Proprietary Party

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The Proprietary Party, also known as the Gentleman's Party, [1] was a political party in the Pennsylvania Colony, primarily concerned with Anglicanism and supporting the rights of the colonies hereditary proprietors, the Penns. [2] They were typically in opposition to the Quaker Party, which sometimes resulted in violence. [3]

Contents

They were originally called the Proprietary Party, changed their name to the Gentlemen's Party in the 1740s, and reverted to the Proprietary Party in the 1750s. [2] [4]

The Paxton Boys' March on Philadelphia was preventing from entering by a delegation of Philadelphians with the promise that the legislature would discuss their complaints; however, this did not happen, and the party took advantage of publicizing it in 1764. [5]

The party opposed the Stamp Act of 1765, allying themselves with Benjamin Franklin's opposition to the Act and placing themselves in leadership positions. [4] They later opposed Franklin's appointment to the position of Colonial Agent in London. [6] [7]

Ideology and policies

The Proprietary Party primarily focused on supporting the Penns, in political and property rights. [2] They also wanted military defense for the province, [2] [8] including the drafting of indentured servants, [3] as well as the ability to print paper money. [8] They attempted to comparatively weaken the Quaker party in the General Assembly of Pennsylvania by appealing to those on the Frontier. [2] [4]

Notable individuals

James Logan was the first leader, [2] as the Proprietary Council's Secretary, [8] and mobilized Proprietary supporters. [4] In the 1740s, William Allen became the party leader, [2] [8] [9] and lead with Richard Peters. [8] Nicholas Scull II was a Placeman for the party in the position of Surveyor General of Pennsylvania. [8] George Thomas, a Proprietary governor, led a Quaker assembly. [3]

Andrew Hamilton and Isaac Norris

Andrew Hamilton, of the party, abdicated from the assembly in 1739. [10] Isaac Norris and Hamilton had an enmity. [11] This abdication led to increased determination on Allen's part to attain power in the assembly. [10]

Election day riot

On October 1, 1742, Election Day in Pennsylvania, a physical fight over voting occurred between the Quakers and the Proprietary Party, each respectively represented by Isaac Norris and William Allen in the election for the Inspector of Elections. [9] [3] The Philadelphia County Courthouse was the only place to vote. [9] Quakers arrived first and blocked Proprietary voters. [9] [3] Many more votes for Norris were cast (by physically standing near him), but, before the election was finished, 60 sailors, thought to be employed by Allen, [8] armed with clubs entered and began attacking Pennsylvania Germans. [9] They responded, and a vigorous fight between the two occurred, with the Proprietary sailors losing and retreating. [9]

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References

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  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "History's Headlines: Mayhem was the name of the game in the bloody Pa. election of 1742". WFMZ.com. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  10. 1 2 "Andrew Hamilton - PA House of Representatives". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  11. Carter, Katherine D. (1980). "Isaac Norris II's Attack on Andrew Hamilton". The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. 104 (2): 139–161. ISSN   0031-4587. JSTOR   20091455.