Colonial Simulation from Inquiry Unlimited formerly sited at Boston KidWeb at Joseph Lee School, Boston, MA

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Correspondence with King Charles II and Parliament
arranged by Inquiry Unlimited

To the Proprietors of Massachusetts Bay Colony and Newportia Colony:

On this 24th day of February, in the year of 1763, I hereby grant you both a charter to establish and govern a new British Colony in the land called America. This charter is granted under the following conditions:

1. As a token of gratitude for the land which your King has so freely granted you, each colonist shall pay the Crown a weekly tithe which is to represent 10% of their income. As proprietor, you shall be responsible for collecting this fee.

2. It is understood that each colony's major purpose is to support the British Empire by providing an adaquate supply of raw materials to the Crown. You may start other businesses and industries as the need arises, provided they DO NOT INTERFER WITH THIS MAJOR PURPOSE.

3. All colonist are considered to be British subjects, and therefore are subject to obeying all current and future British laws. The Crown does grant you the right to establish the laws and regulations required to maintain a civilized colony, however no colonial law may superceed or supplant British Law. The Crown retains the right to nullify and void any laws which it feels conflict with British Law.

4. All British Colonies are open to any British citizen who wishes to reside there and follow the guidelines of this Royal Charter.

5. The Crown understands that it has a Royal responsibility to provide support and protection for all of its colonies and their citizenry. Therefore, the Crown will entertain all reasonable requests for protection provided they contain adaquate proof as to the threat or danger to their persons and/or possessions.

6. Failure of the Proprietors to heed and observe any of the guidelines contained in this charter will be considered treasonous with appropriate punishments to be enforced. The Crown reserved the right to appoint a replacement governor in the event of such a severe violation of the heretofore mentioned guidelines.

The Crown is pleased that the proprietors and their colonist are willing to undertake such a hard task and it wishes you luck in your endeavor. Your hard work and noble efforts will do much to support the wealth of the British Empire, earning the respect of others in the realm.

God's blessings on you all,

His Royal Majesty

King Charles II

Ruler of Great Britian & Its Colonies

To the Proprietors of Both Colonies:

It has come to the attention of the Crown that the Massachusetts Bay Colony has not been honoring one of the conditions of the Royal Charter which was so generously given. We have received numorous complaints that residents of the Massachusetts Bay Colony have been unfriendly to newcomers to the settlement who propose a form of worship which is different from their own.

One such complaint alleges that a family was driven from their lodging by an angry crowd and forced to flee the settlement in shame. Please investigate this Royal concern and provide the Crown with an accounting. I do not need to remind you of the consequense that failure to follow the guidelines of the Charter may cause.

With concern for the welfare of his subjects,

His Royal Majesty
King Charles II
Ruler of Great Britian & Its Colonies

His Royal Majesty
King Charles II
Ruler of Great Britian & Its Colonies

We are pleased to hear of the generous offerings of His Royal Majesty in the issuance of new colonial charters in 1763.

However, related to the alleged situation regarding Massachusetts Bay colonists being unfriendly to newcomers to the settlement who propose a form of worship which is different from their own, we humbly refer you to the Charter of Massachusetts Bay, March 4, 1629 signed by His Royal Majesty Charles of England.

As loyal subjects of His Royal Majesty, we continue to honor the obligations and restraints issued in our Charter and to enjoy the rights authorized us by His Royal Majesty.

Your loyal subjects,
The representatives of Massachusetts Bay

To the Proprietors of all British Colonies:

Now that the

War with France and its Indian allies is won, the security of your charges is now assured. The Crown wishes to express his gratitude to all colonists who helped the Empire to be victorious in this matter. Your brave and loyal service to your King will not be forgotten. However, we must now deal with the aftermath of this dreadfull war, and take appropriate action to secure peace for all of the colonies in the future.

One concern which the Crown finds to be extremely worrisome is the relations between colonists and the Indian nations which reside near them. As we recover from the effects of the war it is vital that we do not behave in offense to our Indian neighbors, thus triggering another war while our resources are deplete. For your protection, the King has asked Parliament to draft laws which will ensure the safety of the colonies, their women and children most especially.

The Crown is happy to report that Parliament has taken the King's concern to heart and has passed two new laws which will do much to make life in British America safer for all. Effective immediately, these two laws are to be followed by all.

1. All British soliders currently in the colonies will remain and new troops will be added to provide for the protection of the colonists from their Indian neighbors. These armies will be under the control of His Majesty's general, and will take their orders from him solely. Proprietors are to contact the General if they have concerns, questions, or are in need of assistance.

2. Colonist are hereby prohibited from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. These lands belong to the Indian Nations and such colonial settlement could be construed as a hostile, and warlike action by the Indians.

Your King is certain you shall see the benefit and justness of these laws, and expects your full support.

