Imagery and Exceptionalism in New England

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Imagery and Exceptionalism in New England

Jonas Clarke, the minister of the Congregational church in Lexington, Massachusetts, entertained guests at his home the evening of April 18, 1775. The two guests that Clarke hosted were seeking a safe haven from British authorities. His guests, Samuel Adams and John Hancock, discussed strategy with Clarke concerning the conflict with Britain as they attempted to keep their location secret from the British. Supposedly, Great Britain planned to capture these two radicals in hopes of terminating the colonial resistance. A messenger on horseback interrupted their meeting, writes Clarke. “Then came an express in writing stating that eight or nine officers of the king’s troops were seen just before night passing the road toward Lexington, in a musing, contemplative posture, and it was suspected they were out on some evil design.” Adams and Hancock took heed of this advanced warning and escaped Lexington before the redcoats appeared in the town. Clarke knew they would be arriving soon, and headed to the village green to help assemble the townspeople for the expected confrontation. As the clock struck 2:00 A.M., the minister helped order the villagers into position. Many on the green were members of his church, and he knew that they were prepared to fight if violence broke out. For weeks, Clarke had groomed his congregation with images of the hardships of their forefathers, and their hopes of a land of freedom, and he was certain that the residents of Lexington would hold fast against the British forces if necessary. After the exchange between the colonists and the redcoats the morning of the nineteenth, seven lay dead on the town square, some of whom were his parishioners. However, Clarke remained positive that this fight was an important one, and that his congregation would

continue to support resistance to the British tyranny that now was endemic within the colonies.

Jonas Clarke used his sermon as a method of persuasion to garner support for the resistance movement against Great Britain. During his orations, he hoped to invoke a feeling of duty within his congregation. Clarke intended that the sense of duty, in turn, would provoke his listeners to defend America’s rebellion. He used vivid images of the ancient Israelites and the colonists’ ancestors to depict the struggles they encountered in the past. By doing so, Clarke hoped to show his worshippers the exceptionalism of America.

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