If we are compelled to make the last appeal to Heavean, we will defend our resoulutions and liberties at the expense of all that is dear to us.

Gloucester Town Meeting

Dec 15th,1773

FOREWORD

One of the interesting things about Joseph Foster in these days of preoccupation with the artificial projection of persona­lity called image is that he is not, for a change, a figure larger than life on the unrolling diorama of the American Revolution. He was of the colonial New England yeomanry, not greatly better nor worse than the other fellow. He went to sea as a boy, climbed to the quarterdeck in the West Indies and European triangular trade out of Gloucester, and as a captain and merchant was caught up in events which were pushing and hauling Britain and her colonies to the breach, issues of trade regulation, monopoly, competition, revenue-raising and repre­sentation.

Foster rose in politics, but not as a skyrocket. He was a leader in the home guard, but no military genius. He sent his townsmen privateering and then tried it himself, but took no prizes of which he left a record. He prospered, but not by profiteering. His actions speak louder by far than his words, which are limited to a few cryptic account books and two letters of military instruction, literate but urevaling of the man.