God's Blessing Upon You All,

His Royal Majesty
King Charles III
Ruler of Great Britian & Its Colonies

To the Proprietors of all British Colonies:

Providing protection for your colonies has put a severe drain on the treasury of the Crown. While his Majesty understands the importance of providing protecting for his citizens, the Crown can no longer afford to do so under the present arrangement. The two acts listed below will enable the Crown to continue to provide protection for the colonies while at the same time allow the colonies to pay their fair share of the cost for this gracious service to their needs. Effective immediately, this will be the new arrangement to be followed by colonists:

THE QUARTERING ACT

1. All British soliders currently in the colonies will now be housed in the homes of colonists. Every effort will be made to provide them with suitable bedding, and meals will be provided by the host family.

2. Any supplies which the army needs will be provided by the colony, since they are being protected by said troops.

THE SUGAR ACT

1. All molasses brought into the colonies shall bear a tax of 20% of the cargo's value, to be paid to the Crown. Said taxes shall go towards to cost of governing and providing protection for the colonies.

Your King is certain you shall see the benefit and justness of these acts, and expects your full support.

God's Blessing Upon You All,

Comments against taxes

Your Royal Highness
Ruler of Great Britain and All its Possession

Your Royal Majesty,

It is with great tribulation that we write to you. We, the people of Newportia, are upset with the recent new laws. We have had many tragedies of late, extreme flooding and damage to our crops, a long awaited ship damaged by fire, along with our dock. Our resources are drained. Some of us cannot pay the taxes because we have to buy food for our families. There is simply not enough to provide for the soldiers living in our homes also. Many of the Newportians are starving. Our houses are small, and were damaged during recent flooding and mud slides, leaving many families having to move in with those whose houses survived. We simply do not have room to house soldiers also. We beg thee to consider repealing this Quartering Act.

The Molasses/Sugar Act has also been a burden to us. We receive much of our molasses from the West Indies, not even under British rule. People have stopped buying the highly taxed molasses and sugar and will do without. Your majesty, we humbly ask thee to consider repealing this new law also and ease the burden of our citizens.

Citizens of Newportia Colony Against New Taxes

Gabrielle Francis, Estele Pere, Francis Drake, Zergen Monzer, Bob Magee, Banja Leon, Scotty OHara, Hans Fraas, Geroge Berkens, Erick Shontal, Peter Germany, Pierre S. Cargot, Eunice Smith, Jack Drake, Martin Smith Jay Jr., Marie Birdneau, Peter Kohl.

A letter from Newportian loyalists

King of England, Ruler of Great Britain and all Its Possessions

Your Royal Highness,

We greet you and thank you, our Lord and Ruler, for the honor of being your colonists. You may have heard rumors and may be receiving letters of complaint and even hate, but we have a great compliment to give you, your Royal Highness. After talking to six other colonists, we decided to develop this letter of support.

First, we would like to thank you for the soldiers who are protecting our homes and who are living with us. If we give them food, a place to sleep, and pay for their expenses, it is worth it to have a 24 hour guard to protect us and fight for your great country. The Molasses Act is pretty great too, and should provide you with needed income to support our mother country of England. We thank you very much for the things you have done.

Sincerely,
Your Loyal Colonists
Brontz Bach
Long John
Irish Moriarty
Marian Blue
Elizabeth Smith

A response from Bostonians on the Quartering Act

Your Most Royal Highness,

You are aware that in Boston, we have been living under the protection of soldiers since you ordered regiments here. We have sent many letters and pleas to commanding officers in Boston, to Parliament, and to Your Highness relating the problems created by having soldiers living amongst us. These please and complaints based on fact continue to go unheard.

We understand that soldiers long to return home to England. We have witnessed bickering amongst them as they grow discontent and bored with their situation far away from home. We see them being punished by their officers when they complain. They are made an example of by officers to maintain discipline.

As Bostonians and Englishmen, we witness the daily routines of drilling and marching. We endure the watchful eyes of soldiers on watch as they are ordered to question fellow Englishmen returning to their homes in the evening. We suffer the disrespect of soldiers who fill their idle time rudely speaking to our wives and daughters. We attempt to raise our families and seek work only to lose jobs to soldiers whom your officers allow to get part-time work, who will take less money for the work, and who need the money as much as we do. We again ask if the solution might be to remove the soldiers to England?

Just as the massive friction that built and exploded on March 5, 1770 when the incident on King Street occurred, we fear another explosion gaining momentum.

As Englishmen, we tolerate the inconvenience of the troops. As Englishmen, we pay our fair share of taxes for the war effort. But as Englishmen, we are limited to comply with the Quartering Act as written.

Many of our families will attempt to house and feed soldiers. They agree that it is only fair. They feel that having soldiers in their homes would even make the area safer.

Many other families are large and space in their homes is limited as is food on their tables. Many families are upset that the odd hours the soldiers keep will conflict with the schedule a family keeps. Other Bostonians are willing to quarter soldiers for a short period of time, but are hard pressed to provide food for them. Some Bostonians are fearful of the presence of the soldiersÕ guns in the households with small children.

Your Royal Highness, you can see that this new arrangement might not be the best solution to the problem.

With regards to the Sugar Act, we in Boston are hard hit by this new tax. Englishmen enjoy their rum. We attempt to collect this tax but find that it is a bit excessive. Reasonable Englishmen in Boston who pay their taxes are vexed by the amount of this tax.

