This article suggests that the colonial agent in Britain was important for North American colonies to negotiate their position in the British Atlantic Empire, by analyzing the political activity of a New England colonial agent named Jeremiah Dummer. Dummer is well-known as the author of political pamphlet “A Defense of the New-England Charter” (1715). But not enough attension has been paid to his career as an colonial agent. Analyzing materials concerning Dummer’s political activity, this article shows that Dummer thought it important for the interest of New England colonies to perform two lines of duties as colonial agent.
First, he attempted to influence the colonial policy of the British government. In the early eighteeth century, New England colonies requested to the British government to engage in the military and economic affairs of North America, keeping the status quo of their self-government. Dummer played a crucial role in fulfilling those requests. The complex identity of Dummer, being both a New England colonist and a metropolitan gentleman, was very helpful for his work, because the knowledge of the British political culture and his political connection was necessary for the activities in the intricate British political system.
Second, Dummer worked hard to check criticism for New England colonies. Even in the eighteenth century, the colonial charters were frequently threatened to revocate by the British government to improve the governance and defense of it’s North American possession. It was believed among colonists that criticism for colonies might affect the colonial policy of the British government. To avoid the spread of New England’s bad reputation, Dummer published some pamphlets, searched for publications referring to New England, and exhorted to New England not to circulate their inaccurate information to Britain.
Dummer was discharged twice (1715, 1721) by the Massachusetts General Assembly. The reason was the antagonism between him and “Popular Party” headed by Dr. Elisha Cook. Dummer frequently warned the colony that it should be obedient to the norm and the order of the home government to defend their cherished charter. But the colonists of “Popular Party” did not accept his warning as harm to the colony. Amid a harsh debate between Governor Shute and the lower house in 1721, Dummer exhorted to the colony to be obedient to the Governor, but the house resolved his discharge from agent. This discordance represents the difficulty for North American colonies to accomodate to the British Empire, and even the ardent efforts of Dummer could not overcome it.
抄録全体を表示