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February 26, 1775: The Day the Revolutionary War Almost Started In Salem

September 20, 2019 by derbyjoe Leave a Comment

The Revolutionary War is one of the most important events in American history, as it led to the creation of the United States of America. The world would never be the same after those fateful events, and surely Salem would not be what it is today. But few people know just how important Salem could have been to the beginning of the Revolutionary War. It’s a tale known only as, “Leslie’s Retreat,” and maybe you’ve seen the plaque commemorating this important, yet hilarious event!

The Beginning of the End

By 1775, the revolution was well on its way. The Stamp Act was a decade old, the Boston Massacre was old news, and the Boston Tea Party was shrinking in the rearview. Things were right in the middle of heating up, and Paul Revere would make his fateful ride just a few months later in April.

Colonel David Mason of Salem initiated the purchase of 19 French cannons in 1774. He hired Robert Foster, a blacksmith, to convert the cannons and figure out how to mount them onto carriages. These prototypes took some time to make and weren’t ready for use until 1775. This was part of the colonial preparation for the clear and obvious possibility of a direct war with England.

Fears From the South

British Military Governor Thomas Gage heard about these patriots arming themselves to fight against the British up in Salem, and he was not happy. He was officially the military governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, so Gage felt responsible for putting down any uprising at first sight. When Captain John Felt first took control of an official Salem militia, tensions rose to an all-time high.

Political tensions had been rising steadily for years, and Gage had been right in the middle of it. His ruling on placing a militia in Boston is what sparked the Boston Massacre. By early 1775, he pulled all of his troops up to Boston with a clear directive to rid the colonists of weapons to be used in a revolutionary manner.

The Powder Alarm

One of the most significant acts during this period is now known as the “Powder Alarm.” Gage had ordered a group of soldiers to overtake a gunpowder magazine in a nearby colonial settlement, and they managed to pull it off. But not without raising the alarm of thousands of minutemen who had been waiting for the right moment to mobilize.

This had a subduing effect on Gage’s efforts, but not enough. Soon Gage decided to take action again, and sent Lieut. Col. Alexander Leslie up to Marblehead and told them to take over the new mobile cannonry by any means necessary.

The March From Marblehead

Leslie wasn’t known as a strong military commander. According to historicipswitch.com, he was known by his officers as, “a genteel little man who lives well and drinks good claret.” They tried to sneak into the harbor during a church service, but a guard raised the alarm as soon as the ships appeared.

The troops started marching along Bay road towards Salem. Along the way, they were faced with several issues. Resistance fighters had pulled the planks out of some bridges, making them difficult to pass. The troops managed to quickly repair the bridges and continued on with a confident bravado of a conquering army.

The Arrival into Salem

Leslie and his men finally arrived in Salem town square, where they came upon several Tory sympathizers. These colonials gave up the location of the cannons without a moment’s notice. David Mason, the man who constructed the cannons, was the one to run from his house to the North Church shouting about the incoming British soldiers.

Mason then rode home as quickly as he could to secure and hide the cannons. He ran back to the North Bridge to join the rest of the resistance fighters setting up to counter the British invasion. Captain Timothy Pickering commanded the militia, and ordered the men to raise the drawbridge to prevent the British from passing. When Leslie sent demands for the bridge to be put down, the Salem residents and the militia simply ignored him.

Leslie’s Unraveling

At this point, Col. Leslie was absolutely furious. He claimed that he had to follow his orders, yet it wasn’t possible with the bridge up. British soldiers were climbing up the drawbridge, but to no avail. Leslie decided to maintain his ground, all while freedom fighters were assembling to take him on by force.

The Salem militia spread the message to surrounding towns, and soon thousands of minutemen were ready to counter the British efforts. This included the Danvers cavalry, but they only made it as far as the Salem Distillery before settling down to “defend the wares” for the night.

Captain Felt made his appearance known at that point by standing right next to Captain Leslie. There was no fighting going on, but the two groups were at a standstill. Felt heard Leslie finally order his men to shoot those who stood defiantly before him. The passionate captain couldn’t stay silent any longer.