It appears that the Sugar Act and the Quartering Act have unleashed feelings that Bostonians have been attempting to quell for a long time. In speaking to other colonists through our Committee of Correspondence, we are attempting to hold the thread of reason together.

These are trying times. These are fragile times.

GodÕs Blessing Upon You,

Your distraught English relatives in Boston

The Merits of Military Discipline

Lord Percivell Byron
Minister of the Army
Great Britian

To the Proprietors of Massachusetts and Newportia Colonies:

I have received your recent complaints from the King's Royal secretary, who feels this is a matter below the King's attention. I concur and will attempt to clarify the situation to you. Obviously none of you have ever had the honor and privilege of serving in the military for you fail to grasp some basic concepts of soldiering. Discipline is vital if one is to maintain and effective and efficent army. Without discipline an army becomes nothing more than a group of idle, disrespectful, rude, and illmannered ruffins incapable of providing for their own defense, much less the defense of others. My officers have reported observing such behavior amongst your colonists, which is why the army must be present to maintain order. These same officers have learned time honored ways of ensuring that their soldiers have discipline, and while these methods may seen crude to you, they are actually the best way to provide for the safety of your colonists.

With regards to the cost and inconvience of quartering soldiers, I am appalled at your complaints. These soldiers are far from their families, faithfully following the orders of the King to provide for your colonist's safety and defense. They accept this as part of their role as a proud member of the royal army. My officers have received complaints from the men regarding the poor sleeping arrangements many families have provided and food that often unsuitable for pigs to consume. These are the same men who helped to defeat the French and their Indian allies, gaining new lands and safety of all. Yet you feel the need to complain. I suggest that you redouble your efforts to provide for these men with proper room and board, and cease bothering the Crown with your childish wimperings.

May God have mercy on you all,

Lord Byron

Stamp Tax

Message from Parliament
Lord William Chatsworth
Prime Minister
Parliament of Great Britain

To the Proprietors of Massachusetts and Newportia Colonies:
This is a sad time for all citizens for Great Britain. Our current war with France is not going well and the expense upon the nation is great.

Families here are suffering personally from the loss of many a brave soldier who has died in the service of their country. At many times, when news of the war arrives from France, we are a nation in mourning due to our losses. The war has also affected the avalability of food, clothing, and other necessities of life with many families having to get by on less. Your friends and relatives back home are suffering greatly.

Parliment has been struggling with how to provide for citizenry until this war is won and over. A part of our discussions has centered on how our colonies can help. As you are certainly aware, your colonists are not drafted into military service and the war has not had an adverse impact upon your economy. Other than hearing about the grief of your relatives and loved ones in Great Britain, the war with France has had little negative effect on your quality of life. In fact, the war has benefited many of your companies for the demand for raw materials such as lumber has increased.

Therefore, Parliament has passed a new Act, the

Stamp Tax , which will allow your colonies to contribute to the war effort. Monies collected from this act will help provide food and other necessities for relatives, loved ones, and other citizens in Great Britian, and will help support the nation in its war with France.

Effective immediately, all colonist will pay a Stamp Tax on all legal documents. Any legal document will be assessed a fee of not less than 50 pence. This fee will be collected by Royal tax collectors and will be sent to the Crown in Great Britian.

Thank you for your support and may God bless you all,

Lord Chatsworth

To the Proprietors of Massachusetts and Newportia Colonies

The Crown has recently received reports from within your colonies that certain colonists are acting in ways that constitute treason under British law. As the lawful governors of your colonies I hold you responsible for the behavior of your citizens. One group of colonists from Newportia dared to send a letter to His Royal Person asking the Crown to repeal laws which THEY THINK ARE UNFAIR! It is only because I am a Kind and Benevolent King that I do not command you to imprison these colonist, confiscate their property, and have them hung for treason. Instead, you are to command them to write a public letter of retraction and apology in which they shall state their error. Should they be unwilling to comply, I leave it to you determine a fair punishment for their crimes.

I am also concerned that many colonists misunderstand that the Crown and Parliament pass the various laws and acts based upon what is best for British Empire as a whole. The Crown is fully aware of the both the plight and prosperity of all its citizens. Often, we are compelled to make decisions that are unpleasant to many and could be perceived as unfair to a select few. Yet this misperception is due to the fact that they do not possess the wisdom and wealth of knowledge of the Crown, and thus feel they are being treated unfairly. I charge you to clarify this to your citizens so we can end their petty complaints and move forward towards their acceptance of our role as the rightful rulers who know best as to their needs. To help you with this effort, both of you are to bestow fitting rewards upon those groups of loyal colonists who recently sent me letters which rightfully praised the hard work of the Crown and Parliament in looking after the needs of the colonies.

Be warned that under the guidelines of your Charters, I have the right to replace you with governors of my choosing should I feel you're incapable of fulfilling your duty to the Crown. You must end the treasonous rumblings and rabble rousing within your borders.

God's Blessings Upon You,

His Royal Majesty
King Charles I
Ruler of Great Britian & All British Colonies

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