Sometimes called the Continental Association, the agreement known as the Association represented one of the most radical acts of the First Continental Congress. Confronted with calls for action against the Coercive Acts (1774), Congress drew up the Association to establish nonimportation (to begin December 1, 1774), nonconsumption (to begin March 1, 1775), and nonexportation (to begin September 10, 1775) as a means of bringing economic pressure on Great Britain to repeal its repressive laws. Although some colonists had used similar measures in the controversy over the Stamp Act (1765) and Townshend Duties (1767), it was a bold and sweeping stand on the part of the colonial opposition leaders. Congress, however, did more than vote on these economic sanctions in the Association; it also empowered local committees of correspondence to become committees of inspection to guarantee compliance with the boycott. These committees were to inspect customhouse papers and publish the names of any violators. For those who ignored the Association, all mercantile connections would be banned. In essence, the Association advocated turning local government over to these committees, thus providing a mechanism to transfer power from the king to the people while still maintaining order.

If the Association advocated economic coercion and provided a political tool for revolution, it also offered a republican vision of society. To sustain the resistance to imperial measures--and to demonstrate the virtue of the people--the Association encouraged "frugality, economy, and industry," while it discountenanced and discouraged "every species of extravagance and dissipation, especially all horse-racing, and all kinds of gaming, cock-fighting, shews, plays, and expensive diversions and entertainments." It even advocated simpler dress during funerals. The Association thus represented a critical step not only toward revolution and breaking ties with Great Britain but also toward a new moral order.

Bibliography:

David Ammerman, In the Common Cause: American Response to the Coercive Acts of 1774 (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1974)

Free term papers are not written to satisfy your specific instructions. You can use our professional writing services to buy a custom written research paper, term paper, or essay on American Revolution at affordable price. CustomTermPapers is the best solution for those who seek help in writing term papers, essays, and research papers related to American Revolution and other relevant topics.