“Fire? You had better be dead than fire! You have no right to fire without further orders. If you do fire, you will all be dead men!” he responded strongly, and no shots were fired.

Leslie insisted that he had no plans on abandoning his mission saying, “I am determined to pass over this bridge before I return to Boston, if I remain here until next autumn.” He also insisted that the bridge was part of the “King’s Highway” and thus he should be allowed to cross.

 

A Resolution, Not A Revolution… Not Yet, At Least

The British and Americans did have a small fight over the few small boats that remained between the two shores. This is thought to have been the first bloodshed in this violent war. The leaders of the townspeople, including Felt and Mason, managed to convince Leslie to compromise with them. He promised that if they allowed him to cross and walk “fifty rods” beyond the bridge, they would go back to Boston and say they found no weapons. The colonials agreed, and the event became known as Leslie’s Retreat. The drawbridge was finally raised, allowing the British troops to cross the river. They turned around at the set distance, walked back over the bridge with haste, and made their way back to Marblehead with their tails between their legs.

Just a few months later, General Gage would send another 700 British soldiers to take control of two bridges in Concord. This event precipitated the massive conflict and fight for independence now known as the Revolutionary War. But it all could have started in Salem, if not for the compromise that these two groups made over the river that day.

Filed Under: General, History of Salem, Tourism Tagged With: history, revolutionary, salem, war

The Founding of Salem

September 20, 2019 by derbyjoe Leave a Comment

For the first installment in our History of Salem series, we are going to go all the way back to the beginning. Before the Witch Trials, before Salem became the town it is today, it was just a little settlement on the mouth of the Naumkeag River. The first settlement was named after the Naumkeag people, a Native American tribe that inhabited the surrounding area.

The Great Migration

Salem wouldn’t be the town it is today if not for the “Great Migration” of Puritans to New England from 1620 to 1640. It refers to the English settlers who primarily moved to Massachusetts, and interestingly enough, Barbados.

The initial settlement of Puritans centered in two natural harbors, in the towns that are now known as Boston and Salem. While some settlers arrived to the Cape Ann/Salem area in prior years, no permanent settlement was established until 1626, when Roger Conant led the first real effort to build a colony in the area.

Roger Conant

Roger Conant is now recognized as the founder of Salem, Massachusetts in official record. He first arrived at the Plymouth Colony around 1623, but it would be 5 years before he was able to establish his own colony in the New World. Conant was a fisherman and a strong leader, but he never fully embraced the Plymouth Colony and sought out an alternative lifestyle in the surrounding areas.

Conant had originally arrived with the Dorchester Company, who tried and failed to establish a full-fledged colony in the area that was now colonized by the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Around 1625, Conant relocated his family to Cape Ann in the northern side of Massachusetts Bay. This came at a time when there was growing discontent with the leadership of the Massachusetts Bay Colony as a whole. Soon after, Conant was chosen by the residents of the new settlement to be their governor. This lasted until he was replaced by John Endecott in 1628.

The Establishment of the City of Salem

Conant stepped aside without resistance when Endecott announced that the Massachusetts Bay Charter ordered him to replace Conant as governor. Some residents disagreed with the decision, but Conant’s positive attitude allowed Endecott’s group, or the “New Planters” and Conant’s passionate “Old Planters” to get along.  This led to the naming of the town of Salem, which is a form of the word “peace” in Hebrew.

Endecott started making changes to the new colony right away. The first thing he did was order the Governor’s House to be brought to Salem from Cape Ann. Just one year later, the Massachusetts Bay Charter became the full-fledged Massachusetts Bay Colony, and they were granted an additional governor named Matthew Craddock in London. Endecott remained governor in the colony.

The colony underwent another change in leadership in 1629 when John Winthrop was elected governor to replace Endecott. Endecott remained active in Salem town affairs for the rest of his life, His role was to ready the colony for expansion when more colonists arrived, and he performed his duty admirably.

