1775. ] OF THE PROVINCE OF MARYLAND. 19

At a meeting of the DELEGATES appointed by the several counties
of the province of MARYLAND, at the city of Annapolis, on
Wednesday the 26th day of July, 1775, and continued till the
14th day of August, in the same year, were present,

ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-ONE MEMBERS.
The hon. MATTHEW TILGHMAN, Esq. was chosen chairman.

And GABRIEL DUVALL, appointed clerk.
Resolved unanimously, That the following association be signed
by the members of this convention, and by all other the freemen
of this province.

ASSOCIATION of the FREEMEN of MARYLAND, July 26, 1775.

The long premeditated, and now avowed design of the British
government, to raise a revenue from the property of the colonists,
without their consent, on the gift, grant, and disposition of the
commons of Great Britain; and the arbitrary and vindictive stat-
utes passed under colour of punishing a riot, to subdue by milita-
ry force, and by famine, the Massachusetts bay; the unlimited power
assumed by parliament to alter the charter of that province, and
the constitutions of all the colonies, thereby destroying the essen-
tial securities of the lives, liberties, and properties of the colonists;
the commencement of hostilities by the ministerial forces, and the
cruel prosecution of the war against the people of the Massachu-
setts bay, followed by general Gage's proclamation, declaring al-
most the whole of the inhabitants of the united colonies, by name
or description, rebels and traitors; are sufficient causes to arm a
free people in defence of their liberty, and justify resistance, no
longer dictated by prudence merely, but by necessity, and leave no
other alternative but base submission, or manly opposition, to un-
controllable tyranny. The congress chose the latter, and for the
express purpose of securing and defending the united colonies,
and preserving them in safety against all attempts to carry the above
mentioned acts into execution by force of arms, Resolved, That the
said colonies be immediately put into a state of defence, and now
supports, at the joint expense, an army to restrain the further vio-
lence, and repel the future attacks, of a disappointed and exaspe-
rated enemy.

We, therefore, inhabitants of the province of Maryland, firmly
persuaded that it is necessary and justifiable to repel force by force,
do approve of the opposition by arms, to the British troops employ-
3