Hutchinson, Thomas (1711-1780), was one of the last royal governors of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. His refusal to let the tea ships leave Boston Harbor led to the Boston Tea Party in 1773 (see Boston Tea Party ). He was just and able, but he became the symbol of royal power to colonists seeking independence.
Hutchinson, born on Sept. 9, 1711, in Boston, was the son of a wealthy merchant. He graduated from Harvard College in 1727 and entered his father’s business. He was elected to the Boston board of selectmen and the General Court of Massachusetts in 1737, and became chief justice of the colony in 1760. He issued the famous and unpopular writs of assistance (see Writ of assistance ). He opposed the Stamp Act, but declared it legal and tried to enforce it. In 1765, angry colonists burned his house. He became acting governor in 1769 and governor in 1771.
After the Boston Tea Party, Hutchinson went to England. He advised King George III and continued writing his important History of the Colony and Province of Massachusetts Bay. He died on June 3, 1780.
