Wilkes, American Colonists, and The North Briton

Why Was Colonial America So Fascinated with the Number 45?

Sep 9, 2009

In the 1760s, many Americans were infatuated with a scandalous Englishman with a notoriously frisky sex life who spent much of the decade in debt, in exile, or in prison.

In the summer of 1768, John Wilkes, inmate in London's King's Bench Prison, received a letter from Samuel Adams, John Adams, James Otis, Jr., John Hancock, Joseph Warren and a number of other prominent Bostonians. The letter made the specific point that the correspondents represented exactly 45 men who had met in a tavern to compose the letter.

They also noted that they were sending along as gifts two turtles, one weighing exactly 45 pounds.

Back in Boston, the number 45 was inscribed on many windows and doors all over town.

Meanwhile, that year in South Carolina, workingmen "consecrated" a pole with 45 lights. In New York, a jailed writer comparing himself to Wilkes, was, according to reports, visited by 45 friends for a feast to consume 45 pounds of beef, followed by 45 toasts. "Wilkes and liberty" was no doubt on of those toasts, for that was a common toast up and down the colonies that year.

Ridiculing Advisors to King George III

The story of the colonists' interest in Wilkes and their preoccupation with the number 45 began back in 1762 when Wilkes, a member of Parliament, launched a newspaper, The North Briton. The newspaper ridiculed the people around the King George III and the policies emerging from the king's advisors.

The North Briton, irritated those in authority, but they did nothing until the publication of the 45th edition of newspaper, which appeared on April 23, 1763. Rules about freedom of the press permitted criticism of the king's ministers but prohibited criticism of the king himself. This edition seemed to step over the line as an attack on the king.

A general warrant was issued to gather evidence and arrest anyone in connection with the newspaper. The warrant was something like a modern search warrant but much more flexible. A modern search warrant has to be very specific about what place is being searched and for what reason. This general warrant was not specific but could be used by authorities as a license to break into virtually any building.

Wilkes was rounded up. A series of trials followed. Wilkes challenged the general warrant that led to his arrest. He also claimed that as a member of Parliament he was immune from prosecution. These trials made Wilkes a hero among many in Britain and America who felt authorities were trampling the traditional rights of British people.

Parody of Alexander Pope's "Essay on Man"

Wilkes won in the courts and promptly reprinted North Briton No. 45. Wilkes also printed "Essay on Women," his own lewd parody of Alexander Pope's "Essay on Man."

The king's ministers went after Wilkes again. First they engineered his expulsion from Parliament, thus making him vulnerable to prosecution. Then they plotted to have Wilkes tried for libeling the king in North Briton No. 45 and for libeling a bishop in "Essay on Women."

Wilkes fled to Europe, returning in 1768. He somehow managed to get himself reelected to Parliament without getting arrested. However, he voluntarily waived his immunity from arrest and accepted the prison sentence for the charges related to North Briton No. 45 and "Essay on Women."

These events were closely followed in America. One modern scholar examining newspapers in Virginia noted that Wilkes during this period was mentioned more often than anyone else in the pages of the Virginia Gazettes. By 1768, Americans had been outraged first by the Stamp Act and then by the Townsend duties. Both measures were efforts by Parliament to impose taxes on Americans. Americans protested that such measures violated their right to tax themselves through their own elected representatives. Americans felt they and Wilkes had a common cause: defending the the so-called of liberties of British people.

Benjamin Franklin Called Him "Not Worth a Farthing"

Some Americans were mystified by Wilkes's popularity. Benjamin Franklin, at the time posted in London, called Wilkes "not worth a farthing." Many felt his character was appalling. For example, he had belonged to a club that, among other activities, held orgies with prostitutes dressed as nuns. Also, despite the disadvantages of crossed eyes and a grotesquely large jaw, Wilkes had the companionship of an assortment of mistresses.

Americans were aware of Wilkes's scandalous behavior. But to many, that was beside the point.

Wilkes also remained hugely popular in Britain. Crowds gathering outside his prison to catch a glimpse of Wilkes became so large that authorities sent in soldiers to control them. This led to the the so-called St. George's Fields Massacre, where the soldiers fired upon the crowd, killing several people. This event had a bearing on the Boston Massacre in 1770.

All in all, Wilkes and events surrounding him came to symbolize for Americans emerging ideas about rights, such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom from unreasonable searches, and the right of a constituency to choose its own representatives.

Americans' fascination with 45 and Wilkes faded as the American Revolution approached and it became clear that Wilkes and his followers in Britain would not bring about the reforms they hoped for.

Sources:

Cash, Arthur H. John Wilkes: The Scandalous Father of Civil Liberty. New Haven, Connecticutt, Yale University Press, 2006.

Duff, Stella. "The Case Against The King: The Virginia Gazettes Indict George III." The William and Mary Quarterly, Third Series, Volume 6, No. 3 (Jul. 1949), pp 383-397.

Maier, Pauline. "John Wilkes and American Disillusionment with Britain," The William and Mary Quarterly, Third Series. Volume 20, No. 3 (Jul. 1963), pp. 373-395.

The copyright of the article Wilkes, American Colonists, and The North Briton in Colonial America is owned by Brian Deming. Permission to republish Wilkes, American Colonists, and The North Briton in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.