Sparks Journal

October 29, 1773
To my beloved friend, Martha

I finally have a little time off from doing my chores to write you this letter, but pretty soon I will have to clean the stable and cook the family food. My master, George had a few people over including your owner Samuel Adams and James Robert's, and John Hatchman were there too. I over heard just a little of their conversation. They were talking about how they were going to stop the taxes no matter what it takes. Then they got into a little argument later on about what the King will do.

The taxes are really a real big problem as you know. The colonists have been getting tea from England that they were not suppose to so the British are putting taxes on tea and household goods. The colonists are saying that they might boycott all British goods but we don’t know exactly what might happen. I hope all this fuss about tea and taxes will end soon, even though we are slaves and it does not hurt us as much it still has a great impact on us servants. We have to watch and witness innocent people dying, and suffering. Just the thought of that is painful. Why can’t the people just pay the tax? I mean three pence isn’t much.

While I was walking down to the docks yesterday to go to the merchant shop. I noticed a couple of young lads talking about Christopher Seiders death. Years ago Ebenezer Richardson was arrested and charged for his death. This whole thing is getting out of control , innocent people are getting hurt because of the littlest of things, Is it really that important.

Even though the British have left, the thought of them charging into the house still runs through my mind. I hope nothing else happens. loyalist have nothing to do with this but still many have died. Until then we just have to fight what ever comes our way!

From your beloved friend,

Susannah Smith
November 24, 1773
To my dearest friend, martha

Today my chores went quite fast, and they were pretty easy. I cooked some johnny cakes today for breakfast then went straight to cleaning. I hope everything is well with you, I’m doing really well.

I got your letter and, it is very interesting that you mentioned that your master, Samuel Adams and other
Patriots had brought Indian clothing and put it in a box. Its pretty obvious that they are up to something, but I hope that it isn’t anything that will hurt us or anyone else. I do have a feeling that its about the tax on tea. What do you think about the tax?...any ways how have you been?

I cannot stop thinking about the Indian clothing and what they would do with them. Samuel Adams is up to something and I know it!I have heard from many people that the tavern owners are losing business because the Patriots are boycotting will not buy the tea because it is being taxed. Many of the merchants are unhappy and some are saying that they might close down their shops, because they work all day and very little is paid to even get food to there family for dinner.

Sorry to change the subject but I have to tell someone to get this out my mind. You remember Louise, right? Well she was the servant who lived next door to us. She had the small pox and her owner couldn’t do anything. He didn’t want to take her so he beat her to death so he wouldn’t have to deal with her.

Many people think that all Bostonians are disloyal to the king but that's not the truth. There are many people who do not want war and do as they are ordered to. Some times I dream about our family and if we were free. Even though my master treats me well I still dream that one day there will be a law to set us free. I heard that your uncle is now free and, I hope that one day all of us will be free and follow in the foot steps of the other servants that are set From your beloved friend,
Susannah Smith December 19, 1773

To my dearest friend, Martha

My owner is not around anymore, and no one knows where he is. Mrs. Johnson and the children are worried. She is not treating me much like a servant anymore, she does everything herself. When ever I clean or cook she tells me not to. and to go relax. And I think the reason she is telling me to relax is because she is trying to not think of Mr. Johnson by keeping busy. I knew this whole thing would bring nothing but trouble. I just hope Mr. Johnson comes home safely, for Mrs. Johnson's sake.

The destruction of the tea, was nothing but to get back at the British. Even though no one, and nothing was damaged. Samuel Adams said he would do something and he sure did. Now we know what those Indian customs were for. The smuggling of tea would have never had happened if the British didn’t put tax on the tea.

Mrs. Johnson is always talking with someone, either writing them a letter or having them come over. I hope the British decide to take the tax off tea and other things after what had happened.

When I heard about the destruction of the tea it was the next day and I was at the docks. I saw feathers on the ground and wondered what had happened. I picked up all the feathers because they made a huge mess. While I was carrying them someone came up to me and said “those whig sure got what they wanted”, I wonder for a while and then asked him what he was talking about. He then said “you didn’t here about the destruction of the tea”. That is when everything started to make sense.

Let us just hope nothing else happens to hurt us and our loved ones!
From your beloved friend,

Susannah Smith

Historical References:

BIBLIOGRAPHY
BELLER, SUSAN. THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. MARSHALL CAVENDISH. 2002

HAKIM, JOY.MAKING THIRTEEN COLONIES. OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS .1993.

HAKIM, JOY. FROM COLONIES TO COUNTRY. OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS. 1993

INNES, STEPHEN.THE MANY JOBS OF A SLAVE. 1979. <WWW.HISTORYPOINT.ORG>

MARK FENAIL. SLAVERY IN BOSTON. NATIONAL PARK. AUG. 23, 2002. <http://www.nps.gov>

Artist's Rendering

Historical Reenactment

Historical Terms
Boycott	Loyalist
Tax	Whig
Patriots	Leadership

About the Historian
Hello my name is Hani and i attend King king middle school. I love listening to music and my favorite musican is Bobby Valentino. I love hanging out with my friends in my spare time.