Law-abiding People willing to stand up and defend our God-given Rights, protected by the Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. We work together with like-minded individuals and other mutual assistance groups, to develop bonds as strong as a family, in an endeavor to be better prepared for whatever life may throw at us. We ask that people put forward their best effort in developing those relationships in order to strengthen themselves, us, and Kentucky.

Protecting the Future, In Respect to the Past

A Bit of History

In the years leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, there was a surge in discontent and political unrest. Great Britain had more than doubled it’s national debt. King George III determined that a quick way to help offset this would be to demand additional taxes from the Colonies in America – starting with the Stamp Act in 1765. This decree was that every piece of paper used in the Colonies would carry a tax on it. This “taxation without representation” caused an uproar amongst the Colonists. A delegation of representatives from nine of the 13 colonies drafted a grievance to send to the King, and the Act was eventually repealed. However, the tension never fully dissipated.

The Townshends Act was passed in 1767 and taxed many goods that were purchased on a regular basis, but at a grossly unfair cost. The Colonists retaliated by boycotting British imports, and protesting, so British troops were sent to quell the dissension. Soon the Colonists and British were clashing against one another, but on March 5, 1770, British soldiers fired into a crowd, killing five people, in what came to be known as “The Boston Massacre.” Unfortunately, nobody knew at the time that the taxes of The Townshends Act had been repealed the same day…except the tax on tea.

In 1773, The Tea Act was passed, allowing a more direct shipping method. Although this slightly lowered the cost of the imported tea, it cut out Colonial merchants, and was seen by many others as an attempt to mollify them into accepting Britain’s right to impose taxes without representation. Thus, on December 16, 1773, a group of men dressed as Native Americans dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor. This enraged Parliament, and they responded to this insult by passing what’s known at the “Intolerable Acts” or “Coersive Acts.”

The Coersive Acts can be broken down into four parts:

1. The closing of the Boston Port, until damages were paid.

2. The restriction of Massachusetts’ democratic meetings, and turned the governor’s council into an appointed body.

3. Made British officers immune to criminal prosecution in Massachusetts.

4. Required Colonists to house and quarter British troops upon demand…including inside their own homes, when needed.

These Acts were intended to alienate Boston and New England, in a hope that it would put a stop to unified resistance to British rule. It caused the opposite. It brought about a fierce determination, and the rest of the colonies rallied to their defense, culminating in what we know as The American Revolution.