June 25, 1776, it was unanimously voted to support the Continental Congress with their lives and fortunes, if they should declare the United Colonies independent of Great Britain.

WILLIAMSTOWN, BERKSHIRE COUNTY.

June 24, 1776.

At a legal Town-meeting of this town, held on this day, for the following purposes, the following motion was made and put to vote, viz: Whether, should the honourable Congress, for the safety of the Colonies, declare them independent of Great Britain, the inhabitants of this town will solemnly engage with their lives and fortunes to support them in the measure?

Passed in the affirmative, nem. con.

BARNSTABLE, BARNSTABLE COUNTY.

At a Town-meeting held at Barnstable, June 25, 1776:

The question being put, agreeable to the Resolve of the General Court, Whether, if the Continental Congress should judge expedient to declare the United Colonies independent, they, the inhabitants of the Town of Barnstable. would support the measure at the hazard of life and estate? It passed in the negative.

Upon which a number of respectable inhabitants, whose names are underwritten, judging such a procedure would have a tendency to disunite the Colonies, and to injure the cause of their country, did at said meeting publickly protest against it, hoping thereby to avoid the imputation of acquiescence in so dishonourable a measure.

Barnstable, June 26, 1776,

We, the subscribers, inhabitants of the Town of Barnstable, protest against the proceedings of said town, at their meeting held on Tuesday, 25th of June instant, respecting the giving their Representative instructions with regard to the independency of the Colonies, as it was recommended to the several towns in this Colony, by way of resolve, from the honourable House of Representatives; and as a vote was put in said meeting to know whether the town would proceed to give any instructions to their Representatives, agreeable to the aforesaid recommendation; which was carried in the negative.

And judging it to be our duty to protest against said vote, we do it for the following reason: We think such a measure as proposed in said resolve to be the most salutary that can be gone into for the safety and well-being of the Colonies, under our present oppressed situation. And as it is the duty of every individual to give his voice in. favour of the aforesaid recommendation, in case the honourable Continental Congress see cause to declare these Colonies entirely independent, we are ready and willing to stand by such a declaration (if it should take place) to the utmost of our power, with our lives and estates; and being very unwilling that the aforesaid vote should be passed over in silence, for fear of offending our own consciences, in being thought to acquiesce in so strange a vote of the town, and of offending our countrymen and brethren in other towns who may go into contrary measures, entirely abhorring any principles but what are for the good of the United Colonies of America, and detesting those arguments brought by some men in said meeting to dissuade the people from complying with said recommendation, we take this method of letting the publick know our dissent from the aforesaid proceedings of the town, having no other way to make our sentiments known. We request that this Protest may be entered in the Town-book, to let posterity know that there were a few in this town who dared to stand forth in favour of an injured and oppressed country, treated with every species of wickedness used by tyranny to enslave mankind; and it is a matter of great grief to us that the cause of liberty is treated with such indignity by some of the inhabitants of the Town of Barnstable.

STURBRIDGE, WORCESTER COUNTY.

At a Town-meeting in Sturbridge, June 27, 1776, being duly warned for the purpose aftermentioned, after some debate on the matter respecting independence, it was put to vote, Whether, should the honourable Congress, for the safety of these Colonies, declare them independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain, they, the said inhabitants of Sturbridge, will solemnly engage, with their lives and fortunes, to support them in the measure?

Passed in the affirmative unanimously.

FITCHBURGH, WORCESTER COUNTY.

July 1, 1776.

Voted, That if the honourable Continental Congress should, for the safety of these United Colonies, declare them independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain, that we, the inhabitants of said town, will, so far as we are able, support them in the measure with our lives and fortunes.

ASHBY, MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

July 1, 1776.

Agreeable to a Resolve of the late honourable House of Representatives, passed on the 10th of May last, the inhabitants of this town being assembled for that purpose, on the 1st day of July instant, and unanimously voted as follows, viz: That should the honourable Congress, for the safety of the Colonies, declare them independent of Great Britain, the inhabitants of Ashby will solemnly engage with their lives and fortunes to support them in the measure.

GREENWICH, HAMPSHIRE COUNTY.

At a legal Town-meeting, held at the Publick House, Greenwich, on Monday, the 1st day of July, 1776, at three of the clock in the afternoon, first voted and chose Mr. Nehemiah Stebbins Moderator.

2d. Voted for independence on Great Britain if the honourable American Congress thinks fit, and most for the interest and safety of the Colonies; it being a unanimous vote, not one dissenting.

WINCHENDON, WORCESTER COUNTY.

At a general Town-meeting of the Freeholders and other inhabitants of Winchendon, qualified to vote in the choice of a Representative, on the 4th day of July, 1776; whereas this Town has been called upon by the honourable House of Representatives of this Colony to signify their minds in regard to American Independence, being fully sensible of the cruel and oppressive measures which are pursued by the King and Parliament of Great Britain in order to enslave these Colonies, and consequently the difficulty that will attend our being ever again united with Great Britain;

Therefore, unanimously Resolved, That if the honourable Continental Congress should think best, for the safety of the Colonies, to declare them independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain, that we will, with our lives and fortunes, support them in the measure.

EASTIIAM, BARNSTABLE COUNTY.

Voted to instruct our Representative to use his influence that the Continental Congress do declare the United Colonies independent of Great Britain, if they think proper and to the advantage of the Colonies; that we will support the cause with our lives and fortunes.