Ambrose Martin facts for kids
Ambrose Martin was one of the very first settlers in the early American town of Concord, Massachusetts. He is remembered for a time when he spoke out against the rules of the Puritan church. This happened long ago, even before the United States became a country.
Speaking Up for Freedom
Ambrose Martin believed strongly in saying what he thought. He openly disagreed with the Puritan church's rules, which they called a "covenant." He even said some very strong words about it. Because of this, he was fined 10 pounds. This was a huge amount of money back then!
This event is one of the first times in American history where someone was officially stopped from speaking freely. This idea of free speech later became a very important part of the United States Constitution.
Ambrose Martin didn't have the cash to pay the fine. So, the authorities took a cow from his farm and sold it for 20 pounds. This was more than the fine. The extra 10 pounds should have been returned to him. However, Ambrose Martin refused to take it. He felt that if he couldn't get all of his money back, he didn't want any of it.
A Request for Help
Many years later, Ambrose Martin and his family were having money troubles. In 1643, a formal request, called a petition, was written to help him. This petition asked Governor John Endecott to return the money from the old fine.
The petition was written by Reverend Peter Bulkley. It was also signed by Reverend John Jones and thirteen other important family leaders from the town. These included Richard Griffin, Simon Willard, Robert Merriam, Thomas Wheeler, George Wheeler, Robert Fletcher, Luke Potter, Joseph Wheeler, Thomas Foxe, William Busse, Henry Farwell, James Hosmer, and John Graves.
The Governor's Decision
On April 5, 1644, Governor Endecott responded to the petition. He said that the full 20 pounds from the cow sale would not be returned. However, he confirmed that Ambrose Martin was still owed the extra 10 pounds. Even so, Ambrose Martin never went to claim this money.
