American Colonial Press and the Townshend Crisis, 1766-1770. A Study in Political Imagery

Delineates the stereotypes of prominent British policymakers appearing in the Southern colonial press during the Townshend crisis in order to describe the information and images available and to determine their impact on the decision in favor of resistance after 1770. Reveals that the struggle for the repeal of the Townshend Duties, as it appeared in the Southern press, was represented as a turning point in Anglo-American relations. Draws on many different areas of historical inquiry: the nature of the colonial press and its influence on the coming Revolution; the British leaders who made public policy during that time; and the ideological context within which the American Revolution developed.