To the worthy inhabitants of the city of New-York... New York: James Rivington, 1773.
This broadside was authored by Poplicola, a pseudonym for Loyalist John Vardill (1749-1811) who was educated at King’s College in New York and served as an assistant minister at Trinity Church. In the text, Vardill strongly objects to the ongoing boycotting of English goods in the city and scoffs at colonists’ allegations of Parliament’s tyranny. There was an immediate (and vitriolic) response to his pronouncement, with a series of broadsides and multiple news reports documenting the lively exchange between Vardill and his detractors. In 1774, Vardill departed for England and never returned.
Publication / Creation Year
1773