Changes

==Maryland politics==

==Maryland politics==

During December 1772-April 1773, an acrimonious battle of words enlivened the pages of the ''Maryland Gazette'' when the Whiggish country-party lawyers William Paca and Samuel Chase - Maryland's equivalent of two [[Sam Adams|Sam Adamses]] - exchanged a series of letters with rector Jonathan Boucher over the issues of the 40-pound tobacco poll tax for support of the clergy, and the movement for an American bishop symbolized by Boucher. Paca and Chase's position that the 1702 Act of Establishment creating the poll tax was invalid led Boucher to challenge their right as vestrymen of St. Anne's parish to levy taxation for church repairs, since vestrymen also were created by that very law. Instead the lawyers insisted that common law was their justification for representing their parishioners, and turned the argument into a scathing attack on churchmen, bishops, and the proprietary establishment in general. The entire imbroglio weakened the position of Maryland clerics as tensions with Britain increased after 1773, and enhanced the political prestige of Paca and Chase in the new politics of confrontation.<ref> Anne Y. Zimmer, "The 'Paper War' in Maryland, 1772-73: The Paca-Chase Political Philosophy Tested." ''Maryland Historical Magazine'' 1976 71(2): 177-193. 0025-4258 </ref>

During December 1772-April 1773, an acrimonious battle of words enlivened the pages of the ''Maryland Gazette'' when the Whiggish country-party lawyers William Paca and Samuel Chase - Maryland's equivalent of two [[Sam Adams]]es - exchanged a series of letters with rector Jonathan Boucher over the issues of the 40-pound tobacco poll tax for support of the clergy, and the movement for an American bishop symbolized by Boucher. Paca and Chase's position that the 1702 Act of Establishment creating the poll tax was invalid led Boucher to challenge their right as vestrymen of St. Anne's parish to levy taxation for church repairs, since vestrymen also were created by that very law. Instead the lawyers insisted that common law was their justification for representing their parishioners, and turned the argument into a scathing attack on churchmen, bishops, and the proprietary establishment in general. The entire imbroglio weakened the position of Maryland clerics as tensions with Britain increased after 1773, and enhanced the political prestige of Paca and Chase in the new politics of confrontation.<ref>Anne Y. Zimmer, "The 'Paper War' in Maryland, 1772-73: The Paca-Chase Political Philosophy Tested." ''Maryland Historical Magazine'' 1976 71(2): 177-193. 0025-4258</ref>

==Fighting for independence==

==Fighting for independence==

Chase played a major role in winning Maryland to the cause of independence in 1776. Maryland's revolutionary leadership - called the "popular party" - had learned that revolution without some anarchy was impossible. By June 1776, a conservative group, including Chase, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, and Thomas Johnson, faced a formidable problem in holding popular support. There was widespread opposition to the state government, with full-scale insurrection on the Eastern Shore and open hostility among the militia, the non-associators and the non-enrollers of the Western Shore. The new state constitution was based on extensive property qualifications, leaving all powers and franchises in the hands of the aristocratic elite. To ensure their authority, Chase and the other leaders had to popularize themselves and the revolutionary cause, which they did in two ways. First, they passed a legal tender act authorizing payment of all debts with depreciated money. Secondly, the General Court tended to deal leniently with all cases of men charged with treason, insurrection, and riot; these were invariably found guilty, fined a small amount, and released. Under the cautious policies of the new government, the strong "resentment of authority" eventually eased.<ref> Ronald Hoffman, "Popularizing the Revolution: Internal Conflict and Economic Sacrifice in Maryland, 1774-1780" ''Maryland Historical Magazine'' 1973 68(2): 125-139. 0025-4258 </ref>

Chase played a major role in winning Maryland to the cause of independence in 1776. Maryland's revolutionary leadership - called the "popular party" - had learned that revolution without some anarchy was impossible. By June 1776, a conservative group, including Chase, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, and Thomas Johnson, faced a formidable problem in holding popular support. There was widespread opposition to the state government, with full-scale insurrection on the Eastern Shore and open hostility among the militia, the non-associators and the non-enrollers of the Western Shore. The new state constitution was based on extensive property qualifications, leaving all powers and franchises in the hands of the aristocratic elite. To ensure their authority, Chase and the other leaders had to popularize themselves and the revolutionary cause, which they did in two ways. First, they passed a legal tender act authorizing payment of all debts with depreciated money. Secondly, the General Court tended to deal leniently with all cases of men charged with treason, insurrection, and riot; these were invariably found guilty, fined a small amount, and released. Under the cautious policies of the new government, the strong "resentment of authority" eventually eased.<ref>Ronald Hoffman, "Popularizing the Revolution: Internal Conflict and Economic Sacrifice in Maryland, 1774-1780" ''Maryland Historical Magazine'' 1973 68(2): 125-139. 0025-4258</ref>

==Supreme Court==

==Supreme Court==

* Rehnquist, William H. ''Grand Inquests: The Historic Impeachments of Justice Samuel Chase and President Andrew Johnson.'' 1992. 303 pp. by a leading conservative Chief Justice

* Rehnquist, William H. ''Grand Inquests: The Historic Impeachments of Justice Samuel Chase and President Andrew Johnson.'' 1992. 303 pp. by a leading conservative Chief Justice

====references====

====References====

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{{Declaration of Independence}}

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