Scholnick on James Mill, 1824: "

FWIT, today marks the anniversary of the Revenue Act of 1764 (the Sugar Act), for which Stephen Hopkins of Rhode Island observed, "Liberty is the greatest blessing that men can enjoy, and slavery is the heaviest curse that human nature is capable of...."

28 December 1784, Empress of China departed Pearl River for New York, marking US entry in the China Trade

Dec 26, 1818, Providence merchants contract Samuel Russell of Middletown, CT to set up a Canton resident branch. Russell establishes Samuel Russell & Co. on his arrival in 1819.

1/2 In an age when techbros and college managers are razing humanities programs to promote efficiency and profits, we would do well to consider Tolkien’s thoughts on Fellowship of the Rings, a work which has created thousands of jobs, millions in revenues, & countless amounts joy and inspiration:

Belatedly, a Proclamation of Thanksgiving from Massachusetts Gov. William Dummer, Boston News-Letter, October 16, 1729

OTD 1784 Lady Hughes Affair. Off Whampoa (Huang-Po) Island, British ship Lady Hughes fires salute, killing or wounding 3 Chinese, raising tensions that contribute to First Opium War. (Wampoa by Tinqua)

22 Feb 1784, NYC's East River thaws enough to allow the ship Empress of China to depart for Canton (Guangzhou), the first US-flagged vessel to do so.

Looking forward to talking about Eastward of Good Hope at the Pickering House in Salem on Sunday, January 21

pickeringhouse.org/events/sunda...

Thoroughly enjoyed the terrific exhibit "Objects of Addiction" (free!) at Harvard Art Museums @harvartmuseums Michael Verney James Fichter

Dec 31, 1784. Having set sail from Whampoa on Dec 28, the Empress of China departs Guangzhou's Peal River estuary, bound for New York, opening the China Trade. (Image by Raymond Massey)

Hope you can join me this Wednesday, December 6 at 5:30 at the Portsmouth Athenaeum for a book talk and signing. RSVP 603-431-2538.

Delighted to see H-Diplo's publication of its roundtable discussion of Michael Verney's terrific A Great and Rising Nation. issforum.org/ISSF/PDF/RJI...

OTD 1803, USS Philadelphia in pursuit of Barbary corsairs ran aground on an uncharted reef and was captured in Tripoli harbor.

Looking forward to this with our roundtable, "Crosscurrents in the World's Oceans," with Bob Allison, Dan Finamore, Michael Verney, and Jason Smith

11 October 1784, Moroccan pirates seized the Philadelphia brigantine Betsey, holding the ship, cargo, and crew for ransom. After months of negotiation, they were freed, but the capture commenced the conflict known as the Barbary Wars.

Image: Thomas Luncy, A Felucca off the North African Coast, 1825