The Sons of Liberty

Chapter 2

                                               {Boston, February 3rd, 1770}

         "Imagine if we smuggled in more..." Hancock gazed off into the distance with a wistful sigh as Revere sat by and gave his eyes a lazy roll and Sam fumbled through the crates of illegal dutch tea, marking them for whomever they were to be sent to for safe keeping. Joe sat nearby, gazing absently at them as if he was staring right through them, which was not an odd state for him when Hancock went on his fantasy trips about money. "Oh, roll your eyes if you'd like, Paul, but when you are a pauper in a ditch, I'll happily bring you blankets."

        Revere gave a chuckle, "You know, I'd love to see you lose all of that beloved money of yours once we get a new governor who isn't interested in your smuggled goods." Hancock scowled at him and crossed his arms defiantly as he turned his head to Sam.

        "What do you think, Sam?"

        "It isn't about the money, gentlemen. No, it is the message," Sam turned to the table with a resolute nod. "I could give less of a damn if we made a profit or not, but if we can show the Crown that we will not stand for their bullying..."

        "Then they'll send more soldiers and crush us like insects under the heels of their dainty little shoes." All heads turned to Joe, whose face had not lost its pensive expression and he continued to stare out past them and through the wall. "Sam, in all honesty, what good will these illegal things do? You know that I support the message you want to send, but assaulting regulars and smuggling illegal goods into Boston is not helping a single thing."

        "Say we wanted help from other colonies. We have to let them know that we're serious." Revere crossed his legs and turned to Joe.

        Joe looked up at Revere and shook his head. "Is that what you think? They'll look at you like you're all patriots? The other colonies, especially those in the South, will look on at us like we are stark-raving mad because they have not had to deal with what Boston has dealt with for years."

        Hancock sighed and nodded in agreement. Sam looked up from the crates and stared at Joe, who was usually the voice of unparalleled support, in amazement. Joe had never doubted the purity of their ambitions and Sam opened his mouth to begin to speak, but Hancock beat him to the punch, "Aye, he's right. The Southerners won't even give us the time of day unless we give them reason beyond a doubt. They have their pockets lined with British money from their cotton and tobacco, and that is not something that they will just surrender because we incurred the wrath of the British empire. I mean, look at me! I am certainly not giving up my wealth for this!"

        Sam returned his eyes to the crates and Revere shifted in his spot. If anyone knew how businessmen worked, it was Hancock, and if there existed a group of shrewd businessmen in all of the colonies, it was indeed the Southern planters with their farms full of tobacco and cotton and sugar cane. That was the thing with the Southerners. Because they were such a profitable bunch, the Crown treated them like royalty. There would have to be an act of pure unadulterated violence upon another colony for them to dare consider raising their eyes from their account books to even consider a look at Boston's situation. Unlike in Boston, also, the people were far more gentile. That Southern hospitality was paying off for them and the hardworking shipbuilders, sailors, and fishermen of Boston lacked that grace that the planters of Virginia and South Carolina charmed the British with."All we are trying to do for now is get King George to rethink not allowing us representatives, that is all." Sam murmured under his breath.

        Joe spoke again, "Oh, and what do you think he will believe when he hears that one of his colonies has been smuggling and attacking his guards? It will be a bruise on his pride and make him look weak. What do people do when they look weak Sam?" He stood up and placed a hand on Sam's shoulder. Sam stood and turned to face him with his brow furrowed. "When a man looks weak, he aims to crush whatever is making him look weak. In that case, it will be you, me, Paul, and John, and every other man who has sworn their loyalty to our cause. George will respond with an army. He already has deployed troops to Boston. What will stop a fleet more from sailing right into the harbor?"