Correspondence.
- Chase, Samuel, 1741-1811.
- Stamp Act Congress (1765 : New York, N.Y.)
- United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--American forces.
- United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Causes.
- United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783.
- United States. Declaration of Independence--Signers.
- United States. Declaration of Independence.
People
Other Keywords
For more information about this item, contact:
Maine Historical Society485 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-1822 x230
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