The arrival of John Winthrop led to the most significant period of the Great Migration, and he was the one who decided to focus on Boston as the best place to build the center of the colony. He officially announced the foundation of Boston on September 7, 1630 and the Massachusetts Bay Colony was well on it’s way to becoming the state we now call home.

Roger Conant died in 1679 at the ripe age of 87. He’s now seen as a central figure in the development of our beautiful town of Salem, and many of you have seen the massive statue commemorating his contributions, still watching over his beloved Salem Common.

Filed Under: General, History of Salem, Tourism Tagged With: history, salem

The Best of Salem: The Salem Maritime National Historic Site

September 17, 2019 by derbyjoe

Salem is full of incredible sites filled with historical significance. One of the most impressive is the Maritime National Historic Site, made up of 12 historic structures and a replica tall-ship just like the ones that used to cruise in and out of the harbor daily. These buildings span around 9 acres of absolutely stunning waterfront property on Salem Harbor.

This was the first national historic site ever established in the United States, way back in 1938. Salem was a bustling trade port during America’s infancy, and these buildings serve as a monument to the fascinating maritime roots of our little town. They also happen to be right across from our cafe on Derby Street!

The Properties

These 12 maritime artifacts, collections and structures include a variety of stories and moments in the history of Salem.

Derby House

The Derby house was erected by Captain Richard Derby, the first millionaire in America, back in 1762.  Derby dedicated the house and all it’s fine Georgian architecture to his son as a present during his lavish wedding.

Open Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00am to 4:00pm. Mondays at 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Guided tours available Wednesday – Sunday at 3:00pm, reservations required.

Derby Wharf

The Derby Wharf has been Salem’s longest wharf since it was extended in 1806. It was first built in 1762, the same year as the Derby House. It supported warehouses for various goods imported and exported around the globe.

Friendship of Salem

The Friendship of Salem is a replica of an East Indiaman ship from 1797. The replica was manufactured in Albany, New York in 2000 and now operates as a museum ship. Visitors can learn all about the history of the maritime trade in Salem while exploring a vessel that very closely resembles the original trading ships.

Hawkes House

Samuel McIntire is the most famous architect in Salem history. He started building the Hawkes House in 1780, but the project was abandoned before he could finish. Benjamin Hawkes took over and finished the house into its current state in 1800.

Narbonne House

The Narbonne House has a unique story. The house was first built in 1675, with its iconic pitch roof added later on. Additions to the south and back sides were put in place at the same time. The first occupants are unknown, but Capt. Joseph Hodges occupied the premises from 1750 to 1780. Later, it was purchased by Joseph Andrew and owned by his family until it was sold to the National Park Service in 1964.

Open Wednesday – Sunday, 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm. Guided tours available Wednesday – Sunday at 3:00pm, reservations required.

Pedrink Store House

This three story storehouse was built around the year 1770 and served as a rigging and sail loft. It wasn’t originally located in Salem Harbor, but the National Park Service moved it here due to historic relevance in 2007.

Salem Custom House

The Salem Customs House served as the place where taxes were collected upon importation of cargo. The customs house served an important purpose in any harbor and was always a busy place to be.

St. Joseph Hall

St. Joseph Hall is the original home of the St. Joseph Society. This organization supports and is made up of Polish immigrants. The first floor was a retail space, allowing the building to make a little income to pay for the property fees. The second floor was a very popular event space, and apartments were added on top as wave after wave of Polish immigrants arrived to the New World.

West India Goods Store

The West India Goods Store was first established by Captain Henry Price in the early 19th century. At first, it was simply used as a warehouse for Price’s imported goods like pepper, animal hides, shells, and of course – coffee! Who could forget that. More shops started setting up in the building, and soon it was a makeshift mall for people to buy all sorts of goods, trade items, and trinkets from across the world.

Come check out this amazing National Historic Site today and swing by Derby Joe after for a cup of coffee! Let us know what you thought of the Salem Maritime National Historic Site while you’re here.

Filed Under: General, History of Salem, Tourism Tagged With: history, salem, tourism

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