Rebellion of 1768, 1768-1820
Scope and Contents
This subseries contains documents created and collected by the Harvard administration during their investigation and response to the student rebellion on April 2-5, 1768. The bulk of the records consists of documents related to the Faculty's investigation into the actions of Jonathan Williams Austin, Stephen Peabody, and William Tudor in the form of student testimonies, evidence against Austin, Peabody, and Tudor extracted from the student testimonies, the confessions and petitions of Austin, Peabody, and Tudor, and the July 5th vote of the Corporation readmitting Tudor and others. The subseries also contains a list of students involved in the disturbances, a handwritten copy of the resolves of the Board of Overseers regarding the rebellion, and an 1820 letter written by Joseph Thaxter (Class of 1768) describing the rebellion.
There are use photocopies of all documents at the end of this subseries in Box 1, Folder 22.
Dates
- Creation: 1768-1820
Researcher Access
The Records of the Faculty relating to disorders are open for research.
Extent
22 foldersBiographical / Historical
The Rebellion of 1768 erupted in a time of increased friction between Harvard students and faculty exacerbated by a lack of administrative leadership due to President Holyoke’s declining health and related absences. Without strong administrative control, hostility between Harvard Tutors Joseph Willard, Timothy Scales, and Thomas Danforth and students escalated. Tensions reached a climax when the Tutors announced that students could no longer abstain from recitations without prior permission. The students considered the policy excessive and responded with secret meetings and by damaging the Tutors’ property. On April 2, 1768, rumors circulated that Thurston Whiting (Class of 1770) had claimed that Tutor Willard had locked him in a room for seven hours resulting in a tumultuous three-day period that ended on April 5, 1768 with a number of students leaving the College to protest the Tutor's cruelty. Whiting soon denied having been locked in the room, and the position of the protestors grew tenuous. The Tutors decided that only students who made a public confession in chapel would be readmitted, and the Board of Overseers supported the decision. While most students returned to college and publicly confessed, four juniors identified as the rebellion’s leading agitators, James Mitchell Varnum, William Tudor, Jonathan Williams Austin, and Stephen Peabody, refused. By early May, however, Tudor, Austin, and Peabody had each applied for readmission. The Faculty denied their requests, leading them to petition the Corporation and the Board of Overseers. Finally on July 5, the three students were readmitted by a vote of the Corporation. James Mitchell Varnum transferred to the College of Rhode Island (later Brown University).
Jonathan Williams Austin (1751-1779 Class of 1769) was a law clerk for John Adams and served as major in the Revolutionary War.
William Tudor (1750-1819 Class of 1769) studied law under John Adams and practiced in Boston. He served in Massachusetts state government, first in the House of Representatives from 1791-1796 and later as Secretary of State and Clerk of the Supreme Court.
Stephen Peabody (1741-1819 Class of 1769) was the first minister of the First Congregational Church of Atkinson, New Hampshire.
Biographical / Historical
William Tudor (1750-1819 Class of 1769) studied law under John Adams and practiced in Boston. He served in Massachusetts state government, first in the House of Representatives from 1791-1796 and later as Secretary of State and Clerk of the Supreme Court.
Biographical / Historical
Stephen Peabody (1741-1819 Class of 1769) was the first minister of the First Congregational Church of Atkinson, New Hampshire.
Biographical / Historical
Chronology of the Rebellion of 1768
- March 21, 1768: Tutors announce new recitation policy.
- March 30, 1768: Tutor John Willard’s room is ransacked.
- April 2, 1768: Rumors circulate that Willard locked Thurston Whiting in Willard’s room for seven hours. In the evening, students gather to protest; Willard’s windows are broken with bricks.
- April 3, 1768: Four students are expelled for breaking windows. Whiting is rusticated.
- April 4, 1768: Students gather under the “Liberty Tree” and form a protest march.
- April 5, 1768: Many undergraduates leave the college in protest.
- April 8, 1768: Overseers meet and pass six resolves and one vote regarding the Rebellion.
- May 18, 1768: Faculty refuse to readmit Austin, Tudor, and Peabody.
- May 20, 1768: Faculty refuse to reconsider their decision regarding Austin, Tudor, and Peabody.
- June 24, 1768: Austin, Tudor, and Peabody appeal the Faculty decision to the Corporation. The Corporation votes against readmission.
- July 5, 1768: The Overseers and the Corporation meet separately; the Corporation agrees to readmit the three students.
Creator
- From the Collection: Harvard University (Organization)
Repository Details
Part of the Harvard University Archives Repository
Holding nearly four centuries of materials, the Harvard University Archives is the principal repository for the institutional records of Harvard University and the personal archives of Harvard faculty, as well as collections related to students, alumni, Harvard-affiliates and other associated topics. The collections document the intellectual, cultural, administrative and social life of Harvard and the influence of the University as it emerged across the globe.
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