Meeting of the Freeholders and other Inhabitants of the County of Buckingham

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At a Meeting of the Freeholders and other Inhabitants of the County of Buckingham, at the Court House, the 28th of July, 1774, they took under their consideration the truly alarming state of the several British Colonies from sundry Acts of Parliament, which if carried into execution must reduce the whole to an abject state of slavery, at which time they came to the following Resolutions:

Resolved, That we will, at the risk of our lives and fortunes, defend his Majesty' s right and title to the Crown of Great Britain and his American Dominions, against all and every person whatsoever, and that we do acknowledge and profess all due obedience to him.

Resolved, That we will not pay any tax that is or may be laid on any commodity whatsoever, which shall be laid by the Parliament of Great Britain for the purpose of raising a revenue in America; our own Legislature, with the consent of his Majesty, being only legally vested with a power of laying taxes on the inhabitants of this Colony.

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Resolved, That the Act of Parliament for blocking up the harbour of Boston; also one other Act for carrying persons to Great Britain or elsewhere to be tried for offences; as also the Act for depriving our sister Colony of Massachusetts Bay of their Charter, are unjust, arbitrary, and unconstitutional; and that we consider an attack on the liberties of one of our sister Colonies as an attack on the whole of British America.

Resolved, That manufactories ought to be encouraged in this and every other Colony, and that after a short time all importations from Great Britain ought to be prohibited unless the several Acts of Parliament depriving our sister Colony of Massachusetts Bay of their liberties be repealed; as also all such other Acts of the British Parliament as are or may be intended for laying any tax on articles imported into this or any of the Colonies for the purpose of raising a revenue in America, be likewise repealed.

Resolved, That the Representatives for this county be directed to meet the Representatives of the other counties in this Colony, in Williamsburg, the first day of August next, to consult and advise on the best and most effectual means for preserving American liberty, and that they use their best endeavours that proper persons be appointed on the part of this Colony to meet such persons as may be appointed by the other Colonies, to consult and advise on proper measures for the good of the whole, with all and every of which our desire is, a strict union may be established, as the only sure and effectual means of defeating the evil intentions of a corrupt majority in the House of Commons.

Resolved, That these Resolutions be sent to the publick Printer, and that she be requested to publish the same.

JOHN NICHOLAS, Moderator.